No Biz With Bims!

Summary

Podcast Title: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Episode: No Biz With Bims!
Release Date: March 12, 2025

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Introduction

In the "No Biz With Bims!" episode of the Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a myriad of pressing topics, ranging from international politics and economic crises to the intricacies of online dating and the complexities of rebuilding Los Angeles post-wildfires. This comprehensive summary captures the essence of their discussions, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps to provide a clear and engaging overview for listeners.

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1. International Politics: Ukraine, Russia, and Ceasefire Negotiations

Key Discussions:

• Ukraine’s Ceasefire Proposal: The conversation begins with Joe Getty highlighting Ukraine's agreement to President Trump's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, aiming to shift the focus onto Russia and President Putin.

• Role of U.S. Leadership: Michael expresses hope that this move pressures Putin, aligning with Secretary of State Rubio's strategy, which positions the "ball in Russia's court" (00:24).

• Skepticism Towards Putin: Jack Armstrong voices doubt about the coherence of the strategy, emphasizing Putin's unpredictability and unreliability as a negotiation partner (01:21).

Notable Quotes:

• Michael: "I'm hoping we're about to see the squeeze on Putin. They had to get everything lined up, squeezing Zelensky to agree to the deal." (00:54)

• Jack Armstrong: "Putin is so completely, almost ridiculously unreliable as a party to an agreement." (01:32)

Analysis by Experts:

• Richard Engel (NBC): Provides an analysis on the swift developments in Ukraine, underscoring the desire for lasting peace and the strategic advantage if Putin opposes the ceasefire (01:41).

• Josh Rogan (Washington Post on CNN): Highlights Zelensky’s tactical shift to place responsibility on Putin, framing the ceasefire as a strategic win for Ukraine (03:34).

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2. Economic Struggles in Russia Amidst War

Key Discussions:

• Russia’s Economic Collapse: Katie and Michael discuss the devastating impact of war on Russia's economy, citing exorbitant interest rates and rampant inflation that could lead to economic collapse if Ukrainians endure another year of conflict (05:07).

• China’s Economic Maneuvers: Michael points out China's ability to circumvent economic pressures, contrasting it with Russia's dire situation (06:14).

• Oligarchic Control: The conversation touches upon Russia being run by oligarchs, questioning the sustainability of Putin’s regime amidst economic turmoil (06:29).

Notable Quotes:

• Katie: "If the Ukrainians can hold out one more year, Russia's economy collapses." (05:25)

• Michael: "If inflation's anywhere close to 40%, you would think he's not long for this world, Putin." (06:55)

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3. Corporate Ethics and Insurance Sector Challenges

Key Discussions:

• Secretly Recorded State Farm Executive: A significant portion of the episode focuses on a State Farm executive, Hayden Kirkpatrick, who was caught on a secretly recorded Tinder date discussing the dire state of California's insurance sector post-wildfires. His comments led to his termination (10:18).

• Impact on Housing and Rebuilding: The hosts explore how insurance companies are reevaluating their policies, leading to challenges in insuring properties in wildfire-prone areas. This has broader implications for rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles, particularly regarding affordable and multifamily housing projects (20:04).

• Housing Market Dynamics: Jack discusses the Wall Street Journal’s coverage on California’s housing shortage, emphasizing the state's struggle between maintaining leafy neighborhoods and addressing economic stagnation through increased housing development (23:10).

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong: "The whole insurance thing reminds me of how people don't tend to sympathize with convicts. Inmates, even when what's being done is horrible and indefensible." (18:51)

• Michael: "It's probably a win for Ukraine to get this. [...] If Russia wants to be the bad guy, Putin has to decide." (02:22)

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4. The Complexities of Online Dating

Key Discussions:

• Misrepresentation on Dating Apps: The hosts delve into the challenges of online dating, highlighting how users often present misleading images, leading to disappointing real-life encounters. They discuss the psychological impact and societal implications of such practices (12:27).

• Ethical Considerations: The conversation touches upon the ethical dilemmas of deceptive practices in online dating, with Jack critiquing apps that manipulate images to make users look "totally unlike themselves" but "like a real person" (14:19).

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong: "Somebody wants to stage a coup. [...] but generally doesn't involve being shoved out a window or executed." (08:31)

• Michael: "Nobody looks even close to like their picture at least. Particularly the Tinder." (12:30)

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5. Free Speech and Political Deportations

Key Discussions:

• Deportation Based on Speech: The hosts discuss the controversial case of Khalil, a protest leader advocating for Palestinian rights, who faces deportation for allegedly aligning with terrorist organizations. They debate the legality and ethicality of such actions, referencing historical precedents and current legal interpretations (31:21).

