Idiot Says What?!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand - "Idiot Says What?!"

Release Date: July 8, 2025

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Introduction

In the July 8, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Joe Getty and Katie Greener delve into a variety of pressing topics, ranging from international politics and cybersecurity to personal anecdotes and emerging health trends. This episode, aptly titled "Idiot Says What?!", offers listeners a blend of insightful commentary, sharp humor, and engaging discussions.

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Geopolitical Concerns: Trump, Putin, and Ukraine

The episode opens with a heated discussion about former President Donald Trump's stance on Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Trump expresses strong disapproval of Putin’s actions, asserting that the war would not have occurred under his presidency.

Donald Trump (00:27): "I'm very unhappy with Vladimir Putin and what he is doing, killing so many people."

Trump also mentions the plan to send more defensive weapons to Ukraine, a point of contention among the hosts.

Joe Getty (03:18): "Trump just talked about defensive weapons, not offensive weapons. It's possible he's just not announcing offensive weapons."

Katie Greener references commentary from Newt Gingrich, highlighting the necessity of a combined effort from the U.S. and Europe to effectively counter Putin’s ambitions.

Katie Greener (02:08): "A combined Ukrainian, U.S., European effort will be needed to defeat him badly enough that he wants a ceasefire."

The hosts express concerns over the blurred lines between defensive and offensive weaponry in modern warfare, emphasizing the complexities of international conflict management.

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AI and Cybersecurity: The Marco Rubio Impersonation Scandal

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing a recent cybersecurity incident involving the impersonation of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio using AI-generated voices and texts. This sophisticated scam targeted high-level officials, including foreign ministers and members of Congress, aiming to manipulate and extract sensitive information.

Katie Greener (05:07): "What sort of accounts? Mr. Governor, this is Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State. Can I have your PIN number?"

Joe Getty laments the increasing frequency of such impersonation attempts, highlighting the challenges in distinguishing genuine communications from malicious AI-generated ones.

Joe Getty (06:32): "This is the first of endless examples of this happening. This is the new world we are entering into."

The discussion underscores the urgent need for robust verification systems to combat AI-driven security threats.

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Personal Anecdotes: Home Remodeling and Family Dynamics

Joe and Katie transition to more personal topics, sharing stories about home remodeling and family life. Katie recounts the emotional experience of remodeling their kitchen, leading to humorous exchanges about dungeon renovations and daily household challenges.

Katie Greener (08:48): "It's like having a safe word in the S&M dungeons that Michael likes to frequent."

Joe humorously reflects on the impact of their 25-year-old daughter's internship on household routines and family interactions.

Joe Getty (10:57): "My kids have started policing me. They're better than me, and I've had to find other things to do."

These segments add a relatable and light-hearted dimension to the episode, balancing the heavier topics discussed earlier.

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Health Trends: Obsession with Gut Health

Katie introduces a segment on the growing obsession with gut health, referencing an article by Andrea Peterson in the Wall Street Journal. She explores the burgeoning industry of personalized diet and gut biome testing services, specifically focusing on the company Zoe.

Katie Greener (23:22): "Everybody wants to have healthy intestinal systems, and that includes having the gut biome in good shape."

The hosts discuss the intricacies and inconveniences of such services, including invasive testing methods like continuous glucose monitors and stool sample collection. Katie shares her personal frustration with the process and the questionable efficacy of these tailored diet recommendations.

Joe Getty (28:31): "I don't feel like collecting my dookies. Yes, Katie."

The conversation critiques the commercialization of gut health and questions whether personalized diet plans are scientifically substantiated or merely a lucrative trend.

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Government Spending and Wokeness: House Hearing Analysis

A major highlight of the episode is the analysis of a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing led by Representative Brandon Gill of Texas. The hearing focused on scrutinizing government spending, particularly targeting grants deemed as "woke" or unnecessary by conservative lawmakers.

During the hearing, Representative Gill questions witness Emily DeVito on grants for projects like gender equity in mathematical studies and LGB-inclusive teen pregnancy prevention programs for transgender boys.

Representative Brandon Gill (13:53): "Do you think that that is a, you know, useful spend of our tax dollars?"

Katie and Joe critique the lack of practical outcomes from such government investments, emphasizing the perceived disconnect between allocated funds and tangible benefits.

Katie Greener (16:00): "The absurdity of the idea of pregnancy prevention for 'transgender boys.' If that human could get pregnant, that ain't no boy."

They express skepticism about the effectiveness and necessity of these grants, suggesting that the primary goal is the distribution of funds rather than meaningful impact.

