The LNBE Podcast
Mike Rispoli presents: The LNBE Podcast. "LNBE" stands for "Literally Nothing, But Everything" and the goal is to touch on what his thoughts and opinions are…just like every other podcast...
The LNBE Podcast
Episode 36 - Nothing but Friday Meetings and Highway Headaches
Ever been stuck in a pointless late Friday meeting when you could be enjoying your weekend? Join me, Mike Rispoli, on the LNBE podcast for a surprise second episode this week as we experiment with new content and engage our awesome listeners. This episode is all about the importance of your feedback, and we dive into the shared frustration over those unnecessary end-of-week meetings. I suggest a fun new listener segment about the worst Friday meetings and boss encounters, empathizing with everyone struggling to balance their work and personal lives.
Highway construction traffic got you down? You're not alone! We explore the everyday chaos of reckless drivers, abandoned construction zones, and the inefficiencies that make our commutes a nightmare. Prepare for a humorous take on state construction, personal traffic stop stories, and the complexities of traffic ticket quotas. Share your own traffic tales and tips, and let us know when you'd prefer new episodes to drop. Your input is key to making this podcast better than ever!
If you would like to share your opinion, send an email to lnbemedia@gmail.com
what's up everybody. This is Mike Rispoli with the LBE podcast, where LMBE stands for literally nothing but everything, and I just want to wish everybody a happy Friday. And you might also be wondering to yourself why the hell is there a second episode this week? This isn't normal, and you're right. It's not normal Because you're probably just thinking to yourself wasn't one enough? Like, who the hell does this kid think he is thinking that we all want to hear a second one of these in a week? Well, for starters, I genuinely think I need the practice. Let's be real. But also I kind of want to dip my toe in the water and see what people think about me trying it on a different day. I don't think this is going to be a full episode, but here we are just trying to figure out some new stuff, seeing some new tactics.
Mike Rispoli:If you guys like it, if I put this thing out on a Friday, if you guys like it more on Tuesdays, I'm just trying to test the waters here, see what you guys are looking for. Also, if you guys really could just please write in or comment or do whatever it is that you can, to get in touch with me, to let me know what topics it is that you guys like or just like about the podcast in general. That would be really appreciated because also, the more that you rate and give more engagement to this, the better off it's gonna fare. But, guys, feel free to also tell me what you don't like as well like. What topics do you absolutely hate that I talk about? But also you guys can tell me what you just don't like about the pod in general. I am more than open to hearing what you guys would want to suggest as to how you think that I could make this a little bit better for you guys and make it more enjoyable for you to listen to.
Mike Rispoli:Um, it could be anything from I don't like the way that you said this. It could be I don't like your take on this. It could be anything from I don't like the way that you said this. It could be I don't like your take on this. It could be anything. So if you guys do have something that you want to write into me about, you can email me at lmbemedia at gmailcom, or you could even just send me a DM on my Instagram or even my TikTok, which you can find me at the LMBE pod, and it would also greatly be appreciated if you could also continue sharing and doing whatever you got to do to help spread this, if you guys do enjoy it, because the more work that you also put into this, the more it's also going to help grow. So it's it's all kind of a team effort here. We're all kind of in this together.
Mike Rispoli:I think I mentioned that before. I mean in general, I also just want to talk about more topics that you guys are interested in, not stuff that I think, oh, this might be something that they might want to hear me babble about this week. You know what I'm saying and I don't know how you guys would feel about this, but if I do get comments or write-ins, if you guys have a reaction to something I've said, if you guys want, I can read those out Now. I won't use your name if you want to give me like a pseudoname, if you want to let me read off of your handle or something, let me know that ahead of time. But this way it can also maybe start a discussion on some of the topics that I talk about.
Mike Rispoli:But also, considering the fact that this is going to come out on a Friday, I hope everybody's week wasn't too bad. But what I genuinely hope is that nobody scheduled any late meetings on your Friday, because is that not the absolute worst Is when your boss or somebody, whoever it is, schedules a meeting on a Friday at like 4.30. And you know it's always going to be one of those meetings that could have just been an email. It's a 30-minute meeting that turns into an hour. So now you're staying late, when initially you wanted to just try and scoot out early, because that's what the boss always does. So you're like, if I leave a couple minutes after he or she does, maybe I'll be able to scoot out without getting noticed and I won't get dinged for it. Like, hey, man, I'm just trying to get my weekend started here too, like, come on, let's go. But then the absolute worst isn't just the late meeting on a Friday. It's always because there wasn't an email answered earlier in the week or a call made, or whatever the situation is, and because they, like people above you, can't seem to manage their time. Now it becomes your problem, and it's always something that's due on the following Monday. So now you got two options you either got to stay late on a Friday, which nobody wants to fucking do. Or two, you got to go in on the weekend, which is also not ideal, like I'm sorry.