• Government Overreach vs. Free Speech: Michael and Jack examine the balance between national security and individual free speech rights, questioning the administration's motives and the implications for civil liberties (32:42).

Notable Quotes:

• Michael: "Can I go on a college campus or anywhere in the United States and say anything I want about various political movements or can I or be advocating for a terrorist group?" (31:03)

• Jack Armstrong: "The administration is not claiming that he's broken any laws. [...] But the administration made this the big first case of this." (34:00)

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6. Light-Hearted Banter: Golf and Fashion Trends

Key Discussions:

• Golfing Anecdotes: Jack and Michael share personal stories about organizing golf outings, illustrating the social dynamics of not wanting to be the first to cancel plans due to unfavorable conditions (07:44).

• Fashion Evolution: The hosts humorously discuss the resurgence of bow ties, contrasting them with traditional ties and reflecting on changing fashion norms among younger generations (28:03).

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong: "It's exactly like when somebody wants to stage a coup. [...] nobody wants to be the first guy to pull out so you feel each other out." (07:44)

• Michael: "Nobody ever even mentioned a bow tie when I was a kid. [...] But now probably 20% of the dudes had bow ties on, including my son who wanted to wear a bow tie." (28:49)

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Conclusion

The "No Biz With Bims!" episode offers a rich tapestry of discussions, weaving together high-stakes international politics, economic challenges, societal issues, and personal anecdotes. Armstrong and Getty provide insightful commentary, balancing serious analysis with relatable banter, making the podcast both informative and engaging for a diverse audience.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Michael on Ceasefire Strategy:
   "I'm hoping we're about to see the squeeze on Putin. They had to get everything lined up, squeezing Zelensky to agree to the deal." — 00:54

2. Jack Armstrong on Putin’s Reliability:
   "Putin is so completely, almost ridiculously unreliable as a party to an agreement." — 01:32

3. Richard Engel’s Analysis:
   "They want a peace. They say that they want, however, a lasting peace. [...] all the better for Ukraine." — 01:44

4. Josh Rogan on Zelensky’s Tactics:
   "I think what Zelensky achieved here was that he put the spotlight back on the Russians to show that if there's no ceasefire, it's Putin's fault, not Zelensky's fault." — 03:34

5. Katie on Russia’s Economic State:
   "If the Ukrainians can hold out one more year, Russia's economy collapses." — 05:25

6. Michael on Russian Inflation:
   "If inflation's anywhere close to 40%, you would think he's not long for this world, Putin." — 06:55

7. Jack Armstrong on Oligarchs:
   "They are billionaires who run the country and keep Putin in office, why are they gonna continue that?" — 06:29

8. Jack Armstrong on Insurance Ethics:
   "The whole insurance thing reminds me of how people don't tend to sympathize with convicts. Inmates, even when what's being done is horrible and indefensible." — 18:51

9. Michael on Ukraine’s Win:
   "It's a win for Ukraine to get this. [...] If Russia wants to be the bad guy, Putin has to decide." — 02:22

10. Jack Armstrong on Rebuilding LA:
    "Instead of leafy streets and lawns and pleasant little bungalows housing single families, we're going to have apartment complexes everywhere." — 21:19

11. Jack Armstrong on Deceptive Practices:
    "Somebody wants to stage a coup. [...] but generally doesn't involve being shoved out a window or executed." — 08:31

12. Michael on Online Dating Images:
    "Nobody looks even close to like their picture at least. Particularly the Tinder." — 12:30

13. Michael on Free Speech:
    "Can I go on a college campus or anywhere in the United States and say anything I want about various political movements or can I or be advocating for a terrorist group?" — 31:03

14. Jack Armstrong on Administration’s Stance:
    "The administration is not claiming that he's broken any laws. [...] But the administration made this the big first case of this." — 34:00

15. Jack Armstrong on Golf Dynamics:
    "It's exactly like when somebody wants to stage a coup. [...] nobody wants to be the first guy to pull out so you feel each other out." — 07:44

16. Michael on Fashion Trends:
    "Nobody ever even mentioned a bow tie when I was a kid. [...] But now probably 20% of the dudes had bow ties on, including my son who wanted to wear a bow tie." — 28:49

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Note: This summary excludes advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections to maintain focus on the substantive discussions within the episode.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio, the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Tim, what could be a significant step towards peace? Ukraine agreeing to President Trump's proposal for a 30 day ceasefire with the President turning the spotlight on Russia, announcing he will speak to President Putin.