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Celebrity Deaths and Misstatements

The hosts briefly touch upon the misreporting of celebrity deaths, specifically referencing the fictional character Paulie Walnuts from "The Sopranos." They humorously acknowledge their own mistakes in correctly identifying celebrity passings, adding levity to the discussion.

Joe Getty (22:24): "Paulie Walnuts has died at the age of old."

This segment underscores the challenges and occasional humor found in tracking and reporting on celebrity news accurately.

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Innovative Services: NYC Car Sitter Concept

Katie discusses a novel service in New York City—car sitting—offered by a 29-year-old entrepreneur. This service caters to drivers who need assistance moving their cars during alternate parking hours to avoid fines and towing.

Katie Greener (34:10): "She charges her New York City neighbors up to $50 for a 90-minute car sitting session during alternate parking hours."

Joe and Katie humorously debate the practicality and trustworthiness of such services, highlighting the potential for both convenience and risk.

Joe Getty (35:03): "But if you could go into a major mall downtown where you've gotta do some shopping or something and just pull up and a guy gets in my car and he drives around for the next 45 minutes... I'd pay for that."

This discussion showcases the hosts' ability to explore and critique innovative solutions to everyday urban challenges.

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Final Thoughts and Sign-Off

As the episode draws to a close, Joe and Katie share their final thoughts, reflecting on the day's discussions. They emphasize the growing concerns surrounding AI security threats and the importance of staying informed.

Joe Getty (37:28): "The most underappreciated story of the day, I think, is somebody using Marco Rubio's AI voice to call governors and leaders of other countries."

Katie adds a light-hearted note by sharing an update on the car sitter service's viral success, blending humor with genuine curiosity about entrepreneurial ventures.

Katie Greener (37:42): "She says I basically had to build the brand in a day. Cool."

The episode concludes with a humorous exchange about their readiness to return the following day, maintaining the engaging and personable tone characteristic of Armstrong & Getty.

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Conclusion

The "Idiot Says What?!" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a comprehensive exploration of significant geopolitical issues, emerging technological threats, and relatable personal stories. Joe Getty and Katie Greener adeptly balance humor with critical analysis, providing listeners with both entertainment and insightful commentary. Whether discussing the complexities of international conflicts or the quirks of modern health trends, this episode underscores the hosts' commitment to delivering engaging and thought-provoking content.

Transcript

[Joe Getty]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio, the George Washington Broadcast Center.

[Michael]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Katie Greener]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Donald Trump]

I'm not happy with President Putin. Putin at all. But this is something that would have never happened if I were president. This was a war that was never going to happen.

[Michael]

Mr. President, are you planning to send.

[Joe Getty]

More weapons to Ukraine?

[Donald Trump]

We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now.

[Joe Getty]

That's Donald Trump saying he is very unhappy with Vladimir Putin and what he is doing, killing so many people. We are going to send weapons to Ukraine so they can defend themselves.

[Katie Greener]

And discouraged. It took, you know, this long for him to wake up to the obvious, which is that Putin is bent on conquest. But here we are.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And I don't. I don't know where this goes. And then politically, I don't know where this goes. Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, popular Republican and very MAGA in recent years, tweeted this out yesterday. I think he's trying to push Trump in a certain direction. Putin is making it very clear that any truce in Ukraine will come only when he is defeated. We talk, he kills Ukrainians. We talk some more, he kills more Ukrainians. He has openly said he Wants to destroy Ukraine and it is his war aim. A combined Ukrainian U. S. European effort will be needed to defeat him badly enough that he wants a ceasefire. Until then, he will keep lying and keep killing. We don't need a single American military person fighting in Ukraine. We do need to provide advanced weapons in quantity, permission to hit against military targets in Russia and vastly expand sanctions against Russia. Only then will a cease fire be possible. I 100% agree with what Newt said there. Trump just talked about defensive weapons, not offensive weapons. It's possible he's just not announcing offensive weapons. I mean, you don't need to when you're at war. I'll let the other side know what you're doing.

[Katie Greener]

Well, there, there's, again, there's no real distinction in warfare between defensive and offensive weapons. I mean, that's, that's an artificial, you know, bracketing. I think you defend yourself by winning by pushing your opponent backwards.

