Crabby Coffee: Why Do News People Say That?? w/ CBS News' Jamie Yuccas

Summary

Garage Logic: "Crabby Coffee: Why Do News People Say That??"

Host: Gamut Podcast Network
Guest: Jamie Yuccas (CBS News Anchor)
Date: March 6, 2025

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Episode Overview

On this lively episode of "News from the Crabby Coffee Shop," hosts gather over coffee to share gripes and laughs about language, generational quirks, and the habits of news media—with a special focus on the professional and personal journey of CBS News anchor Jamie Yuccas. They poke fun at overused TV/radio cliches, vent about clichés spawned by the internet, and reminisce about Minnesota roots. The episode transitions from humorous generational language differences to sincere reflections on family and broadcasting.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gen Z Slang, Aging, and Laziness

• The show kicks off with Gen Z slang ("I'm riz and slay") and the confusion it causes across generations, prompting a humorous admission of getting older and lazier.
• Notable Banter (00:29):
  • A: “Did you understand any of that?”
  • B: “That was all extremely disturbing.”
• Amy confesses to never having enough reading glasses, losing them constantly, and embracing 12-packs of “cheaters” (02:12).
• They riff on daily laziness—avoiding getting out of bed to fix a charger or sign into a TV app—showing how small technology barriers now feel insurmountable (04:09-05:59).

2. Failure to Adult: Meals and Minimal Effort

• The hosts commiserate over half-hearted meal prep and letting groceries go bad.
• A: “Took three slices of salami…rolled them up like a giant doobie, and ate that for supper. That was my supper.” (08:42)
• The theme: Lowered standards and shortcuts in adulthood unite the couch-potato crowd.

3. Crossing Generations in News—Enter Jamie Yuccas

• Jamie joins, recounting her trajectory from Minneapolis’s WCCO to CBS in New York and LA, highlighting both career leaps and personal upheaval (divorce, family losses).
• C: “I had only been to LA one time...now here I am, like eight, eight and a half years later out here.” (11:21)
• Los Angeles comes with more nature, sun, and weekend escapes, illustrating how moving cities shifts work and life (12:11-13:38).

4. Traffic: Coast-to-Coast Cliches and Rage

• Hilarious takes on using the car horn in New York vs. Minneapolis:
  • A: “What you wish you had in Manhattan is just a toggle switch where you could just flip the horn on and leave it on.” (13:38)
• Jamie describes LA traffic, frequent honking, and how even the Dalai Lama admits LA traffic tests his calm (“If the Dalai Lama hasn’t figured out how to...calm himself down, I guess I’m okay.”) (15:55)
• Pet peeves: overused traffic radio lingo (“stop and go,” “carbecue,” “Carmageddon”) are ridiculed (17:22-17:45).

5. Weather Words & Regional Differences

• The group debates what “chilly” or “cold” means coast-to-coast.
• For LA, “not above 60” is chilly—a concept the Minnesotans find hilarious (20:07).
  • C: “50s are chilly.” (20:18)
  • A: “That’s perfect. Here. That’s shorts weather.” (20:20)
• Amy’s anecdote about DC shutting down for a dusting of snow underscores parochial weather panic (21:44).

6. News Media Cliches and Language Police

• Jamie and hosts bemoan TV/radio cliches such as “people out there in TV land” or bland, collective greetings:
  • A: “People don’t listen to the radio in groups. No, it’s singular.” (24:24)
• Commercial and news cliches like “just around the corner,” “allegedly,” and “reportedly” are dissected.
  • C: “Allegedly and reportedly. Am I saying reportedly and allegedly?...I don’t know or don’t.” (26:32, 28:32)
  • B: “Some people think allegedly is some sort of legal shield...It’s not.” (29:00)

7. Internet-Spawned Language and Social Media Overload

• Kenny’s comic loathing of social media cliches (“I was today years old,” “Is someone slicing onions?”):
  • A: “They drive me crazy.” (30:07)
• Amy finds enjoyment in clever turns-of-phrase but admits to being less annoyed due to limited social media use, while Jamie reflects on cringing at old Facebook memories (31:02-31:54).
• Positive acknowledgment: social media networks let “a lot of funny people” be discovered (32:22).

8. Family Life: Stepparenting and Modern Parenting Advice

• Jamie discusses step-parenting a 10-year-old, generational slang (“toilet” as a joke term), and getting advice to “act like the grandparent—just unconditional love” rather than discipline (37:29).
  • C: “He is the greatest kid...He’s got great energy. I love when he’s around.” (36:42)
  • C: “[Best advice:] always act like the grandparent. Unconditional love.” (37:29)
• They bond over shared experiences of swearing lessons from older relatives, and negotiating the “cool” adult/child dynamic (39:01-39:51).
• Touching and funny, the show pivots from language to life’s more meaningful connections.

