WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:03.919 You're listening to KFI, a M six forty wake up 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:09.359 call with me Amy King on demand on the iheartradios. 3 00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:15.039 KFI and KOs T HD two Los Angeles, Orange County. 4 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:20.079 Then they'll do something I hate most of all. Every 5 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:24.719 who down and who will the tall and the small 6 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:32.520 stand close together with Christmas bells. They'll stand hand in hand, 7 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:37.719 those wholes will start singing. 8 00:00:39.920 --> 00:01:05.239 It's time for your morning wake up call, slaves, and 9 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:08.359 good morning, Good Christmas morning. 10 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:13.640 It is Wednesday, December twenty fifth. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuakah's you. 11 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:17.000 I hope that if you're like me and you're at 12 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.680 work today, you find some peace in that. Maybe some 13 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:22.840 co workers you don't like aren't in the office today, 14 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:25.079 so you can take full advantage of his lounging around 15 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:28.200 and not worrying about that. Or maybe you're already on 16 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:31.239 your way out to some festivities, on your way to 17 00:01:31.319 --> 00:01:35.959 visit some family, travel safely, or maybe you're just enjoying 18 00:01:35.959 --> 00:01:38.840 the last few moments of peace, or the kids wake 19 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:42.200 up for that magic moment to see what Santa has 20 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:45.239 brought down. Santa was quite busy yesterday. We tracked it 21 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:48.719 all morning long on the NORAD Santa Tracker. He's all 22 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:52.519 finished now back for his three hundred and sixty four 23 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:57.200 day vacation in the North Pole. He delivered eight point 24 00:01:57.239 --> 00:02:01.200 one billion presents to good boys and girls all around 25 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.959 the globe yesterday, according to the Norad Santa Tracker, and 26 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:07.640 I hope many of those boys and girls were right 27 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:11.840 here in LA and Orange County. We've got a lot 28 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:15.159 of head here on wake up call. We're still working, 29 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:18.520 We're still bringing you the news and some entertainment as well. 30 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:25.560 I'm wondering here on Christmas Day, has your Christmas tree survived? 31 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:31.439 Not the elements your cat? Why are cats the way 32 00:02:31.479 --> 00:02:34.879 they are? Why do they hate Christmas? Or is it 33 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.439 that they love it? Differently? If you want to know 34 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:42.520 why our mysterious furry friends behave the way they do, 35 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:45.199 there's actually a college class for that, and we're going 36 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:49.520 to hear from the professor and then imagine reaching adulthood 37 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.879 without being able to read. One man took that journey 38 00:02:53.240 --> 00:02:57.280 and then taught himself. He's now inspiring others through a 39 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:01.960 popular social media account. Going to hear from him as well. 40 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:06.000 Then coming up at the top of the hour, no 41 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:09.000 handle on the news today, because we've got no bill handle. 42 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:12.400 But we do have Jesus. The Jesus Show is. 43 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:15.560 Coming up this morning, and what a day to tune 44 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:18.159 in for that. We do also want to let you 45 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:21.680 know that a transformer failure at a SoCal Edison substation 46 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:25.280 in the Norwalk Downy area has led to widespread power 47 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:27.759 outage in the area, but the utility says most customers 48 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:30.520 had their power back quickly. It's not clear what calls 49 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:33.960 that outage yesterday. We know that the Metro Sea Line 50 00:03:33.960 --> 00:03:37.439 trains were stopped between the Norwalk and Willowbrook Rosa Park 51 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:41.520 stations when that power issue began. Buses were used to 52 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.520 shuttle passengers between those stations, but electrical service on the 53 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:47.680 light rail line was restored and trains began running again 54 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:50.680 just before five o'clock in the afternoon. But we have 55 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:54.919 heard from some listeners that their power may still be off, 56 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:57.840 so we're going to monitor that for you throughout the day. 57 00:03:57.879 --> 00:03:59.680 And thanks again for listening to Wake Up Call. I 58 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:02.400 am Michael Monks filling in for Amy King. By the way, 59 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.840 she will be back next week. Will be splitting duties 60 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:08.319 on next week. She's going to be off on New 61 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:10.759 Year's in the day after so I'll be keeping you 62 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.520 company next week as well. I'm wondering if you've ever 63 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:17.959 imagined going to college to learn all about cats when 64 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.839 that had been fun, maybe you would better understand why 65 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:27.920 man's other best friend hates Christmas, Christmas trees, ornaments, anything 66 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:31.959 dangly and festive. Well, there is such a class and 67 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:36.120 kfi's Amy King spoke with Professor Jonathan Loso's earlier this 68 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:39.000 year on the science of cats. 69 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:42.040 I want to say good morning now to professor Jonathan 70 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:45.480 Losses at Washington University at Saint Louis. 