[Joe Getty]

I see what you mean. The best defense is a good offense or whatever. Yeah, yeah, but you know, it was until recently that anybody allowed them to shoot however many miles across the border. Then that guy in Germany said, yeah, it's all, all on now. They can shoot anywhere they want in Russia. The US Is on board too. And Trump was asked and said, sure, so that's where we are. Ugly, ugly situation. So just wanted to get that on because I thought that was, to me, a welcome reversal of where Trump is dealing with all this. Of course you've got your secretary of state who is Marco Rubio. Of course. How do you know if you're talking, talking to Marco Rubio? It may be AI A Marco Rubio imposter is using AI voice to call high level officials. Listen to this. So this person contacted foreign ministers, a U. S. Governor and a member of Congress, sending them voice and text messages that mimic Rubio's voice and writing style using artificial intelligence powered software. According to senior U.S. officials in the State Department. U.S. authorities do not know who's behind the string of impersonation attempts, but they believe the culprit was probably attempting to manipulate powerful government officials with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts is what they're trying to do as opposed to change policy. So, you know, I don't know enough about that. What, what, you know, secret lines they've got between Marco Rubio and various foreign ministers or whatever.

[Katie Greener]

What sort of accounts? Mr. Governor, this is Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State. Can I have your PIN number? I'm here in D.C. and I forgot my wallet, so I just Need a few bucks? I'll pay you right back. I mean what, what, what accounts do I have that I would give to Marco Rubio?

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah, I don't know about that. But I mean if, if, if he, if you let Marco Rubio into various. I'm about to read a little of that. Messaging systems, you could get chats. Yeah. Using both text messaging and the encrypted messaging message in app signal which we all learned about during that scandal. The imposter contacted at least five non department individuals, including three foreign ministers, governor, member of Congress, said the cable the impersonation campaign began mid June. So this has been going on for a couple of weeks. The actor left voicemails on signal for at least two targeted individuals and in one instance sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on signal. And then you guess you'd have a way to get in at that point.

[Katie Greener]

Well, or you would send out the invite. In essence, they would join us. A chat you've established and then you could pump them for information.

[Joe Getty]

This is the first of endless examples of this happening.

[Katie Greener]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, this is the new world we are entering into. I don't know how in the hell I had the. The other day, I think one of those scams where you get a phone call and all they want from you is to talk as much as possible.

[Katie Greener]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

To be able to get your voice. Because it was. Because the warnings that we've said on the air that they claim is out there is that when you get a call from another number and there's just silence, don't start talking because they're just trying to record your voice so they can have your AI voice so that they can then, you know, contact my parents, for instance, and say, hey it's Jack, I'm in a Mexican jail, I need 500 bucks or something. And my dad, your dad would say again, exactly. I'm going to leave you there this time. Maybe you'll learn. But I had one the other day where called in the nothing and I said hello. And then they, they kept saying in like you could almost understand them, but not quite to make me say what are you talking about? What is this? And they'd say a little something and then I would talk more. And I thought, I think you're just fishing for as much my voice as you can get.

[Katie Greener]

Idiot says what?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, wait a second, you just made me say what that makes me an idiot? Curses.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah. We are going to have to develop systems, whether you know, formal or informal, to deal with this because like you Say it's going to be everywhere all the time, and the grandparents rip it off. That's already started. You know, you call with your grandparents, your grandkids voice, saying, I got arrested, grandma, I just need $200. Well, you don't even have to get out of jail.

[Joe Getty]

A grandparent. I mean, what if I get a. You know, whether it's pranks or trying to get money or whatever they're trying to accomplish, I get a. I get a call from Sam, my high school dad. I'm. I'm hurt, dad, you know, and then it just hangs up. What the hell?

[Katie Greener]

Oh, wow. I. I don't have to. You're gonna have to have a code word, like, to start every conversation so, you know, it's you. It's like having a safe word in the S M dungeons that Michael likes to frequent. I'm sorry, you asked me not to mention that.

[Joe Getty]

It's just like that. It's like having a safe word in the S M dungeons.

[Katie Greener]

Yes. Again, I apologize. You'd asked me to. To keep that to myself.

[Joe Getty]

You've been talking about that home remodel. So getting a dungeon or a new dungeon put in, or a bigger dungeon.

[Katie Greener]

Or a better lit dungeon or maybe dungeon remodel.

[Joe Getty]

Maybe you want a darker dungeon with better ventilation. I don't know.

[Katie Greener]

You know, you live with your dungeon for a while and you realize, you know what? I really wish it had. And you just, you know, you consult the Internet and, you know, you read it right.

[Joe Getty]

If I'd had a wet bar in.

[Katie Greener]

The corner or someplace for a coffee, thirsty, being flogged. I mean, you know, those of you.

[Joe Getty]

Who get enjoyment out of being hit with things. What is that?

