1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: We have two really important things to celebrate today. We 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: of course are celebrating Christmas. That's a pretty big holiday 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: to celebrate. We're also celebrating the one hundredth episode of 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Verdict with Ted Cruze. And to celebrate, we're going to 5 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: be giving away a bunch of stuff. This is Verdict 6 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruize. Today's very special Christmas episode of Verdict 7 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruze is sponsored by American Hartford Gold. I'm 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: sure I'm not the only one who's noticed everything is 9 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: getting expensive. We are in the biggest economic crisis since 10 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, with a government that's printing trillions 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: and trillions of dollars. Consumer prices are the highest we've 12 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: seen in thirty years. Inflation is certainly here to stay, 13 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: and if the government continues it's out of control printing 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: and spending, the dollar could continue its free fall and 15 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,279 Speaker 1: lose its coveted role as the world reserve currency. So 16 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: how do you protect your money, your retirement, your savings. 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Honestly, 50 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: going to the post office instead of using stamps dot 51 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: COM's kind of like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. 52 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: So if you spend more than a few minutes a 53 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: week dealing with mail and shipping, stamps dot com is 54 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: a lifesaver. Save time and money this holiday season with 55 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: stamps dot Com. Sign up with promo code Verdict for 56 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: a special offer that includes a four week trial, free postage, 57 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: and a digital scale, no long term commitments or contracts. 58 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: Just go to stamps dot com, click the microphone at 59 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: the top of the page and enter code Verdict. Verdict 60 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: with ted Cruz is also brought to you by AMAC. 61 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: Did you know there's a conservative advocacy and benefits organization 62 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: with more than two million members in counting. It's called AMAC, 63 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: the Association of Mature American Citizens AMAC has become one 64 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: of the most impactful conservative organizations in America. Joining AMAC 65 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: gives you access to money saving benefits, cutting edge news, 66 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: and a magazine full of insightful takes on today's most 67 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: important issues. But most importantly, AMAC is working tirelessly to 68 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: preserve the freedom secured by our constitution. 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Welcome back to 78 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: Verdict with Ted Cruz, where there are so many ads. 79 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: When did that happen? When did we start getting I 80 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: guess it's good that we're getting these ads so that 81 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: we can keep this show on the air, free available 82 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: to so many people. But Liz, please tell me there 83 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,720 Speaker 1: is some way to avoid all of the ads. Well, 84 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: there certainly is, Michael. If you just head right on 85 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: over to Verdict with Ted Cruz dot com slash Plus 86 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: and become a Verdict Plus subscriber, then you can watch 87 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: this entire episode free, free from the terrible ads, free 88 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: from these advertisements, all the way through straight through Verdict 89 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruise dot Com slash Plus. Well, that's wonderful. 90 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,119 Speaker 1: Grateful to you, the listener is grateful to Verdict Plus, 91 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: and grateful to our advertisers as well, who allow us 92 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: to remain on the air. Senator, congratulations on one hundred episodes. 93 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: That is crazy. Uh, you know when when we sat 94 00:04:54,240 --> 00:05:00,280 Speaker 1: down January almost two years ago, and and in the 95 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: basement and did it at what one two in the 96 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: morning every night every night, and and and the first 97 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 1: time we did it, we had this shag carpet. We 98 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,720 Speaker 1: had we had this chair. I mean, the the the 99 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: chair and the carpet are veterans of one hundred episodes, 100 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: um and and listen, I've been upstage by a cactus, 101 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: but but for a shag carpet to kick your ass 102 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: that that is a little much, But I mean I 103 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: remember that that first night there was a lot of skepticism, 104 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: a skepticism from one young Michael Knowles, skepticism from our producers, 105 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: skepticism from almost anyone's sentient with a discernible sense of judgment, 106 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: like how is this going to work? Is this gonna work? 107 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: And then we rocketed up the charts and within weeks 108 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: were the number one podcast in the world. So I 109 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: admit I was skeptical at the very beginning. I you know, 110 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: I have great admiration for you, Senator, I have voted 111 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: for you, but I was a little skeptical that you 112 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: were going to beat Joe Rogan on the podcast charts. 113 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 1: And and yet after just a week, I guess on 114 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: the air, the show hit number one. Obviously, it's been 115 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 1: going for two years, and that is now it's a 116 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: very popular thing to do. A lot of politicians have podcasts. 117 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: It had never been done in a popular way before, 118 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: and so I am thrilled, and I'm sorry forever doubting 119 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: that you would become one of the biggest broadcasters in America. Well, look, 120 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: I will say this. One of the things I get 121 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: great joy from is Verdict has more viewers than CNN's 122 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 1: Morning Show. Like like, in some ways that's such an 123 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: incredibly low bar that that's like saying, Okay, you know, 124 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: we exceed three. But but it is really an amazing 125 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 1: sort of commentary on the shift of media and discussion. 126 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: You know, it used to be that, you know, the 127 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: big three, you at ABC, CBS, NBC, back when all right, Michael, 128 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: I bet you don't. Do you remember television sets that 129 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: had knobs that turned or was that before your time? 130 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: I do, but only because I grew up kind of poor, 131 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: That's the only reason I remember it. But they were 132 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: basically extinct by the time I was a kid. You know, 133 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, we had remote control and 134 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: they called it kids, as in, you yell at the kid, 135 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: go change the station, and I did. Look, I wasn't 136 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: growing up in you know, Ward Beaver nineteen fifties, but uh, 137 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: you know, walked up hill both school, both uphill both ways, 138 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: snowing both ways. