Now They've Moved On To The Hippie Lettuce

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: Episode Summary Title: Now They've Moved On To The Hippie Lettuce
Release Date: March 25, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts

---

1. Introduction and Current Events

The episode kicks off with Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty diving into the latest headlines, employing their signature humor to dissect recent news stories. They discuss a New York Post headline about a chef's blunder with bacon, mocking the sensationalism often found in tabloids. The hosts use witty banter to highlight the absurdity of certain media outlets, setting a lighthearted tone for the show.

Notable Quote:

• Michael Getty [00:51]: "You have Chef fired because her boobs were too big. I'm not gonna click on that one."

2. Decline in Human Cognitive Ability

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing a concerning trend highlighted in a Financial Times analytical piece by John Byrne Murdoch. The report suggests that since 2012, there has been a noticeable decline in human cognitive abilities, particularly in reasoning and problem-solving skills across affluent nations.

Key Points:

• Declining Scores: Benchmark tests show a sharp fall in reasoning and problem-solving scores.
• Increased Cognitive Struggles: The percentage of 18-year-olds experiencing difficulty in thinking and concentration has risen since the mid-2010s.
• Mathematical Reasoning: Alarmingly, 35% of Americans now struggle with basic mathematical reasoning.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [03:28]: "Have we really passed peak brain power? There's a compelling case that we're getting dumb as a species."
• Michael Getty [03:31]: "I feel like I'm dumber than I was last week."

3. Digital Consumption and Attention Span

The hosts link the cognitive decline to modern digital habits, emphasizing how passive consumption of information—through endless scrolling and quick bites of content—detracts from meaningful, self-directed exploration. They argue that the fragmented attention spans are a direct result of our relationship with technology.

Key Points:

• Passive vs. Active Consumption: Transition from self-directed browsing to passive content consumption is detrimental.
• Context Switching: The constant influx of notifications and refreshed feeds disrupts sustained mental focus.
• Digital Revolt: There is a growing sentiment, especially among Gen Z, to move away from pervasive social media use, with some opting for simpler communication tools like flip phones.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [07:12]: "The culprit appears to be our newly passive relationship with information rather than self-directed exploration."
• Michael Getty [07:29]: "This is one of my great revelations... I've got to fight that. Damn it, it's so easy to get sucked in."

4. Jeffrey Goldberg Signal Chat Controversy

A controversial topic emerges around Jeffrey Goldberg, a respected journalist, who was inadvertently added to a high-level Signal Chat involving key government officials such as the Secretary of Defense and the CIA Director. This accidental inclusion has sparked debates about cybersecurity and the handling of sensitive communications.

Key Points:

• Accidental Inclusion: Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a secure chat meant for top-tier officials.
• Potential Risks: The presence of an external journalist in such a chat poses significant security concerns.
• Senate Intelligence Committee Involvement: The mishap has led to intense scrutiny and grilling of involved parties.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [25:57]: "The inclusion of Mr. Goldberg is indisputably an error and an odd one."
• Michael Getty [26:56]: "There is some theory that Waltz... is leaking stuff to Goldberg to push conversations in different directions."

5. Tesla Dealership Attacks

The podcast touches on the alarming increase in attacks against Tesla dealerships across the nation. The FBI has initiated a new task force to investigate these incidents, which include arson, gunfire, and graffiti.

Key Points:

• Rising Incidents: At least 48 attacks have been reported in over nine states since January.
• FBI Response: The formation of a specialized task force underscores the severity of the threat.
• Public Vigilance: The FBI urges Americans to remain vigilant around Tesla locations.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Getty [35:23]: "It is interesting though, if people have become so scatterbrained and dumb... why it's still so hard to get ahead."
• Jack Armstrong [36:31]: "Fewer than half read a book in a year."

6. Lifestyle Trend: 'Cannabis Moms'

A lighter segment explores the emerging trend of 'Cannabis Moms'—parents who use marijuana to enhance patience and manage the stresses of modern parenting. The hosts critique the normalization of substance use as a coping mechanism, reflecting on the evolving challenges faced by parents today.

Key Points:

• Terminology: The term 'Cannabis Moms' blends informal language to describe the trend.
• Parental Challenges: Increasingly high expectations for parenting contribute to the reliance on cannabis.
• Cultural Shift: The acceptance of marijuana use among parents signifies broader societal changes.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Getty [37:32]: "Moms who say weed helps them be better moms helps me stay patient."
• Jack Armstrong [38:08]: "I'm not sure it's a great idea. You might want to get to the root causes of why you're so upset, mom."

