Carol ReMarks
Carol reMarks on glamour, pop culture, and front-page news. Join me. I'm not a traditional podcast. Most of the time I am recording on-the-go with my iPhone voice memo app. Come along with me.
Carol ReMarks
The Unbelievable Tale of a Viral Squirrel, Starbucks Struggles, and Halloween Mischief
What happens when your pet squirrel becomes a social media sensation, only to be seized by the state? Join me on a whirlwind journey through recent news updates and personal anecdotes, where I ponder the whimsical nature of internet fame and the ethics surrounding Peanut the pet squirrel's unexpected drama. With a dash of humor, I'll share my contemplation about jumping on the TikTok bandwagon, explore societal changes that are reshaping my neighborhood, and search for those elusive uplifting stories amidst the noise of current events. It's a delightful mix of laughter and nostalgia, perfect for anyone needing a light-hearted break from reality.
As for the business side of things, tune in to hear my take on Starbucks' recent woes and what the new CEO's past success at Chipotle could mean for the coffee giant's future. From simplifying operations to stirring clear of political quagmires, there's plenty to discuss about the brand's potential strategies for revitalization. But it's not all serious; I'll sprinkle in reflections on Halloween traditions and neighborhoods that just aren't trick-or-treat-friendly, and cap it off by recounting a youthful misadventure involving Mad Dog and an impulsive decision gone hilariously wrong. Buckle up for a rollercoaster of quirky stories, personal reflections, and insightful observations that'll leave you both entertained and thoughtful.
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Well, hello and good morning. What do we have for you today? We have three somewhat well, one. We definitely have three topics. Two of them are kind of light and easy, the other one's not, the other one not so much. I have got to start.
Speaker 1:Let me rephrase that I want to start giving you some more light-hearted, fun, uplifting stories. They're hard to find, I don't know. I've just been feeling down lately. Especially yesterday was really weird. When I got home I went for a walk and I don't know.
Speaker 1:I've walked this routine, this path a lot since I've lived there over the years and I've always felt safe. I've always felt okay. I've always felt fine and okay, like nothing bad was ever going to happen. Not last night Yesterday, I felt really weird. I was always looking over my shoulder, I don't know. I just felt I felt really not safe, although nothing was happening, nothing out of the ordinary was happening. That to give me that, I don't know.
Speaker 1:People have moved out. People have died and moved out and new people come in. It's just not the same neighborhood anymore and if you look around you can tell it's kind of starting to wear and tear even more. People are not keeping up their houses like they used to, or their landscaping, I don't know it, just it. Just I don't know. I don't. I don't know if it's the political climate that we're in, I don't know if it's the biden administration, I don't know if it's kamala out there with her nazis and all this stuff, I don't know, it just's Kamala out there with her Nazis and all this stuff. I don't know, it just feels awful.
Speaker 1:Anyway, let me get to the stories. I went on a little rant there. I apologize, it'll pass. I feel a little bit better this morning. I feel more hopeful this morning. So we'll see. And luckily there are people pulling up in the parking lot, like, for example, I'm sitting in the parking lot in my work parking lot and there's a person out here walking on the sidewalk. Not that that's out of the ordinary, it's 5.30 in the morning, though Maybe he's walking to work, I don't know. But I am just so super paranoid about everything now, whereas I didn't used to be this way, and he's probably perfectly fine. My co-worker beside me, that just that, used to beat me to work all the time. He just pulled in. So I'm good. Not that this other person is going to do anything, he's just walking really slow, though All right, we're going to move on.
Speaker 1:Let's get to the topics. We are going to start with the squirrel topic. I thought of John Furion the Furion oh my gosh, I can't say his Twitter handle Fury Energy, furion Energy, all right. John Swank from Brutally Podcast and from Give Me Liberty Media, our group that we have. I thought about him when I saw this story about the squirrel being taken away from its owner, beloved pet squirrel, peanut, seized by New York State after seven years in this home. And the story starts oh nuts, a rescued pet squirrel that sat atop a social media and charity empire, has been seized by the New York State, by New York State, with its owner saying it's slated to be euthanized, according to an Instagram post. Why euthanize it? Why not put it out in the wild, my goodness? Why do you have to euthanize the damn thing? Why, there's no? Well, because it's New York. That's why. Because the people there, the leadership there, they're all about death. I know it's a squirrel, but come on, peanut.
Speaker 1:The squirrel was taken from his Elmira New York home Wednesday by officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation, who served a warrant to Peanut's guardians after receiving complaints of unlawfully possessed animals. According to the Post. People have nothing better to do but sit here and complain about other people. That's exactly what I'm doing. Well, internet, you won. The caption from account PeanutTheSquirrel12 reads you took one of the most amazing animals away from me because your selfishness To the group of people who called DEC. There's a special place in hell for you. I agree, peanuts owner.
