Full Show PT 2: Thursday, July 16 [Vault]

Summary

The Bert Show: Full Show PT 2: Thursday, July 16 [Vault]
Air Date: July 16, 2026

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Overview

This episode of The Bert Show is a classic mix of relatable morning banter, audience interaction, and meaningful (sometimes heated) discussion. The crew—Bert, Jeff, Jessica, Katie, Wendy, Jade, Melissa, Jen, and Tracy—bounce between lighthearted recaps (including a listener dance challenge), comical workplace woes, astrology talk, and a deeply passionate debate over adoption ethics. Throughout, the conversation flows authentically with the show’s trademark humor and unfiltered opinions.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Wendy’s Dance Challenge: Besting Kate Gosselin

[01:02 - 03:13]

• Recap: Wendy challenged herself to learn and perform the jive better than Kate Gosselin did on "Dancing with the Stars." The results were posted online for listeners to vote.
• Key Moment: Wendy’s performance vastly outpolled Kate’s—by more than 1,400 to 106 (see quote below).
• Funny Banter: Talk about Wendy’s costume, her “fake pony, airbrush,” and her charismatic dance partner.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Bert: “Wendy, 1,426 people thought you voted. I mean, not even close.” [03:35]
  • Katie: “We couldn’t be there Friday night and we literally cheered out loud in the house.” [01:45]

2. The Great Computer & Printer Fiasco

[04:12 - 11:06]

• Description: The cast vent about their infamously outdated and slow radio station computers and printers, detailing a frustrating saga of bureaucracy and red tape.
• Process: Jeff recounts several failed purchase orders—one hilariously honest (“because the ones we have suck ass”) and another more diplomatic plea.
• Peak Moment: Management tests the problem computer, and—naturally—it works perfectly during the demonstration.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Bert: “Our network here is so slow, dude. I mean, it's devastatingly slow.” [04:32]
  • Jeff: “I filled it out and under the reason why I was requesting like six grand for…new computers…I put: ‘Because the ones we have suck ass.’” [05:13]
  • Jessica: “That's our floors, our printers and computers.” [10:25]

3. Astrology: Star Signs & Relationship Woes

[12:42 - 19:43]

• Segment: Everyone shares their own and their partners’ astrological signs. Bert recaps a list of the “worst astrological pairings” and the group share horror stories or superstitions about dating the “wrong sign.”
• Entertaining Points: Jokes about Bert’s life being full of Taureans, Wendy’s vow never to date a Sagittarius, and a listener call confirming the perils of a Sagittarius-Virgo match.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • Bert: “Cancer and Aquarius is on this list as one of the five worst astrological pairings on the planet.” [14:12]
  • Wendy: “I do. I will never date a Sagittarius.” [18:28]
  • Listener Jen: “I am in the process…I’m a Sagittarius and I’m in the process of getting a divorce from a Virgo. I promise you, it was like hell on Earth.” [18:45]

4. Adoption Debate: “Return to Sender?”

[21:22 - 41:33]

• Story Kickoff [21:22]: Coverage of a real-life case—a Tennessee woman adopted a 7-year-old Russian boy and, faced with severe behavioral issues, put him on a plane back to Russia with a note saying the family no longer wanted him.

• Listener Call [22:00]: Jade calls in to share that children with traumatic backgrounds often have severe behavioral issues and that agencies may not always disclose everything to prospective parents.

• Major Debate:

  • Central Question: Is it ever right to “return” (i.e., dissolve the adoption of) a child if the adopting family discovers undisclosed severe behavioral problems or disabilities after the child arrives?
  • Tracey’s View: “You have made a commitment to get a human being…Handle the situation how you would if your biological child started having these issues.” [25:10]
  • Jeff’s Counter: Compares adoption to receiving a product that doesn’t match what was promised, arguing for the right to “return” in cases of misrepresentation. [29:38]
  • Jessica, Katie, and others: Fiercely protective of the idea that “once you are a parent—by law, heart, or signature—you do not give up;” highlighting the cruelty and spiritual trauma to a child sent back.
  • Callers: Listeners weigh in, including a woman who describes her own challenging adoption story and another listener (Angela) adopted at three, echoing that “there’s no guarantee on a child,” emphasizing the human commitment.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • Tracy: “You made the commitment, you handle the situation how you would if your 9-year-old biological child started having these issues.” [25:10]
  • Jessica: “It’s a human being, and it’s a soul, and it’s an innocent child…regardless of how that agency withheld information from you…you signed up for adoption; it’s your child.” [27:19]
  • Katie: “You have to know that child has behavioral problems because all that child has ever known is that it's not wanted…it's a shame people would be willing participants in letting that kid further know that.” [30:02]
  • Jeff: “If you are being delivered one thing and you receive something else, you have a right to go back to that adoption agency and accuse them of fraud and return the product.” [29:38]
  • Angela (Caller): “When you sign that paperwork, you are mom or you are dad.” [32:09]
  • Bert: “That's not the debate, though, that we're having. What Jeff is saying is, your child product is faulty before it leaves the factory.” [32:13]

• Listener Stories:

  • Jade: Family tried to adopt boys with histories of severe behavioral problems (“tried to burn down my grandmother’s house”), underscoring the system’s lack of full disclosure. [22:02]
  • Another Listener: Friend’s foster child had such severe behavioral issues the family felt forced to “return” her, raising uncomfortable questions about limits to familial responsibility. [35:21]
  • Angela: Stresses that regardless of prior knowledge, the parent-child bond is not and should not be conditional. [32:09]