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm thrilled that we've 139 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: hit number one hundred, and I love the coincidence that 140 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: we are celebrating this as we were getting ready to 141 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: celebrate Christmas. Although there was a story that Liz turned 142 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: me onto that. Apparently, you know, there are all these 143 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: wars on Christmas, and sometimes the wars are being aged 144 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: by the Liberals, and sometimes they're being waged by the Puritans, 145 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: and sometimes they're people attack Christmas for a whole lot 146 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: of reasons. Apparently BLM is attacking Christmas and specifically calling 147 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: for a boycott of the song White Christmas because obviously 148 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: that is a white supremacist anthem. Liz, do I have 149 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: that right? Um? No, you do not have that right. 150 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: But don't worry. I'm here. I'm here to correct the 151 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: record on it. They are calling for a boycott of 152 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: a white Christmas, meaning they don't want anybody to purchase 153 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: any Christmas gifts from white owned businesses or to bank 154 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,719 Speaker 1: with any banks that are owned by white people. They 155 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: only want it's even worse, worse, although it's so much worse, 156 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: although the song is a beautiful song. No, they said 157 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: that they're dreaming and this is a play on the song. 158 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: They're dreaming of a black Christmas because they want black 159 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: people in our country to only solely exclusively buy from 160 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: black owned businesses. Because they say that, um, white supremacist 161 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: capitalism is a thing is a problem in our nation. 162 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: I'm not exactly sure what the tie in there. I 163 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 1: don't know how you can tie those three things together. 164 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: But that's the beauty of black lives matters. They can 165 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: invent connections to try to take down the institutions of 166 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: our country everywhere. So, yes, they are attacking Christmas. So 167 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: it really is amazing that that that that bing Crosby 168 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: is now controversial. You know, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. 169 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: Bing did you enter the room? Where did I? I 170 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: thought he was long gone. I can't. Oh, no, there 171 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: was you, Senator. Of course, the terror of it is 172 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 1: it's a white Christmas because friggin snow is white. It's 173 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: not a racial thing. It's it's when you freeze water 174 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 1: and it condenses in the air, it turns into snowflakes. 175 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: It's not blue, it's not pink, it's not purple. That's 176 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: it just happens to be white. And now that that 177 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: that that is you know who knew uh that that 178 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 1: that snow had racial overtones? By the way, I just 179 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: want to say right now, it's not fair that the 180 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: Grynch's green. What about green people? What do they have 181 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: against green people? Fair? Enough, and it really is. Well, 182 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: you are noticing this strange phenomenon now, and it's not 183 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: just BLM calling for a boycott of white businesses, but 184 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: you're seeing from other major retailers or aggregators black and 185 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: white owned businesses being treated differently. I remember during the 186 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: BLM riots, I think it was Uber Eats was treating 187 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 1: black owned businesses whatever that means. By the way, it's 188 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:33,959 Speaker 1: not as though businesses are only owned by a single 189 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: individual a lot of the time, but they were treating 190 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: them differently, giving different incentives. Is that sort of thing 191 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: even legal? So it's not, and it is explicitly discriminating 192 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: based on race. And the sad reality is leftists have 193 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: always been racist. They've always embraced racial discrimination. You know, 194 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: Black Lives Matter is a racist organization. And one of 195 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 1: the ironies we did one of the earlier verdicts, we 196 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 1: did a whole pod on the history of the organization, 197 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 1: Black Lives Matter, founded by explicit and avowed communists and 198 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: supported by woke corporations. So Microsoft, I forget the stats. 199 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: We went through the stats and Microsoft had given I 200 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: don't know, one hundred thousand, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 201 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 1: Amazon had given one hundred and fifty or two hundred 202 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars. I forget the amount. Of course, you 203 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: know Microsoft, Bill Gates ain't a black guy. Jeff Bezos 204 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: ain't a black guy. They're literally funding an organization calling 205 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: on you to boycott their own business. So Jeff Bezos 206 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,840 Speaker 1: is cutting a check to an organization saying don't you 207 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: order your Christmas presents on Amazon? Uh, do not do that? 208 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: But look look, look like like the woke consciousness is 209 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: really asinine? All right, guys, way to keep it light 210 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: and cheery for Christmas. This is the Christmas episode we're 211 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: supposed to be spreading joy all over the world. In fact, 212 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: that's kind of what this episode is about. Today. We 213 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: have some Christmas gifts, if you will, and honor of 214 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: both you know, Christmas and of the hundredth episode of Verdict, 215 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: and I want to talk about those a little right 216 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: now because they're really fun. So if you if you 217 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: join Verdict Plus as a member now, I want to 218 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: be very clear here, If you join Verdict Plus as 219 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: a member, that's completely free. You don't have to give 220 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: your credit card information. That's a non paid way to 221 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: join to join this insider community. It's Verdict with Ted 222 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: Cruz dot com slash Plus. If you join, it's completely free, 223 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 1: and if we reach fifteen thousand members on Verdict Plus 224 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: by January twenty first, January twenty first is a very 225 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,319 Speaker 1: special day because that is the inaugural episode, the anniversary 226 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: of the inaugural episode of Verdict. Fifteen thousand members on 227 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: Verdict Plus by January twenty first, then we will randomly 228 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: select one member to come to a live taping of Verdict. 