Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / BBT #21 | HBCU Tuition, Dress Code Battles, and Who Actually Owns Your Stuff

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BBT #21 | HBCU Tuition, Dress Code Battles, and Who Actually Owns Your Stuff · Black Box Theory Podcast

• Thomas: Back episode twenty one. Nothing much, man. We here. We we we we made it to the number. I'm not gonna make a joke, but we're here. What's going on with you? Malcolm: Can't complain, man. You know, made it through another week. Blessed to be here. Blessed to be able to talk about something else, something new. but yeah, man, like like you said, episode twenty one, like I said, thankful again for everybody that listens to us, supports us. you know, like I run into a ton of people, like I s I was telling you my in person that say they they they love kind of like the podcast and some of the stuff that we talk about. So you know, super appreciative to everybody that has shared a message like that or let me know that they enjoy some of the things that that Thomas and I sp Talk on. yeah, but looking forward to looking forward to keeping it going. let's go ahead. Let's go ahead and get get to it. Thomas: Yeah, facts. Before we do that, you know, I have to I have to do the the disclaimer. But also before that, you know, I I'm in a different place. I haven't ran into anyone who could tell me from a can of paint, tell us from a can of paint. Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: places I'm at, you know, they they see me. I'm not sure what goes through their minds. I'm not sure what they see, but it definitely isn't this. So glad for all the appreciative people out there, for all the people who enjoy the show. my name is Thomas. other gentleman you see on the screen or that's that you're hearing, his name is Malcolm. And this is the Black Box Theory Podcast. Get in now. Malcolm: Well welcome folks, welcome. Thomas: And as a disclaimer, the views expressed on this podcast are strictly our own and do not represent our employers or any affiliated organizations. We are not financial advisors, tax professionals, or legal experts. We're sharing our personal perspectives in deconstructing these industries in real time, but none of this is professional advice. Always do your own due diligence and consult with qualified professionals before making major moves. We're learning out loud. Join us, but the plays you make are your own. And remember You are not a sovereign citizen and you are not traveling in your car when you're driving. first first up, man. It's something that's kinda I guess close close to home for us in a few ways. Malcolm: Yeah, man. literally and figuratively. So you guys know we're both HBCU grads, North Carolina A and C State University. so this is like pretty new. like I guess like pretty a pretty pretty recent development, but I'm sure a lot of folks that are listening to this have heard about this in on Instagram, on some type of news platform or or local D C kind of coverage or you know, D V coverage. So this one's actually about Howard University. you know, love Howard. I have a lot of really good friends of mine that that study at Howard and or or doing incredible things and Howard is an excellent institution. But this recent like this recent story that that has kind of been like taking a lot of people or I guess taking the internet by storm is is pretty insane. And I know like before we kind of do jump into it, like I do want to kind of, you know, leave a disclaimer here. This is not to further bash HBCUs or to try to put one down as graduates of another. But this is kind of like more of like a like like like like let's let's be real. Like this is like a an insane thing to do to to incoming students. and it's like HPCUs a as they are, kind of like standalone, they already get a bad enough rep, bro. but it's like it's is it hits differently when you're a school like Howard, bro, 'cause it's like, I'm not gonna lie, bro, most people that haven't heard of HPCUs or they've they know very little about HPCUs, I promise you they know what Howard is. Like like with because with the you ask a random person, HBCUs are not going to name A they may name ANC. I don't know. They may or may not. We're literally fifty-fitty, but they're not naming like a Cark Atlanta or a Prairie View A They're not naming like like some of the more like lesser known, like a Johnson C. Smith, like there are so many HBCUs and incredible institutions, but a lot of the times, a lot of that concentration, whether it's from sponsorships, from concerts, from you know, sell celebrities selling them out, it's it it's heavily concentrated between we are Howard, Spelman, Morehouse. Those three get all they get all the money, they get all the sponsorships. Like granted, this is not like a trying to pit one HBCU against the other. They're all great institutions. But like like being real, bro, if you go to HBCU, do you know about HBCUs? Those three like generally speaking the most popular. Now granted and TFMUR I think like up and coming. They kinda like in that same that they like that tier right below as far as like popularity and like like relevance, but they're for sore like getting up there. But like I said, Howard and Spellman are like your is is Morehouse private too. Or am I trying Yeah, yeah. So it's Thomas: Yeah, Morehouse is private. Yeah, yeah. Malcolm: like these are three private HBG institutions. They like have the most like notoriety. They they Probably the most famous, most well known HPCUs, right? So when news comes out about them, it it it literally like spreads like ten times quicker than any other school, bro. I promise you, like if this was another school, it probably would have been like deadness tracks a little bit sooner. But this is not gonna stop, bro, because this is this is pretty insane, right? So getting into the actual, I guess, details of of of of the story and whatnot. So this is about Howard University and how they have unfortunately unenrolled five hundred two freshmen into their into their into their new class. And so this is obviously like like really nasty work. but yes, like I said, so see so like this is like it's it's covered like by so many different articles, bro. I'm reading right now like on on AP on A P News. right, so On Howard, on fr on this past Friday, Howard confirmed they sent an email notification to to students to five hundred to first time in college students whose account did not reflect the required enrollment and financial obligations by the previously communicated deadlines. so according to, you know, article starting in March, the unenrolled students began receiving specific communications about enrollment requirements, payment expectations and and deadlines via email and orientation sessions, the school said. And so they said in email the university recognizes that timing differences may have occurred when financial aid was reflected and when the charges were finalized. However, it's in the email. students who believe that their accountant did not accurately reflect their financial standing at the deadline should contact the bursar's office and each case will be reviewed individually to determine whether an adjustments or reinstatement are appropriate. That is nasty. I'm not gonna lie. That's that's kinda nasty, bro. Thomas: Like you know, let let's just think about this for a second. Five hundred and two students that worked hard to get good grades, get good SAT scores, get into the university, dropped. All because because of what? Were there not other routes? Was there not a way to put people on the Howard university loan plan, a payment plan, some some form of remediation other than just immediately being dropped. Not even deferred, you're just dropped and unenrolled. Malcolm: Yeah, I I don't know, bro. Thomas: No, we gotta do better, man. Malcolm: It it's nasty because like when you when you do break down the numbers, that's like that's like twenty like twenty percent or more of the incoming of the incoming class, bro. There's like there has to be like a lot more to it. Because I'm like that that's just there by no there's just no way a s a a HPC, let alone any, you know, higher education institution, is doing something like this so casually, bro. Like 500 students. That's five hundred students who essentially like had their lives or had their minds and dreams and hopes set on Howard and and and moving out to DC. And it's like obviously, I mean, Howard's a an expensive school, bro. Especially Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: in terms of of HBCU education, like Howard is definitely on the most the more expensive side. I don't know if they're the most expensive. They probably if they're not one, they're two right after Spellman, bro. that that that's for sure. but yeah I don't know. It's like and and and the question like the first question I have is like why if you if you guys knew that you know, you were gonna make a decision like this and that like 'cause I'm like it just doesn't make sense to me because like like there are there are like a ton of