Mike Rispoli:I thought that having good time management skills was a necessary aspect of office culture, but apparently that doesn't apply to you. But then what you got to do it because they're the boss and they said so and that's your livelihood on the line. So now you're just kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place of I don't want to do it, but now I'm kind of forced into doing it. Or or you just automatically start going on Indeed and you just start looking for new jobs because you're just so fed up with it, just to become a victim of what is corporate life at that new job, and it's just rinse and repeat.
Mike Rispoli:Actually, you know what this makes me think of a segment idea like what's the worst meeting that you guys have had late on a friday, or what's the worst thing that your boss or manager has done to you late on a friday and it's affected your weekend because of it, because that happens way more often than I think anybody's willing to admit and actually kind of reminds me of that meme I saw where it's like, instead of having to bring your kid to work day. We should have a bring your friend to work day so they get to like see where all the trauma comes from. But I actually looked something up and according to Forbescom, this is kind of wild 69% of people see that their managers have the greatest impact on their mental health, on par with the impact of their partner. That is crazy. But you know what, if any of you guys have seen how I Met your Mother, it kind of makes Barney's circle of screaming theory kind of accurate, because it's like what did he say? It was like Arthur's boss's boss screams at Arthur's boss. Arthur's boss screams at Arthur. Arthur screams at Marshall. Marshall comes home and screams at Lily. Lily then goes into school because she was a preschool teacher, and screams at one of her students. Then the student goes home and screams at her father Arthur's boss's boss, thus completing the circle of screaming.
Mike Rispoli:But I think it's so true because if you have a really bad day of work, it really can affect your mood when you go home. And who do people generally take out their issues on? This is something that I have a problem with myself is you tend to take out your inner like issues out on the people that are around you because you can't do it to your boss, because if you start going at your boss, you're just going to automatically get fired, or hey, maybe if you're going at your boss in another way, it could still end up getting you fired. Because you shouldn't be dating your fucking co-workers. You don't shit where you eat, but how great would it be if you actually, like, did have another job lined up and your boss you were on your two weeks notice and your boss just did something that just pissed you off.
Mike Rispoli:And now you had your chance. How would you do it? What would you do? How would you say it? Would you scream? Would you just be passive, aggressive?
Mike Rispoli:You know what I think I would do? I think I would just fuck with them. I think I would just like kind of make their job just a little bit more inconvenient. Like I would maybe hide their staples. I would make sure that they only have pens with no ink, because if it's one thing about me, everything is about convenience. Now, that's a problem with me and my dating life, but I always think about, like how I can do something more efficiently, and I think that's how managers also think. So if you could just kind of like make their day slightly an inconvenience.
Mike Rispoli:I remember once when I was in college my roommate just pissed me off and there was one night where he wasn't in the dorm, so I rearranged his dresser drawers so I don't remember how it was, but if his underwear and socks were in the top drawer then I moved them to the third drawer and whatever was in the third drawer I put to the second drawer. So like it just kind of made him glitch for a bit and it slowed down his day, like it kind of fucked with his routine just a little bit. Because, honestly, what is worse than being inconvenienced? Like that's why we all hate traffic, because traffic is an inconvenience and it makes no sense why there's traffic and you know why there's traffic unless there's an accident. But even still, it's because people are fucking nosy. People just want to see what's going on.
Mike Rispoli:Now, if you just happen to drive by while it happened, and you just happen to drive by while it happened and you just happen to witness the accident, even then you're going at 65 miles an hour. It's just one of those things where it's just like, oh shit, I guess that happened. Just see that you're not even witnessing it. You're not seeing what the true damage is. By the time that there's already traffic, the cars are already wrecked, the people are already already in the ambulance. You're not going to see anything. So what is it like? Just keep driving like it doesn't affect your day? It affects those people's days, god forbid. I hope they're okay, but why do you need to know?
Mike Rispoli:Or the other reason there's traffic. There's really three reasons why. The other reason there's traffic, though, is because you had that one asshole who's driving way too close and they stop short Now I got to stop which it causes the person behind me to stop and just piles up. Or the third reason as to why there's traffic is because there's construction, and then nobody's down there pouring tar, so they're just blocking off all the frigging lanes. For what? For nothing. Like how many times are you driving on the highway and it's like oh, construction ahead and nobody's there. There's not even a truck in sight. But meanwhile, for some godforsaken reason, a three lane highway is down to one. Meanwhile, the other two lanes don't even have a pothole on them.