[Katie Greener]

I don't know. I don't know. Actually, on that topic, it was. It was a bittersweet morning today. I had my last piece of peanut butter toast in our kitchen before it is ripped out. We're going to empty it out today, it's going to be ripped out tomorrow morning. And. And because apparently it needed to be redone at enormous expense and trouble because there was something wrong with it, according to my wife. So, anyway, happy to be doing that.

[Joe Getty]

I'm the last person on earth that can understand what that means. And I realize I'm definitely an outlier liar on that, but I just. Yeah. So did you think about all the fantastic unnecessary calories you taken in in that kitchen?

[Katie Greener]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember that slice and pie on that counter. Actually, I had more pilots.

[Joe Getty]

I was already full, but I thought, why not?

[Katie Greener]

We are Delighted to have my 25 year old daughter living with us this summer as she has an internship with a law firm nearby. But living with a 25 year old and their metabolism and their lust for various treats. Oh yeah, it's bad.

[Joe Getty]

My kids have started policing me. They're better than me and I've had to find other things to do because they kind of a go to was hey, let's go get a, you know, a milkshake or stop by and something just, you know, kind of a, I don't know, something to do with the kids because I used to love it when they're little, little mood lifter. And now if I say it's they're both like no way, I'm not, you know, you can have one, but I'm not having one.

[Katie Greener]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

They're both super into watching their. What they eat.

[Katie Greener]

Wow. Good for them.

[Joe Getty]

I'm not exactly sure why I haven't pushed them on that really, but I. Well, I know what it is. They discovered the wonders of the feminine touch.

[Katie Greener]

Oh, actually it's pretty wonderful in my experience. Oh, that reminds me, I wanted to talk about the obsession with gut health.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, I like that.

[Katie Greener]

That's in one of these services that's super popular. Plus this congressman who is becoming rapidly becoming one of my faves. Grilling a woke gal. A house hearing the other day. Solid gold.

[Joe Getty]

The wonders of the feminine touch. That was an odd thing for me to say.

[Katie Greener]

I don't know why. That's an interesting phrase.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, we got more coming. Stay here.

[Katie Greener]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

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[Katie Greener]

Oh, this heavy rock riff reminds me of. Oh, we don't have time for that, do we? Maybe not. Jack sent me a long string of the big tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath concert the other day, and it was pretty impressive. Anyway, more on that to come. First, this, though, Representative Brandon Gill of Texas, who's impressed me several times. He is an emerging star in taking a WOKE witness in a House hearing and. And, you know, displaying them for what they are. In this case, it was the House Oversight Doge Subcommittee, which was the hearing title was Locking in DOGE Cuts, Ending Waste, Fraud, and Abuse for Good. And one of the witnesses was Emily DeVito, senior advisor for economic policy at Groundwork Collaborative, who testified on behalf of Democrats about how harmful reductions in federal spending are for the American people. And Gil had some questions for her. We'll start with clip number one.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

Michael, how about another one? How about the conference Gender Equity in the Mathematical Study of Commutative Algebra? You think that that's a valid form of government spending?

[Emily DeVito]

I think mathematical research of all types is deserving of government.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

What about studying, and this is directly from the National Science Foundation's website, women and non binary mathematicians.

[Emily DeVito]

Again, I think all kinds of government investment should be dedicated toward mathematical kinds of government investment.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

You don't. You don't have any kind of limit on what we're spending our money on. Just everything. Is that your testimony?

[Emily DeVito]

I am talking about Doge you brought up.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

So am I. This is a grant that Doge cut.

[Emily DeVito]

I am not familiar with this particular grant, but I think government investment in mathematical, biological.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Yeah. So I recognize. I didn't recognize his name, but I recognize his voice from the previous times we've done it. But that. That's awesome.

[Katie Greener]

All right, let's roll on Michael.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

Let's. Let's do another one. This one is called hashtag Transcendent Health. Adapting an LGB plus Inclusive Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program for transgender boys. I can't even say this without laughing. Do you think that that is a, you know, useful form of our tax spend?

[Emily DeVito]

I am not familiar with that grant, but I think bench research, government investment.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

In scientific and pregnancy for transgender boys. Do you think that that is a useful spend of our tax dollars?

[Emily DeVito]

I think government investment in all kinds of scientific research is of the utmost.

[Representative Brandon Gill]

Importance, including pregnancy prevention for transgender boys.

[Joe Getty]

Okay. These. These people and their lack of willingness to budge at all on something that's so ridiculous. And there wouldn't be 1% of America that wants to fund that. Maybe 1, but it wouldn't be more than 5.

[Katie Greener]

Right. The absurdity of the idea of pregnancy prevention for quote unquote, transgender boys. If that human could get pregnant, that ain't no boy.