I I know for a fact that even at at ANC, bro, like there are there are times when people like incoming freshmen or or people that are like, you know, getting ready for the new school year, they may not have all their funds in order or it's like the funds or the scholarships or the grants are on the way, but they're not perfected in your account in, you know, in time, I guess, for whatever deadline the school may set. there are other ways to go it. I know that like, you know, there are people that like either put holes on classes or on registration. They put there's there's some type of like blocker they can use, but like completely unenrolling and and dropping a student. It's like to think about the think about the timing as well, right? These are incoming freshmen. These aren't just like students who can just transfer, like these are incoming freshmen. Like I don't even know what that process is like. Like like and I know that the intent to enroll date is probably passed for a lot of like institutions around the world. So it's like like what's next for for for like For a student in in these shoes, man. Like, like where do you go from here? Right. Like your dream school. I'm sure a lot of these students, this was their dream school. they had their, you know, their hearts and their minds set on Howard and and studying at Howard. And it's like all that just gets stripped away from you over an email, bro. I'm not gonna lie. I'd be tight. Especially Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: if I'm their parents, bro. Like I've probably you've probably spent an insane amount of money like getting travel arrangements. Think about all the flights people have gotten, Thomas: Okay. Malcolm: the hotels people have gotten, you know, like. rental, like all the the Thomas: DC Malcolm: money that goes into moving a child into a to a college, you know, dorm or to a college living space, all this is going out the window, bro. So it's like I think this should also kind of like not to I said I I really hate these type of I don't want to say I hate these type of conversations, but it's like this really unfortunate because it's like it sucks to have to have to have these type of conversations. But it's like at the end of the day, like I I I hope like I'm I'm not gonna lie, if I'm a high school student and my dream school is Howard, this Thomas: Do better. Malcolm: This this should tell this should be like this is a wake up call. Like I'm like, yo, like not trying to make less people go to HBCUs. Like great HPCUs are always gonna I'm always gonna tell someone to go to HBCU, bro. But it's like this should be a wake-up call, bro. This is not normal or like like there has to be something deeper with this when it comes to the financials, when it comes to like how the administration is is funneling money. Because if we being real, Howard Howard gets money, bro. Like all the brand deals and sponsorships and the the crazy endowment that they have. Howard gets money, bro. So so we're not gonna act like like they are just, you know, dying over there, bro. There has to be something deeper than that. To cut 500 students over email, bro. That's I can't really Thomas: Yeah, and Malcolm: I can't really wrap my head around. Thomas: and they I I looked it up right, the price. Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: US news says tuition and fees are thirty-eight thousand nine hundred thirty six dollars and it's the most expensive HBCU. That's US news. But if I when I just did a regular search, you know, Google AI overview says Howard is approximately fifty eight thousand dollars a year, which bec we all know that tuition and fees is not just the base cost. So anyone who's been to college, you know tuition and fees is like bare minimum. That's Assuming you don't have a meal plan, assuming you don't have housing, like it that's Malcolm: Housing. Yeah. So Thomas: literally just the cost to be in the classroom. if I Malcolm: Mm-hmm. If if you l if you live in an apartment out there, you can really bump that up to like more closer to seventy thousand, bro. Being real with you. And I'm not gonna lie, bro. It's this might be a nast like a some people may not agree with this thing, but I'm not gonna lie. I'm not paying I wouldn't pay s I'm not gonna lie, this isn't even just how this is any HBCU I'm not paying seventy thousand dollars to go to HBCU. To go to the HBCU? No. Versus for one Thomas: I mean Malcolm: for one, I don't have the the the money to pay for seventy thousand dollars school anywhere. But if I had to pay seventy thousand dollars, I'm not going to HBCU. I'm not going Thomas: Yeah. No, that I f I feel you, I feel you. And you know what? For a lot of people, they might be saying, What do you what you what you talking about? Here here's the thing, right? It's not that the dollars are better spent elsewhere. It's just if you're paying that much for th it's like spending money on designer, right? You want to spend money on a high end brand that like high end people know about, or you're gonna spend money on a on a on a belt that's flashy that looks good to people who can't really put you in a better position. When you're spending that much money on a degree, that's an investment. And HPCUs are a fantastic investment. One thousand percent. However, if you're spending that type of bread, you need to be going to Ivy League where people Malcolm: that's a thing. That's a th that's a that's also yeah, I I I agree with you. It's also that's also like a for one, I mean, you'd have to have the the stats to to even I well that's the thing though. I feel like if I was paying seventy thousand if I had to pay seventy thousand dollars in school a year, that that's that's assuming that I had the the stats to get into an Ivy League or top tier premier institution in the world. I my thing is like if you honestly the the the way I would I would make an analogy of it bro, it's like like even with I don't know, some people may think this isn't this is won't make sense, but it's the same thing like where it's like, okay, like even with like you can think about like a like RSUs when we get our vesting for like for a company, right? Let's say you work at let's say you work at freaking Oracle, right? Let's say you work at Oracle and you get stock vesting for the next four years, right? And every single year on the same date, you get a certain number of shares of Oracle. Let's say these shares you get these this number of shares, you get ten thousand dollars of Oracle stock. And it just gets deposited to your account, right? Now you, as the person on the other side of that vesting, you have an option, right? You can either keep now if you know anything about Oracle stock or the company. Oracle stock is is is is in hell right now, right? Like Oracle stock is in hell. They're down, they're down 40% year to date. and over the past year, they're down 53%, down 132 points, right? So Oracle stock is in hell. This may that may be an extreme. analogy or an extreme like example, but the choice is yours, right? It's like if you're gonna have all this money, are you gonna put it into something like Oracle? Are you gonna put it into something like like like if if I have ten thousand dollars, I had to pick a company, I'm going somewhere like Google. I'm going somewhere like a like an Apple, right? I'm going somewhere like an NVIDIA. If I have all this money and I have to spend it, I'm gonna put it towards something that I know is going to be a better bang for my buck or a a more premiere or more like I can get more out of the the the the brand value if I'm gonna be paying that much money, right? And so it's like Let's also remember, like the whole point of HPCUs and like their purpose and like why they're around. For one, obviously it's to have a safe space for students, for for people that look like us, for us, created by us, you know, from the academics to the culture to the to the to the yard to like to everything, right? To add to the athletics, right? Everything that's all curated for us by us. The other piece, which is also another huge piece, is the affordability of it, right? HBCUs are designed to be affordable for us because like a lot of times, like we aren't we don't We don't have the resources or the the the economic status or viability to get into these super high high tier institutions. Like I don't know anybody that had the money to to even if you could get in a Harvard or Princeton or Stanford, who had seventy, eighty, ninety thousand dollars a year to just drop on on that, right? So it's like we went to HBCUs because not because like we had no other option. People wanted to go we wanted to go to HBCUs. We wanted to be like on that campus surrounded by our people. But it's also like it's it's affordable, it's doable. Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: It's it's it's a it's a still a world class education at a reasonable price tag. That's why we go. But when you're an HPCU and you're and you're raising your prices to these insane, unreasonable amounts, granted, inflation is a thing. I get it. But if you look into the numbers, bro, the proportion in which college tuition has raised to actual inflation rates and other the other cost of goods, colleges have like surpassed that by like 10, 24. Like they have like absolutely ran with it. Like I mean, like. I don't think anything has like inflated more over like an extended period of time than college tuitions. Like more my I'm talking about more than if you think like grocery prices have gotten crazy, gas prices gotten crazy, college tuition prices get insane year over year. And people just chalk it up to the fact where it's like, you know, this is how it's supposed to be. And it's really not, if we're being real with you, like college tuitions, like the prices that they go up is is is really kind of like it goes under it goes under pretty often. Thomas: And Howard has an endowment of over a billion dollars. And they're a private university. Malcolm: Does it I don't I don't think any other HCCU has that. Thomas: No, no, yeah, they're the first. I think they're the only because they're most a lot of HBCUs are public. I'm not sure who else has over a billion. I know they were the first though. But but I mean like to to add on to Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: what you're saying, bro, like if you have the type of money to just like like a seventy, eighty K year tuition is nothing to you. You probably don't need to go to a HBCU unless you want the cultural experience or you want to like, you know, get you know, just get in involved. because I would say HBCUs, at least in my experience, are great for opportunities, they're great for networking, they're great for getting you into rooms and doors that you didn't even know were there, which is a great reason to go, honestly. Malcolm: Mm. Thomas: especially A T. But if you have that type of money. Like if your parents actually, like if your family actually has that money, I'm just gonna assume you don't need those connections as much as other people do. So I would I would just assume that you're tapped in. Like I've met some people who come from when we talk about coming from money, talking about coming from like wealth, like coming from like you, you, you look on TV, you look on ownership, you look at who owns things and you see f the folks' names. Yeah, that, and it's like. Those type of people, those they had those connections already. HBCUs in in these schools that are designed for us by us are are meant to give a chance and opportunity in a country, really in a planet, because I this stuff, these things exist around the world. I just don't know much about HBCUs in other countries, but to give us a chance, which we still need, because contrary to this somehow popular belief or it's seemingly loud belief, I don't know if it's popular. That America's fair. America's not designed to be fair, never has been fair, never will be fair. That's just not the case. I I don't know where that lunacy came from. sure, is a lot more free than other countries. Absolutely. No one's saying it's not, but you still need those opportunities. And honestly, if you've ever been the only person that looks like you in a in another place. You understand what it feels like. You understand what those looks are like. You understand how difficult it can be, how straining it is on your on your spirit and on your mind. So HBCUs are great. We want them to continue to be great. And all we want, all all everyone needs is for Howard and other schools like it, HBCU or not, to just be transparent, be honest, don't lead people on, make decisions sooner. We all know scholarships and money take some time to come in. They don't show up when we want them to. I've had stuff come in late. I've had stuff come in on time and the friggin' what is it? The the off financial aid office li opens the email and doesn't apply the funds for months. They just sit there with a red email. It happens. Malcolm: Yeah, bro. Yeah. Literally, bro. If you if you've if you've gone to an HPCU, like part of the HPCU experience is is going to war with the financial aid office. No matter even if you have a full ride, there's still gonna be some type of battle you have to fight. There's always something that isn't accounted for, some scholarship, some fun that isn't applied. Some there's always something, bro. So it's like that's the low key part of the the package. But it's like, yeah, like to to to get back on like the main like track, I I I I I do like I feel so bad for those students who kinda like it's like imagine getting your dream stripped away from you before you even have a chance to like step foot on campus officially, bruh. Like and to be this close to the school you're starting, like I'm sure 'cause I know like when I went to school, when we went to school, like like one of the big things was about like incoming freshmen. Like a lot of them started forming those connections before they even got to campus, bro. Like I know a lot of incoming freshmen they like roll call pages, they start making group chats of people with similar majors from, you know, the same hometown with similar passions and interests. And it's like I'm sure a lot of those students had already started to get integrated, you know, like with that with that incoming freshman class and and and started to make friends and connections. They probably had orientation on campus. So it's like, imagine like making all these friends and connections and and you know, you're you're thinking that this is where you're gonna spend the next four years of your life. And that just gets taken away from you because of granted, like I get the school said they started sending up communications back in March, but it's like That's still such an extreme way to play it, bro. Like to your incoming class. And to cut that many students, I feel like there's a lot more to the story than than what we've seen on all these articles and Instagram posts. But yeah, like I say, I hope, you know, hearts out to those students. Howard has to do better. HBUs has to do b HBCUs have to do better. because this is setting a terrible precedent for people that are interested in in institutions like Howard because, you know, like granted this isn't a good look for them, but HBCUs have bad headlines all the time. And this doesn't really help either. Howard is an excellent institution, but it's like when you have headlines like these, bro, I I can't imagine it doing anything else but scaring away students that have the same aspirations and dreams as the ones who just got, you know, unenrolled before they even have had a chance to to get their get their lives started. So, yeah, like I said, like HSUs have to be better. Like Howard Thomas: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: has to be better. It's it's just a bad precedent. So, Yeah, I really do hope that that doesn't like ever happen again. And I hope I really do hope a lot of those students are get do get reinstated or they find, you know, an alternative in enough time for them to still like not miss out on anything major. and and s stop please stop by over enrolling, bro. Like stop like the money can like, bro, stop, stop. Like stop over enrolling, taking too many students if you know you can't support them, if you can't provide housing, if you cannot Like do the things you need to do to run a college and a school effectively. Like come on guys. Amen. Greensboro, North Carolina is always, you know, always welcoming. Even though I may be contradicting myself, I th I'm pretty sure we're over the limit as well. But just Thomas: Sure, yeah. Malcolm: know, as a transfer student, something like that, ANT is always a you know, we're always a great place. We're we're happy to take new talent. So, come come come join the Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: the winning side, man. But Thomas: Centennial. Centennial on the way. Malcolm: Yeah. I'm about to say, and it's about to be a hundred G home, man. So you gonna get the whole package, bro. If you if you if you slide on over to us, I th I'm pretty sure it's too late now, but like, you know, next semester or something like that, you might be in luck. So nah though. Real real stuff though, like hearts out to those families and I really do hope they are able to get back on their feet and figure something out for sure. Thomas: absolutely, absolutely. prayers up, man. Don't don't limit yourself ever. but in other news talking about who needs to get better, man, we got our our good old buddy old pal in this clip I'm about to share show you guys, man. As we all know, LeBron James has signed with the Philadelphia seventy sixers. And you know, we we have important figure being questioned about this. Let's see what he has to say. Malcolm: There are so many things that you can like dissect from this clip and call out. I don't know, bro. Like I'm not gonna lie, for any not even for him, right? But for any I feel like any leader of a country, any leader of a like major political figure to come out and say, Whether it's a joke or not, I only like people who like me. So tell you everything that you need to know about their