Negro, Thou Art Loosed

Summary

The Friend Zone Podcast – “Negro, Thou Art Loosed”

Episode Date: March 11, 2026
Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Franchesca), Asante
Network: Loud Speakers Network

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Episode Overview

In this vibrant, laughter-filled episode, Asante leads the conversation with a timely, reflective theme: how our perception of time shifts as we grow older, and how to reclaim joy, novelty, and meaning in everyday life—especially during heavy global and personal times. The trio weaves in their trademark wit and camaraderie as they share stories about adulthood, DMV drama, career pivots, listener responses, wellness nudges, and the importance of making new memories to slow down life’s relentless pace.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Riff & Celebrity Commentary

Timestamp: 01:29–07:06

• The episode kicks off with Dustin venting about Timothy Chalamet’s recent interview slighting opera and ballet as “dead art forms.”
  • Dustin: “Opera is an incredibly classic, incredibly difficult art form. You can’t sing opera. You barely can act, Timothy.” (04:35)
  • Fran: “That’s not a theater kid talking.” (04:07)
  • The group gently roasts Chalamet’s physicality and his name, connecting it to Michael Jackson’s famous “Hee-hee.”

2. Catch-Ups: Personal Wins & Listener Interactions

Timestamp: 07:06–23:56

• Dustin reveals he finally acquired some coveted purple apparel.
• Asante and Fran share aspirations in car shopping, hinting at an upcoming car episode.
• Black Business Highlight: Gold(e) wellness brand by Trinity Mouzan Wofford – noted for its accessible superfood blends and clean skincare. (09:05)
  • Asante: “Gold’s mission is to create wellness, make it feel simple, accessible and joyful, proving that healthy living doesn’t have to be complicated or exclusive.”
• Listener feedback covers the last episode’s discussions on Lilith, gender, and biblical mythology, K-Pop hiatus culture, and protein alternatives like bison.
  • Fran: “If any of you eat bison and have figured out how to make it taste good, let us know.” (22:56)
• Dustin gives props to Twitter user @kbird2k for defending Spectacular of Pretty Ricky, flipping the typical Black excellence narrative.

3. Theme Introduction: Why Does Time Move Faster as We Age?

Timestamp: 30:36–50:03

• Asante: “When the world feels uncertain, you start asking yourself questions: what am I actually doing with my time? Who am I spending it with? What actually matters?” (31:45)
• Reflects on birthdays as markers for self-reflection.
• The group recalls how, as children, time felt slower—summer breaks seemed endless, and returning to school signified true “new years.”
  • Dustin: “Going back to school, the new school year felt like you was a whole new fucking person.” (34:03)
• Adult routines make years blur and pass quickly, especially as life becomes more structured.

4. The Science & Subjective Experience of Time

Timestamp: 40:42–50:03

• Asante references psychologist theories: our brains record time based on new memories and experiences.
  • Asante: “When we become adults, life becomes routine […] when the brain isn’t storing as many new experiences, that’s when time starts to compress.” (41:13)
• Fran describes her mother’s advice—adding "pollution" (a random disruption) to shake up routine.
• The hosts discuss the “10% rule”: At age 10, a year is 10% of your life; at 40, a year is only 2.5%, thus seeming shorter.
• Dustin and Fran both recount stages of life where time felt either painfully slow (personal trauma, unhappy jobs) or suddenly accelerated (adult responsibilities).

5. DMV Triumphs, Car Talk, and Trying New Things

Timestamp: 60:59–84:22

• Asante details his ordeal obtaining a driver’s license in North Carolina, including DMV struggles, insurance hassles, and the “joy” of passing the driving test (with support from Amber).
  • Asante: “This is why we use this podcast to connect with our community… recommend good things to do with time.”
  • Fran and Dustin share their new driving experiences, especially late-blooming driver’s milestones and state-by-state quirks.
• The segment evolves into a reflection on adult milestones, new skills, and growth.
  • Dustin: “Growing cars now. Negro, thou art loosed.” (81:47)
  • Fran: “My whole life right now is very new. I’m a new woman—right. I’m in Oregon, driving, living in a house…” (87:06)

6. How to Slow Down Time & Re-energize Your Life

Timestamp: 84:26–97:25

• Dustin discusses starting stand-up comedy as a new adult pursuit: “You seen the [comedy] show from the beginning to like the progression later. You seen the difference, didn’t you?” (85:47)

• Fran shares how building a sustainable lifestyle, driving, and changing her environment has revitalized her sense of self and time.

• Advice on combating bitterness and embracing optimism in later life.

  • Fran: “I just didn’t want to be a hardened person. I cannot be a hardened person that mistreats people and most importantly, that mistreats myself.” (92:11)

• Everyday ways to reclaim novelty and meaning: learning new skills, changing routines, even small rituals (like painting nails).

  • Asante: “Start small—paint your nails, move on up to something as big as getting your driver’s license if you ain’t got it. That brought me so much joy.” (98:19)
  • Fran: “My mom calls it pollution... Just have something you can work on and fix later.” (42:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dustin (re: Timothy Chalamet): “You play. You do one play... and now you’re sitting on this stage pontificating, okay? And talking shit about opera and ballet. Two of the most classic... art forms. You didn’t set your Jiminy Cricket looking ass up on this stage...” (05:20)
• Asante: “I just feel like there are those main holidays, whether they birthdays, holidays, you know, family dates, breakups... markers that come up for us every year.” (35:53)
• Fran: “When you’re going through things that are stressful and annoying... you kind of start to feel things slow down for sure.” (57:09)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:29 – Main hosts check-in & Timothy Chalamet discussion
• 07:06 – Purple jacket update, car talk, Gold(e) business highlight
• 11:04 – Listener mailbag: Lilith, feminism, K-Pop
• 19:14 – Bison meat talk, wellness food trends
• 24:41 – Twitter praise for Black excellence, live show reminder
• 30:36 – Main theme introduction (Time & Life Reflection)
• 40:42 – Childhood vs. Adult time perception; role of novelty
• 49:56 – Advice on slowing down time, creating meaning
• 60:59 – Asante’s DMV ordeal & success
• 84:22 – Latest pivots: driving, comedy, farm life, personal reinvention
• 97:25 – Small joys, nail painting, reclaiming personal routines

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Segments Breakdown

Wellness (104:39)

• Gentle “nudge” to get outside, embrace spring, and make plans as the seasons shift.
  • Fran: “Get outside, call your friends, move your body… start something new.”

Music Man (115:17)

• News: Coverage of the Rihanna home shooting incident—serious reflection on celebrity safety and mental health.
  • Dustin: “She lucky she alive... Rihanna and them lucky they alive. But that crazy ass heifer is lucky that she’s alive because people get shot and killed by security over like that.”
• Songs of the week: New tracks from Lakeyah (“HNIC”), Sophia Li (“Who’s Better”), Maddie Zahm, A Boogie wit da Hoodie ft. Mariah the Scientist (“Secrets”), Rick Ross ft. DeLo (“Maybach Music 5”), Ty Dolla $ign and Leon Thomas, Baby Keem ft. Too Short, and a throwback from Starship (“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”).

TV Land (137:40)

• Real Housewives of Atlanta—Pinky Cole cast announcement, RHOA and Potomac updates.
• Broadway News: Kandi Burruss, Taraji P. Henson to star in upcoming productions.
• Jennifer Hudson Show renewed; Sherry Shepherd’s show’s uncertain fate; Brandi looks on press run.
• Recaps: The Traitors, Married to Medicine reunion fashion, Love and Marriage: Huntsville (Melody’s departure), Belle Collective.

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Closing Vibes

• The hosts urge listeners to:
  • Make new memories to slow down time.
  • Try something novel—no matter how small.
  • Purge old things to make room for the season’s energy.
  • Protect your peace and mental wealth during turbulent times.
• Asante: “Maybe the secret to a full life isn’t trying to stop time, but creating enough meaningful moments that time doesn’t slip by unnoticed.” (100:29)

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For announcements, listener questions, or to get involved, contact [e-mail].

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Transcript

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[Fran]

To the friends my name is Dustin. I'm Franchesa, also known as K Friend.

[Asante]

Hey, my name is Asante. This is the friend zone. Let's start the show

[Fran]

because look at the end of the day people do what the you allow. This is a child and I ain't got time for that.

[Dustin Ross]

Damn, that's right. And this person we about to talk about today, this is a child and I ain't got time for that shit. I seen some disrespectful ass shit slide across my timeline this morning. Now I'm already stressed out coming off of a high stress two days, okay? And so I'm kind of in the mood of everything's pissing me off. So I was scrolling online which probably was the wrong thing to be doing at that time. And I seen something that literally just burned my biscuit. So I don't know if you know who Timothy Chalamet is. You know who that is. First of all, he stole his name because that's Michael Jackson. Why is your name spelled like the way Michael Jackson say. He'll say.

[Fran]

He.

[Asante]

He.

[Dustin Ross]

His name is Timothy. You spell it T I, M, O, T, H, E, E. Might even be three E's.

[Asante]

Does he spell it like that?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes, that's how he spells his name.

[Asante]

Where did this Timothy Chalamet thing come from?

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know where that thing came from.

[Asante]

I feel like it just happened. I just kept seeing clips on TikTok of them having, like, Timothy Chalamet Day or some one day in the streets. I'm like, who is this?

[Fran]

And a movie out right now that's like, you know, he's on the promo trail, so he's out here. It's. I forget the name of it because it's not really something I want to watch.

[Dustin Ross]

And neither is he. And neither is he. He ain't something we watch either. Well, apparently, he don't watch the fine arts, because this was being interviewed on Variety for Variety, or rather in. In conversation with Matthew McConaughey, right? And he said that opera and. Don't nobody care about opera and ballet. I want you to listen to this. He had the gumption and the gall to say this. I want y' all to listen to this, and then we're gonna fucking talk about it.

[Fran]

Isn't he a theater kid?

[Dustin Ross]

Like what? Listen to this. And y' all to listen to this foolishness. I don't want to be working in

[Asante]

ballet or opera or, you know, things where it's like, hey, keep this thing alive.

[Dustin Ross]

Even though no one cares about this anymore.

[Asante]

All respect to the ballet and opera people. Out. I just lost 14 cents in viewership, but damn, I just took shots for no reason.

[Dustin Ross]

That's not a shot.

[Asante]

I hear what you're saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So.

[Fran]

And that's not a theater kid talking.

[Asante]

Okay?

[Dustin Ross]

So you done said that don't nobody care about ballet or opera. Don't nobody care about that. First of all, you look like a ballerina. Have you seen Timothy Charlemagne? Have you seen him before? He was a fairy saying his name like that. He was. Oh, my God. He was. Please. He literally. I thought he was Pink Panthers sitting up there talking to Matthew McConaughey. Cause that's what he looks like now.

[Fran]

Why is she.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't even Know, because they look alike, you know. Frail Rayleigh, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know what they look like? Lanky. He's a lanky motherfucker. Legs all long like that. Spike legs sitting up there. Then furthermore, you don't say opera is dead too. Opera is an incredibly classic, incredibly difficult art form. You can't sing opera. You barely can act. Timothy. I can't believe that he would say that. That shit just really burned me up. He's sitting his miscellaneous. This is what I mean about motherfuckers just sliding through. You know what I'm saying? You play. You do one play. Did he play Bob Dylan? Was that him? What was that? Who played Bob Dylan in that movie anyways?

[Fran]

No idea.

[Dustin Ross]

The motherfucker get one good role or whatever, and now he's sitting on this stage pontificating, okay? And talking shit about opera and ballet. Two of the most classic, most revered and cherished art forms that people train their entire lives for. You didn't set your Jiminy Cricket looking ass up on this stage. They said that nobody cares. No, what we don't care about is you random looking like Darlene from season two of Bad Girls Club. That's who you look like, Timothy. Shalom. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? He strummed us. Strum his pain with his face fingers. One good time in a movie and now here y' all go got this offering up commentary about the opera and ballet. Shut the up, Timothy Chalamet. Shut up. You know you stole your name from Michael Jackson's classic line. Everybody know that's what that's from putting extra ease on the end of stuff. That's Michael Jackson, okay? And while you may look like him, you know, towards the end, you. That doesn't mean that you can take his name, okay? Timothy Chalamet. So you. And that's on all of the bad that came from. That's on Leontine Price you. Okay, we stand up. It's Women's History Month. Are you talking shit about opera and ballet? I don't think so. Not on my. I've always looked. Not on my watch. Fuck Timothy. Charlemagne him. And with that being said, welcome to the Friend Zone. Your weekly looking all things mental health, mental wellness and mental ballet and opera. Because when the hell wants a life without him? I know I don't. Hey, friend. Hey, Asante.

[Fran]

How you doing? So wait, are you wearing the purple jacket you've been looking for?

[Dustin Ross]

Well, yes.

[Fran]

It looks so good. Did you get this? What was it you wanted the shorts two or just the jacket. It's.

[Dustin Ross]

I wanted the shorts and the pants and I got them both. So I'm very happy. I'm very happy. Thank you. You know, purple ain't really my color but I like it today and it makes feel like I'm in the 90s.

[Fran]

I love it.

[Asante]

It's that, it's that nice royal purple too from this angle, from this light. But also I know it's more exciting and fun and personal.

[Dustin Ross]

I needed it, you know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

I like it has like that iridescence too.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you so very much.

[Fran]

Cuz I remember we were looking it up on the show, trying to find it.

[Dustin Ross]

So to have it, darling, I had to have it. You ever see something like that, you just be like, look every day.

[Fran]

Sadly, every day.

[Dustin Ross]

Every day.

[Asante]

I'm kind of in that mode right now about a car that I haven't even gotten into. So I'm just like, I've been looking at cars and doing some research and I found like a mod. I'm making a model. I was like, I don't even know how to start and find a making a model. I have honed in school. Well, it's an older car but it's not like a old school, like it's just like, okay, a 19 or 21. I'm looking for those specific years of a specific model and one of them, they don't even make no more. And it's like, why would I buy that type of car? But also that's interesting to me, so. And it's a real, it's a high reliable car too. I did like a lot of like dad research on cars. It was a very annoying weekend.

[Fran]

That's me. I've suddenly turned into a car person, which is so random.

[Asante]

Oh, this should have been a car. I should have made this a car episode. That would be cute. Next month, friend, we're doing a car episode. Whether you do it or I do it, I'm down.

[Fran]

I support you. Speaking of next episode, Asante, you have a black business for us this week.

[Asante]

That's right, I absolutely do. Look, I got all my taps right too. The black business this week is none other than gold with an E G O L D E. Founded by Trinity Muzan Wofford, it's a wellness brand. It was co founded by this entrepreneur and they're also the CEO. It started, she started out this small business in Brooklyn. It was a startup and it's grown into a nationally recognized brand known for its plant based superfood blends Matcha products and Clean Skin Care. Gold's mission is to create wellness, make it feel simple, accessible and joyful, proving that healthy living doesn't have to be complicated or exclusive. If you want to check out the products again, there are Matcha products, Superfood blends and Clean Skin Care. Go to Gold Co and let us know. Let them know that the Friend Zone sent you. So.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, okay, go.

[Asante]

I thought that was cute. Yeah, you know, I thought it was cute brand, you know, black woman doing her thing, offering something healthy in a time where we all need something healthy. Okay. To edify ourselves.

[Dustin Ross]

Speaking for black people, we love Gold. So that this was a win.

[Asante]

I saw the name too, and I was like, ooh, golden. The E2 gave it like an extra touch of class. Especially like the E. Especially like, it was very eclectic. No, I'm just kidding.

[Fran]

It was like, don't do her.

[Asante]

That's a terrible example. This is better than that. This is way more high class and high brow.

[Dustin Ross]

Pistol Pete.