[Joe Getty]

And so you got to take it beyond that though. And it's the federal government's role and the taxpayer's job to fund research about it.

[Katie Greener]

Not your county, not your school, not your state. No, it's the, not the university.

[Joe Getty]

On its own. Around the country, plenty of university woke universities. Go ahead and study it all you want, but I put my tax money into it.

[Katie Greener]

And there's more to this. We're going to dig up more from the hearing for maybe tomorrow's show. But she, Gil asked her what is a birthing person that is outside my expertise? She said, and he says, is a birthing person a woman? Is that another word for a female? And just like Katanji Brown Jackson in one of the most absurd and humiliating and ridiculous moments in Supreme Court history in her confirmation hearing saying, I'm not a biologist, I don't know that.

[Joe Getty]

And by the way, for any of you who say, well that's a tiny amount of money, I want you to get hit by a car today. Oh, that's what I want.

[Katie Greener]

You're a monster.

[Joe Getty]

Because it's, it's not just the money, it's the pushing back on the government, spending money on, well, things they shouldn't spend money on at all. Cause it's not the federal government's role. Not to mention the nonsense of the wokeness that somebody slipped in there. When did that stuff end up in the budget? Good lord. Well, when you have whatever passed this past Thursday or Friday, the big beautiful bill, I guarantee you there's all kinds of stuff in there. It wouldn't be woke stuff, but it'll be different stuff. That's ridiculous that somebody slipped in because it's so giant.

[Katie Greener]

Well, and some of it is borderline woke because you've got these Republicans in swing districts who say, hey, I gotta throw a bone to the left in my district or you know, I, I could lose this election and you know, the, the Republican party for, you know, with all due contempt for the lack of principle, there is something to be said for, hey, we've got to keep a majority to keep doing the good stuff. Oh my God. So if Representative Jones has got to keep a phony effing green energy giveaway going, we better give it to him.

[Joe Getty]

I wish somebody would do a documentary where they follow all these things to their conclusion. I have a feeling I know what the end result would be. But so even the grant that to the study of non binary mathematicians or whatever. I'd like to see who got that money, how they spent it and what the results were. I mean, did it do anything other than like buy new furniture for somebody's office and did anybody pay any attention at all?

[Katie Greener]

Subtitle of that report was Pat Does Calculus. Very, very informative.

[Joe Getty]

That's hilarious. That's what that is. If you miss a segment or an hour, get the podcast. Seriously, is anybody paying any attention to where that particular chunk of money went and what it did? No. No they aren't.

[Katie Greener]

The handing out of the money is the point.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, exactly.

[Katie Greener]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

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[Donald Trump]

We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin for you want to know the truth? He's very nice all the time but it turns out to be meaningless.

[Joe Getty]

Do you want to say Lindsey Graham has a sanctions bill?

[Donald Trump]

I'm looking at it. Yeah. No, I'm looking at the Senate is passing and passed a very, very tough sanctions. But yeah, I'm looking at it. It's an optional bill. It's totally at my option. They pass it totally at my option and to terminate totally at my option. And I'm looking at it very strongly.

[Joe Getty]

So there's Trump one doing another yet another press conference where he answers questions. He gets no credit for the fact that he answers like everybody's questions every day. But that's the strongest anti Putin statement he's ever made. Yes, you get a lot of bullets from Putin. He says all kinds of things but all bullis so you know, welcome to understanding that. But.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, I hope that it would have happened earlier since it's obvious.

[Joe Getty]

But anyway I don't think he's you know, a simpleton that didn't understand that. I just thought he thought that he could convince Putin to go a different direction.

[Katie Greener]

But, yeah, I don't think Trump understands ideological fervor. He doesn't understand because he's, you know, transactional or practical, if you prefer, to a fault. He doesn't get Muslim, you know, fundamentalism.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Katie Greener]

He doesn't get Putin's dreams of restoring the grandeur of the Russian Empire, or Xi Jinpings, for that matter.

[Joe Getty]

I feel like I've known business people that were kind of like that. They just don't understand, like, why would you do that? That doesn't make you more money. Yeah. On anything. So that's pretty interesting. We do have a celebrity death to mention. Paulie Walnuts from the Sopranos has died at the age of old. I don't know how old he was 79. Okay. At dementia. Did he ever find the Russian in the woods is the question.

[Katie Greener]

Shall we hear from the great Tony Sirico.

[Joe Getty]

That's his name. Yes, sure. What's up, Saul?

[Katie Greener]

LAUGHING.

[Joe Getty]

That'S too bad.

[Katie Greener]

He said he had a lot of.