character, bro. Like everything that you need to know about who they are as a person. It's just like you just you just gave away your bias and like because he doesn't like you, you don't like him. So he's all like he's a racist because he doesn't like you. How does what type of logic is that, bro? Like he he literally trolls every clip I see in him. And it's like it's getting to the point now where it's like just rage bait, bro. It's like if you if you let him rage bait you, he's winning. So Thomas: Maybe he's a racist. Malcolm: Yeah, I don't I just don't understand it, bro. Thomas: That's like like that's just cra like it's so funny to me because like I don't know how else to respond to the like that Malcolm: Well Thomas: that's just a out outlandish thing to say. I mean I I hope that the president Malcolm: He's ridiculous. Thomas: of of the United States is in his like is in a healthy mind for a bunch of reasons. but it it's a shame if people people can't face the music and know what's going on. People need I I want everyone To be aware when it's time to face the consequences of your actions. And he he has a lot of He has a lot of con a lot of actions that have a lot of consequences that we're all facing every single day, whether you agree with it or not. so it's only fair that, you know, the same same same should apply. so I I hope that, you know, maybe he was making a joke. Malcolm: No, that that wasn't a joke. No, he was serious. He 'cause I mean, I know I know Brown has had like several like remarks like publicly where that he has made it known. He made he's I'm sure he's made it known that he doesn't like him. Like I think he's yeah, yeah, he he's been doing this since like twenty twenty, twenty twenty one. So, I know he he endorsed Clinton back in twenty sixteen. Yeah, he's been he's been frying him just like like for like almost a decade now. So yeah. This is And he's endorsed. He endorsed Clinton, endorsed Biden, endorsed Harris. Yeah, nah, bro. He's Thomas: Yeah, 'cause LeBron didn't make his money off of the the way other billionaires make their money. He didn't he i I wouldn't say LeBron's money's dirty. He made his money off deals, hoops, like Malcolm: You know, I actually saw something today that Trump has he's he's made more in his first two years of presidency than in the other than all years of his life combined. Thomas: Yeah, he's he's made a he's up a billion, Malcolm: Like Thomas: at least. A few billion. Malcolm: And I like the the that's an entire dial like separate dialogue in itself, like the insider trading, the corruption, like the the I think we saw like I don't know if we talked about it last episode, but like the the report where it's like he's selling his API for true social to banks Thomas: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: and financial institutions. Essentially like he's mostly selling access to quicker news that he says before it hits like public platforms, as soon as it hits, like like Literally selling information. He's selling insider information. And like like whoever buys it gets access to it the quickest. That is insane. Thomas: And that that's why I I said what I said about facing the consequences of his actions. I don't want that to be misinterpreted in any way. What I mean is he's doing a lot of things that are questionable legally. And there's a lot of questions that need to be answered. Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: Now, I'm not the judge. I'm not the dream. I don't say whether or not these things are illegal or not. If he if the consequences of his actions are he finishes his presidency and he goes off into retirement, I hope that he's of sound mind to face that. If the consequences are, you gotta go to trial to defend what you've Malcolm: Yeah. Thomas: done. I hope that he's in his right mind for that too. I I just I just want to clear that up. We l we live in some crazy times where speech is not necessarily free. I I've been seeing stuff with with organizations pulling up to people's houses because they make social media posts like this episode or the boys or something. And they these posts that they and things that they say are not threatening in any way. They're not nothing of that nature, just strictly critical, which Malcolm: Yeah. Thomas: we are we we all should be allowed to be critical. And I think there's right and wrong. I'm not I don't decide what's right and wrong. But yeah, he's I I think him getting rich doing trades and deals or making and making deals and trades that no one else no normal person can make is wrong. We have people that can't afford groceries, we have people that can't afford things that they need, and yet he has made more money in the past two years than he has at all in h his life combined, up to now. That's Malcolm: Yeah, bro. And anybody that def that defends this and tries to use the logic, he doesn't take a salary, you're I'm not gonna say Thomas: For the people, right? Malcolm: yeah, I'm I'm not gonna say the word that should be used to describe you, but you're not the sharpest tool in the set. So yeah, we can we can move on, Matt, 'cause I feel like the more I I talk about him, the less less competent I become. So I don't know. Thomas: Yeah man. I we we love our lives. We love we I I love my I love the country. I have no I am in good health. I'm in good health. That is not a question thing here. speaking of good Malcolm: Correct. Thomas: health, let's talk about the Tuskegee another HPCU, which depending on how you look at this can be good or bad. Tuskegee University in Alabama situation. So pretty much they introduced a new dress code. Banning bonnets and do rags. The university's president released a statement saying students need to dress professionally. Now, this has caused some discourse online. Some people say it is anti-black, some people say it is appealing to Eurocentric standards. Others say this should have been a thing. it's not a good thing to wear out in public. And when you go to class, you should be practicing for the professional world and just presenting yourself. Because you don't always get to have a first impression. You never you only get one first impression. so so Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: what are your thoughts on this? Malcolm: that's the thing. I want to answer this in a way where it's like or give my opinion on this in a way where it's like I'm not completely discrediting or or invalidating one side of it. Like I I to an extent I understand both sides. One, obviously, some people can say it's anti black, it's like restricting, it's taking away from our culture. you know, that whole ordeal, right? And then there's other side where it's like, yeah, you should be, you know, there's a time and place for everything. You should be should be practice how you play. Like you should be dressing professionally. You should be carrying yourself with a certain standard. you know, at your institutions like you're in clash to learn, not to like so it's like I guess I get both ways, but to to me I I I I completely agree with the f I I'm not gonna say it's I I don't think it's a bad thing. I I think that folks that's are saying that it's like we're like bending a knee or we're like kinda like conforming to to to Eurocentric standards or whatever, whatever. we're at school to get a degree. Like I said, you already go to an HBCU, bro. you're surrounded by your people. You're surrounded by nothing but your culture. You have D9, Greek, you know, fraternities and sororities. You have organizations created by black students. You have you have you have, you know, black professors and teachers and chancellors and vice presidents and directors and deans. You have all of these things that that make up the architect the know the architecture and then the structure of an HPCU. You are there to learn, to get your degree, to network, to secure a full time job, to secure internships, to secure secure co-ops, right? And so it's like I do think that that there is a time and a place for it. Right. I think that that, you know, if you want to wear a do rag in the comfort of your own home and get your ways on point. If you want to wear a bonnet and to protect your 'cause I I understand it, right? As someone who's had locks before, I understand the importance of protecting your hair and taking 'cause a lot of people don't understand like, like, like what black hair means to to a black person because they've never had it. They don't they don't understand like the the intention that we put in it to to moisturize it, to keep it conditioned, to keep it looking good, to keep it looking fresh, right? Like there's a lot of like pride and and to some to some degree, some people have like like spiritual connections with their hair. I'm not that that far in like you feel me. But like I under I understand it, right? So it's I've been there. I understand the importance of wanting to maintain your hair and to keep it, but you're going to class, bro. So it's like the the same way, like it's like it's like you have to make it make sense, right? Because these same people that will