71 00:04:45.959 --> 00:04:47.560 Good morning, Jonathan. 72 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:48.519 Good morning Amy. 73 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:50.879 So wanted to talk to you today because you're teaching 74 00:04:50.920 --> 00:04:53.120 a course that I've never heard of before, and I 75 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:55.360 thought I got to talk to this to this guy. 76 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:56.879 And so before we start talking, I want to read 77 00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:59.560 the part of the description of the course. Okay, so 78 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.399 listen to what this sounds like. This is a capstone 79 00:05:02.439 --> 00:05:05.959 style course for upper level biology majors. The course will 80 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:09.959 provide biology majors nearing graduation the opportunity to apply what 81 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.720 they've learned in topics as diverse as speciation, molecular evolution, 82 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:19.920 community ecology, and animal behavior to investigate and analyze questions 83 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:22.720 concerning the biology of a species near and dear to 84 00:05:22.759 --> 00:05:26.560 the hearts of many, the Felis catus, also known as 85 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:30.160 the domestic cat. The course is called the Science of Cats. 86 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:35.079 I love this, so please tell us about this course, Jonathan, 87 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:36.120 and what we can learn. 88 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.879 Well, you can learn a lot about many different topics. 89 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:44.279 I'm a scientist. I've spent my career studying lizards, but 90 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.399 I've always loved cats, and it never occurred to me 91 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:50.959 to do anything scientifically with cats until I realized that 92 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.879 people are studying cats in the same way that I 93 00:05:53.959 --> 00:05:57.680 study lizards, and people study elephants and hippos and eagles 94 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:02.480 using all the latest techniques radio tracking, DNA analysis and 95 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.439 so on. And so I had the idea of teaching 96 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:10.759 students how we study nature, just using cats as the example. 97 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:12.959 And so that's what the class is about. 98 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:14.199 I love this. 99 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:16.920 And what kind of practical things are people going to 100 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:20.120 learn from studying our furly three feline friends. 101 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:24.879 Well, there's two things. One is how a lot about cats, 102 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.519 where they came from, why they do what they do, 103 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:30.160 what the future may hold. So there's a lot to 104 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:33.480 learn about the biology of cats. We take them for granted, 105 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:36.879 but they're fascinating animals, but they're also good examples of 106 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:40.000 how we study nature in general, what approaches we can 107 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.639 take to understand evolution, behavior, ecology, and other broad questions. 108 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:48.480 Okay, and how long have you been studying cats Jonathan? 109 00:06:48.839 --> 00:06:52.399 Well, well, only a couple of years. I'd say about 110 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:55.319 four or five years, because, as I said, I've spent 111 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:59.360 my career studying lizards, which have their own own qualities. 112 00:06:59.439 --> 00:06:59.959 Yeah. 113 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.560 Okay, and how long has the course been offered? Is 114 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:03.279 this the first year? 115 00:07:04.279 --> 00:07:06.839 No, it's been taught three times. The first year I 116 00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:09.839 taught first year students freshmen, and then twice I've taught 117 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:11.160 it to graduating seniors. 118 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:14.759 Okay, and how is it being received? Like are people going, oh, 119 00:07:14.839 --> 00:07:17.319 this is like basket weaving, or are they going, oh, 120 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:19.560 I could really learn some cool stuff. And then how 121 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:21.319 are they finding it once they get in? 122 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:26.279 Well, I think they're really enjoying it because they've been 123 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:29.240 studying biology for their entire college career, but now they 124 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:32.680 get to apply their knowledge to an animal they know 125 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:36.079 and love to figure out, not about an earthworm or 126 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:39.759 some obscure frog, but an animal they really care about. 127 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.680 And we do a lot of fun things as well, 128 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:43.639 we go to cat shows, and we go out to 129 00:07:43.639 --> 00:07:47.000 watch Beryl cats being fed, and we go to a 130 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.160 cat shelter. So we supplement the course with some field 131 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:51.839 trips that are very enjoyable. 