Give It Up for Wheezy Lungs!

Summary

Podcast Title: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Episode: Give It Up for Wheezy Lungs!
Release Date: April 15, 2025

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Introduction

In the April 15, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a mix of political commentary, personal anecdotes, humor, and timely discussions surrounding Tax Day. Skipping over the usual advertisements and intros, this summary captures the essence of their engaging conversation, enriched with notable quotes and clearly structured sections to provide a comprehensive overview for both regular listeners and newcomers.

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1. Political Commentary: Nayib Bukele and U.S.-Russia Relations

Timestamp: [03:15] - [13:05]

The episode kicks off with a discussion about Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, highlighting his recent appearance in the U.S. Oval Office. The hosts explore Bukele's growing relationship with former President Donald Trump, noting their shared perspectives on combating leftism and managing international relations.

• Jack Armstrong remarks on Bukele’s diplomacy:
  "He has a burgeoning great relationship with the most powerful leader on earth... he's playing his cards right." ([04:16])

• The conversation shifts to Trump's foreign policy, particularly concerning Russia and Ukraine. Armstrong criticizes the lack of clarity and effectiveness in Trump's approach, pondering the potential for a constitutional crisis stemming from conflicting viewpoints on international interventions.

  "It's interesting... somebody probably had to say, Mr. President, remember the whole Russia-Ukraine thing?" — Jack Armstrong ([09:00])

• Michael, a guest, adds insight into Trump’s priorities, suggesting that issues like tariffs and immigration overshadow critical foreign policy matters.

  "I don't think he's super into fixing the whole Ukraine, Russia thing. It's not top of mind." — Michael ([09:50])

The hosts express frustration over the perceived indecisiveness in U.S. leadership, emphasizing the need for coherent strategies in international affairs.

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2. Personal Anecdotes and Humor: Aging and Health

Timestamp: [05:00] - [10:00]

Transitioning from politics, Jack and Michael share personal stories addressing aging and health challenges, injecting humor into their dialogue.

• Michael opens up about his recent doctor's visit:

  "I have wheezy lungs. The doctor said, that's not good." ([05:45])

• Jack Armstrong humorously muses on his potential stage name as an aging musician:

  "When I'm an old fat bluesman touring the country... My stage name is going to be Wheezy Lungs." ([06:52])

• The hosts engage in a lighthearted exchange about modern slang, particularly the term "finna," demonstrating generational differences.

  "Finna eat this sandwich. It's going to miss Katie." — Michael ([05:21])

These segments not only provide comic relief but also resonate with listeners facing similar life stages and health concerns.

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3. Tax Day: Debunking Common Myths with Jessica Riedel

Timestamp: [32:33] - [35:08]

As Tax Day approaches, Armstrong and Michael pivot to financial topics, focusing on debunking prevalent tax myths presented by Jessica Riedel of the Manhattan Institute.

• Michael introduces the segment:

  "His writing about taxes is still the same as it's ever been... Top 10 tax myths." ([32:33])

• Jessica Riedel addresses the misconception that tax cuts pay for themselves, explaining the flawed economic assumptions behind such claims.

  "There's never been a case where the economic growth equaled the amount of revenue drop from the tax cut." ([34:10])

• Another myth discussed is the idea that tax cuts will starve the beast—the notion that reducing taxes will naturally curb government spending. Riedel argues that, historically, this has not been the case as governments often compensate through increased borrowing.

  "The government is so comfortable borrowing money, they will just continue to spend wildly even when you have tax cuts." — Michael ([34:55])

The hosts express disappointment over these revelations, emphasizing the complexity of fiscal policy and the challenges in achieving balanced budgets.

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4. Parody Segment: "Chickstronauts" and Celebrity Space Missions

Timestamp: [25:16] - [31:07]

Injecting humor and satire, Armstrong and Michael discuss the novel concept of "Chickstronauts", an all-female Blue Origin flight crew featuring celebrities like Katy Perry and Gayle King.

• Jack Armstrong critiques the earnestness of the space mission:

  "It's very difficult because you're fly." ([26:15])

• The hosts mock the overly sentimental reactions from the crew, parodying typical astronaut interviews with exaggerated emotional responses.

  "I will never be the same. It's surrender to the unknown." — Joe Getty ([28:15])

• Michael humorously compares the trivial experiences of these celebrities in space to the profound journeys of actual astronauts, underscoring the superficiality of the mission.

  "We are not a serious country." ([25:30])

• They further lampoon the lack of genuine change or enlightenment resulting from these high-profile spaceflights, suggesting that celebrities return unchanged despite their ventures.

This segment serves as a comedic critique of modern celebrity culture and the commercialization of space exploration.

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5. Listener Mailbag: Engaging with Audience Feedback

Timestamp: [42:13] - [43:22]

Armstrong and Getty interact with their audience through the Mailbag segment, addressing listener emails ranging from movie preferences to opinions on generational behaviors.

• A listener named Garrick shares his love for classic movies, prompting discussions on the emotional comfort these films provide.

