Episode 2 - What's on our mind this week? Artwork

From LA LA to Utah

Relationship, weight loss, and pop culture podcast.

Chris and Dar found each other online at age 46. It was not love at first sight, but it was friendship that kept things moving forward. Now married, this channel provides a place for them to share their journey with their friends, family, and those who relate to their experiences. They talk about finding love later in life, weight loss, the desire to move abroad, as well as pop culture topics and anything else that's on their mind.

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From LA LA to Utah

Episode 2 - What's on our mind this week?

June 04, 2026 • FromLALAtoUtah • Season 1 • Episode 2

0:00 | 47:57

In Episode 2, Chris and Dar talk about the podcasts and YouTubers that have influenced their desire to start their own program. They also introduce you (officially) to Lottie, their cat, the newest Happy Meal, and Chris' new obsession with Cha Cha's coconut-flavored sunflower seeds. They also reference the tough situation journalists are facing today.

YouTube channels referenced in today's episode:

Philly and Keely https://www.youtube.com/@phillyandkeely

Rewilding Jude https://www.youtube.com/@rewildingjude

Restoring Number Four https://www.youtube.com/@restoringnumberfour

Dove and Serpent Tarot https://www.youtube.com/@doveandserpenttarot

Simple Scottish Living https://www.youtube.com/@simplescottishliving

FivePoints Vids https://www.youtube.com/@FivePointsVids

Geezy Tees https://www.youtube.com/@geezytees

Chris' stories referenced in today's episode:

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/local/st-george-area-pet-store-accused-of-selling-sick-puppies-draws-protesters/article_b6261c1d-b02d-5da0-9aa0-4ff9d707d0a9.html

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/southern-utah/president-trump-orders-higher-fees-for-foreign-visitors-to-national-parks-like-utahs-mighty-five

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/washington-county/st-george-youtube-logo-critics-weigh-in-on-utahs-2034-winter-olympics-logo

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Thank you for tuning in. Have a great week!

Episode #2: What's on our mind this week?

Chris 0:12

Hello, I'm Chris from LA LA where I grew up in The Val, that is the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.

Dar 0:17

Hi, I'm Dar. I grew up here in St. George, Utah. Chris and I met online in 2018, and we've been married since October of 2021.

Chris 0:25

So, second episode. However, you think the first one went?

Dar 0:29

I I was really glad just to get started. It's not perfect, neither is the intro. Like our technology, my technology, because this is kind of my baby. I felt like it needed to be done for a long time. And so just the fact that we have an episode in the bag feels really good.

Chris 0:45

So this is your your baby. If if in broadcast terms, coming from broadcast myself, uh you'd be the producer pretty much. And uh, I'm just along for the ride in a way.

Dar 0:57

But I'm glad you're along for the ride because it's our story, not just my story, right?

Chris 1:01

That's right.

Dar 1:01

But yeah, I'm I've been you know coming up with things that we want to talk about or things that we end up talking about throughout the day. And I was really honestly, I was inspired by Did You Get My Text, which was Patton Oswalt with Meredith Salinger. And they had a story so much like ours. Like they they met online. Well, no, they had a mutual friend that had invited them over and they started getting to know each other kind of through text first. Right.

Chris 1:30

Yeah, I mean let's just talk about inspirations because that's you know, we weren't I know you and I were both inspired to do this by other people. Meredith, obviously. Totally. I'm a big Patton Oswalt fan of. Gotta admit, I had a major crush on Meredith when Natty Gann, right from Natty Gann. I want to be Natty Gann's friend along with the dog.

Dar 1:51

Of course. I feel like, and maybe you share this too. I feel like if we knew them in person, we would be BFFs. Like they're our celebrity doppelganger couple. Um, I feel like you're tall, much taller than Patton. Um, I might be slightly... Much taller than anybody. That's true. But I feel like we could totally geek out. We could talk about psychology, we could talk about finding love in later in life, we could talk about so many things, and I just I feel like they're so genuine.

Chris 2:14

And I could talk about Studio City and Gelson's because that's where they are. And I know about Gelson's, which is basically a really ritzy supermarket. If you're ever in LA and you want to see like an apple that costs twenty dollars each, go to Gelson's.

Dar 2:27

Well, and I there's two things that really impressed me um lately is you showed me the what was it, the improv improvisational son um scene that he did for Parks and Rec, yeah, and he just went on and on. He was freaking amazing!

Chris 2:43

And basically inspired the opening of Book of Boba Fett.

Dar 2:46

Yeah. I love that they took his ideas and put it into practice.

Chris 2:49

Yeah.

Dar 2:50

Um and then with the anniversary of Patton's first wife passing and how kind and gracious Meredith was, and I just I know their character and their quality is just they seem like great people.

Chris 3:01

So someone else who inspired us, I would say, um, for many reasons, is Penn and Kim Holderness.

Dar 3:08

Oh, the Holderness family. We again, I think we would be like, you have ADD, like Penn has.

Chris 3:15

Yeah, I have ADHD. I have anxiety. If you haven't seen uh uh read rather Penn's um books on ADHD, that makes it understandable for those who don't have it, and also an inspiration for those who do, like myself, really check it out.

Dar 3:30

Well, and it puts up a very positive spin. Like so many people, the name itself labels it as a disorder, and it's just not. It's just how your brain works differently, right? It's a difference. It's um but I've I mean they they've been on the air for at least what 10, 11 years now.

Chris 3:47

I mean, their their first rise to fame was the Christmas jammy YouTube video. But but I think we really, I mean, I knew about that, but we really caught wind of them. Um with Laugh Lines or Well, night before Laugh Lines, Amazing Race. We are huge Amazing Race people.

Dar 4:02

That's right. We don't miss a a series, really.

Chris 4:05

Yeah.