132 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:55.279 I love this. And Jonathan, do you have cats? 133 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:58.360 Yeah? I do have cats. I'm looking at Winston right now. 134 00:07:58.639 --> 00:07:59.879 I love that. I love that. 135 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:04.839 And what are a couple of things that we might 136 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:07.199 not know about cats? Because I always think of my 137 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:09.279 cat like, we know that they don't really need us 138 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:12.199 that much except for food, but there's a lot going 139 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:13.360 on in their little brains. 140 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.600 Well, that is absolutely true. I think perhaps the most 141 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:18.839 surprising thing is we think of cats as kind of 142 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:23.439 being asocial loaners, solitary animals, but it turns out that 143 00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:26.959 they're not, at least not always. In some conditions. They 144 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:31.600 have a highly social organization where they live in groups, 145 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:35.240 just like lions, and these are groups of related females 146 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:38.080 that help take care of each other as kittens and 147 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:41.240 are very friendly to each other. So sometimes cats can 148 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:44.039 be very social. They're the only other cat besides lions 149 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:44.559 that do this. 150 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:48.120 And so in a group of cats, then would it 151 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.639 be similar to where there's usually one male and then 152 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:51.519 a bunch of females. 153 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:57.159 Yes, So the groups are composed of the females because 154 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:00.120 the female kittens they grow up and stay with their family, 155 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.320 whereas the males go off and then males try to 156 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.279 try to be in control to mate with the females. 157 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:09.639 It's not quite like lions because the males move around 158 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:12.399 more than male than the male cats move around more 159 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:14.600 than the male lions. But it's pretty similar. 160 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:18.919 Okay, So what's next for you in your study of cats? 161 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:20.120 So what's the next progression? 162 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:23.519 Well, I think there are two issues. One is how 163 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:27.519 cats have evolved since they became domesticated in Africa just 164 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:31.159 three or four thousand years ago. They're very similar and 165 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.399 that's why we sometimes call cats being only semi domesticated. 166 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.000 But they have changed a few things, such as their 167 00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:41.200 meow is more pleasing to our ear and in a 168 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:44.480 few other ways. So studying more more precisely how cats 169 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:48.320 have changed since their their ancestors. And the other question 170 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:51.519 that's very important in where you live in many other places, 171 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:55.240 and that's the environmental impact of outdoor cats. We know 172 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:58.399 they're great, they're great hunters, but just what effect are 173 00:09:58.399 --> 00:09:59.919 they having and what we can do about that. 174 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:01.120 I love it. 175 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:03.720 And now, Jonathan, is there a book that you have 176 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:06.159 or a website if people want to dig a little 177 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:08.120 more into the science of cats since we're not in 178 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:08.720 Saint Louis. 179 00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.879 Well did I did write a book called The Cats 180 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:15.360 Meow that came out about a year ago, and I 181 00:10:15.399 --> 00:10:17.320 think it's a fun read. I hope people will like 182 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:19.559 it as well. That would be the best place, I think. 183 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:23.240 All right, Professor Jonathan Losses, Washington University at Saint Louis, 184 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:26.440 teaching the science of cats and the author of The 185 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:29.000 Cats Meal, thank you so much for your time this morning. 186 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:30.720 I wish I was in Saint Louis. I would take 187 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:31.000 this case. 188 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:31.320 Well. 189 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:33.600 I always good to talk to a fellow cat lover. 190 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:36.360 All right, take care you too, Bye bye. 191 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:40.480 And that was our Amy King talking earlier this year 192 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:43.799 about the science of cats. I think I heard him 193 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:47.360 say their mew has become more pleasing to our ears. 194 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:51.559 And I would say that's a qualified statement. You know, 195 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:55.600 usually it's usually it's all right, but there are times 196 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:59.679 at about yeah, exactly two thirty in the morning, and 197 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:03.240 they're hungry for some reason, even though they just ate yeah, 198 00:11:03.240 --> 00:11:04.279 and it's time to wake up. 199 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:07.000 No thanks. Hey, do have a warning to issue about 200 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:07.480 some pets. 201 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:10.759 Public health officials in La in La County have a 202 00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:13.120 bird flu warning for pet owners. 