  "Casablanca, Seinfeld, Lord of the Rings, Aladdin, Gladiator, Happy Gilmore, the Dark Knight." — Garrick's Email ([43:21])

• The hosts reflect on the differing tastes and emotional connections listeners have with media, highlighting the diversity of their audience's experiences.

This interactive portion fosters a sense of community, allowing listeners to relate and engage with the hosts on personal interests.

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6. Closing Remarks and Upcoming Topics

Timestamp: [45:57] - [48:01]

As the episode progresses towards its conclusion, Armstrong and Getty hint at future discussions and encourage continued listener engagement.

• They tease an upcoming interview with tax expert Stephen Moskowitz, promising further insights into the complexities of the U.S. tax system.

  "We're going to talk to one of our favorite tax experts, a guy named Stephen Moskowitz... on tax day." — Michael ([41:08])

• The hosts reiterate the importance of staying informed and invite listeners to participate in future episodes through emails and feedback.

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Notable Quotes

• Jack Armstrong on political leadership:

  "We are the greatest superpower on earth. Come on." ([12:56])

• Michael on generational behavior:

  "The baby boomers are absolutely, documentably... the worst generation in American history." ([36:36])

• Jack Armstrong quoting Martin Luther King Jr.:

  "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed." ([41:31])

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Conclusion

The Give It Up for Wheezy Lungs! episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a blend of sharp political analysis, relatable personal stories, and lighthearted humor. By addressing timely issues like international relations and Tax Day while also engaging in satirical parodies and listener interactions, the hosts maintain a dynamic and entertaining dialogue. The inclusion of notable quotes and structured segments ensures that the podcast remains both insightful and enjoyable for its diverse audience.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

You see a headline but don't have time to read the whole story. Or there's so much news you're not sure what is worth your time. Colby I'm Colby Ekowitz, co host of Post Reports, the weekday afternoon podcast from the Washington Post. Post Reports brings you what's relevant and revealing breaking stories, politics, wellness, culture. Each episode goes beyond a headline for the context you need. Find Post Reports now wherever you're Listen Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

Live.

[Jack Armstrong]

From Studio C, senor.

[Michael]

A dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound. Hey, y'all. Today we're under the tutelage of our general manager, Naive Bukele.

[Jack Armstrong]

Who.

[Michael]

Who that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm pronouncing that right. Sorry if I mispronounced your name. Naim. He's the president of El Salvador who was in the Oval Office with the president the other day. That's a. Interesting figure I think we'll be hearing more from.

[Michael]

Yeah, that was happening while we were on the air yesterday. And we got some of the clips today where he says he's. He doesn't have the power to go get that guy we accidentally sent to that horrifying prison. Bring him back.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, where this ends, nobody knows. We don't need a constitutional crisis. But, yeah, he's saying, I. I can't. I don't have the authority to shove him into the United States. And. And Trump's saying, we don't have the authority to go into that prison.

[Michael]

And was that guy just trying to cozy up to Trump? Was he just trying to. Oh, yeah, he knows that's what Trump wants.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. He has a burgeoning great relationship with the most powerful leader on earth. Most powerful and richest country, you know, for all intents and purposes on earth. So, yeah, he's playing his cards right. And he and Trump are of the same cut from similar cloth in their ideas about defeating leftism in their countries and the damage it's done.

[Michael]

How do I sound? Is it listenable?

[Jack Armstrong]

It's. It's improved since your first sentence.

[Michael]

Okay, that's good.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'd say as. As of now. Yeah. You're obviously a man who's ailing a bit, but fine.

[Michael]

Yeah. You know, sometimes you sound bad, but you feel okay. That's not the case here. Finna die.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, is that urban hipster talk for feeling like you're gonna die? I don't know. I speak English.

[Michael]

You don't have anyone around you says, finna, Finna go downtown, finna eat this sandwich. It's going to miss Katie.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's. I'm fitting to insert here. And they just changed it to finna. Yeah, but because everybody's so busy in the 21st century, actually enunciating words is inconvenient.

[Michael]

Yes. My son says, finna hang out with my friends.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, I'm sure I had annoying hipster slang back in the day as well. In fact, I know I did, so I don't judge, I'm just amused.

[Michael]

So finadye is mine. I went to the doctor. I don't have strep throat, so that's good, whatever strep throat is. But my. I have wheezy lungs. The doctor said, that's not good.

[Jack Armstrong]

A man of your years should not have wheezy lungs.

[Michael]

A man of my years. You know, it was the most interesting thing about my doctor's appointment. Speaking of getting older, I've had my. I met my doctor at a backyard party for med students many, many, many years ago. Then he finished medical school, and he became my doctor, like, right away. As soon as he started his doctoring as, like a. Whatever you are when you become a doctor. What are you, 26 or something like that? I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sounds right.

[Michael]

Yesterday, his daughter treated me. How's that for a slap in the face with how you're aging? You're. Now you. I knew him when he was a young man starting out as a doctor. He's now an older man with children who have grown up, gone to school and medical school and become doctors.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is how it is. This is how it feels, apparently.

