The Drain

The Drain 013 - Assemblymember Maggy Krell's bad-faith sex trafficking bill

You may have heard of AB379, the 'sex trafficking' bill put forward by Republican Shannon Grove and--surprise, surprise--freshman Democrat Maggy Krell.
Robin Epley at the Sacramento Bee immediately clocked this bill for its major issues, without even touching on its implications on cops messing with the gay cruising community (see the next Seeking Derangements for a discourse on that). 
The Bee's opinion editor Marcos Breton argued in favor of the bill. He's not the only good-faith Democrat to be fooled by a bad-faith bill -- or by Asm. Krell's history 'fighting' sex trafficking.
After discussing AB 379 and the freshman assembly member from Sacramento, we take a look at her attack on Backpage, and how that endangered sex workers throughout the country. Is she a protector, or an aggressor?
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

*Preview* The Drain 012 - Qué Hilaria

This is a preview of a premium installment of The Drain. To listen to the whole episode, subscribe at patreon.com/thedrain. 
We're covering lots of ground with this one, discussing the lore behind Palma's deportation from Spain, Alec Baldwin's interest in a friend of the show, and attorneys who tickle defendants with walrus-like mustaches when whispering advice in the court room.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 011 - AI in CA

A few days back a great and terrifying piece came out in Rolling Stone exploring how an overly effusive new version of ChatGPT learned language model is convincing people all over the world that they are messiahs and prophets.
It is both stunning and unsurprising to learn how close to psychosis we all are. Soap in our food? Sure. AI models convincing us we were almost murdered by our babysitters as toddlers? Okay.
Even OpenAI, the company behind the issue, has made a statement on Chat GPT's "sycophantic" new persona.
But while regular learned language model users have noted its latest version's lean toward sycophancy, and how a model may or may not exacerbate our friends’ bouts with psychosis, California governor Gavin Newsom is doubling down on AI.
You might remember a bill last year designed to ensure that AI was developed ethically here in the world’s LLM capital: SB 1047: Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act.
It passed both the Senate and the Assembly. Then Newsom vetoed it.
We're discussing how this new technology could change, well, everything, and the concerns folks are raising about its potential effects on our wellbeing.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :)
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 010 - California Independence, with Coyote Marin of the Independent California Institute

Did you know that California recently passed Japan as the fourth largest economy in the world? It's true. Even within the US, our state is a powerhouse, comprising 1/7 of the US economy.
In fact, California put $83 billion more into the country in taxes in 2022 than we received in programs and benefits. That's what we call a donor state.
Add all of that to Washington, D.C. spiraling deeper into fascism every day, and it's worthwhile asking if the people of California would be better off on their own.
Today we're joined by Coyote Codornices Marin, executive director of the Independent California Institute, a think tank exploring the notion of a sovereign California and educating the public on its potential benefits to Californios.
Last year, the ICI conducted a poll with YouGov on California sentiment on a path toward independence, and the results were stark:- 61% of Californians said we’d be better off if California peacefully seceded from the U.S- 77% said California should control its state borders “like a country"- 66% supported creating a permanent state commission to help California gain more autonomy from the federal government- 63% supported using “hardball tactics” in the U.S. House, such as refusing to pass a budget, to gain greater autonomy for California- 60% supported a state policy of “total non-cooperation” with ICE if Trump deports long-term California residents with no criminal record- 59% said California should create a new law enforcement division focused on hate crimes and extremism
Remember, this poll was conducted BEFORE Trump got back into the White House.
We run the gamut with Coyote in this episode, learning more about the ICI, the arguments for California autonomy, historic precedents throughout history, and what needs to happen to achieve actual independence (hint: a lot).
You may have seen friend-of-the-Drain Raheem Hosseini’s piece on a Dumpster-fire named Louis Marinelli and the shitstorm he created in the CalExit movement. We discuss that briefly on this one, but were more interested in the work at ICI, who aren't affiliated with Marinelli.
And don't you fret, Drain Babies, for Kempa and Palma will be diving deeper into Marinelli's quackery very soon.
Want to learn more about the movement for California secession? Here are some places to start:
Visit their website: https://ic.institute/
Sign the petition to get California independence on the 2028 ballot (not affiliated with the ICI, but worth checking out): https://calexitnow.org/petition
Follow the ICI on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ic.institute
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for future premium Friday episodes of The Plug.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 009 - On Nayib Bukele's "tropical gulag" and El Salvador

Yes, this is generally a California podcast. But we've got an expert on El Salvador here in Sweet Palma, so this week we're kicking back and listening as he dives in on President Nayib Bukele, his "tropical gulag," and the history of this small but incredibly durable Central American nation.
Oh, and did you know the libs are ready to "k*ll" the baddies?
We take a look at a Substack post from liberal-on-Twitter Nicholas Decker, which asks, in the most insufferable manner possible, "When Must We Kill Them?"
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for future premium Friday episodes of The Plug.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 008 - Kamala Harris eyes the Governor's Mansion