Dar 4:05

Um and they've they won their season. Like, spoiler alert, it's a few years past now, but they were amazing. And they're I think they're couple goals. Like I'll you can visibly see the love between them. Um, and I'd like to think we're we're that way too. Um, but yeah, they're best friends and they have a lot of fun and they they let us in on that fun.

Chris 4:24

So and also, I mean some other inspirations Armchair Expert, Dax Shepard. I love it. Monica Padman I listen to it so often.

Dar 4:30

Uh Monica and Dax, yeah. Um they have so they have such a wide variety of topics and they delve so deep into it and they ask the questions they we want to know, right? Um it's it's more of an academic, I feel, uh podcast. But yeah.

Chris 4:44

And some, I mean, I know for both of us, we are big um Brene Brown people. We love you, Brene.

Dar 4:51

Love you.

Chris 4:51

Not a chance you're watching this little dinky...

Dar 4:54

Well, but I mean, I found her on YouTube, you know, the The Power of Vulnerability, and basically growth can't happen unless you're willing to be vulnerable, right?

Chris 5:03

Vulnerable and boundaries.

Dar 5:04

And boundaries.

Chris 5:05

We'll talk in future episodes, I think, about that, how I've how to deal with that, those boundaries, whether it's the ex-wife, whether it's it's what keeps you and the other person or other people safe.

Dar 5:15

Like there, there is a you know, there is a point where you're like, now you've gone too far. You know.

Chris 5:20

And you've always been a massive, and you know, I mean, I love her to death too, but I mean you you live and die by Oprah.

Dar 5:28

Oprah is my girl. I love her. Like, I think I watched every episode of the Oprah Winfrey show for 25 years that she was on, four o'clock on ABC4. Um loved it all through high school.

Chris 5:40

ABC 7 Los Angeles.

Dar 5:42

When she started OWN, her own network. I mean, I followed her and even her podcast now. Like, I feel like she genuinely wants to share what she learns and to make other people's lives better. At least that's the feeling that I get.

Chris 5:58

I think it's funny that I said like Oprah Winfrey, as if like it, like you know, everyone doesn't know she's a one-namer. Like is that Oprah Smith? Oprah Jones? No, Oprah Winfrey, yes. Um, someone else we we're gonna introduce. Um, you'll see her occasionally jumping on my lap, um, like in the last episode, um, is our cat Lottie.

Dar 6:19

Yes.

Chris 6:20

Um Well, you know, I think we alluded to this in the last episode. Come here, Lottie. Can you come up here?

Dar 6:26

Good girl.

Chris 6:27

Good girl, there she is. There is this is Lottie right here.

Dar 6:30

She's a very good girl.

Chris 6:32

And we discovered her. She doesn't like it.

Dar 6:34

Well, we a family member discovered her, really. Really.

Chris 6:38

Um, she's named Lottie because as a kitten, she was found by the wonderful organization here called RSQ Cats.

Dar 6:45

RSQ, yeah.

Chris 6:46

RSQ Animals in a parking lot. So that's why she's Lottie. We kept the name because it just it fit. It's very Welsh, actually.

Dar 6:53

Um yeah, and she just she brings so much, she's actually a certified um emotional support animal, and she has brought so much life to our family. Um, she's been with us, I want to say seven years now. Um, but yeah, I I will try to upload some photos or some video of her just so you can enjoy it.

Chris 7:14

I when she was younger, she's how old is she now?

Dar 7:16

Like I think she's seven or eight. Seven or eight.

Chris 7:19

Yeah. Um when she was younger, we would um I would say, let's go, I'd say OUT if I say outside, she's gonna go berserk right now. Um and she would jump on my shoulder.

Dar 7:30

Yeah.

Chris 7:31

Um she doesn't do that anymore.

Dar 7:32

She's gained a little weight and aged since then. So it's it's not as easy for her.

Chris 7:36

But but she is amazing. And if you have a I'd strongly recommend if you are thinking of a pet, look to the shelters, look to these agencies like RSQ Cats here, RSQ in in um or PAWS here in St. George.

Dar 7:52

That Or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab. Like there's so many good, good animal charities out there that and they know when you rescue them. They know that you've saved their life from especially if it's a kill shelter. Like I anything you can do just to adopt, we would really or even donate, donate food, donate anything you can to these organizations.

Chris 8:10

I mean, I've done stories, as you know, I won an award for a story on on so-called puppy mills, and there's a lot of people who just have issues with how they're they're basically bred in these factories practically. Um But I I, you know, Lottie has been she was with us during the pandemic and she's just been wonderful. So we're showing you as we go along a couple videos and stuff. Yeah, but she is an amazing cat.

Dar 8:37

She's awesome.

Chris 8:38

With that, that's a little bit of uh recap and inspirations, and we're gonna take a little bit of a break if that's okay.

Dar 8:45

Sounds good.

Chris 8:46

We'll be back with some more LA LA to Utah.

Stranger Things Happy Meal and Chris' Newest Obsession

Dar 9:39

This next segment is called What's On Our Mind.

Chris 9:42

We really want to start. I mean, we're gonna figure out like songs that will be like what's on our mind? We will, yes. But we're just starting out.

Dar 9:49

One thing at a time. We'll get there.

Chris 9:51

But during our break, um there's a box right there. Yeah. Um it's a Stranger Things Happy Meal. I'll grab it. Okay, she's grabbing it. Um so no paid advertisement, but it's McDonald's Happy Meal, which with our weight loss, Happy Meals

Dar 10:08

We shared.

Chris 10:09

We share one Happy Meal and we're full.

Dar 10:12

Yeah.