[Joe Getty]

Great lines in the Sopranos, as he.

[Katie Greener]

Did, and we'll work to get those for tomorrow's show. Only Walnuts has passed. Anyway, he was an actor, so it was a great role. Fabulous role. I thought this was interesting. Andrea Peterson wrote this for the Wall Street Journal about. She got on this program and I'm not even aware of this stuff until I read about it, but everybody's obsessed. Obsession with gut health I was kind of familiar with. I'm actually interested in the science behind it. The idea that we human beings are not an organism. We're actually an ecosystem with millions of organisms living within us. It's actually kind of interesting and awe inspiring after you get past, like, an initial bit of oogy ness. But everybody wants to have healthy intestinal systems, and that includes having the gut biome be in good shape. But. So Andrea Peterson is writing about this and I wasn't familiar with some of this stuff. They have these companies that you do all sorts of testing and logging and reporting of what you're eating, and then it gives you feedback on what you ought to be eating and how she writes. She'd failed the test. She got a rating of poor, and she was really disappointed by that. The whole wheat crackers, I thought were healthy. Maybe not so much for me, a breakfast of fruit and granola. Pretty middling, Zoe. The service I used. All right, wait a minute. I gotta stop there. I'm sorry. I find it so annoying that this gut health testing counseling service just gives itself a friendly, approachable girl's name. Zoe. What the f do you do? Where's Zoe? Seriously, if you're so weak minded, that make that makes you more likely to give them your hard earned money. Well, you're. You deserve to be parted from it. I don't know why I find that so annoying, but I do. Why Zoe? Why not Caitlyn or Jenna or whatever else? Did it just test better anyway?

[Joe Getty]

The things that set you off are hilarious.

[Katie Greener]

It's among a growing number of companies that offer medical tests to people and provide them diet recommendations based on the results. Many scientists believe diet guidance tailored to an individual's biology will soon become commonplace.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, I wonder if that's BS or if that's true. Do we're humans, do we all need the same diet or do we all have an individual diet we should be eating?

[Katie Greener]

There's a big National Institutes of Health study testing that approach right now. The Insta. The nih. Do you remember the nih? They had a standing six feet apart and wouldn't let the kids play in playgrounds, right? That doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong on this stuff. Let's see. So anyway, she goes into how she was perplexed and bummed out at her her test. Dejected, I avoided looking at the Zoe app for months. My editor still wanted a story though, so I begrudgingly returned.

[Joe Getty]

You're a weird person. This is your job, for one thing. Secondly, you're not kind of interested in what Zoe's gonna tell you to eat.

[Katie Greener]

So she says. I wasn't always diligent about logging my meals in the app, but it identified some weak spots in my diet. It also nudged me toward healthier choices. Still, the relentless task of tracking what I ate could be a joyless time sucking. Here's how it went. And here's the part that I found really interesting. This is the reality of it principle.

[Joe Getty]

Like, is this available to me today if I, oh, 100 Zoe on my phone and I could start typing in everything I eat.

[Katie Greener]

Well, it's a lot more than an app, as you're about to find out. There are quite a few of them that are competitive. But a big yellow box arrived on my doorstep containing an intimidating amount of paraphernalia. I unpacked a few paces of medical equipment for testing day to prepare ahead to put together and affix the continuous glucose monitor, or CGM to the the back of my arm. I could barely feel the Tiny needle that would stay lodged in my body for the next two weeks. I answered a ton of questions in the app about my health history and usual diet. After fasting overnight, I ate the provided breakfast. Two pancake sized white chocolate cookies so sweet they made my teeth ache. The cookies had a generous amount of fat and added sugar. The point is to stress the system, according to Zoe's chief scientist.

[Joe Getty]

Stress the system.

[Katie Greener]

Lunch was two more cookies, bright blue ones. The color made it possible to record your gut transit time or how long for it takes for food to travel through the digestive system. That means you're on poop watch for the When I. So to speak. Yes, when your poop turns blue. For the microbiome test, I had to collect a stool sample. Not pleasant.

[Joe Getty]

No.

[Katie Greener]

Even an even weirder test was the DIY blood draw, which involved a button like gadget that sliced a horizontal cut on my open upper arm. I'm sorry. I returned my samples to Zoe via ups. Sure delighted to be carrying people poop around America.

[Joe Getty]

So I got to take a stool sample and then have something jabbing me in the arm with a needle to be told whether or not my gut biome is up to snuff.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, they're actually two separate. There was the jabbing and then the slashing. But for two weeks, I logged everything I ate. At least every eight hours. I scanned my continuous glucose monitor with my iPhone to record my blood sugar levels. To get the CGM test kit, I had to opt into being part of Zoe's ongoing research. The test kit cost me $294, and the required membership I chose is 25 bucks a month.