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “Wendy, 1,426 people thought you voted. I mean, not even close.” – Bert [03:35]
• “Because the ones we have suck ass.” – Jeff, on the computer PO [05:13]
• “You have made a commitment to get a human being…Handle the situation how you would if your biological child started having these issues.” – Tracy [25:10]
• “It’s a human being, and it’s a soul, and it’s an innocent child…regardless of how that agency withheld information from you…you signed up for adoption; it’s your child.” – Jessica [27:19]
• “If you are being delivered one thing and you receive something else, you have a right to go back to that adoption agency and accuse them of fraud and return the product.” – Jeff [29:38]
• “When you sign that paperwork, you are mom or you are dad.” – Angela [32:09]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:02 – 03:13]: Wendy’s jive challenge and voting results
• [04:12 – 11:06]: Computer and printer woes at the station
• [12:42 – 19:43]: Astrology, worst matchups, and listener stories
• [21:22 – 41:33]: In-depth debate on adoption returns, ethical dilemmas, and powerful listener contributions

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Flow & Takeaways

The show masterfully combines humor and vulnerability. Playful workplace complaints and light banter about signs or dance competitions suddenly pivot into fierce, thoughtful, and emotional discussions (especially regarding the adoption topic). The segment on adoption is raw, with clear real-world implications, demonstrating just how deeply the Bert Show crew and its listeners care about the ethics of parenting, commitment, and what it really means to be a family. The mixture of personal anecdotes, honest arguments, and listener calls create an episode that leaves an impact—raising tough questions but also fostering empathy in all who listen.

Transcript

[Bert Weiss]

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[Jade]

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[Bert Weiss]

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[Melissa Cartel]

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[Jeff]

Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Bert Weiss]

The first show.

[Bert]

Let's get to the results of Wendy's video versus Kate Gosling. All right, it's happened about a week and a half ago that you came in here, right?

[Lady Luck]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

I challenged Kate Gosselin that I could do a jive better than she could because on Dancing with the Stars, they're given a week to learn a new dance. And that week it was the jive. And she just did awful, like a horrible jive. No effort, wasn't trying to do the dance, wasn't getting the steps right. So I came in here with my big mouth and said I could do it a lot better. And I trained for a week and then I performed it on Friday at DAZA Dance.

[Bert]

And Stacy and I, my wife's in studio this morning also. We were there and she just. I mean, Wendy kicked ass.

[Jessica]

She killed it.

[Bert]

She did. She nailed it.

[Wendy]

I had a blast doing it.

[Jessica]

The video is so much fun to watch. I think Melissa and I were talking about it yesterday. Like, you were literally cheering after watching it.

[Katie]

Katie and I watched it on Saturday because we couldn't be there Friday night and we literally cheered out loud in the house.

[Bert]

The whole scene Friday night after she danced was like the last couple of minutes in Rudy when one person just started clapping and then was the whole room. Oh, my God. We were just part of history.

[Wendy]

It was exciting, though. I had so much fun.

[Bert]

Well, you did a great job.

[Jessica]

Oh, she looked fabulous, didn't she?

[Bert]

I mean, stop it.

[Jessica]

She looked so good. She came out and I was like,

[Bert]

I mean, you couldn't even. She looked awesome. Just the right amount of hair extension, the right amount of tan, the right Amount of dress.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

Fake pony, airbrush.

[Jessica]

And the hot partner right next to you, too. Wasn't Antonio the cutest? Oh, good God.

[Jeff]

That was out loud. Stacy.

[Bert]

Oh, the way he wears those pants.

[Katie]

I know, but why does he do that?

[Jeff]

You know what? She said the same thing about you and your crutches. The way he crutches along.

[Melissa Cartel]

God.

[Bert]

He could come over to my house as much as I want. Talk as much as you want, Antonio. But at some point, you gotta leave. And I reap the benefits.

[Wendy]

Yes.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

He is delicious.

[Bert]

So the deal was that we were gonna put Wendy's dance up online and compare it to Kate Gosselin's. And you guys would vote for 24 or 48 hours. And if wend beat Kate Gosselin said I would hand over 100 bucks. And we have some. We got results now. Jeff, would you like to do the honors?

[Jeff]

Oh, yeah. Let me pull them up. This does not suck, Wendy. Kate Gosselin received 106 votes, which I was offended by.

[Bert]

I was offended that 106 people voted.

[Jeff]

106 people thought Kate Gosselin.

[Jessica]

Now, could you only vote once? Or is that one person who voted 106 times for kickoffs, it's her kids

[Katie]

that voted a couple times?

[Jeff]

Yeah, each kid once. Each kid voted twice. However, Wendy, 1,426 people thought you voted.

[Bert]

I mean, not even close.

[Katie]

Awesome.

[Bert]

You get the long trumpet for that?

[Jen]

Yes.

[Jeff]

You danced your way into their hearts. Wendy.

[Jessica]

I'm not going home this weekend.

[Wendy]

Week. See you, Kate.

[Bert]

Yeah, the video is up online right now. And I. I don't. I would like to get one of the 106 that voted for Kate, because I'm not seeing what you're seeing.

[Jessica]

Yeah, get it.

[Bert Weiss]

The bird show.

[Bert]

I know from the outside looking in, man. I mean, you guys are listening to a radio station. If you've never been to one, man, it must seem like almost sometimes like bigger than life. I mean, the engineering around here must be awesome. They must have the most up to date technology. It's a radio station.

[Katie]

We make so much money.

[Bert]

Not on our network, man.

[Wendy]

A lot.

[Bert]

Our network here is so slow, dude. I mean, it's devastatingly slow. To get anything done on our computer network is crazy, crazy slow. So we decided months ago we got our own little separate Burt show budget. We were gonna do something about it.