[Michael]

Yeah, I don't like it.

[Jack Armstrong]

By the way, Michael, when I'm an old fat bluesman touring the country, you know what my stage name is going to be? What's it going to be? Wheezy Lungs. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Wheezy Lungs. How, how, how.

[Michael]

But I lost my woman.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Meanest woman I ever saw. Did you ask about pneumonia? I didn't.

[Michael]

I mean, she's a doctor, I would imagine. You know, popped into her head.

[Jack Armstrong]

Was she a doctor like Dr. Jill?

[Michael]

No, like, finished high school in Virginia at the University of Virginia.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's the kind you want. So, yes, both of my parents were very sick. Sounded exactly like you with the same symptoms. And they went to the doctor multiple times, thought pneumonia, bronchitis. And it ended up being like this upper respiratory infection, which is no good. So I would go back and maybe say, hey, and what?

[Michael]

Say, listen here, doc, I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe they can give you something for it. Second opinion.

[Michael]

Yeah. Third, Doc, I've never actually gotten a second opinion. It's something people throw around all the time, but it's a lot easier said than done.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. There's a lot of time and paperwork involved and the pay for it.

[Michael]

Your insurance company says. What are you doing exactly here?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, interesting. Yeah.

[Michael]

What was I gonna say? Oh, yeah. There are so many different diseases going around the country right now, and a lot of classrooms are struggling to keep the kids in school and everything. I have something important this weekend, so I'm pretending I'm not sick. I'm pretending it's gonna go away. I got something important this weekend, so can't. Can be sick. I don't feel. Yeah, exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mind over matter. There you go.

[Michael]

As my. Yeah, as my dad says, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter. Wall Street Journal AIDS push Trump to adopt tougher approach with Moscow. I'm really into this article. Rubio and one of his other negotiating dudes, Kellogg, are really pushing Trump. Hey, Putin is not interested in this whole ceasefire thing that you're talking about. No interest whatsoever. So we got to come up with something right? So far, their boss is not biting.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's interesting. We've been discussing, as have, you know, quite a few people, how Trump is doing so many things so quickly and impactfully. Many of them great. Some of them seem a little haphazardy to me. But we can talk about that more later. But we've been talking about it from the perspective of the Democrats. They don't know what to yell about. They don't know what to, like, be their rallying cry. Cuz it's something new every day and the courts are busy and the media is nowhere to focus. Well, it just occurred to me as you were talking, somebody probably had to say, Mr. President, Mr. President, you remember the whole whole Russia, Ukraine thing? We're going for a peace deal there. Putin's been ignoring it. And Trump, having been dealing with tariffs and trade and immigration and the courts and whatever is probably. Oh, that's right, the Russia thing, the Russian thing. Right, right, right. It has to be brought back up to speed because it's as crazy and busy for him as it is for all the other folks we mentioned.

[Michael]

It's got to be true. And I feel like I've read this sort of thing about presidencies. I mean, there are things you're into and things you have to deal with that you're not into. And I don't think he's super into fixing the whole Ukraine, Russia thing. It's not top of mind. He is really into, obviously, the toll tariff thing and, and maybe yelling at Rosie O'Donnell. But yeah, so that makes sense. I, I'll bet that is absolutely true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Rosie O'Donnell, who is in love with Lyle Menendez, by the way.

[Michael]

What, one of the Menendez brothers?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, yes. More on that live team coverage coming up. Stay with us.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Okay. Freaking odd. Is that first of all, she doesn't play for our. The team hetero. But she, she says Lyle is the first straight man she feels like she could love and trust.

[Michael]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Michael]

What does that mean, love and trust in a. He murdered his parents in cold bloods and then lied about it sort of.

[Jack Armstrong]

Way they were mean to him or something? I don't know. You'd have to ask her.

[Michael]

Oh, my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know. I, I actually have more details on that. We talked about it yesterday during the podcast when you were at the doctor. But yeah, it's, it's. These are strange times. Fan friends. Where were we? We were talking about something significant.

[Michael]

Oh.

[Jack Armstrong]

What Trump is into and what he's not into. Here. Here's where I. Everybody off.

[Michael]

Oh, great.

[Jack Armstrong]

Trump and non Trump, you know, anti Trumpists and pro Trumpers. He's absolutely correct about all of the conflicts and crap that started under Joe Biden because Joe Biden was weak and senile and his foreign policy was show lots and lots of weakness. Then people will be nice. Mostly. He's absolutely right about that. And he needs to stop referencing it when he's talking about the Russia, Ukraine thing yesterday, was it. He came out with another. Well, I'll tell you, this never would have happened under me. Yeah, we all get that. Get that he got elected. Now what?