Chris 10:13

So it's like the little this is like the tiny little fries before our weight loss surgery. This would not even uh McDonald's never filled me up. Yeah. And now one happy meal, half of one happy meal does, but yeah, I digress. Um it has so it comes with the Stranger Things figurine. I'm gonna open it up because I'm curious what this is. So it says Mike. So I assume it's Mike. Yep. Mike Stranger Things.

Dar 10:38

Yep.

Chris 10:40

Okay, it's a box. Okay, it's a box. What's in the box?

Dar 10:48

It looks like the Bowers like little hut uh try to open it.

Chris 10:51

It has like a circular thing. And I'm trying to open it. Okay, I'm not Okay, do I line this up? Okay, this is not great.

Dar 11:02

There's a picture on the front that you you need to line up.

Chris 11:05

Yeah, I think. Okay, if I'm having trouble with this, would a kid have trouble? Did you get it? No. No.

Dar 11:13

Okay, I think. Let's see if I got it.

Chris 11:16

Did you figure this out?

Dar 11:18

Let me check.

Chris 11:19

Usually this is what happens. She'll figure it out after I have many fruitless efforts.

Dar 11:24

We've got it.

Chris 11:24

Oh, what's in there? Oh. It's Mike. I don't know if we can we'll show it. We'll show a uh steel store snap when we uh you'll see right now. But it's it looks like I okay, he's what is he? He's like holding up a walkie, it looks like he's it looks like he's being held up. Like, hands up, which I don't remember in Stranger Things.

Dar 11:46

I think he's got the walkie that he's like code red, code red. Pretty cool.

Chris 11:51

Yeah, good job, McDonald's.

Dar 11:52

Yeah, very cool.

Chris 11:53

Trivia, what was the first McDonald's Happy Meal?

Dar 11:55

I don't know. What was it?

Chris 11:56

Um, I remember it because it was it was the Star Trek meal.

Dar 12:01

Star Trek?

Chris 12:02

Wow for the first star Star Trek motion picture. Wow. We can go on about Star Trek movies later, but um yeah, I'm wearing Next Gen characters. But yeah, so that is the first it wasn't meant to be a regular thing. They just made this special Star Trek meal, and it was such a hit. It had a little Klingon or some kind of Star Trek toy, a little Enterprise. I remember just this was cool. And at the time, Burger King was all about Star Wars. You got the Star Wars cup, so it was like the response. So fast food Star Trek versus Star Wars.

Dar 12:35

It's such a great marketing idea that has been integrated our whole lifetime, basically, since since we were young kids.

Chris 12:41

And that ever so we are old enough to remember when the Happy Meal was new. So that right there, if you're younger, you're going, boy, they're old. But we're not old. We're not old. Um so part of what's on our minds, we talk about things happening during the week. Um we try to be as positive as possible. Um as an objective journalist for the most part, I'm not gonna be too opinated, but my wife is. So let's talk about uh what we want to talk about.

Dar 13:05

Well, the first thing that's on my mind is Stephen Colbert. So I I've watched him. I mean, sh my sister and I went to a recording of the Colbert Report, like a live taping.

Chris 13:16

I never got that for a moment.

Dar 13:17

Yeah, oh, it was amazing. Um I just as a human being, I just love him.

Chris 13:21

Yeah.

Dar 13:22

Uh he's a true devout Catholic, he has a he's a man of character. He seems to try to uplift as well. Like he he he doesn't really trash talk people. Um I will just miss his spin on politics, especially. How you can kind of get the news of the day, get the gist of it through his monologue.

Chris 13:37

And there was joy to it, yeah, I have to say. But uh I remember him all the way back to the day, you know, before Daily Show, he was on uh a D the Dana Carvey. You can find him on YouTube. There were some great episodes where they just in prime time, they just did some pretty experimental stuff. So Colbert was on it and Steve Carell was on it. Um and then they both went to the Daily Show and the rest is history.

Dar 13:58

But um I miss him a lot.

Chris 14:00

I his humor is amazing. You know, right now we're going through something in this country. Um some people are calling it the War on Laughter. Um the War on Free Expression.

Dar 14:10

Um which is why, even more reason, we're starting this up because we want to spread laughter, we want to uplift, we don't want to cause more pain or havoc. So yeah.

Chris 14:21

So And it is it is weird. It's a dilemma in journalism, I have to say, that things that used to be it wasn't biased to say we like laughter.

Dar 14:32

Or that the immunizations are a good idea, or that science is good. Like all of those things.

Chris 14:37

But now we have to be careful. Are we taking a side? Yeah, it's weird. Yeah, it is really weird.

Dar 14:43

As a teacher, as a journalist, yeah, we're living in a really weird time. And I'm sure I'm concerned, and I know you're concerned, that I'm seeing journalists not able to tell the real story, that they're losing their jobs, there are things that are happening, and we won't get into that too much today. But I mean, when 60 Minutes is going off the air, or that its ratings are plummeting, or or that um Anderson Cooper, he's not a part of it anymore.

Chris 15:08

Well, I think the biggest thing on that that I find baffling, if you want to take away the politics of it, if you want to take away, is you have a show that for my almost my whole life, you know, lifetime has been consistently in the top 10. Yeah. We're talking 1980 when All in the Family was on, 60 Minutes was there. When Cosby Show was on, 60 Minutes was in the top 10.

Dar 15:29

I just really miss that reliable source of news that it's not sharing for ratings. That's not the goal. It's we need to inform the public. This is happening. Right.

Chris 15:39

But what's baffling to me though is this is your cash cow. So why are you doing anything? I mean, I understand you want to make adjustments and all that, but coming in full scale and say, we're just gonna rip this thing apart.

Dar 15:50

No.

Chris 15:51

You uh how many that's this is New Coke. You don't take something that people Coke Classic and say, we're gonna do New Coke. This right now they're doing New Coke to 60 Minutes. And that's not, I I just I hope it's a phase.