[Jeff]

So I said, you know, we gotta buy some new computers. Cause we're upgrading our website and, you know, just to have new computers. So I put it, filled out a. A purchase order. It's the same as you do it. You know, corporate offices do. And I filled it out and under the reason why I was requesting like six grand for, you know, five new computers or whatever it was I put. Because the ones we have suck ass. And that was actually.

[Jessica]

It was on the po.

[Jeff]

Yeah, that guy.

[Jessica]

That'll get you what you want.

[Jeff]

No, it didn't play the political game, man. That got rejected.

[Jessica]

Really shocking.

[Jeff]

So I decided to fill it out again. And I had to come up with a more politically correct way to say so. I was like, the equipment that we currently have is outdated and does not seem to have the capabilities to. So I sent that one in.

[Wendy]

Did you write that on the form too?

[Bert]

I don't understand the red tape here, man. Like in any office, like, the red tape to get anything done is like exhausting. You know, it's not like a one day process. We're talking about weeks, if not months to get things done. Right.

[Jeff]

So then I.

[Bert]

And in the meantime, everybody's frustrated because we're working on these really slow computers, even though Jeff is trying to cut through this whole thing.

[Jeff]

So then I get word back that management is questioning why we need so many computers. Why can't we just have one new computer? I said, well, there's times where either Bert or Tracy or myself are doing producer type things. And at the same time, Melissa might be pulling up a news story and Jen might be pulling up a entertainment post story and Joanna might be updating the website. All that stuff potentially could happen at the same time. And we shouldn't have to wait in line like we have the money in the budget. It shouldn't be that big of a deal.

[Bert]

It's not even like the radio station's budget. It's our budget, so we shouldn't have to go to anybody to get it. Which makes it even doubly more frustrating. More frustrating, right? This is our cash.

[Jeff]

So then our general manager, Gary, is a busy man. He travels a lot. He works for corporate also, so it's a rarity to see him in the building. And I had an opportunity yesterday. He was in the studio and I said, gary, you know what? I need you to sign this PO because I need these new computers. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to go in and get on the computer that Joanna uses, and it's a desktop computer that sits on Bert's desk. I want you to sit down at the computer and I want you to do three things for me. I want you to go to YouTube and play any YouTube video, and then I want you to go to your email and I want you to read any email, and then I want you to go to any website and read a news story.

[Bert]

You finally got the man in front of you that can make the decision, right?

[Jeff]

And here's what I get him cornered. Here's what I know from looking over Joanna's shoulder when I've been in there is like, I'll say, hey, can you change this on the website? And she'll go, yep. And she'll click on it and literally minutes pass before the update window opens. Or I'll say, hey, did you watch the video that Jen sent? Should we put that on the website? She'll click on it and it's buffering, buffering, buffering.

[Jessica]

It's as if there was dial up, but it's really just the computer function because it's so old.

[Bert]

We could get Rhett in here and we could reenact the video that she's trying to download live and get it up faster than we can watch it

[Jeff]

on YouTube, you know, and she, like, makes sure the phone handset is like, really solid down in the cradle for the dial up modem. So I tell Gary to sit down and do those three things and get. And guess what happens?

[Katie]

What?

[Jeff]

Flawless.

[Katie]

Of course.

[Jeff]

Quick. No problem. Video play. Email opens up.

[Katie]

Which computer was he on?

[Jeff]

It was the one that sits on Burnstadt's.

[Jessica]

You're kidding.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

The one that's in your office. Built in 1988, yes.

[Bert]

And that's the one, I think. You know what? I think that computer is a conspiracy theory going on between the printer and

[Jeff]

my computer in the office to jack

[Bert]

with you, because we've had so many problems with both of them. But that one is used by the Night show also, and everybody else. So there's all sorts of crap on that computer. And I can't believe we finally had an opportunity to prove to this guy how slowly the network runs and he gets on it. And it's like, we just got a brand new computer.

[Katie]

One of the worst.

[Jeff]

Yeah. In it, I mean, everything opened right up. And I was sitting there like the video started running. And I'm like, okay, well, the video's running. Wait till he tries to read his email and like, click, click, click, click. And next thing I know, he's like, no problem. Hey, Jeff, I'm sitting at the computer and it's working fine. Tool bag. Love, Gary. Send. Hey, look, that worked. Okay, I'm watching a video right now. So then I tried to get him to, you know, do the porn stuff that Bert does. That slows it down. And he said, apparently you're not supposed to do that in the office. So we skipped over that.

[Bert]

Scary. Where does it say that? Where is it in writing? Where is it in writing?

[Jeff]

And then we. So everything opened fine. So then I had to turn into just begging mode. And I'm like, dude, have you ever taken your car to the mechanic? Because every time you start it when it rains, it goes. And then the minute you pull into the mechanic and you start the car.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

And it sounds. It sounds like a. You pulled it out of the dealership. Have you ever done that? And Gary's like, yeah. And I'm like, what about this? You go to the doctor because you have a nagging cough, but as soon as you get in the waiting room, you don't even have to cough. He's like, yep. And I'm like, so please let us have computers. Please, please, please.

[Bert]

So the bottom line is we're stuck with these things for a while.

[Jessica]

I think he didn't sign it.

[Jeff]

No, I think he's going to. Is he? Yeah.

[Wendy]

Yeah.

[Katie]

Well, I mean, it's a consistent theme because we tease about the printers. I mean, the printers had been here. I got here in 95, and these same printers were here in 95.

[Wendy]

Yes.