9. Minnesota, Celebrity Encounters, and Staying Grounded

• Jamie misses Minnesota but enjoys plenty of visits, especially for big news stories (Prince’s death, George Floyd, etc.) (42:54).
  • C: "Every time...it still feels like home, you know, when I'm back." (43:18)
• She describes running into Bryan Cranston at local coffee shops in LA, but insists on treating celebrities like normal people—“the Minnesota thing to do: the up nod and keep going” (45:12).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Getting Old:
  • B: “Have you become someone who, at a younger age, you thought was a ridiculous fool?” (01:01)
• On LA Traffic:
  • C: "I feel like no one [honks]...people get stuck in traffic, and then they immediately, like, go to their phone...Can we just drive?" (14:37)
• On News Cliches:
  • A: “If you ever say ‘people out there in TV land’...you need to be pulled off the air...and never let on the air again.” (24:24)
• On Step-Parenting:
  • C: “You should always act like the grandparent. Unconditional love.” (37:29)
• On Language Evolution:
  • B: “I think language changes and evolves, and I think the language we use now is different than we would have 20 years ago.” (35:48)
• On Minnesota Roots:
  • C: “Every time...it still feels like home, you know, when I'm back. It's kind of my place to chill, too.” (43:18)
• On Social Media:
  • B: "I think on sum total, the effect has been bad. I’d say 95% bad on society…but I did learn that there's a lot of funny people out there.” (32:25)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00-02:59 – Gen Z slang, reading glasses, generational struggles
• 03:00-09:08 – Laziness, failing to charge phones, meals of convenience
• 09:13-11:43 – Jamie Yuccas' career leap and life story
• 12:00-16:17 – Moving between major markets, LA vs. NYC, traffic rage
• 17:22-18:56 – Traffic phrases, media gripes, regional peeves
• 19:02-22:31 – Weather cliches, regional differences, snow panic stories
• 23:23-25:28 – Overused TV/radio phrases, addressing the audience
• 25:45-29:50 – News cliches, "allegedly" & "reportedly," writing on air
• 29:56-32:22 – Social media language cliches, the effect of the internet
• 33:02-40:00 – Family, step-parenting, language learning from kids
• 42:54-45:24 – Minnesota nostalgia, celebrity encounters in LA

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Tone & Style

True to the "Garage Logic" format, the episode is conversational, sarcastic, and honest, marked by self-deprecating humor, regional pride, and lively cross-generational debate. Each participant keeps things light and relatable, even when discussing personal or professional struggles. The episode deftly combines kvetching about modern media, reminiscing about Minnesota, and demystifying both step-parenting and millennial/Gen Z lingo.

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For listeners: This episode is a humorous, heartfelt examination of media language and everyday life, full of wit, wisdom, and unapologetic Minnesota sensibility—thanks to hosts and the candid, ever-game Jamie Yuccas.

Transcript

[A]

Today on news from the crabby coffee shop, amy is ohio producer. Kyle is cringe. And I'm riz and slay. And we interrogate cbs news anchor jamie yucas. And that's no cap. Let's send it. Did you understand any of that? Grammy, Grandma Daniels.

[B]

That was all extremely disturbing.

[A]

Did you understand any of that?

[B]

Well, no cap means don't lie to me.

[A]

Right.

[B]

What was the other thing I accused.

[A]

You of being Ohio.

[B]

I don't know what that means.

[A]

Extremely lame.

[B]

Okay, and then what else?

[A]

Kyle is cringe.

[B]

Cringe. Yeah, I know what that means.

[A]

And I'm Riz and Slay, which just means awesome charisma.

[B]

Riz is charisma.

[A]

I'm awesome.

[B]

Yeah. Well. Well, good for you. Gramp. Gramp.

[A]

Let me ask you something, and I know you have some issues you need to work out, and I'm here to help you. I am, in fact, a psychologist. In your advanced age now, have you become someone who, at a younger age, you thought was a ridiculous fool?

[B]

You mean, like, people younger than me when you were.

[A]

When you were 30.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And you would mock people who are older that are currently your age? Yeah. Have you turned into one of them?

[B]

I feel really bad about it because my mom. There was a time when my mom would, like, we'd go to a store to shop, and she would walk up to things and grab the tags and, like, be looking at them close and then really far away, and I'd be like, oh, my God. Like, give me the tag. I'll tell you what it is. Now I have, like, 17 pairs of these cheaters. Oh. And P.S. my mom turned out to be blind for real, so I felt a little bad about it.

[A]

Pause. Do you have at least two set of cheaters for everywhere you're going to be throughout the day?

[B]

You know what?

[A]

Your car, your kitchen, your bathroom.

[B]

I was delusional for a while. I had one or two, and then I would lose them both, and then I'd go buy one or two more.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Now I just go in, and it's like, you can buy them in, like, freaking 12 packs. I'm like, give me two of those. I want. I want 24 pair, because I can never find them.

[A]

But you're like Fred G. Sanford. I am.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

Opened up a drawer full of glasses.

[B]

Yep. And then my mom also used to have old person had these readers on, and we'd always. All of us kids would be like, how can you even see through those right now? Cause they'd be covered in, like, popcorn dust and you know, payday bar caramel and all this stuff. Well, if I showed you these right now.

[A]

They're gross.

[B]

I can see it from here. They're disgusting. They're disgusting.

[A]

And you being as lazy as you are, you're not gonna clean them. You're just gonna grab another pair and put those on.

[B]

No, this is what I do.

[A]

Yeah. So you just rub the grease around.

[B]

Yeah, it's fine. Yeah. So here's the thing, and I'm honestly asking if you can identify with this. So my brother has been telling me for, like, three weeks to watch the Nikki Glaser Special. Oh, yeah, On Max. Super funny. Super funny woman.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

He's like, you're gonna love her. She's hilarious. She's bawdy. She says all the things. And so I was like, okay, sure. The first time, I was like, totally. I'm gonna go home tonight, Watch it. So I watch TV when I go to bed at night, and there's a TV on the wall that's probably 12ft from my bed. Right?

[A]

Sure.

[B]

So I lay down. I'm all. You know, I've done all the things. I fed the dog, I fed the cat. I changed my clothes. I did. La, la, la.

[A]

You got.

[B]

Yeah, I've got all that going on. So I lay down in bed, I go to the tv, I scroll down to Max, which I have a subscription for. I hit it, and I have to re. Sign in.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And I'm just like, I can't.

[A]

Signing in on a TV is stupid and impossible. Yeah.

[B]

And so then I was like, you know, no, I'm not gonna do it. So then flash forward a week. My brother calls me. Did you see that Nikki Glaser special? And I'm like, it was too. He goes, what do you mean it was too hard? I said, it's. I just was talking to Bradley at my talk today. I was explaining this story. He goes, amy, all you have to do is take a picture, scan the QR code.