[Michael]

Hopefully President Putin will agree to that also, and we can get this show on the road.

[Joe Getty]

Secretary of State Rubio leading the talks in Saudi Arabia, also saying Russia must make the next move.

[Katie]

Ball is now in their court. If they say no, then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.

[Michael]

Okay, so I'm hoping, as Keir Simmons reporting on NBC, I'm hoping we're about to see the squeeze on Putin. Okay? They had to get everything lined up, squeezing Zelensky to agree to the deal. Deal's in place. And as Rubio said, Secretary of State balls in Putin's court now. And I'm hoping maybe you start putting pressure on Putin or saying some bad things about him if he doesn't go along. I guess we'll find out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's an interesting strategy, if indeed it is a, you know, a coherent strategy. And I don't know that it's not.

[Michael]

I don't know that it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. And Putin is so completely, almost ridiculously unreliable as a party to an agreement.

[Michael]

So here's Richard Engel of NBC with a little analysis on it.

[Richard Engel]

So it has been a very trying time, fast moving events, especially when people here know that their country is on the line, that the future map of Ukraine is being redrawn at this moment. And it is happening so quickly. But today, today, at this very moment, I think they feel quite satisfied with the end of this diplomatic process because they want this. They want a peace. They say that they want, however, a lasting peace. And if a ceasefire can bring those negotiations, they certainly welcome it. And if it can expose Vladimir Putin as someone who doesn't want an agreement, all the better for Ukraine.

[Michael]

Well, that's interesting. And Richard Engel wouldn't say that Ukraine's pretty happy with this if they weren't. Right. I want to get this on. This is somebody on cnn because I was accused of spouting MSNBC talking points on the text line earlier, this being one of them. It's a win for Ukraine and it gives them a chance now to flip the narrative that the ball is in Russia's court. And now if Russia wants to be the bad guy, you know, Putin has to Decide. I'm sorry, I misread it. The I, I said earlier this might be a win for Russia and that, you know, if he agrees to a ceasefire. It's the same reason Hamas agreed to various ceasefires. So they could, you know, get some food and get some more ammunition and, you know, get their act together so they could attack again.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ship in some more North Koreans to get mowed down by machine guns the first day they're in country.

[Michael]

I was accused of spouting MSNBC talking points there, but that's not an argument. Well, yeah, but it's interesting that Richard Engel and the CNN reporter both say Ukraine's happy about this. It's a win for Ukraine to get this. Okay, here's our friend Josh Rogan of the Washington Post on CNN 85.

[Josh Rogan]

I think what Zelensky achieved here was that he put the spotlight back on the Russians to show that if there's no ceasefire, it's Putin's fault, not Zelensky's fault. The problem with the Oval Office meeting was that it convinced Trump that the lack of peace was Zelensky's fault. And he blames Alinsky and he punished the Ukrainians. Now it's on, on Putin.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I don't know with Trump, how much is strategy and how much is a reaction to being challenged? Because he has a very rigid, hot tempered reaction to being challenged by anybody, whether it's Zelensky or who was absolutely out of line trying to litigate the case in front of the cameras when everybody's supposed to shake hands and make n. Anyway. But the recent experience with Doug Ford up in Canada, the premier of Ontario saying, all right, you're gonna levy tariffs on us, we're gonna levy tariffs on you, including the electricity. And Trump went nuts. I mean, his rhetoric was like over the top. So there are those, though. I can see right in your emails right now saying, no, that is the strategy. It's the madman theory. Throwing everything up in the air, getting everybody on their heels. Then he goes in and Crafts wants to craft.

[Michael]

I can't believe we cut off intelligence to Ukraine, allowing that's how they get.

[Jack Armstrong]

Early alerts of attack drone attacks and missile attacks so their civilians can run down in the air raid shelters. We cut that off for a few days. Why?

[Michael]

To force.

[Jack Armstrong]

To force them to the table.

[Michael]

Yes. Anyway, this I found very, very interesting and sort of shakes up my view of the whole ceasefire thing. Talking about Russia's economy and how bad.

[Katie]

It is that war is devastating Russia. They've raised interest rates to 21% because inflation is so high. They claim inflation is 9%, but that's BS. You don't have 21% interest rates if you have 9% inflation. True inflation is probably 40% or something like that. The cost of borrowing is you want mortgage in Moscow by 30, 40%. Enterprises right now, a third of enterprises right now are not paying each other. They don't have the money to pay each other. Factories, the butter is being locked up in supermarkets because it's become so expensive that people are stealing it. Putin does not have unlimited time. If the Ukrainians can hold out one more year, Russia's economy collapses.

