Simply Too Complicated

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Simply Too Complicated" (Released May 30, 2025)

In the "Simply Too Complicated" episode of the Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a variety of engaging topics, blending humor with insightful commentary. This detailed summary captures the essence of their discussions, highlighting key points, memorable quotes, and the overarching themes explored throughout the episode.

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1. Humorous Opening: The World's Funniest Baby

The episode kicks off with a lighthearted banter between Jack and Joe about a hypothetical union between Eddie Murphy's son and Martin Lawrence's daughter, speculating on the comedic potential of their future child.

• Jack Armstrong [00:59]: "If they should decide to start a family, I believe the child resulting from the union will be the world's funniest baby."
• Joe Getty [01:16]: "It will be a very funny child."

Jack and Joe playfully debate whether the child would inherit Eddie Murphy's "intellectual, cynical brand of humor" or Martin Lawrence's "madcap, faux idiot style."

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2. Music Talk: The Cure and Classic Rock

Transitioning from humor to music, the hosts discuss their appreciation for The Cure, touching upon the band's iconic songs and Robert Smith's distinctive persona.

• Jack Armstrong [02:13]: "There are a number of Cure songs I cannot get tired of."
• Joe Getty [02:40]: "It's like their biggest hit. Seven minutes long, you know?"

Jack praises Robert Smith's unique look and memorable moments, such as his indifference during The Cure's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

• Jack Armstrong [03:01]: "I love Robert Smith, the their lipstick haggard looking lead singer who famously... looked at her and said, no, no, I'm not."

They also reflect on the band's reunion and the nostalgic allure of classic rock and new wave music.

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3. The Spelling Bee Phenomenon and "Spellbound"

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to critiquing the intense culture surrounding spelling bees, inspired by the documentary "Spellbound." Jack and Joe express concerns over the immense pressure placed on young spellers, particularly within the Indian American community.

• Joe Getty [05:33]: "Watch the documentary Spellbound. It was all about this sort of thing. The kids were miserable. The parents were miserable."
• Jack Armstrong [06:45]: "Oh, the babbling simpleton herd. Running morons of media."

They argue that spelling bees have evolved from educational contests into obsessive pursuits that limit children's social and personal development.

• Joe Getty [09:00]: "They were compelled to study spelling words all day long. That's what the name of the show."

The hosts lament the professionalization of childhood activities, drawing parallels to other sports and discussing the societal pressures that drive this trend.

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4. Trade Policy and Tariffs: A Legal Quagmire

The conversation shifts to the reinstatement of tariffs by the Trump administration, exploring the legal battles and economic implications surrounding this decision.

• Joe Getty [14:10]: "The tariffs are back on. Appeals court jumps in, temporarily pausing the ruling from the trade court that found them illegal."
• Jack Armstrong [14:37]: "It's absolute chaos. The appeals court just said, nah, we're not gonna stop them until we fully consider the question."

They discuss Jonathan Turley's perspective on the matter and express skepticism about Congress's willingness to intervene effectively.

• Joe Getty [15:22]: "Sure, but they won't."

Jack highlights the complexity businesses face in adapting to these changes, questioning how companies will manage the financial repercussions.

• Joe Getty [24:24]: "If it is deemed that Trump's tariffs were illegal, he didn't have the authority to do it... how would you have any idea how much you paid in tariff?"

The hosts emphasize the convoluted process of unwinding tariff-related finances and the potential for lawsuits, portraying the situation as a "dizzying" challenge for both corporations and consumers.

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5. Middle Eastern Conflict: Hamas and Israel Ceasefire

Jack and Joe provide updates on the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, discussing the challenges in achieving a sustainable ceasefire.

• Joe Getty [16:18]: "We have a big update on Hamas in Israel, but Hamas is saying no, this doesn't end the conflict."
• Jack Armstrong [16:26]: "Hamas is not happy with it. So there you go."

They critically analyze the effectiveness of the US-brokered ceasefire, highlighting Hamas's refusal to declare an end to hostilities until absolute victory is achieved by Israel.

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6. Supreme Court Ruling on Environmental Impact

The hosts touch upon a unanimous Supreme Court decision regarding environmental impact reviews for a major railway project in Utah.

• Jack Armstrong [16:42]: "The Supreme Court ruling 8 to 0... they're going to reign this in."

They express concerns over the excessive power wielded by obscure organizations and boards, suggesting that the ruling aims to streamline and reduce bureaucratic delays in large infrastructure projects.

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7. Headlines of the Week: Russell Brand and Crypto Scandals

In their coverage of the week's headlines, Jack and Joe discuss various high-profile stories, including:

• Russell Brand's Public Image:

  • Joe Getty [17:38]: "Russell Brand's got working against him is he looks like a rapist."
  • Jack Armstrong [17:44]: "He's a strange individual, no doubt."