[Fran]

I'll definitely check it out. Let's jump into the recap segment. Last week's episode titled the Braid of Wisdom. Thank you so much for that one. Desta Ross Bible study was back. We had a lesson in love from the book of Genesis. It was female hip hop. The traitors and the Bible, they all had something in common. And Dustin walked us through exactly what that was.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Fran]

Who stood out to you? Asante?

[Asante]

Shout out to everybody. You all had fun. First comment I want to read on the Spotify streets comes from Andrea Andre. Well, Andrea Marie, let me put some respect on all of it. Andrea Marie says, I'm so glad France looked up stuff on Lilith because Asante was totally spot on bringing her up. It's a conversation around gender. Garden of Eden. Lilith reminds me of Medusa in the sense that we are taught one way to see these women, but when we dig deeper, we see that their difficult nature were acts of resistance and self defense. Thanks for adding to the. Adding that to the discussion. Yes. I had no idea, child. Lilith just came up on my mind. A lot of y' all had a lot to say about Lilith. I thought that was so interesting too because it was a concept that like none of us knew about, but. But still very well known. So I love when the listeners get to engage with us in that aspect. Dustin, what did you want to add?

[Dustin Ross]

No, I just, I, I didn't know either. You know what I'm saying? Yo, don't say no Lilith. You know what I'm saying? So I, I didn't know. But listen, now I know and I

[Fran]

didn't know it in that context. I knew it from the Woohoo girls. We speak of Lilith in terms of astrology. Oh, okay. Like you have a Lilith in a house like in your chart. And so that's supposed to be the like I guess the rebel. I mean that's.

[Asante]

What does that mean? Like you got a gentleman in your chart.

[Fran]

No, but there's a part of your chart whether you're rebellious, right? And it might fall into your family, it might fall into career, it might fall into finances. Like there's a part of your chart where you are untamable, I guess you'd say. And so I know if in that context. But I didn't know it in terms of like the real, which makes sense. It's all the same, right? The religious context. I didn't know this was like an act that people, what was it, Jewish mythology or yeah, yeah. Where they brought it in. I I never had heard of it in that way. So I thought that was a cool tie in.

[Dustin Ross]

I ain't nobody fair on my mama and so you know what I'm saying? Like, but now even the name of that concert makes sense. You know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

Makes sense because look at the girls you'd see and then

[Dustin Ross]

she was on a little fair, you know what I'm saying? It was a bunch of people. I was like

[Asante]

Next comment I want to highlight comes from Latoya Shareese. Latoya's comment reads OMG Dustin I agree about the blind devotion to men. My feminism flares up so much during Traders because often the votes that end up hurting the faithfuls are because the women didn't stick together. But I low key root for the traitors anyway. But it happens every season. That's why I like how Candace called out Rob. I love a girl's girl. I thought that was funny because I didn't know where we were going to go. We started off with traitors and then we ended up in the Bible. So it was a great episode overall. So I had to make sure I'm Last comment I want to share in the Spotify streets comes from shen 1985 this comment was in it was part of the conversation from Music man about the K pop As a former K Pop fan, a member going on hiatus is a regular thing in K Pop groups. I didn't know this but I'd seen this a lot so it was like a regular thing I I, I saw but I didn't like make note of so thank you, Shan. That's why I was reading this comment. It was interesting. Shan, go comment goes on to read. Some groups will have members on hiatus for years, which is crazy. So seeing Manal go on hiatus wasn't as jarring for me. I didn't watch the show, but I'm aware she was. She was scouted by Hive Gethin. Those were the labels slash entertainment conglomerates involved in this, the making of this group. But they seem to treat her like an unwanted stepchild. Plus, the group has more endorsements than songs at this point. They're just glorified dancing influencers, which is a huge waste of their talent. I'm not gonna lie. That was such a big read. But it was so true because they became, excuse me, these young ladies. Like, I had known of them. I had known of them from their show, from a couple of their singles and being around, but I didn't really see them get any kind of acclaim until they had dropped that Gap commercial. And even from there, you know, in the Gap commercial, they was dancing the milkshake. And when they all finally.

[Fran]

Oh, that was them.

[Asante]

And that record that they had just performed this year had been out before that commercial. So when y' all heard that record of talking about fried chicken, gnarly. And y' all like, get these hoes up out of here. It's just so funny to me how all of these things happen. But shout out to you, Shan, for that information. That was very, very informative to me. And it was a very funny comment.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't know you some K pop girls, but I still don't, to be clear, but Kandi Burris posted a picture. Her little daughter Blaze won a pageant this weekend. She used this K Pop song. And I was like, oh, I see why people like these songs. Now listen, y'.

[Asante]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know the name of it.

[Asante]

Friend, you know what that's from? Friend, you know what that is?

[Fran]

I can't make it out.

[Asante]

I know exactly what this is. And it's not because I even know what it is. Look at Dustin. I'm cry.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know the name of it.

[Asante]

That is from K Pop Demon Hunters.

[Fran]

Oh, my God. Oh, God.

[Asante]

You're.

[Fran]

Maybe I repressed it. You are so right. With the three girls singing. You know what? I repressed it because it's traumatizing to me. By the end day of the the summer, how many times he was played in this house.

[Asante]

I am crying.

[Fran]

That song is so cute, though.

[Asante]

Okay, so you know how you hear songs everywhere but you still don't, like, know them. That's one of those songs. Like, I. Someone could be like, oh, you know that K pop, Be my husband, blah, blah, blah. I don't actually know the name of that song, but I do actually know that song. So when I be.

[Fran]

I don't know what the you're talking about.

[Asante]

Oh, damn. I do know.

[Dustin Ross]

And the key changes. I was like, oh, my God.

[Asante]

One of the girls that sings in that, like, group, if you will, the K Pop Demon Hunters. Her name is Audrey Nunna. I really with her. I liked her artistry before she, like, blew up with this. So I'm glad, like, she's getting something else. The three of them are cute.

[Fran]

Like, I remember seeing them on the, you know, promo trail. They're doing the interviews and performances, and I'm like, these are really cute girls.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Fran]

Like, I wonder if they're gonna make them a thing.

[Dustin Ross]

They were singing like, Keisha Cole on that one. Belting. Okay. I was like, oh, now this. I'm impressed. This is. I'm impressed. So, yeah.

[Asante]

All right, friend. What did you find out there in those streets?

[Fran]

So I actually got one from my text messages. That's a new invite.

[Dustin Ross]

We're gonna clap for that.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Fran]

Ty, text me. Shout out to Ty, who we love so much.

[Asante]

Ty made the show. Ty.

[Fran]

Ty said.

[Asante]

Ty made the show. And Ty made the show.

[Fran]

Okay. I said, can I. Can I read this on the show, Ty? He was like, go ahead. He said, interesting talk around the Adam and Eve story. There's a lot discussion about the mistranslation of rib. Allegedly. The oldest versions of the book have it written as Adam being split in half to create Eve. Not just his rib, but misogyny, I guess. And he said he literally just started rereading the Bible recently, so he's kind of been tapped into all those themes and topics. But I thought that was interesting and it plays into what we were saying, that this is interpretations, and that's where things get tricky.

[Dustin Ross]

People who got their ribs removed was weird anyway, to be honest with you.

[Fran]

You know what?

[Dustin Ross]

So that this makes more sense to me, you know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

Cannot also want to tap into the Instagram streets. Alex. Demo or demo said ground bison is everything. We were talking about my wellness segment about proteins that are lean. He says, just as flavorful as an 8515 beef and yet much leaner. I use it for burrito bowls, meatloaf, burgers, spaghetti sauce, etc. Delicious and nutritious.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know, rice and meatloaf.

[Fran]

It sounds overstimulating, but the crazy part is I'm taking this as a sign because we were just watching this bodybuilder on YouTube. Yes, that's the shit I watch. I'm fascinated by the craft of it. And he was eating bison and talking about how lean it was. No, not wrong. That's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

Does it sound like that's where this is going?

[Fran]

Yeah, rich, he's like, Mr. Olympia, this really. This black dude, this young black dude, and he was breaking down. You know how he built up to be Mr. Olympia. And he was eating bison. And so when I saw this comment, I was like, okay, so I'm late. I need to go find some bison. Because that'd be a nice addition to the protein round.

[Dustin Ross]

You let me know what you think.

[Fran]

Well, Asante, you said you had it. What'd you think? Is it good?

[Asante]

I used to literally work in a restaurant that served bison.

[Dustin Ross]

It was a bison on the side, wasn't it?

[Asante]

Literally, like, it was bison burger, bison steak.

[Fran]

They was using specialty.

[Asante]

Yeah, it was literally bison meatloaf. It was like bison meat and the nachos.

[Fran]

So tell us it was good. Your thoughts.

[Asante]

It literally, like, I didn't taste a difference. Like, you know how there's, like, a very specific. Now there is a taste difference at the time, because they say, oh, it's a little bit more gamey.

[Dustin Ross]

That's what I was afraid of. I wanted to taste a lot still.

[Asante]

But it's not like it wasn't a super huge gamey difference to me. Like, you know how. Like, you know how you can tell something is, like, really not it. Yeah, it did not give me deer, because I know I've had deer. And I was like, okay, this burger tastes good. Like. Cause they seasoned. I guess they season it, right. But if it was because, you know, they have. They have a B and all that at Bear Burger. I remember having a bison burger at Bear Burger and remember being like, oh, okay, now I see why people be wondering, like, all right, now, how is this going to taste when I be at work? Because this. I can tell the difference here.

[Dustin Ross]

In a us or a bad way, too.

[Asante]

In a bad way. When I had it at Bear Burger, I wasn't trying to do that. I wasn't trying to do that.

[Fran]

Where to buy bison?

[Dustin Ross]

You looking?

[Asante]

Oh, you should be able to find it easier out there.

[Dustin Ross]

I feel like they just walking around in Oregon.

[Asante]

Girl, I know you got some artillery.

[Dustin Ross]

Come right on the way.

[Fran]

That's so funny.

[Asante]

No, but, yeah, I enjoy it. I enjoyed The. I enjoyed the bison steak. I enjoyed the bison burger. I enjoyed the bison meatloaf. I was like, this is actually, like. I remember being, like, pleasantly surprised every time I had. I was like, I just didn't know. I felt late. I felt late to the party. Then I was like, I just didn't

[Dustin Ross]

know I could do the burger. But something about just a hunk of a bunch of meat thrown together, like the bison meatloaf, throwing it in. It's like I'm taking a bite out of the top of the leg as it's on the. It's just icing me aura, you know what I'm saying? Like, I don't. I can't.

[Fran]

It sounds dense. Very.

[Dustin Ross]

Just very.

[Fran]

The sound of it. I'm gonna try it, though. I just looked. There's a market actually a couple blocks from me that sells it. So I'm gonna check it out, and I'll let you. I'll.

[Asante]

I ain't gonna lie to you. I was very hesitant.

[Fran]

Oh, I needed to study.

[Asante]

I was very hesitant to have that meatloaf. I don't know what it was at the time. I was like, I just don't do meatloaf. I just don't feel like a meatloaf. But that first time I had that bison meatloaf, I was like, I might need to take this home sometime.

[Fran]

Oh, yeah. I'm gonna figure this out. I'm gonna hit Jade. I wonder if she has a recipe for bison. If any of you eat bison and have figured out how to make it taste good, let us know.

[Dustin Ross]

Jade can spatchcock a bison with one hand. You know, she's a great.

[Fran]

Then my last comment comes from the gated community. Sasha said you can get additional details on the uncle. Nearest case on. I'm not a lawyer, but that's an account on YouTube. And she said she does a great job of breaking the case down and getting the details as well as, I'm assuming, any other cases that we're interested in.

[Dustin Ross]

So, I mean, I'm friends with Ebony K. Williams, honey. So I'm, you know, if I need a tap in.

[Fran]

But for people that aren't friends with.

[Dustin Ross]

You're right. And that was an intrusive thought that just came out. So you're actually right. Go to the page. Go to the page.

[Fran]

Y' all want more information? I thought that was cool. I'm also gonna look into that YouTube, because I've never heard of it, but do you guys have any announcements or anything you love the listeners to know before we Jump in, Dustin Ross. I'm sorry. What did you find in the twitch?

[Asante]

See what I mean? They just don't say. They don't say that. Don't even say it's y'.

[Dustin Ross]

All.

[Asante]

It was hurt. She always does that trend. I can't jump in and be like, all right, Dustin, how about you? I don't run this.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm tired. I'm being erased of the erasure. It's not gonna happen.

[Asante]

First of all, it was Women's International Day, okay? You're not gonna think she could just

[Dustin Ross]

do what she want to do.

[Fran]

She fixed it. What'd you find in those streets, Dustin Ross.

[Dustin Ross]

Shout out to the Twitter user.

[Fran]

We love you, Dustin Ross.

[Asante]

We love you, Dustin Ross. You gonna have a great show next week. We love you.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you. That's right. Thank you, Tay. We one week out. Go to Dustin Ross. We'll have brunch shows next week. One week out.

[Fran]

Link in bio.

[Dustin Ross]

And that's for my comedy show for the people that don't have the context. So I'm sorry. I'm doing comedy at City Winery in New York on March 17th next week. Come on out. Get a ticket. It's a few tickets left to the 9:30 show. 7:00 clock is sold out. Thank you, God. Now we're gonna give a shout out to the Twitter user kbird2kbyrd. The number two underscore R B radar had initially posted a clip of Spectacular from Pretty Ricky dancing at one of their stops on the millennium tour. And they said Spectacular from Pretty Ricky dancing like the Rennes do during the millennium tour. Right, right. He's doing, like, full out. Well, Pretty Ricky's version of full out Pretty Ricky choreography, that's what he's doing right now. So K. Bird quoted that tweet and said his net worth is $120 million from a company that he founded. His waistline, okay, his waistline is the same as it was 20 years ago. And he hitting that. This nigga is truly spectacular. And he is all the facts. You know what I'm saying? And so why people be. Cause I think a lot of times. Yes, Black excellence. A lot of times people be trying to be funny and snarky and everybody want to make, like, the comment, you know what I'm saying? But let's really zoom out and see what's going on here. So shout out to K. Bird for checking them. I like that. And that's all I heard this week, period.

[Fran]

And let us know if you have any announcements. Anybody, anything else. Also, Dustin Ross's live show link or City Winery link will be in the description box as it is every week. So there's no excuse and I thank you.

[Dustin Ross]

And also one major note that I forgot to say. We added the meet and greet to the website. So the meet and greet ticket option is available as an add on for both the 7 o' clock and the 9:30 show. So if you want to do the meet and greet thing, please go to Dustin Ross Live. You can handle all your business right there. City Winery was supposed to have emailed everybody that bought tickets. It's alerting them to that. But I would be remiss if I didn't let y' all know. So holla at me and greet me.

[Asante]

Hey,

[Fran]

no you didn't. Let's jump into this week's episode

[Dustin Ross]

us. Here at the Friend Zone, we only talk about things that we actually support and we actually believe in, right? And in this case, things that have actually helped us I'm a Rocket Money user. Rocket Money has helped me to really structure and streamline things in my life and get things to a point where that makes sense for me and they're clear. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so that you can grow your savings. And I had some really ridiculous subscriptions that I forgot. I even had stuff that I. Well, you know, I was just in deep thought at the time and would go ahead and subscribe to things that I didn't even need or didn't want. So Rocket Money really helped me identify those ridiculous subscriptions and get them out of the way. It has actually tracked all of the subscriptions that I currently am in relationship with and it actually also has the ability to cancel within the app for a few taps, which saves me time and avoids me all those unnecessary charges that we all hate. You can set budgets and goals and get personalized insights, regular reports which really help you see things clearly. And you can receive real time alerts for large transactions, upcoming bills, refunds, and low balances. These are all things that deserve our attention and Rocket Money brings them directly to us. The app consolidates checking, savings, loans and investments into one single dashboard that gives us users a very clear view of our financial picture. And that is literally what you have to look at sometimes. You have to see things laid out and in order so that you understand what's going on in your pockets. Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. You can [e-mail] zone that's rocketmoney.com zone rocketmoney.com z o n Eczema is unpredictable,

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

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[Fran]

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[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

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[Fran]

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[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

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[Fran]

this week's oh I love y'. All. This week's episode is an Asante production. We're going in. Co I'm already bracing myself. What are we talking about this week? Ahsante

[Asante]

well don't worry, we are not having a heavy week. Still trying to catch myself the ground. Yes, there's a lot going on in the world so I just felt like I did not want to do a heavy episode. There's war in the world, people are stressing and I can't even really tell you what's going on with the news cycle because of all the conflicting information. And every time I even open up my phone, it just feels like there's something else happening that I'm supposed to be processing emotionally. So it's just, like, too much happening. I also think that moments like this can make people think about time a little bit differently, especially other people that might be going through some sort of transitional phase. Whether it's a birthday or a marriage or. Or anything else.

