Brewed Awakening
Every Sunday morning, Carol and The Gent kick back in bed with coffee in hand and the week’s hottest headlines on their minds. Brewed Awakening is part pillow talk, part no-nonsense commentary—strong opinions served as fresh as the coffee, with zero sugarcoating. From sharp debates to playful banter (and maybe a little marital side-eye), they prove that the best conversations happen before you even get out of bed.
Brewed Awakening
Help or Get Stabbed: A Modern Dilemma
A rainy morning in North Alabama sets the scene for a wide-ranging conversation about how we consume media and process information in today's fractured landscape. When severe weather alerts repeatedly interrupted the Duke-Houston basketball game, we couldn't help but question the relevance of traditional broadcasting in an age where most people receive instant weather updates on their smartphones.
This media disruption opened the door to examining how different generations access information and form their worldviews. While older Americans remain loyal to network television, younger people increasingly curate their own information sources online, potentially leading to surprising shifts in political perspectives. We share personal stories of family members whose values have evolved in unexpected directions, challenging conventional wisdom about generational politics.
The conversation takes a darker turn as we discuss a troubling incident where an Uber driver was stabbed multiple times after offering to buy food for a homeless man instead of giving cash. This leads us to examine broader societal changes – from the closing of mental health institutions to declining religious participation – that have transformed public safety and eroded community trust. Remembering times when cities felt safer, we question what fundamental shifts have occurred in American society. We wrap up with relatable frustrations about parking lot etiquette and inconsiderate drivers, asking what daily observations make you shake your head and roll your eyes? Join the conversation and share your perspective on these everyday irritations that reflect deeper social changes.
Wake up, it's time for the podcast! Happy Sunday!
Hello, good morning. Welcome to Brood Awakening. It's a lovely, beautiful, rainy day here in North Alabama.
Speaker 2:It was an exciting night. Last night we got to see the storms slowly make their way towards us in North Alabama. There were apparently some tornadoes out there in North Alabama that were on the airwaves and all and, by the way, good morning. So it was an exciting night for weather for us.
Speaker 1:So who won the last basketball game that was on Since the weather? Ladies like to interrupt.
Speaker 2:From what I could see in the small picture-in-picture frame was that Houston came back from about 11, 12, 13 points down and beat Duke. So you have a Florida-Houston final matchup on Monday night.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a very big, strong comeback that they made, very impressive. So we'll see what happens.
Speaker 2:Could you actually enjoy it and watch it with all the weather channel it wasn't the easiest to watch because, number one, I was highly mad at the fact that they decided to break in with all this weather stuff, knowing we know there's a game on, but this is you know it's like well, you know, and I even tweeted it out, people are not following you on this thing. They're listening to their phone. They're watching their phones for the weather. They're not watching you. They tuned in here to watch a game, not to watch you. Come on and tell us about to their phone. They're watching their phones for the weather. They're not watching you. They tune in here to watch a game, not to watch you. Come on and tell us about. Hook echoes and get into your safe place with your football helmet on with their tight dresses and their big boobs she had some big boobs.
Speaker 2:I will say that, but that was not what I was worried about. I was. I was like get your boobs out of the way so I can see the basketball game.
Speaker 1:Oh my God Lord, the only boobs you care about are mine.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:All right, let's not get on, let's not go down that road.
Speaker 2:Best girls in the world. Anyway, yes, exactly it. Just it was ridiculous. Listen, you know, here's the bad thing about this Is after the game was over, you know well. No, it was actually before the game was over.
Speaker 2:I kind of was switch. I switched to another network to see if they were doing the tornadoes that were in North Alabama. And they were, but they were sitting there going, and though there are no tornadoes now, they still have this warning up, but there are no tornadoes. You can see, uh, the one that had been spotted, you know that's gone and the only thing we show on our radar is some strong winds. So be careful of strong winds right now. I think that's the only thing.