• Crypto Executive Torture Case:

  • Joe Getty [21:42]: "That story about the crypto guy being tortured for two weeks by another already insanely rich crypto guy."
  • Jack Armstrong [22:38]: "There's a list of things I wouldn't do for say $5 million, but it's short."

They comment on the absurdity and moral implications of such incidents, blending humor with critical insight.

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8. Presidential Actions and Legal Challenges

The hosts analyze recent actions by the Trump administration, including attempts to ban international students at Harvard, which was blocked by a federal judge.

• Joe Getty [16:26]: "Trump's administration's ban on international students at Harvard blocked by a federal judge."
• Jack Armstrong [20:44]: "The White House rebuking the court, saying it is not for unelected judges to decide..."

They discuss the broader implications of executive overreach and the judiciary's role in checking presidential power.

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9. Philosophical Debate: Liberty and Social Responsibility

A deep dive into Thomas Jefferson's philosophy of liberty sparks a robust discussion between Jack and Joe about individual freedoms versus societal constraints.

• Jack Armstrong [29:26]: "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."
• Joe Getty [31:19]: "Smoke costs us 8 million times more than the motorcycle crashes ever could."

They explore the balance between personal autonomy and the collective good, touching upon topics like helmet laws and the slippery slope of socialism.

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10. Listener Mailbag and Final Remarks

Towards the end, the hosts engage with listener contributions, addressing humorous and absurd suggestions, such as attempting high school athletic events in unconventional attire.

• Joe Getty [26:37]: "I need somebody to look up the last place high school girls' triple jump distance and I will go out and see if I can do it in the parking lot."
• Jack Armstrong [26:45]: "Maybe. You're a crypto zillionaire and you don't want people showing up to chainsaw you or burn you..."

They wrap up the episode with light-hearted banter and a teaser for upcoming segments, maintaining their signature blend of humor and critical analysis.

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Conclusion

In "Simply Too Complicated," Armstrong & Getty adeptly navigate a spectrum of topics, from cultural critiques and legal analyses to personal anecdotes and philosophical debates. Their conversational style, punctuated by sharp wit and insightful observations, offers listeners both entertainment and food for thought. Whether discussing the pressures of competitive spelling or the intricacies of international trade policies, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty deliver a compelling episode that resonates with a diverse audience.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Jack Armstrong [00:59]: "If they should decide to start a family, I believe the child resulting from the union will be the world's funniest baby."
• Joe Getty [05:33]: "Watch the documentary Spellbound. It was all about this sort of thing. The kids were miserable. The parents were miserable."
• Jack Armstrong [29:26]: "Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others."
• Joe Getty [21:42]: "That story about the crypto guy being tortured for two weeks by another already insanely rich crypto guy."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the multifaceted discussions of the "Simply Too Complicated" episode, providing both a high-level overview and detailed insights into each segment of the conversation.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now, here's I'm Strong and Getty live from Studio C. Si, senor.

[Joe Getty]

Is a dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound. And hey, y' all.

[Jack Armstrong]

Today, Friday, headed into a summer weekend.

[Joe Getty]

We're under the tutelage of our general.

[Jack Armstrong]

Manager, the world's funniest baby. Okay, figure it's Friday, we'll keep it light.

[Joe Getty]

The world's funniest baby.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, news has reached me that Eddie Murphy's son has married Martin Lawrence's daughter. If they should decide to start a family, I believe the child resulting from the union will be the world's funniest baby.

[Joe Getty]

It's pronounced Martin, but yes, it will be a very funny child.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, whether the infant hues toward Eddie Murphy's more intellectual, cynical brand of humor or Martin Lawrence is more madcap, faux idiot style, science has yet to determine.

[Joe Getty]

That Martin Lawrence sitcom was funny. I loved that show. It was really good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Yes, indeed. Funny people. Those two kids. Luck.

[Joe Getty]

Jeez, look at the list of news items to talk about.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's another reason I went with that gm. I just can't.

[Joe Getty]

The Cure. Closer to you. That's what I listen to on the way to work today. On Fridays, I listen to music instead of news. For some reason, I like your stuff. And I don't know, I went with Heartbreak today. So, anyway, it sounded good in my car, but I don't know if it put me in the proper mood for the show.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like a hot shower before you jump in a cold pool. It's so good, but it's probably not the right way to go. Yeah, there are a couple of Cure songs, a lot of classic rock, and I think you have to include new wave stuff in that description. These.

[Joe Getty]

Sorry, pictures of you. Did I say closer to you? Pictures of you? Pictures of you. It's like their biggest hit.