Dar 16:04

I hope it's I hope it's I hope it turns around.

Chris 16:07

I just I'm it's a little warning if you you know that that to those involved that New Coke didn't work. Um so New 60 Minutes is not gonna work either.

Dar 16:17

So yeah, so anyway, uh most people who care about integrity and they're they're if they're a journalist and they can't tell their story, they're having to go on their own channels, really.

Chris 16:27

So something uh weight loss really is on your mind.

Dar 16:30

Yes. So something else. Um it just hit my radar and I want to delve into it a little bit more called lipodema. And so it kind of goes hand in hand with if you've lost a lot of weight like we have, and you're noticing that certain parts of your body are not being they're not going away, like they're still as big as they used to be or close, there's a good chance that you're dealing with a lymphatic drainage system issue.

Chris 16:51

This doesn't even mean and I've done health more than that.

Dar 16:53

Yeah, and I can see it like I again I've not been diagnosed by a doctor. I've self-diagnosed this thing just based on what I read, but it basically means that your lymphatic drainage system is blocked up. Like either you haven't been drinking enough water, um, you haven't been moving enough, it's a circulatation circulation issue. Um, and so I'm at the very top of that, just kind of delving in. Um, I ordered some leggings that are supposed to improve circulation and some supplements that are supposed to uh help you hydrate.

Chris 17:22

So, yeah, I think we'll kind of cover this extensively on the other. I think I'll do more. I think we could do just a whole segment.

Dar 17:28

Yeah, I think so. And it is genetic, there's a genetic component.

Chris 17:30

Um but I I something on my mind is I should mention that Dar's birthday is approaching.

Dar 17:39

Yes, on Saturday. I'll be 54.

Chris 17:43

Wow, you publicly getting it. She's 54. I'm 15. I will always be 15.

Dar 17:49

No, no, that that that's a legal issue for me. So don't be that young.

Chris 17:52

I'm sorry.

Dar 17:53

Well you're six months younger.

Chris 17:56

I am. She is a cougar. I am the younger person in this relationship. I'm I'm you know, I'm always gonna be younger.

Dar 18:02

Yes. And age is a state of mind, right? We're always just gonna be big kids. It really is.

Chris 18:06

And speaking of being a big kid, I have my addiction right now. Yes, he's so obsessed. Once again, not a paid sponsor, but um but please, if you want Cha Cha, you want to be paid sponsored if you want to make your addictive your stuff here, guys. Yes, coconut sunflower seeds. This is the best. I mean, I can't get I've had you know, Dar's or we we've ordered cups, and I can only fill the cup and ask, you know, we had to limit it because otherwise you would be snacking on it all day long. All day, 24 hours a day. I would have these. It's it's it's coconut flavor, it's it's natural ingredients. It's from uh gosh, I don't know if it's from Malaysia or it's from somewhere in Asia.

Dar 18:42

But the brand is Cha Cha. Cha Cha. And these are coconut flavored. And yeah, he he since you discovered them, we have not run out in the house. Like you had to have a regular stock.

Chris 18:54

We have at least three or four of these right now, and I order more as we go along.

Dar 18:57

Yes, it's true. Yeah.

Chris 18:58

So speaking of orders, I guess we have to order on for some wonderful paid advertising that is not Cha Cha probably. Maybe it will be. Maybe I'll Cha Cha commercial coming right up. Yep. Or this is, I don't know. But we'll be back with more From LA LA t o Utah.

Dar 19:14

Right after this.

What We Are Watching This Week

Dar 19:15

Chris 19:18

And we're back, and we really need to come up with the title of this segment, but it's basically what programs, what movies we're into this week, and we've got we always do. Um but um we just watched the finale of a show that I I as a lover of alternate history and the space program, this is like m you know, and the fact I love Ron Moore, who brought us, who came to us through Star Trek Next Generation at first. He literally just wrote in and said can I do a script, and he ended up on the show and doing a script for the show.

Dar 19:52

And Battlestar Galactica.

Chris 19:54

Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, yeah, um, and um a lot of other stuff. But um it's called For All Mankind, and it's season five finale uh just came on.

Dar 20:06

It was yesterday, wasn't it? Or last couple days?

Chris 20:08

Just in a gist. It's basically an alternate world, let's say, where the Russians get to the moon first and walk before the US, and it just domino effect from there is fascinating.

Dar 20:21

And each season jumps ahead a decade.

Chris 20:23

And not only that, but basically because the moon race never ended, technology is at least space travel-wise, is fast. So it's it's 20, I think it's 2011, 2012, and this season's about what goes on on a Mars base, to give you an idea.

Dar 20:42

Yeah.

Chris 20:43

Um, and so the finale just happened. We're not gonna do any spoilers. But what do you think?

Dar 20:48

Uh it's very enjoyable. I mean, it's interesting, clear back from the beginning, to see them dressed in the 60s, and you know, each year, you know, each season jumps ahead 10 years. Just how they say, well, John Lennon didn't die, and so they played Live Aid, yeah, Beatles play Live Aid or yeah, and it just it's take it takes the history that we know and kind of goes into a different different timeline.

Chris 21:09

There's a woman lesbian president in the 1990s. I think. Yeah. Um it's a different in a lot of ways it's it's a much better world, though it also has its growing pains, and that's what happened this season. It kind of went to go through those growing pains. Uh what Moore has always said is it's it's meant to almost be the star of Star Trek, like how they got there.

Dar 21:31

Okay.

Chris 21:32

Though it's not, I mean it's not in cannon or anything.

Dar 21:34

It's totally different, yeah.

Chris 21:35

Obviously, they've been leading to what's gonna be its final season next year, which takes place um in the 2020s, so they they've caught up to us basically.

Dar 21:43

Yeah, yeah.