[Dustin Ross]

A divorce.

[Asante]

A divorce. Okay. When the world feels uncertain, you start asking yourself questions like, what am I actually doing with my time? Who am I spending it with? What actually matters? And I've been thinking a lot about time lately because I told y' all my birthday coming up.

[Fran]

I saw that on my calendar.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, thank you.

[Asante]

Thank you. Wednesday.

[Dustin Ross]

Next Wednesday? It ain't next Wednesday.

[Asante]

Nope.

[Fran]

Isn't it like, a Sunday?

[Dustin Ross]

I thought it was the 18th.

[Fran]

It looked like it was at the top of the week on my calendar.

[Dustin Ross]

Your birthday ain't March 18th?

[Fran]

Nope.

[Dustin Ross]

My bad. That's somebody else's birthday. I thought you shared a birthday with somebody else that I know. I don't know why I thought it was March 18th.

[Fran]

Oh, does it fall on a Monday?

[Asante]

Yep. No. Sunday. You had it right the first time for you.

[Fran]

I had it right. Okay. Sunday. I knew it was Sunday or Monday because it was at the top.

[Asante]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

Whose birthday is. Do you know whose birthday's on the 15th?

[Dustin Ross]

I know somebody's birthday on the 18th.

[Fran]

Someone we know or someone y' all know?

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. On the 15th. I mean, on the 18th.

[Asante]

Well, birthdays just have a funny way of making you reflect. And each year you look up and you think, even if it's not a birthday year or during a birthday, just every year I feel like you look up and you think, didn't we just do this? How is it already time again?

[Dustin Ross]

Like, tax time.

[Asante]

Okay. And it also got me thinking about something I'm sure a lot of people that are listening have felt. What does time, or rather, why does time feel like it's moving faster as we get older?

[Dustin Ross]

Because we pay bills, and then because they come back around again, so it'd be like, damn, I just paid that. That's what I would say.

[Asante]

That's real. I mean, honestly, that's a really real take. Because when we were kids, I feel like time moved extra. Like, not even slow. I feel like sometimes they move fast, but I feel like it was slow a lot of the time or extra slow. And I think that's just because you're still like, making connections and learning, but it just felt like summer vacation was, like, forever. Like, I remember school feeling like it was long, but you knew you had, like, a long vacation, like a long summer to look up to or like, look forward to, rather. And it felt new.

[Dustin Ross]

It felt going back to school, the new school year felt like you was a whole new fucking person, you know what I'm saying? After the summer, you come back, I'm off of that. It's a whole new summer, a whole new year, you know?

[Asante]

Yeah, it felt like those new school years were like the new year actually. Like. Like those were like. I feel like our new Year's initially because, like you said, you felt new.

[Fran]

Yeah, for sure. Our markers of a new year, new eras, Christmas break personalities.

[Dustin Ross]

Christmas break felt like that, too. That little. The end of the year break between

[Asante]

Christmas and going back to the good long pause.

[Dustin Ross]

That felt that way too. Like you come back as a new person. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

You know what it was? Because it's like when you. When you started the school year, it just felt like you were doing so much and everything was happening, and it was like. Because, you know, you were on that routine of, like, getting up extra early every day and, like, going to school and being like, you know, tired by it in a certain time and just like doing that five times a week, you know, and forget about it if your parents were actually doing stuff on the weekends with you, you know what I'm saying? So then when you got that, like, winter break break, first of all, if you knew it was Christmas, like, you. You. As you were getting closer to it, it became. It felt like it took longer to get. It was. It was the wildest thing a school year. Just. I just. I feel like the school year just felt like so long. So I just could not get out of how long the summer breaks would feel like, but how you just didn't want them to end as soon as, like, it felt like they were ending real quick. When it was time for them to end, I was like, damn, why is this happening to me?

[Dustin Ross]

But now, especially if you've met a girl. That was back when I thought I was straight. So, like, meeting a girl over the

[Fran]

summer infatuations, that was the most fun part. Especially when you, like, a little older, like, preteen, or you have that boy and y' all just keep staring at each other.

[Dustin Ross]

So much fun. That's what I'll be doing now.

[Fran]

Yeah, true.

[Asante]

You better do it now while you have the time, because I Feel like now when you blink, you look. Look up, suddenly it's October. Mariah Carey, her ass is coming around the mountain. I just feel like the same three holidays come back around. I mean, a lot of holidays come up every year, but I feel like there are those, like, main holidays, whether they birthdays, holidays, you know, family dates, breakups. Like, I feel like we all have, like, these certain markers that come up for us, like, every year.

[Dustin Ross]

And you know what else? I'm sick of the holiday bias. Right?

[Asante]

We should.

[Dustin Ross]

If it's a holiday, everybody should be the fuck off off, period. Stop prioritizing certain holidays. Why is Christmas better than Flag Day? You know, I think we need. We need every damn day. That's right. We need it all for mental health. We need to have every holiday off.

[Fran]

I'm running on that Flag Day is crazy.

[Asante]

Or you know what? Or if you had. You know how you have, like, personal time off. Like, if there was, like, holiday time off. Like, all right, there are certain holidays that you actually get off, and then you get, like, an optional, like, two or three to celebrate whichever other holidays

[Dustin Ross]

you choose, your religion, whatever. You know what I'm saying? Like, I think you should get some holiday passes for days. That.

[Asante]

That would be kind of cool to you.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what I'm saying? Yes, absolutely.

[Asante]

It's like, I don't celebrate, but, you know, that's your holiday time off players. So, you know, respect. Like, excuse me, my voice. I start thinking about my voice and how I can't get this flim out of it. The weather keeps changing, but I'm not turning my AC off. I got space heaters on.

[Fran]

I'm doing too much.

[Dustin Ross]

Drink some ac. You know, with the mother.

[Asante]

I do like the acv, okay? I have been ran up on my lemon ginger tea. That's what's been doing it for me right now. I got me that little hot water kettle warmer thing. Get older. It's so interesting.

[Dustin Ross]

Jay got a kettle. I told her she was making coffee

[Asante]

the other day, I got a kettle, but I'm scared.

[Dustin Ross]

I said, jay, everything don't have to be manual. You know what I'm saying? Like, you, like, you don't have to get the hard way to do everything. I gotta get. I gotta put that kettle on. I gotta. I'm like, jay, Jade, you don't even, like, just make call. Get a French press. Like, why. Why are you using a kettle and waiting for it to make noise? And I'm like, jade, you really want to be a pioneer so bad. Yeah, but, Jade, does everything like that. I told you she made them candles that. Well, I don't want to tell too much artist, but go ahead.

[Fran]

I was like, jade, I have one and it has a really soothing tone. I made sure to get one that when it goes off. Yeah, it has a low tone.

[Dustin Ross]

Just like I'm ready.

[Asante]

Not you got to drop it like it's hot.

[Fran]

W. I remember Cecily was over one

[Dustin Ross]

day and I was making her tea

[Fran]

and when it went off she was like, you would have. How you get an easeful grounded easeful kettle because it'd be too loud.

[Asante]

You know what I mean?

[Fran]

You gotta be mindful of the sounds in your house.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't even know they came in different decibel levels.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't even know know.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, we better not say that because you know, they said sound baths and all that stuff is the demons, so we better hear.

[Fran]

Since I've been on the Internet, okay.

[Dustin Ross]

They've been denouncing yoga people in the

[Fran]

comments like, I'm disappointed in you.

[Dustin Ross]

I was rolling the other day, they said this lady was going off on. On Tik Tok about how therapy was

[Asante]

demonic and she said therapy, therapy.

[Dustin Ross]

She was going off about therapy and the del.

[Fran]

They're raising the stakes out here.

[Dustin Ross]

Mountain the Deltas and that.

[Asante]

That.

[Fran]

I'm sorry, I've seen. I've seen whole YouTube videos about that.

[Dustin Ross]

No disrespect to nobody, but denouncing something is hilarious to me. It just be so funny cuz they. They be so sure. You know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

I remember when I did the Sarah Jakes shout out to Sarah Jake Jake's

[Dustin Ross]

I will go to her thing, but

[Fran]

it's only for video.

[Asante]

I want to go.

[Fran]

Someone in. Someone in the comments was like, I can't believe you'd have. Hey, friend. Hey on. I see a sound bowl in the back. I was like, oh, what now? She pop. She peaked my sound.

[Dustin Ross]

I guess you can't love the Lord, friend. Or just want to be part of a feel good moment. You know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

I died. I was like, dang, I want to

[Dustin Ross]

go to that thing. But it's called women evolve off.

[Fran]

But it be love to have it. Have you seen it with Kia? And I want to go with them.

[Dustin Ross]

They having their outfits on and I want to go. I feel like I. We'd be looking at each other like, you know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

You are so crazy,

[Asante]

Sarah.

[Dustin Ross]

Call me. I won't call me.

[Asante]

Oh well, psychologists, they say that our brains Measure time based on how many new memories that we're creating. When we're kids, everything is new. There's new experiences, new places, new people, new skills. Your brain is recording all of that. So that's why those years feel so full and expansive. And that's why we experience. Right? Ain't that crazy? But when we become adults, life becomes routine.

[Dustin Ross]

That's why we like to check, eat.

[Fran]

You know what?

[Asante]

Even though we have those routines as children, now that we're adults, we have. We've grown into those routines, and we build those new routines. So sometimes we start to experience those depending on, you know, your career paths, because everybody's a little bit different. But if you experience those same commutes, that same schedule, same responsibilities, and when the brain isn't storing as many new experiences, that's when time starts to compress. That's when the days begin to blur together, weeks blur together, and suddenly an entire year feels like it flew by.

[Dustin Ross]

That's why Kim Kardashian said what she said, no, you didn't put your fucking ass up in work.

[Fran]

This makes sense, though, because even when I'm someone that enjoy. Well, I should say now, like, that I'm older, I enjoy structure a lot. I think it helps me with my mental health. I've mentioned that before on the show. Whenever I feel my Myself slipping emotionally or mentally, the first thing I do is clean up my. The structure of my day. And that usually gets me back on track. But even structure, after a while starts feeling crazy. Like when I'm, like, waking up at the same time, going to sleep at the same time, having meal, structure, everything. You start getting, like, cabin fever, I guess the closest thing I could think of. And even that I have to kind of pivot at some point. Like, just go to a city, you know, random city weekend. The throw in of something that will kind of. My mom calls it pollution. She always says, you need a little pollution in your week, man.

[Dustin Ross]

I've been looking for something to describe what I need. I need a little piece of pollution. Thank you.

[Fran]

She'll be like, you need a little pollution. Like, just have something that just that you can work on and fix later. You know, just let it throw you off for a little bit. It's just good for the system. And I love that she would say that. Yeah, because it's true. Even being too structured can be harmful, too. So I love this concept of change and new memories being important to slowing down time.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

It's crazy because it's my love language. Actually,

[Asante]

there's this theory. There's this theory that when you're 10 years old, that one year of your life represents 10% of everything that you've ever experienced. You know, you're so young.

[Fran]

Wow. Because of how much happened.

[Asante]

When you're. Because you're only 10 years old, it's like. It's just that. That one year, it's like, again, just a small percentage, but still a percentage of everything that you've ever experienced. Like. Like that. I think that that's big, but it's small if you think about how long you can live for, right? And I feel like people, we kind of look at time so differently. It's kind of hard for us to, like, even individually measure what that means. So when I see these, like, psychology and philosophy think that they're all interesting, but they're also confusing. And it kind of takes me back to the conversations we were having when we were reading the Measure with you friend. Just because I feel like in that book, characters, they kind of started to discount over again.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to wrap a string around her neck

[Asante]

to measure. People saw a short string and automatically thought like, oh, my life is over. But then the questions became. They were panicking. But then, you know, it started. People started to do, like, the random things, right? They were either being like, all right, well, let me hurry up and travel the world before I die, or they just started to be like, well, I guess, fuck it, since I'm going to die, let me. You know, I guess society was going to assume they were going to commit crimes or, you know, do whatever bullshit that they didn't put in the book. Because I. As we were reading the book, I was just thinking about how judgmental they became when they started judging people by short, straight strings like that. Breaking up with her man, talking about, he got a short string, he gonna die. So I can't just. I got to get up out of here. So the government looking at people as liabilities, it's just. But this is kind of. That was a book of people. Imagine you measuring it within yourself. You know, key.

[Dustin Ross]

I have a number. I have a number. I have a number I want to make it to.

[Asante]

And that's not funny.

[Dustin Ross]

I know it's more than sorry. And I know it's so more. I have a number for real. I'm like, okay, if I make it to that, then I'm all right with whatever happened next year. You know what I'm saying? But I do want to. I want to make a hundred. I do.

[Fran]

You want to be 100 years old.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to be a hundred.

[Fran]

Exhausting.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to make a hundred.

[Asante]

Do you see even the way that

[Dustin Ross]

you both went different, all kind of things, you know what I'm saying? I want to make.

[Fran]

Let me not even say that because even us in our 40s now, we seem so different from the 40s of yesteryear. Like they are even visually. Like it's just such a different energy. And so I could imagine there's going to be a time where one year old, a 90 year old, a 90 year old,. They're like young and fresh and it's just like a totally different vibe.

[Dustin Ross]

Still doing IVF and shit, you know what I'm saying?

[Fran]

No, you didn't. Oh my God. I was watching a thing on the BBC, they have like a podcast on YouTube and they had a study on women having children much later now. And they were saying there's women in their 50s, 60s, 60s, 70s. I was like, wait, what?

[Dustin Ross]

No, I ain't heard of no 60s and 70s.

[Fran]

50s, yeah. 50s, yeah. But yeah, they were showing that. It's like on some whole different. They didn't show them breastfeeding, but they said the women are having children. And that blew my mind. That blew my mind. So things are changing.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what too? Breastfeeding, a suckling baby. I don't know, you know what I'm saying? All that Hennessy and you didn't drink. You might not have did nothing last year, but you know what I'm saying, you've been. And by that time with Gerardon and all the things that, you know what I'm saying, we gotta cross reference some, some things and see some effects. You know all that Icy Hot has that rubbed down into, through your skin, into your body, blood, you know, we got questions. Questions at 70. Wow. But do, do your thing. I'm just saying, you know, like, I

[Fran]

thought it was fascinating.

[Dustin Ross]

Me too.

[Fran]

Times are changing for sure.

[Dustin Ross]

I thought Janet Jackson was so chic for having a baby at 50. To me that was just chic. Like I'm away and now I'll do it. I was like, damn, that's actually like dope as fuck that she did that.

[Fran]

I don't know, shout out to her for being able to.

[Dustin Ross]

Exactly.

[Fran]

It's a blessing.

[Dustin Ross]

Exactly. Real talk. Well, Asante,

[Asante]

it was actually good that we a beat because I was still kind of chuckling in my, in my tummy. So the original part of the theory, right, was when you're 10 years old, one year of your life represents 10% of everything. You've experienced like because it just feels like oh, you know, you got like a whole lot left to do. There's like a lot of loading there. Right. But when you're 40. So friend back to like you kind of switching up your answer or like that understanding of. Right. But when you're 40, only one, like one year is only two and a half percent of your life. So every year becomes a smaller piece of your overall strength story. So that kind of makes it feel shorter in the long run.