[A]

Oh, right. That's how I do it in hotels.

[B]

Yeah, I know. And I go, but I have to get out of bed.

[A]

You don't. No, you can. I've done it from my bed in the hotel room. You just zoom way in.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Zoom it in, click it. Boom, you're done.

[B]

And Brad said that? And I said, that sounds too hard. And he said, I can't help you.

[A]

I don't know if that's laziness. It is.

[B]

It is. Here's the other thing.

[A]

It's a more serious problem, actually.

[B]

Well, that's probably true. But here's the other thing that sort of backs up the first story. And I've only really. I think this has always been a problem in my life, and I just really, like, recently realized it. I have a charger for my phone that's next to my bed.

[A]

Yeah. Is it the kind you lay the phone on?

[B]

Yeah, it's just. It's got the mag charger.

[A]

Sure. Yeah.

[B]

And my phone was down to, like, 50%. I always put it on the charger at night so that when I get up, it's fully charged.

[A]

Always. Yeah.

[B]

And it was. It's next to my bed on the nightstand. I put my phone on it, and when I went to do that, the charger fell off the table and went on the floor. And I was like, well, I guess it's not gonna get charged because you're not.

[A]

You're definitely not getting out of bed.

[B]

No, that's not. No, I didn't have to get out of bed. All I would have to do is kind of put one foot on the floor and reach, but that was too hard.

[A]

Look, I've got a buddy who, when he needs to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he's got to go downstairs. This is not me. Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So he didn't like doing that, so he got himself one of those.

[B]

No.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

He just leans over on his side.

[B]

No.

[A]

And then in the morning when he gets up, he dumps it out.

[B]

Is there a hose involved?

[A]

No, it's got a. It's kind of like a cone on it. It's the kind you see in hospital.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, Says the girl who can't pick up her phone.

[A]

And I was thinking, the reason I brought it up is it's too bad there was a product out. And I can't remember what they called it, but it was like a funnel.

[B]

It was a. I thought it was for women. Called, like, a sheepie or something like that.

[A]

Something like that. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. There's also a golf club.

[A]

Amy. I think it was. So you could do it standing up, right?

[B]

I think so. It was so women could do it standing up, like men could do it standing up. But there's also, like, a golf club that they used to make that's hollow on the inside. And then you wear a towel over the front of you so that when you're golfing and you have to go to the bathroom and you're in the middle of 18 holes.

[A]

A girl?

[B]

No, a guy.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And then you take the cap off this fake golf club.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

And take care of it.

[A]

And then I don't know.

[B]

But then you'd have to carry it. Yeah.

[A]

That's not necessary. No guy I know is afraid I would do this. As a matter of fact, I probably did take a leak in Times Square.

[B]

Well, so did everyone else.

[A]

Yeah. No guy cares about that.

[B]

Yeah. So anyway, I just. I'm a little alarmed by the sort of depth of my inability to take care of just the most fundamental basic things.

[A]

Well, what about. I mean, do you take a shower every three, four days?

[B]

Yeah, I do that.

[A]

So you're.

[B]

I'm not. I'm not happy about it, but I do it.

[A]

You're fairly clean?

[B]

I'm relatively clean. I do like the cleanliness things. It's the. I'm just finding it. I think it's always been this way. I think I'm just realizing, like, what's wrong with you? Why can't you just reach down and pick up the charger and.

[A]

What about meals? What about meals? Do you actually fix yourself a full meal?

[B]

Not a full meal. I mean, I cook. I do know how to cook.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I have big plans When I go to the grocery store, you know, like, I buy all the stuff to make things.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

And then I put it in the refrigerator. And then eventually I put it in the freezer because I didn't make it the first three days.

[A]

And then it gets freezer burned.

[B]

And then it gets freezer burned. And then all the produce goes bad. That's what I do.

[A]

The roommate had to work late last night, so my meal was. I took three slices of salami from Everett's, the grocery store meat market in south Minneapolis, put three slices of cheese on them, rolled them up like a giant doobie, and ate that for supper. That was my supper.

[B]

That sounds delicious.

[A]

And one of those mini bags of Cheez its.

[B]

That's a meal. Oh, I love it. It's great. Well, I'm excited to talk to our guest.

[A]

It's going to be fun. And I hoping she's going to help me, because in my advanced age, I. I hate the language police. I always have. But I have turned into the language police. And I don't mean proper use of English. I mean overused, stupid words and phrases. And just to keep this legit, I'm going to start with us what we in radio and TV are guilty of the most. And let's talk to Jamie Yukas right after this. All right. Hi, Jamie. How are you?

[C]

I'm good. How are you guys doing?

[A]

You Broke my heart. How many years ago now? It seems like you've been gone for five or more years when you left CCO Channel 4. Ten years. That long?

[B]

Ten years.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I remember.

[C]

Isn't that crazy how fast time goes?

[A]

It really. It really is. Yeah.

[B]

But you know what, Jamie? Things have gone okay for you.

[A]

Yeah, they've worked out.

[B]

They've worked. All right, so tell people who don't know you were here and where were you when you were here?