203 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:17.080 The warning follows the voluntary recall of Northwest Natural's brand 204 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:20.480 two pound Feline Turkey recipe raw and frozen pet food 205 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:23.240 after the H five bird flu virus was found in 206 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:24.200 some samples. 207 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.480 So that's going on. Another thing to worry about with 208 00:11:27.879 --> 00:11:31.240 bird flu. So keep your eyes peeled for what's going 209 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:34.960 on with that raw food. Again, it's all related to 210 00:11:35.039 --> 00:11:40.919 raw stuff, whether it's impacting people or the livestock, something 211 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:42.799 that we just have to keep. 212 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:43.159 Our eyes on. 213 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.320 Kfi's Tammy Truio says the pet food was sold in 214 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:50.080 two pound bags with best buy dates of May and 215 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:54.080 June twenty twenty six. People are advised to toss any 216 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:58.039 of that pet food if you've got it. We'll have 217 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.559 the customary masses and shirt services celebrating the Birth of 218 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:04.320 Jesus here in La along with the annual events providing 219 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:07.639 meals to the homeless and poor. You'll see Archbishop Jose 220 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:10.960 Gomez celebrate the twelve thirty pm Mass in Spanish and 221 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:14.200 then continue the tradition by celebrating a mass with general 222 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:18.799 population inmates at the Men's Central Jail Chapel. Today, Temple 223 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:22.240 Israel of Hollywood and Hollywood United Methodist Church will host 224 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:24.960 a free Christmas dinner, which will also include giveaways of 225 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:28.840 toys and personal care items. The Laugh Factory Hollywood will 226 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:32.519 host its forty fifth annual free Christmas feast and comedy 227 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:34.919 show for those in need. Tonight is also the first 228 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:38.919 night of Hanukah, with public Menora lightings planned for Pasadena 229 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:41.320 and Santa Monica. 230 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:44.639 You're listening to Wake Up Call on demand from KFI 231 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:45.679 AM six forty. 232 00:12:46.840 --> 00:12:50.799 I'm Michael Monks sitting in for Amy King this Christmas Day. 233 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:54.799 Merry Christmas to you and yours and Happy Honkah as well. 234 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:57.399 Coming up at six oh five. Let's see, we don't 235 00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.360 have Amy King, we don't have Handle on the news 236 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:01.399 either of the Bill Handle Show, and that whole team 237 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:04.759 is out of here. But Jesus Christ is going to 238 00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:06.840 be filling in. That Jesus Christ Show will be coming 239 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:11.360 up this morning at six o'clock. But first, Oliver James 240 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:14.919 has been described as functionally illiterate. He has struggled with 241 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:18.360 learning disabilities and was placed in special education classes back 242 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:21.480 in school. But he has managed to teach himself to read, 243 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.519 and he took his literacy journey to TikTok, where he 244 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:28.840 has amassed a significant following. Ariami King spoke with him 245 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:29.960 about that journey. 246 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.919 Let's say good morning now to Oliver James. Good morning Oliver. 247 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:38.039 So Oliver, before we talk about what you have now 248 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:40.159 done and what you are doing now, I want to 249 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:43.960 take a look back at your life and kind of 250 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:46.559 to get people up to speed on kind of how 251 00:13:47.000 --> 00:13:49.440 you got kind of a rough start in life and 252 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:53.159 that affected you into adulthood. So let's back up a 253 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:55.080 little bit and talk about, you know, what was life 254 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:55.919 like as a kid for you. 255 00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:59.679 I know, life was like everyone else growing up in 256 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:03.240 the night vision, no parental you know, guidance. You kind 257 00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:06.279 of just raised yourself TV a bunch of young food. 258 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.000 It was. It was just like everyone else. 259 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:13.080 But you had some pretty big stumbling blocks starting out 260 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:15.639 at a young age. You made a mention of when 261 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:17.399 you were in first grade, you got suspended. 