[Jack Armstrong]

Seven minutes long, you know? Yes, plenty long enough. There are a number of Cure songs I cannot get tired of.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's a good tune.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, there are plenty of classic rock songs. If I never hear them again till the day I die. If you told me that, Joe, you will never hear, you know, song X.

[Joe Getty]

I would say, oh, that's fine now. So are they a group that has gotten, like, back together to make the. Like we go around and play our greatest hits and make a bunch of money thing. Oh, yeah, they have done that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'd like to see them playing great shows too.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I would like to see that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Any who.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I love Robert Smith, the their lipstick haggard looking lead singer who famously. Michael, if you can find this clip, when he showed up, was it the Rock and Roll hall of Fame induction? And the reporter at chirped, are you as excited as I am? And he looked at her and said, no, no, I'm not.

[Joe Getty]

Essentially, I will say as an amateur wannabe musician who was attempting to write a song yesterday, Any individual or band that can create a sound that is unique, like you hear it and you know who it is immediately, it's amazing with, with, you know, everything that has been tried, if you can come up with a sound as a guitar player, singer, band, whatever, because of, you know, all the different elements that is like, oh, well that's clearly them or, or another band sounds like you. I mean, it's incredible that you can do that. I mean, that's some real art. I would agree to pull that off in the modern world.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Michael, congratulations. The Cure Rock and Roll hall of fame inductees 2019. Are you as excited as I am.

[Joe Getty]

By the sounds of it?

[Jack Armstrong]

No.

[Joe Getty]

Oh my God. I almost spit out my coffee.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, man.

[Joe Getty]

Hilarious. More people say need to say that to newscasters. You know, I've got probably the perfect sort of follow up to that kind of attitude that goes with our opening clip. So we should start the show officially.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was just gonna say that is such an ang thing to say.

[Joe Getty]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

That is so us.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. And I'm gonna do one of my classic against the tide rants about a feel good story. What was our phrase yesterday?

[Jack Armstrong]

Stomping the joy out of life. Armstrong and Getty. Right.

[Joe Getty]

I'm about to.

[Jack Armstrong]

So let's start the show officially.

[Joe Getty]

I. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is Friday, summer May 30, the year 2025, where I'm strong and getty and we approve of this program.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's get stomping. According to FCC rules and regulations, the show starts at mark.

[Joe Getty]

Your word is A Claire C. Small.

[Jack Armstrong]

A Claire C. Small E C L A I R R C I S S E M E N T. That is correct. What is this? A French spelling bee?

[Joe Getty]

So the yearly script spelling bee and every news show in America or show of any kind is opening with that clip. And everyone that I've seen so far, the hosts, similar to that woman at the Rock and Roll hall of Fame it's just so happy and giddy about it. Oh, that. So sweet and special and blah, blah, blah. And I. And every year I say this. Watch the documentary Spellbound. It won an Oscar. It was all about this sort of thing. The kids were miserable. The parents were miserable. Many of them go on to have horrible lives. They wait. They spend their entire summers not playing or having boyfriends or girlfriends or doing anything or learning something useful or learning anything else that could make you a living. They study spelling like, 15 hours a day. It's like a weird OCD obsession that they either have or are forced into. I didn't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mixed with slavery, it's so great.

[Joe Getty]

I just don't understand why that isn't better known. I mean, it's not like just my own cranky opinion. Watch that documentary about it. I didn't walk away from that documentary thinking, oh, that's cute. I want my kid to study spelling words 18 hours a day.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, the babbling simpleton herd. Running morons of media. You can't have enough contempt for them.

[Joe Getty]

And I always think, you know, neither one of my kids is. Is like this. But if. If my kid wanted to do that, I really think I would. I wouldn't. I wouldn't, like, force them to stop, but I would have a conversation of, you sure you want to put all your eggs in the basket of spelling?

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Right. It's just. It's a bizarre mutation of what was a lovely idea.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey. We'll have these little contests because spelling is important, and the kids can be proud of how well they do. And here's an incentive for them to learn to spell, because it's a bit of a dry pursuit.

[Joe Getty]

And in school, it's words you come across regularly in life that you need to be able to spell to write. Makes perfect sense. It turned it into this weird. You memorize a bunch of words nobody's ever heard of from. From. From the world of Arcania. I mean, just nobody's ever going to use or have you memorize these. It's. It's a trivia contest. Really?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Or. Or just a deep, deep, deep dive into etymology, the structure of words and roots and that sort of thing, which is fine as far as it goes, but it reminds me of, you know, the. The guy who sets the world record for bouncing on a pogo stick. He bounced a million times on a pogo stick. No, that's supposed to be a fun toy that you get a little exercise. There is absolutely no use. There's no purpose in jumping up and down on a pogo stick for 27 straight hours. None. It's a mania. It' mental condition.