[C]

I was. I was at WCCO TV in Minneapolis. I was there from 2011 to 2015. I then, during those years, I was used by the network and had an opportunity to then move to New York. And I did that for a couple years. And in actuality, I ended up going through some personal challenges. I got divorced. I had my stepfather, my aunt, my grandmother, all passed away, all within a very short time period.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[C]

My mother lived out here. It was a lot. My mother lived out this way on the west coast in Tucson, Arizona. And you guys might know this Minnesotan Ben Tracy, also a WCCO alum, called me and said, I'm going to Beijing, China. My job in LA is about to open. You should come take my job in LA. And within 30 seconds, I was at work on the elevator in New York saying I need to move to Los Angeles to the talent development people. And like, three weeks later, I moved. And I had only been to LA one time.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

And now here I am, like eight, eight and a half years later out here. I love it. I've gotten remarried. I've, you know, life is good. I am now in this interesting hybrid role where I get to do a local morning show from 7 to 10. I also still get to do pieces for the network. So I have my hands in a lot of different pots. So life is good. Yes, it worked out.

[B]

All worked out. What a difference. First of all, the two number one and number two markets. So that's what I was making a joke about. It worked out all right for you to go from 15, market, 14, 15, whatever we are now to 1 and 2. But what was the adjustment for you? First of all, you went from Minnesota to New York, and then you went from New York to Los Angeles. Those are two very. New York and LA are so different.

[C]

They are. I think my adjustment from Minnesota to New York, it was very exciting. You know, I had always kind of wanted to see if I could live in New York City. I think all Americans should have to do, like, two years in New York, where you have to learn, like a train System and mapping and be around so many other people. And it's disgusting and wonderful and all the things. And I loved it. Actually. When I got to New York, I thought I was never going to leave New York. So if it hadn't been for some of those personal situations that happened, I never would have even looked at Los Angeles. I visited here, like I said one time, and thought it was fine. But now being out here, I do love it. Being from Minnesota originally, I do think there's so many more opportunities out here to get into nature. The traffic is terrible, but other than that, once I'm home, I have a wonderful bike path to the beach. You know, you're outside in sunshine. I mean, it's pretty fantastic. And the people I work with out here are great. I've covered many stories out here. You know, the adjustment, I think, out here was that I did so much more travel on the west coast, flying places, and I got to see places I never, you know, even thought about wanting to see, but, like, became these amazing experiences of, like, Bears ears in Utah or the Grand Escalante staircase or, you know, I mean, it's so. I've had a wonderful experience being on this coast now, and now I can't really picture myself leaving here.

[A]

I love driving in New York because I love using the horn. If you use the horn in Minneapolis, there's a good chance you're gonna get into a gunfight. But in New York, especially in Manhattan, what you wish you had in Manhattan is just a toggle switch where you could just flip the horn on and leave it on. It's so funny and it's so cathartic. Oh, my God, it feels so good. Get that out.

[B]

Well. And they use it for things in New York that they don't in Minneapolis or the Twin Cities. You would use it. If somebody's irritating you or pissed off or whatever, that's when you would use it. Where in New York, it's more like, hey, I'm behind you, or, get out of my way, I'm going right, or, you know, I'm in a bad mood, I hate you.

[A]

Every horn has a meaning in New York. Every single one. And it's up to you to interpret that meaning exactly. How is it in la, though, Jamie? Is there a lot of horn usage? I don't. I've been there a couple times. I don't remember a lot of horn honking.

[C]

So the funny thing is, I feel like I honk my horn a lot. I feel like no one. Like no one. I think traffic Wouldn't be so bad if people just actually paid attention to what they're doing. It's like, people get stuck in traffic, and then they immediately, like, go to their phone, Right. And you're like, what are you doing? Like, can we just drive? Like. So I end up hitting my horn a lot of like, hey, get through the intersection. Or like, let's go. What are we doing?

[B]

Preach, sister. It's just like, sometimes you're like, what are we doing? And they're not even subtle. You're like, you know what I hate? Here's my pet peeve. No, they're like, yeah, you're at, like, a left turn, and you have to get an arrow to go right. And there's a timer.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, only seven or eight cars are going to get through in a normal cycle. And you're sitting there, and the person in first place is gonna get through no matter what happens. Right. They're gonna get through. But when that person who knows they're gonna get through is like, I wonder what's going on with the Kardashians? And you're sitting.

[C]

That's when I use my horn, right?

[A]

Yeah. If you don't launch instantly, I fly into a rage. I mean, you've got zero seconds to go with me. I'm instantly insanely angry.

[C]

You know what's funny is I used to think to my is so bad. I get this upset in the car. Like, I need to really, like, work on this. Like, whatever. And then I read a book where the Dalai Lama was like, the most reactionary I ever am is when I'm in traffic in Los Angeles. And I was like, if the Dalai Lama hasn't figured out how to figure, you know, like, calm himself down, I guess I'm okay.

[B]

And I'm an aspiring Buddhist, so that really helps me to know that the Dalai Lama struggles with traffic. That's amazing.

[A]

This is actually a nice segue, because I think traffic reporters in LA have given us two of the worst traffic terms that have ever been invented. And I. You probably remember my stupid Twitter account. As a traffic guy, before I started doing traffic, I would listen to it and it would make me so mad because, number one, they talk way too fast. I'm referring to radio traffic people, because when you're listening to the radio, you kind of have to figure out where they're at and then figure out what they're doing, talking about. By the time you figure it out, they're on to the next item. So. And. And then they all use stop and Go and slow and go. And I hate those two phrases. So when I started doing traffic, I went out of my way to, you know, be a little different. And plus, I knew if I lit my hair on fire, I'd have a better chance at. Of having a job longer, basically.

[B]

Right, well. And you do do it better. I mean, at least it's original.

[A]

I try to. I think about it a lot, but that's not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about my two worst phrases. Car B Q. Which you guys use out there. Carbecue for a car fire. This originated in Los Angeles and Carmageddon.

[C]

Well, I'm sorry for all of Los Angeles.

[B]

It should be Jamie. How could you people do this to Kenny?

[A]

Yeah. And you think you people are the. Are the worst and you're proud of it. Well, nobody has worse traffic than us. Like, oh, give it a rest. Chicago's awful. Detroit's awful. Washington's awful. New getting into Manhattan is horrible. Did I mention Washington, D.C. yeah. So I got that off my chest.