7. Sports Commentary: NCAA Tournament Super Conferences

The hosts analyze the dominance of 'superpower' conferences in the NCAA Sweet 16 tournament, noting the absence of unexpected teams (Cinderellas). They discuss how factors like player mobility and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money are reshaping college sports dynamics.

Key Points:

• Superconference Dominance: All 16 Sweet 16 entrants hail from the four major conferences: SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC.
• Player Mobility: The ease with which players can switch teams contributes to the concentration of talent.
• Economic Factors: NIL deals and financial incentives bolster the strength of powerhouse conferences.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [16:11]: "The SEC has seven teams. The Big Ten has four, the Big 12 has four and the ACC has one team."
• Michael Getty [17:05]: "There has been a big lawsuit going on right now in youth hockey... it's a giant racket."

8. Closing Remarks

In the closing segments, Armstrong and Getty reflect on the day's discussions, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and proactive measures to address the highlighted issues. They encourage listeners to engage with the podcast for more in-depth analyses in future episodes.

---

Conclusion

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a blend of humor and insightful commentary on pressing societal issues—from cognitive decline linked to digital habits to concerning lapses in governmental communication security. The hosts adeptly navigate through diverse topics, providing listeners with both entertainment and thoughtful analysis.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, oh, oh. O'Reilly.

[Joe Getty]

Check engine light on. Take the guesswork out of your Check engine light with O'Reilly Veriscan. It's free and provides a report with solutions based on over 650 million vehicle scans verified by ASE certified master technicians. And if you need help, we can recommend a shop for you. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan.

[Michael]

Today.

[Jack Armstrong]

Auto parts.

[Unknown]

Broadcasting live from the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center.

[Unknown]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

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

[Michael]

Hey there, New York Post. Now that's a good one. Got a headline that says Chef reveals common mistake people make when trying to make perfect bacon. See, I would click on that. You have Chef fired because her boobs were too big. I'm not gonna click on that one. All right, New York Post.

[Jack Armstrong]

What if a particularly large breasted chef could solve your bacon woes?

[Michael]

I got two little short funny things here. Not going to give you the background. You either know what this is about or not. It's the new story of the day. You know, go back and listen to early segments if you want to know what we've said about that. Armstrong and Getty on demand. First this breaking news. District judge has just ruled Jeffrey Goldberg must be added back into Signal Chat, which is funny. And this and this communication from 44bc we just have the initials of the names G. Cassius. We've agreed March 15th is a day M. Brutus. I guess we have to. Cassius, don't forget your daggers. J. Caesar. Guys, that's pretty funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I've forgotten the name of the. What's the. What's the. The messaging service again? Signal.

[Michael]

Signal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay. You know, there's that down.

[Michael]

There's one breaking little piece here that's worth mentioning. Byron York of the. Is he with the Examiner?

[Jack Armstrong]

I think so.

[Michael]

Waltz is telling colleagues that he has never met or talked to Jeffrey Goldberg ever. So if that's true, how the hell did he get added into the conversation?

[Jack Armstrong]

But that again, sounds like a lawyerly denial to me. He's emailed with him.

[Michael]

Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Anyway, so your choice, Jack, because I don't care. They're both great. What do you want to hear first? The World Happiness Report is a sham. I just waved in our face again as it is every year about how happy they are in Scandinavia or whatever.

[Michael]

And we were our lowest ranking ever or something like that. We're 24th, I think.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. So that's choice number one. The whole. The World Happiness Report is a sham. The Media loves hyping the annual study, but its methodology doesn't hold up to scrutiny or shock. Also not a shock, but troubling. Have we really passed peak brain power? There's a compelling case that we're getting dumb as a species.

[Michael]

I feel like I'm dumber than I was last week.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not on an individual basis, Jack, but as a species. Although you're not helping, frankly. Oh, wait a second.

[Michael]

College kids.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, go ahead, play that. 90. Is it?

[College Student]

Michael, who did the colonists fight in the Revolutionary War?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, God, in the Revolutionary War?

[College Student]

It was. Oh, I don't know if this is right. I mean, it sounds so stupid. Was it the Spanish? Wait, what are your majors? Business biology. Elementary education.

[Michael]

Oh, this is a good one. They're actually. They're asking actual college students at spring break these questions.

[Jack Armstrong]

Have we ever had a female vice president in the United States? Yes. Hillary Clinton.

[College Student]

What continent is Mexico located in?

[Jack Armstrong]

If you go south. Mexico. It's in Australia.

[Michael]

Wait, hold on.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, no. It's in. It's in the. Wait. Mexico. Wait, are we talking about the same Mexico?