229 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: This is just one of many Christmas presents here on 230 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: our one hundredth episode. And by the way, because today 231 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 1: is one hundredth episode, in January twenty first, a little 232 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: bit different date is the anniversary of the inaugural episode. 233 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: We will be announcing the winner of that on our 234 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: January twenty first episode. So go to Verdict with Ted 235 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 1: Cruz dot com slash plus. Let's get to fifteen thousand 236 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: members so one of you can come to a live 237 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: taping a Verdict. Michael, this is the Christmas spirit, all right? Well, Liz, 238 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: let me ask you a couple of clarifications. Number number one, 239 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: fifteen thousand. How close are we now? Lives? Where? Where 240 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: are we right now, we're about to we're about to 241 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: hit the ten thousand mark. Well, I mean we can 242 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 1: do it. We can definitely do this, all right, so 243 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 1: fifteen thousand, we're in in shooting range of fifteen thousand 244 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: and and and the lucky winner who gets to come 245 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: to a taping of Verdict Live. Are we going to 246 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: tell them? All right, you got to buy your own 247 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: plane ticket, you got a pony up to cash, you 248 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: got a fly to where it is? Or is this 249 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: an even even? It gets more? It gets better? As 250 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: they say on the Romco ads, what kind of Christmas 251 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: would it be if we said you're the winner, but oh, 252 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: you got to pay us for your Christmas present? No, no, 253 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: this is a Christmas present in all its glory. We 254 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: will bring you to a live taping at no expense 255 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:13,719 Speaker 1: to you. This, I mean, this is the real deal. 256 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: This is a really fun thing. People who are part 257 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: of the Verdict plus community, I mean they follow Verdict 258 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: to a t These are people who are really into 259 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: what we're talking about and what the goal of this 260 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: podcast is. And this is just a little way of 261 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: giving bath. These people are you know, true blues. These 262 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: people are fans of the show, and it's going to 263 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: be really exciting to meet one of y'all in person. 264 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: And Michael, I got to ask a question, So, if 265 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: the winner comes and happens say to want to recite 266 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 1: Dante and the original Italian, are you able to join 267 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: them in that? Well? I hope so. You know, Fortunately, 268 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: the last Verdict listener who came up and just began 269 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: reciting a Dante in Italian, fortunately he knew one fewer 270 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: line than I did. But the next one, who knows. 271 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: We have an colectic, intellectual group that listens to the show. 272 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: And you know, I take Liz's correction in a proper spirit. 273 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: It's true. I don't this is Christmas time. I don't 274 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: want to focus on the rioters and the Pagans and 275 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: all the negative stuff. This is a great time to 276 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: celebrate a great one hundredth episode. So shall we get 277 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: to some nailback questions from the viewers who may very 278 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: well be flying out to see us live. Absolutely, we 279 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: have some actually some very interesting questions. Michael, I feel 280 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: like there's a question that puts you and I on 281 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: the spot in front of the senator here, So let's 282 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: start with that one, because that sounds fun. This is 283 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: from Paul Over on Verdict Plus. Of course, these questions 284 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: are all from Verdict Plus subscribers. He says, for Liz 285 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: and Michael, have you decided how to approach Santa with 286 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: your kids? Yes? I am very pro Santa. I'm on 287 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: team Santa. I'm so pro Santa that I'm not only 288 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: going to teach about the jolly old elf Saint Nicholas 289 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: who comes down the chimney with toys. I'm going to 290 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: teach about Saint Nicholas, the bishop who, according to legend, 291 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: at the Council of Nicia punched the heretic areas in 292 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: the face because he was so sick of hearing his 293 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: heresy and wanted to shake the man back to his senses. Now, 294 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 1: the story itself may not have actually occurred, but I 295 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: love the legend of Santa Claus showing up to give 296 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: presents to kids and punch heretics when he just ran 297 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: out of presents. Yes, that won't be confusing at all 298 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: to your child. The reality and the fantasy my favorite legend. 299 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: By the way, before we even get into this, the 300 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: real Saint Nick. Do you know the reason why we 301 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: decorate our Christmas tree with like gold ball's gold ornaments. 302 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: Because there was a man, an impoverished man in Saint 303 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: Nicholas's town, who had three daughters. He was unable to 304 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: pay for their dowry, so they were going to remain unmarried. 305 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: But he was so impoverished that he couldn't pay for 306 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,520 Speaker 1: their food. He couldn't sustain them. Because they were going 307 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: to be unmarried, he was going to have to sell 308 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,120 Speaker 1: them into sex slavery and a prostitution. St. Nicholas threw 309 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: three bags of gold through his window, landed on their 310 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: shoes and stockings on the hearth. And that's where the 311 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: tradition not only of shoes and stockings on the hearth, 312 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: but also why we decorate our Christmas trees with gold balls. 313 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: That's what I'm going to teach Lady Baby. That is 314 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 1: the most badass story, the coolest. I mean, that's that 315 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,719 Speaker 1: is cooler than a fat elf coming down the chimney. Right, 316 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 1: So we're talking about insurrectionists and rioters and pagans and 317 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:21,120 Speaker 1: now sex slavery. Senator, what was your approach with your 318 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 1: daughters when it comes to Santa Claus. Yeah, I gotta say, 319 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:28,160 Speaker 1: you guys are really going and keeping it light and cheery. 