[Michael]

Been hearing that for a while, though, since the beginning of the war, when we really put the squeeze on them that Russia wouldn't last long. But China gets around it, and some of our friends continue to buy stuff from Russia.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've read equally learned commentators say that indeed, yeah, Russia and the Axis of a Holes, as we like to call it, have, have made it so that Russia is not really that isolated. And economically they're doing much better than anybody expected. But I mean, if, if mortgages, mortgages are 30, 40%. And I mean, that's an economy that's in terrible shape.

[Michael]

If inflation's anywhere close to 40%, I mean, if it's half that, you would think, he's not long for this world, Putin, somebody would take him out. You would think. I mean, if it is a country run by oligarchs, as has been reported for decades now, those are billionaires who run the country and keep Putin in office, why are they gonna continue that? Yeah, yeah, and I, I heard the rest of that report. That guy is Matthew Brzezinski on NBC, former Wall Street Journal reporter. I don't know what he does now, but he made the point that, you know, these dictators seem solid as a rock until the day they're not. See Bashar Assad in Syria or whatever. It's so unpredictable. You just never know.

[Jack Armstrong]

So this is a quick aside for the golfers in the audience, although I think everybody will get it. I had a conversation the other day. We were gonna play, but it. The forecast was terrible and, and we got this text string. There were 12 of us that were gonna play, and everybody was like, feeling each other out. Looks kind of rough today. I'm not gonna be the first to pull out, but, boy, that forecast the other guy had right back. Yeah, you know, kind of, kind of rough looking. Don't know, you know, could go either way, but nobody wants to be the first guy to pull out so you feel each other out. And I had a conversation with a buddy of mine that it's exactly like when somebody wants to stage a coup. Like, if you want to get rid of Putin, there's a lot of, boy, Putin's making some interesting moves lately, you know, and then you're waiting for somebody to say, yeah, I don't think it's.

[Michael]

Very smart, you know, but if they give you a slightly different look, you say, but I like them. They're interesting, but they're, you know, thinking outside the box. And I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Innovative was the word I was looking for. Yeah. So what do you. Then you turn to the other guy. But what do you think of this job our beloved leaders doing? I got some questions. You're just looking for hints that somebody's with you. Except deciding whether to play golf or not generally doesn't involve being shoved out a window or executed as a traitor after, you know, several months of beatings and torture.

[Michael]

Well, and we had that weekend where it looked like Prigozhin might march all the way to Moscow and have a showdown, but he backed off for whatever reason and then ended up being murdered in a plane crash.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Was he not the absolute classic example of if you're going to shoot at the king, don't miss?

[Michael]

How about.

[Jack Armstrong]

And don't say, you know what, I got a hothead. I'm so sorry. Just, I'm. I'm good. We're good, though. We're good, right? No, that's not a choice.

[Michael]

How did a guy as wily as him think he was ever gonna survive that?

[Jack Armstrong]

He thought he had cards to play.

[Michael]

Wow, misread that one. I wonder if he thought. I wonder if he thought that as the plane was plunging toward Earth. I really thought I had that figured. Plot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Anyway, so who knows where this is direction is going. I hope we hear some slightly nasty language about Putin, one of the worst people on planet Earth. Yeah, I hope we are. Something, you know, not favorable about the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Guy, a totalitarian megalomaniac who has zero interest in, quote unquote, protecting Christianity no matter what. Your favorite wackadoodle right wing influencer, and I'm a right winger, is. Is trying to tell you so this.

[Michael]

Hour, a state farm executive, State farm insurance in California got caught on a hot mic on purpose. It was, it was a trap. Saying some really bad things. And now he's out of a job about in those of us who pay for insurance.

[Jack Armstrong]

And it all fits into the greater story of rebuilding LA after the cataclysmic wildfires and how, especially on the left of politics, which is really the only side that matters in California. They are really hot to trot to not let this crisis go to waste, what they're going to try to accomplish.

[Michael]

And the secret recording is a warning to those of you that be careful on your Tinder dates. You don't know this person. That might be your lesson for the day.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll file that one away, among other.

[Michael]

Things on the way. Stay here, Armstrong, and get the Museum.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of Failure houses some of the world's greatest flops. Visitors can see attractions such as crystal, Pepsi, carrot cake, Oreos, and of course, the Don Lemon exhibit. His tone of voice made that joke. I read about the Museum of Failure. It's actually a cool idea. There's a huge legal dispute going on right now. But, yeah, the idea being, yeah, failure doesn't stop you. You had a setback, you learn from it, you move on. It's kind of a cool idea.