[Michael]

Yeah, well, it's the. He's blamed Zelinsky, now he's blaming Biden. He is so hesitant to blame Putin, as everybody knows. And I don't know if that turn is going to come or if in his mind it's like, okay, once we get there, we're there and it's going to be, you know, B to the W, if you will, in terms of going after Putin.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. And I completely understand the desire for a better relationship with Russia. I mean, if you can have like a semi frenemy relationship, that's better than constant conflict and angst and bloodletting. It's absolutely true. But maybe it's just getting back to the span of years and having little perspective. I'm just getting so tired of American presidents and. Or their secretaries of state going hat in hand to the Kremlin and saying, can we be friends From George W. Bush saying he looked into Putin's eyes and he can see he's a good man. And just Barack Obama and the reset button and just, oh, can we stop with that?

[Michael]

It's embarrassing.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is embarrassing. That's my point. So we've got. We're the greatest superpower on earth. Come on.

[Michael]

More on that later. From the Wall Street Journal reporting, which I found interesting, but we got a very long opening clip. Do you think this needs any setup?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, I do not think it does. I think it may be the perfect clip to describe our times. This clip is our times, Jack.

[Michael]

Okay, we'll start to show officially that I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Jo Getty on. This is Tuesday. It is April 15th. Tax Day. We'll be talking about taxes a little bit later the year 2025. We are Armstrong and getting. We approve of this program.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, presuming Trump hasn't dismantled the fcc, which would be fine. Let's leap into action according to FCC rules and regulations. Here we go at. Mark. What?

[Michael]

Mashed potatoes on the side of my car here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Did you or didn't you? Because I've got cameras up there facing you. Get off.

[Michael]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now I'm not on. This is the middle. You are trespassing. Get off my parking area. Listen, did you throw.

[Joe Getty]

Get out of here.

[Michael]

Fast food on the side of my Tesla?

[Jack Armstrong]

No. Why did you throw fast food on the side of my test? You threw mashed potatoes on my car.

[Michael]

What is wrong with you?

[Jack Armstrong]

You sit here, you drive in, you drive out. You have cars all over. What do you do? You drive in and you drive out.

[Michael]

That's what people do to their driveways.

[Jack Armstrong]

You. Oh, my God.

[Michael]

I've heard that 10 times. It's still funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

I enjoy it more every time I hear it.

[Michael]

When she says you drive in and out of the driveway, that's when he loses it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God.

[Michael]

That's what a driveway is. You drive in and you drive.

[Jack Armstrong]

You. He goes full Larry David on her.

[Michael]

Yes, yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well. And meanwhile, you have the dynamic of a perfectly reasonable guy saying, did you throw mashed potatoes on the side of my Tesla? You're trespassing. Get off my side of the driveway. The irrational lunatic lefty wielding. Well, mashed potatoes. In this case, committing an act of political. Well, waste of food, if not violence. Utterly unhinged and irrational. Unable to articulate even the simplest defense of her actions, but instead screeches like a lunatic. And then he goes full Larry David on it. It's just, you drive out, you have junk cars all over. What do you do? You drive in and you drive out.

[Michael]

That's what people do in their driveways, you moron.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I'm telling you, it just gets better.

[Michael]

Okay, I got something I came across the other day that I thought was so dang good from one of the best, I think, reasonable people about taxes in America. Top 10 tax myths on Tax Day that we can get to. It's really, really Good. We've got Katie's headlines on the way. Our text line is 415295, KFTC.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

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[Michael]

It was a heck of a day yesterday. We got two clips. They're almost certainly going to be in the top 10 four clips of the year yesterday. The one you just heard about. You drive in, you drive out. You. That's what a driveway is.

[Jack Armstrong]

That might be the clip of all time. I don't know. You sit here, you drive in, you drive out. You have junk cars all over. What do you do? You drive in and you drive out.

[Michael]

That's what people do in their driveways.

[Jack Armstrong]

You.

[Michael]

So what are you calling the female astronauts? Katie?

[Jack Armstrong]

I stole it from Joe from yesterday. But chickstronauts.

[Michael]

The Chickstronauts. If you haven't heard Gayle King talking about Katy Perry and all that, we'll play that for you. Coming up next segment.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard. Hey, let's figure out who's reporting what. It's lead story with Katie Green. Katie. Starting with Fox News, judge blocks Trump from revoking legal status for 530,000 migrants who flew into US via Biden program. All right, can we sort this out, please? From cnn, Trump calls xi's tour of Southeast Asia a chance to, quote, screw with the United States.

[Michael]

Every single thing President Xi in China does is to screw with the United States. That's like their national job.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And to elevate themselves. Yeah. And I think to some extent Trump's given him an opportunity to do that. But you know, more on that to come from the Wall Street Journal, bank of America's profit climbs with consumer spending resilient. They reported a higher profit for the first quarter reflecting a resilient United States economy.

[Michael]

That's true.

[Jack Armstrong]

From NBC, Biden to give first major public speech as a former president.

[Michael]

That's right. Biden speaking today. Man, they're going to pump him full of whatever drugs to try to make him well.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's guaranteed. It'll be midday, right? Yeah.

[Michael]

Back to that economic thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

The only time it's functional.

[Michael]

I don't know if any economic statistics mean anything that were taken prior to the whole tariff war.