Chris 21:44

And um they they're gonna leap at current time. And it's it it's just fascinating that at this point they've just discovered well, they they discovered something, and it's gonna lead to the next season. But it it's if it's really a show that a lot of people have. Not every time I bring this up with people like, what is this show?

Dar 22:03

Well, and it's on Apple, and Apple doesn't promote it a lot. It's just they'll drop an episode and you're like, whoa.

Chris 22:08

But and then they've uh the new spin-off, which we have not watched yet, we're about to. Um, it's called Star City, which is from the Soviet perspective. Because in the show, because the Soviets got there first, Soviet Union still exists. It didn't stop. Uh-huh. You know, so it's kind of fascinating too. Um just the geopolitics and all that. I I love it. Um we went to uh you know movies? We're Star Wars people, so what do you think we saw?

Dar 22:32

Yeah, Mandalorian and Grogu, of course.

Chris 22:35

Of course. Um and I think I'm gonna get into the the dark side of fandom right now, which is all the trolls that it's it's it's all they want to do is hate. And we don't we want it.

Dar 22:51

We loved yeah, we don't want any of that hate here. Like no.

Chris 22:54

Yeah, we're not but I mean clearly, I mean, and and we know from stories that it was meant to be season four of the show. It was, it was already written. They, you know, Disney powers that be said, let's make it a movie.

Dar 23:04

Yeah.

Chris 23:05

It doesn't, but it doesn't feel truncated, it doesn't feel like we're watching nine episodes at once. It had a good pace to it. It had a good pace.

Dar 23:10

It didn't have a lot of exposition at the beginning. So if you have never seen an episode of The Mandalorian, you might be a little lost as to who these characters are. But I don't think there's so much that if you've never seen it, you you can pick it up pretty quickly.

Chris 23:23

I I just it was great Star Wars. And I think part of the problem that's happened is because it's an internet thing. I mean, because people spoilers number one. I mean, there's this new tendency from some awful sites that are usually done by AI. So almost put a spoiler in the title.

Dar 23:42

In the title, yeah.

Chris 23:43

XX died. Let's talk about yeah.

Dar 23:45

Why?

Chris 23:46

And I'm not saying anyone died or lived in The Mandelorian and Grogu

Dar 23:49

Yeah, it's just that's just an example.

Chris 23:50

Well, it's like so there's that, and I think people have an expectation in their head, and we always have. I mean, I remember as a kid, I had an expectation what Return of the Jedi was gonna be. But let the creator do their story. I mean, if you don't like it, fine. But don't say this is what I thought was gonna happen. Well, you aren't making The Mandalorian and Grogu, are you? You're not George Lucas.

Dar 24:10

You can create your own fandom, it's okay.

Chris 24:12

Create your own fandom, create your own thing. That's you know, but you know what I was satisfied. Um I I can, you know, without spoiling anything. It doesn't, I don't think it advanced Star Wars a great deal. Um, there are some great new characters and some returning characters who were once babies.

Dar 24:30

But there but a lot happened that was endearing or that showed the closeness of the characters. It felt like episodes of a season that there's there's gotta be more coming, right?

Chris 24:39

Exactly. You know, it's great Star Wars. Um, like I said, I think the ultimate goal from John Favreau and the powers that be, who now, and and and Dave Falone, who it's funny because you actually see the culmination of a lot of stuff he established in his very first thing. Um the very first episode of Clone Wars was his first Star Wars thing. So it introduced Ahsoka, amazing character, um, which was co-created by Lucas. Um and um Jabba's son, who's a baby in that, and he's a big buff. I remember people were like, how can how can huts be buff?

Dar 25:16

Yeah. He is. They make him buff.

Chris 25:18

Let's let's start with the fact that have you seen an actual hut in real life? No, you haven't. So if the huts are suddenly buff, let them be buff. You know, Jabba just sat around all day, his son basically works out, goes to Summit Athletic or Holiday Fitness. I don't know.

Dar 25:36

He becomes like a like a wrestler kind of thing. Like he be he becomes monetized, he becomes kind of a celebrity.

Chris 25:42

It does feel a bit though, like, and I'm not trying to I I mean, you know, there's a little bit of the Disney corporateness to me, where I think I feel like they're trying to ultimately create the Star Wars Avengers where Jabba's son is basically the Hulk um uh Din Djarin. I watch that. I know, it'd be great. And Ahsoka is kind of a Black Widow, though she's much she's got more power than just doing this. Um so I mean, I think I it it we know it's it always was meant to be season four of The Mandalorian, then season two of Ahsoka, which is coming up next year, yeah, and then a big old everyone comes together, Ahsoka and her, you know, and and the people from Star Wars Rebels, which has been great to another thing, by the way, people were ragging on Ahsoka. I I thought it was great. It's fantastic to certainly see people like Ezra Bridger in live action. Yeah.

Dar 26:33

Um I agree.

Chris 26:34

I mean, it's it's been a joy for me having a love.

Dar 26:37

Rebels wasn't on my radar until you showed me the cartoons. I hadn't seen any of that. And there's so much that happens in these movies or in the series that were established as canon in the cartoons. And so if you don't know that background, I think that's because people look at animation as being just for kids.

Chris 26:52

It's not. I mean, uh, you know, but but you probably thought, oh, it's this kid's Star Wars cartoon. I'm not watching it.

Dar 26:58

It just wasn't on my radar.

Chris 26:59

It's it's the same writers, it's it's um, and there's some amazing, I mean, Star Wars Rebels, especially was just amazing. Yeah. Um, it's great Star Wars, and this was great Star Wars. And, you know, if you like Star Wars, certainly if you love the series, you'll love this. If you don't like Star Wars, I don't know. I don't know maybe you won't. But you know, but at the same time, if you view it, to me, I loved basically I call it Space Chicago and Space Louisiana Bayou, they have in the movie. And I thought even in of course, um the music by uh Göransson is just like he's he's won two Oscars in a row for a reason. Um he's just brilliant. Space Chicago music, I keep playing it. It's awesome.

