Just Shoot Him Out

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Just Shoot Him Out" (May 12, 2026)

Podcast: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Hosts: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
Episode Overview:
This episode dives into current political stalemates, media frenzies surrounding Trump’s online activity, notable sports moments, and a hilarious yet touching check-in with co-host Katie Green, who is literally in labor. The hosts balance heavy political analysis with personal stories, societal observation, and a healthy dose of their trademark sarcasm and humor.

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Main Theme

The episode’s central theme is navigating high tensions in politics (particularly US-Iran relations and presidential online behavior), set against the lighter and very human moments of sports, celebrity news, and personal milestones—including the imminent birth of co-host Katie’s baby.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. US-Iran Negotiation Stalemate (00:43–06:22)

• Discussion Points:

  • The Iran ceasefire proposal is considered a "stupid proposal" and a non-starter; Trump reportedly didn’t bother to finish reading it.
  • Iran demands US reparations, lifting of sanctions, and control of the Strait of Hormuz, while refusing to budge on nuclear ambitions.
  • Both hosts argue neither side wants to resume fighting, but Iran perceives time as being on their side.
  • Armstrong and Getty advocate for stronger American action and criticize the perceived weakness in the U.S. response.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "The ceasefire is on massive life support—where the doctor walks in and says, sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living." (C, 00:43)
  • "They clearly think they've got the upper hand. Why wait 10 days to respond with, 'F you'?" (D, 02:39)

• Timestamps:

  • 00:43—Start of political discussion, ceasefire metaphor.
  • 01:24—Media’s take on Trump’s dismissal of the proposal.
  • 02:13—ABC News report clip on Iran's counteroffer.
  • 03:22—Insights on the IRGC’s disregard for their own citizens.

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2. Trump’s Truth Social Frenzy (06:22–13:13)

• Discussion Points:

  • Trump’s marathon online posting session: 55 Truth Social posts in three hours, featuring accusations against Obama, Biden, Dominion Voting Systems, and more.
  • The hosts debate whether this is a sign of declining mental health or simply Trump being Trump.
  • Comparison with how the media reported on Biden’s alleged dementia.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "That is not a sign of sound mental health, that list." (A, 09:49)
  • "I almost feel bad for him... What a torturous way to live your life." (D, 11:49)
  • "I think Trump's always been this person. If he’d had the ability to shoot off his mouth 50 times a night in 1982, he would have." (D, 10:25)

• Timestamps:

  • 06:32—Recap of Trump's overnight social media blitz.
  • 08:33–11:48—Listing and commentary of Trump’s accusations and reposts.
  • 12:07—Hosts worry about Trump's mental health.

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3. Sports & Celebrity: Lakers, LeBron, and Tiger Woods (14:23–18:40)

• Discussion Points:

  • Lakers are swept from the playoffs; debate if it should be LeBron’s last game.
  • Sports talk as “clickbait,” critiqued for its sensationalist hot takes.
  • Tiger Woods’ latest car accident: his swagger and apparent lack of humility, even after repeated incidents.
  • Reflection on relentless tabloid spectacle and celebrity behavior.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "He still had the Tiger Woods swagger standing there next to a flipped car… Dude, you just flipped another car... and you're going to jail again." (D, 16:55)
  • "Sports talk, the lowest form of human communication above only grunting." (A, 15:26)

• Timestamps:

  • 14:23—Thunder sweep the Lakers; discussion ensues.
  • 16:20—Tiger Woods’ crash and public persona.

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4. Katie Green Live from the Delivery Room (19:13–23:43)

• Discussion Points:

  • Katie Green, the show's newsreader, calls in from the hospital while in active labor.
  • Hosts joke about timing the birth for airtime and naming rights.
  • Katie offers candid commentary on the experience, induction via “a balloon,” and the pains and miracles of childbirth.
  • Conversation pivots into a discussion on cultural attitudes toward parenthood and the realities no one talks about.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "She’ll lose track of time and have the baby on the air, and I think that would really be good for us. And we could sell sponsorships." (D, 19:25)
  • "I've been telling everybody I’m serving him an eviction notice. He's out." (F/Katie, 22:28)
  • "One big push and just shoot him out, Michael." (A, 23:29)

• Timestamps:

  • 19:42—Katie joins live from the hospital.
  • 22:07–23:43—Childbirth humor and reflections on parenthood.

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5. Parenting Reflections & Societal Commentary (23:53–29:53)

• Discussion Points:

  • How having children permanently changes one’s worldview and even brain chemistry.
  • Armstrong references Caitlin Flanagan’s Mother's Day essay on the cultural undervaluing of motherhood.
  • Historical shifts in childbirth practices: from taking newborns away to modern birthing suites and 'skin-to-skin' bonding.
  • Brief, humorous exploration of “water births.”