320 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: You've got Saint Nick the brawler, like punching some heretic 321 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: or something. I didn't quite follow it. And then you've 322 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 1: got the like rescued from sex slavery by flinging bags 323 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:46,199 Speaker 1: of gold. I'm feeling very historically illiterate because I confess 324 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: I know nothing about either one of those stories. Um, 325 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: but but but I will, I can go a little 326 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:54,640 Speaker 1: bit lighter. So we did Santa with our girls. They're 327 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: now eleven and thirteen. I'm pretty sure they they are 328 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: beyond the Santa stage at this point. But but I 329 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,240 Speaker 1: used to. Heidi would have me, so every Christmas Eve, 330 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,480 Speaker 1: after the girls went to bed, she'd send me outside, 331 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: and we have these bells, and I'd like go outside 332 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: their windows and ring the bells to be the bells 333 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,159 Speaker 1: on Santa's sleigh landing on the roof. And it was 334 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: just enough that they could hear it and and and 335 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: and be excited. Um, it's never really worked. I did 336 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: it every year, but it didn't quite have the effect 337 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: uh that we envisioned. We also own a Santa suit. Um, 338 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: I've never dressed in the Santa suit. We put my 339 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:36,120 Speaker 1: dad in the Santa suit. So that's a grandfatherly task, 340 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: and just to give you a sense of where it goes, 341 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: we're now post Santa Um. There was not some big reveal, 342 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: there was no year where it's like aha, It just 343 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: sort of faded as they got older. But now both 344 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: girls put together a power point of what they want 345 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: for Christmas. If they present to us with with with 346 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: rankings and why they want it, and they stand and 347 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: do a presentation, Here's why it's a good idea, here's 348 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,479 Speaker 1: why this makes sense, and here's a link to the 349 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: specific one I want, and so they like send you 350 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: the Amazon link for their presence. Both girls do do 351 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: the presentation now every year before Christmas. It sounds like 352 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,840 Speaker 1: they're a chip off the old block. You and Heidi 353 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,919 Speaker 1: have taught them well, So I used to when I 354 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: was when I was eight years old, Liz, So, I 355 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: would type up my Christmas list on my parents IBM's 356 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 1: electric typewriter, because I would go over to their office 357 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: where they had a small business, and I would type 358 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: up a Christmas list and rank things and I rank 359 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: them one, two, three, and four stars just with asterix, 360 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: because you know that's all you had, and you know 361 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: I would have different things I wanted I want a TV, said, 362 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: I wanted a stereo. I wanted a shotgun. I had 363 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: all these different things that I specified, and one of 364 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: the mony year things I specified, I guess this was 365 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 1: after eight. This is probably like eleven, where I had 366 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,959 Speaker 1: been working for several years and my parents' small business, 367 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: and my parents had a rule that I had to 368 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: save fifty percent of what I earned, that I could 369 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: only spend half of it, that I had to save 370 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,399 Speaker 1: half of it. And so I had been working. They 371 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 1: were paying me a dollar an hour. And the first 372 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 1: thing I bought was a York's stereo was one hundred 373 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 1: and thirty seven dollars, and what I remembered is that 374 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: it had all four media. I'd had a record player, 375 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: it had a radio, it had a cassette, it had 376 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 1: an eight track, and I bought it was one hundred 377 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: and thirty seven hours. But it was time to two 378 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 1: because I could only spend half of it. And as 379 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: my savings added up because I started working, I mean 380 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:49,760 Speaker 1: they hired me when I was eight, and as my 381 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: savings added up, I had, you know, eight nine hundred 382 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: dollars in savings, and I bought gold with it. I 383 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: bought a gold Kruger aand you know the South African money. Look, 384 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,399 Speaker 1: one of our sponsors sells gold, So there you go. 385 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: I was on point with our sponsors when I was 386 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: a ten year old, eleven year old kid. But that 387 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: next year, on the Christmas list, like number nine on 388 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: the list of what I wanted was some krueger aans. 389 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: And my mother to this day still finds hysterical the 390 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: adjective some just you know, throw some gold coins by way, 391 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: Like like, what kind of eleven year old asked for 392 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: some kruger z But I'm like, I bought one? Why 393 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: I did not get some or any kruger Ns for Christmas? 394 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,199 Speaker 1: And even more funny, it was like two stars. It 395 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: wasn't nearly as cool as like a TV or whatever 396 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:48,640 Speaker 1: else I was asking for that year. You know, this 397 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: is the the left's caricature of what eleven year old 398 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 1: Ted Cruise was doing. Little eleven year old Ted Cruise 399 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: investing in gold. The conservatives conservative from age. I mean, 400 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,360 Speaker 1: it's hardly it's hard to even know how to respond 401 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: to this story. It's such a delightful mix of hilarious 402 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,359 Speaker 1: and nerdy. It is it does sound like your daughters 403 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: or a chip off the old block, though. I mean 404 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: they're ranking their Christmas presents, arguing in front of you 405 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: what could basically set them up for better present success 406 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: on Christmas morning. I honestly, I honestly don't know if 407 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: there is anything. However, in the spirit of Christmas, we 408 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: do have more gifts for our wonderful Verdict fans this 409 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:30,719 Speaker 1: time head over to YouTube. Fifteen people picked at random 410 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: who leave comments on this episode that is episode one hundred. 