Speaker 2:Switch back to the thing that had the football game on the basketball game, and these two weather people were oh, oh and it's on the ground. You know, just a second ago I had a lightning flash and I could see the wall cloud and all this, and just they're going crazy about and it took probably that tornado took about three hours to get from point A to point B, which was about a mile and a half. And let me tell you what there's not a tornado that's moving at one mile an hour, but they just kept on, and, on, and on and on and I'm like, oh my God, this is ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Do you think they were DEI hires?
Speaker 2:I don't know if they're DEI hires. I don't know if they're dei hires or not, but what it is is it's a flight. It becomes a feather in their cap the more airtime they can get but, and the more they can sensationalize. Two things.
Speaker 1:number one you mentioned it last night about people are watching it on their phones, not necessarily on the on the local weather anymore, and do people watch local news anymore Because they have their phones to keep up with all the national news? I mean, that makes me wonder, but I need to look into that.
Speaker 2:You know, we don't.
Speaker 1:I know.
Speaker 2:We don't look at the local.
Speaker 1:I think we should.
Speaker 2:The only time I look at local channels is if there's a sporting event on, Like next week. Next, two weeks from now, I'll be watching CBS and watching the Masters. Monday night I'll be watching CBS and watching the finals, even though I have to pull for Houston now I can't pull for Florida, but that would be okay too, Because it's a sporting event. But other than that, they aren't even on our radar. As far as channels to look at, to scan, to go by I know, and it makes me wonder.
Speaker 1:It makes me wonder if this is not some kind of effort to get you distracted from your local community so you don't get involved with anything, so they can go ahead and run around and pass all of these crazy things happening. You know, like, for example, you know you hear about all the trans athletes getting into these sporting events to compete against women, sporting events to compete against women. Why are we not going and stopping the organizations locally to change their policy? I mean, do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 2:I think we're being distracted by bigger national things and we think we're doing something by typing something on Twitter and we're not. I think all of that comes down from you know who owns these media companies. You know who owns the. You know it's an NBC affiliate, it's a CBS affiliate, it's an ABC affiliate. All of these are affiliated with what National organizations that filter down the news that they want to filter down.
Speaker 2:And I know, because I never it's quite true that that's, and this is something that I put two and two together just a second ago and just brilliantly hit me is all of these trump and tesla things.
Speaker 2:You see a bunch of older yes, old white people and the older people that I used to know, that I employed and that I helped and that I worked with. They were still glued to CBS and NBC and ABC. Yeah, and they all had, you know, although they were conservative in their nature, they hated Trump. Yeah, and they, you know, and it's because they were glued to, you know, the Today Show, mm-hmm, you know, that's where you got the news, by god, the today show, that they said it on the today show. So, you know, is that part of it, just like you were saying?
Speaker 1:yeah, I mean because your local nobody listens to the local news anymore. Why? Why? I say that as a general, but maybe they do, maybe, maybe it's just like you said.
Speaker 2:It's just like I said, the older people seem like they do, but the younger people, as like you said, it's just us. Like I said, the older people seem like they do, but the younger people, as they were pointing out, are becoming more conservative in values because they're looking at their phones a little bit more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. That's a good point. I guess you could be taken that way too. It's a good thing.
Speaker 2:We had, like our niece, who is very artistic, and we thought very liberal yeah and we learned over christmas that she was a trump voter.
Speaker 2:And you know, realizing, oh, this is what's going on in the world. Instead of listening to you know, their teachers and all that stuff, you got in the real world and started going. Hmm, you know, so it's all part of that vast network of teachers, and even the teachers, all the broadcasters, all these things indoctrinating you to this is the way you have to think, instead of letting you think on your own, even our own daughter.
Speaker 1:We thought she was going to go right down that liberal route too, but she's come to find out she's not so liberal. After all, she has a lot of liberal friends.
Speaker 2:Oh God, does she Bless her heart? Yeah, Stay, stay strong, I know all right.