[Joe Getty]

Oh. You know, and the kids are cute and everything like that and good for them and everything, but you know. Well, again, watch the documentary. It's not just my old man cranky opinion. What's the furthest you ever got in a spelling bee?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, gosh, I don't know. Fairly far. Like the school championship or something. I can't remember. I remember doing pretty well. Yeah. It's not like I busted my ass to study. No. I just a pretty good speller.

[Joe Getty]

I definitely, definitely did not. I would. I was usually in the top quarter that would go out or something like that. But yeah, you know, Michael, about like that. Top quarter, huh? Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Respectable. There are.

[Joe Getty]

Do they still do spelling bees? I don't even know if they do. I think my kids school and this sounds very modern. It's because everybody had to participate. It wasn't like an option. Everybody stood up and did the spelling bee. But now it's a. A few people who are into it do it because probably they don't want to make kids who can't spell feel bad because that's what we do. Everything we, we, we. You know, we don't want anybody to equity Jack Spelling.

[Jack Armstrong]

Equity spelling.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. And this is going to shock you kids got an Indian name. The one that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Every damn kid I saw on the highlights was of South Asian extraction. Every single one.

[Joe Getty]

And I think every kid featured in the. The documentary, for whatever reason, Indian American.

[Jack Armstrong]

Kids compelled to study spelling words all day long. That's what the name of the show.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. I'm amazed by the various countries, India being one of them, that their culture is such they come here and they absolutely bust ass and are incredibly successful. I know several adults that way. But the spelling be particular of it is odd.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is an extension of a cultural norm in which you will work as hard as it takes to be successful and you will not complain. Which is unquestionably what is, you know, propelled so many Indian Americans to great success in this country. I mean, to a certain extent it's to be admired. I mean clearly Asian American folks do of all of all sorts. Just. It's a cultural norm. Well, I think if it gets taken to a ridiculous extreme like this, it's. It's not to be admired at all. But you know, at its base it's, it's. It's good.

[Joe Getty]

Well, remember when Covid hit and businesses were being closed down and this stat made the rounds? I think it came out of the Wall Street Journal. Various businesses that had money on hand to be able to survive two or three months being shut down and like Asian and Indian owners had the most money saved up for a rainy day to be able to weather it way more than anybody else, which is just smart.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Whether you can smell spell smart in some sort of weird way or not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, no kidding. So interesting. One more final note and it's, it's, I don't think it's old man yells at clouds. I think it has more to do with my great philosophy of society. Culture is like a stream or a river with a current. And that current is not determined by what's best for you. It's frequently determined by what will make Mark Zuckerberg the most money. For instance, having you doom scroll endlessly, everybody's doing it around you, you're constantly staring at your phone. You've forgotten what it's like to be alone with your own thoughts. There's no question that that's not good for you. But everybody does it because that is the cultural current. One of the cultural currents that's unmistakable. You know, having lived as long as I have at this point in human history is the professionalization of childhood pursuits. Yeah, and the spelling bees are good. I mean like baseball. You know, when, when I was playing baseball in the 70s and 80s, we played because we loved to play baseball. Or maybe your dad was a ball player and he really wanted you to play but you weren't very good and you dropped out eventually. But if you really, really cared about baseball, you got really good at it because it's fun to win and achieve. And then at the end there you are, 18 years old, somebody says, you know, you're a really, really good baseball player. You want to play in college and be like, yes, yes, I would. As a matter of fact, as opposed to now, from the time you're six blanking years old, you're on this industrial pipeline, this professionalized, you know, production system for producing college scholarship baseball players. The, the cart is in front of the horse, in my opinion, in a lot of ways has to do with fame and, and fortune. And I'm a big fan of fortune, don't get me wrong. But again, understand when you're swimming, because you want to swim that way, and when you're being swept up in the, the, the current, it can get a.

[Joe Getty]

Little philosophizing, it can get a little spelling bee esque. I have seen that although there is professional league for baseball, there is not for spelling bee there's no triple A, single A or professional. The big leagues. The Show. You made it to the show for sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're the best center fielder in the world. I get it. I get why you killed yourself to get there. A speller in the world.

[Joe Getty]

We got headlines.

[Jack Armstrong]

I expect to see you at the end of a bar, drunk and miserable.

[Joe Getty]

In about 20 years, reminding us constantly that you won the spelling bee. We got headlines. We got clips of the week. We got all kinds of stuff. So stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Joe Getty]

A little bit later in the show, the ongoing conversation about AI and how it's either going to be not near as big a deal as some people claim, or it's going to be every bit as big a deal as some people claim. And you should pay attention.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, at least those people with diametrically opposed opinions aren't the guys developing the thing. Oh, that's right, they are.

