Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "I Need You To Go Drain The Fluid Out Of That Stiff"
Date: October 16, 2025
Host: Jack Armstrong (C), Katie (F); Guest: Judge Larry Goodman (E), Military Analyst Mike Lyons (A/E)

Episode Overview

This episode blends personal stories, cultural critique, and in-depth expert analysis on current global conflicts. Armstrong and Getty discuss unusual early jobs with guest Judge Larry Goodman, pivot to New York politics and hacking incidents, analyze the state of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas ceasefire with military analyst Mike Lyons, and cap things off with a comedic look at the ever-changing dietary advice from health authorities.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Judge Larry Goodman: From Law to Embalming Dead Bodies

Timestamps: 00:46 – 09:43

• Judge Larry Goodman returns to share a surprising early job: apprentice embalmer, alongside his legal career.
  • Goodman discusses changes in law school curricula, noting the shift to social justice and criminal justice critique courses.

    "There's all these different classes that really don't have anything to do with practicing law or passing the bar." (E, 02:22)

  • Explains how, at age 18, he became an EMT and learned embalming as an apprentice in a small California town, working summer jobs at the funeral home/ambulance service.

    "At some point, you were in a room the first time with a dead body, getting cut up. Wasn't that quite the experience?"
    "It was when you're 18 years old, 19 years old. Yeah, it was." (C/E, 05:39–05:41)

  • Shares a vivid, darkly funny anecdote of a first-timer’s scare:

    "The first time I did it was when I had the experience with the moving feet...the person's legs crossed again." (E, 08:12)

  • Describes the emotional impact, including preparing a high school classmate killed in Vietnam.

Memorable Moment

• New Embalmer Prank:

  "You put socks on, go to sew the collar, and the feet cross by themselves. That’s when I said, I'm out of here." (E, 08:12)

• Katie adds family history: Her grandfather was a surgeon and POW in WWII, forced to treat Japanese soldiers during his capture, and her father (Judge Larry) once got covered in blood helping car accident victims, reflecting on their family arc in medicine and public service.

2. Tech Vulnerability: Airport Hacking Incident

Timestamps: 12:50 – 13:49

• Reports on a coordinated hack at multiple U.S. airports, posting anti-Israel and anti-Trump messages.

  "To me, the big story is why are our airports so vulnerable to amateur hackers?" (C, 13:09)

• Discussion on the risks of system vulnerabilities and potential chaos if hackers posted more disruptive messages.

3. Politics in New York: Mayoral Debate & Hamas Question

Timestamps: 14:10 – 14:39

• Audio of NY City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani refusing to condemn Hamas or advocate for their disarmament.

  "I don't really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety." (B, 14:33)

• Armstrong & Getty express concern at his evasiveness and political climate in NYC.

4. AI Bubble Concerns

Timestamps: 16:46 – 18:57

• Discussion of current articles warning an “AI bubble” may pose an economic threat greater than US-China tariffs.
• Hosts note the intricate, circular investments between AI companies and hardware suppliers, comparing hype to previous tech bubbles.

5. Britney Spears & "Crazy Mom" Syndrome

Timestamps: 18:57 – 19:02

• Brief commentary on Britney Spears’ estrangement from her children and tabloid revelations about her behavior.

6. Military Analysis with Mike Lyons: Gaza, Ukraine, and Global Security

Timestamps: 20:42 – 32:16

Israel-Hamas Ceasefire & U.S. Role

• Mike Lyons clarifies Trump’s "we will disarm them" statement:

  "I think he means Israel, number one. And then also these Arab nations...the United States provides intelligence and that support, but that's about it." (A, 21:38)

• Predicts a long, rocky road ahead:

  "This is a 20 year problem set...Usually they fight to the death. They consider this as part of their culture." (A, 22:28)

Ukraine War & Tomahawk Missiles

• Explains what Tomahawk missiles are and their potential impact:

  "The Tomahawk cruise missile is the go-to weapon now…it's not an easy task to all of a sudden give Tomahawk cruise missiles to the Ukrainians because there's no land-based firing system." (A, 23:42)

• Debates whether providing Tomahawks would truly alter Russian behavior.