Dar 27:47

Well, we're just gonna be baked-in fans for every Star Wars thing because I mean I mean it's okay to be critical.

Chris 27:53

It's okay to say and certainly, I mean, let's go to Star Trek. Yeah. Everyone universally, as much as we love Michelle, Section 31 was awful. Absolutely awful.

Dar 28:03

Yeah. Um Well, but getting back to um gosh, what was I ... Oh! Andor and The Acolyte. I like both of those too. And there are episodes of Andor that are so relevant. So relevant. That are so well done.

Chris 28:18

And by the way I remember when Andor was coming out, people were like, because it it's it started slow. It's like people, said this sucks.

Dar 28:23

Yeah, but there was a lot of texture to it. There was a lot of subtext.

Chris 28:26

And that one says this is a great, it's like another key example. The the Star Wars sequels, uh-huh, I will stand by and you know that Last Jedi is one of the best Star Wars movies. But everyone was like, this is I knew this is once again, they had their their phandom in their head where the story goes, this isn't what I thought, so bring JJ Abrams back. So they bring him back for Last of Skywalker, and it's a mess. It's an absolute mess. So now everyone thinks that stinks, and you know, we'll we'll bring back uh Last Jedi, bring back uh, you know, the people who made that. People just watch or don't watch if you don't like it. It's fine. Don't watch if you don't like it. And it's okay if it's okay to be like, you know.

Dar 29:08

Yeah, but we just don't have to take everything down. We just don't have to be so negative all the time.

Chris 29:13

Exactly. Yeah. Just a middle ground. There's a critical eye and there's a negative eye. Yeah. Or it should be just be, we just have a critical eye. So well, we're out of time. Is our time up for this segment?

Dar 29:24

We went way past.

Chris 29:25

We can talk, we can talk forever on on these, but we will be we'll be back right

YouTube Channels We Are Into

Chris 29:30

after this.

Dar 29:32

All right, we'll we're back. And I realized we did not go over our fan gear. Mine is "Dearest gentle reader" from Bridgerton.

Chris 29:40

Bridgerton.

Dar 29:40

This is my fan gear today. And yours is indeed.

Chris 29:43

Yes, this is the Next Gen. Next Gen. Um Dar got this for me.

Dar 29:48

Um when you were much bigger, you've lost a lot of weight.

Chris 29:50

Yeah, I mean, this is a tent on me now. I still love it. A little NASA.

Dar 29:54

NASA shirt, yeah.

Chris 29:55

So yeah, that's our pop culture clothing for today. And and and this don't this this is what we wear. I, you know, when I was on TV, I couldn't wear this, but it's pretty much it's either this or jerseys. Um Go Knights.

Dar 30:08

That's true.

Chris 30:08

Uh Stanley Cup.

Dar 30:10

Yep. So well, we're gonna continue with the things that are on our mind. And what's been on my mind lately is the number of YouTube influencers that I have kind of become obsessed with lately.

Chris 30:21

And inspirations again.

Dar 30:22

Totally inspirational. Um, the very first one that I want to highlight is Philly and Keeley. They're just so they're close to my heart because number one, they helped you with a story.

Chris 30:32

Yeah, for Fox 13, I I um I did a story on um people from other countries coming with the increased fees at Zion.

Dar 30:39

At the national park. Yeah.

Chris 30:40

And Philly and Keeley talked to me about it, and they were fantastic.

Dar 30:43

They were fantastic. They were willing to go on the record with their experience. And uh and I'm not gonna spoil it, but they have something major happening in their life, and so please go to their channel. I'll put a link in the in the comments.

Chris 30:53

Philly and Keeley. They're just they they literally they live the van life. A lot of people are doing this now, but but they they're from Ireland.

Dar 31:01

They're from Northern Ireland, and they've been traveling, they've traveled all around the world, but right now they're in America. In America seeing the National Parks. Um, but they're they're an inspiration in couple goals. I think they're just so cute together. And as and they're so positive.

Chris 31:14

They're Chrisalyn. Explain when we say that someone's a Chrisalyn.

Dar 31:18

It's Chris and Dara lyn put together, Chrisalyn. Uh and what we mean by that is just we can see the true love, the true friendship.

Chris 31:25

They're best friends.

Dar 31:26

Yeah. That's so if you're a Chrisalyn, that's couple goals.

Chris 31:29

You're either a Chrisalyn or a Philly and Keely. Um what yeah, they're both um synonyms.

Dar 31:36

Yeah. So going on, um, another one that I really love right now is Rewilding Jude. So Jude bought a piece of property in northern Scotland, and he is renovating it. Um he's doing a lot of upcycling, using a lot of things. Like if he took down a shed, he'll reuse that to build like a storage facility or like for his chicken coop. And um, I just the visuals are so soothing. Um, and just his personality and the way that he conveys things and the cinematography. And I just I'm a little obsessed with Jude at the moment.

Chris 32:10

And what I love is you watch him take things on his property just anything. So he doesn't spend any money, he just I mean, he will if he needs like a hinge. Sometimes he takes like old material, old siding that he just happens to have, or or rock that he's and and he uses it to to build sheds and whatnot.

Dar 32:31

Well, and I mean he's basically starting a brand new type of life, like the slower rural life and learning it as he goes. Like because it uh and he'll be the first to admit he doesn't have any formal training in using power tools and you know designs and things, and uh he double checks his maths quite a bit, and you know, it's just he's figuring things out, but he and he's living alone and he's accomplishing so much with like canning and bottling and freezing and figuring out the well and a new water feature, and it's just the visuals for me is what draws me in, and then it's Jude that keeps you there.