argue this down about you should be able to wear it in the in the club in the classroom. Okay, let me ask you this. Would you wear a do rag or a bonnet to a job interview? Would you wear a do-rag or a bonnet to to the club when you go out with your friends? Would you wear a do rag or a bonnet, right? To to a to a networking event? No, you wouldn't. Why? well, that's different because how is it different? In the class, you are learning. You are preparing yourself. You're you are literally learning the foundational concepts that are going to carry you in the professional world. And the only difference is that this is actually being in the in the same place, right? This is actually being in the professional. well, well, class isn't the same as a job, and I should be able to relax and dress how I want to in class. You can dress how you want to. It's not a uniform, it's not a uniform, but it's like there's a time and a place, bro. Right? Like, like, like they're like, and it's like you have to understand like how your outward appearance, like, whether it's a good thing or not. And it's not, you know, prejudice and stereotypes aren't a good thing. But you have to understand, right? A lot of people perceive black people as these violent, stupid, like not, you know, like like they a lot of people who don't know about like who have not been in black communities or been surrounded by black people, a lot of them their only exposure to us is what they see on the news or what they see in these, Thomas: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: you know, headlines. And more nine times out of ten, a headline about a black person, it's usually something bad. It's usually something violent. It's usually something about a crime or something that doesn't put us in a good light, right? So it's like That external, that outward appearance that you carry yourself with is usually the first thing that's that's registered in someone's mind, right? If I was to walk out outside, right, and I I I walk out outside in a in a in a you know normal clothes, but I have on a do-rag, you know, I got a tank top on, you know, I got, like I said, I'm someone who has I have a lot of tattoos. I'm black, I have earrings, like I I don't have my locks anymore, but if I did, do you think that the first thought that someone sees when they see me and I come outside like that is, you know what? I think. This guy might have studied mechanical engineering, graduated Magna Cum Lade, and works in Microsoft right now. I I I that's what I think. No, they don't think that. Nobody that has seen Thomas: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: me in public and doesn't know me, that is their first thought. Until you have a conversation with me and you hear how I speak and I enunciate my words and that I have more to me than just my outward appearance, you understand that I'm someone with some substance and some death. But this to the naked eye, and I'm not gonna sit here and say I like I I I that's part of the reason why I cut my locks off, bro. There's no reason I should go in the gas station. And people start, hold on, hold on. Like, bro, I'm gonna I'm gonna pay for the I'm gonna pay for the Skittles, dog. I just want some some so I want twenty one point four gang. Like I I mind you I'm I don't think I'm an intimidating looking person, but I'm a little taller, I guess, than most people. But by no means and I'm I am I I'm not a super big guy. I'm I have a couple tattoos, okay, cool. But by no means am I am I some type of I walk in and I should like command some fear in the room. That that's never been me, bro. Like that has never ever been me. But there's but literally I have walked in when I had my locks in c in school, bro. There have been so many times I've walked into spaces, like I'll have like my do-rag cap on coming from the gym. I'll have like a tank top on or something like that. I will live I might just want a water bottle, bro. And I've literally been I've been followed around in stores to make sure that I don't take anything. Like, mind you, I have I have my wallet in hand, my apple pay in hand, like I'm about go pay, bro. But it's like I've seen it firsthand. And so a lot of people they don't understand it because they haven't seen it yet, because they maybe have been only in communities where they aren't judged by it, or because they see other people do it, so they think it's okay. But there's a time and a place for everything, bro. And this is one of those things. The same way you wouldn't wear a do-rag or a bonnet to a job interview, to a networking event, you wouldn't wear it to the club. And that has nothing to do with any any of the things I just said. There's a time and a place for everything, right? Carry yourself. Present yourself in a way that you want to be treated and you want to be understood and you want to be taken like you want to be taken seriously, bro. We like, come on, bro. Like, like, like, if you want people to take yourself take you seriously, it's not about conforming. To to culture to standards, but it's about like like we're in HBCU, bro. We are already prejudiced. We are we already have all these bad titles and these people that doubt us, that think the truth that we aren't smart, that we're violent, that we're just like, you know, gang members, this and that. Adding wearing a do-acrobant, all it does is just amplify those those prejudices and those beliefs, bro. We have to separate ourselves. If you want to be treated and and understood as someone who's about their business, that handles their business, that you're you're you're educated, right? You're you're you're well read, right? You can you can you know you you can you can perform things at a very high level, you're high functioning, you're capable, you can excel right in different fields, right? Like like you can do things, right? You have to dress the part, you have to show yourself, you have to carry yourself, you have to present yourself, bro. So it's like it's Thomas: That's Eurocentric. Thus you're you're appealing to Eurocentric business standards. Malcolm: Okay. Well, if if that's the case, it i i i i i that that like if we really want to like like play that game bro like tell me like like please go to the camp like any name any top institution in the world that you want to MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, UC Berkeley. Any of these institutions, bro. I I I want someone to just take a tour on that campus, walk into a random class, tell me how many there's already very few of us. Tell me how many people of color you see in there wearing doag or a bonnet of class, bro. Thomas: And and no, that's another thing too. People say Eurocentric. I get that a lot of the world has been colonized, but I bet you can go to any country on this earth that has a business or corporation or any any level of business. I'm not talking about a mom and pop shop where it's, you know, people can wear whatever because I mean they own it Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: and they're they're not you know what I'm talking about. It's people wear suits, suits and ties. That's not I don't know why people say that's like a Eurocentric. People everyone wears a suit and a tie. People all over this world wear suits and ties and and have a clean cut. I understand, yes, locks, having locks is that's that's fun. Yes. We're not talking about hairstyles, talking about head coverings that are unnecessary. You're it's not it's not religious. It's not it's not a part of your outfit. You're just putting the stuff on. Like I I got told at a young age, like, don't do that. It's because pe you never know how people see you. It's like Malcolm said. And and it's really this doesn't even just apply to black people. It does mostly. But I have seen, and I have to say this because I saw a comment saying, it was a black woman, I think, or she was saying, like, I hate when I go to the sea in the airport and I only see African Americans wearing bonnets and pajamas. And I'm like, look, look, look, that that is false. That you don't travel. If you say you don't travel, I have seen. Other races wear bonnets, pajamas, crocs, flip-flops, feet out, unkept, beaters. I have seen more of that from other races than African Americans. You say that's false, but people that push that, that say, they're the only ones that do it, we only do this. No, no, no, no. Address your self-hatred, open your eyes, and stop just letting everybody who has a different shade of skin. Pass by your view, right? Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: Everyone talks about genetics and mutations and blah blah blah. Where did people come from? Where did humanity originate? What is the mutation? What is the mutation to adapt to your environment? Humanity started in Africa. People have darker skin. Why are you judging skin at all? And you look at animals. I don't know too many animals that have white, like like pale skin. Why? Because animals live outside. So albino, they don't have any. There's they that's like a a a condition in animals and and affects humans as well. But the point is people are always changing what are what we're talking about. They're always changing the goalposts, we're always moving the bar. But to get back to the point, there's time and place. I have been in class and a company comes in. You don't know who comes in, you don't know what opportunities they have for you. If you went in class wearing a bonnet and a shirt that Malcolm: That's what I'm saying, bro. Thomas: says, I like dads and and and your your frickin' your cheeks is hanging out, male or female by the way, like it's Malcolm: yeah. no, Jesus. but yeah, no, that's that's another point too, because it's it's not even about like you're you're carrying yourself, you're trying to impress your professor. You also never know who's gonna walk in. Like I know at at ANC, bro, like at least like there were there were I can't even count dozens of times we had lobby days or random employees or full time employees or recent ANC graduates to come in from different companies. I'm talking everybody, bro. We're talking about we're talking about Boeing, we're talking about Johnson and Johnson, we're talking about like really every company you can think of used to be in the like Raytheon, North of Brummen. Every engineering company, G E, like every engineering company, they were looking for for engineers. They were looking for mechanical engineers, they were looking for computers, like they were looking for all everybody in the college of engineering, but they used to just come in to to our classes on a whim. Like we wouldn't always know when someone was coming in. So it's like you never know when someone's gonna come, when someone's gonna be there, when it's time to interview on the spot, right? So like you want to carry yourself in a way where people are going to treat you with they they have no Give people no choice but to treat you with respect. Give people no Thomas: Mm-hmm. Malcolm: t don't give anyone any ammunition to doubt you, bro. Like Like it's it's very simple. It's not about con like you and we have to stop being so narrow minded to think that everything is like a a this or that type of situation where it's like, Okay, well, if I'm not wearing my do rag, then that means I'm I'm conforming to to these stand No, it's about like like ha have the wherewithal to understand that you are in the real world now. This is not about like when you're in the comfort of your own home, no one's telling you what to wear. No one can tell you what's aware. Do what you want to do in the comfort of your own home, bro. But when you're out and about and you don't know who you're gonna run into, you you don't know who you who you'll pass by, who you'll hand, who you'll you know, handshake with what companies you'll talk to, who you'll interview with, carry yourself in a way that demands respect. You have to know to respect me. You have to to know that there's more to me than just my outward appearance. Right. Because once you can look past that, now you can look at my resume. Now you can look at the at the depth of my character and who I am and what I've accomplished and what I've done in school, right? It's it's so much deeper than just like conforming. And it's like, bro, you're already at an H V C U, bro. It's not about conforming to anything. You're at an HBCU. You are at a school that that goes against all conformities of all we do everything that we do in HBCU is different from the way that we cheer at our football games to the s to the traditions that we have in our calf when someone drops a plate. Everything about an HBCU end to end is different from the day that you step foot on campus. Do not let a a rule about a bonnet or a do-rag that is only supposed to be worn to sleep or to protect your hair when you're at home. It's that's not a people also have a have a have a misconception about that. If you have waves, why are you wearing a do-rag all day? Show your waves, bro. Okay, I get you're woofing, bro, Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: and you don't have a cut right now, but gang, the whole point of a do-rag is to protect your waves, not to keep it on forever. Take off your Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: take off your do rag, bro. What what is on like what is under there, bro? Like I know dudes that don't take off the do-rag. What's under your do-rag? Take it, take it off. You know, and I get okay, maybe, maybe your braids are little fried right now, bro. Brush down your edges, bro, and keep it, keep it pushing, bro. Okay. You know, nobody and to be real, bro, nobody's even looking at you that closely in class to really know if your braids are fried, if your ways aren't spinning, bro. I personally, I'm not gonna lie, it's I literally I I I've I have already forgotten half the people I went to school with. Like in my immediate classes, like what they look like, like their faces, I I that may sound like inconsiderate, but it's like when you're in your class with like 30, 40 people. You're not gonna remember everyone that's sitting in there, bro. All the people actually talked to and I I I I'm friends with, of course I remember. But like the people I've never talked to that sat the the opposite side of the class to me, I don't know what they wore. I don't know if they had to do right. I don't know. Right? Stop worrying about what other people think, bruh. Brush Thomas: Right. Malcolm: your hair, get up early enough to brush your hair and take care of yourself. And all that's that's really what it be. A lot of time people just don't just be rolling out of bed and just come to class, bruh. Thomas: Smelly, stinky, just unkept. Malcolm: Yeah, like bro, take take take care of yourself, brother. Like come on now. Like it's anybody. Like come on, yeah. Like it's Thomas: Schools, you can get hygiene products, man. If you need some help, go to your school's what is it, health center or whatever they got going on. Ask for some soap. Ask for some. Look, man, look, man. We you gotta practice. If you can't get out of bed for your class at 9, 9 a.m. Or if the class is at 8 a.m. If you got class at 8 a.m. and you're struggling to get up, get up. What you gonna do? You gotta Malcolm: Mm-hmm. Thomas: go to work. I can't make it. Get up. You can sleep on the weekend. Malcolm: Yeah, bro. I is it's Thomas: In college you got it easy. You don't got that class every day. I don't know too many classes, it's five days a week, eight AM. Malcolm: That's what I'm saying, bro. It's like I I really do like this because I feel like it sets a really good foundation for what's to be expected in the real world. Right. Like, like I feel like college should be college should be to a degree, in classes at least, college should be treated as a practice, how you play. This is where you learn the ins and outs, the ropes, the foundational concepts, the theoretical knowledge and principles of what you're about to embark in the real world. You don't come to college for it's not no fashion show, bruh. Some people treat it like Thomas: St. Malcolm: that. Some people treat you like that for sure. But like yes, have your fun in college, bro. Do do you make pe make friends, have fun, network, join groups and clubs and organizations. Yes, do all that, bro. But understand, like, remember the NGO, you did not come to college to go to class and a doag every day, bruh. Lock in, bruh. Go go go handle your business, bruh. And and and and and and carry yourself in a way that, like I said, demands respect, bro. It's no it's it's it's no need to do the Like come on gang. Like just Thomas: Yeah, meah. Malcolm: just just just just relax, bro. But yeah, man. I Thomas: For yourself. Malcolm: I I I do hope that people like I I don't really know what all the pushback is for, but I hope people that one day come to their senses. Thomas: Yeah, I hope so too. It shouldn't even have to be a a mandatory thing. But you know what should be mandatory? What should be mandatory is ownership. In twenty twenty six, I'm disappointed in in you human beings out there who just let everything become rented. You don't own anything. Next thing you know, you'll be you're gonna be renting food. It it's gonna it's gonna be community food that you rent for a day. And you know what? For people that don't know what I'm talking about, I could be talking about a bunch of things and that's very tragic. But what we're talking about today. Sony, don't cut my power off. Don't sue me. I don't own a PlayStation. Don't cut my PS plus before I even get one. Malcolm: I do. Thomas: But yeah, he yeah. Check it, check his account. Check his account. but Sony, man, what happened to the discs? I mean, shoot, not even just Sony. I I believe Xbox is also going no more discs in the future, no ownership, everything's virtual, and I believe. Sony had a stipulation in their contract that said if you if you don't play this game, what was it? And if you go 60, 90 days, some time frame without playing, they can take it back and make you buy it again. no ownership. And and I have to say this 2K, I saw 2K came the new 2K. I have not purchased 2K in over a decade. Believe it or