[College Student]

Can you name the seven continents?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Michael]

North America, South America, Asia, Europe. I know there's another one.

[Jack Armstrong]

Do you know there's. There's no. Let him have it.

[Michael]

Canada.

[Jack Armstrong]

At least he could get started. I mean, the. The colonists fighting the Spanish. Who could forget the Boston Paella party when we threw the paella into the bay to protest the taxes?

[Michael]

And this probably politically active college student who has very strong opinions on things, believes Hillary Clinton was vice president.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hmm. So have we really passed peak brain power? Are we getting dumber? The data tell a worrying tale. We'll get to the happiness index some other time maybe. I don't know. Human cognitive capabilities appear to be in retreat. According to new analytical piece in the Financial Times by John Byrne Murdoch. Have humans passed peak brain power? I was paywalled, so I went with this account of the account instead. So, since 2012, scores in Reasoning and problem solving have fallen precipitously across benchmark tests in rich countries. The share of 18 year olds reported reporting difficulty thinking and concentrating has climbed steadily since the mid 2010s. Gee, I wonder why that might be.

[Michael]

Yeah, no kidding. That's all right.

[Jack Armstrong]

The most striking Perhaps is that 25% of adults in high income countries and 35% in America now struggle with basic mathematical reasoning. But what's changed is not human biology. Don't blame de evolution. Chemtrails or microplastics. I don't know. I'm still a IDIOCRACY guy. I think de evolution is happening. But seed oils. That's right, you got it. You gave it away. It's behavior that's changed. Reading rates have plummeted. Fewer than half of Americans read a book in 2022. Does getting like 22 pages in count?

[Michael]

Fewer than half read ab book.

[Jack Armstrong]

Correct.

[Michael]

In a year.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yet this represents merely one facet of a broader phenomenon. The erosion of sustained mental focus.

[Michael]

Yeah, I worry about that all the time. I know mine is way worse. I mean, there's no doubt about it. We talk about it all the time. I. I read so much less than I YouTube long form because I can't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? The culprit appears to be. And if you need to hear the end of this sentence, you're one of the stupid people dragging us down. The culprit appears to be our newly passive relationship with information rather than self directed exploration. It just comes to us. Web surfing. Good, scrolling bad.

[Michael]

God, I've got to fight that. I've got to. Got to get better at fighting the scrolling. Damn it. It's so easy to get sucked in.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just those tiny little shots of endorphins. Just, it's. Yeah, I can feel it. And I feel how insidious it is. The problem is it's all easier said than done. Fighting against it.

[Michael]

This is one of my great revelations that I had to myself a week ago. If you're old enough to remember having like 150 cable channels and you just kept flipping through and nothing was interesting. Flip, flip, flip. How is there nothing good on? I have 150 channels now. It's the opposite. You flip. Everything's good. Everything's good. This is something I want. This is something I want. This is something I want.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Michael]

Because the algorithm figured out what I want.

[Jack Armstrong]

The best minds of our time are devoted to addicting us to dopey little shots of endorphins.

[Michael]

So I have to make the conscious decision, yes, this is good. Rare concert footage I've never seen before. Or this is hilarious, you know, stand up I haven't seen before or whatever. It's all stuff I want, but I've got to do other things. I can't only do this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the, the dividing line for me is just being entertained. I will say this is not the part of my day where I have time to be entertained. I need to be productive. But anyway, you all approach it the way it works for you. But a little more from the piece, which I thought was very interesting and allegedly there is some encouraging news too, but We've moved from finite web pages to infinite constantly refreshed feeds and a constant barrage of notifications. We no longer spend as much time actively browsing the web and interacting with people we know, but instead are presented with a torrent of content. This represents a move from self directed behavior to passive consumption. Constant context switching. Research finds that active intentional use of digital technologies is often benign or even beneficial. So you know, I've called for unplugging the Internet over and over again. Only half seriously. But it's not the Internet per se. Whereas the behaviors that have taken off in recent years have been shown to affect everything from our ability to process verbal information to attention, working memory and self regulation.

[Michael]

Oh my God, that's horrifying.

[Jack Armstrong]

The sitting with our intellectual mouth open and being fed like a baby bird as opposed to going and hunting down our prey, is killing us. In short, though the fundamental human capacity for intelligence remains intact, its execution is increasingly compromised by our habits.

[Michael]

So the big question that we ask at least four times a week, it seems, do we arrest this development as human beings or is it just going to take over? And those of us who remember the before times are all dead. And there won't be anybody around to even talk about this because they don't know any other way. I mean, it won't be what, 20, 30 years? There will hardly be anybody left who remembers what your brain was like before this. So who would complain?