[Michael]

So coming up, we're going to talk about this audio that was secretly recorded of a state farm executive. And it gets into the how businesses become woke and all that sort of stuff. But the, the dude was secretly recorded on a Tinder date that he thought was real, but turned out to be, you know, a honeypot sort of sting to get him to talk and record him. And we actually got into the conversation about this online dating stuff during the commercials. Katie, you've done online dating. I don't even remember if you talked about that or not. Nobody else here has, I don't think. Yeah, you have. Yeah, because I haven't. Joe obviously hasn't. Michael, you haven't. No, no, I haven't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Judging from your tone of voice, it was just a bowl of cherries.

[Michael]

But, but I know a lot of people that have. And, and one of the things that they all say is nobody looks even close to like their picture at least. Particularly the Tind. I don't know about. Maybe eharmony is more, I don't know, real mad. I don't know because it's. From what I understand, Tinder is still more of a hookup app than the looking for my Husband or Wife.

[Unnamed Guest]

It kind of went down in the ranks as a hookup app because there are more hookup apps that have developed since I used it. But yeah, it's.

[Michael]

It's probably, probably, probably floats around just like the popular bar, huh?

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, I used it before. All of the filters and stuff were a big deal. But I noticed that the, the guys tend to put up like the best pictures obviously of themselves that make it look like they have different occupations than they actually have.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, wearing the medical lab coat and that sort of thing.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

Or a business suit.

[Michael]

Well, putting up the best picture of yourself is, you know. Yeah, it's par for the course. I mean, everybody does that. But if it, if you don't look like it, I mean, I would. I've heard people talk about you walk into the coffee shop or whatever it is and you don't even know that's them over there.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah, I didn't go through that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was reading something the other day and got one of those pop up ads in the middle of the article and it was for a filter app and it was saying the message of it was essentially for dating apps, that the other apps make you look totally unlike yourself and not like a real person. Our app makes you look totally unlike yourself, but like a real person, just not you. So this is a much better app. And I thought, wow. So they just, it's obviously just completely accepted that that's what's happening. Well, you can't get in the, you can't make the sale unless you get in the door.

[Unnamed Guest]

That's such a shameless move. My anxiety would be through the roof if I did that, going, oh my God, this guy's gonna walk in here. And that is not me in that photo.

[Michael]

I'm not, not going to do that. Like out of some moral conviction about online dating. If I were ever going to do it, it'd be out of. I don't want to have expectations. I don't want to look at a disappointed face as they turn around and walk back out the door. That sounds horrible.

[Unnamed Guest]

Jack gives himself a nine inch mullet.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just better to have a picture of yourself, like at the end of a long night of drinking, half incoherent, unkempt, with snot coming out of your nose. Yeah. That way anybody you know is going to be pleased when you show up. Oh. Oh my gosh, you look great.

[Michael]

Thanks, Michael. No, but I was thinking, is it any different than like I had a, I had a quarter pounder with cheese at the McDonald's yesterday. It did not look like the one on the poster in the restaurant. It didn't have the big fluffy lettuce with the bun standing up over a fresh tomato and all that sort of stuff. So you know, advertising like Jose.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, it's, it's similar. I'd say looks are more fundamental to the dance of love than they are wolfing down a Cut rate burger.

[Michael]

True.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's related.

[Michael]

Man, I heard such an interesting podcast the other day. I meant to bring some of this on the air and look into it more about how damaging for society online dating is for a variety of reasons and statistics were amazing. It's like 10% of dudes are like the entire online thing and. And certain to a certain extent. Same with women. Although it's a little different with women just for the obvious thing that guys will have sex with practically anybody. But so you have a lot more opportunities. But there's like a top 10% of dudes who are good looking. A lot of them might not be good people, but they're good looking up that like are 80% of them of the matches and the people that go on dates. So it's just the same 10 of dudes dating and having sex over and over and over and over and over again, taking women out to eat. And then, you know, people get burned out on the whole thing because of that.

[Unnamed Guest]

I think I mentioned this to you guys before, but I was with a group of 20 somethings and they were all on their dating apps and they were sitting there next to each other making sure that each other were not talking to the same guys that they had matched with. And I'm going, oh my God, I'm so glad I'm not in this world.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Michael]

And that's because that pool is so small.

[Unnamed Guest]

Yeah.

[Michael]

In whatever town you're in or, you know, zip code you're putting in there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Coming up, the rebuilding of Los Angeles has not surprisingly run headlong head on into politics, particularly progressive politics, how that might play out. And more coming up.