• Notable Quotes:

  • "There's the life before you had a kid and the life after you had a kid and they are very different." (D, 23:53)
  • "Socialism does work really cool for a little while. Problem is, it doesn't have legs." (D, 36:15)

• Timestamps:

  • 23:53—Reflections on the realities of parenthood.
  • 28:27—On obstetric practices of the past.

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6. Oddities & International News (31:09–38:13)

• Discussion Points:

  • Segment on baby apes at the LA Zoo; hosts riff on “Megan Fox the zookeeper.”
  • Ukraine War: discussion of Russia’s expendable use of conscripts and the country’s "deliberate campaign to purge society" via the battlefield.
  • Discussion on Sweden’s surprising pivot toward capitalism, lowering social spending, and what that means for the world’s “socialist” ideals.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "It's like shooting sitting ducks." (A on the Russian tactics, 35:25)
  • "The free market's better than government control. Damn, I wish we'd known that." (A, 37:00)

• Timestamps:

  • 31:09—LA Zoo baby boom & zookeeper humor.
  • 32:25—International media: Russian war strategy and Sweden’s reforms.
  • 38:01—Listener texts about labor.

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Memorable and Noteworthy Moments

• Katie Green’s labor segment: The episode’s emotional and comedic high point, with real-time updates and witty banter about hospital births and motherhood. (19:13–23:43)
• Trump’s frenetic social posting: The hosts' blow-by-blow rundown, with mounting incredulity at the sheer volume and tone of posts. (06:32–13:13)
• Reflections on parenthood: Insightful, heartfelt discussion on how raising children changes lives and societies. (23:53–26:14)

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Quotes by Timestamp (Selected)

• 00:43 | C: "Ceasefire's on massive life support… sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living."
• 09:49 | A: "That is not a sign of sound mental health, that list."
• 16:55 | D: "He still had the Tiger Woods swagger standing there next to a flipped car…"
• 22:28 | F/Katie: "I've been telling everybody I’m serving him an eviction notice. He's out."
• 23:53 | D: "There's the life before you had a kid and the life after you had a kid and they are very different."
• 35:25 | A: "It's like shooting sitting ducks."
• 37:00 | A: "The free market's better than government control. Damn, I wish we'd known that."

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Summary in Tone & Language

The episode is quintessential Armstrong & Getty: bracing, humorous, occasionally biting, but consistently curious and empathetic. Listeners are treated to both serious geo-political analysis and lighthearted, relatable moments. The interplay between serious commentary and self-deprecating humor, especially during Katie’s labor update, highlights the hosts’ ability to confront life’s gravitas without ever losing sight of the joy or absurdity in the everyday.

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For New Listeners

If you missed this episode, you’ll walk away understanding the hosts’ irreverent but deeply informed take on politics, culture, and life—while feeling unexpectedly invested in Katie Green’s baby and the fate of both the Lakers and the world.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[B]

Want to be a star. No problem. Anyone can shine on TikTok. Post your first video today. Real life, real story, real you download TikTok and get started.

[A]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio

[B]

studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[A]

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

[C]

I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support where the doctor walks in and says, sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living. They give us a stupid. It's a stupid proposal. That piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it. They said going to waste my time reading it.

[D]

Donald Trump yesterday on the proposal that they sent back Iran sent back to us is a manner. It's like if the doctor came in and said, sir, your loved one has a 1% chance of surviving.

[A]

Sir. Yeah, didn't even finish reading it.

[D]

Boy.

[A]

They're blasting him on Morning Joe for that. The President is even. Sir, he wouldn't even read the.

[D]

Really? Boy, I wouldn't. If the first line said reparations. Okay, I'm done.

[A]

Yeah, right. We get to keep the straight. You pay us back for all the damage.

[D]

You got to read all the fine print after that.

[A]

Not only are we going to develop weapons, you got to give us some nuclear weapons. Right? Right. Yeah. Why would you read that? It was an fu. Yeah, a middle finger, but with diplomatic cover of saying it was a counter proposal. For whom? I don't know. To try to win the war. Well, you know, part of it's to. To bolster the American left. I just gave myself the answer. They are giving the American left a club to beat Trump with and the American left takes it because they hate their country and they hate the president.

[D]

Here's ABC's report on how things are going.

[E]

Iran took 10 days to respond to President Trump's one page proposal meant to set the stage for peace talks. According to Iranian state media, their demands called for the US to pay reparations, lift sanctions and give them control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran would not commit to any changes to its nuclear program until those conditions are met. Iran's top negotiator warning our armed forces are ready to deliver a well deserved response to any aggression.

[D]

So it is a hundred percent stalemate. Call it a quagmire, if you like that word now. And we have the ability to change the dynamics of that by bombing the crap out of them. Otherwise it's. They clearly think they've Got the upper hand. I mean, why would they wait 10 days to respond with oh, on that offer you made us F you, why would they wait 10 days? Because they think time is on their side.

[A]

Correct.

[D]

They think the days going by puts more pressure on Trump with his poll numbers or the price of gas or inflation that came out today or whatever. As opposed to Trump thinks every day that goes by they're losing whatever it is, a half a billion dollars of revenue or something. They must not be worried about that.