411 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: We'll get a free box of signed merch from the 412 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: Verdict Merch Store. The only thing that I regret to 413 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: inform you is that it won't contain gold coins. Other 414 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: than that it will contain really cool merch signed by 415 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: yours truly by Michael by Senator Cruz. Fifteen random people 416 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: who leave comments on this episode, episode one hundred, We'll 417 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: get a free box of signed merch from the Verdict 418 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,439 Speaker 1: Merch Store shop that is, of course the urel. If 419 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: you want to see what is in the merch shop, 420 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 1: you can go to Verdict with Ted Cruise dot com 421 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 1: slash shop. That's pretty cool, Michael that it's extremely cool. 422 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: So so Liz, let let me ask. Let's let's go 423 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: under the hood. So YouTube. We have what about two 424 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: hundred and ten thousand subscribers on YouTube, um, which means 425 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: I also have in my office the really cool like 426 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: like silver you know album thing, I don't know what 427 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: you call it, but the thing they get you when 428 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: you get one hundred thousand subscribers. So we've got two 429 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: hundred and ten thousand. The silver play button. That's that's 430 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: a big deal for the YouTuber community, the silver play button. 431 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: And and and there's what's the million one? What what 432 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:39,479 Speaker 1: is it? Gold? Gold? You get the gold? All right, 433 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:41,360 Speaker 1: so we we got to get to the gold. We're 434 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: two hundred ten thousand, so we'll get there, but we're 435 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: not there yet. You can put that on your Christmas 436 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: list this year. There we go. Now that that's number 437 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: one on on my Christmas yet, Liz. But I guess 438 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: the comments like feed the algorithm. So you know, you've 439 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: got a bunch of commie leftists and Silicon Valley that 440 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 1: if they had their way, we would have zero viewers. 441 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: But when you comment, somehow they're mildly obliged, like more 442 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: people see it, it spreads it. And I don't understand 443 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: the pixie dust from Santa's elves cause more people to 444 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: watch Verdict. So make your comments and say things that 445 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: are interesting and fun, and fifteen of you, well, we'll 446 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 1: get merch signed by us exactly, So you're both fighting 447 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: back against big talk, making sure that we make the 448 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: most of the algorithms that we face, and you get 449 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 1: merched from Verdict. What could make for a better Christmas 450 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: than that? Again, our YouTube channel is Verdict with Ted Crews. 451 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 1: Head on over there be one of the fifteen people. 452 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: I mean, that's pretty that's a pretty good odd there. Um, 453 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: All right, are you ready for the next question. The 454 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 1: next question is about family tradition. So obviously, Senator, it's 455 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: a tradition in your family to rank the Christmas presents 456 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: to give them ratings. But real truth, Cactus M wants 457 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,199 Speaker 1: to know, and she says, this is for everyone. What 458 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: is your family's favorite Christmas tradition or memory? And so, Senator, 459 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: let's start with you know, to be honest, my favorite 460 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,400 Speaker 1: thing about Christmas is just just being with family. It's 461 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:08,159 Speaker 1: like Thanksgiving Christmas from my two favorite holidays because we 462 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: get our whole extended family together. When I was a kid, 463 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: we would always we'd drive up to Dallas and my grandparents, 464 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,199 Speaker 1: my Abuelo and Abuela. They lived up in Dallas and 465 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: they lived with my Thesonia, my father's kid's sister, and 466 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: my cousin Babie, who's Theisonia's daughter. She lived up there, 467 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:26,640 Speaker 1: babies five years older than I am, and we were 468 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 1: like brother and sister and we would all get together 469 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: and you got a big Cuban household, and we'd have 470 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,159 Speaker 1: food and there'd be lots of yelling. I've joked, if 471 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: a Cuban can't yell, can they speak? And I think 472 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: the answers no, like like, there's no way if you 473 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: had like eight or ten Cuban men in a room, 474 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 1: they're all screaming in Spanish at the top of their 475 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,160 Speaker 1: lungs because it apparently they don't they can't modulate volume. 476 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: We played dominoes every Christmas. The Domino's games are vigorous, 477 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,640 Speaker 1: they're in your face, they're competitive. Um. My father will 478 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: always get out the Bible at at at the Christmas 479 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:11,919 Speaker 1: table and read read the story of Christ's birth, and uh, 480 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: you know that's um. I've done that on a couple 481 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: of times. My dad hasn't been at our house. But 482 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: to be honest, again, look, even though I turn turned 483 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 1: fifty one in a week. You know, Dad is still 484 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: dad and so so, so that's that that that that's 485 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: his responsibility. We also go do a lot of movies. 486 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: So um ours is a movie going household. You know. 487 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: Verdict listeners know that I'm a movie buff. But I 488 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: got it honestly, I got it from my parents. My parents. 489 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: Both my parents love movies. Uh. My dad actually learned 490 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 1: English when he came from Cuban nineteen fifty seven and 491 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 1: he came to Austin. He was a freshman at UT 492 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: and he couldn't speak English. He had gotten in but 493 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: he had this enormous incentive to learn English because his 494 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,719 Speaker 1: classes were in English, and if he didn't learn English quickly, 495 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 1: he would flunk out of UT. And if he flunked 496 00:27:07,480 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: out of UT, they would cancel a student visa. If 497 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: they canceled a student visa, they'd send him back to Cuban. 