[Jack Armstrong]

So some notes of perspective and or hope will let you good folks be the jury as to how significant all of this is. Ba ba ba. Digital revolt. A rebellion may already be brewing, and not just among parents who now regret giving their pre 16 year olds smartphones. Surveys reveal that around half of Gen Z wishes social media platforms didn't exist. Young people are increasingly modifying their digital behaviors with flip phones making a comeback and offlining, gaining popularity again. To what extent, I don't know.

[Michael]

I haven't seen this. Maybe it's happening, but I haven't seen it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'm aware of the Amish, but I don't think, you know, wagon driving is about to supplant cars in their pollution.

[Michael]

Funny you say that. It was hot in our house the other day and Henry wanted me to turn the air conditioner on. I said, we're not gonna turn on the air conditioner. It's like 72 degrees outside. Let's open the windows and get some air going. He said, what are we Amish now? I guess we're Amish.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's an odd protest. Anyway, this Author writes Perhaps we're approaching an inflection point where the pursuit of mental clarity and sustained attention could once again become valued social currency. And how about the idea of cognitive adaptation? Perhaps what we're seeing isn't deterioration, but specialization. As calculators once freed mental capacity from arithmetic, which is still useful. Though today's digital tools allow humans to outsource memory and routine processing. Liberating cognitive resources for higher funct. Oh, is that what the kids were doing on the beach?

[Michael]

Yeah. I'm not. I'm not feeling that my own life, that this is allowing me to have a higher function of something else by not having to remember certain things.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Give me clip number 92 and you can be the judge of whether this is liberating cognitive resources for higher functions.

[College Student]

Who won the Civil War?

[Michael]

Oh shoot.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's east or west, right?

[College Student]

Well, it's the Civil War, so it's the civilians versus whoever was in power. How many justices are on the Supreme Court? Justices, like when you say that like you mean like the FBI.

[Jack Armstrong]

How did you know Liberating cognitive resources for higher function.

[Michael]

How did you possibly graduate high school without that knowledge? How are you in college with that? With it? With. It's just stunning.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's shocking. We need to talk more about it in a moment after a quick word from our friends at Simply Safe Home Security. Millions of Americans enjoying security and peace of mind every time they arm their systems. Traditional security systems systems take action when somebody's already smashed in your door or your window. That's too late. Simplisafe's Active Guard Outdoor protection can help prevent break ins before they happen.

[Michael]

Yes, all you morons, you don't want somebody to break in and steal your buckets of paste. What are you gonna eat when you get home?

[Jack Armstrong]

Present company accepted.

[Michael]

No long term contracts with Simplisafe Monitoring plans start around a dollar a day 60 day satisfaction guarantee your money back. No risk in trying this out.

[Jack Armstrong]

And that Active guard outdoor protection I was describing, it's AI powered cameras backed by live professional monitoring agents who monitor your property, detect suspicious activity and can yell at the miscreants or turn on your spotlights or call the cops if necessary before your windows get smashed. Let's see. Visit simplisafe.com Armstrong claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan. Get your first month free. Wow, that's nice. Simplisafe.com Armstrong there's no safe like simply safe.

[Michael]

It is interesting though, if, if people have become so scatterbrained and dumb and I think that is true why it's still so hard to get ahead. I mean, you know there's a lot of 28 year olds out there trying to climb the ladder and it ain't easy. You'd think it'd be easier if people are so dumb.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think if you are not dumb and can focus and look someone in the eye and shake their hand and are not afraid of conversing, you have a really good chance in life. Hang in there. Success always takes longer than you think it's going to. You'll be fine.

[Michael]

Any thoughts? Text line 415295 KFTC ARMSTRONG and GETTY.

[Unknown]

Now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types and it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the Amazing Youth Activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. Its melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the Amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that [e-mail] Jeff Bezos and Lauren.

[Michael]

Sanchez are getting married this summer and they just sent out their wedding invites.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's going to be great. Thanks to Amazon, the cake will arrive in 38 separate box Boston.

[Michael]

Two year engagement finally getting around to the the wedding.

[Jack Armstrong]

Bet that's going to be a good party.

