>> As we launch into this holiday season at Kasparian and I would like to focus on the
positive for literally the first time this year, and talk about ten things that were thankful for
as we get into Thanksgiving. So I've got five things. Ana's got five things and we also have
some comments, and tweets that were left by our audience members.
The post that we put on our official accounts. Ana, why don't you start off with giving us one
of your things that you're thankful for? >> Okay, so I thought about this carefully
and I decided to list my five things in order of iImportance
starting with. I mean, this is all very soon to me.
But I'm going to start with, I guess in my world of very important things,
what is the least important? So number five, I wrote substances.
I didn't wanna have to choose one of these things,
so I put it under the umbrella of substances and the substances that I prefer are hot and whiskey.
>> That's a balanced breakfast right there. >> My favorite dinner.
>> I love that. I'm gonna say, this will be my honorary mention. This is my number six. For me,
it's been gin. That has gotten me through this pandemic is gin for some reason, I don't know.
Maybe related to my actual number five, which is my writing group.
I'm very thankful for the couple of individuals in my writing group. And because I wanna
be right around drinking more gin, that seems like a classic thing you do. We've been writing
all throughout the pandemic. I am closing in on the end of the book I've been writing this year
and I 100% would have long since given up, if not for my writing group to keep me honest on it.
And so that has been a great thing this year is
meeting up twice a week for that writing group. >> I love that. Should I give you my next one?
>> Let's see number four. >> So my number four
is nature, because nature has not only gotten me through this pandemic in this pretty awful time.
But anytime I kind of need like to heal in any way or if I need some solitude, some time to think,
I always want to be out in nature, right? So these long walks that I go on have really helped. I've
been going on super long hikes when my good friend, Michael Brooks passed away.
All I wanted to do was go hiking and I like to go to places where you don't really run into
other people, so I'm not like a big. I like hiking Runyon, which is like the Hollywood
hike. There's a ton of people there, but I prefer being in places that are
feels like your remote even though you're still in LA County.
So a nature just, I don't know. Looking at the flowers. Looking at just how incredibly beautiful
nature is makes me feel better. So I'm really grateful that I can rely on natured. So
get me into a better headspace. >> Anytime I see a random animal
out in about like a random rabbit or something, it's just always so like my God, nature exists.
I do like that and I agree. Runyon is the exact opposite of nature. There are areas
of Manhattan that are more natural than Runyon. >> Anyway, my numbe four is part of nature is
my dogs. My dog Kilo and my wife's dog Aby for all the reasons that I talked about in literally
every show like just had like I go home from work and I immediately cuddle up with my dog.
I bury my face in his fur and my allergies flare up in about three minutes,
but it's great and I love it. He cuddles with me. He started to cuddle like I'll
be laying on the bed watching TV and he comes up, and puts his back against mine.
And just like leans against me and it's so adorable, but I don't know what 2020
would have been like without dogs are the best. >> Well, Charlie is gonna make an appearance,
but the placement is a little different for me. >> Sure.
>> So for my third thing on my list, it's my health, right?
So it really hit me the other day as I was out in nature
just kind of like reflecting on things. I started thinking about how
there are a lot of things that we kind of take for granted. We don't really think about it much.
And for me, one of those things is my health and this goes beyond health.
But I'm able to do what I do for work, because of certain skills that I have like the ability
to learn and these are basic things. I mean, anyone can do these things, right? But I just
feel really lucky that I'm able to do what I like to do, I'm capable like I'm a capable person.
So I guess I'm grateful that I'm healthy and I'm capable.
>> Yeah, you are, you know what? I've always described you as a healthy capable person.
>> My number three is going to be TYT. But by that I mean like both the company but my career,
because this year has been incredibly disruptive to basically everybody's life
but I have been lucky enough that I have had this job, that it's changed a ton.
It's very different. It immediately became very different with the pandemic,
but it didn't go away. I never had to worry that I was going to be
out on the street or evicted, these are things that millions of people have had to worry about.
And not just that I've had a paycheck, but the show became the damage, became much more personal,
sort of like the direct connection we have with our audience very quickly in the pandemic.
And I think that that was very helpful for me. It is a year that has really driven people apart from
each other, from their co-workers, from society, from their government and it's been nice to have
a connection and that has been provided to me by TYT. So obviously, all of my issues, some publicly
stated, some just I mean I don't know with this entire industry and career, TYT, or whatever
those remain, but thank God for TYT during this year, it would have been even darker without it.
>> I like that, I like that. So for me though, TYT didn't make the list.
>> But I am grateful for TYT, it would be my top 10 for sure. Although, sometimes I feel like it's
killing me, not TYT specifically, just what I do and what we have to talk about everyday.
But for my number two spot, I have family and friends. So
that includes my incredibly supportive husband, incredibly supportive colleagues like you, John,
my best friend Lauren, my parents who have been like the foundation for my life,
for everything that I've accomplished, I wouldn't be able to do it without them.
So I'm just so grateful for them. And last but definitely not least, my nieces.
I see them every Wednesday, they are just such a huge part of what keeps me happy and
sane. And the great thing about kids is when you're with them, and when you're really present
while you're playing with them and engaging with them, it reminds you of a part of yourself that
you kinda lost as you've grown up, and matured and became like a professional, whatever it is.