[Katie]

These are the same printers that, when I started here in 95.

[Bert]

Like, these printers look like, you know, in your textbooks a couple of years ago when they showed you what the first mainframe computers in the world look like, how they occupied one room, the whole room.

[Katie]

That's our floors, our printers and computers.

[Bert]

That's what our printers look like.

[Katie]

Seriously, it's bad. So. Oh, no.

[Bert]

So we're stuck with these same ones. Yeah. So we're still working on it.

[Katie]

And it's so funny how. Yeah. A friend of mine who I had mentioned, who has had. So funny how has had surgery and actually works for the government, and she's had to work from home because of her surgery. They provided her an iPad so that she could be able to work easier from home.

[Bert]

Is that right?

[Katie]

And I'm like, really?

[Bert]

That's cool.

[Katie]

Let me tell you about the computers. We haven't worked well.

[Jeff]

I've written a strongly worded letter, and right after the show, I'm going to take it down to the mimeograph machine and make three copies of it.

[Bert Weiss]

Listen to the vert show.

[Jeff]

Hey, everybody.

[Lady Luck]

Lady luck here. And we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. Now, all summer Long. I'm going to be celebrating by playing on spinquest.com which is an American owned social casino. It obviously features over a thousand slot games and live blackjack, live craps, live bubble craps. Head on over to spinquest.com get yourself a $30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Bert Weiss]

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[Jessica]

I thought it was safe.

[Bert Weiss]

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[Melissa Cartel]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with Popping Boba. To crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six? All new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Jeff]

Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Bert Weiss]

This is the bird show, so let's

[Bert]

go around the room here. Jeff, as far as astrological signs go, you are a what? And Jessica is a what.

[Jeff]

I am a Scorpio and Jessica is a talker.

[Bert]

You have. How long have you been married? Now, what year are we in? Because the tone is definitely out of town. The last six months, the tone is definitely.

[Jeff]

Is that not an astrological sign?

[Bert]

It's just the one with the mouth. There's the unicorn, the fish in the mouth.

[Jeff]

She's an Aries.

[Bert]

She's an Aries. Okay. Jen, you and Superman.

[Jessica]

I am Pisces and he is an Aries. I guess. Is that beginning of April? What's Aries date?

[Jeff]

Yeah, Jessica's April 5th and she's an Aries. So is he in that vicinity?

[Jessica]

Yep.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Melissa Cartel]

Yep.

[Bert]

Melissa Cartel. You and Katie. Geo.

[Katie]

I'm a Pisces and Katie is a Scorpio.

[Bert]

Pisces and Scorpio.

[Wendy]

Don't ask me.

[Jen]

I'm alone.

[Bert]

Oh, sorry, baby.

[Katie]

But what are you?

[Wendy]

I'm a Cancer.

[Katie]

So that way you'll know who you

[Jeff]

need to stay away from.

[Bert]

I can tell you who you can stay away from.

[Jeff]

That's what you need to do, Wendy, is eliminate people from your dating pool.

[Bert]

Because cancer is on this list with somebody else. The. Your dating Antichrist was a what?

[Wendy]

Sagittarius.

[Bert]

Okay. And I am an Aries. And my wife is a Taurus. Every important woman that I've ever had in my life has been a Taurus. Really, really strange. Yeah. Cancer and Aquarius is on this list as one of the five worst astrological pairings on the planet.

[Wendy]

Why I can't date Justin Timberlake.

[Jeff]

Oh, my God.

[Bert]

He probably knows that, and that's why he's avoiding you.

[Jeff]

Stand by, please. You know his sign and you think your friends are celebrity obsessed with teenager.

[Bert]

That is a good point.

[Jeff]

I don't think you can say that.

[Katie]

It's different.

[Jessica]

Jeff.

[Jeff]

My friend is so obsessed with celebrities.

[Jade]

So annoying. Oh, my God.

[Jeff]

Much times I can bet on what

[Bert]

kind of tumor I am.

[Jen]

Oh, no.

[Jeff]

We're never gonna get married.

[Bert]

Tomorrow we'll compare blood types and we'll see if you and Justin maybe are a better fit. Here's what it says about Cancer and Aquarius. So if you're dating an Aquarius right now and you're Cancer or vice versa, you just might want to look at them and just go, okay. Here are the warning signs. Out and about. Aquarius and couch potato. Cancer will clash on many levels, but none more than intimacy and settling down. The Aquarians cool, almost icy ness demeanor will frustrate the emotional, touchy feely. Cancer. Aquarius is guarded while Cancer pleads for openness. While Aquarians are sexual adventure seekers, conservative cancers lean more to the cuddly. Family, home and stability are the three things that Cancer seek. While aloof, Aquarius just lives to be the life of the party.

[Katie]

Okay.

[Bert]

All right. So you and Justin T. We're done, though.

[Wendy]

Not gonna happen.

[Bert]

Gemini and Aries, known for their split personalities. They need a submissive companion sign to handle their on again, off again moods. They're talking about Gemini. That submissiveness isn't something they're likely to find in large amounts should they find themselves falling for Aries. Rather, when the chameleon like Gemini has changed his or her personality one too many times, you can bet your lucky charm that Aries is going to take off. Okay, so that is Gemini and Aries. One of the worst astrological pairings. Scorpio and Leo. Imagine a lion and a scorpion fighting to the death. And this is exactly how the chemistry between a Leo and Scorpio would be. Leo is the lion is controlling, as is the possessive Scorpio. And if you expect that sparks will fly in the bedroom, it will probably be more like Pairs of shoes hurled at each other because of an explosive argument.