[Jack Armstrong]

From the New York Times, Vance drops Ohio State's championship trophy during White House celebration. Major misstep by the vice president could harm his chances in 28. Back to you, Katie, from the New York Post. I love my dog more than my spouse. I spoiled my pup with parties and trips to Paris and my husband is just lucky to be there.

[Michael]

I know a number of people who feel like their wives like their dog better than them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Your dog could not give a sack of what you just cleaned up about being in Paris. You know from the Daily Mail, world's first sperm race to take place before a live audience of more than 1,000 spectators next week. Having gone to the Masters, I'm probably good for major sporting events for a while, but that sounds exciting happening in la. And finally from the Babylon Bee, terrified Luigi Mangione files restraining order against Taylor Lorenz. Yeah, yeah, we talked about that late in the show yesterday. The sick, twisted Taylor Lorenz and this hack idiot journalist pitching the idea that yeah, really the only political violence is from the right these days and it's dangerous and we're all very afraid. Just so stupid. Is CNN still on?

[Michael]

It's tax day. I have the top 10 tax myths to get to started on. Gonna sprinkle them out throughout the show. Really good stuff, stuff we should all know. It just, it's, it's very helpful. And a hilarious clip from one of the chickstronauts yesterday. Stay tuned.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

There's an efficient way to get caught up on a lot of news. It's called the seven from the Washington Post. It's a newsletter and podcast. Whether you're reading or hit play, you get seven stories you need to know and you can consume it all in just a few minutes. The 7 is out every weekday morning by 7:00am Eastern. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'm one of the writers and I host the show. Find the seven podcast wherever you're listening. The newsletter link is waiting for you in the show notes.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty. Which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results. And then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful beauty. Confidence is beautiful. Learn [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

The star studded all female blue Origin flight crew, including Katy Perry and Gayle King, blasting off, headed to the edge of space.

[Michael]

Oprah crying at liftoff.

[Jack Armstrong]

What? We are not a serious country.

[Michael]

We are not. Why are you using your serious voice like this? Just wants some. Some sort of PR stunt to grab attention. Like something major happened.

[Jack Armstrong]

The only reason to really pay attention to David Muir is that he's such a terrific parody of himself.

[Michael]

It's hard to imagine why the ratings have gone down so much for network news when they're bringing stuff like that in serious tones.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oprah cries at liftoff.

[Michael]

Okay, so you probably don't even know who Gayle King is. Friend of Oprah's. Forever old lady. She's on cbs. It's a morning show. And she was on the spaceship with Katy Perry and interviewed after they landed. And it sounded like this. How would you describe it?

[Jack Armstrong]

It's very difficult because you're fly.

[Joe Getty]

You're floating.

[Jack Armstrong]

But the best part was when we got back in our seats after zero GS, Katie sang what a Wonderful World.

[Joe Getty]

She that nice.

[Jack Armstrong]

She said, what a wonderful world. I see dreams. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Because we've been asking her to sing all the time. And she wouldn't.

[Joe Getty]

And she wouldn't.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then because everybody said, sing Roar. Sing fireworks. And she said, it's not about me. I Wanted to talk about the world. Wow, isn't that nice? You got to ask her about that. Other than perhaps the choice of specific words, how did, how would that have differed if, from, if they were high school girls?

[Michael]

No kidding.

[Jack Armstrong]

Conversation was 16 year old girls at most.

[Michael]

I was thinking that interviewer. Oh, they did say ten year old girl.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Did you cry?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. It was really difficult because we were floating. What? Everybody cried.

[Michael]

What's the whole. And she, we kept asking her to sing and she wouldn't. We asked her to sing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Roared.

[Michael]

Do you do this? I mean you, you hang around with celebrities when, when famous people come into your house, you say, sing for me, act for me. I mean, what, what the hell?

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, some record breaking deep sea device with Mick Jagger. And I just keep saying, hey, sing Sympathy for the Devil, would you? He's like, no, we're under the ocean. This is not about me. All right, how about Satisfaction? Just Satisfaction. That would make me a lunatic.

[Michael]

That whole thing was hard to take.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, really? Oh, I, I, I know we have a couple of montages of the women where it's also pretty bad. Oh boy. Can we take it as a country? Play one, Michael. Give me 22.

[Joe Getty]

You are officially an astronaut.

[Jack Armstrong]

How do you feel? I still can't accept that word.

[Joe Getty]

I just feel a renewed connection to everything in life and where we are. And I can't wait to go back out there.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is the highest high and it.

[Joe Getty]

Is surrender to the unknown.

[Jack Armstrong]

Trust, you know.

[Michael]

You know what? We've gotten off the rails, obviously. So the whole space thing, Joe and I are old enough to have grown up with when it was absolutely amazing and the most amazing thing human beings had ever done and all of those emotional reactions you just heard would have.

[Jack Armstrong]

Made sense and literally death defying.