[Dustin Ross]

I need, I need the little heat

[Asante]

symbol for my under my head.

[Dustin Ross]

Cuz friend, I think we was thinking the same thing. When you started rattling them numbers off,

[Asante]

I was like damn, you had took it. Look, you had took it dark there saying that you had a. A number. So I told to share that theory with you.

[Dustin Ross]

Number.

[Asante]

All of these things, they're basically bookmarks in the story of our lives. They help us mark the passage of time so that life doesn't just blur together into all of the work that we're doing, the errands and the emails, especially with the war going outside. So that's why I thought today would be just fun to talk about time. So that's why I don't mind all of these in between things happening. Like this is part of, you know, the things that we need to experience as a family and these discussions that we need to have because there's another thing happening out there where people are feeling lonely during these times. So that's why I feel like these conversations are.

[Dustin Ross]

Are important and end up talking to Blair.

[Asante]

Oh my

[Fran]

friends,

[Dustin Ross]

don't you get no Blair?

[Asante]

Why it feels like it's why it feels like time speeds up at what moments in our lives we what moments in our lives where we feel like time slowed down and what we can actually do to make it feel a little fuller instead of feeling like the years are just flying past us.

[Fran]

You know what?

[Dustin Ross]

Slow it right on down. Okay? They even got a song about it you ain't never heard.

[Asante]

Slow down. You ain't never heard Bobby Valentino? No. Smart.

[Dustin Ross]

That's that.

[Asante]

We've already gotten into this conversation, but I still have a few questions for you nonetheless so we can continue this ridiculous rant. I just feel like it's important for us to laugh and just reflect right now. And I just feel like there are a lot of tiktoks being really serious and I just feel like there are a lot of. There's a lot of AI and misinformation happening out there. I am not here to Inform today on anything. So if you need that, I understand that you need that. I cannot give it to you in this moment. There's just. There's just been between traveling and dealing with all of that and seeing how people are being crazy and seeing how lies are being told. I just don't want to deal with any of that because I know.

[Dustin Ross]

Did you see that?

[Asante]

I did see that. Crazy. I even. We can talk about that a little bit during the Music man segment, actually. But let's just go here. Can you think of a year or a specific set of years where you just felt like your life was the longest or even, like, moments in years?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes. Right before I moved to New York, I had fucking had it. I was working for the United Auto Works.

[Asante]

We were in the Coast.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm not even trying to be funny. Fran just made me laugh. I had fucking had it. I was up to here. We were building labor unions for different groups of people. One of them we built one for was the people who do childcare and get a stipend from the government for it. We built a labor union for them so that they could get healthcare, and we negotiated a bunch of stuff for them. But during that process, we had to go, literally door to door already was triggered because of the way I had grew up. And, you know, so knocking door to door was triggering for me. But I was good at it because of the way I grew up. So I was going up to them doors, handling it, signing motherfuckers up, telling them, you know, what I had to offer them. But we were in very rural parts of Michigan where the houses were miles apart, and we were around people that live in areas like that. And they don't be seeing people that look like. Nor did my coworkers look like me. So people that had to kind of like, listen to what I had to say resented me for that. I was young, you know what I'm saying? And then we going up there getting caught n words and people slamming doors in our face. I always would say something back. Cause I ain't care. I feel like if it was anything to get fired for, it's cussing somebody out for calling me a. How you can bleep that out? But you know what I'm saying? You know, so that was. But that was a lot to deal with, you know what I'm saying? Every single goddamn. And I just had. Had it. And I wanted to get the fuck out of Michigan and be an actor. And so I moved to New York and rolled the dice. And now I'M sitting here with y'.

[Asante]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, those were days. Those were some long days. Those were times, many mighty bad.

[Asante]

Yeah, those were some times.

[Fran]

That's real.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. So I wrote yes, to answer your question, those days specifically.

[Asante]

What about you, friend? You do. Can you think of, like, times, like, periods of time where you just felt like they were just long, just dredging along and you couldn't understand why I

[Fran]

was sitting here trying to think. I think the only time I can think of was some parts of my teens. When you start. Well, I'll speak for myself. When I started seeing how things that had happened to me when I was much younger had affected me and how I was, like, moving through the world and how I was feeling. And, you know, you. You felt so consumed by things that had happened that I felt robbed in a way of, like, my humanity. And I think I remember just being in this sort of Groundhog Day of, like, this feeling the same thing over, you know, like, no matter what was happening, I couldn't access those experiences, if that makes sense. Which is what kind of sucks about trauma when you are in such heavy grief about certain things that you could be. Be in a different country, you could be meeting new people, and they all feel very fleeting, like nothing ever seems to stick. You know what I mean?

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Fran]

Because you just are so consumed by this. These things that have happened to you. So I know that that was a big chunk of my teen years where I just didn't feel good. And I think when you don't feel good, everything feels so slow and muddy, and your life feels like malas fastest, you know? And I think when people saw that, I. I think in my 20s, I became so wellness centered. It's like I had to. There was no option for me because I just felt so terrible. And I had to pivot in these ways that have turned me into who I am. And, you know, what I created as, like, a digital footprint, and that woke me up and, like, helped me kind of blossom as a human being. But, yeah, I think there's a huge chunk of my teen years. You. Do you ever remember, I don't know if y' all have experienced this, where you can remember just laying in bed, like, stay. Like, I remember there were days I was just laying in bed staring at the wall, just thinking, like, this cannot be it. Like, this can't be it. This can't be all there is. This cannot be what I came down here for. And the configuration that I was put into, it just felt so awesome, awful. And I know there Are a lot of people that feel that way now, you know, and, and with whatever their lives are and experience. I know a lot of us can connect on that. Just a matter of when in your life you felt that way. But I can physically, mentally remember sitting in the. Laying in the bed, just staring at the wall, just wondering how the hell can I make things different, you know, and so that I can remember that, that muddiness. For sure. Sure, friend.

[Asante]

You talked about such a real, real moment that I feel like all of us have experienced maybe on multiple occasions or maybe will experience or know that we're going to experience, or some of us don't know that feeling yet, or maybe have experienced it and blacked it out. But I think you touched on something really important because that's kind of what I was thinking about as far as time is concerned too. Right. Like when you're going through things that are stressful and annoying, like Dustin, you being excited to leave that place. You know what I'm saying? Like, I remember working in jobs. I remember working in jobs and dealing with disrespect, whether it was racial disrespect or just petty disrespect or just co workers disrespect. I remember just having all of these thoughts of there was a pressure building, when am I gonna get out of here? And sometimes that pressure, I had to figure out the dance to make the time go faster or it just felt like there was nothing I could do. I didn't know how to move and it was just going slow.

[Dustin Ross]

And then that heifer and the pink, pink coat.

[Asante]

No Dustin. You always go back to her. I hope she's doing well. I almost want to say her name every time you bring her up, but I just, I hope I don't. I feel like when you're going through something, you know, maybe not even as far as, like, bad, but when you're going through something that makes you feel not as good as you normally are, you kind of start to feel things slow down for sure. And I feel like you have to keep in mind that you maybe have been through something, you know, not as good before, and you've been through that. And I feel like when you focus, not only focus on those good, but when you just know that you're going to find your way back to good or better or best, then you just know that whatever you're going through in that moment is not it. But to your point, friend, like when you were like just looking up, staring, like, this can't be it in Those moments, everything always feels so heavy. And I hate that time slows down in those moments. But that's when I feel. Feel like. Like if I had to think about time traveling as a real concept, I always think, like, bad things make time slow down, so I have to be

[Fran]

good to, like, speed it up, right? I agree. Because there's an exhaustion, I think, when I think of the energy signature of that time is just an exhaustion of humanness. You're just like, whoa, my ass is whooped right now. And I don't know I How to process this. And I think it does slow down time, because then when you're in a good space, everything's so fast, right?

[Asante]

Everything's happening so fast. It's like, go, go, go. And then you look up, you're like, damn, it's over already.

[Dustin Ross]

That's why whenever you have the feeling. It's one thing I don't have no regrets about in life is cussing people out when they deserve it. And so. So the days go by so fast, Shaw. You really have got to take advantage of that because you don't want to look back and think, damn, I really let that slide. You know what I'm saying? So you want to go ahead and take advantage of those opportunities to dot your I's and cross your motherfucking T's on any motherfucker walking that puts it on your time like that. That's my. I implore you actually to do that moving forward, because time goes by too fast. It does. It really does.

[Asante]

It really does. One thing that I'm noticing about time is that it's going by faster for me, because we've already talked about that, like, that brain science and how time is measured. But when you're a child, the reason that you get so much at once is because you're still learning new things. And so this is why I feel like time is important. Like, if we're talking about how to, like, make time go fast or slow, if you. To experience a good, slow time. This is so random. I think that learning is very, very important. And I think that when you want to think about how to use your time wisely, this is why we use this podcast to connect with our community. This is why we kind of built. We've built out so far, like our Patreon reading, our. Our. Our book show, which I like to call it Now, Our book, showed the situation. Yes.

[Fran]

Hold it up, Dustin.

[Dustin Ross]

Hold it up and hold it down for all three of us. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Yeah. Go See Dustin Ross live, New York City next week. I also think about just how, because we are using our space to kind of help everyone with their time to a degree, whether it's recommending good things to do, that's a good use of time. And so good things to do could just be helping yourself or helping yourself, you know, learning a new skill. One thing that I've decided that I want to do with my time, time now is drive. Really.

[Fran]

Tell us more.

[Asante]

Well, I told you guys that my birthday is coming up and it had me thinking a lot about time. Because of time, any identifications that you get, they are set to expire at a certain time. So I had to get my passport renewed and I had to get, I had to finally get a new id. And because I had to get a new id, I decided to go ahead and get driver's license. License.

[Dustin Ross]

I saw you. Amber posted you. I saw that.

[Asante]

Yes. Yes. Shout out to Amber. First of all, everybody give it up to Amber, y'.

[Fran]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

Love you, Amber.

[Asante]

Hey Amber, we're going to just take a moment to remove ourselves from time so we can spend some time talking about what happened here, right?

[Fran]

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[Asante]

Your little one grew three inches overnight.

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[Asante]

Also expensive.

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[Asante]

and list them in minutes with no selling fees because somewhere a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow and he's

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ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now.

[Asante]

Consider your future growth Bird budget secured. Start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. Last week first of all, North Carolina DMV has been very very terrible as far as trying to get an appointment for the past like year or so. Whenever you want to the website appointment appointments you have to get, they're like available 90 days out, but whenever you go on the website to look at them, there are never any appointments available within those 90 day windows. So it's like you're just going to look at a grayed out thing every time, every now and then. You might be able to get a day or two in the next month. But even those locations that are available are none of the ones that are close.

[Fran]

So that's so crazy that's stressful.

[Dustin Ross]

All these people that need jobs out here and then they need help and they not hiring people.

[Asante]

You know what?

[Dustin Ross]

We're about to do the whole story.

[Asante]

Yeah, I'm about to give you the whole story because this really pissed me off.

[Dustin Ross]

So I wasn't able to. Andrew's related to Fantasia. I would have been like, well, I'm Fantasia cousin. Can I go to the front?

[Asante]

You know, maybe it would have helped. I don't know.

[Dustin Ross]

Try it.

[Asante]

All I know is I wasn't going to. Well, I attempted to do the walk in appointment one time. I saw that line and I said, I can't do it. I got. I still got other stuff to do. Like, this is not the right. I didn't pick the right day to try to play that game because everybody knows that the DMV is not just a. Well, it's not usually a one hour to two hour experience unless you played your cards right. And this day I absolutely did not play my cards right. So I'm not even going to fault the DMV for this. Like, I was like, all right, I already knew I didn't do this right. So with all that said, there was a website that I found. I don't want to recommend the website because I don't have it on hand. Also, they're not necessarily affiliate with the North Carolina dmv, so I don't have to highlight y', all, but if y' all do y' all Googles, you may be able to find a website that will help you find an appointment. So I found this website. Basically at the end of every day, people let go of appointments or the DMV releases more appointments, etc. Etc. And this website will help you find appointments at whichever DMV is closest to you or interesting. It'll just help you find appointments at the DMV and that you're able to use the filters to. To kind of get to where you need to go. I was able to find an appointment for a new ID card, but I also realized that this location just had appointments all day that opened up and I was able to get my driver's license instead. I did not study for this driver's license. I just knew I needed to get it. And I knew that I did not want to come back to the DMV unless it was to get my tag and title. With that said, I scheduled my appointment. I was making sure I had all of my documents. Documents. I did not have insurance. So I had to literally call around and get insurance as a As a new driver, if you're getting a new driver's license, even if you don't do not have a car, you still have to have proof of insurance, whether it is non owner liability insurance or whatever else. I had to call around the night before, literally get non owner liability insurance and buy a plan thing. This is not a new thing, but this is a thing that's only really, I mean it's not only really enforced, but this is a thing that's enforced on a state to state, state to state basis, I guess. And North Carolina is one of those states.

[Fran]

Wow.

[Asante]

I was, and I was happy that I did everything that Google told me to do because when I went in there, the man was just pleased. He was like, you know how many people get this wrong? I was like, sir, I cannot come back up in here and see you. So as I called around the night before for this insurance. First of all, you need to call different places for insurance, even if it's up for something as small as this. Right? This, I only needed it to get this license. Most insurance places would only sell a six month package. I only needed, I only needed one day. I purchased a one month from a particular company. They're not endorsing. I'm not going to say their name. Also I'm not well with insurance, so I don't want to endorse no insurance yet.

[Dustin Ross]

That's okay.

[Asante]

I was able to purchase a one month plan with this particular company or insurance group. And when I went down. Oh, and last step, if you're going to get your license, you have to have your own vehicle. I forgot this very, very important step.

[Fran]

Wait. You have to have a car to have a license, but you can't buy it.

[Dustin Ross]

No, no, no, no.

[Asante]

To take the driver's license test, you

[Dustin Ross]

need the driving test.

[Fran]

Okay. Oh yeah, I thought you meant that. I was like

[Asante]

to, to get your, to get your, to take the driver test, you have to have.

[Fran]

Okay.

[Asante]

Provided your own vehicle. I just, I, it does make sense. I just totally forgot about it. So I, that's why I was like

[Fran]

have to do that. That's so weird, girl. You said state by state. So I guess it's different, right? I was like, was not like that at the time because I definitely pulled up, they had the cards, you took the test, got out the car. Because if you don't drive, you don't have a license. How are you driving a car up there?

[Asante]

It's a trap too because they tell you. Well, first of all, I had a special case anyway Because I was on a learner's permit. So if I would have pulled up to the driver test with, you know, somebody in the passenger, it's not a big deal. But for, you know, new drivers, if you pull up, well, not at this location, but at certain locations and, you know, again, state park, state case, anyway, if you were to pull up to take the driver's test, it's an automatic fail, allegedly, because you don't. You're not supposed to drive to the driver test. But for me. Right, right. So I took the test. Well, so shout out to Amber for providing her vehicle. She picked me up, you know, I filled the car up, we rode out there, took the test, took the written test. First of all, I. When I tell y', all, I bullshitted that written test. And I passed it. I had just passed it.

[Fran]

I was like, nice.

[Asante]

Look, I played. I played a dangerous game, y'.

[Fran]

All.

[Asante]

I played a dangerous game. It worked. The man at the window, I had everything that I needed to get my license. So then he was like, great, now you're going to take the driver test. Now I did a little bit of research on what I needed to do at this driver test. I knew, first of all, you never know what you're going to actually need and you never know who's looking for what. So you just want to be prepared for everything before, right?