[Jessica]

Is that what you and your ex, Chandra were? She.

[Jade]

I think.

[Bert]

I don't remember what she was.

[Jessica]

Cause didn't she throw a shoe at you?

[Tracy]

She did.

[Bert]

It was a phone. Actually, I think it wasn't a shoe. It was a phone. Yeah. One astrological or astrologist said that many of these love matches end up in crimes of passion. Again, that's Scorpio and Leo right there. One of the worst. Also astrological pairings, Virgo and Sagittarius. These two signs will find themselves frequently at a crossroads, a standoff, and even arguing about the color of the sky. When Sagittarius is ready to leap to the bottom of the deep blue sea, Virgo studies its practicality, putting much thought before putting one foot in front of the other. So Virgo and Sagittarius, not so good for each other. Famous Virgo, Sagittarius couple, Beyonce and Jay Z. Oh, really?

[Jessica]

Are they really a couple?

[Jeff]

Yeah, they are, but they never refer to each other.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Bert]

And this one may be worst of all of them.

[Tracy]

Okay.

[Bert]

If you are a Pisces, you want to avoid at all cost a Taurus. Stubborn Taurus finds the impracticality of Pisces annoying. Add to that Pisces bad habit of having an opinion about everything and the bull's short fuse, and you have enough combustion for an implosion. And it states right here. This is perhaps the most stressful love pairing in the entire zodiac. And that one is Pisces and Taurus. Okay.

[Jessica]

Have you ever dated a Taurus, Melissa? Uh, I don't think I have either. I've driven one because we're both Pisces.

[Bert]

That's all I've ever had in my life. And I know there are some people that take this stuff so seriously.

[Wendy]

I do.

[Bert]

You do?

[Wendy]

I will never date a Sagittarius.

[Bert]

Is that because you had a bad experience with one Sagittarius?

[Jessica]

Absolutely.

[Tracy]

There.

[Katie]

I mean, whether you read into it or not, there is some similarities with people who have the same sign.

[Bert]

Sometimes when you read them, you're like, yeah, that's right. Good morning, Q100 Berkshire.

[Jen]

Hi, guys. I wanted to let you know that is so true. I am in the process. I'm a Sagittarius and I'm in the process of getting a divorce from a Virgo. And I promise you, it was like hell on Earth. We had dinner, we argued about the color of the rice, we argued about which way to drive. And it wasn't just like relationship. Petty arguments. It was intense, heated arguments. And plus, he was from another country. To add more fuel to the fire.

[Bert]

What country was he from?

[Jen]

It was like a double doozy for me.

[Bert]

What country was he from?

[Jen]

He was from Liberia. You talk about like, racism is one thing. When people argue about race, when you're in a relationship, that's small potatoes. When you talk about other country and immigration issues, oh, my God. And then you're welcome. The wrong sign.

[Jade]

Ooh.

[Jen]

No.

[Wendy]

Stay away from those Virgo Liberians.

[Jeff]

Please stay away.

[Bert Weiss]

This is the bird show.

[Bert]

Hey, everybody.

[Lady Luck]

Lady luck here. And we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. Now all summer long, I'm going to be celebrating by playing on spinquest.com which is an American owned social casino. It obviously features over a thousand slot games and live blackjack, live craps, live bubble crafts. Head on over to spinquest.com get yourself a $30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Bert Weiss]

Spinquest is a free to play social casino. Visit spinquest.com for more details. Lots of places can expose you to identity theft.

[Katie]

Oh, no.

[Bert Weiss]

That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity, which is way more than anyone can do on their own. If we find anything suspicious like new loans or changes to your financial accounts, we alert you right away. All through text, phone, email or the LifeLock app. Get the alerts that could make all the difference. Save up to 30% with promo code [e-mail] terms apply.

[Melissa Cartel]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the strawberry watermelon refresher and the Mango pineapple refresher with popping boba. To crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six? All new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Jeff]

Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Bert Weiss]

It's the vert show.

[Bert]

This is a story that we're sort of chewing over right now.

[Katie]

That's right. In Bedford County, Tennessee, they are now launching an investigation into a woman who lives there and she had adopted a child from Russia. 7 year old boy from Russia. And it was last week that apparently she had had enough because he had some behavioral issues. One of the listener, Burt show listeners let us know the details of that which was he threatened to kill the family. He threatened to burn down the house. So he was not an easy child. And so she decided that she would put him on a plane by himself back to Russia with a Note that says that they no longer wanted him.

[Bert]

All right, Jade wants to tell us that this is a little more common than we know. Hey, Jade, good morning. You're on Q100.

[Jade]

Hey, good morning, guys.

[Bert]

Good morning.

[Jade]

I was calling that. You know, unfortunately, this is really, really common. It's not something that's unheard of when you're doing adoption. When you're doing adoption, because my family's been dealing with this since I was a little girl adopting a foster care. And when you're doing it, they do ask you what you want. So your scenario burn was a good one. They ask you what you want, age what you're looking for, and they try to fit that. But it's very common for them to sometimes lie or stretch the truth or not give you everything, because there's so many kids that need home.

[Bert]

Sure.

[Jade]

But, like, my grandmother adopted two boys, and my grandmother has been doing foster care since I was a little girl, 8 years old. And the only reason she adopted these two is because they never knew their mother. Okay. Long story short, at the end, these boys had tried to burn down my grandmother's house, tried to kill my grandmother, and just were, because she was older, started trying to overpower her. And you have to realize, I understand the passion and the other women in the room, but you have to realize these kids go through so much. So by age 8, you know, it's stuff that we would never, if we raise our kids in loving, nurturing homes that we would never put our kids through. But there's so much stuff. You mean abuse? And I just don't want to get into it because it's too early in the morning. But it's just so much stuff that the worst that you could possibly imagine, and they just get shifted from place to place, ships. I don't agree with how she did it.