Speaker 1:Well, we got a news thing to cover real quick. There is a uber driver in texas that was stabbed by a homeless man. He lived, thankfully, but this guy was out here working making a a living. He has several jobs. His name is Jackson Oatmans. He was finishing his last food run and stopped at a Fort Worth Waffle House for a bite to eat. At 2 am, number one, my husband says nothing good ever happens after midnight, which is true. And anyway this homeless guy walks up to him and asks for money. The guy says he doesn't carry cash on him but he would be more than happy to go inside and buy him some food at the wolf house. Steps out of his car, the guy the homeless guy starts attacking him, stabbing him 10 times, a couple times in the face. Come to find out the stab wounds apparently were not that bad, but it doesn't matter to me. The guy should have been charged with attempted murder he was charged with battery robbery, something yeah.
Speaker 2:It wasn't attempted. It was not attempted murder.
Speaker 1:Right, he was not charged with attempted murder. Just because I don't understand.
Speaker 2:Aggravated robbery, I think, is what it was.
Speaker 1:I would say battery, something or another.
Speaker 2:Anyway what do you think about that? I think that it's awful. You know, again here we go. You can't help people. That's one of the things I think that's separating, you know, society. You can't trust people and you can't help people. And I don't know why that. You know, why would somebody get irate? Because you didn't give them money? Maybe because you didn't give them money because they really didn't want food, that's. You know. That's the first thing.
Speaker 1:Well, he also said he was probably on drugs too.
Speaker 2:You know I need money for drugs or alcohol, which you know. That's the first thing. He also said he was probably on drugs too. You know, I need money for drugs or alcohol, which you know. I've seen that many a times. I remember being at a uh, you know, learning that concept, and I remember being at one of the places that I used to go hang out when I was in college and a guy bum came walking through and said hey, you know, you got some money for coffee. And I said I don't have any money for coffee, but you know, come on right over here, I'll buy you some. So I went over there and I bought him a cup of coffee. He said thank you very much and he walked to the other end of the building and out the door to which I saw him throw the coffee on the floor oh no like well, yeah, I knew that at least he was, at least he had manners in your face.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he didn't just throw it down in the place. That's probably because he wanted to make sure he could walk through there and bum off other people. You know, the next day when he came through doing his bum through, Was he an older guy?
Speaker 1:I can't remember really. Was he white? Yeah, yeah. So I grew up to. I grew up in a rural southern Ohio town, not a big city, so I don't remember seeing. You know, when you saw a homeless person, it was like oh my gosh, it was like huge. Now they're everywhere. You know, I don't know. What do you think is behind that?
Speaker 2:Well, I think a lot has to do with, you know, a lot of our mental institutions being closed down.
Speaker 1:Bingo.
Speaker 2:It's no longer let's treat, let's put them in a place where we can treat them. It's put them on the streets and let them, you know, get. Let's see if we can't get them some drugs that'll help them out. I think that has a lot to do with it, I don't know. It's just. I think that's the only really thing I can come up with. But going back, just real quick, going back, I can always remember my mom. She used to tell us about this. You know she had one of these lives that were. You know you'd read about. It could be a novel, it really could be.
Speaker 1:I probably have read a book about her life Not her life, but I know I let her borrow a book at one time and she remembered commenting on it about that's kind of what was my life in New York City.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, this is part of it. When she graduated from high school, she and my aunt went to live with what would have been my great-grandmother in New York City and my my aunt went to acting school. My mom went to secretarial school. My mom got a great job at Cartier Jewelers and lived in New York for several years. But she said while they were in school they could walk down the street, didn't matter what time of the day or night, and they were as safe as could be in New York City anywhere. It didn't matter where they were.
Speaker 1:Different times.
Speaker 2:They were as safe as could be, and now you can't walk down, you can't get on a subway, you can't do anything in New York City.
Speaker 1:What do you think? That is Lots of reasons. People don't believe in God anymore. They don't believe in the family. People don't believe in God anymore. They don't believe in the family, they don't go to church, they don't have a family, they don't fear God. Social media has destroyed everything.
Speaker 2:Crimes are not prosecuted. Yeah, that too.
Speaker 1:That's recent times.
Speaker 2:That's part of it Crimes aren't prosecuted. But you're right, they're a godless horde.