[A]

Especially because the IRGC doesn't give a crap about the people of Iran. They machine gunned them in the streets. That's first clue that they're not that compassionate. If, you know, unemployment surges and people are having trouble buying groceries, you're willing to machine gun somebody. You don't care really whether they. They suffer. So yeah, there. And given the current status of things, if all you care about is your elite. Yeah, they're fine. They're fine. We need to blow up everything that floats from military craft to those fast boats to rubber freaking ducks. If they're within 25 miles of ducks coast of ear on anything that floats are going to blow out of the water. Yeah, you're going to. You know, we've got that. Ratchet up the pain. The current thing is just ridiculous. The current situation, the Wall Street Journal's

[D]

take on it was that the US And Iran are locked in a stalemate because neither one wants to resume fighting. Well, if there is fighting, we're on the winning side of that if there's fighting. So I just, I can't imagine. Well, there's only two ways out. Either Trump accepts. I guess they control the Strait of

[A]

Hormuza, which is international waters, for God's sakes.

[D]

And I guess they'll continue to try to get a nuclear weapon and I guess they'll keep their uranium and we'll end this. That's not an option, is it? Whoops. Yeah, whoops. Guess that didn't work the way I thought. That's not an option, is it? No, no, surely not.

[A]

No.

[D]

God, you talk about a legacy killer.

[A]

Oh. Oh, yeah. I mean, he would be the lamest of ducks. Humiliated.

[D]

That'd be all he'd be remembered for. Perhaps even with all the things in it that has gone on in two presidencies. Maybe the only thing he'd be remembered for is starting a war in which the combatant came out better than when it started.

[A]

I wonder, because Donald J. Is so mercurial.

[D]

I don't think he's Gonna do that,

[A]

by the way, right? No, I don't either. It was just. It's so obviously a horrible idea. He can't have anybody in his ear saying that's a good idea. Marco wouldn't in any of his 11 jobs. Pete Hegseth wouldn't rage. Raisin Cain. General Kane wouldn't do.

[D]

Shady. Vance might.

[A]

Oh, boy.

[D]

He's the vice President.

[A]

The beard, the beard. Keep your eye. Don't turn your back on the beard. Nice. It's got to change the math quickly because the current situation is. It's better in some ways than the pre attack situation. In fact, in some pretty significant ways. But in some ways it's worse. It's just not an acceptable outcome.

[D]

Well, if they end up in control of one of the most important waterways in the world, then they came out of this war better than they went into it. Even losing their navy and everything else. I think. I mean, that's a big deal if

[A]

that becomes the status quo, at least a break even.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Oh.

[A]

What I started to say and then I distracted myself is Donald J. Is famously mercurial. Often. It's not five dimensional chess. It's changing his mind constantly.

[D]

Would you like to go through all the tweets, the texts, for the social truth posts from last night after your sentence?

[A]

Oh, yes, please. And I can accept if the administration, including Donald J, thought that the Iranians would capitulate more quickly than they are, that they had more disregard for the people in the economy, they were intact enough and unified enough to hang on when we thought they would give up. That's a miscalculation. That happens. You can understand that. It's unfortunate, but it happens. If he, as some critics have claimed, thought it would go just like the Maduro thing. We're so great, we're so powerful, I'm so smart, it'll be easy peasy. Well, history and the soon to be written books about this episode will be extremely harsh if that's the case.

[D]

So I think Trump's gonna start bombing Iran and I think it can still come out the way we want it to. But Trump had 55 truth social posts in three hours last night. He got on a Jag of Diet Coke or something. 55 in three hours, 1015 accuses Obama of attempting a coup in 2016, followed

[A]

by fresh on everybody's mind, followed by

[D]

Obama worked with CIA to overthrow Trump, followed by reposts tweet saying Obama is a traitor and that he should be arrested. I mean, we're so used to this stuff. We don't even. It doesn't even land. Like, if I didn't come across this particular site, I wouldn't have known that the current president put out a statement last night saying the previous president should be arrested. That used to be a big deal, but it no longer even makes the.

[A]

Wow, are we Brazil now?

[D]

Nobody takes it seriously.

[A]

You know, it's funny, you read that to me and I thought, oh, wow, what's next?

[D]

Nobody takes it seriously. He's not going to do anything. He's just on a jag. He saw something about Obama on. Somebody said something Obama about Obama on a cable news show and got him all worked up, I would guess.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

1022 attacks Dominion Voting Systems for the 2020 election, saying they switched votes. 1022 says Fulton County, Georgia had their 2020 fraud exposed. 1023 accuses Obama of making $120 million from Obamacare.

[A]

He's actually obsessed with the elections. I thought it was just strategic and. No, he's obsessed with it.