Chris 33:09

And then down in Scotland, uh oh that's uh that's that's um up in Scotland, and down in Wales is another group you like.

Dar 33:16

Yeah, so um it is Restoring Number Four. It's Chris and Paloma, and they're actually I've seen them on Rewilding Jude, and I've seen them with Philly and Keely. So they're all friends, and I love it. And I would like to think that if we were in the UK, we would be right in there helping out with the project, serving tea, whatever.

Chris 33:32

Restoring stuff, uh driving around Avengers.

Dar 33:35

Yeah, well, I think the Restoring Number Four, they're in Cardiff, I think.

Chris 33:40

Yeah, yeah, it's outside in the outskirts of Cardiff.

Dar 33:42

The most recent video that we saw was it they did kind of a recap of the last three years of them redoing their garden and just how much they've accomplished, and it's beautiful, it's amazing. So, again, very positive, best friends, like just all of these, the synergy and the positivity and the can-do attitude. These are people doing things themselves and just figuring it out.

Chris 34:02

And a quick aside, we were in Cardiff and other parts of Wales a few months ago. So that'll be a future episode.

Dar 34:08

Yeah, it was a lot of fun. It was my first time in the UK.

Chris 34:10

And I know it's one other, but but let's go back to Scotland for a second, because it's another Chrisalyn.

Dar 34:16

Simple Scottish Living, um, which is um Zach and Annie. And actually, they have started their little side business that if you are relocating to Scotland, they they're offering their services to help answer questions, to run errands for you, to to do anything. They've got a relocation service. And but it started out as just kind of a family blog. They were they're from California. Well, Zach is from Scotland, yeah. But they met um in I think Georgia at a at a children's camp, I think. And they lived in California. They they were together for 10 years before moving back to Scotland to provide their three kids a more rural, slower type of life, more like what Zach had. And it's just so fun to watch the updates of you know, things that they're redoing their kitchen or um, you know, going on a hike. They've shown us amazing hiking places. Yeah um and it's just you can tell, again, couple goals, best friends, having so much fun, figuring it out.

Chris 35:14

And now you're also a sucker. No, sucker's wrong thing. I'm a sucker for uh certain sites, but I think you we want to talk about something you're into, which is Well, I'm into all this DIY stuff and relocation stuff, but I'm also I found this.

Dar 35:29

Uh he reads tarot.

Chris 35:31

Yeah.

Dar 35:31

And it's Dove and Serpent Tarot. Um, and his name is Paul Thomas, and I I'm just blown away by his he does general readings for each sign, but I've bookmarked probably the last 30 readings for for my specific sign. It comes out Monday and Friday, and I tune in every Monday and Friday, and I just he's so spot on. And he gives me encouragement. He he he gives me that spiritual battery recharge that I need.

Chris 36:00

Um I think I I use uh it's kind of I mean I'm a sucker for certain sites. This is not you. It's kind of not your thing. It's not my thing, but you take it as an inspiration.

Dar 36:11

I do. It inspires me because it's there's so much of self-doubt. There's so much just in the world that's so heavy. And so when I hear the language that he uses about being a magic maker and creating your own reality and and just being in tune with certain signs of life, and um for me it resonates. It might not resonate with everyone, but for me, it just I really love what he what he's doing on his channel. And he's got a website, he's got a really good following. So if you're into that kind of thing, please tune into Dove and Serpent Tarot.

Chris 36:41

Dove and Serpent Tarot. Um, so I am a sucker for uh you know, on for sports aesthetic sites. And you know, it maybe it's part of you know being neuro atypical, but I love the aesthetics of sports. Um I used to be a sports reporter, but I love stadiums. I love the looks of uniforms. Um you know, I can talk all about how I think it's so cool the Dodgers have relatively worn the same uniform. I I I have a lot of things to say on you know, just the purity of sports sometimes, and especially the tendency these days to make 19 alternate uniforms to sell uniforms.

Dar 37:21

More products, yeah. Merch.

Chris 37:22

More product. But just keep it, you know, there's a history. I love the fact in the case of my Dodgers, for example, that I can look at the uniform that you know Ohtani's wearing, uh Kershaw before he just retired, and it's the same thing that Koufax and Jackie Robinson wore, pretty much. Um maybe it's not it's Los Angeles instead of Brooklyn, it's LA instead of a B, but otherwise, Dodgers across the front in blue and white. Um, so there are a lot of um YouTube channels that um Five Point Vids talks about stadiums. I love that stuff. I love the idiosyncrasies of every place. Um he um has a great series right now on on um there's just strange things that happen at certain places, whether it was Candlestick Park, um, you know, the old um Cleveland Stadium, um, things like that. And locally here in St. George, we have some guys, I did a story on them for Fox 13 um called uh Geezy Tees. And uh they basically tried to rank and compare different sports logos. Um the story I did on them was when the uh Utah Olympics logo came out, and they had things to say, a lot of people have things to say about the that logo. Um and I could go on and on about logos too. Certainly, um, you know, I have a big problem with the fact the Super Bowl logo has been almost the same for like 10 years. I used to love it when every Super Bowl had a different logo, and now it's like the same thing. So, yes, you can be a geek about sports aesthetics as well. Yes, so there you go.

Dar 38:54

And that's it for today's show. It is.

Chris 38:55

Wow. Yeah. So we had some fun. Um I our whole goal, you know, is is just to bring hopefully bring a little joy, you know, some conversation.

Dar 39:04

Share some nerdy things that we're into.

Chris 39:06

But boy, we want to hear from you too. Yeah, this is this is meant to be a two-way uh conversation, not a two-way.

Dar 39:13

Move on.

Chris 39:13

Okay.