[Michael]

And that's been portrayed so much throughout history that everybody feels like, you gotta say that now. Even if you go up a little bit higher than you go on a plane and then come back down like 30 minutes later like they did, somebody has got to come back from one of these, whether it's Jeff Bezos or Katy Perry or whoever, one of these celebrity near space things and come back and say, you know, it kind of felt like a ride at an amusement park. And I'm not changed in any way whatsoever.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was one small step for Gayle King, one giant leap for second tier celebrities.

[Michael]

I mean, you know, you're not obligated to come back and say you have a completely different perspective of life and it's changed everything you've ever Thought. And all these.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's surrender to the unknown. Yeah.

[Michael]

You could come back and say it felt pretty cool, but I'm exactly the same as I was before I went up. I mean, nothing.

[Jack Armstrong]

The view of the Earth is stunning. It's crazy. Oh, so beautiful. My goodness. I just said, go ahead. You don't need to be, you know. What was the other quote? You're officially an astronaut. Don't get me started. It was the highest high. It was surrender to the unknown. We got another great montage.

[Michael]

You're officially an astronaut.

[Jack Armstrong]

Go ahead.

[Joe Getty]

Complete and utter joy and gratefulness. You can heal. No dream is too wild.

[Michael]

The moon was so beautiful, and it was like. I felt like that was a special.

[Jack Armstrong]

Gift just for me. You can't go through what we went through to look out for each other, to help each other and not be changed by that.

[Joe Getty]

I will never be the same.

[Jack Armstrong]

This experience is right.

[Joe Getty]

It's second to being a mom.

[Michael]

We got. We got to do a podcast, a three hour podcast, and take that bite by bite there, because each one of those needs commentary.

[Jack Armstrong]

I hadn't caught on. I apologize. This is all a parody done by the guys who did Spinal Tap and Best in show and those movies. I'm sorry I hadn't caught on.

[Michael]

I'm forever changed. Then you are a simpleton.

[Jack Armstrong]

The moon was a gift just for me. What? Wait a minute. What?

[Michael]

And how. We all helped each other. We each are. They helped each other through this whole thing. You're gone for like 15 minutes.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then we badgered Katy Perry to sing Moon Dance, but she wouldn't, so we cried again.

[Michael]

Wow, that was spectacular.

[Jack Armstrong]

These women have inspired me. I'm going back to school. Today's word is vacuous.

[Michael]

Oh, my God. You're trying too hard to act like you had a life changing event when you did not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, it was all the publicity stunt and they're playing along, so. All right, great. That is hilarious. Well, let's. Let's cap this off with David Muir one more time. Michael 20. Then we'll move on. The star studded all female Blue Origin flight crew, including Katy Perry and Gayle.

[Michael]

King, blasting off, headed to the edge of space. Oprah crying at liftoff. Oprah crying at liftoff. Oprah's quote was yesterday. She's never been more proud of Gail than yesterday because what, she sat there and didn't, you know, lose her mud? That's what you're proud of, I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, it's a start. So tax myths you have is that. Do I understand that correctly.

[Michael]

So today is April 15, traditionally tax day in America. And this, this, I was about to say this dude from the Manhattan Institute, I don't want to get sidelined on this, but I've been reading Brian Rydle Riedel. I remember how you pronounce his name. Been reading his tax stuff for years. He's now Jessica Riedel. He, oh, he had heard he was a woman his whole life and he has changed his. He's done all the stuff and he's now Jessica Riedel. But anyway, his writing about taxes is. Her writing about taxes is still the same as it's ever been.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, then.

[Michael]

And with the Manhattan Institute and I listened to a long podcast about this yesterday. It was, it was so good. And he's one of those guys. There are a few public intellectuals like this Larry Summers is one of them. That, man, when, when they say stuff that your side likes, everybody quotes them. And when they say stuff that your side hates, you know, they're a villain and a partisan and whatever. Like when Larry Summers was saying to the Joe Biden crowd, hey, these bills are going to cause inflation, conservatives loved him. He's on Fox all the time. Liberals hated him. Now that he's saying this tariff war is terrible and stupid and going to cause inflation, Conservatives hate him and liberals love him. Well, this, this Brian, I'm sorry, Jessica Rydle is the same sort of person and the top 10 tax myths, and I'll just mention a couple of them, but they, they, they, you know, something here to anger everybody. Then I'm going to focus on one briefly before we take a break so we can get the mailbag. Number one myth, tax cuts pay for themselves. And he goes through all kinds of math on how that's, that's how conservatives, we conservatives often push these. They do, you know, cause economic, economic growth and everything like that, but they never, there's, there's never been a case where the economic growth equaled the amount of revenue drop from the tax cut. That's just never happened. Now I, more than she, am big on the whole. It doesn't have to. It's my money. I should get to keep as much as my money as possible. She leans more to, well, we have to run the government and we're going broke. So it's going to destroy the nation and we need to do something about it, which is a reasonable stance.

[Jack Armstrong]

But if you're going broke, what's the first thing you do? You cut your spending.

[Michael]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's everybody. In every circumstance, corporate Individual.