not, people that know me know I have not purchased 2K in over a decade. they had a Derek Rose cover for the, I believe the Ultimate. legendary, whatever edition, the highest tier, that would be great to own. But unfortunately, you cannot own it. You can't own it. You can purchase that version, but I I I've heard people say that even no matter what version you buy, you still see the regular icon on the on the display. So you can't even have that game. Matter of fact, Yeah, hold on, hold on. I'm I'm gonna show something real real quick. I don't know if people people can see that. That's two K thirteen right there. This Malcolm: Grow. Grow. Thomas: is two K thirteen. You wanna know what's crazy about it? I own it. I own it. I still have it. St still Still have it. Folks might not understand that, but it means something to some people. Physical media means something to some people. My fault, I just had to show that why why these matter. Malcolm: Man, it's it's crazy, bro. Cause it's like, granted, I'm not gonna like it it does suck, but I will just add some context to what may have driven some of Sony's decisions, right? So if you look at the numbers, bro, it sucks because like as much as as much outrage and backlash as Sony has gotten over this decision to discontinue physical disc console production, the big thing is that like put yourself in the seat shoes of a CEO, right? Eighty-five percent of full game software sales on PS4 and PS5 were digital in quarter four of fiscal year twenty twenty five. Seventy-eight percent full year average. Physical disc is roughly three percent of gaming revenue. Digital products carry higher margin. There's no split with pressing pants, distributors, distributors, or retail chains. They don't have to split any of the profit. Everything just goes straight on the PlayStation store. Granite. The the the the issue that I have a problem with and it's like I like at the end the day, bro, you are a gaming system. So you still have to adhere and you have to serve gamers, bro. That's your that's your audience. Your audience is gamers, bro. My thing is like this whole licensing thing where you don't really own anything, and if you don't log into your account after X amount of time and like as an example, right? Like I I don't like the fact where it's like if the PlayStation network is down, all your games are clipped. If you don't play the game for a long enough time, all your games are cooked. If something's wrong with your internet, your Wi Fi, woo you can't get on all your games are cooked. The whole point of having a disc copy wasn't so much that people just love disc. It's the fact that one one now when you give when you give c entities like Sony control over everything about a game every at any point, you everybody knows that when a game gets old, you can go and buy the hard copy GameStop for like five dollars, bruh. What's stopping PlayStation from keeping the next 2K from staying in a hundred dollars from the day it releases to the day it dies? What's stopping PlayStation from making the oldest Call of Duty possible? sixty dollars. What's stopping PlayStation from from literally setting whatever 'cause when you allow a company to own the entirety of the market share, they can they can literally do whatever they want with the price. And the thing is, Sony is the thing about it, we are we're doing it's all this backlash online, all this outrage. But the thing is Sony is literally making everyone eat their words because the top four selling as soon as the the the the Call of Duty Black Ops Two and Black Ops One release back on on digital ports for PS PS5. Guess what the number one top selling games were Call of Duty Black Ops 1 and Black Ops 2. GTA 6, and it may be an anomaly, but when GTA 6 came out, right up there on the top selling games, right? 2K, 2K just just opened for the P order. It's on the top of selling for in the PS store. College Football 27, top selling in the PS store. GTA 6, top selling in the PS store. Call of Duty Black Ops 2 and 1, top selling in the PS store. None of these games have digital discs. Everyone is still buying them at the same clip as before. What's why would somebody stop? They don't care about anybody that's outraging because they know you're still they know it's all like it's all this. You're still gonna buy the game. You're still gonna go back and buy it. And it's like what this really comes down to. I'm not saying this is a right decision or or or or ethical decision. This is really just Sony just dragging their nuts. I'm not gonna lie. This is Sony dragging their nuts on everybody's faces, bro. 'Cause it's like, what are you gonna do? You're still gonna buy this game. You're not about to go switch over to Xbox. You're still gonna buy this. So shut up Thomas: Yeah. Malcolm: and buy my game. Like it it sucks. That really does suck. And I hate that granted, I don't even play games. I think if you asked me this question like like six, seven, six to eight years ago, like I would have had a way more passionate answer. I don't play I don't play the game nearly enough now to have like real stake in this. But the the inner child in me, the inner gamer in me that's always going to be there, that's nuts, bruh. Cause it it's just the the another piece that isn't talked about enough is the the like people are acting like it's normal for $150 games to come with nothing. Bruh, there's no reason that that the the the ultimate addition of 2K is $150 and I get nothing physical. You're telling me I get a I get $100,000 of VC, which doesn't even max out your player anymore, you get like some of my team packs Some custom kits, uniforms that I'm never gonna use, and some emblems and some some trading cards, bro. 150 you know what $150 used to do for the collector's edition back in the day, bro? You would get an en you would get an entire like a a a a life size action figure, a freaking poster for your room. You get a custom controller rap, like you would get everything, bro, for $150, bro. Like collectors, collector's items and ultra editions used to actually mean something. Now it's just like the newest tier on the on the on PlayStation, bro. And it's like I'm just really scared, bruh, because when discs really go away, they are literally like they can't who's gonna check them for the prices that they set, bro. Who's gonna check them? They can really start making 2K the standard editions $100. They've already they've already snuck and gotten away with standard edition games being $70 now. Like that that's like a Thomas: Mm. Malcolm: I I don't know if you know that, but that's a new thing now. Like games used to be like $50 for the standard edition, for the normalist edition. Now $70 is the base price. And everything after that is just a a tier upgrade, bro. It's Frost. Thomas: Mind you, th this is also after they they are saving money by saving the environment and not producing this. So they're already saving themselves money and they're charging you more. And these games are fat. These games are hundreds of gigs. Malcolm: They they take up three hundred gigs, gang. I don't even know call of duty right now, but call of duty takes up at three hundred gigs on my on my PlayStation, Thomas: Like, Malcolm: bro. Thomas: can we not be efficient with the storage? Like, you get some banger games with under 10 gigs? Like. Malcolm: For for f that's what I'm saying, bruh. Like the old cod cods, old cods used to be like under twenty four gigs, bruh. Forty max. Now we war zone alone is like two hundred gigabytes, bruh. Come on, yo. What are y'all doing in there? Thomas: Hey, and and the real test, the real test is honestly gonna be when the PS6 comes out because anyone and and mind you, in the times we're in, people Malcolm: yeah. Thomas: can barely afford food. Anyone who's digging into their spirit and their soul to pull out fifteen hundred or however much you're gonna have to spend on this next PlayStation and slapping it on the counter and saying, Malcolm: Lord have mercy. I I I really don't e I really don't wanna Thomas: Give me give me this streaming box, because that's what you're getting. You're getting a streaming box. Because you don't own the games anymore. Everything's coming from the cloud. You it's a streaming stick, just a little little different dimensions. But it's like that will be the real test of how far people are willing to be led, like sheep. Like you how far are you gonna go and follow Malcolm: Cor correct. Thomas: the the herder until they lead you to a pool of acid and then just you just walk right in? Malcolm: Yeah. I I that's a thing, bro. 