[Joe Getty]

We didn't mention the biggest headline of all, but I assume you've heard it already. The tariffs are back on. Yesterday, we led with the hair. The tariffs are off. Now it's back. The tariffs are back on. Appeals court jumps in, temporarily pausing the ruling from the trade court that found them illegal. So here we are. If I was a business person, I don't know what I would do.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no, no. It's. It's absolute chaos. The appeals court just said, nah, we're not gonna, we're not gonna stop them until we fully consider the question. Yeah, it's not a reversal, it's just a delay.

[Joe Getty]

Not to disrupt the headlines completely, but I thought it was interesting. Jonathan Turley, you know, who is a leans Foxy and Trumpy and all that sort of stuff. Law, Law professor. He thought the ruling by the trade court was absolutely correct and that the President doesn't have the emergency authority to do those sort of things and thought that the appeals court stepping in and staying this is a good idea because it needs to get the full looking at. And he also thinks Congress should jump in and take care of this right now. Sure, but they won't.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have not.

[Joe Getty]

I'll make a bet on that if you want to.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have not found a single commentator who I respect, whether Trumpy or less so who has said, no, they got it wrong. The President should be able to do this. Nobody, virtually nobody, thinks that, except J.D. vance, who's making a silly argument. More on that later. And yes, we ought to have better trade relationships around the world, and I hope Trump can accomplish that. This just isn't the way to get.

[Joe Getty]

There, we're down to two minutes already.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, we broke very, very late. I blame you.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, crap.

[Jack Armstrong]

It was me rambling.

[Joe Getty]

I was looking at a bunch of different headlines from different sources. I find it very interesting that this ceasefire thing is exactly the same as all the other ceasefires. This one talking about not Ukraine and Russia, but this one being the Hamas and Israel. The US has brokered it with the help of Egypt and Qatar. Everybody's signed on to us, us, Egypt, Qatar, Israel. Guess who's not Hamas? They're not happy with it. So there you go.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I got a big update on Hamas in Israel, but Hamas is saying no, this doesn't end the conflict. Yeah, we're not going to end it until we have crushed you, saith Israel.

[Joe Getty]

Another court weighing in story. Trump's administration's ban on international students at Harvard blocked by a federal judge. Have some interesting statistics on judges stepping in and stopping what presidents want to do. That might surprise you. We can get to later.

[Jack Armstrong]

Speaking of judges, how about the supes? The Supreme Court ruling 8 to 0. That, and I'm going to summarize this very briefly. The whole environmental impact review thing had gotten completely out of control and that these obscure organizations and boards and stuff are wielding way too much power. Had to do with a effort to build an 88 mile railway construction proposal in Utah. They put out a thousands of pages long environmental review. Then some board said, no, you haven't really reviewed it enough. Supreme Court 8, 0 said, all right, we got to reign this in.

[Joe Getty]

So a whole bunch of money got paid in tariffs, like tens of billions of dollars. If it turns out it was illegal, what happens to that money? That is an interesting question. Do you get some back?

[Jack Armstrong]

Stay tuned for that Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Joe Getty]

Looking at the news, you know what Russell Brand's got working against him is he looks like a rapist.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh boy.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know that he is. But you know how usually when you go to trial for something, they like clean you up in certain ways to make you look less like the sort of person that would do that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure.

[Joe Getty]

He seems to be going the other direction for some reason.

[Jack Armstrong]

Really? Yeah. He's a strange individual, no doubt.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Remember if you're a longtime listener of the Armstrong and Getty show, you remember years ago, I think it was because of the Olympics run or something like that. I ran the hundred meter dash out in the parking lot. I ran a 12,900meter dash in work boots.

[Jack Armstrong]

Completely illegitimate.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, against a college mascot and a cheerleader or something, that's Correct.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's correct. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

The video still exists somewhere on YouTube.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ridiculous.

[Joe Getty]

But I just thought of another athletic event I would like to try, which I'll explain after our next feature.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, you're leaving out the fact that I kicked a 35 yard field goal.

[Joe Getty]

Which was really cool. After the 49ers missed a really important field goal. Joe said I could do that and he did. We went to a football field. They did.

[Jack Armstrong]

Couldn't anymore. But that was back in the day. Jack. Hey all, it's the Friday tradition. Let's take a fond look back at the week that was its cow clips of the week.

[Joe Getty]

But in this moment, this morning. Maka Strato Frappuccino.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've never heard that video of President Macron and his wife Brigitte pushing his face is going viral.

[Joe Getty]

De gay je spice de loser. Stay away, you loser.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is le cheap fake.

[Joe Getty]

Le cheap fake. Power can change the definition of the words we use to describe reality.