[D]

10:23 cites quack lawyer Sidney Powell on the 2020 election. 10:24 posts a fake JFK Jr account that says Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. 10:27 demands Senator Mark Kelly resigned. 10:29 claims neither Biden nor Harris were in charge of the Biden administration. 1029 attacks Fulton County, Georgia again. 1029 posts Fox News clip of Ro Khanna saying something. 1030 demands Jack Smith be arrested.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

Dead. 30 accuses Obama, Clinton and Comey of treason. 1039 reposts a tweet from a MAGA account saying they have a secret intel proving Clinton and Obama committed crimes. 10:39 reposts a MAGA tweet saying Hillary Clinton should be sent to Haiti. That's a good one.

[A]

Sent to Haiti. Lock her up in Haiti. Lock her up in Haiti.

[D]

Anyway, it goes on and on with a lot of this sort of stuff.

[A]

I am no Trump basher. I am no Trump is always right guy. That is not a sign of sound mental health, that list. And keep in mind, how far into the list did you get? A third of the way.

[D]

Oh, I don't even know if I got quarter.

[F]

I don't know.

[A]

That's not good. Well, it's not normal.

[D]

I'm not. I'm not of the camp that mainstream media is trying. Have been trying to build the narrative since he took office that he's got dementia or he's losing it or whatever, which is weird. So you ignored the last president who clearly actually had dementia.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

And then, see, you gotta, like Go overboard trying to build the case on this guy. I think Trump's always been this person. I think in 1982, if he'd had the ability to shoot off his mouth 50 times a night.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

On different topics, he would have.

[A]

Right.

[D]

I think that's just the way he's built.

[A]

He would call magazines and newspapers as his own press secretary or whatever, John Miller, and. And feed the. The media quotes. Yeah.

[D]

1040 posts a TikTok video of people stealing from a convenience store, followed by 1041 posts a TikTok video of someone stealing a doordash order, I guess to show the crime's out of control. Wow. 10:41 accuses Obama, Brennan and Clinton of sedition and treason again, going back to that from a half hour earlier. Wow. A half hour later, 1047 calls Obama the most demonic force in American politics. What was he watching? Where Barack Obama was the topic. I mean, because that's two presidents ago.

[A]

He's been weighing in heavily and wildly, hypocritically on the redistricting thing.

[D]

Right. He has. He has been. Right.

[A]

Obama just cannot leave the spotlight. He is so in love with his own influence.

[D]

Yeah. Yes. Obama said something the other day about the court that was just outrageous from the former president. Of course, nobody, it was disgusting. Nobody criticizes that. 10:47 Posts a tweet from Mike Flynn saying the 2020 election wasn't fair.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[D]

10:49 Attacks Dominion voting machines again. You gotta be kidding. The poor guy. I almost feel bad for him that he, that he lays down for bed at night. You know, he sleeps three hours a night still thinking about Dominion voting machines from 2020. What a torturous way to live your life.

[A]

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[D]

I know exactly when I'm gonna go because I saw a palm reader.

[A]

Oh, but handy.

[D]

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[A]

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[D]

at 1:13am attacks the new York Times for reporting on the reflecting pool.

[A]

That is abnormal.

[D]

Who can stay up that late and work those schedule? He's got oh my. He's got fly halfway around the world

[A]

to meet Xi Jinping, the most powerful dictator on earth with enormous, enormous stakes

[D]

on the table while running the biggest war in a quarter of a century at least. Geez Louise, I admit something. I don't. I don't think. I think that's just the way he's built. Cuckoo.

[A]

Your counter is cuckoo.

[D]

Your opinion. The text line 415295 KFTC Armstrong and

[B]

Gettysburg Craving something specific? From global flavors to viral snacks, TikTok has it all. If you can dream it, you can make it right at home. Find your next favorite dish on TikTok.

[G]

The Los Angeles Lakers season just ended. Final score Thunder 115, Lakers 110. That means that the Oklahoma City Thunders, the defending champions, have now swept the Lakers out of the playoffs. They swept their first round series as well. This was the closest the Lakers got in any game. They were right there, put up a big fight. But in the end the defending champs just too much.

[D]

Well, the main topic out of that last night, if you're a sports fan at all, has been is that the last game LeBron ever plays. All the movie stars showed up, were there in the front row in case it was LeBron's last game. But I read the LA Times piece last night about LeBron needs to go. Clearly an old man couldn't even win one game. Their best player in the leading scorer in the NBA was out and they're playing the defending champions who might be the best team in 10 years.

[A]

Right?

[D]

So I don't, I don't understand that reasoning at all. He is an old man. But yeah, if with Luca, if they had lost to the Thunder, it wouldn't even be that surprising. I don't I don't get it.

[A]

I remember I used to call sports talk the lowest form of human communication, above only grunting. Oh, yeah. Barely. Barely. It's clickbait. It's like everything. Everything's clickbait. Oh, you're probably got a hot take that's utterly unsupportable. But then we'll take your calls. Your angry, outraged call.