262 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:22.720 Yeah, got suspended around first second grade. I don't know why, 263 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:25.919 but apparently I was the bad kid. But how they 264 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.679 chose to handle the situation. They decided to take me 265 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:30.519 out of school more. I don't know why, but that's 266 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:30.919 how they. 267 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:34.399 Handle things, okay, and that affects your learning and your 268 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:38.440 ability to learn, and that it sort of snowballed as 269 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:39.159 you grew up. 270 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:41.519 So did you end up? Did you get your high 271 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:43.360 school diploma? 272 00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:47.519 Yeah? I got my high school diploma. School was definitely 273 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.320 a rough journey, like after getting suspended around like first 274 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:55.200 second grade. It was literally just fighting with teachers, arguing 275 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:57.679 all the time, suspension. Yeah, and then one day I 276 00:14:57.679 --> 00:14:59.759 woke up and I was graduating. That's literally how it was. 277 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:00.360 Okay. 278 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:02.240 So now that's going to bring us a little closer 279 00:15:02.279 --> 00:15:04.879 to today, so you're not to you know, you had 280 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:07.720 a lot of kids had had tough goes, but for 281 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.399 you it was pretty profound because you got your high 282 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:12.200 school diploma and you couldn't read. 283 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:18.279 Yep, yep, yep. You know. I've done a lot of 284 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:20.840 interviews and I'm trying to make sense of it, and 285 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:22.600 I'm trying to give people an answer so they can 286 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:24.919 make sense of it themselves. But let's just sit and 287 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:27.840 think about it. I was a child, now I'm an adult, 288 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:30.039 and I'm looking at at their children and I'm like, 289 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:32.639 why would they leave the responsibility to a child to 290 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:36.399 learn anything like reading, you know, all these things, why 291 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.399 the child wouldn't learn that. Now I'm sitting here realizing 292 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:43.000 that no one took responsibility for leaving me. Literally. 293 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:46.320 Yeah, well, and I think that we see that in 294 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:49.399 schools now. They keep just dumbing it down and they're like, oh, well, 295 00:15:49.399 --> 00:15:51.519 we want to have We don't want to hold kids 296 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:54.279 back because that might hurt their self esteem. So let's 297 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:57.080 just let them move on without teaching them the skills 298 00:15:57.080 --> 00:15:59.960 that they're going to need to survive and thrive in life. 299 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:04.759 And so you got your diploma, and then holding a 300 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:08.399 job was kind of tough because you said you're functionally illiterate. 301 00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:13.000 Yeah not then now you know I'm on welfare. Now 302 00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:15.679 it will always be over your head. The world was 303 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:17.399 designed for you to know how to read. They made 304 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:19.200 this world up like that. If you don't know how 305 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:21.519 to read, you are in a world that you cannot operate. 306 00:16:21.600 --> 00:16:23.600 And this is a made up world works all these 307 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:27.080 things you can't read, you miss all the opportunities in life, 308 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:28.639 and it continues into your adulthood. 309 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:31.480 Okay, So, and you gave some examples of like you 310 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:34.919 would get a job, but then as like a bartender 311 00:16:35.200 --> 00:16:36.320 or a server. 312 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:39.799 But then you couldn't hold the job. And I hadn't even. 313 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:41.639 Thought about this, but like, what were some of the 314 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:43.639 challenges you face once you got the job, Because it 315 00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:46.480 sounds like you're a pretty a charismatic, friendly guy. I mean, 316 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:48.879 you get the job, but keeping it was the hard part. 317 00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:51.919 See, that's the strength of a person who does want 318 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:54.440 to read. I learned how to do interviews and talk 319 00:16:54.519 --> 00:16:57.399 and do things that you know, mask that other people 320 00:16:57.399 --> 00:16:59.279 probably can't do. But once I get the job and 321 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.440 they can see the two colors, they can see like, Okay, 322 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:03.919 I was a bartender and I'm dating the person who 323 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.079 hired me as a bartender at the restaurant that I 324 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:08.000 was at, and she had to bar or demote me 325 00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:10.880 to a bus or a server, and she couldn't understand 326 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:13.799 why you think of that? She couldn't understand why does 327 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.640 this guy I had the look, I had the charm, 328 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:17.880 I had everything you would ask for, but I couldn't 329 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:20.400 do the job. And she could not understand why I 330 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:21.960 was not able to do the job. And I wouldn't 331 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:22.599 tell anybody either. 