Speaker 1:But I do have a question for you. Okay, In a parking lot and you're trying to back out of the parking lot, what is the courtesy weight if you see somebody else backing up behind you?
Speaker 2:Well, all I can tell you is my experience and I'll give you my experience from yesterday. So this is going to take a minute or two. So I pull into the parking lot and there's a truck, big white truck, parked in the handicap one of the handicap zones, in the first couple of stalls going in, slots going in, and he's not even halfway in the thing. So you've got to figure out how to get around him, just to get around there. So I park across. But then I'm thinking oh gosh, you know, am I going to be able to get out of this parking space when I get, anyway, I come out of the grocery store and there's a gentleman. He's got a cane, he's not real, real, real disabled, but he's disabled and he's got and he's got, he's driving and he's got another person getting the car with him. So I'm putting my groceries in the back and I hear the the truck start up. All right, cool, truck starts up.
Speaker 2:So I get in my car, I fidget with my phone and do some things because I'm letting him back out before I go. So, fidget with my phone, did all that start, my car look up, truck's still there, like okay. So making sure my foot's not on the brake and no lights are on or anything. My lights are off, so I got no taillights or anything going. So I wait and I wait.
Speaker 2:I probably waited a minute, a little over a minute, and I said, well, he's not going to go. So I put it in reverse and I start slowly edging back. I get about half three-quarters of the way back and there he goes, starts pulling out, and I'm like ha. So I tap my horn, put it forward and pull up and I motion. You know, go ahead, go, and he just sits there, and he just sits there and he just sits there. Fortunately, there wasn't a car in front of me, so I just did my pet peeve of I hate when people do this. I pulled through and went the wrong way down the thing and held it on home. What?
Speaker 1:do you think he was doing?
Speaker 2:I'm thinking you know, two things came to mind. Number one you're an idiot and you care about nothing other than yourself.
Speaker 1:Too old to be driving.
Speaker 2:The second thing is if you're too old to be driving. The third thing was if you really are that disabled and you can't drive, then you don't need to be driving.
Speaker 1:A big old truck at that.
Speaker 2:You know, I think the big old truck is. So when I do hit people I won't get hurt. Yeah, you'll get hurt, but I won't because I'm disabled. But you know, first you have to do all those things. You know you're mad because they're an idiot. You're well, you know, maybe they're old and just can't really figure it out, or having trouble. You know, turning their head or seeing or whatever. You know, are you truly disabled? And that was part of the problem that you couldn't. You know what's going on. You know there's anger, there's sympathy, there's empathy, there's frustration. It's just like what the hell? So I don't know what the recommended time to wait before you?
Speaker 1:you know, throw a fit and spit right, yeah but I don't know what is, what is the trend now, with these people not pulling all the way into their parking spot? You notice it everywhere now I know it's, it's crazy.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna, I am, I'm gonna print up some little cards that say you know, it's not going to be anything that's bad or mean or anything like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you put something on their car.
Speaker 2:It's going to be, you know. At least I'm not keying it.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't do anything if I were you.
Speaker 2:You know just a little card that says Please pull full all the way in.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:You know you neglected to use your full space in the parking lot. You know you missed out on so much. Next time, please use the whole space. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you'll probably get charged with some kind of crime. Old white man over there putting a card on somebody's car.
Speaker 2:Yeah, put a card on a car. Now, if you had stabbed him 12 times it would have been okay, but no, no, no, you can't put a card on somebody's car.
Speaker 1:Yeah that's probably it. All right, we need to wrap it up here. We need a question of the day. All right, the gent has the question of the day for you.
Speaker 2:This kind of goes in line with what we've talked about today, because we were kind of rambling on a lot of things Nothing socially you know worth trying to help the world on, and all this stuff, mostly on our pet peeves and all this stuff. So my question today is this what makes you shake your head and roll your eyes?
Speaker 2:No, it's a lot, that's it, that's a good thing to ponder on a rainy day yes, all right she's shake your head and roll your eyes all right, gotta go have a great day, go, dog I haven't ended it yet.
Speaker 1:It's still still rolling.