[D]

You know, you're right. When I saw the LA Times headline, if it's time for LeBron to go, I thought. I clicked on it because I thought. What? How do you make that argument? He's still playing.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

He got me to click on it.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

That's all they care about.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I've gone too far, I think, because New York Times had the, like the 25 greatest American songwriters or something like that.

[D]

30 greatest singer songwriters. Yes, it.

[A]

It's a rage bait. But, you know, I. Then I thought I might discover a good songwriter too. I'll take a look at it, but I refuse to get sucked into the hundred greatest guitar players of all time.

[D]

How can Hendrix not be blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[A]

No, no, you're not gonna get me. I'm too old and wise.

[D]

By the way, speaking of sports. Kinda. They've released all the Tiger woods video from his flipping yet another car. And on one hand, I regularly argue, I'm not sure that the public should get to see or hear all this different stuff, especially when it's a misdemeanor. I don't know if this one's going to be a misdemeanor. That's none of your business. This might be. Anywho, it's amazing how he still had the Tiger woods swagger standing there next to a flipped car.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

With the cops about to put him in jail again.

[A]

Right.

[D]

I would think at some point you'd feel a little diminished and a little humbled, but not Tiger Woods.

[A]

Right.

[D]

He still had the. I'm the coolest guy in the freaking world.

[A]

There's the one shot of him looking really, like, weak and well, wasted.

[D]

Yeah, he looks wasted, but that's.

[A]

That's it. I mean, he looked humbled, but he. When you see the video, that was just the, the snapshot that kind of lies because, yeah, he absolutely was. What's going on, Phyllis? Yeah, I just had to make a call. Yeah, give me a second. I got to make this call. And then. He's not going to give you a second.

[D]

He's kneeling over on the grass with his big buff body and his on backwards and his sunglasses on, looking all cool. Dude, you just flipped another car in a residential neighborhood, and you're going to jail again.

[A]

How do you flip a car in a situation like that?

[D]

I don't know. I don't know how fast you'd have to be going or what you would do.

[A]

It's a miracle he hasn't hurt anybody by himself.

[D]

Yeah. And I hope that gets through to him so he doesn't kill some kid on a bike someday.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

God, that's horrifying.

[A]

So I've lost track. Is he in Tibet re embracing his Buddhism or Switzerland at some alleged detox with beautiful views?

[D]

He's in Arizona doing the sex rehab. Remember, he did that at one time.

[A]

Sex addict.

[C]

Right.

[D]

He couldn't stop hitting on the Perkins waitresses. God, tiger.

[A]

Yeah. No kid.

[D]

He's not an old man either.

[A]

Oh, no.

[D]

He's got to come up with a new hobby.

[A]

Can you get one of those prediction market bets on him having a. Another crack up within like, a year or two? Because it certainly feels like a crack up to me.

[D]

He didn't look humbled in that video. He didn't look like a guy who thinks, you know, I need to get my life together. He didn't look like that at all.

[A]

Yeah, I am now. I'm the greatest golfer of all time, but I'm an F up. I didn't see that in his body language. No, of course he was wasted.

[D]

Hey, I think we're gonna talk to Katie Katy, the news lady who's, like, hours away from having a baby. Oh, wow. Yeah. Stay tuned.

[A]

Armstrong and Gettysburg want to keep up with everything trendy, from breaking news to shareable jokes, pop culture bites to viral food spots. It's all on Tick Tock. Download Tick Tock now to explore.

[D]

So Katie Green does our news and is part of the show every day, and she is having a baby, like, very shortly, and we're about to put her on the air, and I think if we can somehow drag out the conversation.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

She'll lose track of time and have the baby on the air, and I think that would really be good for us. And we could sell sponsorships.

[A]

Yeah. Be a great rating stunt, this contraction

[D]

brought to you by Pampers.

[A]

Wow, wow, wow. Can you charge them retroactively for that? Do we have Katie?

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous Katie Green, live from the delivery room, calling in. Hi, Katie.

[D]

Wow.

[F]

There would be so many FCC violations if you guys tried to do that stunt. That would not work.

[D]

You are. You are a dedicated radio professional, are you?

[A]

Actually.

[D]

You're actually at the hospital in a bed.

[F]

I am at the hospital in a bed having contractions as we speak.

[A]

Wow. In the. In the, like, super nice modern delivery room setting or what?

[F]

Yeah, it's actually. It's a beautiful room. It's huge. And the bed's actually comfortable, which is odd. And it's been great.

[D]

And of course, you didn't know this, but we had a radio contest last week where five listeners got to be there. So if you got the listeners there, we're watching you have the baby.

[A]

Plus.

[F]

Oh, those are the people that keep coming to the door.

[D]

Those are listeners who want a contest.

[A]

Plus, when you sign the paperwork to start working with us, you signed away the naming rights to the baby. So please welcome Baby mcbabyface.

[D]

Damn it.

[F]

It's always the fine print that I don't read.

[A]

Right. So how you feeling?