Speaker 1:The DEC spokesperson confirmed to the Post that officers took away Peanut the squirrel and a pet raccoon. How is this hurting anybody? I don't know if he's been taking them to the vet to make sure they're okay. I don't know. I don't know the whole story behind it. I don't know that the story tells us any either. The squirrels owner, mark Longo, claimed that he was in shock and disbelief that DEC was going to allegedly euthanize his pet and friend. According to the social media post, the DEC said the animals were seized in coordination with Chemung County Health Department due to presence of a rabies vector species raccoon in the home. The state agency did not comment on whether the animals will be euthanized. I'm sure they will be. Longo took in Peanut seven years ago when he was a kit K-I-T After seeing its mother get hit by a car.
Speaker 1:According to social media accounts. Peanut boasts 432,000 followers. 532,000 followers a squirrel gets. How do I do that? Well, I'm not a squirrel, you know. I thought about this, for I always think well, I want more followers, I want this, I want that. And then I think about it. After I think about it, some more like no, no, I don't, I don't want all that that goes with that. No, I don't. Uh, so it's on. He's on his Instagram account. More than 423,000 followers on Facebook and over 2 million views on TikTok. That damn TikTok. Am I missing out on TikTok? Should I get on TikTok? Should I answer? I need an answer. I was on TikTok a very, very, very long time ago, for like three months, and then I decided to get rid of it, so I haven't had it in a year or two.
Speaker 1:All right, longo, a Connecticut native, moved to Elmira in 2023 to start an animal sanctuary named Peanuts Freedom Farm, a 501c3 approved non-profit. Well, there you go. So he. This is a. This is a an animal sanctuary. I don't know where his house is, though. Last year we moved to new york in hopes of starting a non-profit animal rescue in peanut's name. Peanuts freedom farm will forever live in peanuts memory.
Speaker 1:Longo wrote in the post announcing peanut seizure uh, with over 350 rescues wow. We've relied heavily on Peanut and his internet family to father donations to help more animals. I don't even know how we'll continue to fundraise for this nonprofit. Peanut's Freedom Farm is an organization made up of veterinarians and caregivers well, there you go who are dedicated to rescuing animals from abusive or dire situations, according to the group's website. From abusive or dire situations, according to the group's website. Following the announcement of Peanut's capture, longo posted several phone numbers for the Department of Environmental Conservation into his feed asking supporters to call in protest against the government's actions.
Speaker 1:I agree, hear, hear. I think you should go do that. All right, that's that story let's move on to. We're going to move on to this other horror, this horrible story, and then we're going to end it with a nicer story, hopefully. All right.
Speaker 1:Brute strangles woman unconscious outside Times Square Hotel, leaving her clinging to life. This is probably why I'm not feeling safe, because I read stories like this all the time lately, and it never used to be this way. It never. Just, you know, a handful of years ago it never used to be this way or they weren't reporting it. I just don't think it used to be there. I think it didn't used to be this way, but it's getting worse. All right, and it gives no reason, rhyme, reason, nothing. This is in broad daylight.
Speaker 1:A sicko choked out a woman outside a time square hotel tuesday morning, leaving her fighting for her life. According to cops and law enforcement sources, the maniac pounced on the woman, strangling, dragging her and leaving her unconscious on a sidewalk in front of re uh rio Times Square Hotel at 305 West 46th Street. Cops and sources said did no one jump in to help her? Obviously not. Police sources said hotel surveillance footage captured the gruesome attack. The unidentified woman, believed to be in her 30s, was rushed by EMTs to Mount Sinai Hospital where she is unconscious and clinging to life.
Speaker 1:Cops were called to the hospital around 1.16 am after the badly wounded woman arrived. Investigators why weren't they called before this? I just can't believe no one helped her. No one jumped in to help her. Cops, maybe nobody was out on the street, but I think it was broad daylight in the morning. Surely people were out and about, were they just walk by and say, oh, just a man beating up a woman, strangling her to death? Cops were called to the. Okay, I already read that Video from the hotel caught the creep violently dragging the mystery woman on the side dragging her. A photo obtained by the Post shows the accused assailant wearing a tan coat, black pants, black beanie and white sneakers walking near the hotel. The NYPD said it's unclear if the victim knew her attacker or what led to the shocking assault. Police said the perp remained on the loose on wednesday night.
Speaker 1:The attack came as assaults have erupted this year in midtown north precinct by 63 percent, with 245 felony assaults recorded as of october 27th, compared to 150 from the same period last year. Just last year, this has doubled, oh, more than doubled, gosh y'all. This is why I don't feel safe walking around, and I'm in Huntsville, alabama. Yes, it could happen here too. Don't think that it can't.
Speaker 1:Now I put another story out here for the New York Post. I'm not going to talk about it, you can go read it, and it's titled Not a Podcast Topic. But what a Pretentious Little Thing. This reporter is complaining and you should read this article. Oh my gosh, oh, it's ridiculous. I hope you go read it. All right, podcast topic.
Speaker 1:Starbucks CEO wants to make it easier for customers to get a cup of coffee as he reveals his bold plan to overhaul stores. Now, a lot of you people, I know, do not like Starbucks. I know it's very popular to not like Starbucks. I get it. I understand People say they have bad coffee. I like their coffee. I even like their plain black coffee. I've got coffee. I even like their plain black coffee. I've got it. I've ordered it. Excuse me, I've ordered it before and I like it. I like it. I know. Maybe I'm weird, but let's read the story.