Hey y'all,
Sorry for the late release of this one -- Palma and Kempa have been hella busy!
This week we're discussing the race that will determine the next governor of California. 
You might not know it, but the fight to be Kempa's next neighbor in the Governor's Mansion involves an incredibly deep field already, with nine Democrats, six Republicans, one Green and one No Party Preference guy/real estate investor already declaring for 2026.
But all of that might be for naught, assuming Kamala Harris decides to run.
Democratic hopefuls are already sniping at Harris over her indecision on the matter, knowing full well that the seat is hers to lose should she throw her hat in the ring. 
Folks close to the former vice president say that she'll be making her decision over the summer. By that time, most hopefuls won't have enough runway to match her in name recognition before the June 2026 primary.
This one's a little all over the place, but sometimes you just need to let the Palmas and Kempas run free. 
Enjoy!
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for future premium Friday episodes of The Plug.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky:@thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 007 - There Will Be Jakes, with Hesse Deni

We're joined by the iconic Hesse Deni, cohost of Seeking Derangements and Movie Mindset, the latter of which she runs with Will Menaker of Chapo Trap House.
We're discussing a classic so-bad-it's-good California film in THE TWO JAKES, starring and directed by Jack Nicholson.
Folks, this one has it all: grenade confusion, oil intrigue, and Jack Nicholson literally exploding.
Join us as we relive the film that brought Palma and Hesse together.
Thanks for listening. Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for future premium Friday episodes of The Plug.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 006 - "Poverty porn" peddlers and the billionaires who love them, with Marke B.

Today we're joined by Marke B, cofounder and arts editor at 48 Hills, co-owner of The Stud, DJ, and author of Queer: the Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens, and Into the Streets: a Young Person’s Visual Guide to the History of Protest in the US
Marke is a San Franciscan with a deep history in the culture, starting at Citysearch and Gay.com, and then getting a front-row seat to the corporate takeover of SF tech and the boom/bust/web 2.0 mess (before he fled back into print for his sanity).
He pops in to discuss the phenomenon of "poverty porn" peddlers who gain clout by sharing videos on social media of unhoused people in crisis, folks experiencing mental health breaks, and addicts in the throes of their disease. We examine how these "peddlers" are connected to billionaires trying to take over the San Francisco political scene, as well as why rich guy Garry Tan has blocked everyone on our panel.
Some links to the stories we're discussing:
Techie mistakes fireworks for gun shots, cries to Garry Tan
Poverty porn peddler Ricci Wynne is in pretty big trouble 
JJ Smith and the astroturf network
The tech plutocrats dreaming of a rightwing San Francisco
Right-wing SF tech rears its head at Heritage Foundation's Reboot
San Francisco’s Right-Wing Tech Bros Go National
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for future premium Friday episodes of The Plug.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

The Drain 005 - Bluer skies

Kempa and Palma give an update on the developing story of university administrators endangering their own students to appease the Trump administration, before diving into the magical realm of microblogging sites and social media in 2025.
Did you know that 58 of 60 California Assembly Democrats are leaving X-The-Everything-App? A number of them--39 of the state's 120 legislators in total--have migrated to Bluesky.
So, what is Bluesky?
It's a microblogging site like Twitter, but with a focus on open-source development and user control. It actually has Twitter roots, and was a pet project by Jack Dorsey before he sold Twitter to Elon Musk. Once CEO Jay Graber took the helm, it became apparent that the two techies had diverging principles, so Dorsey left. Probably to some Vipassana retreat in Humboldt County.
Early Bluesky was rad. Many of us (including AOC) remember ALF's hog, Big Naturals Tom Bombadil, and a culture driven by artsy trans women posting thirst traps. Then the Blue Wave hit.
After Twitter's new owner Elon Musk helped elect Donald Trump in 2024, Democrats across the country left his site in droves, with many moving to Bluesky.
Does this matter/mean anything at all? We don't know. The new site isn't quite what we'd like it to be. It's a little saccharine. No one is doing real-time sports clips (European top-tier soccer goals or MMA finishes). And the funniest/meanest people are still on Twitter.
But there are lots of scientists. Obummer moved over last week, and now Billary is there.
Twitter culture is all about hating, which is fun. Bluesky is more like going to a local Unitarian church where you can’t really say bad words or, you know, do anything fun. But at least there is space for conversation and discourse without people losing their minds.
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
And subscribe to our Patreon for future premium Friday episodes of The Plug.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social

*Preview* The Drain 004 - UC students under attack (Part 2/2)

In part two of our talk with Kat, we discuss the UC's austerity measures against students as a response to the Trump administration's pressure, the heightened risk students face if they want to support Palestine, and the evolving tactics demonstrators on California campuses are employing in response to the universities'/Trump administration's draconian responses.
Listen to the full episode at: patreon.com/thedrain
Don't forget to like, rate and subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.
Questions? Comments? Chisme? Email us at thedrainpodcast@gmail.com.
Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social