[F]

I feel pretty good there. There was a little bit of a starting process to this whole getting induced thing that involved a balloon and not the type that you would see at a party. And that was painful. But now that that part's over, we're good. And then in about an hour, they're talking about breaking my water. And then little Jack, Joe, Mike, Michael, be here shortly after that.

[A]

Wow. Wow. In about an hour?

[F]

Well, yeah, depending on how long it takes from there. But that's the. Apparently when they. They break that water, that's when it's like, go time.

[D]

Sure. Are you ready to have that baby out of you?

[F]

Holy hell. Am I over over it.

[A]

You know, Katie, there are a number of steps in the miracle that is having and raising a child where God's plan is so wise. I mean. Cause childbirth is no walk in the park. And you know that, obviously. But at the. I found it fairly easy. Oh, boy. Wow. I have your head on a swivel. Walk into your car. All of our women listeners are going to be here to murder you. All the moms anyway. But at the point that you're ready to give birth, you're like, I don't care.

[D]

Let's get this done.

[A]

It's like when your kid finally leaves the house. House. You'd think you'd be heartbroken, but they're so sassy. You're like, yeah, I'm gonna cry, but good luck, right?

[F]

Yeah. Oh, the amount of people that have told me, you know, really enjoy these last couple of weeks because you're gonna miss it. The hell I am.

[D]

Wow.

[F]

I've been telling everybody I'm serving him an eviction notice. He's out.

[A]

Wow.

[D]

Eviction notice. That's funny. The time is up.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's a two year process for that if you're having a baby in California. So anyway, well, you know, we're super crazy excited for you and happy for you and got our fingers crossed. And a lot of the folks listening, hopes and prayers and fingers crossed as well.

[F]

I appreciate you guys very much. And you guys, you'll be in the. On the list, the first to know when he's here. So I'll be texting you guys shortly.

[D]

Cool. We'll announce it on the air then. It's going to happen while we're on the air today. Crazy.

[F]

Yeah, that's what that. That's my entire goal is to make sure that it happens while you guys

[D]

are still on here. Trying to back time it to the top of the hour.

[A]

What? What? What a trooper. Oh, my gosh. Hey, give. Give our best to your mom and pop and. And stay in touch, all right?

[F]

I absolutely will. Thanks, guys.

[A]

Katie. Good luck, Katie. One big push and just shoot him out, Michael.

[F]

Thank you, Michael. All right, welcome. Like a true doctor who knows what he's doing. Right on.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. He chat GPT there. All right. Thanks, Katie.

[D]

Wow, wow, wow. I know. Such a big deal.

[A]

Oh, impossible to summarize.

[D]

No. There's the life before you had a kid and the life after you had a kid and they are very different. And not including. And this is the part you just can't possibly know all the changes that happen in your brain because of course you can't know your brain changes.

[A]

It literally changes neurologically.

[D]

Your hormones change and your brain changes when you have a baby, when you have a kid. Men and women, the responsibilities never. You look at the world differently. There's no understanding that unless you've done it.

[A]

Yeah. The fabulous Caitlin Flanagan, who's we mentioned, I guess last week she wrote a great piece for the Free Press, has another piece out. It was for Mother's Day and she was talking about how, you know, the question of to have a kid or not at all is a thing among young women. And she made the joke that women, young women are looking at it exactly the way men have been telling women to look at things forever logically and, you know, pluses and minuses and blah, blah, blah. And that young women never get the. It is a miracle that will change everything about you in so many good ways. Talk. It's out of fashion. It's just a dollars and cents convenience. Career vacation will become difficult. I don't get to do things on my schedule anymore. It's sounds like a net negative to me.

[D]

You're right. Nobody talks up the, the part that most parents talk about being the greatest thing that ever happened in your life.

[A]

Yeah. Why don't you pull say a thousand parents and ask them if you could go back again, would you undo it?

[D]

Oh God.

[A]

And look at that teeny tiny number. It's like a trial with no defense attorney. All you have is the prosecution of the idea of motherhood. Talking about women now, obviously. But the defense never gets to speak. It's, it's, it's a weird culture. It's. It's partly that our media and so many of our idea shapers are of a monoculture.

[D]

I can't believe she called in while we're on there.

[A]

I know.

[D]

Hours before she's going to have a baby.

[A]

I know.

[D]

Like maybe an hour before she's gonna have a baby.

[A]

Yeah. We didn't ask her to. No. Yeah, yeah.

[D]

Make it clear we did not demand that she call in.

[A]

Oh my God. No.

[D]

An hour before she's having a baby.

[A]

No.

[D]

Wow. So exciting.

[A]

You'd hate to get scammed out of your baby. And that's why incognito is so important. Man, I didn't have anything better. Your personal information is valuable to scammers. Far more accessible than you realize. Every time you shop online, your data is collected. Package sold to data brokers. Bastards. And that's why we use, and you should use Incogni.