[Michael]

Another myth, briefly, because I don't want to focus on some of these. The tax cuts will starve the beast. I was very unhappy to hear this. But she said, going through all kinds of examples throughout history, if you. Because oftentimes the conservative view is. And I've said this I don't know how many times, the only thing you can do with government is give them less money. And to me, it's your only hope to get them to waste less money is give them less money. But at least in the modern era, that has never happened. We spend more even after tax cuts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, printed. Or borrow it.

[Michael]

Yeah, because the government is so comfortable borrowing money, they will just continue to spend wildly even when you have tax cuts and starve the beast. So that's disappointing to hear.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now imagine if you despised your children. I mean, that's. That's very difficult for most of us. But imagine your. Your children were like murdering perverts and just. Just the most rotten human beings you'd ever run into. Perverts.

[Michael]

That's pretty bad.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's. That. That's the B movie I attempted to get produced back in my film production days. But anyway, so it was kind of a Texas chainsaw murder, but with more sex in it. The sex. Sexy. What? Ax wielding perverts. Whatever. That would be the only conceivable circumstance I could think of where, for instance, I would think, you know what? I want a new car. I'm just gonna take out a loan that my. My axe murdering pervert son has to pay for. I'm gonna do that. Then I think, you know what? I could use a bigger house too. I'm gonna take a mortgage out and my hated son will have to pay it off. I don't have to. That is what we and our government are doing right now. Except we love our children, but we're still treating them as if they're horrific human beings who deserve derision and punishment. It is the most astonishing, amoral thing I have ever witnessed in my life. And we do it every single day as a country. And a rant. Because if you get me started, I won't stop.

[Michael]

Starting with and run by the worst generation. The boomers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, wow. No. Why would you alienate people?

[Michael]

Because it is the worst generation in American history. The baby boomers are absolutely, documentably. You can prove it with charts and stats. The worst generation in American history. The most selfish generation in American history.

[Jack Armstrong]

Profligate spending. Yes.

[Michael]

And, you know, and it might just be human nature, the arc of an empire and everything, like that and they happen to be born during that time, which probably makes more sense. But you're absolutely right. It's just that we don't even think about it that much. It's just we think it's not. We think it's never going to happen. It's like, you know, I've known people like this. They just, I look at them and think, how do you think this is going to end? They just keep spending with clearly no means to support their spending and just feel like it's never going to come crashing down. And then eventually it does. Like our neighbors. When I was a kid, my dad used to talk about them buying new cars all the time and everything like that. He was embezzling from the hospital he worked at and he eventually was driven out of town and had everything taken away from him. I mean, at some point the rubber meets the road. It just happens.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then people or countries like that act like something was done to them when the reckoning finally comes.

[Michael]

Right, but. So in an hour two, I want to get to my favorite. And this is the one I think that does the most damage because those first two kind of were swipes at conservatives and a lot of their, you know, some of the things we hold on to in the tax argument, this one, it goes after the lefties. The middle class pays higher tax rates than the rich. That couldn't be more wrong. The Warren Buffett I pay lower taxes than my secretary. How a guy as smart as him could start that ball rolling with that stupid, stupid statement that lefties have been hanging on to now for decades. It's just so not true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? And we will blow it out of the water next hour.

[Michael]

It's very frustrating. We have Mailbag on the way. I hope you can stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you looking for in a new smart TV? 4K picture quality, high quality and immersive sound. A sleek design. All of those are givens. But only the new Roku Pro series has all of those. And the Roku streaming experience, an award winning OS. Get fast easy access to all your apps like iHeart where you can stream all your favorite music, radio and podcasts all day. And regular, all inclusive trips to Roku City. The new Roku Pro series, a smart TV built by the streaming pros at Ameca Insurance. We know it's more than a life policy. It's about the promise and the responsibility that comes with being a new parent. Being there day and night and building a plan for tomorrow today for the ones you'll always look out for trust. Amica life insurance. Amica empathy is our best policy. I'm Molly Roberts. And I'm Drew Goins. Each Friday on Impromptu, we talk through the questions we can't stop thinking about. Do we need to rethink how much we drink? Why are companies really asking workers to come back to the office? Does boycotting a business actually work? Should we quit social media?

[Michael]

We're here when the news gets personal.

[Joe Getty]

And the headlines hit home.

[Jack Armstrong]

Join Molly and me every Friday on Impromptu from Washington Post Opinions.

[Joe Getty]

Find Impromptu wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty, which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful beauty confidence is beautiful. Learn [e-mail] hey, it's Amy Brown from the Bobbi Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 2025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 3rd. Hosted by Bobby Bones. We're going to hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer and you're going to be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more.

[Michael]

Actually, we're going to talk to one of our favorite tax experts, guy named Stephen Moskowitz. A little later in the show. Our three about where things are with taxes in America on tax day.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yep. And where they're likely to go next, which I think we're all concerned about or interested in at the very least.