[Bert]

Right.

[Jade]

But I can completely understand saying, whoa, this is a bit much for my family. This is not what I was looking for.

[Bert]

All right, let's focus on the one thing that Jay did tell us right there, though, because in our scenario, this is really the debatable part that's so passionate. So what she said there is the adoption agencies sometimes will stretch the truth or they'll forget from time to time to tell you one or two things about the child to get the child into a home and out of foster care. So for our debate, let's just say that the adoption agency, the fostering agency knew about the behavioral problems. Look, we can create a whole bunch of different scenarios, autism, perhaps, whatever. And didn't tell the adopted family. The debate here is once you get that child and you realize that the child had pre existing conditions that they didn't tell you about, is it right for you to just call them back up and go, this is not what you told us?

[Jeff]

Now I want to say and send the child back from using the scenario that I'm defending, because I think there are scenarios where you can send that child back if you are working with children who are in the foster program. I think there is an expectation, and this is not a knock on foster kids, you know, for lack of another way to describe them, but kids, children who are in the foster program, I think that that requires a level of understanding and a level of patience, knowing that they've probably had a tough time of it.

[Katie]

They have had a hard time.

[Jeff]

Yes. So I'm talking about a situation where. I'm talking about this exact situation where it's a Russian adoption agency who provided a description of a child that was not accurate.

[Bert]

If you're. If your child got. If the child landed Tracy and was blind and couldn't hear.

[Tracy]

I think when you have made a commitment to adopt a child, it's a human being. We're not talking about a tractor from Lowe's. We're not talking about a product. You are not buying something. You have made a commitment to get a human being. So at that point, it's not the child's fault that they, that the adoption agency misrepresented them. You have signed the papers, you made that commitment. At that point, you are that baby or that child, however old they are, you are their parents. It is not their fault and it is not their problem. And that an organization or an agency that coordinated this whole thing misrepresented that child like you may. You made the commitment, you handle the situation how you would if your 9 year old biological child started having these issues.

[Bert]

So mentally you are the parent as soon as that baby lands. Mentally.

[Tracy]

And if you're not prepared to make that commitment when you sign those papers, then don't do it. Don't even go into the process. You have to assume that, I mean, make the assumption that they're going to be misrepresented.

[Jeff]

Why would you make that assumption? Like, let's say you have a situation where there's a child that requires around the clock care, whether it's, whatever the situation is, you've just adopted an unhealthy child, but you have two of your own that are healthy and it's gonna require one parent to quit it's gonna require one parent to quit their job. So you have a conversation with your spouse, you and Scott have a conversation, and you decide, hey, you know what? We have room in our home and room in our bank accounts and room in our heart to bring in another child to this family. And, you know, you call the adoption agency and you say, we want, you know, whatever. And they don't tell you that that child requires some sort of specialized care that will affect the way you care for Ella and affect the relationship that you have with Scott and will damage your family.

[Bert]

Jen's not buying this either.

[Tracy]

I agree. Then don't even open yourself up to that potential, because you know what? If I have right now, I have Ella, and our house is pretty. It's. It runs pretty smoothly right now, and in a couple years, we might want to open ourselves up to the possibility of having another child biologically. Or we could adopt, who knows? But that's a risk that you take when you open yourself up to parenthood.

[Jeff]

But it's hard to get an easy choice.

[Bert]

Jen wants in on this, too.

[Jessica]

I still think it's a human being, and it's a soul, and it's an innocent child who's who. It's no fault of their own. And I think that it's still your kid. I think when you sign up for the process, regardless of how that agency withheld information from you or not or how it's going to affect your family, you signed up for adoption. It's your child. That's a life. That's a human being.

[Katie]

It's a soul.

[Bert]

Here's Savannah. Good morning. Savannah, you are part of the Burt Show.

[Jen]

Hey, good morning, guys.

[Katie]

Good morning.

[Jen]

I just think it's ridiculous to say that if an adoption agency is knowingly dishonest with you, that you should just be expected to absorb that completely. I think it's unacceptable.

[Jade]

Yeah.

[Jen]

You have the argument that this is a human being. And I think the woman with the child she adopted from Russia, I think that's probably an extreme case. And I'm sure other people experience extreme tame. But the fact is that you. Yeah, you go sign papers because you're willing to open up your family to another child that needs a home. But it's not okay for them to just send you a child saying, well, this is what you're getting, and it's not what you're getting. The fact is that you're signing a contract.

[Bert]

The debate here really is, when does motherhood start? Then when you're adopting a child, does motherhood start as soon as you sign the papers or as soon as the childhood arrives. Because what the child arrives. Because what you're saying is once you sign the papers and you're accepted, doesn't matter, you're a mom at this point, that is your child, there's no turning back.

[Tracy]

We're debating this case. And at this point the child had already arrived and she sent the baby back at that point. I mean, this is not a product. You made the commitment to be this child's parents. It's not like. Yes. Did the adoption agency do something wrong? Of course they did. They lied, they misrepresented. But we're not talking about a tractor, we're talking about a child and you are that child's parents.

[Jessica]

Now what if the child showed up a different race? Is that enough? I mean, is that enough to send the child back like Jeff? Like you've got your whitey white bread family and you're gonna adopt one child and you think that that child is going to be a white kid from California. But guess what, you get a six

[Jeff]

month old Asian little girl, my opinion is that.