[Jack Armstrong]

You just said I hope you have a good afternoon. What?

[Joe Getty]

Really?

[Jack Armstrong]

It's the afternoon.

[Joe Getty]

I identify as it always being the morning.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you talking about? Yeah, get dressed. We're going to kill Kid Cudi. Clark recalled Combs telling her. But the rapper wasn't home at the time. And prosecutors say that John Welch proceeded to essentially torture him, demanding that he give up his bitcoin password. I'm about to lay down, bro. I'm about to get in the bed. I just want to call it, tell you goodnight, bro.

[Joe Getty]

Sweet dreams.

[Jack Armstrong]

Why are you telling me?

[Joe Getty]

Good night.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's going. Are you good?

[Joe Getty]

Squirrel. Squirrel. Where Squirrel? Elon Musk's role as a special government employee coming to an end.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think a bullet can be, can be, can be big or it can.

[Joe Getty]

Be beautiful, but I don't know if it could. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are readying subpoenas.

[Jack Armstrong]

We want to ask them who gave you the authority to use Joe Biden's signature? We never got somebody that said we should never have done this. I can't believe we did it. Yeah, there's gradations of honesty.

[Joe Getty]

Now it looks as though the war.

[Jack Armstrong]

In Gaza is raging on a level.

[Joe Getty]

That we haven't seen. President posting on Truth Social that he may take, quote, $3 billion of grant money away from very anti Semitic Harvard. The staggering setback for President Trump's aggressive trade agenda.

[Jack Armstrong]

The White House rebuking the court, saying it is not for unelected judges to.

[Joe Getty]

Decide how to properly address a national emergency.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I don't know what the hell happened to Putin.

[Joe Getty]

I've known him a long time and something happened to this guy and I don't like it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't think Putin. Putin has changed. I don't know what the President's talking about. Medvedev writes, I only know of one really bad thing. World War Three. I think this war is about to get a lot dirtier.

[Joe Getty]

Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? According to science?

[Jack Armstrong]

Tell you what, there's a fire burglary. I throw my shoes on, which are right next to the bed, next to my gun, my eyeglasses, and I'm ready to go. Some nights I sleep in a tracksuit if I think, you know, there could be action tonight.

[Joe Getty]

Couple of things I'm reminded of from the clips of the week. One, Scott Pelley is the most pompous human being on planet Earth.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. And pompousness to actual wisdom ratio is off the charts because he is a jackass.

[Joe Getty]

Also, that story about the crypto guy being tortured for two weeks by another already insanely rich crypto guy. Two NYPD police officers being questioned in that that were involved in driving the guy. One of them drove the guy to the house and another guy stood watch. It's not known yet whether they had any idea what they were doing. But you got people with hundred million dollars, they can throw around a lot of cash.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll tell you what, you hit most people with a seven figure offer and many of their I would nevers fall away.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah, a million dollars. Not, not an impossible.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's a list of things I wouldn't do for say $5 million, but it's short. Would I participate in the torture of a crypto executive? Probably not.

[Joe Getty]

I'd like to get to know him. Maybe he's a bad guy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Almost certain. Sorry, did you say 7 million? Now, large sums of money, interesting tariff thing for you.

[Joe Getty]

But the sporting event that I think I would like to do so Donald Trump is threatening to pull federal funding out of California's schools because of this transgender, this boy who won the triple jump in the girls high school meet.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the long jump. And I think maybe one other event.

[Joe Getty]

I would like to try the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well done, sir, by the way. Well done.

[Joe Getty]

I would like to go out in the parking lot, try to do the triple jump and see if I could do better than the last place high school girl.

[Jack Armstrong]

I love that idea.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that'd be a good video.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Are you gonna do it in work boots again?

[Joe Getty]

We got into a conversation about it yesterday. Some people said it's Left, left, right or right? Right. Left. You do the same. Same foot twice and then off the other one. But anyway, we don't want to get hung up on that. So the tariff situation. Did you know this? I'll bet you did not. If it is deemed that Trump's tariffs were illegal, he didn't have the authority to do it, which was true for like 24 hours before this other court came in and stated. It'll probably end up being true again. If that ends up being the case that the tariffs were illegal, then those corporations did not have to pay them and they get that money back.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

But each of those corporations either fully passed that along to their customers, passed along half of it to their customers, ate all of it, and didn't pass any of it onto the customers and everywhere in between. And so if you bought a computer that was 15% more expensive, do you get that money back? Does the company get to keep the money that they get back? Do they get. Send you a discount? How would you have any idea how much you paid in tariff?

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy, that. That's unspeakably complicated.

[Joe Getty]

Tens of billions of dollars. It's not a minor amount of money. I forget what the total is, but it is tens of billions of dollars over a very short period of time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Wow. I just. That's dizzying.