498 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 1: If he went back to Cuba, they'd kill him. So 499 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: he had this intense incentive learn English quick so you 500 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: don't flunk out of school. And one of the things 501 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 1: he used to do, so he do two things. Number one, 502 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,639 Speaker 1: he took Spanish one oh one and he reverse engineered it. 503 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: So when the professor said milk is letche, he'd go, oh, 504 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: letch's milk. And he'd just like try to do everything 505 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: backwards and see if he could look learn. But the 506 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: other thing he would do is he'd go to the 507 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:42,199 Speaker 1: movies and he'd see the same movie three times in 508 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 1: a row. And the human brain is amazing. So the first, 509 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 1: you know, a few times he did it, he didn't 510 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 1: understand any of it. But it starts too you start 511 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,439 Speaker 1: seeing people interact and the context and the queues. And 512 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: so he loves movies. So I'll over Christmas break, I'll 513 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: see several movies. I like the theater. I like being 514 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,960 Speaker 1: you know in the sound and I get popcorn and 515 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: candy and hot dogs and and uh take the kids, 516 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: and and so movies, dominoes and and playing my nephew 517 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 1: diego one on one hoops and we play vigorous, aggressive, brutal, fouling, bloody, bruising, 518 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:26,920 Speaker 1: taunting hoops much like our dominoes games. Our dominoes games 519 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: are taunting. Our hoops games are taunting. It's it's a 520 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: It is a family with a lot of fun and 521 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,399 Speaker 1: and and a lot of good natured grief. All around. 522 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 1: It sounds it sounds amazing. I mean I can I 523 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: can almost feel the atmosphere being there. And I think 524 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: I think you said it correctly. I mean, not to 525 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: sound cheesy, not to sound tried it. It is about 526 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: being with family and all of the little quirks and 527 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: idiosyncrasies of being with the ones that you love. Michael, 528 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: what what what is? What does your family do? What 529 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: is your favorite memory, either either current or past. I'll 530 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: give you a great memory. I mean, we have a 531 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: zillion traditions and memories around Christmas. Christmas very important, not 532 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: just for the Catholics, but specifically the Italian Catholics. They 533 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: make a big deal, especially by Christmas Eve. So there 534 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 1: was one year give you a sense of how politically 535 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: incorrect my family is. There was one year I really 536 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: wanted for Christmas a sitar, you know, like the big 537 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 1: Indian instrument George Harry I don't know. I heard George 538 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,640 Speaker 1: Harrison played it or something, So I really wanted to sittar. 539 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: We found it at some hippie shop in way down 540 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 1: in southern New Jersey. My mother knew I really wanted it. 541 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: We didn't have a ton of money, but my grandmother 542 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,240 Speaker 1: agreed to buy it if my mother would drive down 543 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: four and a half hours, pick it up, drive back 544 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: four and a half hours, bring it to her. I 545 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: had no clue that this was happening at all, and 546 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 1: it's in my grandmother's house. We go there, huge meal, 547 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: lots of people, all screaming Italians. As is often the 548 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 1: case in an Italian household, younger people drink a little 549 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 1: bit of wine at Christmas. So there's thirteen, fourteen year 550 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: old Michael. I'm having, you know, a glass or two 551 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,600 Speaker 1: of wine. I'm just feeling great, and my grandmother emerges. 552 00:29:56,680 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: My little Sicilian grandmother emerges where a full Indian sorry 553 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: that she had picked up on a trip in the seventies. 554 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: She's got a dot in the middle of her head. 555 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: She would be canceled if there were photos of this 556 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: incident and presents me with this citar. We would all 557 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: be canceled if there were any evidence of this. But 558 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: it did really bring together so many aspects, the wild family, 559 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: everyone being together, even the gifts, that there was so 560 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: much thought put into this gift. And of course I 561 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,960 Speaker 1: got a real kick out of the abject political correctness. 562 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: That's something something about those conservative Italian families. So do 563 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: you still have the star and can you play it 564 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 1: on the podcast? I absolutely have the citar. I actually 565 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:42,400 Speaker 1: just ordered strings for it, Senator and it. Maybe that's 566 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,600 Speaker 1: going to be the two hundredth episode spectacular, is it? 567 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 1: We'll just start playing some Rabbi Shan cartoon. We can 568 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: have belly dancing. Who knows? Who knows? People have to 569 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: subscribe to get us that far. I was going to 570 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: ask the exact same question. It's hard to even know 571 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 1: what to do with the two of you. These are 572 00:30:56,520 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: so they're so nerdy, so dorky. But maybe I found 573 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: my people because one of my favorite Christmas memories is 574 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: when I was about eleven or twelve, I asked for 575 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: a unicycle for Christmas. My parents got me a unicycle. 576 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: I taught myself how to ride it. I then taught 577 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: my sisters how to ride it, and we would ride 578 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: in parades, ride or unicycles and parades, calling ourselves the 579 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: three one wheelers, because who can resist? Who can resist 580 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: a bad pun such as that? Yes, yes, I see 581 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,360 Speaker 1: your face, Michael, I can see that. Listen. It was 582 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 1: it was a great time. It was a great time 583 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: my childhood. Um so Liz, did you have the did 584 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: you have the short short unicycles or the tall ones? 585 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: Are both? Um, the short ones so it's probably about 586 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: four feet three or four feet, so you're pretty much 587 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: off the ground. But it wasn't the giraffe unicycles I did. 588 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:43,560 Speaker 1: I did, to be fair, I did ask for one 589 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: of those, but that was a bridge too far even 590 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: for my mom to, you know, put me up twenty 591 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: feet on one wheel, so just the regular I could 592 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: ride backwards though. That was kind of that was kind 593 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: of my trick that I liked to do. The last 594 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: time I went to my parents, I did think about 595 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: trying it again, but being that was a little bit postpartum, 596 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: I thought maybe I shouldn't get up on the top 597 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: of that and try a trick. But I'd learned twenty 598 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 1: years ago. Yeah, I'm feeling really lame. Before I was 599 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: feeling like historically ignorant. Now I'm feeling untalented as well, 600 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,240 Speaker 1: because we're going to have a subsequient episode where Michael's 601 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: playing the star, You're riding a uni cycle, and I'm 602 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 1: sitting here threatening to sue people like I. Senator, Well, 603 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: you were wasting all of that time at Harvard Law 604 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: School learning constitutional law. You could have been doing something 605 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 1: productive like learning an ancient Indian guitar, were riding the unicycle. 