[Jessica]

Or you get a six month old black little boy, is it okay to send it back?

[Jeff]

My opinion is that if you are working within an adoption agency and you are told that you are being delivered one thing and you receive something else, you have a right to go back to that adoption agency and accuse them of fraud and return the product.

[Bert]

Jeff is looking at this more business like you guys are looking at it more.

[Katie]

Well, the thing is it is a product. The thing is it is a product

[Jeff]

that you're going to have for 18

[Katie]

years that it's being sent back. An 8 year old child knows, a 10 year old child knows, a 5 year old child knows. The thing that I think that if you were anybody that goes through adoption knows you sit and you wait. I mean it is a long process in order to adopt a child and it's a very expensive process to adopt a child. And my concern is if you know you're adopting a child and you want a child that is older who is aware of what's going on. We're not talking about an infant, we're talking about a child that knows what's going on, then you have to know that that child, and I'm going to say it has behavioral problems because all that child has ever known is that it's not wanted, abandoned. And I got to say that I don't think in my heart of hearts I could ever contribute to furthering letting that child know you were not good enough. You were not wanted. I am sending you back. I could not do it. No, I can't do it.

[Bert]

I feel like the national anthem should be playing behind you right now.

[Katie]

But I'm just saying. I mean, yeah, I just think that if people researched and looked into the foster care because, okay, one story that I remember from my friend from years ago, she was in the foster care system. And it's not just parents, it's not just people in their family. She was in the foster care system here in Atlanta, Georgia. And she would go to school, and the school system would send the foster kids home before they took annual pictures. So she was never in a yearbook because she was a foster child. So it's everybody in that child's world telling it, you are not good enough. And it's a shame that people would be willing participants in letting that kid further know that.

[Bert]

Angela, good morning. You're part of the Burt Show.

[Jen]

First, let me say amen to Melissa. Second, it's. Y' all are talking like it's a male order bride thing. They, they. She has to go over and meet the child. They don't send the child to her. She actually has to go over and pick up the child, and you have to spend a few days with the child, decided that's a child you want. So she knew what she was getting as far as behavioral problems. I was adopted when I was three. I was a perfect little angel until a year later and I went ballistic. So there's no guarantee on a child. It's a human being. One day your child could be fantastically Norma, and the next day, they could be out of control.

[Bert]

That's not just the vape.

[Jen]

That's your child. When you sign that paperwork, you are mom or you are dad.

[Bert]

That's not the debate, though, that we're having. What Jeff is saying is, your child product is faulty before it leaves the factory.

[Jeff]

And I'll use Jen's example. She used race, but that's polarizing, because every time you say race, it becomes polarizing. But if you have a family with three sons in it, and you don't want to risk having a fourth son, you want a daughter, and you go to an adoption agency and you say, I want a daughter, and something happens, and what arrives is a boy.

[Jessica]

So then you have a boy, and

[Bert]

in your opinion, you have a boy. When do you.

[Wendy]

Oh, absolutely.

[Bert]

You keep it. No matter what it comes, you keep it.

[Wendy]

It's a being.

[Bert]

They've got feelings.

[Jeff]

Okay, let's not make it.

[Wendy]

I feel so bad about myself.

[Jeff]

Let's not make it eight years old. If it's eight days old, let's make it one day old. And you go into the adoption agency and point through the nursery still does not change anything. And say there's your son. And why wouldn't you say we don't want a son.

[Katie]

But you know what you're getting?

[Wendy]

You have to go meet the child.

[Jeff]

No, it's one day old. It was just born.

[Katie]

We don't agree with you, Jeff. I mean, as simple as we don't agree with you.

[Bert]

You know what we can do to

[Tracy]

a child, not a purchaser of a product.

[Wendy]

I mean, people adopt babies and infants from teenagers all the time who are giving their babies up for adoption. They don't get to see what their product is before they get it.

[Bert]

A whole bunch of you guys wanted to comment on this and we just don't have time. So what we'll do is we'll link on over to the story from our [e-mail] and we have a comment section there and you guys can do what you want right there. All right. And again, I apologize for the mature debate on the show here.

[Bert Weiss]

Bird show.

[Jeff]

Hey everybody.

[Lady Luck]

Lady luck here. And we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. Now all summer long I'm going to be celebrating by playing on spinquest.com which is an American owned social casino. It obviously features over a thousand slot games and live blackjack, live craps, live bubble craps. Head on over to spinquest.com get yourself a $30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Bert Weiss]

Spinquest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. You're great at protecting your data, but lots of places could still expose you to identity theft.

[Jessica]

I thought it was safe.

[Bert Weiss]

If that happens, Lifelock gives you a US based restoration agent who will stick by your side from start to finish. Phone calls, filing documentation, preparing insurance claims. Your agent handles it all. In fact, we're so confident restoration is guaranteed for your money back. Isn't it nice to have someone like that on your side? Save up to 30% with promo code [e-mail] terms apply.

[Melissa Cartel]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with popping Boba. To crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six all new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Jeff]

Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Bert Weiss]

The Birch show.

[Bert]

Apparently the movie you guys were trying to remember was called Orphan. Okay, that's the first thing we need to know. Jenny, Good morning. You are on the Burke show. Hi.

[Jade]

Hey.

[Jen]

Hi. I wanted to say that I actually know a family that adopted a little girl and had to return her. The story is it was a mom and a dad and they had two sons and they really wanted a little girl, so they decided to adopt. And it was actually a us girl. But the girl started wreaking havoc in the home and she was making lots of sexual advances towards the husband, so they ended up having to return her because she just created total chaos in the house.