[C]

You skipped Atlanta.

[A]

Atlanta, yeah. I've never driven in Atlanta.

[B]

Atlanta has, as I remember. I've been there several times, but. But by no means an expert. My memory of Atlanta is their freeways are like 21 lanes wide. I'm not kidding.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

They just go forever. And you can't when there's. I mean, without exaggerating, I'd say eight lanes. And so where are you going? If you're not from there, where should you be? You don't know if your exit's to the left or the right. Should you be in center left or center right? 3. You know, it's just. Oh, it's mind boggling. You're right.

[A]

Jamie, you lived in Florida. Didn't you work in Florida a while, Jamie?

[C]

I did Fort Myers. I called it Minnesota South. I worked for Minnesota South.

[B]

Is that so many residents there from Minnesota?

[C]

Yeah, it's. All the snowbirds are down there for twin spring training. So it was like six months of the year. I have family and friends visiting. It was awesome. But I felt like I was just in, like, a hotter Minnesota.

[A]

Is there a bridge in that area that backs up for miles? Because all the Minnesota people complain about some bridge that's always parked usually to.

[C]

Sanibel island, the causeway.

[A]

It must be that. Yeah. My other beef with you people is the weather and the way the weather is delivered. And this makes me mad on a daily basis. And some of the daily. Yes. Every. Jamie, every single morning, I get angry when I Read the weather. What? When do your weather forecasters trot out the word chili? What is chili to an la?

[C]

Well, actually it's gonna be just weekend quite a bit because we're not gonna get above 60 this weekend.

[A]

Oh, so that's chilly.

[C]

That would be chilly. That's 50s are chilly.

[A]

That's perfect. Here. That's shorts weather.

[C]

It's gonna rain. It's gonna rain too. So it'll be, it'll be damp and chilly.

[A]

When do they segue from chilly to cold?

[C]

You know, we get temperatures overnight at around freezing. I would say it's gonna be a cold night.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah, that's legit.

[C]

Yeah, that's all right. Especially inland, you know, like cover the plants.

[A]

But it's a lot different here. When a weather forecaster calls it cold and it's going to be 30 here, that's when I fly into a rage. 30 is not cold. Anything under zero is cold.

[B]

Right, Amy?

[A]

You gotta just, you've gotta agree with me, right, Amy?

[B]

I do. It's so. But to Jamie's point, it's so dependent on what you're used to. I was, it was like 10 years ago, I think I was in Washington D.C. for a radio thing. And Hubbard Broadcasting, where we work, has a radio station there, wtop. It's a very well known news outlet. And it was I think maybe March, ish. February. March. And they got maybe two and a half to three inches of snow. It was like the, it was like all hands on deck. They ordered 25 large pizzas and put them on a big table.

[C]

The city shuts down.

[B]

The city shut down. And I was sitting in his studio watching the news people do what they do. And the guy that was the anchor turns around to me. I was just kind of quietly sitting in the back. And he looks around and he goes, you're from Minnesota, aren't you? And I said, yeah. And he goes, do you think we're spazzing? And I go, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Well, can I tell you, that's one of my biggest pet peeves is that out here, like our studio is freezing all the time. So we all have space heaters underneath. Like it's colder inside the studio than it is outside most of the time. And I'll say, oh, I'm so cold. And every single person I encounter in California will look at me and go, but didn't you grow up in Minnesota?

[B]

Right, right.

[C]

Like, I don't. I'm now suddenly immune from being cold because I grew up in Minnesota.

[B]

They could put you in, you know, mu minus 50 kelvin. And you're still. You're fine. You're from Minnesota. That doesn't affect you. I know. The Californians, especially, like pointing out that you're from Minnesota, though, right? They're so funny. They're so funny. Yeah. I was out there, too, Dani.

[C]

That's where I fly into a rage. Rage.

[A]

Good, good.

[B]

The other thing they do. Have they done this to you? Maybe you don't say this word, Jamie, but when I was out there, I'd be. I worked at a radio station in. In California, and I'd be walking around going, has anybody seen my pop? And they thought that was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. They'd be like, hey, you guys, has anyone seen her pop? Anybody seen her pop? And I was like, what? They're like, it's a soda. It's not a pop.

[A]

I use soda pop just to confuse them. I say the two words. Soda pop.

[B]

Right. I like that we're gonna go to break, but when we come back, I have a few that come from commercials that we'll all be familiar with that are cliches that don't mean anything.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right. So that when we come back.

[A]

So I hope this drives you two crazy like it drives me. And it's a good thing I don't have a firearm by the TV or the radio, because seriously, this one is the worst. If you work on TV or on the radio and you ever say, people out there or out there in TV land, or if you're listening out there in radio land, you need to be pulled off the air and maybe thrown into county jail for the weekends and never let on the air again. That is the worst thing you can possibly say to a listener or a viewer.

[B]

Well, because people don't. I used to have somebody who shall remain nameless who worked for me recently on my talk, who would say, hey, everybody. And I kept explaining, people don't listen to the radio in groups.

[A]

No, it's singular.

[C]

Always.

[B]

Not a group of.

[A]

Always referred around.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

No, it's you. How you doing? Here's what we're. Do, you know, here's. This is for you, Right? Or. Yeah, always. Always, always.

[B]

Right.

[C]

I love how dramatic you both are.

[B]

Go. What? I know, right? Sad. Sad that we let our serenity be given away this cheaply. The other things are. One of my loves in this business of radio is production, commercial production. I like writing. I like those kinds of things. But the things that drive me insane are. Winter is just around the corner. Summer is Just around the corner. Easter is just around the corner. Mother's Day is around the corner. July. Can we, let's just live in the moment. Can we just live in the now?