Mike Rispoli:So it's like what are you guys working on? Oh my gosh, I would love to work for the state. I would love to work for the state. I would love to work for state construction because apparently you literally just get paid to do nothing. Working state construction on highways is the equivalent to only fans chicks. Like that's got to be it. You just get paid to stand around and do nothing but show yourself. But I think the actual problem as to why that happens is because all the construction happens at night, when nobody's driving, so it's safer for the construction workers. But the problem is they don't clean up their shit when they're done with it. So then we're stuck with the aftermath.
Mike Rispoli:In freaking Connecticut at least in my area they've been working on the highway on 95 for the past six months Six months and it's caused nothing. But we're a commuter state. Nobody knows how to fucking commute. So traffic in this godforsaken state is already awful. And I've been driving over the same rigid ass sections of the highway for the past six months.
Mike Rispoli:For no, I'm like it's been six months, you couldn't fill this part in yet like what are you guys doing? And it's like the only person who actually is working is the one who's actually directing traffic. But it's like guys, it's down to a one lane. I think we all fucking know where to go here. I just don't have the balls to do it. But what would actually happen? Because 90 of the time the road is not being worked on. So what would happen if somebody just like snuck through the cones and just tried to get off that one exit because that's the other problem, right, that exit's blocked off. Now you got to go like two or three exits down to get to where you need to be turn around. It's just a nightmare. So what actually happens? Because I actually did see somebody do it Cop pulled him over.
Mike Rispoli:But like, do you get a ticket for that? Do you just get a warning? Can you just play dumb, like, oh sorry, I just saw the opening, because sometimes they will have that where it says like exit and they kind of like redirect you to like go through the lanes to get to the exit. So can you just play dumb and just say, oh sorry, I saw the opening, I thought I could take it. I don't know. I don't know if that would work. Don't take my advice on that. I'm an idiot. I'm just thinking out loud here. I have no idea what the hell I'm even talking about. But if I have any cops listening to this episode. You got to write in and tell me what the punishment is Like. Is it points on your license? Is it a fine Like? What is the actual ramification? But then you know what. That would just lead to another inconvenience, because then you're going to get a ticket and then they gotta drag your ass in the court. You're gonna go and fight it, because who doesn't go and fight their ticket? And 90% of the time the cop doesn't even show up, so you just kind of like get a slap on the wrist or, depending on what it is, they just like null the or they void the ticket.
Mike Rispoli:In general, I've only gotten two tickets in my life. Both were for speeding and the first one was 100. My fault. I was going 50 in a 30. I shouldn't have been doing it. But in my defense it was just a really bad area because it was an off ramp that leads on to an on ramp, so you kind of had to pick up speed or else your car was going to get fucked. So cop was sitting right there, he, he got me and at the time I was living in Rhode Island so I had out of state plates, so I was just an easy target. Then the second time actually really wasn't my fault because I was actually driving to Boston to go see my friend. Oh man, I want to say this was probably five or six years ago now, wow, um. But yeah, I was on my way up to Boston and I think I was on the mass Pike and I was in the middle lane. I moved over to the left lane to pass somebody and because I was passing him, I was going 80. It was a 65. So I didn't. Obviously I was more focused on the car in front of me than the cop who was kind of tucked away in a brush area.
Mike Rispoli:So as I zoom around, the guy cop pulls out, gets me and it was so funny because he pulls me over and he does the standard cop thing. Do you know why I pulled you over? No, I don't, officer. What could you have possibly pulled me over? For he goes. Well, I got you speeding, I got you at this. I'm like, oh, can you show me the radar? And he pulls out the radar. I'm like, okay, and obviously I couldn't really deny it because I was the one passing, so I was the one going faster.
Mike Rispoli:So I'm not going to try and like play dumb and argue with the cop. It's the last thing you want to do is argue with a cop. Rule number one you don't fucking argue with somebody with a gun, so he just goes. Yeah, you know, the main reason why I pulled you over is because traffic is starting to pick up and you just really can't be going that fast. And I actually look out my window and I just see all the cars zooming by and I look back at him like you want to try again and he goes well, goes. Well, you know, it's starting to rain, roads are going to get slippery. I'm just trying to make you safe. I stuck my hand out the window and I'm like you want to try for a third time and he just goes, just drive slower, just goes to his car like gee, thanks, officer, you're over two. I'm only going with the speed of traffic. I'm actually doing the thing, passing the guy in the left lane and it's also not raining.