[Joe Getty]

Nobody suffocating, Nobody has any idea how to unwind this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it absolutely is true that the.

[Joe Getty]

Companies that paid the tariffs get the money back. And that makes sense. I mean, it was. It was against the law. If the courts decide that, that the President didn't have the right to do that, didn't have the power to do that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Great. But they didn't necessarily incur the cost in the end, as you're pointing out.

[Joe Getty]

Right, yeah, some did, some didn't, some half did.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

That will be a mess. And I don't know if there'll be lawsuits, like, crazy or what.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and can you imagine all of the auditing that would need to be done if Joe's imports, Joe Getty's import, said, yeah, yeah, we ate 90% of the tariffs and passed on 10% to our distributors? Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket. Who's gonna come in and investigate that? You actually only ate 60% of the cost and passed down 10% to your customers and 30% to your distributors. On a case by case basis, please.

[Joe Getty]

Maybe on an item by item basis. Maybe on computers, they, you know, for whatever, how elastic or inelastic the product is, they put more of the tariff, they Passed along with the customer on other items they didn't.

[Jack Armstrong]

How about you do that and I go count the grains of sand at Daytona beach and we see who finishes first.

[Joe Getty]

Although if I'm owed 400 bucks on my MacBook, I would like it back.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good luck. You're going to be 160 by the time they unravel it.

[Joe Getty]

I need somebody to look up the last place. High school girls triple jump distance and I will go out and see if I can do it in the parking lot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe. You're a crypto zillionaire and you don't want people showing up to chainsaw you or burn you or dangle you over a staircase or whatever. You got to protect yourself, your family and your stuff. And that's why simply safe home security is what millions of Americans are looking to for their peace of mind. Technically advanced, affordable. So much better than old style systems. There's no comparison.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, AI powered cameras would notice a guy lurking around with a taser and a couple of buckets of water and they could alert professionals immediately so that they do not, you know, come in and try to get your crypto password.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they can yell at the guy, they can call the cops, they can turn on your spotlights all before they smash in your window or your door. It's unbelievable technology. No long term contracts or cancellation fees. Now this sort of monitoring is very expensive. Fooled you. Actually starts affordably at around a buck a day.

[Joe Getty]

That's amazing. And the fact that it's about a dollar a day and there are no long term contracts, that means SimpliSafe believes in their product.

[Jack Armstrong]

Visit simplisafe.com Armstrong you get 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan. Get your first month free. That's simplisafe.com Armstrong use our code, please. There's no safe like simply safe.

[Joe Getty]

One headline I didn't get to in headlines that I wanted to get on is this. You remember President Macron who gets shoved around by his old lady wife right in the face in public and puts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Up enough of his crap.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, he said today that division between the two superpowers, the United States and China, is the main risk currently confronting the world. That's interesting. I think he's right, but yeah, absolutely right. I'm glad he recognized that. I wish more people recognized that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. There's another headline that the Trump administration has made new moves to decouple from China. What a weird frenemy relationship this is. So we have tendency and enmity.

[Joe Getty]

So we are going to get to we got a great California's crumbling that you should be interested in wherever you live about the people that want to push the new green deal on you and get away from fossil fuels. It's unbelievable. Wait.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lee Hay all it will cost you is financial ruin and make the environment worse.

[Joe Getty]

Which is amazing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mailbag Freedom Loving Quote of the Day coming up. Stay with us. Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

On this five year anniversary of a George Floyd and then the riots to follow. I'd forgotten about all the monuments that got torn down. I got a list of those. Maybe we'll get to those later.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh man, that just soured my mood right there. You even bringing that up.

[Joe Getty]

I'm a mood source.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes you are. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day. Thomas Jefferson I this is so good and could yield hours of discussion. Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others.

[Joe Getty]

That's pretty good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now there's more to it. Okay, but I'm going to repeat that part. Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add within the limits of the law because law is often but the tyrant's will and always so when it violates the rights of the individual. God.

[Joe Getty]

I can think of many examples.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. The question becomes, can you run a society if everyone has an individual standard for deciding which is which? I would argue mostly yes. I would rather attend to the troubles of too much liberty than too little to again paraphrase TJ himself. Love that. I'm going to spend a lot of.

[Joe Getty]

Time a lot of your safety laws that harms no one if I am taking this risk for myself are right ridiculous.

[Jack Armstrong]

Under that standard, you wanting to ride your motorcycle without a helmet is an action according to your will that does nothing to the equal rights of others except within a socialist system. Right, which is the great insidious slippery slope of socialism. If I have to pay for your stupidity, I therefore can interfere with it whenever I want. That is my perception of your stupidity. Yeah. Anyway, again, we could go on for hours about that. And perhaps we will.