[D]

Yep. We all know our data's floating around out there. Our address, our phone numbers and all the different stuff. That's why we get so many damned emails, texts and phone calls. And there's not much you can do about it. Unless you have somebody like Incogni that can go to those databases and actually legally force them to get rid of your information. You're going to notice a drop in spam calls, emails and texts protecting you from all kinds of spam scams and real digital threats. They can't scam you if they can't find you.

[A]

Yeah. And they just keep sending follow up requests. So your data stays removed. Take your personal data back with Incogni. Incogni is how it's spelled. Get 60% off the regular price, which is quite affordable when you use the code. [e-mail] Armstrong 60% off when you use the code [e-mail] Armstrong One more time. Incogni.com Armstrong how long have the really

[D]

good painkillers for having a baby been

[A]

around, like epidurals and that sort of thing? Yeah. I don't know. That's a great question, but not that long. Yeah. Yeah. When was the transition from perfectly sterile, brightly lit operating room with gowns and masks and. And doctors barking orders and the husband that. Get the hell out of here. You. You can't be with it. You sit in the waiting room. When did that transition to the birthing rooms where, you know, you shouldn't be

[D]

filthy, but in the 90s?

[A]

I don't know.

[D]

Was it earlier than that?

[A]

I don't know.

[D]

Well, when did they stop? I talked about this list. This. This one horrifies me for whatever reason, because it happened to me. I don't. But the whole whisking the baby away from mom.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

When did they stop doing that? Here's your baby. Everything that you know intuitively about nature would be. Mom is going to stay with the baby. I'm sure that's the way it's been for a million years. But we're going to take your baby away and go put it in a room full of screaming babies with bright lights.

[A]

Right? Yeah.

[D]

What the hell? Whose idea was that? And how did it last so long? But when did that change? Because they would never do that now.

[A]

No, no. Yeah. We. As I've made the point before, America fell in love with science in the 20th century and got way carried away. Well, that's.

[D]

That's what people should think about when you say trust the science. Trust the science. You used to grab a newborn and take it away from their mom. Right. Now we've decided, like, the best thing you could possibly do in their ent.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Is hand it to mom and have it being laying on mom's chest.

[A]

Trust. Trust the nature. Yeah. Kate, our oldest, was born in 1992 and we had the comfortable, nice birthing room. We're quite pleased with that. And she actually had some significant complications during the birth, but the minute they determined she was fine. Yeah, she was with mom.

[D]

Did you ever consider doing the hot tub birth?

[A]

No.

[D]

You had the baby in the hot tub?

[A]

No, I don't really love hot tubs at all. And neither does Judy, so she likes

[D]

it more than I do. We have some friends that did the home hot tub birth.

[A]

Really?

[D]

Yeah. And seem to be fine.

[A]

Is the kid underwater? When I think, yeah, it's a.

[D]

It's a water birth. They call it a water birth. Yeah.

[A]

Why?

[D]

It's some sort of. It's more natural. Because that's.

[A]

Ma'. Am, the answer is no. Give birth in the air. Not in the air, but in air.

[D]

I think it's just hot tubs feel good, so.

[A]

Yeah, well, it's nothing wrong with that. I get lightheaded in hot tubs. If they're over, you know, like a certain temperature, then I'm afraid I'm gonna slip under and drown like Chandler from Friends from Lightheadedness.

[D]

We start with Katie there in the birthing room. And we end with don't want to drown like Chandler in a hot tub. Right.

[A]

That's an embarrassing obit. You don't want to die a caveman death, but you don't want to die a Hollywood drug addict death either.

[D]

No, you don't. Okay, as soon as Kat has her baby, she will be calling us back and I doubt it.

[A]

You don't think she will never hear from her again, right?

[D]

Okay, we got more on the way. Stay here.

[A]

Armstrong and Getty.

[B]

It's the call of the wild. Or maybe just the call of nature. But Crown, I want to go in there and eat. Are going bananas for the baby boom at the LA Zoo. So which one's your favorite?

[A]

I can't say that.

[B]

Megan Fox is the senior animal keeper now. In her troop, five new infant great apes.

[A]

Some of these moms I've known for 30 years, to see them with their babies is just very special.

[D]

Look at the baby.

[B]

The zoo is now home to a baby gorilla, a baby orangutan and a and three baby chimpanzees, all born in less than five months. All endangered species.

[D]

First of all, you can't be named Megan Fox and be a zookeeper. You gotta change your name. You're probably born with that name. But there are famous sex bots with that name. Also, she had vocal fry. Good. A zookeeper has. Ah, the monkey was so amazing.

[A]

Time to feed the monkeys.

[D]

How LA is that? Even to work at the LA Zoo, you have to have vocal fry.

[A]

You've gotta be world weary cynical. You have to have ennui about your apes. Yeah.

[D]

Wow. Well, it's fun.

[A]

Baby baby beasts. People love baby beasts. People love babies in general.