[Dustin Ross]

So before they made me do a

[Fran]

three point turn, parallel park. I remember having some parallel park and

[Dustin Ross]

pedestrian crossings, all that kind of.

[Asante]

Let me let, let me tell you what my test consisted of, right? It was.

[Dustin Ross]

So first of all, why you start talking like that?

[Asante]

Because I wish I could shout my instructor out. My. Or my. I'll say they're not the instructor, the. What's the word?

[Dustin Ross]

The administrator, the. Administer the test. Administer the test.

[Asante]

Administer the test.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Asante]

The person at the DMV that was administering the test, right. They did not want to be at work, but they were also being very professional and very social. And I. No. And very social. And I very much appreciated everything that they had going on because I was able to play with it. And we had a really good time. My test, all it consisted of, you know, I had to leave the driver's license lesson's office, go around the corner. All this person made me do was a three point turn, a quick, a speed up and. And stop, real and break real quick, and then a backup in a straight line. And then we went right back and I got my id. That was literally what?

[Fran]

A three point turn, a speed up and stop and A backup in the line. That's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

I was on your side, bro.

[Fran]

You know, I'm telling you, this person

[Asante]

must have been like, this is a grown ass right here. I just. As long as they're not doing anything crazy. And they were like. They told me at the end of the test that they have had to. Well, I don't want to tell too much of our conversation. I don't want it to get back to nobody.

[Fran]

All I know is that I had

[Asante]

a great experience at this dmv, because this dmv, I had caught them because of that scheduling system. They had actually just reopened after having been closed for some time.

[Dustin Ross]

So it was very attitude together.

[Asante]

It was empty as I don't know what in that dmv. So it felt almost like I was a celebrity and they had closed down DMV just for me to take my test. I was feeling. Because everybody was kind of in my business a little bit. Like when I was taking my. I just had a good time at the db and I wasn't expecting that. So shout out to everybody at the DMV out in nc. I know that y' all do not want to be at work, but for those of y' all that go to work and do your damn job, I appreciate y'. All. That's. And that's how I spent my time. So that time actually went by really quick. The DMV time, everybody knows can be long and stressful. This just. It felt like a short time. I know it was a little bit longer than how I feel it happened. It felt like it was like a 10 to 15 minute. But I know we was up in there for like maybe an hour, maybe two. But it was so fun and so quick. And I never thought I'd be saying that about the dmv. This had nothing to do with what I'm saying.

[Dustin Ross]

I never heard anybody say that about your dmv.

[Asante]

You're the first. This is why. Look, that's how you know I'm not lying. Like, this is crazy. This don't ever happen. I was thoroughly prepared to go in there and have to do a lot of emotional labor. Like, you know how the DMV be, people like, next. The man was pleasant. All the women's was pleasant. You know, the. The customers, everybody. We was getting along because when I first walked in, the man. That didn' worked. That didn't even work. That was helping me. And I, you know, I was kind of feeling like, all right, sir. But then it was cool. So everybody was cool.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, you Thought it was some gay.

[Asante]

No, I thought it was like some. She was trying to, you know how people be like, oh, you know, look, you know when you're trying to get on the flight, they're like, do you have. What group are you in? It's like, do you work here? Like, what you talking to me for?

[Dustin Ross]

Hell no.

[Asante]

But it was actually. Yeah, but they were. But they were actually cool. That's why they had actually panned out to be something different. Still.

[Dustin Ross]

Don't be talking.

[Fran]

I remember when I, when I had to get the new license for driving, I out here and I went to the dmv and then we also had to get the real ID at the same time. Remember, like, we kept getting the flyers of the airport. So I was like, I might as well knock all that out. I thought the real ID was a separate id. Like, I thought it was a literal. Because that's how it looked. No one tells you it's just a star that's added to your license. And I remember when I left, I was like, oh, damn, they didn't give me my real id. And I remember being like, I'll just go back. Literally never went. Went back, forgot about it. And then I told you I went to the airport, forgot that they had to do it. And the dude was like, oh, you have a real ID to him? Like, what?

[Dustin Ross]

You're like, not on me.

[Asante]

I don't.

[Fran]

Yeah, paid for it. And I'm thinking they just forgot to give it to me. Whole time you been straight to go. Yeah, it's just that little ass star on the corner of your license.

[Asante]

They're like, you're real, honey.

[Fran]

Yeah, yeah. He was like, you're all set. I was like, oh, okay.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you, Ms. Scal.

[Fran]

Been having time.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Asante]

It's funny because when you're younger, it's like you're going to get like things for school, right? Whether it's new clothes or I was going to jump really crazy. I was going to go from new clothes to immunizations. No, when you're younger, like, I just feel like the stakes are a little bit different. Well, immunizations, right, but so when you're older, you still maybe get immunizations. If you're traveling or, you know, just because. But also, also, you know, things like this, they expire. You have to go to the dmv. Like when you were younger, you ain't have to go. You ain't have to do this type of thing. You know, your parents. Was your parents. God bless the parents, right? Your parents had your birth certificate. They had everything that you needed. Okay. And then when you got to a certain age, maybe you got, like, a student ID or something, but even then, you only showed it for, like, discounts. Now you have to renew documents. You have to do paperwork on your financials, and it's hell.

[Fran]

Taxes.

[Dustin Ross]

Hell.

[Fran]

Yes, that I hate.

[Dustin Ross]

Hell.

[Fran]

Thank God they're over.

[Dustin Ross]

Hell.

[Fran]

Date taxes that do this.

[Dustin Ross]

That's what I call that appointment. Hell date.

[Asante]

These. These experiences, they feel more routine, and maybe it's because we have more intimate relationships with them, but the brain stores. Oh, God. But when the brain stores fewer. Fewer new memories. That's when. That's when time starts to feel compromised. So that's when. When. It's when we're in these, like, routines, especially when they're longer. It's like. Because I feel like the longer it would. There was a period of time where it didn't matter to me about driving, but now that I have a license, it feels like time is about it. Now. It just feels like it's all I'm thinking about. It's all I'm thinking. Like, I just want. All I want to do is go get a car

[Dustin Ross]

up with me with this car. Talk to me about it. I know about cars, man. I want to help you out, man.

[Asante]

Okay. I'm gonna.

[Dustin Ross]

I want you to cut yourself short. Sell yourself short, you know.

[Fran]

You know what's funny? As a newer driver, I'm still learning things, like. And I Actually. It's funny you're bringing up cars because you're learning on the spot a lot of times, like, I'm just learning time. Yeah. Every time this past week. So it was an ambulance and police flying down. I could see them up the road really far. Obviously, you can't miss it. You see the lights? And what I didn't know is that even if you're not in the lane that they're in, you still have to pull to the side of that. Well, no, I didn't. Luckily, there were cars in front of me that showed it.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Fran]

And. But I didn't know, because in my mind, they're in the lane. Why do you. I have to move to the side if I'm not anywhere near the. Like, to me, that wouldn't have made sense, and I would never have done that on my own. I'm grateful that there were cars ahead of me. They all just slowly veered to the side. So, of course, I slowly veered to the side. And it made me laugh because I was like, oh, thank God. Yeah, they were there.

[Asante]

And it's good that you learned that then, because you will know. You will be in certain states where people will just kind of keep it moving or they will. They'll, like, slow down or stop over or they don't care. And it's like, well, what is going on?

[Fran]

Is that more of a courtesy thing or is that like.

[Asante]

No, that's the line.

[Dustin Ross]

That's the line.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Fran]

I didn't know. Okay, got you it.

[Dustin Ross]

Depending on where you are, too, or I feel the same way about taking my hat off when we pray. I didn't know shit, but I was thankful that some other brothers, you know, older brothers I could look up to took their hat off. I was like, oh, my bad.

[Fran]

Yeah. It's just that, to me, is the most interesting part part of driving, because there's certain things that at driver's ed, they're not going to teach you because it's just too much. It's too many details. They're not going to be able to go through every single thing that you're going to learn. And so I'm on the job. Damn near every time I'm on the road, there's something that I have to be observing.

[Dustin Ross]

Can y' all turn on red?

[Fran]

Happening.

[Dustin Ross]

Can y' all turn on red? Right on red.

[Fran]

Yeah. That's another thing that doesn't come natural to me. It feels like I'm doing something wrong.

[Asante]

Turn.

[Fran]

Yes. And then that's literally out. The cars behind me will start honking or, you know, if someone's in the car with me, they'll be like, you know, you can. You can go. And I'm like. It's like, I don't y. With an attitude.

[Dustin Ross]

I learned how to drive doing that in Michigan. You can turn right on red. So when I moved here and drove. Drove here for a minute, it was different for me to, like.

[Fran]

So that's. Is that a state by state thing?

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Fran]

But I don't like that.

[Asante]

I understand why in New York, it's no right on red because, you know, it's pedestrians everywhere. So, like, you will get stuck in the crosswalk and, like, mess something up. So it's like, all right.

[Fran]

So interesting. Oh, so much.

[Asante]

It is interesting.

[Fran]

It's kind of interesting sometimes.

[Asante]

But it's good, though, right? Because I feel like modern life, when adults, you're in those repetitive cycles of, like, work and all of that. Your brain, that's when it starts. It stops recording those novel experiences because you're just doing, like, the same old shit. So like how I've. Like, now that I've got my license and I'm ready to drive. And like you said, you're learning all the time while driving. Like, I feel like it's going to be a good, a positive time. I don't want it to speed up, but I feel like time is going to move a little bit quicker in a good way.

[Dustin Ross]

Not because, my friend, enjoy the

[Asante]

time.

[Dustin Ross]

You work hard as hell for your things.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

So when we talk about this car, that's why I need to advise you.

[Asante]

Oh, no, I know where you're going. I know.

[Dustin Ross]

I just need. You just need advising, you know what I'm saying? It's very rare that I play that age. I'm playing it. You know what I'm saying? So I just want to talk to you, man. For you do this.

[Asante]

Thank you.

[Dustin Ross]

I got you.

[Fran]

That's funny. I know exactly where you getting that from.

[Asante]

Yes. It's interesting because for so long, like I was so saying earlier, I didn't have my license and I was content, but now that that card is in the mail and they said I could use that piece of paper, like what I might have called them insurance people. Back. Back me. Like, I need to actually change the policy instead of cancel. But it's so interesting.

[Dustin Ross]

Growing cars now. Negro, thou art loosed thy Lord.

[Asante]

Yeah. Wait a minute.

[Fran]

Oh, my God. That should be the episode.

[Asante]

Go ahead, type it in there. Well, I've got the time.

[Dustin Ross]

Break every chain. Asante.

[Asante]

I just think that it's important that we share these moments that are exciting to us with other people instead of times with times like these happening. It's good. Sometimes it might be considered, you know, a little. What's the word? I don't want to say insensitive, but it might seem a little misdirected to talk about something so minuscule during a time like this. But this is your. We need every little bit of joy that we can soak up. Like seeing all the news, I was like, first of all, because I had just got this license last week and I was excited that I had just did something, that I did something. I had my license before, but the fact that I have it now at this, at my very big age, I was like, great, we did it. We know we were a little hesitant because we were unsure, but we beat all of that. Like when I told you, friend, how proud I was of you, I wanted to experience that for myself. And I did, because I needed. I just needed to do it. And now that it's done I feel like I'm ready for that next step of getting a car. And I feel like time is just playing with me because the fact. I'm gonna call you, Dustin. I promise I will. Because I did need a second opinion on what type of car that I wanted to get. There was a sedan that I was looking at, but then I started looking at SUVs a little bit, but I was like, is this too much car? Cause, you know, it's just me and Pl. I. Plus I don't want to be giving people rides. That's why I was like, see, because, you know, people like, oh, let me

[Dustin Ross]

get like, I can't. When you live in North Carolina, we have to consider the topography of the land. So we, we're. We're going to talk. We're going to talk.

[Asante]

See, I feel like everyone has a

[Fran]

car over there, most likely, so it's a very different city, so you probably won't need to give nobody a ride, truth be told.

[Asante]

I mean. Well, I was just going to say sometimes you have services that don't feel like delivering.

[Fran]

Gotcha.

[Asante]

And I just be like, what's the problem? Why we changing the program? What's going on? So Knocks, like, you know what? I'm coming to you. So. Or instead of doing like the just

[Dustin Ross]

talking about a joyride, put it in Uber Connect.

[Asante]

With all that said, I want to know, when's the last time you all did something new?

[Fran]

Ooh.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, technically, like last year with my stand up comedy, my decision to start doing stand up comedy, that was something new that I can actually talk about. I could tell you a lot of things, but I can't tell you on the show. But as far as like, things I can discuss. Yeah, things that's not personal, you know? Yeah. I tried something new with the comedy and it was something I had never done before. I had done like some open mic nights in bars on like the Lower east side comedy clubs and shit downtown where nobody knew me. Room full of mostly white people and shit. And they was laughing at all my jokes. So I felt confident because of that. And so. But that was my only experience. I just decided I wanted to do it. I studied, put the work in and did it and it was new and I'm finna do it again next week. Shit.

[Fran]

So nice.

[Dustin Ross]

There you have it.

[Asante]

Have it. What about you, friend? And can you think of a. A good time? And while you think just real quick, Dustin, that's a perfect example. Just because you're doing something new and your brain is like recording that Information. It doesn't feel like I have to get up here and tell jokes. It's like, all right, I'm about to get up here and tell jokes, you know? And you're recording the information of how the audience is responding. What. And then you're also. You know, what beats do I need to take? Like, you're learning as you're working through that, but you're also. Also, like. Like, your skill set is expanding.

[Dustin Ross]

You seen the show from the beginning to, like, the progression later. You seen the difference, didn't you?

[Asante]

Yes. Yeah, I saw.

[Fran]

Oh, that's right. Because you seen it.

[Asante]

Yeah, I saw your physical comedy change. I saw even you. I even. Well, I don't know, like, your order, but I feel like I could tell when you were freestyling or when you were having a lot of fun or when you were kind of maybe switching things up and around. So I thought that was cool. I was like. I was like, he is really up there working. Like, he's not just like, all right, stand up for. This is the set. We gonna do it. It's like, you really get up there and have fun. It's like. It's like you. I don't want to. Actually. I was gonna say that because I don't want to share. Chill out on what your process could be, but I was gonna say it's like you had too much material when you got up there, and you just have fun with it. And I think that that's amazing that you're able to do that, but also

[Dustin Ross]

enjoying that, and I appreciate you being there. That meant a lot, especially when you surprised me in D.C. that meant a lot to me, man.

[Asante]

Yes. And broadcast. See, look, make people buy tickets. Y' all come with me to this show. Shout out to Kia.

[Dustin Ross]

It was a packed house. Okay. In D.C. baby.

[Asante]

And it was a good time

[Fran]

in

[Dustin Ross]

D.C. shout out to D.C. but I appreciate you being there. That meant a lot. Thank you. So, yeah, that was something new. I tried.

[Asante]

What about you, friend?

[Fran]

I mean, shoot.

[Asante]

Have to be a new skill.

[Fran]

It could just say I feel like my life. My whole life right now is very new. You know, I'm new woman, right. I'm in Oregon, driving, living in a house.

[Asante]

New pioneer woman. No, I'm just kidding.

[Fran]

Yeah. Like, we were working in the backyard yesterday. We're building out certain things, like for the. For growing food and sustainability, things that I'm, like, teaching myself. And we're chickens. I would love to, but you have to have, like, permits for that, because I'm in I'm not in, like, a rural area, you know, Like, I'm. You can't just have chickens.

[Asante]

Do you hear that? Chicken stuff store.

[Fran]

That's what I'm saying.

[Dustin Ross]

Like, cheese on my neighborhood.

[Fran]

I wish, though, you know, that's, like,

[Dustin Ross]

I wouldn't give it down.