[C]

It's always, I mean, I don't think retailers will let you do that, but you can try.

[B]

I know, but it's such a cliche.

[A]

How many cliches, Jamie, do you think you use on a daily basis and you don't even realize it, do you? I don't know.

[C]

I really do.

[A]

Do you do your own writing?

[C]

Go ahead. But.

[A]

Or is there a producer that writes.

[C]

Well, that's what I. Well, so it's three hours of I do my own writing for pieces at cbs and like, and the producers there, you know, it's like a lot of people who have been in the business a very long time, when I'm anchoring this local show, it's a lot of the producers are a little bit more green. And so I'm like, it's very hard to go through three hours and I'm pulling out things like, you know, officer involved shooting, fled on foot.

[B]

It.

[C]

Yeah, so it's, it's, it gets difficult for me sometimes to get through everything, but I know sometimes those slip out. I'm really, I'm really upset at myself. But like, what am I gonna do?

[A]

What are you gonna be honest? What's that, Amy?

[B]

She's live. I mean, when you're live for three hours, that's gonna happen.

[A]

Yeah. I've gotta be honest. Nothing in anchor cliche wise has ever said has made me mad. And I didn't really. Yeah, no. And I didn't realize that there were so many cliches until I stumbled on a piece that was printed in the Atlantic 2010. And it was reacting to a guy that was running the Tribune Company at the time. His name was Randy Michaels. He banned his anchors from saying 119 commonly used news speak words. And so. Yeah, so this. No, but listen, this one, are they. This reporter at the Atlantic decided to put them all in a sentence. Listen to this. In other news, stay tuned because our top story tonight, some really good news, as expected. In a surprise move yesterday, informed sources say a world class icon, diva, mother of all motorists and fame, undocumented alien landed for landed, putting area residents at risk. And it goes on and on and on. And it's a brilliant piece of writing, but I didn't realize. I've heard those things a million times, but it's never bothered me. So I think I let you TV people get away With a lot that I probably should be scrutinizing you guys a little more. Look at this. It's one page, two pages. Three pages of this. Yeah.

[C]

Whoa.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Can you send that to me?

[A]

I will. Yeah.

[B]

There's a few young, young green producers that are going to get a note tomorrow from Jamie Yukas. Monday. We shan't be using these anymore.

[A]

But, yeah, think about the material you go through on a daily basis. Three hours. That's a lot of writing. Yeah, that's a lot.

[C]

Well, you had me think about words beforehand. I just want to say, like the two words that drive me bonkers. Allegedly and reportedly. Because what that really, I'm a reporter. Am I saying reportedly and allegedly? Yeah, like say I don't know or don't.

[B]

Well, and some people think allegedly. I've had my staff asked that. That allegedly is some sort of legal shield.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That they can use. So you can say whatever you want. Allegedly.

[A]

It is. It is.

[B]

It's not.

[A]

No, it is.

[B]

It is.

[C]

It's really not. It's really not very tricky.

[A]

I'm in a lot of trou. Because I love to say the most outrageous. Make the most outrageous accusations and then stop and pause and go allegedly.

[B]

Right. Well. And on my talk, we talk. Jamie, I don't expect you to know this, but on the radio station I'm involved in, we talk a lot about pop culture, entertainment celebrities and stuff like that. And you know what? Just say what you're gonna say. And allegedly is not going to protect you.

[A]

You, I think.

[B]

And ps, no one cares what we're saying and they're not going to sue us. Just go about your business. I hope nobody know. Nobody's going to sue. Little on my talk.

[A]

Do you think social media has ruined language? Here's what I hate.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Here's what I hate. I was today years old. Tell me where you're from without telling me where you're from at any rate.

[C]

For anyone who needs this.

[A]

Yeah. Is someone slicing onions? I'm not crying. You're crying. All of these things, I never need to see them ever again. They drive me crazy.

[B]

See, I kind of like them all.

[C]

I think people think they're funny. Right. When they do that.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Don't they think they're funny?

[A]

Amy, I think the problem with you is you. You're not on enough social media platforms.

[B]

I probably get sick of them.

[A]

Yeah. Because it's. For me, it's Facebook, it's Twitter, it's Insta. And then just for the fun of it, I joined TikTok and all of these phrases are every other post on all of those. I joined TikTok because I thought it was going to be canceled. And I was. And I was so irritated about that. It was like, well, I'm going to show them. I'm going to join TikTok.

[B]

Of course. The contrarian.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh, it's going to be banned, then I'm in.

[A]

Up until then, I hated TikTok and I thought it was stupid until they decided they were going to take it away. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Oh, my God. No, I just. I love a clever turn of phrase. Maybe it's because you guys see them so much. I'm not on social media by choice, but if you see them over and over and over, it becomes a cliche. You know what it is, Jamie? First of all, I'm not that interesting, so I'm not sure why. Sitting down at your keyboard, you seem pretty interesting. Well, it's sitting down at your keyboard and going, God, I had a bad day today. Wish that would have gone better. I was like, what? I mean, a and B, I don't care about anybody else's dinner and I don't want to see a picture of it.

[C]

That's. I do look back at, like, because now Facebook's been around so long, right? You look back and, like, memories from like 16 years ago will pop up and you'll be like, oh, my goodness. Like, why did I write that? Like, why did I think anybody cared about any of that? Like, oh, it's like, oh, I know, I know.

[B]

But you know what? I think when it started, it seemed like a cool idea. I remember the beginning. My talk was very active, really early on for a media outlet, and I thought it was really cool. And I think there's a business reason why brands should have an account. I do. I think there's value. But as a person, I just have never assumed that anybody would want to hear what I have to say. And I'm not super interested in what they have to say.