[Michael]

Oh my gosh. Yeah. There have been various rumors going around about how many gazillions of dollars are being spent on that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Probably not a cash bar, so that's helpful. Couple of sports related notes. Don't worry if you're not a sports fan. Won't last long. No Cinderellas this year in the Sweet 16 NCAA tournament. It's all the superpower conferences. Superpower teams. Is it a fluke or the new reality in college sports where all the kids can change teams? Kids, they're young adults every year depending on who has the most nil money to the big conferences. Don't know. All 16 entrance come from the four swanky power conferences. Note self use the word swanky more often. The SEC has seven teams. The Big Ten has four, the Big 12 has four and the ACT ACC one team which is sadly Duke writes Jason Gay the Wall Street Journal. Sadly. And then this note which I thought was interesting. I this is Joe, Joe Getty. That's Jack Armstrong over there. Welcome. Good to meet you. I was an athlete as a kid, fairly serious athlete and I thought my kids would be too, but they, they weren't. They're all, you know, fairly casual rec league athletes and had fun but didn't take it seriously, which is perfectly fine. And I saw a lot of my contemporaries have their lives dominated by youth travel sports.

[Michael]

I would be super into it and everything if one of my kids was really into it. But the fact that they're not doesn't break my heart observing other parents.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Michael]

Who have their lives dominated by a kid who's a good athlete.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Because I have a life too and I feel like living it. But anyway, you know, let's teach their own. And I actually know some folks whose kids actually became college athletes and now they've continued, continued it and they spent a lot of weekends on the road watching their kid play lacrosse or whatever. You know, great families. But anyway, I thought this is really, really interesting. There's a big lawsuit going on right now in a bust. And this has to do with hockey, which is one of the sports I played. And folks from Northern Climbs get how big youth hockey, travel hockey is the leagues, the private leagues.

[Michael]

It's like the one on the ice, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

That is the one on the ice. That's right. It's like back in the day high school sports really mattered. Now it's all about the club teams like in basketball. What's the organization? Flit it out of my head.

[Michael]

Aau.

[Jack Armstrong]

Aau, exactly. Yeah. And with hockey it's these private organizations. It's not playing for your high school team that brings you to the scouts attention anyway. But these, these big tournaments that you have to be at to be seen and all the organizers of it sign these sweetheart deals with hotels where you have to stay at the hotel really to play in the tournament.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

With minimums for food and blah blah blah, often at exorbitant rates.

[Michael]

And I didn't know that you don't get to shop around. Pick your hotel room at whatever price you want to Spend that stay to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Play they call it.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. And what's worse than that, the organizers of the tournaments. Well you know what I'm about to give away the man behind the curtain, so. But you can go to these websites that will consolidate and find you this, that and the other and group rates, blah blah blah. Well the guys who organize the tournaments, those are the guys behind the website. So they're getting like a double kickback and really sticking the screws to the would be my kids gonna be get a scholarship and be a star parents. It's a giant racket.

[Michael]

Yeah, not surprising.

[Jack Armstrong]

Preying on folks enthusiasm, desperation for their kid to get a scholarship and or.

[Michael]

Some sort of fame to a certain extent. Maybe if this is the way it is, you know, I wish it weren't that way. Maybe it'll change someday, but I'm gonna play by the rules that exist. You know, you only get your one shot with your kid, I suppose, but it's a crime.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's crime.

[College Student]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Unknown]

Now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful Beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types. And it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing Youth activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just $49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that [e-mail] it appears, according to.

[Jeffrey Goldberg]

Jeffrey Goldberg's account of this, that it was by accident from Mike Waltz, the National Security adviser. And at first he says he didn't believe it. He thought it was a fake phishing attempt. And that continued even as big names were added. That is Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, Mike Waltz, the National Security Advisor. And he only believed it was real. As he watched what seemed to be classified information about weapons packages, target packages for the first US strikes in Yemen. He knew it was real when the bombs started hitting on cue.

[Michael]

So that's CNN's report on how this whole thing happened. This text chat thread, I don't know what you're supposed to call it. There's a whole bunch of chat options out there. Apps, you can use that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Messaging apps.

[Michael]

Yeah, I used one yesterday for the first time. I'd never even heard of. I remember Telegraph or something like I'd never heard of. Some guy said we're discussing business and numbers and like sending credit card information. Can we go to. I think he said Telegraph. I said what the hell's Telegraph? And. And I downloaded the app and then yeah, you can text back and forth and it's encrypted and then everything disappears after a certain number of hours and as opposed to like your regular text which are all stored forever somewhere, I guess. I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. That's the appeal of. Is it Snapchat for the youngsters or was last week.