[Fran]

It's going to happen. Just not where we're at right now. But. But, yeah, just, like, my whole life is. Is completely brand new. And I think that's so important to your mental health, too, right? Just that. Yeah, that, like, my mom says a little pollution, but this isn't pollution. Is more so just like a really hard pivot. And I think I needed that because my 40s, I started feeling like, what do I want my life to feel like? And it's so lovely. Like, I'm so grateful.

[Dustin Ross]

I love that for you.

[Fran]

Peaceful love.

[Asante]

You deserve it.

[Fran]

Yeah. And the driving is. Is so cool. Like.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Fran]

To have. It took me this long to get my first car and drive for real, but it's so cool. I feel like I am an adult that's contributing. Like, now I can go pick people up, you know what I mean, from the airport, or if I'm going to dinner with my friends, I can go pick them up. Like, that's cool to me. And I just. I love the freedom, too. Like, if I want to go joke for a drive to listen to a new album, that's a whole different relationship. Music that. That's opened me up to. Even podcasts. Like, I love popping one in and just, like, writing for a while, like, it's just opened me up. And I think I love the fact that. Fact that my life, like, if I look at what this week looks like, like, the structure of my days is nowhere near what it was four years ago, you know, before I moved here. It's a completely different life. How I commute, how I think, how I look. I'm looking amazing. How do I look?

[Dustin Ross]

I told you. AJ's birthday party, I was like.

[Fran]

And that's crazy because when I saw you and you. Thank you for that, because that was so funny. I told y', all, Dustin said, you look like you got your body done. And you. What's crazy is that's nowhere near to what's happening now. Like, I've been putting in even more work, and so I'm so proud of how I look at 44, I'm like, girl, you look amazing.

[Asante]

You do.

[Fran]

That was, like, what I always envisioned myself to look like. I told you. I always saw myself being a little old lady. With a little muscular arms. You know, it's funny, y' all been tagging me. Our listeners crack me up. Any older woman they see that's hella fit, they'd be like, hey, friend, in the comments sending you a little inspiration. That's so funny. Exactly. A little elder filled inspiration. But.

[Asante]

But yeah, I'm just golden inspiration.

[Fran]

Right, right, right. I'm just happy, man. Like, I love how my life feels and I'm glad that I had an enough chutzpah to buy that. Do it. No, you didn't. To really do it. You know, because I see. Especially when you look at the elders in your family.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Fran]

Or people around you just in the world. Right. A lot of people are frustrated and stuck and unhappy and there's just so many reasons why they can't seem to change their situations. And. And that's not to judge. And obviously we've all been there. That's why I mentioned even that chunk of my life. But I think when you finally get out of that and make even one small change, whether it's your job or the person you're with or whatever it is, even like what your day looks like, whatever it is, as you keep building on that and then you look back in your life is just completely different. You have to be so proud of yourself.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes. That's real.

[Fran]

Because we see how many of our elders never did it. They just were bitter to the end.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm glad you mentioned that. The hoods.

[Fran]

Yeah, I can.

[Dustin Ross]

To do that.

[Fran]

Yeah. I can speak from experience. My pretty much all my grandmothers were like, mean. And. And I wouldn't even say they were mean because they were mean people. They were mean because I think they were so frustrated with how shit turned out for them. And it changed how they treated people.

[Asante]

And I remember.

[Fran]

Yeah. Just really soured them as human beings. And granted, they went through a lot. Like when you think about grandmas, those women, like, especially with our grandpas and kids and money, so much they went through. I understand. But I just, you know, always kept that in mind. Like, I just don't want to be a hardened person.

[Dustin Ross]

Me either.

[Fran]

I've experienced so much to get me there and I have worked so hard to not be a hardened person. I cannot be a hardened person that mistreats people and most importantly, that mistreats myself. And so this has been a great pivot and I'm excited because we're making more pivots in the next coming years. And I'm like, yay. What's that going to bring like, you get excited. Like you said, you want to, like, do more, learn more, change more, figure out more, because you realize that this is what makes life feel better.

[Dustin Ross]

I can't wait to come to your farm. And I'm telling you now, I just ask that I can be allowed a space to sit outside and just smoke and look at. At the land.

[Fran]

Of course, that's all I want to

[Dustin Ross]

be able to do.

[Asante]

If I absolutely. When I come to your farm, I promise you I want the full farm experience. I will get my ass up at 3, 4 in the morning and do farm hand work. Because I. Every time I see that on tv, I'm always like, I don't want to do this, but just as a man, like, it's dope to do like that. Like, you know, just, like, whether it's build or, you know, shoot shit. Not necessarily. I don't really want to hunt no animals animals. But, like, chopping wood, like, any of that, like, outdoorsy, I really feel like would be super, super dope to, like, learn. So it's like, I would love the full experience.

[Fran]

Yeah. And even for me, it's something I've always dreamed of, but I'm gonna have to learn, like.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, yeah.

[Fran]

And it's gonna be a lot to learn. There's a lot. It's gonna be a lot of mistakes, a lot of trial and error. And it's funny because I remember talking with Maya. Shout out to Shameless. Maya, we love you. She was like, we love you, Maya. She was like, like, you know, people post the cute pictures on Pinterest of you with your cute farm boots and little chickens. She was like, this is hard.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, that's what I'm doing. I'm doing a whole. I'm telling you now, friend, when I come to the farm, I'm gonna be on my Christy gnome. I'm doing a whole photo shoot. I'm doing a whole photo shoot on a horse. 200. You seen that lion heifer? They paid $225 million.

[Fran]

Commercial.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, that's what I'm doing.

[Fran]

And she gonna be like, he taught me to do it. Yeah, but that's. I'm looking forward to that version.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Fran]

And like you said, Asante, I really think you touched on a really important hack. I think to humanity is to just give yourself something to look forward to. I think a lot of times we get hung up on what's my purpose, you know, what's. What's gonna make me happy. But I think, think it's just a series of purposes I don't necessarily think it's this one thing that's going to make you of value to the world. I think it's just continuously giving yourself something to figure out, something to do, something to blossom in, and then being proud of yourself when it expands you as a human being and then on to the next thing. And I think it's that series of expansion and. And growth, to me, is obviously my opinion. That's what purpose is. It can driving is my purpose. Not because it's life altering, but it's like it gave me a few years of something to latch onto to figure out. Now I'm like a new person because of it.

[Dustin Ross]

I think that's beautiful, you know, and

[Fran]

I think when you think of it that way, it makes life feel lighter and fun. Like, this should be like an amusement park where you're like, what's the next ride I can get on?

[Dustin Ross]

I agree.

[Asante]

Literally, Fran, you're. You're. You're 100,000%. And I was gonna say, you know, start. Start. Literally. Literally start with something small, right? Like, start with, you know, language.

[Fran]

Learn a new language.

[Asante]

You can start. You can start even smaller than that. Because if I feel like a lot of people are low right now. Look, you can start with something as small as brushing your teeth, okay? If you feel like, you know, if you feel like you need an electric toothbrush, go get one. Or if you've been using an electric toothbrush and you miss doing that manual because you feel like, you know, shaking your shoulders and all that really wakes you up, do that.

[Fran]

Like everything I switched.

[Asante]

Yeah. And. And people. There's going to be people like, oh, well, you know, the electric. We have been using our arms for Lord knows how long before that electric toothbrush came in there. And some people really ain't getting up in there because they feel like that electric toothbrush is doing all the work and it ain't doing enough work. So that's why, you know, there's different things for everybody. And even that little small thing is going to get you excited, right? You might. It might wake reawaken, like, oh, I need to get my teeth done. Or now that, you know, you clean your teeth, you feel like you want to smile more. Like, I need to go out and, you know, learn this, or, you know, look at this.

[Fran]

This is small. But I started painting my nails again like a little girl.

[Dustin Ross]

I love that. Is that periwinkle blue? I love that.

[Fran]

Isn't this so pretty? And it's funny because it's a little thing But I remember being a teenager or being young and sitting in my room on the floor, and I'd get, like a little tray and put all the little polishes, the top coat, the base coat, you know, and then you have your nail file. And that was such a meditative. Which at the time, I didn't say, see that? But, you know, it took me out of whatever I was experiencing. And all that mattered was that I just wanted to paint my nose a pretty color. And I, for some reason, got back into that in the past. I just started sitting in my dining room table and just painting my nails. And it's just like a really small joy that I'm thankful for, because now every week, I'm like, what color am I gonna do?

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Fran]

And if you watched my YouTubes, anyone who's followed me since then, my nails were always a different color, always painted, always really beautiful and healthy because I did DIY videos that did close ups on my hands. So I made it a point for my hands to just always look aesthetically pleasing. And so it felt nice to me to jump into that. And so me being me now, I ordered, like, all these Opi and Essie polishes, you know, you know the.

[Dustin Ross]

The wall record on it.

[Asante]

Yep.

[Fran]

You know, the little acrylic rack. And so I'm like, that is a very small thing, but it's brought a new weekly joy to my. To me, like, to sit down and pick a color and paint, and it's like, we just got to do that. It can be that small. And I'm happy. This is, like, made me happy seeing this pretty periwinkle in my hands today. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Yes. Look, it can be as small as painting your nails. It could be as small as getting something as fresh as what Dustin has on. Because these things, they take us, like, they give us joy. Right. So if you're having joy at a good moment, that's great, because you get to keep the joy moving. But if you have joy at that bad moment, it kind of gives you that umph to want to do more things or get out of that. That ump that you're in. So I say start small. You know, paint your nails, move on up to something as big as getting your driver's license if you ain't got it. That's like, for me, that brought me so much joy just to be able to say I. Just to be able to say that I have that be like, my passport. I renewed my passport, and it came real quick. First of all, the passport came so quick, and I was just so happy that it happened as well, because I first I did my renewal online, and I submitted a photo that I took from my phone, and it went through. I was not. I was surprised.

[Fran]

Your phone. Wait, can you change when you have a license? Can you go there and tell them you don't like your picture or you just stuck with that picture? Because I hate my license.

[Asante]

Shout out to the person for letting me take a retake on mine. They only take. They only let me take one retake, but the one retake was fine. I was like, you know what? I just actually didn't think I was gonna get this. So I hate to be all right so much.

[Fran]

It was like an old man. And he didn't even give me a second to, like, you know, get in

[Asante]

my hand, stand there. And then he was just like.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

And then just hit it.

[Asante]

He was like, wait, hold on. I didn't even adjust yet.

[Fran]

He was like an older Asian man. He was like, next. Like, it was very like, get out. You know, and just. I remember thinking, damn, I know that

[Dustin Ross]

pict been like, no, hold up. We retaking my thing.

[Fran]

Speak to me. And so every time I have to take it out to show it, the person always looks at it and then looks at me like, wow, a stark.

[Dustin Ross]

I was having a rough day, man.

[Asante]

He probably was, but time was moving too slow.

[Fran]

Let me know if I can go change it or if that's not. I don't know.

[Asante]

Listeners, let us know your experiences with the DMV down below. I know a lot of y' all gonna give us hell. Are y'? All? And get me hell for having such a good ass time. But I had a good time. But basically, I wanted to have a great conversation, and this was a great little segment where we got to talk about experiences that make us feel rich instead of rushed. So I appreciate that we had this. Like, both of you guys have been firing on all cylinders. I feel like we all have. But that's because time is crazy. And we're in some. Like, the times that we're in right now, I just don't know. But I wanted to just talk about the perception of the time and how fast or slow it goes, because maybe time itself isn't actually speeding up, even though science says because the world's spinning faster, it is, yada, yada, yada. I ain't into the data like that, but maybe life, it just becomes routine in those moments where we just feel like it's slowing down. And maybe the secret to a full life isn't trying to stop time, but creating enough meaningful moments that time doesn't slip by unnoticed. As you were saying, friend. So as my birthday comes around again, I'm thinking less about how fast time is moving and more about how I want to spend the time that's ahead. And that's it for this week's main topic of the show. I hope you all out there have enjoyed listening. Thank you both. And that's it.

[Fran]

Amazing. Let's jump into the segments.

[Dustin Ross]

Welcome to the Friends

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

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Ask your doctor about eglis and visit ebgliss.lilly.com or call 1-800-LilyRx 1-800-545-5979. You survived the Miami weekend, nailed the speech and maxed out your credit card in the name of friendship. Now you've got one hangover, four pastel dresses and zero reasons to wear them again. Sell them on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest and you at least get some of your dignity money back. Someone on Depop wants what you've got. Start selling now. Depop, where Taste recognizes taste at vrbo,

[Fran]

we understand that even the best of plans sometimes need a little support. So we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by Our VRBO Care guarantee giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready before your stay through the moments in between and after your trip.

[Asante]

Trip.

[Fran]

Because a great trip starts with peace of mind and maybe a good playlist. But we've got the peace of mind part covered. This week in wellness. So this week I wanted to give you guys. It's more of a nudge, right, Than like a full out segment. It kind of ties into even Asante's hot button conversation. We just sprung forward, forward right this past weekend, which means that it is. But wait, are you one of those that doesn't like that it's not you?

[Asante]

I mean, like, why Tom gotta keep changing, you know, like why?

[Fran]

I mean, I agree with you there. I wish they would stick to one and we can just pop through. But I would prefer if it was this one because this is my favorite. I love when it's light. I outside.

[Dustin Ross]

Me too.

[Fran]

I know there are people that do not because they feel that it's unnatural. I get that. They're like, if it's five, it should be dark. Like, why is it so bright at 9:00 clock at night? It messes with certain people's circadian rhythms.

[Dustin Ross]

We like it like that.

[Fran]

You want to feel like you're winding down, so I get it. But for me, I love it because it makes you feel like you have more time. Ironically, right? You feel like you can do more. It's light out. Especially as a woman, I feel more comfortable. Comfortable being out and driving and just like roaming when it's still bright and sunny outside. And we are a week out from spring. I am over the moon. Y' all know this popped up. Now, Dustin, I know spring is not necessarily your favorite because I'll suffer through

[Dustin Ross]

it to have better days because I cannot.

[Fran]

Right? It's hard. I know. Those of you with allergies, I did see some people in the comments saying you're not like looking forward to spring because it'd be whooping your ass. I get it. But to be able to go out without big coats and scarves and hats and all of the things, you just put on a little light jacket or a hoodie. Like I'll be waiting for this time of the year. I feel like everyone's energy changes, right? People feel more social. They want to go out for walks, they want to go sit in the sun, lay out in the park with their blankets and their cheese and fruits and crackers and their friends, you know, And I just. That's the nice.

[Dustin Ross]

Where the gays be in Central Park. I love.

[Fran]

She said, I miss that about New York. I used to love that.

[Dustin Ross]

I love walking up on a park set like that. I get there late. Everybody be there. Say the meetup time is 2. I'm pulling up about 5. Everybody already good and tipsy? Yeah, that's when you stroll up by yourself, coming by yourself.

[Asante]

Hey, y'. All.

[Dustin Ross]

Y' all having fun? Oh, Dustin's here.

[Asante]

See,

[Fran]

but, you know, that energy is just. No, you didn't. That energy is just so unmatched, right? And so I want to encourage people, like, get outside if you can't. I get the allergies thing. But if you're able to start making some plans with somebody, you don't even have to be anybody. Just go for a walk. Start reading your books. Go pick a bench. You know, just. I'm mostly excited for my life. Life to shift outside now because everything has been very, very cold, hibernating, winter, you know, and now I'm excited for my. To get off of my walking pad or at the gym. And we like to do outside workouts when it's nice out, you know, doing some sprints, doing some runs, even just trying to do. Even, like, because we have a garage that has a gym, and we'll, like, be on the driveway just working out with our dumbbells and barbells and stuff. So just get sun on your body. Get that fresh air in your body. Just move more. Call your friends. Just trying to encourage people and remind people that it's time to switch with the seasons. Right. I think people kind of get stuck in what the past couple months have been, but I think align with nature. You see, now that there's a tree outside, my house is pink. And it brings me so much joy when I start seeing the little flowers, because I'm like, oh, yes. It's a change in energy going down.