606 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,480 Speaker 1: I mean, these are the regrets that people have in 607 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: their lives. Indeed, misspent youth. This question, by the way, 608 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: was asked by Real Truth Cactus, and I want to 609 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: give credit work credit to our next giveaway, our next 610 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: Christmas gift was this was Real Truth Cactus's idea, so 611 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: we can thank her for this. And this is really funny. 612 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: So if we get to fifty thousand reviews on Apple 613 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,920 Speaker 1: podcasts by our anniversary date that inaugural the date of 614 00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: the inaugural episode January twenty first, fifty thousand review on 615 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, we will let the fans pick what we 616 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: do next year. Now these are the options. Are you 617 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:09,200 Speaker 1: ready for these options? Real Trius Cactus just hit the 618 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: nail on the head with this one Senator. The Senator 619 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: wears a Braves jersey for an entire episode. That's option 620 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: number one. Option number two is the Senator and Michael 621 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: arm wrestle. Option three is the Cactus makes a guest 622 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: appearance on the show right here on the pod. Or 623 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:33,640 Speaker 1: four Michael roasts Princeton and the Senator roasts Yale in 624 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: a throwdown episode. If we get to fifty thousand reviews 625 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcast by January twenty first, people, I beg 626 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:42,120 Speaker 1: of you. I mean, as you can see, this would 627 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: be a very enjoyable episode for me and for you, 628 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 1: if not for Michael and the Senator. Let's do this, please, 629 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 1: let's do this well. I will say, on the fourth 630 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 1: one of roasting Yale versus Princeton, I kind of feel 631 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 1: like taking candy from a baby, that that's not really fair. 632 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 1: It is a horribly skewed playing field. Senator. I would 633 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,240 Speaker 1: I would have to resist that. I would have to 634 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:09,319 Speaker 1: fight you on that question, except that a few years 635 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: ago there was a case of a Yale student screaming 636 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:13,880 Speaker 1: at the top of her lungs that Yale is not 637 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:16,959 Speaker 1: an intellectual place, it is a place of comfort and home, 638 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 1: and the university sided with her. So it's gonna I 639 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:21,919 Speaker 1: hope it's not number four. I'm gonna be It's gonna 640 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:23,919 Speaker 1: be an uphill battle. So Michael, when you say fight, 641 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: did you mean arm wrestle, Well that might be an 642 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: uphill battle too. I'm you know, I don't know. We'll 643 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: see how that shakes out. You've you've got youth, but 644 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:34,840 Speaker 1: uh but but but you know, I may have a 645 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:36,959 Speaker 1: few pounds on you, Michael, so so so we'll see 646 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:41,200 Speaker 1: how that, how that shakes out. I will say on 647 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: the first suggestion of the Braves jersey, oddly enough, bizarrely enough, 648 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 1: I have worn a Braves jersey precisely once in my life. 649 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: So fifty almost fifty one years of life, I've worn 650 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,840 Speaker 1: a Braves jersey once. And the day on which I 651 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:05,280 Speaker 1: or the Braves jersey was today. So in the World Series, 652 00:35:06,239 --> 00:35:09,720 Speaker 1: I had a wager with John oss Off, newly elected 653 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: senator from George on the World Series. I actually went 654 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 1: and proposed it to John when the World Series started, said, look, 655 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 1: let's have a wager. The loser has to buy food 656 00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:24,360 Speaker 1: for the staff of the other and where the jersey 657 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 1: of of of the winning team. And I pointed out 658 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:30,760 Speaker 1: that I had done the same thing with with Kamala 659 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 1: Harris and she she had to show up at an 660 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,440 Speaker 1: Astro's jersey, which was awesome. And then I did the 661 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 1: same thing with Tim Kaine when when the Nationals beat 662 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: beat the Astros and I had to painfully don a 663 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: National's jersey It's very funny. Ass Off was fine with 664 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:49,399 Speaker 1: the food, but he was really nervous. He's like, well, 665 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 1: if I were an Astro's jersey, that that that could 666 00:35:51,719 --> 00:35:54,799 Speaker 1: like cost me several points at the polls, right, And 667 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:58,719 Speaker 1: I'm like, well, that's a plus two. But I was like, 668 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:02,239 Speaker 1: come on, man, I you know, Kamala did it. You know, 669 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: so I will say I did it today. Um, But 670 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: but I did it under protest. That's you know, yeah, 671 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: you might have been following the letter of the law, Senator, 672 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:20,279 Speaker 1: but that seems to violate the spirit of the law 673 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: if you're wearing the astro's hat. So I didn't actually 674 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: wear the astros had. I just wore the jersey. But 675 00:36:26,160 --> 00:36:30,319 Speaker 1: I brought in Chritz's barbecue. I flew in barbecue from 676 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 1: Texas all the way up here and fed all of 677 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 1: the ass Off staffers and wore the jersey. So so 678 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,799 Speaker 1: if that that wins the thing, I might might have 679 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:43,960 Speaker 1: to wear this hat too. But but I did wear 680 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 1: a jersey today to pay up on my wager. A 681 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 1: man of his word, And this kind of coincidence you 682 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:53,920 Speaker 1: can't design, because I did not even come into this 683 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:56,920 Speaker 1: episode knowing that fact. Um, and nor did real truth 684 00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 1: Cactus to my knowledge. By the way, just to remind 685 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: everyone how the mc panics of this work, go over 686 00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: to Apple Podcasts, leave a five star review, write a 687 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 1: comment telling us, of course how glorious the show is, 688 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,959 Speaker 1: get us up to fifty thousand views, and then once 689 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: this happens, go over to Verdict plus. That's Verdict with 690 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: Ted Cruz dot com slash plus and vote in the 691 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:21,200 Speaker 1: poll to see exactly what you would like to see happen. 