'Cause like everything is cooked bro. Like you can't even run the PC, bruh, 'cause memory prices are out of this world. Xbox is really about to do the same thing. Gaming is really just fries right now, bro. Like like gaming is is just the It's just not what it was, bro. It it it's not like it's just not what it was anymore, unfortunately, man. And that's that's kinda sad to see. But yeah. Thomas: Yeah, and we got we got brainiacs out here. like you know, this kinda is a little bit of a tangent, but Kyle Kuzma, you know, I I I no Malcolm: no, he has to he has to he has to go. No. Actually bro, go go, I'm gonna let you say a piece, Brett, but like I I have words, I have words, bro. Thomas: I I respected it at first when he first started to like when I first saw his posting increase about you know his childhood and financial th things and like how he's invested his money. I was like, okay, that's cool, that's nice. Then he keeps going, he keeps going. And he said, What really got me, and that's all he said, something else crazy. But Malcolm: The the mon the the Zoran, the Mam the Mam Dami thing. Thomas: not I saw that, but before that, what really got me was when he he was mad that people were upset with data centers. He says, Farms use way more water than data centers, but people are mad at technology. I'm sitting here like what? Malcolm: Yeah, I I don't know who told him. Wha wha what w what farm uses more water than than than than data centers? Thomas: I I don't know and and you know what? Even even if they do, what's the argument? It's a fun do you want food or d or do you want deck like Malcolm: It's a farm. It's good. It's good. Or do do you Thomas: what's the the second largest body of water or second largest reservoir in the US is is drying up. I would rather my water go to producing food for people to eat and survive than AI. And and people don't understand this whole AI thing is not just meant for chatbots. It's all leading to another stage, bro. A physical robotic stage where they're only gonna need more power. They're not building these data centers to fund your your your chat bot. They're building these data centers to fund what comes next. I don't know what that is, but there's levels. And that guy, Kyle Kuzma, you I I think you might be a little out of touch on that one. Respectfully, I'm I don't I'm not in your tax bracket. I I don't have the connections that you do, I don't know who you do. But as outside looking in, farms using water is okay before data centers. Malcolm: Yeah, it gr it's like but it's like farms need that much water. Like farms literally need that much water. You like you you are growing crops, feeding like without water, without like agriculture, like water, like how do you expect crops and pro and and produce and vegetables to grow? Like what are you actually talking about? Like data centers use hundreds of literally hundreds of millions of gallons of water to cool to liquid cool CPUs and GPUs, which are used for what? All the farms also aren't raising our electricity bills, they aren't polluting you know, low income communities. Like like like what are we talking like what what are we actually talking about? Like like like farms or like w we we need farms, dog. Yeah. Thomas: Good good farms don't. So I will say, just because I know there is a there's gonna be a a body of people out there who say farms are bad. Now, if you live next to them horrible pig farms like the ones in North Carolina where it's just feces flying through the air, Malcolm: Okay, yeah, yeah. Thomas: yeah, that's cooked. but that those are peop people are doing bad practices. And also cattle farms, I know that they do produce a lot of pollution, like cows, beef produce some of the most pollution on earth because they're constantly like releasing gas. But still At at least those things go back into they feed back into us. We need them to survive. If data centers existed off the face of the earth today, you would still be able to live. You would have food and water and and shelter. I think people are misconstruing necessity and we would like this or we want to move society forward in this way. Like, and that's why I get back to my point. Every big shift or revolution in society involved the decreasing of work. needing to be done by the human body, for each age or revolution. And I think that's kind of what Elon alludes to when he says universal pay, because I think he imagines a future where every job is solved and people don't really need to do anything. Like right now we have a lot of job. Every job is sort of just made, not every, but a lot of them are sort of just made for people to just do something because just because. But if AI truly has a s a goal and a solution, it's not to help us write more websites or write more PowerPoints. It's to solve the reason we even have to do these things in the first place. But that goes back, we still need food. We still need food. Malcolm: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, no, I'm I'm I'm I'm actually so yeah. Like his his I saw his tweet today about like he's he was he replied to Mam Dami's tweet about Nanyahoo, which I won't get into, but his quote to that was this is twenty twenty six. People cosplaying is things they don't have the authority, the talent, or the track records actually be just for content. A mayor playing president, a founder playing operator, a content creator playing one on one thinking he's pro. And if you can if you hear how this is read This is very clearly the most AI written tweet ever. a twenty five year old with a ring light playing economist, everyone auditioning, nobody building. We're raising a generation that that lean that learning the reward isn't in doing the thing. It's looking like you did the thing. The clip is the career, the pose is the product, the soundbite is a substitute for lice works. Don't fall for distractions. And they and they're frying him in the comments. They're telling him shut up and dribble, but we know can barely do that. Like like like he just he like bro, shut up, bro. Like like like just just shut up, bro. Like, bro, we we I Thomas: That's the most chat GPT written post. Malcolm: can s literally smell the clawed on your types. I can smell the clawed on your letters, gang. Like, bro, like literally, he's one of those guys, bro, like nobody asks for your opinion, bro. I'm not gonna lie. Like, like, bro, like like nobody asks what you was thinking. What what's Kuzma's take on this? What's what's Kuzma thinking? What's what's Kuzma's cooking? Nobody asks you that, bro. Like I actually you might be. One of the most bonehead guys in the league. Like nobody really asks you for your your take on this one, bro. So I can't lie. Like like he's one of those guys, bro, just enjoy your riches and just go away. Like like do not try to insert yourself into like these spheres of of of of conversation 'cause you're not like you you don't have the the the the you know what I'm saying, the the the resume the resume to even be in these type of conversations, bro, but Thomas: He he said Maudami is Malcolm: I'm not even opening can of worms. Thomas: is is cosplaying. What is what is he doing? All of a sudden he Malcolm: He's cosplaying as he's cosplaying as a basketball player. Because you're sorry. Thomas: Hey, I I think he he got mad when they said that he was a throw in with the Giannis stuff, like when those trades were talks were initially happening happening. He was like, I'm a throw in. Yes, brother. Yes. You Malcolm: Yes, literally what he Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, like you're you're you're not nice, bro. Thomas: you are value to your your company, like I'm valued to mine. I'm I'm a throw in. Dog on it. Malcolm: Yeah. Quite quite quite quite Lily. So it's like y you're not like a Thomas: Ha ha ha. Malcolm: you're not a Braun, bro. Like Braun is a you know, it's like I a lot of dudes think they are that and they're not. Like same way Tyler Harrow thinks he's like some type of Thomas: Tyler Hero, he he he's lost his mind. I don't know what those messages were about. I don't know what happened with him and you know the Bam Bam the Great, but I'll hopefully no more messages come out 'cause Tyler needed that's that's just disrespectful personally. Malcolm: Yeah. Correct. Yeah. I I just have no idea, man. So yeah, man. Hmm. Thomas: Yeah, man, Malcolm: And another another episode in the books, man. Thomas: Yeah, another another episode. Remember I'm mercy reminder. I'm healthy. I love my life. I am I'm I'm good. I'm good. I'm I'm good. All right. Please. but Malcolm: Amen. Thomas: yeah, y'all, stay tuned. Stay tuned. Stay aware of what's going on in the world. prayer prayers to your people. Make sure you check in all your loved ones. and yeah, that was episode twenty one. Malcolm: Yeah. Coming back soon with some heat, man. Appreciate everybody tuning into this, listen to this. If you gotten to this point, much love. Let us know what you'd like to see next. we definitely gonna try to get back into I know we haven't done it in a while, but definitely gonna try to get back into like our our like stock picks and and, you know, assets and ETS and stuff like that to be looking at 'cause a lot of people have been like reaching out to me asking like my I don't know why. I'm not a stock group or nothing like that. It's like read Yahoo Finance like anybody else, but Yeah, man. We will we will be back. We appreciate everybody that tuned in, man. and yeah. Peace out. Y'all have a great week this week. Stay blessed. Stay prayed up. And much love to all of y'all. Thomas: Peace. Malcolm: T'es.