[Joe Getty]

Although smoking costs us 8 million times more than the motorcycle crashes ever could and we don't outlaw smoking.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you looking for? For like logic and consistency, you fool. Drop us a note. Mailbag and armstrongygetty.com it's hot in Cal Unicornia where the radio show is based and Mikey Luke writes boys triple digits. Triple digits.

[Joe Getty]

Oh my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's your triple digits pro tip. Drink plenty of warm milk to stay hydrated and stare directly at the sun for as long as you can. Just a friendly reminder, it's been a whole seven months since the last time it was really hot. Thank you Mikey.

[Joe Getty]

Luke, I got to post that picture on our Twitter later today. Me with a glass of milk staring at the sun.

[Jack Armstrong]

Use AI to create it. Brandon writes Guys, regarding your recent conversation about scientific research and published papers. You should read the book Science Fictions by Stuart Ritchie. He goes into great detail about the current miserable state of research papers from the replication crisis to that being they publish a study and announce that it's a great breakthrough. Then five other labs try to replicate the study and say we're getting completely different data anyway to outright fraud from researchers. It's very well researched and incredibly shocking. Again that title is Science Fictions by Richie.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah so a lot of the trump yanking money from universities and their ability to do research. I get how that's not good but a tremendous amount of research is worthless. A tremendous amount.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well right, and they go immediately to oh no cancer cures now right? No, no helping prematurely born babies. Okay, let's keep those two things keep going, keep going with the list when we get down to dog park. Rights of masculine abuse, white supremacy, culture studies. Yeah, yeah, I'm thinking, let's see. Moving long Aaron with a great note just. It just struck me the ceremonial virtue signaling that's become vogue among leftist institutions. They don't even notice how much of a self own it is. Before we start I want to say that we are on stolen land. The fact that we are standing here is an atrocity occurring in real time. Anyway, here's today's agenda. I know you're right Aaron, you're right to announce this is a horror, a moral horror which history must always remember. Now new business.

[Joe Getty]

I was. I was in San Francisco last week doing some shopping and I looked up a shoe store I wanted to go to and on their website because I was just looking for the hours on their website at the top where it said the name of the shoe store it says planted on the land once owned by the and then three tribes. You've got to be freaking kidding.

[Jack Armstrong]

You are dry shaven a shoe store. Oh you self important dopes.

[Joe Getty]

Big crap.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Oh Aaron, I'm sorry. He said I was supposed to say all of the above and upspeak. Before we start I want to say we're on stolen land. Yeah, my, my bad.

[Joe Getty]

And you don't Think those tribes took it from someone else that had it before you? You really believe that? Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. How about them? They're sitting here thinking, wait a minute. The Mohawks, we had that land. They killed our babies. They slaughtered our people. They enslave.

[Joe Getty]

We had that land. How about a declaration of that land for 60 years? I know because I fought the Wakapoochees.

[Jack Armstrong]

To get it right. Killed the hell out of them, too. Damn Wakapoochees. Writer Jim the writer in Corona, longtime friend of the Armstrong and Getty show, said Jack asked why it took so long for the Court of International Trade to block Trump's tariffs. The court couldn't rule until a plaintiff brought suit. And he lists the five plaintiffs. They were represented by the Liberty Justice Center, a nonpartisan but libertarian conservative leading legal organization based in Austin Teja.

[Joe Getty]

I, I, that, I mean, I, I actually do understand it. At the same time, I, dullard wise, just wonder on a lot of these things why we just can't jump to the end. Gay marriage. Do we have to have a plaintiff? Do we have to go through the whole thing, just jump to the Supreme Court and rule on whether we can have gay marriage or not. Same as on the, on, on sanctuary cities and states. Same on the president with tariffs. Do we need a plaintiff? Do we need to go through. Just get to the Supreme Court and decide, can you do this or not?

[Jack Armstrong]

What if there was a plaintiff? Then what would you decide? Yeah, because there will be.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I, I understand why we can't do that, but I totally get your point. And then Jim signs off and he goes into some details. Some of why the, it was a good ruling and some of the arguments. And then he gets to the important part of the note. You and Jack are the best thing ever on radio podcasts. Take all the vacations you can, but don't ever retire. You know, if I can make that bargain, I won't retire. We're almost out of time.

[Joe Getty]

You can include 52 vacations. Then I say, you, you've 52 vacation. You're working the system.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that would be dishonorable. I wouldn't do that. Although I will consider it.

[Joe Getty]

We got some good stuff for hour two. I'll tell you that. The, the back and forth over AI really heated up this week for some reason. It's either going to doom us all or it's nothing to worry about. If you missed that segment, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, plan accordingly. Armstrong and Getty. This is an I Heart podcast.