[Michael]

Why aren't. Before we get into this scandal, why aren't most of us using one of these for most of our communications? Or maybe most people younger than me are. Why do I use just regular old Apple iPhone @&T texting as opposed to with any of my close friends where we often make, you know, talk about things that are private, whether it's jokes or gossip or financial facts or whatever the hell it's stuff you don't want to get out there. Why doesn't do most of you all like do you and your husband and your friends, are you all on Telegraph or what's this one?

[Jack Armstrong]

Signal.

[Michael]

Signal. Are you all doing it that way while the rest of us rubes are on the easily hackable regular text line? I don't know that.

[Jack Armstrong]

So far so good.

[Michael]

Yeah, I mean nothing's ever happened to me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Anywho. So this Atlantic journalist, he's a big time journalist. Jeffrey Goldberg is respected by the, you know, the liberal media community.

[Jack Armstrong]

He accidentally. He's a weenie. But back to you.

[Michael]

He accidentally somehow nobody's exactly sure why yet gets invited on with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Vice President, the dni, the head of the CIA. While they're having this conversation about attacking the Houthis and whether or not we should. And, and, and once they decided we were the various methods and everything, they're going to go about it just.

[Jack Armstrong]

And bad mouthing the Euros and talking about what weenies they are just coincidentally.

[Michael]

Today, though, Senate Intelligence Committee is grilling all these people about what the big threats are around the world. So it's turned into kind of a dig into this scandal and see what was going on. So here's Mark Warner. He's the Democratic chair. Democrats have something to talk about for the first time that isn't how much they suck. They're very excited about it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Something to attack or how exciting AOC is. Right.

[Michael]

So Mark Warner, Democrat, co chair of the committee, he's talking to who. What's Radcliffe. What's it. What's his position? He's the CIA guy.

[Jack Armstrong]

That sounds right. Yeah.

[Michael]

Is that right, Hanson? Is he the head of the CIA? Whatever he is. He's being. He's being Director of the CIA. Okay, there you go. I guess, correctly. Here's that conversation from just, you know, moments ago.

[Mark Warner]

So that we're clear. One of the first things that happened when I was confirmed as CIA Director was. Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA, as it is for most CIA officers. One of the things that I was briefed on very early, Senator, was by the CIA records management folks about the use of signal as a permissible work use. It is. That is a practice that preceded the current administration to the Biden administration. Director Radcliffe, I've got a series of questions. If you're making the statement.

[Michael]

If you're making the statement, the signal.

[Mark Warner]

Is a secure channel. No. Can I answer that? It is decryption. So it is my understanding it is permissible to use. To communicate and coordinate for work purposes provided. Provided, Senator, that any decisions that are made are also recorded through formal channels. So those were procedures that were implemented. My staff implemented those processes, followed those processes, complied with those processes, and. And finally, just please. So my communications, to be clear, in a signal message group, were entirely permissible and lawful and did not include classified information.

[Michael]

Well, okay, here's. So we didn't mention.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's really interesting.

[Michael]

Yeah, I'd say so we didn't mention that. That's been one of the big controversies of the day. So is this messaging app, signal, completely crazy for these people to be using Unheard of. It's sloppy and just nuts that they were communicating on it. Or as some people have said, everybody does it all the time. It's like, common in D.C. well, there you got the CIA director saying, as soon as I got up, confirmed, they downloaded it into my computer.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because everybody uses it and it's approved. Yeah. How interesting. It's as if politicians lie a lot.

[Michael]

And the media sucks.

[Jack Armstrong]

You got both oh, oh, true, true. How interesting.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

The inclusion of Mr. Goldberg is indisputably an error and an odd one. Now, are you still hanging with your theory you expressed earlier? I'll let you, you know, take the floor and say what you said.

[Michael]

There is some. A theory would be that Waltz, who is very pro supporting Israel against Hamas.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is Michael Waltz, the National Security Advisor. Very, very smart guy. Not Tim Walls, the Minnesotan moron.

[Michael]

No, this is the National Security advisor who I think put together this signal chat with all these people, and he accidentally included Goldberg because he regularly is communicating with Goldberg, like leaking stuff to Goldberg because Goldberg, as a Jewish man is in big and supporting Israel also. And that's just how he gets his side of the story out. That's a common thing people in administrations do. You get your side of the story out to the New York Times or the Atlantic or whoever, anonymously to try to push conversations different directions. That makes sense. Now, somebody pushed back on that with a, oh, darn it, my son's trying to call. I'm sure there is some tragedy going on. I will try to call him back. During the commercials, a person pointed out, and this is a decent question, if Goldberg and Waltz are so close, why is Goldberg throwing him under the bus? You wouldn't think, if you've got that close a line directly to the president who's feeding you information, so you have all these exclusives that you would burn that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. It's interesting Goldberg's behavior because he has not published in detail a lot of the sensitive stuff in the conversation, but we know a lot of who said what. What their attitude was, and there are a bunch of quotes, so it's not clear to me. Did he, like, half put it out. But you're right. Anyway, back to the theory and the counter to the theory. That makes sense. Yeah. You would not if you had. If. If I, as a quote, unquote, journalist, high up as the Director of National Security.