[Joe Getty]

I'd say that's a bargain.

[Katie Greener]

I waited.

[Joe Getty]

That's a bargain for getting jammed in the arm with a needle.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah. Yeah. CGM readings have long been essential for people with diabetes, but research is thin on how useful the readings are for people like me who don't have it. She said, blah, blah, blah.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I just. So we. We just discovered this whole world bio organism gut health thing fairly recently, at least. I don't remember hearing about it until 10 years ago or whatever. So everybody that lived before us, they were all doing it wrong. Not knowing their gut biome and just eating whatever they ate. Back when people were thin, by the way. Back when everybody was thinner.

[Katie Greener]

But that was also back when people were eating the obvious lean meats and fruit and vegetables and basic grains. Unrefined food, unfactory processed stuff. Stuff we'd been evolved to eat for millions of years. And when she logged in what she ate, she got a food score and a meal score. Plain unsalted almonds snared a perfect 100. Black beans 91. Bacon got a 9. And the cupcake I grabbed at a work meeting, a lowly 19. Wait a minute. A cupcake's better than bacon?

[Joe Getty]

Well, is the higher number better?

[Katie Greener]

Yeah. So. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So bacon got a nine.

[Katie Greener]

Yes. Plain unsalted almonds scored a perfect 100.

[Joe Getty]

Okay. I eat a lot of nuts at this point in my life and they've really been working for me and keeping my weight off.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, I'm a big fan, actually.

[Joe Getty]

That's a appetite suppressor. Eating nuts for some reason.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, yeah, I don't, you know, it, it. She said the bottom line was, and she's kind of enthusiastic about chasing scores, so she was kind of into this. But it did guide her toward more simple, basic food.

[Joe Getty]

I think if you just wrote down logged in what you eat every day and had no program and no nothing, it would be helpful because he looked at the end of the day and thought, wow. Hey, I mean, if you're honest, I had a donut at work and then at lunch I had a, you know, whatever. And then in the afternoon, I. I shouldn't be doing that.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, yeah, you're probably right. I don't feel like getting jabbed and slashed and paying 300 bucks and 25 bucks a month.

[Joe Getty]

I don't feel like collecting my dookies. Yes, Katie.

[Katie]

Ah, glad to follow such a poet. Speaking of, speaking of nuts, guys.

[Joe Getty]

Yes.

[Katie]

Just a slight update from earlier. Not any less sad, but Paulie Walnuts actually passed away three years ago.

[Katie Greener]

Well, we got the base of heart right.

[Joe Getty]

July 8, 2022. What?

[Katie Greener]

So why is that. What is going on here?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's. That's. Who did we kill off a couple. A couple of months ago, we killed off the wrong person. Like we had the completely wrong woman. We talked about her for a long time. Oh, it was the person. Gloria Gaynor, I will survive. Who's still alive and well, as far as I know, we had a different gainer. She's dead.

[Katie Greener]

Mitzi.

[Joe Getty]

We are the wrong people to go to for celebrity deaths. Oh, that's hilarious. Well, as we all celebrate the three year anniversary of the death of an actor you could name by playing.

[Katie Greener]

This is starting to fade.

[Joe Getty]

A month of his laughing on his three year anniversary. The traditional three year anniversary.

[Katie Greener]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that is.

[Katie Greener]

We need to do better. We need to be better.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and it just shows you how meaningful celebrity deaths are because we probably made a deal out of it when he died the first time. Right?

[Katie Greener]

I was thinking when we played it I thought wait a minute, didn't poly wallets already?

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, well we'll, we'll hit you with this again in four years. I hope you're still listening.

[Katie Greener]

We'll finish strong.

[Michael]

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[Katie Greener]

New York City and need to move.

[Joe Getty]

Your car for street sweeping.

[Michael]

The car sitter I've rented out these.

[Joe Getty]

Flyers and I'm putting them on all the cars.

[Michael]

I'll sit in your car for a fraction of the price of a parking.

[Joe Getty]

Ticket and I'll move it. And I'm insured. So that is a woman who's come up with the idea of being a car sitter. I don't know if she invented it. I'd never heard of it before. It seems like a pretty good idea. I don't know how hard they'd be get a hold of and I wouldn't use one all the time but man I can think of many times being in San Francisco I'd have paid to have a car sitter to avoid the pain in the ass of having to move your car or find a spot again or what. Whatever it is, you know I was.