[Michael]

Yeah, the secretly recorded state farm agent because of a Tinder date. Bad idea. We got that on the way. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Michael]

Like in Marin county in Northern California or some of the fringe areas like where the Palisades are. There can never be houses where like people want to be built in areas where it's really hard for you to hear probably listening on the radio. That's a state former state farm executive. He's been fired. Now, Hayden Kirkpatrick, he was on a Tinder date and the Tinder day. Just what do you do for a living? Ooh, home insurance. Sounds fascinating. Tell me more to get to get him to talk about, among other things, their emergency filing with the state of California after the horrifying fires in Los Angeles. And Kilpatrick, the state farm executive, now fired, actually said that they went into a panic when they realized how much this was going to Cost quote. Our people look at this and say, ass. We've got like maybe $5 billion that were short if something happens. So they had to go to the Department of Insurance and say, we're overexposed here. You have to let us catch up. They say, no. And then we say, okay, well, we're. Then we're going to cancel all these policies.

[Jack Armstrong]

So all that is pretty well known so far.

[Michael]

Yeah. So just in general, the whole insurance thing, My life experience has been you pay insurance your whole life, and then if you have a wreck or something happens to your house, they either drop you or jack up your rate so much that you end up paying back for what they covered. I mean, that's what's happened to me anyway.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. You know, it reminds me of the discussion we had earlier about how people don't tend to sympathize with convicts. Inmates, even when what's being done is horrible and indefensible. It's just not a super sympathetic, you know, target. Likewise insurance companies. I mean, even if the way they've been done by the state is indefensible, tough to work up many tears.

[Michael]

Yeah. And then, I don't know, it's being seen as controversial that he said that people shouldn't have been building in those areas anyway. It's just for their egos. They want to live in a beautiful area like this, and they. There shouldn't even be homes there. But I don't know. I don't know if that's controversial.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, people want to live in beautiful places. It's not much of a revelation whether.

[Michael]

It'S for your ego or you like the view.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and it's indisputable. And I'm not some sort of industry hack, but as metro areas grow, people are living in. There's a term for it where, you know, more urban areas meet nature and there's a much greater fire risk, particularly in a place like California or anywhere in the west, really.

[Michael]

I don't know if this State Farm exec was fired because he said something we didn't mostly already know or because the company thought, if you're going to go on Tinder dates with randos and start talking about the way we do business in the state, maybe you should work somewhere else.

[Jack Armstrong]

So is there more that's controversial about this guy that he said? Really?

[Michael]

Yeah. Well, they go to the state and say, look, if you don't let us jack up the rates, we're going to start canceling all these policies is not seen as cool.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe the way he phrased it, but that's precisely the case.

[Michael]

State farmers, it's exactly what they do. It's exactly what happens.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure, don't be talking business.

[Michael]

Business with bimbos, I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, biz with bims. Right? Okay, so I thought this was interesting. Speaking of that sort of thing, the Wall Street Journal is talking to a realtor about transactions going on, people trying to buy properties that are still standing or land or whatever and nobody can get insurance. And the one deal she's closed lately, it was a seven figure purchase. The buyer said, no, I can't get insurance, I'll be self insured. If my place burns down, I'm out. And that was the only one she's closed in recent days because.

[Michael]

So you've got a really expensive place and you want to sell it and you find out you can't sell it because nobody can get insurance. That is rough, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

As they put it, the question for LA isn't so much how to rebuild the Palisades, but who pays if it burns again? Said State Farm General writing to the state insurance Commissioner, not on a Tinder date quote, writing new policies doesn't make any sense at this time. The headline of the article Louisiana has big plans to rebuild after the fires. Good luck getting insurance. And of course the state's insurer of last resort, whatever that's called, I can't even remember because it's kind of an innocuous name, but it's way crazy overexposed right now. The amount of money on hand versus the risk is way out of proportion that any insurance company has ever behaved on earth. And then when they get fleeced, the ratepayers in California pay according to the law, just a giant surcharge on top of your insurance, if you have any. Anyway, I thought this was interesting and you know the article is ostensibly about how more progressive political forces are looking at the charred areas of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, all those places we saw on the news. If you don't live in the LA area, rebuilding them and how now is our opportunity? Instead of leafy streets and lawns and pleasant little bungalows housing single families, we're going to have apartment complexes everywhere. Multifamily housing, affordable housing, section 8 housing. This is what we're going to do. And the politics of that playing out will be really interesting to watch.

[Michael]

I'll be shocked if that doesn't happen because there's.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, there's a hell of a lot of money, which means a hell of a lot of power in Those places.