[Michael]

I'm going through puberty. That's why I sound like this. Becoming a man.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's exciting. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day today from Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed. It's true. Absolutely true. I can't wait for tomorrow. Our freedom loving quotes of the day. I have a couple that are great, but I'm not going to jump the gun. Instead, we'll move on to Mailbag. Drop us a note. The email address is mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com Angry Baby Boomers of course we understand that it profits, spending and irresponsibility is not universal among your people. Please don't write angry emails. I know that already.

[Michael]

Still the worst generation in American history.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh my good. I'm trying to heal the wounds without a doubt. Garrick writes. I thought I was just moved and entertained by my favorite movies and shows Casablanca. We were talking yesterday about science says the reason we like to watch shows and movies we've already seen scene is because it gives us an emotional reset kind of a break. Freedom from stress. We know it's going to happen. So Garrick Wright probably mentions Casablanca, Seinfeld, Lord of the Rings, Aladdin, Gladiator, Happy Gilmore, the Dark Knight. Etc Etc. Hey, evidently I'm just a needy Never felt that way. Just thought I love these movies and TV shows and the characters in them but what do I know? I'm just a doctor. Wow, you're a defensive doctor, Garrick. No, it's. It's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of your animal brain is telling you take a minute, take a minute.

[Michael]

I didn't say it right. If it came off as a sign of weakness, that's not at all it at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, you mentioned that your dad never wants to re watch stuff and he's the most even killed person you've ever known. But that's not. That's. There's not a right way or a wrong way.

[Michael]

No, no.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's. It's like people that's these freaking idiots who I'd like to batter with both my fists. But I'm not a violent man who, who think that there's something defective about the way little boys act, for instance, versus little girls or one's better than the other or whatever. No, just people just do what you need to do, all right? It's not a better or worse thing. Let's see. Al Anonymous in Washington writes on the topic of the chickstronauts. Wouldn't it be nice if Jeff Bezos gave them a replica rocket ship like the one they flew in? Easily held with one hand, the boosters light up and even vibrates just like the ship did on takeoff.

[Michael]

Oh geez.

[Jack Armstrong]

Plus he can stick his pretty boy face on the dome of the rocket just because he could. Also, it has lifelike rocket sounds if you put the boosters on full blast. Coming to the Amazon store with the replica blue origin rocket counting down to blast off is just 3 AAA's away. Battery not included. Wow.

[Michael]

I feel like there's a crash in Jeff Bezos's future. Ever seen pictures of him when he was young? He's a very geeky guy. Now he's this big, some sort of.

[Jack Armstrong]

Supplemented buff tan guy.

[Michael]

Tan hot, new young kind of hands.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's the guy.

[Michael]

World's biggest yacht. Etc. I think there's a crash someday.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, on that same topic. So many people wrote us emails about this. Sean writes Katy Perry singing if I met you guys on a space launch, I'd of course keep nagging you to recap the news in a clever way over and over again. Just imagine you refuse to recap the news but the end of the space launch. You read an email from JT in Sacramento. Dude, I'm balling zero G. Tears filling the capsule. I'm telling you Sean, that is some beautiful sarcasm, brother. Astronaut my ass. Writes Curtis got home from work tonight, watched a playback of the girls rocket ride. You said you were looking forward to hating it and so was I. I was not disappointed.

[Michael]

No kidding.

[Jack Armstrong]

By the time I got to the interview part, I was already all over it. What's that, Michael? Oh, 30 seconds. Okay. It was pathetic. The audio from the, shall we call it cockpit that was coming in under flight controllers was ridiculous. They're screaming like they were on the Tower of Terrors at Disneyland. It was really just like a theme park ride, nothing more. It gets into the perfect hair and the rest of it. Katy Perry is no more an astronaut than Ham the chimp we launched and brought back alive in 1961. Wow.

[Michael]

More on the way in hour two. If you miss it, get the podcast.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you looking for in a new smart TV? 4K picture quality, high quality and immersive sound. A sleek design. All of those are givens, but only the new Roku Pro series has all of those. And the Roku streaming experience, an award winning os. Get fast easy access to all your apps like Iheartra, where you can stream all your favorite music, radio and podcasts all day. And regular all inclusive trips to Roku City. The new Roku Pro series. A smart TV built by the streaming pros.

[Joe Getty]

There's an efficient way to get caught up on a lot of news. It's called the seven from the Washington Post. It's a newsletter and podcast. Whether you're reading or hit play, you get seven stories you need to know and you can consume it all in just a few minutes. The 7 is out every weekday morning by 7:00am Eastern. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'm one of the writers and I host the show. Find the seven Podcast wherever you're listening. The newsletter link is waiting for you in the show. Notes for some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves, loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with [e-mail] you know, some people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Say that Odoo business management software is like fertilizer, the way it promotes growth and all. But other people say Odoo is like a magic beanstalk because it grows with your company and is also magically affordable. And there's some people who would even say Odoo's individual software programs come together to build the perfect suite. Like building blocks. Well, Odoo is all of these things. Fertilizer, magic beanstalk, building blocks for business. So sign up [e-mail] o d o.

[Joe Getty]

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