[Michael]

And then you're set for as long that you might be set for the rest of the presidential term.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. With fantastic access. No, you would not torch that bridge unless it was such a blockbuster. I mean, it'd have to be Watergate sized. And this is. Not that.

[Michael]

This is not Watergate sized, but it's pretty big. I mean, it's the news story of the day, certainly.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll tell you what the significance of this is. And I'd made the comparison earlier of, you know, in our business, sometimes you will accidentally leave a microphone on or somebody will. And you'll realize, oh my God. What we've been saying for the last several minutes has been broadcast say during a commercial break. Who said what? Oh my God. Oh my God. Is our career over? And in this case it seems like the, the access to Goldberg is the. Or the giving access to Goldberg is leaving the microphone on. And what was said was a really interesting debate about foreign policy in the Houthis and shipping lanes and the American, America's role in the world in a little bit of bad mouthing of Europe, but nothing you can't bounce back from. Nobody made a really, really off color joke or a racial joke in front of the open microphone. We did not disclose a secret plan to counter China in the Taiwan Straits or something equally impactful. This was the dog that did not bark, it just whimpered a little bit.

[Michael]

I don't know, I'm. I don't know how things usually work. I am surprised that this is not. We all get together in a room face to face, highly secure to have these sorts of discussions. I'm surprised that they have any sort of mechanism where they're chat. I mean given the way that China has hacked into practically everything or the Russians or the North Koreans or the Iranians.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you. Although I'm not sure I would love to have described to me where this, where in the discussion they were that this string captures because I get the sense that the policy had been decided. Trump had said go ahead and do the strikes. J.D. vance had some reservations and if you did not hear our thorough going through of who said what in the whole team of rivals nature of the discussion. Super, super interesting. That was hour two of the show today. Grab it via podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand. I think it's the second half of the. But trust me when I say it's worth a listen because it's really interesting. But I think it was the advisors kicking around. Do we go ahead or do we ask for one more hearing in front of the President about the pros and cons? It wasn't.

[Michael]

Well, according to Goldberg though, it includes, I mean I got a clip about that somewhere. It includes a lot of pretty detailed details.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

What we would attack and how and in what order and all that different sort of stuff.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Specific targets. That's right. Yeah.

[Michael]

And I would think just with the people that are on there, Vice President, Sec. Def. Secretary of State, CIA Director, dni. I mean that's. I would think anytime they talk about something it would be highly protected. But I don't know, maybe.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I, yeah, I see Your point? I can't say you're wrong. It was shockingly sloppy to accidentally have a completely unqualified, unsworn, non security clearanced journalist on there. It's just a nightmare.

[Michael]

Oh, you get, for instance, what was I listening to? One of your, one of your comedy shows. Think it was the Daily Show. Daily show last week. Jon Stewart mentioned on there. Well, we bombed the Houthis, we bombed Yemen again and everybody booed in the crowd because they don't like, you know, bombing people that super lefty their nut jobs.

[Jack Armstrong]

But just anything Trump does is.

[Michael]

Yeah, I'm sure you get a journalist. So say it was going to bomb Hamas. You get a journalist who hates that. And there are a lot of journalists that do they leak that immediately, maybe directly to Hamas. I mean, that is not out of the question in my mind.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Yeah. If you're that Washington Post gal I mentioned earlier and is worth revisiting. Yeah, you go right to him.

[Michael]

So that could have been horrific. You're right. As the dog that didn't bark, it could have been so bad. This is like when you accidentally text the wrong person and it's banal, you know, but you realize, okay, this is a good warning. I need to be more careful before I press send on all my texts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Imagine if it had been a covert mission of the Navy Seals or something like that.

[Michael]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, they'll, you know, hit the port of Aiden at 2am or what have you.

[Michael]

Oh, could have been the worst of scandals. People, you know, us service people dying and everything. Oh my God. Okay, we got other stuff on the way that's not so heavy. Stay here.