Dar 39:14

So our phone number is 435-990-5824, or you can email us at fromlalatoutah@ gmail.com.

Chris 39:23

And we are um basically uh monogamous. We, you know, none of that. But um it's but we were what we want, we are we are. Where are you going with this? I don't know. It just I said like that, and it just sounds so weird. It really does. It sounds very wrong. Yes, it did. But remember it's uh 435-990-5824 if you want to leave us a voicemail. Um we're not it is voicemail. I'm one of those people I hate to get a live person.

Dar 39:49

Yeah.

Chris 39:49

So um voicemail, leave a message, or you can email us fromlala to utah @gmail.com.

Dar 39:57

Thanks for being with us, and we hope you have a great week.

Chris 40:00

Thanks, guys. See you Monday.

Scott Pelley and 60 Minutes

Chris 40:01

We're coming back because after we recorded this podcast, we heard the news about the firing of Scott Pelley from CBS News and the institution of 60 Minutes. And it kind of correlated what we were just talking about on Stephen Colbert, so I know we have some thoughts on that.

Dar 40:22

Well, I mean, it just hit kind of hit home because I as I heard that he spoke his truth to the new ownership, and I was so proud of him, and I know him to be a man of character. And I I felt like, yay, finally people are saying what needs to be said, and I wanted other people in that room to stand up and support him because it's hard to be that one person that says things, but um it just it reminded me of times when I I've seen kind of behind the scenes of oh, well, you can't you can't go after this person because they're whoever they are. Well, I I'm married to a journalist, I think he's pretty awesome. Um and we're recently um looking for new new prospects um because of some stories that were done that were investigative and um shined a light where maybe some people didn't want it shined. Um, but it's about character, it's about finding the real story, it's about sharing with the public because it's that first estate. You know, we rely on the press for so much because as citizens, we don't have access to a lot of things. We rely on journalists to tell us what they've discovered and and what they have um been able to uncover and share it with us.

Chris 41:40

And I'll I'll tell you, every time I'm sitting a city council meeting or I've been sitting in a you know, with a developer um talking about a new project, um a data center. I I I've never ever felt like it's just me there. I'm I'm there because all of you can't be. All of you can't just take time out of, you know, there are people who need to have the job to inform the public. Um Scott Pelley himself, when he accepted the Walter Cronkite Award recently. When you talk about someone rolling over in their grave it would be Walter Cronkite right now. But he quoted James Madison. We're celebrating the 250th anniversary. We have to think about what we're celebrating. Are we celebrating just the flag or are we celebrating what our forefathers created? So he quoted James Madison who said that without freedom of the press, without freedom of the press, you don't have any of the other freedoms. Something to think about. It's just I can tell you that journalists and the media in general are struggling right now on how to deal with with just like we all are, a society where we're still trying to play by the rules in a world where people are getting away with not playing them. And you know, uh Marc Elias, he's he's the lawyer who successfully defeated about 61 lawsuits filed to overturn the 2020 election. Um and he compared what the media is going through, at least yesterday after P elley was fired, um to what law firms are dealing with because the legal profession, another one of our pillars of democracy is also very much under assault right now, um and this is what Marc Elias said. He said, "reporters at these media institutions are conflicted. On one hand, they see what is happening and want it to stop. On the other, speaking out risks losing their jobs and inviting professional criticism." And you know, if you know my recent situation, I know this firsthand just like I don't want to compare myself with Scott Pelley by any means, but I mean

Dar 43:59

Same job. You know, same reason to get let go is you know standing by your story, your sources, your character.

Chris 44:06

My values and my integrity. Yeah. Um so yeah, um, so I know it's a heavy subject right now, and I know we could talk forever on this, um, but it's we're all dealing with heavy stuff right now. So I, you know, I spoke ironically uh a couple weeks before um I was sacked, as the British would say. I spoke at a First Amendment symposium over at Utah Tech, um, run by the amazing group of folks there in the department of of uh political science. And I had a student in tears coming up to me, um, saying that they're worried about the First Amendment, they're worried that our democracy is failing us. And they asked, what can they do? You know, not everyone's a journalist. Um and I simply said, um what you can you do have the power to not just spread the first thing you see on social media without checking multiple sources. Carl Sagan said, and I always like to quote Carl Sagan that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". So look for more than one source, get out of your echo chambers and look to other sources. Reputable sources, reputable sources that I know we all think X is biased and X is biased, but there really are journalists out there, I can tell you, who check the facts who take this seriously.

Dar 45:47

And facts do exist.

Chris 45:49

And facts do exist, facts matter. Um alternative facts is not a thing. No, just like one is always one, it's not two. Um but that said, you know it's really heavy right now, so also take time to make sure mentally you take a breath, do things you enjoy, do things you enjoy, but also stand up. And I know you you you like to talk about how you start with one person and goes from there, right?

Dar 46:21

Well, I mean, I I think we all think what can one person do? What can I do? Like I when I saw Anderson Cooper leaving 60 Minutes, and I I all these people, all these journalists are being silenced or or being told to include things in their stories that weren't factual or kind of had a skew, I'm like, I I can't support CBS anymore. I just can't. I know it's just one person, it's just one subscription, but I can't, as much as I love Gail King and her morning show, I will miss her. Um, because she she and my my friend Oprah, like I just love them, but I I can't do it. I can't support CBS. I can't support what they're doing. And I hope that if enough of us put our money where our mouth is, that's where the power is. The people have the power, and right now it's where you spend your money. They kind of don't care about all these protests, they don't see the streets full of protesters with the current government and the current climate. They don't seem to care. It's about the bottom line. So I guess that's what we have to do is just hit them where it matters.

Chris 47:23

And, you know, and and the uh, you know, just take care of each other as much as we can right now through this. Um, so with that, we do we really will uh go ahead and try to take a break now.