Speaker 1:Starbucks CEO Brian Nickel on Wednesday told investors that he plans to overhaul Starbucks US locations, adding more comfortable seating, ceramic mugs and a coffee condiment bar, with customers' wait time of less than four minutes. Now, the Starbucks I have been in, they already have all of that. I don't know about the ceramic cups, or they used to, then they got rid of them, I'm not sure. Um, and they've got a condiment bar already. They have. They already have seating. I don't know, but I don't know how comfortable it is. All right, let's read on.
Speaker 1:Faced with failing demand I'm sorry, faced with falling demand for its pricey beverages in the key US and China markets, as well as a slide in its share price, starbucks investors are counting on the new CEO to steer the company back to growth. Now this new CEO I think he is responsible for Chipotle. Now, I've eaten Chipotle once. I don't care for it, so I don't know how well he's done with Chipotle. The company last week suspended its forecast for its 2025 fiscal year. Oh, that sounds pretty serious. Our financial results were very disappointing and it is clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers and return to growth.
Speaker 1:A lot of people will say change your coffee, lower your prices, quit being so pretentious. I know that's what people will say, because I don't know. And oh, here's another thing they can stop. Get out of the political business. How about that? Keep your mouth shut when it comes to news stories and political stories. Keep your mouth shut. That would help. Don't get out there and start cheering on these awful stories. All right, I'm sorry, I've lost my train of thought. I think you know what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 1:The CEO said he wanted to make it easier for our customers to get a cup of coffee. It's not that difficult. You can order it online. Pull up to the drive-thru and it's Esteban has it ready for you, just like that. It's not hard to order a damn cup of coffee and that the company would aim to reduce wait times to less than four minutes. To help with that and to make prices clear. Nickel also said that company would be simplifying its menu. It better not take away my favorite drink. I will be livid and I will contact Nickel personally if that Nickel, if that's what happens I don't think they will, because it's a popular drink. Nickel said staffing levels might increase, addressing a complaint that has often been voiced by baristas and by Starbucks workers united, which is seeking to unionize Starbucks workers. I want to make sure that the teams are staffed to win every transaction that would be a great idea and to make sure they get there to work on time and open the store. I think Esteban should lead this. I think Esteban should lead this movement because he's really good at his job.
Speaker 1:All right, investors are hoping that Nickel, an industry veteran and former Chipotle Mexican grill head, will simplify the company's leadership and operating structure and reinvigorate the coffee house culture at Starbucks. What does that even mean? Culture? Well, how about changing this image from being liberal, nasty liberalness, into something? Just sell me some coffee, all right, there's oh wait, said oh, oh, all right.
Speaker 1:Nichols said ceramic mugs would be offered to customers who are staying in the cafe and that actions would be taken over the coming months to separate pickup orders from sit-down orders. He said common sense, guardrails. I don't think really. Do people care about ceramic mugs? I don't know. I'm going to leave it at that. The article goes on for several more paragraphs. If you even care to read that, it's there. My main point was how can you improve Starbucks? Stay out of politics, keep your mouth shut, just serve some coffee. That's what I have to say. All right, I think that's about it and we need to go on to the question of the day. Now, remember, tomorrow is going to be a special episode with the gent and I, because it's our anniversary.
Speaker 1:Today is Halloween. Though Today is Halloween, this is not the question of the day. Do you guys get trick-or-treaters? We do not. We live in an area that, um, we don't. We just never have. The whole time I've lived there, we've never gotten any kind of trick-or-treaters. We live in a neighborhood though that's pretty, it's, I don't know, it's a weird location, so I don't. I can understand why people don't come to our neighborhood to trick-or-treat. It's not, it's not conducive for trick-or-treaters. Is that the right term that I'm looking for, I don't know. All right question of the day.
Speaker 1:All right, I had to do a little cheat cheat thing and go to the website, go to the inter interwebs, the internet, and look up fun questions to ask. And I read through several and this one jumped out at me and I'm going to ask this question when was the first time you got drunk? Where were you? How old were you, maybe? What happened? Do you remember anything like that? When was the first time you got drunk? I think the first time I got drunk I was in high school, got drunk. I think the first time I got drunk I was in high school and I think it was. I believe it was on Mad Dog A couple of my friends and I this is, it's a weird, it's a weird situation.
Speaker 1:My, I don't even know if I want to get into it, maybe I won't, but I, we, I was living in a temporary situation, I would say, and I, you know, was climbed out the bedroom window to go meet some of these new friends and we, somebody got a hold of some Mad Dog and we we drank it and it was two guys and me and another girl, and I don't even remember them, quite frankly. But the girl got super drunk, she passed out. We didn't know what to do, so we took her and left her at the front door of her house and rang the doorbell and left. Oh my God, we got in so much trouble. All right, I gotta go. Thanks for listening. Have a great day.