  "No, but they're saying…I don't think it is, but they are saying that it's a red line for them and it would be...consequential." (A, 25:22)

• Notes continuing attritional war and Russian mobilization:

  "They still have four times the population. They can still withdraw from that pool, which...usually win these wars of attrition." (A, 27:43)

Broader Geopolitical Outlook

• Lyons reassesses U.S.-China dynamics:

  "I think China is much more in a box...we've restored that level of deterrence that we haven't seen since Ronald Reagan in the 80s." (A, 28:50)

• Refers to U.S. unpredictability as a new form of deterrence.

Notable Quote

"We're two and oh in World Wars. And I'd like to think we're going to keep that up should something happen in the future." (A, 30:26)

7. Health Fads & Government Nutrition Flip-Flops (Comedic Bit)

Timestamps: 37:51 – 41:01

• Airs a satirical sketch: a "future dietitian" repeatedly returns to the past to warn a family about their breakfast, changing their advice every time.

  “We were wrong about the eggs again…We sort of don’t even know what cholesterol is. But the steak. You can’t eat the steak. Wait, we were wrong about the steak. It was the toast. Man was not meant to eat bread.” (Sketch, 38:42–39:16)

• Hosts use this as a springboard to criticize shifting government health guidelines, especially the historical push for margarine over butter and processed cereal over traditional foods.

  "That whole margarine butter thing should be the end of any argument about the government telling us what to eat." (C, 40:45)

8. Quick Hits

Virus Report: New mosquito-borne illness in New York; hosts pass this off as background noise more than a threat post-COVID. (35:53 – 36:32)

LA Metro Waste: Commentary on how the city's expensive mass transit is still barely used and often unsafe. (36:32 – 37:51)

Notable Quotes

• On Embalming Dead Bodies:

  "You want to keep your job... you say, 'Yeah, okay, I'm on it.' Although the first time I did it was when I had the experience with the moving feet..."
  — Judge Larry Goodman (E), 07:33–08:12

• On The Changing Nature of Law Schools:

  "There's all these different classes that really don't have anything to do with practicing law or passing the bar..."
  — Judge Larry Goodman (E), 02:22

• On The Airport Hackings:

  "Why are our airports so vulnerable to amateur hackers?"
  — Jack Armstrong (C), 13:09

• On U.S. Foreign Policy Deterrence:

  "We’ve restored that level of deterrence that we haven’t seen since Ronald Reagan in the 80s."
  — Mike Lyons (A), 28:50

• On Dietary Guidance:

  "That whole margarine butter thing should be the end of any argument about the government telling us what to eat."
  — Jack Armstrong (C), 40:45

Segment Timestamps Reference

| Topic | Start | End | |----------------------------------------|--------------|-------------| | Judge Larry: Law/Embalming | 00:46 | 09:43 | | Airport Hack | 12:50 | 13:49 | | NYC Politics/Mamdani Clip | 14:10 | 14:39 | | AI Bubble Concerns | 16:46 | 18:57 | | Britney Spears Tabloid Bit | 18:57 | 19:02 | | Military/Mike Lyons Segment | 20:42 | 32:16 | | New Virus News | 35:53 | 36:32 | | LA Metro Commentary | 36:32 | 37:51 | | Health Fad Satire | 37:51 | 41:01 |

Tone & Style

True to Armstrong and Getty's brand, the conversation is conversational, candid, and peppered with dry humor, skepticism about authorities (especially in health and politics), and digressions into both serious military affairs and goofy personal stories. Notable moments are laced with irony and anecdotal color, making the show accessible even when tackling dense topics.

Summary Takeaway

This episode offers a classic Armstrong & Getty blend: odd career stories (dressing corpses), critical takes on politics and media narratives, world affairs analysis from a well-informed military expert, and an irreverent send-up of faddish health advice—all delivered with signature wit and a healthy dose of skepticism.