[Bert]

I know we're talking about human beings, but using the words they had to return her sounds so like petsmart. Pizza puppy at petsmart.

[Jeff]

Do you save your receipt?

[Jessica]

It's a different thing if you're fostering a teenager or you're taking in a grown up kid. I think that's a different scenario. How old was the child when you presented it? It seemed like, here's your infant. And then like, oh, sorry, don't want

[Bert]

it, gotta return it.

[Jessica]

Right.

[Jen]

I think the little girl was around eight years old, give or take a year.

[Wendy]

So see, then why not take her to a doctor or specialist? That your child now? Why not get it fixed?

[Jen]

I think I actually tried that for several months and I think, I think it was like a six month, six to eight month period that they had the little girl before they returned her.

[Bert]

That must have been a painful decision.

[Jeff]

The argument though, that Bert makes is a very valid one. Like if you order one thing and are delivered something else, just because it's

[Wendy]

a human, you can't order behavior. I mean, this happens.

[Katie]

I think this is a whole commentary on the foster care system too, because I think that, you know, an infant. Yeah, an infant I think is different because an infant infant you bring into your home and then, you know, anything that's going on with that infant is your responsibility, like the nature, nurture thing. But I think that when you get older and older, I think it's really sad because I've known people in my life that have been through the foster care system and it is hell. So I think that there. I think there's a reason that some of these kids have evolved into having behavioral problems because they haven't had a great shot at life in the foster care system.

[Bert]

Well, if there are pre existing conditions that you don't know That I don't tell you about beforehand. And then the child arrives. Especially if they're true medical and they've been diagnosed. Child arrives and you weren't told about that. I think you have a pretty good. I mean, it's gonna be a painful decision to make. But if you weren't told, then you got to take a good hard look at your family, a good hard look at yourself and say, I don't know that we can handle this.

[Jessica]

But can't you look at it from a spiritual perspective too? I mean, that would be part of the struggle is like, you know, was this part of the plan? Like, you know, is our family supposed to raise this child? You know, did God bring this child to us? Even though this is not what we expected, you know, we were going to Spain, but we ended up in Holland.

[Melissa Cartel]

Right.

[Jeff]

But you can.

[Jessica]

Right.

[Jeff]

With them, you could also look at, I mean, taking the human aspect out of it, which is tough, but that's not possible.

[Jessica]

That's not what you're arguing about. You're not talking about lawnmowers. You get a defective lawnmower. Yes. Take it back to your hose.

[Jeff]

If you have two children in your family and you bring a dog into the house and that dog bites both of your children and attacks every visitor,

[Katie]

it's different than a kid.

[Jeff]

So if you bring a child into your house and the child bites both of your other kids and attacks people when they come over to the house, it is different.

[Katie]

Sure, it's different.

[Jessica]

Totally different. Why?

[Bert]

Because you're contributing. I mean, you have an opportunity. Maybe that same scenario has played. Maybe that opportunity has played out in this child's life up to this point to make them that way. So now here you are again, giving up a child, causing more. What's the word I'm looking for?

[Jessica]

Damage.

[Bert]

More damage and more. Just abandonment issues again, when you could be the one to turn the child around. Tracy, Producer Tracy here has some very strong opinions about this.

[Tracy]

I can't believe this is even a debate. I mean, you don't. You signed up for this. When you adopt a child, you don't get a choice. Like I don't get to send Ella back with a post it because she doesn't sleep through the night.

[Katie]

But we're talking about older children. So let's talk about the story. Was an eight year old.

[Tracy]

Yeah. But still you adopt the child. You chose to have that child become your son or your daughter. If you don't get what you want, you don't send it back with a

[Jeff]

post it note, but I'm talking about Bert's scenario where you said, I have two children, I need a healthy, well adjusted, blah, blah, blah. This is what I want. And then when you get. When you receive your child, great.

[Tracy]

And if I have two children and I decide I want to biologically have another one, I don't get to say I only want an easy one that fits into my family.

[Jeff]

But you're not saying that. You're saying, hey, you know what? We could open our house up to another child, but we can't afford therapy bills, medical bills, this, that, and other things we have to have.

[Tracy]

And what happens if the adoption agency then sends what they think is a completely healthy child and it's two years?

[Jeff]

That's not birth standards. Not birth scenario. Birth scenario is the child has been diagnosed before the adoption agency gave it to the family.

[Tracy]

Okay? And the adoption agency, for whatever reason, didn't. Wasn't completely honest with them. But you have already agreed to be that parent, that child's parent.

[Jeff]

You agree to be the parent of a healthy child, but then what happens

[Tracy]

if you're a parent to a healthy child or not a healthy child?

[Jessica]

One year from that point, the child gets hit by a car, survives the accident.

[Jeff]

Stop.

[Katie]

Guess what difference.

[Jeff]

We're changing the scenario. The scenario is.

[Jessica]

No, I don't think nobody can change.

[Jeff]

Nobody will address the scenario. The Birch Show.

[Tracy]

Hey, guys, lady luck here.

[Lady Luck]

Are you going on any road trips this summer? I know I'm going to be going on a bunch of road trips. And being that I'm going to be passenger Princess, I Love playing on Spinquest.com Spinquest has all of my favorite slot games. Live Blackjack live.

[Tracy]

Crap.

[Lady Luck]

Head on over to Spinquest right now and get yourself a $30 coin pack for just 10 bucks.

[Bert Weiss]

Spinquest is a free to play social casino. Prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Melissa Cartel]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with popping boba to crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six? All new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Jeff]

Refreshers contain caffeine.