[Katie Greener]

Going to mock this gal. Way to aim high sweetheart. You're now a car sitter but she's a 29 year old transplant from Seattle. She charges her New York City neighbors who are mostly locals around her age up to $50 for a 90 minute car sitting session during so called alternate parking hours. The designated dates and times when drivers must move their vehicles from one side of the street to the other for cleaning.

[Joe Getty]

Remember this is what our old newsman Marshall Phillips ended up in County LA County Jail for is that he lived in a place where you had to move your car like every hour or something. He kept getting so many parking tickets that he eventually got thrown in the.

[Katie Greener]

LA County Jail with the murderers and gang bangers and God knows who else. Yeah. Residents who fail to comply with the city rules risk receiving an initial 65 fee or ultimately getting toll towed.

[Joe Getty]

But that's just moving your car around from a parking spot. But like if you could go into a, a major melt palm downtown where you've gotta like do some shopping or something and like just pull up and a guy gets in my car and he drives around for the next 45 minutes or parks when he can or whatever. And then when I'm done, I come back out and get my car in the same spot. I'd pay for that.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, you come back, you got no car. Well, come on, let's be serious.

[Joe Getty]

You need somebody with some sort of a credit check verification, sort of five star something.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah, some sort of bonded car sitter.

[Joe Getty]

I had two, the last two Lyft drivers I had in New York after having a really good string of drivers, mostly on my vacation, although many that didn't speak a word of English. Not a word, which makes it difficult to travel. Am I supposed to not downgrade somebody for the fact that I couldn't talk to them at all and say like, hey, how about you drop us off here? I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna do this and I'll walk to my. What? Yeah, but you can't have a conversation with them at all. Shouldn't that be four stars or something?

[Katie Greener]

Damn sure.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, I had two smelly guys. The last two I had smelled horrible. Did not dig that a bit.

[Donald Trump]

Check your clock.

[Joe Getty]

It's time to stop Jack and Joe.

[Donald Trump]

They've got to go.

[Joe Getty]

And if they don't, you can.

[Katie Greener]

They'll be back tomorrow.

[Joe Getty]

Here's your host for Final Thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Katie Greener]

Let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew to wrap things up for the day. There is our technical director Michelangelo to lead the way. Michael, Final Thoughts.

[Joe Getty]

Gonna be a tough day for me. I just found out Prince died. Wow.

[Katie Greener]

I have terrible, terrible news about Cesar Romero. You might want to sit down. Katie Greener, esteemed newswoman, has a final thought.

[Katie]

Katie, I will never forget the day that I was at the radio station in San Francisco. And I looked down and my car had been towed.

[Joe Getty]

Oh.

[Katie]

And I had to finish my shift knowing I had no idea where the vehicle went.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah. And dealing with getting it back. I've done it before. Is a pain in the ass and expensive.

[Katie Greener]

Back in the day. At least in San Francisco. Completely mobbed up. Jack, a final thought for us.

[Joe Getty]

The most underappreciated story of the day, I think is somebody using Marco Rubio's AI voice to call governors and leaders of other countries or whatever. I think this is going to become a giant problem.

[Katie Greener]

Yeah. Final thought is the end of the car sitter lady story. She actually saw the chaos when one of the street sweepers was going down the block and she posted a video featuring flyers reading need your car moved the car sitter along with her contact info. For some reason it went viral and got 600,000 views.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Katie Greener]

And she says I basically had to build the brand in a day. Cool.

[Joe Getty]

I like innovation.

[Katie Greener]

I'm making as much money as an only fans model. But yes.

[Joe Getty]

Which we're actually going to talk about during the One More Thing podcast. Armstrong and Getty wrapping up another grueling four hour workday.

[Katie Greener]

So many people. Thanks. A little time. Go to armstrongandgetty.com for the hot links. Katie's corner. Drop us a Note [e-mail] Check out the Ang swag in the Ang store and subscribe to the podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand. You get one more thing automatically.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. There are a couple of interesting wrinkles in the news today. We'll have the latest on tomorrow. We'll see you then. God bless America. America.

[Katie Greener]

Armstrong and get. It has to stop like the day before yesterday. And that's it. Are you sure? Oh, dead show. Adios mofo.

[Joe Getty]

Get the hell out of here. One final message. Do I Jack. Do I come off as unapproachable? When really I'm just. This is just my normal face.

[Katie Greener]

Oh yeah, yeah. I see everybody hesitating. Let me lead the prayer a million percent.

[Joe Getty]

Bye bye.

[Katie Greener]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Joe Getty]

This is an Iheart podcast.