692 00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: Would you like to see the Senator in a braves jersey? 693 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:25,720 Speaker 1: Would you like to see an arm wrestling match between 694 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 1: Michael and the Senator? Would you like the Cactus to 695 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:29,560 Speaker 1: make a guest appearance on the show. Or would you 696 00:37:29,600 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: like a mutual roast Michael roasting Princeton and the Senator 697 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,400 Speaker 1: roasting Yale? Those are the options. This seems like a 698 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:39,400 Speaker 1: pretty good, a pretty good Christmas episode, Michael. So let 699 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 1: me let me jump in on two things. Number one. Okay, 700 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: So the goal is to get to fifty thousand reviews 701 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,719 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts. And it's the same thing because it's 702 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 1: part of their magical algorithm or algae rhythm, as they 703 00:37:54,160 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: said in the Terrible Rebake of Space jam. But so 704 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: we got to get to fifty thousand by January twenty First, 705 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:06,319 Speaker 1: where are we now? Are we close? We can do it. 706 00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 1: Let's say that it's it's doable. We can do it 707 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:11,800 Speaker 1: if we if we commit, We're at about thirty five 708 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:15,680 Speaker 1: thousand over the course of the last almost two years. 709 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:18,160 Speaker 1: But listen, with this kind of incentive, we can get 710 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:20,879 Speaker 1: this done. I for one, really really want to see 711 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,959 Speaker 1: an arm wrestling match. So I highly encourage everyone who's 712 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: watching and listening to this episode please go rate, give 713 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,000 Speaker 1: us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts. Please write 714 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: a comment. Please then choose, And this is my bias. 715 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,319 Speaker 1: I know that I'm I'm creating bias in this poll. 716 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: Please choose the arm wrestling match. Oh and by the way, Liz, 717 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:43,920 Speaker 1: I will say on Verdict Plus, if you're disagreeable and 718 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:46,680 Speaker 1: contrary and you don't like any of the four choices, 719 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: provide a fifth. We're spontaneous, we're flexible. If you've got 720 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:54,040 Speaker 1: an idea that you think is a better one than that, 721 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:56,360 Speaker 1: throw it out there. And if a bunch of folks 722 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,360 Speaker 1: on Verdict plus like it, and if it does not 723 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,920 Speaker 1: entail Michael and the nude, then then then we'll consider it, 724 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,760 Speaker 1: and thank you, sir, I appreciate that I was actually 725 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:09,440 Speaker 1: going to suggest it. I don't you know, listen, I'm 726 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 1: a free spirit, I'm hip, I'm cool. But yes, please 727 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: everyone submit your suggestions. It's funny it occurs to me 728 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,759 Speaker 1: that we began the show today with me complaining about 729 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: how we have too many ads, and now we've had 730 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,520 Speaker 1: a bunch of ads, but they're not ads for anything 731 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,279 Speaker 1: other really than offering a bunch of free stuff. As 732 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,919 Speaker 1: a note of gratitude to all of you. Seriously, we're 733 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:30,839 Speaker 1: so so grateful to all of the listeners who've been 734 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 1: with us for hundred episodes. We really really appreciate it. 735 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 1: We wish everyone a very merry Christmas from me, from Liz, 736 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 1: from Senator Cruz, most importantly from the Cactus. So really, 737 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 1: thank thank you all. We will see you next time. 738 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 1: I'm Michael Knowles. This is Verdict with Ted Cruz. So 739 00:39:57,480 --> 00:39:59,279 Speaker 1: I tried to get them great and powerful Jay Hay 740 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,840 Speaker 1: to drop Cactus on the Vesta board for this little, 741 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,840 Speaker 1: this little bit that we're doing, but he could not produce. 742 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:07,480 Speaker 1: So let me just tell you we have a twenty 743 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:10,719 Speaker 1: percent off sale on the Verdict merch store. Right now, 744 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 1: you can get one of those sweet sweet cactus hats. 745 00:40:13,680 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: I would put one on for you to model it, 746 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 1: but I'm a little vain of my hair today. I 747 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 1: think I'm having a pretty good hair day, so I 748 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:19,759 Speaker 1: didn't want to mess it up. But go over to 749 00:40:19,880 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 1: Verdict with Ted Cruise dot com slash shop and if 750 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:24,839 Speaker 1: you use the promo code Santa, then you will get 751 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:29,120 Speaker 1: twenty percent off the entire shop between now and Christmas. 752 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 1: Twenty percent off. That's a really good deal. We have 753 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,799 Speaker 1: T shirts, we have cactus merch, we have hats, we 754 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:37,080 Speaker 1: have all kinds of cool stuff over there. Between now 755 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:39,319 Speaker 1: and Christmas, you get the great deal twenty percent off. 756 00:40:39,360 --> 00:40:42,799 Speaker 1: If you use the promo code Santa. Then, I don't know. 757 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: In the meantime, maybe the Great Powerful j he will 758 00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 1: figure out how to put a T shirt or a 759 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:49,319 Speaker 1: cactus on the Vesta board. But while he's figuring that out, 760 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,839 Speaker 1: I invite you join us Verdict with Ted Cruise dot 761 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:55,200 Speaker 1: com slash shop to buy really cool merch. You get 762 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:57,360 Speaker 1: twenty percent off if you use the promo code Santa 763 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:08,280 Speaker 1: at checkout. That's actually pretty good. This episode of Verdict 764 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:10,880 Speaker 1: with Ted Cruz is being brought to you by Jobs, 765 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:14,680 Speaker 1: Freedom and Security Pack, a political action committee dedicated to 766 00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:19,400 Speaker 1: supporting conservative causes, organizations, and candidates across the country. In 767 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:22,799 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, Jobs Freedom and Security Pack plans to 768 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:26,160 Speaker 1: donate to conservative candidates running for Congress and help the 769 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 1: Republican Party across the nation. If you liked this video, 770 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:33,759 Speaker 1: who should click the like button? And then you should subscribe, 771 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:35,600 Speaker 1: and you should ring the bell and you will never 772 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:36,800 Speaker 1: miss another video.