[D]

That's why we paired that with Katie's announcement that she's having a baby any moment. We speaking of cynical, Jon Stewart. Pretty cynical about the coverage of the freaking hantavirus. Maybe we'll play a little bit from the Daily show in our three.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, indeed. Couple of international flavored stories. First of all, Wall Street Journal with a piece about this ex convict who was conscripted into the Russian forces. Or he might have volunteered. I Don't know in that recruiting drive where if you did something completely heinous, but you're willing to go serve as machine gun fodder in Ukraine will let you loose, but. So he got conscripted into the army, one way or another, he got half blowed up. He's missing part of his right arm, has two titanium plates in his head, as they say. He might not seem like the best soldier to put in the vanguard of a military offensive, but for quite a few days last year, he was at the tip of Russia's spear, trying to pierce Ukraine's defenses in the kind of infantry assault that's yielding meager gains and heavy losses for Russian troops. And they describe his mission, which was just spending human lives like, like, I don't know what, just horrific, just a terrible strategy, incredibly costly to gain practically nothing. But they did it over and over and over again. They make the point that this guy's short stint last year in the vanguard of Russia's army offers a glimpse of the tactics Russia is employing to eke out battlefield advances in Ukraine. And it's just incredibly expensive and futile.

[D]

Yeah. So part of our problem in trying to exert deterrence around the world is we don't want to lose any soldiers, which is, you know, obviously good on one hand. My brother was in the military and war zones for a very long time, but, you know, you can't win battles without some willingness to risk lives. Sure. But man, if we lost, if we lost a hundred guys like this weekend in Iran, it would be the, It'd be the biggest story in America. Russia is losing 20 to 30,000 guys killed or wounded every month. 20 to 30,000amonth, and have been for years.

[A]

So they mentioned Putin at the Red Square military parade the other day, the Victory Day parade. He reiterated his commitment to a Russian victory, but also suggested the war was drawing to a close. There are signs that his army's methods are losing even their limited effectiveness. Losses are so heavy that this fella who we're talking about, a former heroin addict who was jailed on drug charges after his previous frontline stint and injury, rejoined the army in return for freedom after six months service. He said he and many in the Russian army think the war is a deliberate campaign to purge society of those on the lowest rungs, culling the downtrodden, the homeless and the prison population. Cuz they, they can't figure out why you would spend the lives on so little gain. Unless that's the point. Not a bug. It's features, they say, and Ukrainian Soldiers are baffled by the number of Russians pressing forward under fire. It's like shooting sitting ducks.

[D]

God, that's brutal.

[A]

Can you imagine the Ukrainians are saying,

[D]

what are they doing? We're just gonna kill those guys.

[A]

Here they come again. I guess we'll kill them.

[D]

Wow, that's so brutal.

[A]

Yeah, it is.

[D]

That's the history of Russian wars, though. They've won a lot of wars or a lot of battles that way.

[A]

You want something a little more life affirming. How much do I love this story? The world's most surprising capitalist makeover is underway in Sweden.

[D]

I read about that.

[A]

Shaking up the cradle the grave. Huge government, huge spending, huge tax system, embracing individual initiative, capitalism, free employment, lower taxes. Yeah.

[D]

Finally, the country that the Bernie Sanders of the world have been throwing at you your whole life works in Sweden. A tiny little monochromatic country.

[A]

Right.

[D]

And it only works for a while is the thing with socialism. Socialism does work really cool for a little while. Problem is, it doesn't have legs.

[A]

Yep.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

Today, nearly half of primary healthcare clinics are privately owned. One in three public high schools is privately run, up from 20% in 2011. School operators are listed on the stock exchange. And they make the point that Sweden's experience has lessons, good and bad for other rich countries, including the US Where Zoran Mamdani is trying to turn New York into Sweden. And the capitalist makeover has allowed Sweden to do what few industrialized countries have managed in recent years, however, shrink the size of the state. It's enabled the government to sharply lower taxes and economists say has sparked a surge in entrepreneurship and economic growth.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

The free market's better than government control. Damn, I wish we'd known that.

[D]

I wonder how that happened. I mean, how did the laying around, retiring at 50 crowd decide they're willing to embrace the free market, which is not as comfortable?

[A]

We could dig into this more. There's quite a bit to be said. But their total social spending has fallen to 24% of their gross domestic product, which is similar to us. We spend about 24% of our GDP on social programs. We borrow a lot of it and make our kids pay it off later or inflate away the debt. But that's well below 24%, well below the over 30% for countries like France and Italy.

[D]

We got this text before we take a break. If Katie has her baby before the end of the show, I'll eat my husband's truck. A reference to a bet I made years ago. My labor was 26 hours, but prayers for all the details for her to. Hope it goes great.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

26 hour labor.

[A]

That was like Judy. Oh, it was not good.

[D]

That's a long time.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

All right, we got more to come. Hope you can stick around. If you miss it, get the podcast. Armstrong and Yeti on demand.

[A]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.