332 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:25.400 Okay, So when it came to like if you were 333 00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:27.519 sitting there helping somebody and they said, well, what's good 334 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:28.039 on the menu? 335 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:33.920 You're like, uh, you tell me. I was a charmer. 336 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:35.839 I would just literally be like you tell me. I'm like, 337 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:36.680 you know what, that looks good? 338 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:36.839 You know. 339 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:38.519 I would definitely try that and it'd be like, well, 340 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:40.319 what's in it? I'm like, well this it's a surprise. 341 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.160 And I would just lie or make up anything. I 342 00:17:43.160 --> 00:17:44.400 had no idea what I was doing. 343 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:45.400 Okay. 344 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:48.839 Well, then in twenty twenty, Oliver, something changed for you. 345 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:50.559 Some switch got flipped on you. 346 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.279 What happened? 347 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:55.240 Uh, you know COVID. Let's just say that, you know, 348 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:56.960 everybody got a little taste of what it feels like 349 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:58.400 when the world and ended. You know, you're like, what 350 00:17:58.400 --> 00:17:59.480 should I do with my life? 351 00:17:59.599 --> 00:17:59.680 Like? 352 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:02.319 Should I change? And when I realized, I'm like, okay, 353 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:04.640 the world ain't ending. Your life just kind of ended 354 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:06.039 for a little bit. What would you do with it? 355 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:07.559 And I thought, I'm like, I want to be a 356 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:09.319 father one day, I want to do things. I want 357 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:10.519 to grow. And I was like, you don't know how 358 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:12.440 to do none of that. You can't even read. So 359 00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:13.759 I just decided to pick up a book. 360 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:17.319 And you literally picked up a book and how did 361 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:18.400 you start reading. 362 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:19.920 Then if you don't know how. 363 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:22.680 You know what it's just this is the best way 364 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.160 to put it. There's a lot of people who go 365 00:18:24.200 --> 00:18:25.799 on health journeys, right, it's a new at the end 366 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:28.079 of the year. How do you do it? Social media 367 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:30.119 starts throwing up a bunch of people doing push ups 368 00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:32.440 on a stair master or you know, running up and 369 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:35.240 down some jumping off a building. Who knows what they'll show, 370 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:36.480 you know, just so you can see the hype of 371 00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:38.720 how athletic they are, and then you might go follow it. 372 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:40.240 You might go out there and be like, I'm gonna 373 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:43.119 go climb this tree and run around and lift this weight. Why, 374 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:45.400 because you're just trying to learn. You're trying to figure 375 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:47.400 out how does that person do it? So what I 376 00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:49.759 did was I just followed everybody else who used to 377 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:51.880 sit under a tree a movie or at a restaurant. 378 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:53.880 I'm like, they always sat down and just opened the 379 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:56.519 book and it looks so calming and you know, entertaining. 380 00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:58.880 But to me, that's the first step. Open it and 381 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:01.680 just stare at it, and then you go further because 382 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:03.799 you'll ask like, what's this word? Or a movie might 383 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:05.559 say something you just looked at on the book and 384 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:07.480 you're like, oh, that's the same word from the movie. 385 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:10.039 You know, that's how you start to connect it because 386 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:12.640 you're emerging yourself into a book. You can't if you 387 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:14.440 Once you're emerged into it, you're gonna start learning what's 388 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.079 in there, which is amazing. It's a whole discovery. 389 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:17.440 Yeah. 390 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:18.960 And then did you have somebody kind of helping you 391 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.039 along the way, Because I would imagine as you're you're 392 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:24.160 learning these words and learning how they go together, and 393 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:26.599 you know, all the things that you've got going on 394 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:29.640 in your head translated to paper, you would have to 395 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:31.599 have somebody to kind of give you a helping hand 396 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.319 to help me. 397 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:37.119 Yeah, my lady, she was the one that helped me 398 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.319 the most in this journey with the reading. She's the 399 00:19:39.400 --> 00:19:41.079 one that read to me in the beginning. So she 400 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:43.279 brought me a book in the beginning on Christmas Day 401 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:45.279