[Michael]

Remember when, what was that story we had from Beverly Hills years ago where it turned out all the ways that they were getting around the various regulations for having low income housing and everything like that because they could afford to, to play the game.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh yeah. And litigate it. Plus they'd make big contributions to the politicians who have no beliefs and no souls anyway, like Gavin Newsom actually cares about one issue or another. No, right. They, they would like list potential available housing, including an area above a BMW dealer and the owners like, wait a minute, no, we're not building apartments there. It's our business office. But anyway, so yeah, the, the richer suburbs have all sorts of ways to get around the, the, the regulations. And that's an interesting topic. But in reading this story, Jack, and anybody interested in journalism or a fan of the Wall Street Journal as I've been for many, many years, this dude Conrad Putzier who writes this story, it is as if it's in, well, the LA Times or the USA Today or the super liberal before Jeff Bezos threatened to spank people. Washington Post, the. You know, I can read you some, some specific sentences. It's about, you know, the very topic I was describing. Now California faces a choice. Will it build the housing it badly needs or will it accept economic stagnation for the price of leafy neighborhoods and single family home?

[Michael]

Wow, that's in the news story?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, this is a news story here. California's housing shortage is at the root of its economic problems. Residents are leaving for other states at a rapid clip. Economic expansion lags behind states like Texas and Florida. And then they go into some other stats about how terrible the economy is in California. Inflation driven in large part by housing costs is eating it or renders living standards and attributes it all. Not a single word in the Wall Street Journal About California ranks 50th for business climate year after year after year. Do you think that's having an effect on the economy? But no, they say no. It's all about housing costs. And they mentioned state and local red tape, but they never mentioned the fringe environmental lobby that also won't let building happen and any expansion of the footprint of a city. They want it all to be high rise affordable housing right next to public transit. But the Wall Street Blanken Journal doesn't even touch on that. Man, that's crazy. Is it just because if you want to hire young journalists or a place that people have retired or moved on or whatever, it's impossible to find somebody who's not completely woke.

[Michael]

Well, how about presenting it like, as a pejorative that you want to live on a quiet, leafy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, everybody should in apartment complexes. You know, I don't mean to be like the. The cold warrior, which I am, but I've been to former communist countries and they believed firmly in everybody ought to live in a crappy apartment and the architecture and their lives are miserable and. And, you know, our lefties want to do that. Final note from LA and the wildfires and the politics around the Rebu. According to the Los Angeles Times, Karen Bass, the union hack, utterly dishonest, selfish, soulless mayor who. Anybody who's been following California politics for a long time knows exactly what she is. She is deleting her text messages, thus defeating efforts by media organizations to obtain them as government communications subject to public records requests. According to the LA Times. The Times reported had been unable to obtain her text messages concerning her overseas trip to Ghana because they were automatically deleted and the city had not retained them in spite of laws to the contrary. The time suggests that Bass is violating both state law and the city's own administrative code. Her phone is set to erase text messages.

[Michael]

Nice.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. The fact that LA rejected a thoroughly moderate, reasonable, quote, unquote, Democrat in favor of this union hack is just a. It's just a measure of the depth of the. Just utter dysfunction of LA politics, California politics. End of screen.

[Michael]

Last night I had one of those deals that happens when your kids get to a certain age where I had to run Henry to his Boy Scout meeting, drop him off a little early and let him cool his heels while I ran to his brother's band concert and caught most of that before I left early to get back to pick up the other kid from the Boy Scout meeting. But the band concert was really pretty good. You told me that when they get older, it actually starts to become, you know, like, decent music or whatever. And at the high school level, yeah, it was. It was pretty good, actually.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. There's a sliding scale, a continuum of spectrum, if you will, between sacrificing for my child and being entertained. And by the time they're like, you know, getting on in high school or even college, oh, no, it's 100% entertainment. It's just great music.

[Michael]

But here's the main reason I brought it up is they had to. There was a dress code. They had to dress up a little bit to play at this little amphitheater thing. And you had to wear a tie, either a bow tie or a regular straight tie. Nobody ever even mentioned a bow tie when I was A kid. I mean, you'd have been the weirdest, dorkiest dork of all time if you wore a bow tie when I was younger. But now probably 20% of the dudes had bow ties on, including my son who wanted to wear a bow tie. And so is a bow tie. Made it come back apparently.