You have to kind of act a certain way publicly all the time,
and then you lose that childlike curiosity.
And I think being around kids and really being present, and engaging with them just reminds
you of that child-like curiosity that you might have forgotten about, and I really love that.
>> Yeah, I love that. I haven't
seen like any of my family. >> I can't imagine like it's,
I mean, a lot of people are going through that. I mean I'm very lucky because everyone in my family
and I have a very small family, I just have one brother, his wife, my parents and my two nieces.
And they've all been quarantining, staying home ever since the pandemic began,
or at least ever since the pandemic was taken more seriously in this country in March.
And so as a result, I'm able to see them. If I wasn't able to see my family, if I wasn't
able to play with my nieces on Wednesdays, I don't know what I would do, I'd lose my mind.
>> That's adorable. My number two is related and it is, as you said earlier in your list,
mine is, for my family, I would say that the health although
we have lost some of the COVID but more specifically that
my wife and I have gotten through it because we've been the ones quarantining together.
And the reason it's, I guess obvious, everybody's gonna say something like that,
but I really thought one or both of us would get it early on, like I just sorta accepted
at some point one of us is gonna get this and we're gonna have to see what happens.
And that early part of the pandemic, like
even just going out to get a little bit of food or whatever, I was so concerned that
I would like bring it back to her or something. And so, we've been very vigilant and everything,
but I really did assume that one of us would get it and thankfully we've been
lucky from that, not necessarily 100% immune to any sorta health things or anything like that.
At least not getting that within our immediate family and having it
only affect our extended family to the extent that it is better than I feared it
would be at the beginning of the year at least. >> Yeah, yeah. I mean we're so lucky. I mean,
we're incredibly fortunate that we're able to do what we do, and we still have jobs
and our jobs are safe like health-wise so, yeah, we're very fortunate.
So for me, I'm gonna let you guess, John. >> I mean I'm assuming it has to be Charlie,
even if you hadn't said- >> It's Charlie, it's Charlie.
>> I would assume. >> Is that wrong? Is
that wrong that Charlie gets the top spot? Is it wrong that Charlie is the real MVP in my life?
>> It's the only way this list could have ever gone. Why they-
>> Okay, so here's the reasoning. Here's the reasoning because. Because, all of
the things that I listed, there are ebbs and flows, right? So with substances, that was my
number five spot. You can get a little too substance, you got yellow problem, right.
So it's not all good, you got moderation. Nature,
you enjoy nature but you also think about how we're rapidly destroying it. And
it's not a given, right? And you can't always rely on going out for a long walk. It might be cold,
it might be raining. This past summer, it was insanely hot for like two weeks where
you couldn't even be outside you felt like you were on fire the second you step outside.
It was insane. Health, I mean, I'm healthy, but that's obviously, it's not a given. Its
not constant, I can still get sick. Family, we are humans. We have our conflicts. We have our issues.
Charlie is a constant, Charlie is, no matter how awful things have gotten this year.
He's just always been this consistent source of comfort, of love, affection, loyalty, all
of that stuff. It's insane how much this little dog improved my life. We adopted him in 2016
when I was like in the depths of awful depression, awful anxiety. Didn't think
I'd be able to get out of it, and Charlie was the catalyst for just improving my entire life.
So he's got the top spot. I love my dog. >> Well, I don't think anyone is surprised by any
of this. But I'm thankful that you have Charlie as well because it keeps you sane, which is good, and
he's a great dog. He deserves that spot. He had a good chance of making it in my top five action.
I barely see him this year. >> Have I seen him this
year? I'm sure I have at one point. Anyway, my number one is going to be
the end of Trump, sort of. It's coming. I like a transition away from this.
This is not the blind glee of some people that are like, yay, all the bad is gone.
No, the bad is not gone. But some of it is, some of it will be replaced, not with the best
thing ever but with better things. And what we have given ourselves in transitioning out
of these years once it's actually done. Is a fighting chance on some of these issues.
It is a chance and it requires fighting, both parts of that. Please bear in mind,
a fighting chance. But we do have a fighting chance in some of these issues,
including ones that we've talked about so far in the program today.
The news wasn't always great under Obama obviously, it wasn't great before that.
But at least some of these just insane skeletons will be out of government. We
won't have to deal immediately with Steven Miller. We won't have to deal
immediately again with William Bar and Mike Pompeyo. Some of them will probably
circle the drain and eventually be dredged up by whatever comes next from the Republican Party.
I'm not blind to that, but we at least will get
a little bit of peace. A chance to wage a more positive war
on the issues we care about in the world we want to see. Rather than just a defensive war to try to
like sort of dull the edges of the blade that's been at our throat for multiple years.
So that is what I am thankful for. That as we end the worst year ever, we are at least
getting rid of some of the worst things ever. >> Yeah, yeah, I think it makes sense to have
that on your list for sure. I'm just a little, I think I'm a lot less optimistic than you are.
Just as a person overall. So I guess, it's just hard for me to like stop, and enjoy
the fact that Trump will be out of office. Because all I can think about now is a lot
of these cabinet picks provide. So but I need to take my own advice and just stop for a second.
And pivot my mind to the positive and enjoy that for even a little bit,
and then I can move on to Biden's cabinet.