Mike Rispoli:Dude was just on a vendetta that day trying to get that quota and it really does kind of beg the question because if the quota does matter, if that truly is a thing because I did talk to one cop who said that the quota is just non-existent. We pull you over, we pull you over. But if the quota is legit, then why wouldn't the cop show up to the court date, like, is it just a matter of how many tickets you give out, or does it also depend on how many tickets are legitimate? Because if it's voided doesn't it like disappear? I don't know, because I feel like at that point that's giving the cop way too much power with traffic laws and then they could just pull you over for anything.
Mike Rispoli:I mean, I remember one time my buddy and I were driving, it was late at night and my friend just happened to turn on his high beams by accident and even though it wasn't intentional in his defense, it actually was a really dark road. It's not like there were street lights that could help us like see anything, and also there was nobody on the road, so there was also no oncoming traffic, so it didn't even matter. So he put on his high beams and the cop just decided to pull us over. For that now, granted, the guy let us off with a warning. The other thing was, I think in the cop's defense was, because it was late at night, I think he also wanted to see if we were drinking, which we weren't. So at that point the cop was actually just doing his job and he actually did do the right thing by pulling us over, because if we were drinking, if we had been drunk, that would have been disastrous.
Mike Rispoli:I went on a whole tangent about that. What three weeks ago, when I was talking about those hockey players oh, speaking of so, since Ethan, and the only time I actually mentioned this last week, the only time I mentioned a name is when somebody's on the pod, because now, at this point, they've been exposed, unless you guys want to write in hint, hint, wink, wink, and again we can just come up with a pseudonym or you can give me some other form of how you want to be known as. But I was talking to Ethan because he's in law school, and when I talked about how I thought that the drunk driver who hit those hockey players and ultimately ended up killing them, I said that I think that that driver should now be responsible for the child support of the hockey players wives because from what I know, I haven't really looked into the story any further, but from what I do remember is at least one of the wives was expecting a child, and Ethan actually said that that is a thing it's just done in like a civil court or a civil suit or something like that. So turns out that I was actually on the right track with that. I had had no idea that that actually was a thing until he told me. So I'm actually glad that there is some justice that served in that regard.
Mike Rispoli:But you know what this whole thing actually makes me want to ask you guys, like, what's your worst getting pulled over story? I don't really have that many. I've literally told you the three times that I got pulled over. If there's any crazy stories or reasons as to why you got pulled over, and tell us, like what happened in the aftermath, that would be great. Also, you know what? What's one of the top ways that you can get out of a ticket? Because out of the two tickets I got, the only reason I didn't technically get the first one for speeding was because I went and I fought it, so they just wiped it away.
Mike Rispoli:So if you guys have any advice on how to actually not even get a ticket and just always get let off with a warning, that would be great. I've always heard that humor works, but I don't know if I really want to play that game, because sometimes you just get the angry cop and he doesn't really have a sense of humor and he's just like I'm sick and tired of this shit. And then what you thought was like a little harmless joke or a harmless whatever ends up with you in cuffs. So I don't know hell. Even if any cops have any advice on what to do and how to get out of a ticket, I would be more than happy if you guys wrote in and let us know. I think we'd all be happy to hear that directly from the wolf's mouth. Oh, this is what the cop told me to do.
Mike Rispoli:But, guys, if you do take some of the advice that people give, don't just be like well, the guy in the podcast said this would work. I don't, I'm not responsible. I'm just thinking out loud here. I have not given any actual advice. This is all other people. So blame other people for your misfortunes. Oh, just like life, nothing's ever your fault, it's always somebody. But in corporate life that's just called delegating. Oh well, it's not my fault because they were supposed to do it. All right, whatever, all right. We're actually almost at the 20-minute mark. I actually was not expecting to even do 20 minutes.
Mike Rispoli:This ended up being a full episode. Please let me know if you guys prefer it on Tuesdays, if you guys like it on Fridays, if you guys like it on Fridays. Maybe you guys like this format better, where I talk sports or whatever on Tuesdays and on Fridays it's just kind of whatever. So, guys, let me know. I'm more than open to hearing what you guys like and what you guys don't like. But also, with that said, guys, please write in.
Mike Rispoli:Again, you can reach out to me on lmbemedia at gmailcom. You can also find me on my Instagram and TikTok. I also have been trying to do a little bit more with posting on my Instagram and my TikTok, so hopefully you guys are seeing that, sharing it. If you guys like it, let me know, comment on those things to help boost it. And again, just continue to share, comment, like, subscribe and rate the podcast to let me know if you guys like it. And with that, I hope all of you guys have a fantastic weekend. As of now, for me, my plans are just the equivalent to whatever's in my head. I got nothing. Hopefully that's not the case with you guys, but all right, I hope all of you guys have a fantastic weekend. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for supporting no-transcript.