[Asante]

I'm laughing because my friend used to be like. I used to have this friend that used to be like, it's Vanessa Carl. It's Vanessa Carlton time outside. And I used to be like, what the does that mean? Because it gets so nice outside. It makes you. It makes you. It makes you want to go outside and play a piano. Like, it's just so beautiful. It's just amazing. You just want to go outside and let it be right?

[Fran]

Like, this tree has just been dead and been barren for months, and then now it's sitting here with these little pink nubs that I know in the next couple weeks, I just gonna keep growing and growing. And then as soon as that tree blossoms, I'm just like, you should do

[Dustin Ross]

a photo shoot if it wasn't right

[Fran]

in front of my house. And when people pass it, it's such a stunning tree. People are just like, oh, my God, you're so blessed to have this, you know? And I'm just really thankful. Thankful to kind of.

[Dustin Ross]

You tell them. I know

[Fran]

I can tell time, essentially, with this tree, and I think that that's really cool. Even, like I told you, I have a. A persimmon tree, and we have berries and all kinds of fruit trees, and I love seeing what time of the year it is based on their blossoming, but also climate change, and things are coming in early, coming in late. It's a little tricky right now, but all that's happening to say, get outside, you know, go read that book in the park.

[Dustin Ross]

See them trees burn them trees.

[Fran]

Be them trees purge, too. You know, we love to talk about purging. They always call it spring cleaning, but it really is a thing. Get some airflow in that closet. Maybe your personality has shifted. I know mine has. My style has changed at least three times since I've been here, and I'm making room for that, donating it. I told y' all about. About Buffalo Exchange, too, where you can take your old clothes and trade it for thrifted fly. You know what I mean? That speaks more to your personality. You can trade the clothes, which I think is a really cool concept. Most cities have a Buffalo Exchange, so that's something that you could look into if you're trying to save some money. Donate it to the churches. Get that 100. Go through the. We talk about this all the time. Go through the. The condiments in your house. Go through the seasonings. Go through the old things in the freezer. Skin care products, hair care products. Make some room. Get stuff out.

[Dustin Ross]

Why would you laugh?

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

Shoes.

[Fran]

I told y' all I'm low key, wanting to get rid of all my Jordan ones, friend.

[Dustin Ross]

Now, wait a minute now.

[Fran]

No, because my collection. Collection is so fire. But I don't wear them.

[Dustin Ross]

Store them, honey.

[Fran]

Yeah, maybe I should. Because I'm like, maybe I'll change. Maybe they'll come up time. But I don't wear my ones anymore. I really don't.

[Dustin Ross]

You got two years.

[Fran]

But not my.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, they're unwearable after 10 years, so.

[Fran]

Ain't 10 years breaking apart? Nah, probably. No, no. Maybe like four or five. But, yeah, I'm gonna. Yeah, I'll. Maybe I'll hold on. But I'm making room for like so many new parts of my personality that are starting to blossom and about to

[Dustin Ross]

start wearing more pumps.

[Fran]

Not pumps, pumps in the grass.

[Asante]

More sling back heels and.

[Fran]

No. Hell no.

[Dustin Ross]

You remember them daffodils with that big ass platform under them? The Christian Louboutin daffodils. All the girls had them. That big, big hidden platform.

[Fran]

I'm so not that girl. But there's definitely a more femininity that's like playing into it now. And I'm really happy about that. But I'm just feeling really good and I'm so excited to see the sun staying out more. I'm excited to see the sun period. And I'm excited that it's spring next week. Like I said, it's my favorite time of the year. So this is just that, just a really gentle, gentle, excited nudge about you getting outside more and taking advantage that we are finally getting out of the hump of winter.

[Dustin Ross]

Are you going to have long hair in summer?

[Fran]

Yeah. You see I'm growing it out cuz it's so.

[Dustin Ross]

It reminds me when we first met your hair was really long and big. The day that we met.

[Fran]

My hair doesn't do that anymore though. It's changed a lot because you know our hair changes with.

[Dustin Ross]

I remember you was doing like this and it was like going over and it was so big and the sun was out. You had on real thin gold jewelry.

[Fran]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Like a white tank. Yup. Black jeans. I remember.

[Fran]

Yeah. I'm definitely going back for a similar aesthetic. Like kind of feeling like my old self, but not. But my hair doesn't do that anymore. Sadly.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, but it's doing that.

[Fran]

But it's long.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Look at what it is doing.

[Asante]

The past.

[Dustin Ross]

Let's talk about what's now. You know what I'm saying? Looks good.

[Fran]

Thank you. But yes. Just that. Just want to encourage people to really get outside. And like we were saying in the hot button, make some new memories. Right. Sign up for some swim classes.

[Dustin Ross]

Sign up a stranger.

[Fran]

I'm see. Okay. I'm seeing people talk about run clubs. Run Clubs apparently are like the new hinge app. Like people meeting.

[Dustin Ross]

I heard that too. All jokes aside, like the Run Club is where it's at. For real. Real.

[Fran]

The Run Clubs are where the people are at. Join one. I think it's actually a really cute concept.

[Dustin Ross]

Make sure you got to have your outfits together now. You can't just be just going. You know what I'm saying? You got to make sure you go to Dicks or sports. Sports authority still around.

[Asante]

Y. Remember the sports authority I ain't seen. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Somebody check on the sports stories.

[Asante]

You know, a lot of them stores had to close down because of the incident.

[Dustin Ross]

Remember models now?

[Asante]

Yeah. Survive.

[Fran]

Get a bike. I'm excited to bike in in the next couple of weeks and just. Ugh. I'm happy you guys. This is such a great time of the year. I just wanted to rub that off on people and. And remind you that there's a lot to do and I know the world is shitty, but the world has been shitty for a long time.

[Dustin Ross]

My whole life, all my life I had to fight.

[Fran]

All everyone's lives. You can talk to our grandparents, our moms. It's just always been shitty. It's always been something. That doesn't mean that we should be unaware. But that also is a reminder that your life still has to keep moving as well.

[Dustin Ross]

You have to find joy. And you just gave people so many good reasons, so many good ways that they can friend, right?

[Fran]

Call your friend and let's tell them, let's go have brunch this weekend. Let's go sit outside side go get back in your brunch bag. You know, go on a date. Go on a date. Crush up. Send him the eyes on Instagram.

[Dustin Ross]

Go on a date.

[Fran]

Start something new, some new memories. So that's all I wanted to nudge you and and excited about how beautiful it feels outside. And so that's it. That's it. It's a quick reminder. And this week in wellness, this week in music.

[Asante]

We are only going to talk about one story just because I have been talking for so long and I said we were going to talk about this at the top or I made mention of it or Dustin made mention of it and I said we should just do it right here. This past weekend we learned that Rihanna her home was shot at, shot up. So weird, so crazy, right? There was a woman arrested after firing shots at Rihanna's Beverly Crest home, police say. As reported on NBC Los Angeles News, a woman was taken into custody Sunday afternoon after allegedly firing multiple shots at singer Rihanna's residence in Beverly Crest. The incident occurred around 1:21pm at a home. I don't want to say where she live.

[Fran]

I was about to say that. Dang.

[Asante]

1:21, right? 1:21pm where Rihanna lives with ASAP. And they weren't sure who was home at the time. And along with their three children, they.

[Dustin Ross]

She was there with the babies. They TMZ reported.

[Asante]

Yeah, yeah, she was there with her kids. It was confirmed later that Rihanna.

[Fran]

I don't understand how these celebs live. You can. You're like close to the street. Like I don't get it. I would always think they would be so much further, you know, like you think that.

[Dustin Ross]

But think about when you be in la, you know what I'm saying? And you've been in the hills and shit. Those homes are literally right there by the road. It's just a. They have a gate, but the homes are still accessible, you know what I mean? And you just got to be a person with some decency and common sense and leave people the alone.

[Fran]

That's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

She lucky she alive.

[Asante]

No, seriously.

[Dustin Ross]

Rihanna and them lucky they alive. But that crazy ass heer is lucky that she's alive because people get shot and killed by security over like that. Hello, you shooting my house. You switch cheese as I'm concerned.

[Fran]

Imagine if someone had been coming out. Like anybody could have been coming out.

[Dustin Ross]

Her children, they just had another baby like that. People have got to chill the fuck out. I seen. Well, nevermind. Finish doing your thing, Tay. I don't know what you about to talk about. My bad.

[Asante]

No, I was just covering the whole thing. The LAPD said Tuesday this morning that Ortiz drove to Los Angeles from Florida before the shooting.

[Fran]

What?

[Dustin Ross]

Crazy, crazy.

[Asante]

Investigators said that she went to the singer's home Sunday afternoon with a semiautomatic rifle and fired multiple rounds toward the house. The singer was home at the time and was not hurt. Ortiz has been booked for attempted murder and her bail has been set more than at more than $10 million. Police said part of the reason Ortiz. Ortiz's bail has been set at $10 million is because there were 10 victims present during the shooting.

[Fran]

Wow.

[Dustin Ross]

Throw the book at her ass. I hope they bury her under the goddamn jail.

[Fran]

How does she even know where Rihanna lived, people?

[Dustin Ross]

Why was she even like crazy?

[Fran]

Would you looking that up? I don't even understand what people be wanting to know.

[Dustin Ross]

Like she was making videos and talking about Cardi B and Brianna and just

[Fran]

making up seeing this person like online.

[Asante]

Well, after this story broke, they released some videos. But according to police, Ortiz had posted multiple videos on social media in. In the recent months rambling about Rihanna specifically. And one video Posted on Jen January 4th, Ortiz is heard saying, listen Rihanna, when you leap, God is taking me to my future. Yeah, she wants. Yeah, she wants to kill me. Shut the bleep up. Ortiz's criminal record from Florida shows several incidents from domestic violence dating back to 2023.

[Dustin Ross]

Crazy.

[Asante]

This is a developing story insane to me. That's unhinged. I just. I don't understand and I know too much about the victim. I already just. I just don't understand the basic reason on why wanting to shoot up this house with this family in it ASAP wasn't home. But still the children in the house and whoever else was in the house of Rihanna, like, that's insane. That's jarring. I can't even imagine. I'm praying for Rihanna and her family. And I don't know what the fuck is wrong with this person, but people on the Internet are crazy. So I think overall this. This was just a good time to talk about people. Like, this was a great episode. So overall, you just need to change your relationship with the Internet and the things that you see on it. Not even the Internet. Your mental health, honestly, it's literally communication. You need to really check your communication. If you're not communicating appropriately with your friends and the people around you or online, you. Something has to change. Whether it's you need to put the phone down or you need to pick the phone up and call somebody, you know, something has to change. I don't know why this woman got to the point that she was at, but you cannot do whatever this is. People cannot. I don't know how this person got to this point, but whoever you are listening, you cannot do whatever that was like that.

[Dustin Ross]

She's fucking batshit crazy. That's how she got to that point. She's fucking off her rocker and that is dangerous as fuck. For real? For real. She was making up. First of all, don't even get me started on the gun laws, right? I don't even want to turn this into that episode, but God damn, how many more examples do we need? How the. With her criminal history, how did she even get her hands on a AR15? That's a problem. You know what I'm saying? That's a huge problem. And she was just psycho. She had them crazy ass eyes. She was crazy crazy.

[Fran]

I don't even know who this person is. It reminds me of this skirt. Well, no, I shouldn't say it reminds me because it's. It's not as dark. Like the girl didn't go up to shoot no one's house. But there was a young girl that kept popping up on my feed on TikTok and she was just talking casually. You know, people do story times about like, relationships and stuff. She was talking about this Latin singer. I don't know him, but apparently he's like A big, famous Latin singer. He is big. I just, you know, you don't know everybody. And she is really talking about this guy. I'm talking about, like, their relationship, how they met, like, how he got her pregnant and she was. I had to tell his wife. And I'm thinking that she. This is real. Because she is just talking, like, it's not. It wasn't until it just kept coming up, because I watched it, obviously. So then now the next video she put, it came up again. And then it started getting a little unhinged, right? Because then she's, like, posting daily and then multiple. Multiple times. And then I started looking at the comments, and that's when I started realizing people like, girl, do you even know him?

[Dustin Ross]

Wow.

[Fran]

Like, is this really happening? Do you have pictures with him? And then she started posting pictures, but they were always of her in the audience at his concerts, never of them together anyway, right? And then she'd be like, do you see how he's looking at me? You know what I mean? And it was so. I was like, oh, my God. I just felt.

[Dustin Ross]

It's wild to witness somebody just be

[Fran]

crazy like that, you know, it kind of remembers Kendra, the site that fell in love with the psychiatrist. Like, just these types of relationships, and it's just like, oh, man, this is tapping into some really deep stuff, you

[Dustin Ross]

know, I don't play that shit. I will. I don't want to say too much. I was in Houston this weekend, and somebody came up to me, like, aren't you such and such. And I was just. I knew that I could just tell, like, this person is crazy. I could just tell.

[Asante]

I was.

[Dustin Ross]

Was like, no. It's like, you know, I was like, I'm not Dustin.

[Fran]

That was crazy. Dustin.

[Dustin Ross]

I literally. That happened to me this on Sunday in Houston. I was like, I'm not. I'm not Dustin. And they was like, oh, okay. And, like, kind of walked off, but I was like. My friends was laughing so hard, but I just knew.

[Fran]

Serious. Yeah, yeah, I've been there. When I was on YouTube, I had a stalker. He's an older man, and he came to every single event that I ever had. Mind you, these were for young girls. Even events that I had that wasn't for the public, you know, like private orgs with young girls. Like, he would figure out where I was and would show up every time, mortifying. And would have cards with money in it. Like, just.

[Asante]

No.

[Fran]

With writing love stories, you know? Like, really? I remember Cheskali was like, girl, who do we have to call. Because she would always see when he was popping up, like, oh, my God, it's the guy, you know, so it's. It can be really challenging, but this is next level. Like, it's too much. You can't even try. I'm like, you can't even try to understand what would make someone drive. But obviously this is, you know, beyond

[Dustin Ross]

our understanding to have her off her out our goddamn mind.

[Fran]

Wow. How scary. Thank God nobody got hurt.

[Asante]

It's crazy, it's unfortunate, but everybody out there just needs to check their interpersonal relationships and inter parasocial relationship. What about your parasocial relationships? I always want to say it. So thank you for saying the correct one, friend, because I was gonna put it there. So, yes, that happened. And I just implore you all to make better decisions when it comes to the type of fans you are with. That said, that's the only story that I wanted to share just because we had talked about or it came up at the top and I know it was a serious topic. Now we can move on to the listens lately songs to play portion of this show because. Because, friend, I know you've been out there riding around, you know, especially because you've been out there enjoying the new weather. What are some new tunes you got

[Dustin Ross]

coming on with the new sunroof all open?

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Fran]

Actually, I want to play some of our friend Lake, who we love. Okay, let's clap it up. Lake, you know we love you. We're always so happy when you drop new music. She has a new record called H and I See and this is how it goes. I'm forever that.

[Asante]

You're now tuned in to WHNIC radio

[Dustin Ross]

where you always know who's in charge.

[Asante]

I got $200 in gift cards to the croaker spot for anybody that can call and tell me the name of this girl right here.

[Fran]

Ain't nobody fucking with me. And that's been word on the street and you could pick it up curbside. I built my table. I don't need your seat and I don't need crumbs. I eat make it dance in this went from big mama to a slimmy at the Rucker Used to bag up just to get a Louis duffel still serving these streets, that's a different hustle never full It's a different hand in hand but the same game. And in end the event, one award and it's bang, bang. You can feel how you feel. I ain't even want to stop it

[Dustin Ross]

hard.

[Fran]

Hell yeah this it's Perfect, too, for being outside and driving fire. The next song I wanted to play was an artist that popped up on, you know, Spotify radio. Her name is Sophia Li and the song is called who's Better. You don't decline. Nice, right?