[Unknown]

Armstrong and Getty. Now I'd like to introduce you to Meaningful Beauty, the famed skincare brand created by iconic supermodel Cindy Crawford. It's her secret to absolutely gorgeous skin. Meaningful beauty makes powerful and effective skin care simple and it's loved by millions of women. It's formulated for all ages and all skin tones and types. And it's designed to work as a complete skin care system, leaving your skin feeling soft, soft, smooth and nourished. I recommend starting with Cindy's full regimen which contains all five of her best selling products including the amazing youth activating Melon Serum. This next generation serum has the power of melon leaf stem cell technology. It's melon leaf stem cells encapsulated for freshness and released onto the skin to support a visible reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. With thousands of glowing five star reviews, why not give it a try? Subscribe today and you can get the Amazon Amazing Meaningful Beauty system for just 49.95. That includes our introductory five piece system, free gifts, free shipping, and a 60 day money back guarantee. All that available@meaningful beauty.com.

[Jack Armstrong]

After saying his attacks on Tesla were just a joke, Tim Waltz said that Republicans have no sense of humor. I don't know, Tim. Millions of us laughed our asses off on election nights.

[Michael]

Yeah, so last last week when Tim Walls did that routine on stage, we played it about. You have the Tesla app. I put it on my phone just to cheer myself up every day and check and say, oh, look, it's down again. I will be gone soon.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yay. And the crowd cheered, laughing about the.

[Michael]

Demise of an electric car company when climate change is the number one threat to the world. According to you. Anyway, that aside, I thought this report on Tesla on ABC last night was interesting.

[H]

After dozens of violent incidents against Teslas across the country, the FBI announcing it's launching a new task force comprised of counter terrorism agents to investigate who's targeting dealerships, cars and charging stations. The FBI saying there's been at least 48 instances in more than nine states since January, including arson, gunfire and graffiti. The FBI now urging Americans to be vigilant around Tesla locations.

[Jack Armstrong]

How about that? Wait a minute. I'm not visiting, you know, the Sinaloa area of Mexico. I'm walking by a Tesla dealer, right?

[Michael]

Which is usually next to other major car dealers. The FBI says be careful if you're near a Tesla dealership. And we're just going to think, well, you know, that's the way life is. That is something. Domestic terrorism being treated like it's just kids are kids. Or angry trans men or angry trans men or women or.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whichever direction it is, it doesn't matter. Yeah, graffiti I see differently than firebombing.

[Michael]

Yeah, well, depends. How about if it's swastikas and, you know, threats. Still that. Still, still.

[Jack Armstrong]

Threats is different. Swastikas is stupid.

[Michael]

It is stupid.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're an idiot.

[Michael]

Saw this headline on cnn. Can a mom on the rise. The rise of cannon moms.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, boy. Another trend.

[Michael]

Wait, another cutesy name? Another. Combining a couple of words into what we just.

[Jack Armstrong]

Friend that'll be gone by Thursday.

[Michael]

Mom says we Moms who say weed helps them be better moms helps me stay patient.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, Cannon Cannabis moms. Hannah.

[Michael]

Moms.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wasn't it moms microdosing mushrooms. Like three weeks ago I didn't. Now they moved on to the. The hippie lettuce.

[Michael]

So you're smoking pot during the day. It makes you a better mom so you can stay patient.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I could see it mellowing you out.

[Michael]

Well, yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm not sure it's a great idea.

[Michael]

I don't think it probably is. I. You might want to get to the root causes of you're so upset mom or dad with the kids, you need to smoke weed.

[Jack Armstrong]

Kids are much too hard today. I hear every mother say. The Rolling Stones, mother's little helper, 1966, I think. Come on ladies, put down the ganj and pick up the something or other. I didn't finish that one in advance, but be apparent.

[Michael]

I was driving by a park the other day. Did I already say this on the air? I can't remember what I say and what I think. I was driving by a park the other day and thinking about when it was, when the kids were like seven and five or whatever or younger. And all I had to do is, you know, a beautiful day, I take them to the park and they were so pleased. They were so pleased to be there. I mean just, just a regular run of the mill. It's got a swing set slide and nothing fancy happening here. And they were so damned happy with that. Now, now the level of trying to make them happy is. The bar is much higher.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh great, Dad. A park. That's so lame. Yeah. So next hour, more science, new science. Did we need more science on the divide between the sexes in sports? The idea that dudes are competing in girls sports and saying it's okay because he has a wig on is one of the stupidest ide ever to infect the planet. It needs to end like yesterday.

[Michael]

Gavin Newsom we do four hours every day. If you miss a segment or an hour, get the podcast Armstrong and Getty on demand Hour four on the way.

[Jack Armstrong]

Subscribe. Yeah, Armstrong and Gettysburg.