[A]

Jamie.

[C]

Well, that's good self awareness.

[B]

Right? But here's the other thing I would say, and Kenny, you may disagree with this one thing. I think that the Internet and social media did. And I think, by the way, I think on sum total, the effect has been bad. I'd say a 95% bad on society, on kids, on families, on us. But I did learn that there's a lot of funny people out there and a lot more than I thought. There are some brilliant people out there.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. Without a doubt. I learned, Jamie, that you're now a stepmom.

[B]

Oh, is that true?

[A]

How old?

[C]

It is true. To a 10 year old. How old is 10 year old boy?

[A]

Is he using lingo that the kids use? Are you familiar with the lingo that the kids are using?

[C]

Toilet.

[A]

Okay, what does that mean? All right, all right. Do we need, we need another break, right, Amy?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, let's take a break and let's end with that because. Yeah, I'll tell you after break. We'll be right back. Okay. Jamie, a couple of weeks ago I came out. I'm a Gen Xer, by the way. And I came out and I admitted that I really hate Gen Xers. I am so done with you people on social media acting like you're so cool. Big deal. If you're a Gen Xer, you should shut your mouth. And if somebody steps to you and becomes a problem, take care of the problem and then go on with your day. That's what a real Gen Xer is. And I actually, Jamie, I love millennials and I who get beat up constantly and it turns out I really like millennials. And then the young kids, the kids that are now in there. Gen Z. Yeah, Gen Z. And I started looking at some of the lingo and I'm old, so I had to go search for what the lingo means. But think, when we were kids, we didn't have words like slay or shook or cringe or skibidi snatched or my favorite of all time, Ohio. That just makes so much sense to me.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, but it's, it's like the Florida man thing, isn't it? It's. They just found a new state to pick on.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. But do you. And the reason I asked about. So he's a 10 year old, so are you hip to like, if he said this is busing, any idea what that means?

[C]

Oh, Busan. I don't know if. I don't know if I know. Busing.

[A]

Extremely good food.

[C]

Yeah, maybe I'll throw that. Maybe I'll throw that out tonight.

[B]

They love that, don't they? Don't they love when you do that?

[A]

When old people.

[B]

Yeah, when your old person in your house goes, hey, no cap. My son's like, stop it, stop it, stop it.

[A]

Cringe. Of course we all. I mean, that's self explanatory, right? But skippity. Where in the hell did that come from?

[B]

What is that? That it's like cool Skibidi.

[C]

It can also be bad though, or dumb. Like it can mean all kinds of things.

[B]

See, and I. I honestly, guys love this. I think language changes and evolves, and I think the language we use now is different than we would have 20 years ago.

[C]

But skibidi is hard for me. Cause it goes back to this YouTube video of Skibidi toilet, where it's just this head that pops out of the toilet and it's a song.

[B]

No, that's wrong. That. That cannot know. That's against law.

[A]

Bruh. My. My nephews, they're 19. They call me that all the time. And. But it's just one word. I'll say something to them, and they just look at me and they go, bruh.

[C]

I actually bought my stepson a T shirt that says bra.

[A]

Does he wear it?

[C]

Call each other bra?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

Oh, yeah. He loves wearing it.

[B]

How do you like being a stepmom?

[C]

He is the greatest kid. Like, I got so lucky. I know. You know, this step parenting journey is. You know, it's hard. There's lots of navigation. There was a relationship before you that didn't work out that you had no part of. You know, like, there's a lot of layers to it. But overall, like, I. He is just a joy. Like, he's. He's got great energy. I love when he's around. We're gonna see him later today. And it's. I always tell him, like, oh, I missed your energy in the house when we don't have him. So. And he looks exactly like dad. So it's like, I do look at him sometimes, and I'm like, oh, no. I'm gonna have two of you, like, very quickly here.

[B]

I've got a little tiny one that's gonna grow into a bigger one.

[A]

Do you have to compete with a fun aunt or a fun uncle? Because I'm the fun uncle, and I've ruined my nephews.

[C]

I don't. Oh, no, I don't. No, I'm. I got. The best piece of advice I got, actually, was from a friend of mine who's a. She was a family law attorney, and then she went on to be a parenting plan coordinator. So she dealt with a lot of high conflict divorces and things and gave me a lot of great advice. And she said, you should always act like the grandparent. Unconditional love. Do you want to bake the cookies for the, you know, birthday? Go ahead. You know, but you're not the parent, you know, And I think I liked it better than the cool aunt thing. Cause, like, I don't know, there's just a little, like, everybody loves their Grandparent. Right?

[B]

Like, right.

[C]

Sometimes you're cool. Aunt can be annoying.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

And I think it's easier to be a grandparent and just. If the job is to just love them and be unconditional and make life fun, then you don't. I've been both a stepmom and I've been the biological mom and the stepmom. Honestly, they both come with their huge blessings and huge challenges, but I think that is a. I love that somebody gave you that advice. I wish somebody would have given me that advice because I felt so often like I should be parenting, but I'm not a parent. But I don't know how to parent. This isn't my child. You sort of have as a stepparent a lot of the responsibility, but really none of the power. And I love that for you that you got to just take all that out of it and just love them.

[A]

This has really turned into a serious discussion. My advice a little different than Amy's, of course, and something I'm really grateful for. Both my uncle and my grandfather taught me the proper placement of swear words. Take a word, Take a word, split it in half, stick the F word in there, put it back together.

[B]

That's so true.

[A]

That's the kind of thing you need to be teaching this kid.

[B]

That's very true. I love that.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

We'Re thinking, aren't we? We're thinking.

[C]

So it's. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

I.

[C]

He. We laugh all the time because he. So dad does allow that if he uses a swear word properly in the house, he can use it properly.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I like that.

[B]

I do too.