[Asante]

Yes, I love that.

[Fran]

Right. And then lastly, this is an artist that actually popped up for me on Tik Tok. And she was playing her new music and I thought, oh, girl, you got it again. Gave me that angsty teenage sound from like z100 and just feel so mad. Sam, right? Maddie Zam. It's called Cellophane. I see you in ocean fusion mountain climb. You live your version of happy and I'll live mine. But I'll think of you and you'll think of me. And then I'll let you be. If you can't love me now

[Asante]

will

[Fran]

you love me later? When you travel the world don't come back astray Ninja.

[Dustin Ross]

She need to put Leanne Laavas on the remix.

[Fran]

Oh, we felt. We all felt that.

[Dustin Ross]

You ever get a piece?

[Fran]

Come on. This is a beautiful.

[Asante]

You had to give us one, didn't you?

[Dustin Ross]

She would do good on that beat.

[Fran]

But then that's that good writing. I miss. I miss how songs would make you feel that way way when you like as each time keeps coming in and you're just like making them faces like, girl, you wrote this out of this song. Beautiful song, right? Oh. Cellophane by Maddie Zam. Zam is spelled Z A H M. So definitely check Maddie out. Zam. Maddie. Okay, those are my three for this week.

[Asante]

Yes. All right. Dustin Ross, what you got? What's been over there by into we

[Dustin Ross]

going to take it back a little bit. This is a boogie with the hoodie and Mariah scientist secrets

[Fran]

tell you not a fan baby this a Lamborghini not a B.

[Asante]

Don't try to come around again for

[Fran]

love is not here Anytime you hit me I was never not there I

[Dustin Ross]

don't want to fight I want to

[Fran]

take you to now Can I tell you something? I just hope you never tell I

[Dustin Ross]

said you would a dub I meant to say you was a 10. I don't want to do this again. Oh, man.

[Asante]

I don't want to do this again.

[Dustin Ross]

Not again.

[Fran]

Listen baby, this a Lamborghini not a B. I don't even get the time to you on a weekends Anytime you

[Asante]

pull up on me baby it's a secret.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't want to love that song.

[Fran]

Nice.

[Dustin Ross]

This next song is a throwback too. This is Mayback Music 5 by Rick Ross featuring De Lo.

[Fran]

It's Maybach music. Sway. And we lie together Cry together and I swear I hope we can die together I'll be loving you forever

[Asante]

I

[Fran]

used to play hard to get Like a sample on a hook he used to play with the pots Told me he was a cook I was running too long he was chasing, didn't trip How'd he do it? I don't know but somehow I got hooked. Dog passion. He's so compassionate. Mmg yeah, that's his acronym. Call him D A D D Y Like I'm in the bassinet hand pieces he be all up into my fashion pocket Rocking my panties, they smash my slips Been through a dog I could give a narrative no fiction, no, we ain't no characters I mean, if I bust my gun, you gonna bust yours too Love that.

[Dustin Ross]

All right, the last song I'm gonna play is off of Ty Dollar Signs, new EP. This song is called Ms. You Too with Leon Thomas.

[Asante]

To you.

[Dustin Ross]

Vision is coming in blur she want them double ccc's all of a purse Promise you never leave me I'mma give you just what you deserve she won't shop and spree Want to let everybody. He hot right now. So why would he sign to him? I don't know.

[Asante]

He was the first artist. He was the first artist to be signed a TY dollar sign in 2022. So it's still. It's working.

[Fran]

Oh, okay. So that's. Got you, got you, got you. Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

Because I was like.

[Asante]

Well, according to Wikipedia, in case Grammys and shit, in May 2022, Leon Thomas was announced as the first artist to be signed to TY$Sign, newly launched EasyMNY records in print.

[Fran]

Okay, well, I hope it works for you, King.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, me too.

[Fran]

Yeah, do your thing.

[Asante]

Well, shout out to you I like that track, Dustin. What else you been listening to?

[Dustin Ross]

That's it for me. They're my three songs.

[Asante]

Oh, okay. Well, first artist that I'm gonna play. Well, actually, Fran, I know that you played the new Baby Keem. Which song did you play?

[Fran]

Good Flirts.

[Asante]

Okay, well, I'm gonna play because that's on here, too. I'm gonna play Sex Appeal featuring Too Short. Here's how it goes.

[Fran]

Too Short.

[Dustin Ross]

Up all night, baby.

[Asante]

It's Short Dog. Bright Lights

[Fran]

Casino I'm in the moon we in Miami I met her free from Cincinnati she's five foot four Marshalla Tabby's under the hood she got no panties.

[Dustin Ross]

In a

[Fran]

moment.

[Asante]

Shout out to this King I with that record Next artist I'M going to play is Isaiah Falls. They just stro get us.

[Dustin Ross]

Stand up, Isaiah.

[Asante]

Stand up. You keep on falling. Isaiah Falls dropped a record last week called Taboo. And he here's how it goes.

[Fran]

Seductive, but you so dangerous don't judge

[Asante]

me if you only feel like I

[Fran]

I got lost the very moment we touched I was your fantasy I think

[Asante]

you there no time to spare Just get started here.

[Fran]

What's your fantasy?

[Asante]

I'll meet you there.

[Fran]

No time to spare.

[Asante]

That is a dope record. The last. The last friend.

[Fran]

Okay.

[Asante]

Damn, that sounded good. Good. Okay. Last offering. I have a throwback from Starship. This is. Nothing's gonna stop us now.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, I.

[Asante]

Looking in your eyes I see a

[Fran]

paradise this world that I found Times

[Asante]

it's too good to be true Standing

[Fran]

here beside you Want so much to

[Dustin Ross]

give you this love in my heart

[Fran]

that I'm feeling for you Let him see we're crazy. I don't care about that.

[Asante]

Shout out to Spotify with the random playlist. There's a playlist called Yacht Rock. I was listening to it and that song came back up. And I just remember. I don't remember specifically, but that. You know, y', all, that was a hit for the. Like the movie. Like. Like. I feel like that was like the end of some movie. I. I feel like I've heard that song so many times as a child and it's. And it lived with me and within me. So when I heard it on the Y Rock plays I was like, hold on now, hold on. And I had to give it more than a moment. And so I had to bring them over here to the Friend Zone.

[Fran]

I love that. That felt so. That felt so nostalgic.

[Dustin Ross]

Y' all know that I love 80s music personally.

[Asante]

It's a beautiful time.

[Dustin Ross]

Rock ballads, I love them big songs like that. I love it. And I love hearing black. Black people's cover them. I love it.

[Fran]

That makes me. That reminds me of like Molly Ringwald. Like, just that the movie she used to be leads in. That would always be the song.

[Asante]

She was that girl.

[Dustin Ross]

You about to make me watch Rock of Ages. You know, that was. Oh, my God.

[Asante]

You remember I went to see it

[Dustin Ross]

multiple times in the theater. Mary J. Blige was singing any way you wanted.

[Asante]

That's the way we should have been for the Bench.

[Dustin Ross]

So you ain't said nothing but a word. Cause we can definitely do Rock of Ages.

[Asante]

Well, that's it for the Music man

[Dustin Ross]

segment this week in tv. Well, come on over to TV Land this week in TV Land. First of all, the Real Housewives of Atlanta trailer has dropped. The intro for the show has leaked, so we got to see our girl Pinky Cole in housewife mode. Give it up for Pinky Cole, one of the newest Real Housewives of Atlanta.

[Fran]

She's about to be a new one.

[Dustin Ross]

Pinky got a peach, y'.

[Asante]

All. Pinky with a peach.

[Dustin Ross]

Shout out to Pinky. She was arguing with Angela Oakley in the trailer, and that really upset my spirit because I love Angela Oakley and I love Pinky in real life, so.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin Ross]

I hope they figure that out. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Because I ain't taking no side. I'm just gonna enjoy the show and be like, you know what I'm saying? When they say things about each other.

[Asante]

Such a crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

Shout out to Pinky.

[Asante]

Amazing.

[Dustin Ross]

Shout out to Pinky. She's a housewife.

[Fran]

Crazy.

[Asante]

I think. I think about the moments that we have shared.

[Fran]

139th street to Real House.

[Asante]

Down to the 404 girl. Could you believe it?

[Dustin Ross]

Bravo, baby. That mean we don't get to see her on. Watch what happens live. All the things. You know what I'm saying? She'll be a Bravo con. You know, just all the things. She's a housewife, and I think that is so cool. So shout out to her. Listen, you know, the Real Housewives. The Real Housewives of Potomac wrapped up its 10th season, but right now, Wendy Oseffo and her husband Eddie Oseffo, are in the middle of the court proceedings pertaining to the charges that are alleged against them.

[Fran]

Oh, shoot. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Falsifying a robbery and all this other shit. A bunch of insurance fraud and all this stuff. So keep an eye on the headlines. That's a black family. I hope they did not do the things that they're accused of. Either way, I would like the most positive outcome for them. So, yeah, we'll see what's up. So make sure you guys have been tuning into that. The Traders wrapped their season. Make sure you can go back and watch that. Just because these things are not currently airing anymore. They're fresh, and they're available for you to watch on Peacock. So running back, you know what I'm saying? Watch all of that. This isn't really TV news, but it's more Broadway news. Candy Burris just wrapped her turn in. And Juliet on Broadway, she was playing Angelique. I got a chance to see her perform in the play twice. I went on the opening the first night she performed in it, and then I went again probably like a month and a Half later. So I saw the progression and I enjoyed the show. It was a jukebox musical with all these hits from like the early 2000s or whatever. So that was fun. But she's about to now start her turn as a producer in August Wilson's Joe Turner's Coming Gone which is coming to Broadway. They starting in the next couple of weeks. But Taraji P. Henson is making her Broadway debut and Cedric the Entertainer is starring in it as well. Debbie Allen is directing it. So it's gonna. Yeah, it's gonna be a big deal. So keep your eyes peeled for all of that kind of stuff. Also, shout out to Jennifer Hudson. Her talk show got renewed for a fifth season and oh, people are so against that.

[Fran]

That sounds interesting.

[Dustin Ross]

And her show survived. So shout out to Jennifer Hudson. The daytime landscape is brutal.

[Fran]

But why were people saying that then? I thought people knew that it wasn't getting renewed.

[Dustin Ross]

They were just so sure about it. Right? Yeah, they were assuming that it was because a lot of people don't like her as a talk and they assume that her show is gonna bite the dust. But her show is wildly popular. Her show is not taped live. They pre tape which is more attractive. Right.

[Fran]

And then they got that spirit hall,

[Dustin Ross]

the spirit tunnel, you know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Goes viral.

[Dustin Ross]

You can't fucking stop that. And as a person who blindly and loyally supports Jennifer Hudson, I don't care what she do. I don't care how bad it is. I've been there since day one when her shoulder strap was falling off in that black dress. Cause she was singing that are Franklin song on her American Idol audition. I've been there since day one.

[Fran]

Damn.

[Dustin Ross]

So that's a person that I just want to see win. So in your face to all the motherfuckers that thought her show was gonna bite the dust and it wasn't gonna make it. She was the one that survived. I was sad to see the announcement of the cancellation of the Sherry show as we know it. She's been alluding to reformatting it or living on somewhere else. She's trying to save the show in some way or shape or form of it. So I hope that they're successful in that purs. And I hated to see Support Sherry watch these new episodes. Cause she still got new episodes airing in the fall. Watch those episodes and hopefully I want the best outcome for them. Much love to John Murray and everybody from the Sherry Show. Norman. Shout out to Norman Baker.

[Fran]

John Murray.

[Dustin Ross]

John Murray. John, cool as hell. He departed the Sherry show last year. But John was completely instrumental to that show's inception and success there as well.

[Fran]

John been around you. I remember John from before I was even on the game like that.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Fran]

Like he was one of the first, like content creators and creatives and bloggers and journalists, you know, that was on the scene. So that's cool. It's still around. That's fine.

[Dustin Ross]

Shout out to John Murray, man. So but that's it for me this week in TV land, we want to send uplift our sisters that are nominated in the best supporting actress category at the Oscars. You know who they are. If you don't, you can look them up. We also want to support our brothers who are nominated. We want the best. Michael B. Jordan just won the actor award previously known as the SAG award. That's a good sign. So we're just hoping for the best. Delroy Lindo is predicted to be the front runner in his category for best supporting actor.

[Fran]

Oh, God.

[Dustin Ross]

We want. It's so many things up in the area. Oh, I love award season in Hollywood. It's like a sport for me. I love keeping up with the stats of who won what, who was nominated for what. It's really an honor. People have a lot of kind of commentary on the value of awards and just the intention of awards in general. All that while that is a valid argument, that's something that needs to be discussed.

[Fran]

Both are true.

[Asante]

I don't care.

[Fran]

But it's so nice when the right people get it.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you. It's still nice when the right people. Thank you, friend. Exact. Amando. So I'm looking forward to the Oscars and seeing what everybody's gonna have on the Married to medicine reunion is coming up soon. They just released their reunion looks. All the ladies had reunion red on some look bad. Dr. Jackie and quiet look good. Toya looked good too. That's all. Angel love looked pretty too. Yeah, that's what I did. Simone did. Okay.

[Asante]

I saw some pictures of Dr. Brandy somewhere. She was looking good out. I was like, oh, Dr.

[Dustin Ross]

Brandy been putting it on during that. She just did a bunch of press or not. Not Dr. Brandy. I'm sorry. Cause she's a nurse. But Brandi is. Brandi been dressing her ass off. I be doing it too.

[Asante]

So.

[Dustin Ross]

But Brandi been dressing her ass off on this press run. She was on. Watch what happens live in this houndstooth number. Looking good as hell. So shout out to Brandi. Cause she really has been looking like a star and I love seeing that. But that's it. Make sure oh, you know what? One more thing. Belle Collective is good as hell this season. Make sure y' all are watching that on Fridays on own. And Love and Marriage. Huntsville just came back last Saturday too. And it's so much, much going on on Love and Marriage Huntsville right now. Oh my God. Like, for real. Y' all gotta tune the in. For real, for real, for real. Because it's going.

[Asante]

Melody's still gone. She's still over it. Done with that.

[Dustin Ross]

Melody is not a part of the cast anymore.

[Fran]

Really.

[Dustin Ross]

I miss her, but she's gone.

[Fran]

Since when? Like this.

[Dustin Ross]

This season. Y. Last season.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Dustin Ross]

So this is. Yep. She's not a part of the casting.

[Fran]

I wonder what the show is without her. Cuz she's such a big. Yeah, okay.

[Dustin Ross]

She was a central. She was. It was her show.

[Asante]

Literally.

[Fran]

Yeah, that's. Damn.

[Asante]

I hope she finds her way back to entertainment in a comfortable situation. Me too.

[Dustin Ross]

Cause I think she's a great TV personality.

[Asante]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I very much enjoyed her. I very much enjoyed Melly 100%.

[Dustin Ross]

I know she's doing really well with her skincare line, 7th Avenue Beauty. She's doing a lot of like, live selling on TikTok and really doing. Doing well over there.

[Fran]

Nice.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. So she's been. She's been busy and she's still, you know, present in that way, but. Which is amazing.

[Asante]

She doesn't even need that. So I think that's super fire. Like, like dope. Shout out to you, Melody, girl.

[Dustin Ross]

I miss her on TV a lot, but. Yes, but the show is good. It's different. It's a different show with different. It's telling different stories now. There's new people on the show. So just. I think people should give it a chance. Cause this season is good. And the trailer was on fire. The first episode was on fire. So. Yeah, tune in. And that's it for TV Land this week. For real this time.

[Fran]

And that means that that is it for us this week. Thank you guys for taking the time out to hang with us yet again. We don't take you for granted. We love you so much. And we'll catch you guys next week.

[Asante]

Stay black and protect your magic and your finger. Protect your.

[Fran]

Bye, y'. All.

[Dustin Ross]

This is.

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