Bears, Bans, And Butter Knives for 12/17/25

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We move from Bears rivalry banter to a serious look at Australia’s under‑16 social media ban, a farewell to Tokyo’s panda twins, a Florida plane landing on a highway car, a tragic Brown University shooting, a Michigan coaching scandal, and a viral mugging video that tests the protector instinct. Humor breaks the tension, but the core asks hard questions about safety, responsibility, and how policy meets personal choice.

• fandom energy and the Green Bay rivalry
• Australia’s social media ban and enforcement doubts
• social media harms, self‑esteem, and digital literacy
• panda diplomacy and soft‑power conservation
• emergency landing onto a moving car and insurance fallout
• Brown University shooting, desensitization risk
• gun control layers versus mental health roots
• Michigan coach scandal, power and boundaries
• viral mugging, protection, and partner trust
• upcoming comedy show announcement

Make sure you’re in Pasadena on Saturday, February 7 at the Ice House. It makes a great Valentine’s gift





Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.


Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.


Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.


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Hello, and thank you for listening to Thirsty Topics podcast! I'm Lawrence Elrod, and every week Meryl Klemow and I dive deep into the stories that matter, the conversations that shape our world."


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