[C]

Right, so. But there's, you know, there's been some moments where I've given him new swear words that I'm sure Dad wasn't thrilled.

[B]

That I. Yeah, yeah. They introduced.

[A]

My uncle was teaching me things swear word wise that I didn't even know what the hell he was talking about at the time. And it was only years later that I figured it out and I had a really good laugh over it.

[B]

How old were you at the time, do you think?

[C]

Go.

[A]

I'm gonna say it was around 11 or 12. Where my relationship with my uncle changed. And from that point on, every time we saw each other, we would make each other laugh so hard that we'd end up crying.

[B]

Oh, that's so fun.

[A]

And that's what it was until the very end. Another thing and another. Is he. Is the kid driving yet? Has he got behind the wheel?

[C]

No, he's only 10.

[A]

No, no, that's. This is the perfect age. This is the perfect age. You sneak him off, sneak him off to a big parking lot. No, you gotta go to an empty parking lot.

[B]

Just for a second here. Jamie, it's just you and I, okay? We live in cities. Kenny lives three hours from here. They drive and take carburetors apart when they're 10. Okay, so let's just resume the conversation. We know that.

[C]

I did. I growing up, my family had a lake home on Leech Lake. My grandparents were up there and great aunts and uncles and my great uncle would take me out when I was about. I think I was 12. We waited till 12 and I learned how to drive. So I get the concept. It's not gonna work. Like if a cop somewhere here in LA sees a 10 year old even in a parking lot, a field, whatever, I'm going to jail and I didn't want to deal.

[A]

Think what a hero you would be. Go to the biggest parking lot you can find and just let them do circles and figure eights and drive around. Maybe hit a light or two or.

[C]

We did. We visited Minnesota last year. We came in, my best friend and her family, we all went ice fishing together. And we did let him drive the snowmobile. And he did think that was the coolest thing in the entire world.

[A]

If that's one of the rites of passage up in the country is especially when there's no snow on the lake or light snow. Know, just start. Go up here, we call it whipping shitties. Just go out there and hit the gas and spin it around. Try not to hit a fish house. Just have some fun. And if you can.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

If you can do that without his dad finding out, you will be that kid's hero forevermore. Seriously, there's nothing better as a kid to drive before it's done.

[B]

Let's go.

[A]

Because then you can.

[B]

Shitties say that.

[A]

And then you can go to school and you can. You can flex in front of your friends that you've already been driving.

[C]

I see what you did there. I see what you did there.

[B]

That's really cool, Kenny.

[A]

You two have anything else? I've run out of things to talk about. I'm sick of hearing myself talk. Anything else.

[B]

Jamie, it's like. Do you miss Minnesota? It's so fun to get to talk to you and your career's gone great. But do you miss it here?

[C]

I do well. So I do feel very fortunate. I still have friends and family in Minnesota. I come back. We were back last year for the ice fishing trip. We're planning to come back this summer. And actually I have another friend group that's in Boston. They've never been to Minnesota, so I'm making them come where I'm meeting, you know, at the, at a lake. So I, I feel like I still have enough opportunity to get back, that I still feel connected every time you know, I'm there. Like. And when I was working out of New York, they would send me constantly every. I think people don't realize how long I've been gone because, you know, the minute I moved there, I covered Prince's death for CBS out of New York. And then, you know, but there's, there's been so many stories in between. You have had so much national news. And then during COVID I covered George Floyd and the Derek Chauvin trial. And I was back. The Jamie Claus case, that happened, the kidnapping case did some work with 48 hours. So, you know, even career wise, even if it's not for vacation, I've had enough opportunities. It still feels like home, you know, when I'm back, I, I, you know, it's kind of my place to chill too. Like, I don't, everybody's just, everybody's just cool. I get to just have a good time, you know, so it's, Yeah, I definitely miss it.

[B]

Well, we miss you.

[A]

I have a question. Who, What? Who is the biggest celebrity that you've seen on the street not involved with your work? And how did.

[C]

Not involve with him?

[A]

Yeah. How did you react when you saw this person?

[C]

Well, the funny thing is you do end up seeing like, I see Bryan Cranston, like, all the time.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Because he lives near the studio, so there's a coffee shop I know that he's always going to be at. I'm trying to think biggest star, not involved with my work. I don't know. I'd have to think about that. Like, there's all kinds of little people. Not little, I shouldn't say little people, but there's like, you know, like, I'll walk in places and it'll be like hosts of reality TV shows or Real Housewives. You know, there's like constantly that kind of stuff around.

[A]

But do you acknowledge them?

[C]

Got me. I mean, I, I've no. I mean, not unless it's like, hi.

[A]

Like, you know, here's what you do.

[C]

Like a real human being.

[A]

When you, when you make eye contact with them, just do this and keep going. Don't even say anything. Just give them the up nod.

[B]

Give them the up nod.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. That's the Minnesota thing to do. Just up nod. Keep going.

[C]

Is it?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

How you doing, Jamie, thank you for joining us and continued success. Thanks for having me and good luck. And you were super fun to hang out with.

[A]

Mention. Let's plug your deal with Chad. Chad on cco. How often are you. You're with him weekly or twice a week?

[C]

I'm with him once a week. Tuesdays. 1:35 is usually my time slot.

[A]

Okay, cool. Yeah, I've known Chad, and I know I used to work with his producer, Dave, so. Yeah, Chad's a good guy.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, he is. You got to give him a little, you know, hell every once in a.

[A]

While, but, oh, always State fair. Every year we go over and make fun of him, laugh at him, yell at him, throw stuff at him. Yeah. Love Chad. Well, thank you very much.

[C]

Keep it up.

[A]

Yeah. And thank you, Amy. And thank everybody for listening to news from the Crabby Coffee Shop.