[Jack Armstrong]

Clearly.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah, it's a better tie. I was looking at it, helping him put it on. Much easier to put on. I mean, not a real. You tie it tie bow tie. But like a clip on bow tie is way better than a clip on tie tie. And, and it just, it's a cool look and it makes, you know, and the tie is just. I don't know what, what is a tie? What is the point of that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, you're clearly an anti tiest. I am agnostic on the question. I think they're both fine. I'm even a fan of the bolo. Although it's a stretch to call it a tie. It's an adornment.

[Michael]

I went to a bowl through a bolo phase for a while. I like the bolota, but yeah, my son looked really good in the. I got it at Target. I bought him a Target bow tie. So I guess it's not the fanciest thing in the world.

[Jack Armstrong]

So why did you abandon the bolo tie look? Because you are proudly a middle American, you know, quote unquote hick.

[Michael]

Yeah, I don't do it with the suit jacket. Although a lot of people do. Huh.

[Jack Armstrong]

I like it.

[Michael]

It'd work anyway if you didn't know that the bow ties definitely made a comeback. So show up to your next secretly recording Tinder date in a bow tie and see how it works for you. More on the way. Stay here, Armstrong and Getty. By the way, I take in news from a different sources. That's kind of what we do for a living. But so I take in stuff from MSNBC and USA Today and boy, we just got this text about the Wall Street Journal. Hey, I love the show. Other than the editorial page, the Wall Street Journal has become a left center rag. I've subscribed for over a decade, but I'm considering canceling. That's interesting that a number of people have pointed that out recently.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's interesting. I don't find the editorial board left.

[Michael]

Well, they said.

[Jack Armstrong]

Although I'd like to compare notes with that person. Oh, other than I'm sorry.

[Michael]

Yeah, okay, but. But the reason I brought this up is bouncing around maga, Twitter. I've noticed that the whole Michelle Obama and Macron's wife have wedding tackle theme is a regular story.

[Jack Armstrong]

Goodness.

[Michael]

Oh my. So that's just. For whatever reason, it's an ongoing thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

To what extent is that people having fun?

[Michael]

I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

What extent do they actually believe the two women are equipped male genitalia?

[Michael]

I know a couple and it seems to be 100% but it's kind of hard to tell. It's like the flat earth people. You can't tell if they're just enjoying themselves or what. This is happening outside a courthouse right now and happened yesterday. So that's the guy that was leading the Columbia Building takeovers and protest and everything like that in favor of the Palestinians. To put it as charitably as possible, he is an agent of Hamas trying to disrupt our country. To put it more in line with I guess what our Justice Department thinks and. But I'm fascinated by this story. I love free speech stuff. I can never get tired of the conversation of what's free speech, what isn't drawn lines, various cases and all that sort of stuff. Love that sort of thing. And you know he's in jail and going to get deported. Is that what's going to happen?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, they're. They're trying to deport him.

[Michael]

And can I go on a college campus or anywhere in the United States and say anything I want about various political movements or can I or be advocating for a terrorist group? That's where they draw the line. Bill Malusion of Fox tweeted this out yesterday. I thought it was pretty interesting. Politicians keep getting this wrong. It doesn't matter if. If Khalil, that's his name, hasn't been charged with a crime. It's not required under section 237 of the statute. Rubio is using the Secretary of State for detaining this guy and kicking him out of the country. There is prior president that is rarely mentioned. In 1995, when Bill Clinton was president in the matter of Ruiz Masai, the court sided with then US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, a Democrat, and his powers to deport a Mexican national under the very same provision. Though it is very extremely rarely used. Khalil has not been disappeared. You can look him up, find out exactly where he is. Um, all this will be in public and out in the open. But it. It has happened before. Now, I don't know the particulars of the Mexican national that got kicked out by the Clinton administration, but Malusian saying it's the same argument.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. The. The administration is not claiming that he's broken any laws. Caroline Levitt, the White House press secretary, said Khalil, quote, sided with terrorists, organized group protests that disrupted college campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe, and that the law that she was citing requires the secretary of state to have, quote, reasonable ground to believe the person's presence or activities in the United States would have potential serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States. I'm quoting now from Fire.org, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which is like a sane aclu, and I support them heavily. And I'm a bit of a free speech extremist myself, so I like it, even when I disagree with them, that they're kind of in the great tug of war trying to tug us toward free speech, not away from it. Having said that, I'm surprised the administration made this the big first case of this, because there are plenty of people who've, like, been openly violent and smashed stuff and broken stuff.

[Michael]

But is it the difference being a US Citizen or not? If he was a US Citizen, born here, he could say all this stuff and he'd be in the clear.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, yeah. That's a hell of a question to ask with three seconds left in the segment. What's the matter with you, Armstrong and Getty.