Well Meaning Softheads

Summary

---

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Well Meaning Softheads"

Date: April 10, 2026 | Host: Joe Getty (with Jack Armstrong guesting remotely)

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty takes a deep dive into two primary topics:

1. The ongoing crisis and decline in American public education, exploring ideological influence, administrative policy failures, teacher and parent responsibilities, and the reactions from educators themselves.
2. An exploration of current geopolitical instability, focusing especially on Iran, the Middle East, and military and defense innovation, with expert commentary from analyst Mike Lyons.

Also featured: a discussion of Supreme Court judicial philosophy, insights into "digital body language" on dating apps, and the importance of meaningful personal communication in a tech-centric age.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. America’s Public Education Crisis

(02:48–15:15)

• Review & Context:
  Armstrong & Getty revisit the Atlantic piece "America’s Sliding Toward Illiteracy," and discuss its grim findings about K–12 decline, reinforcing that issues “rooted in ideology and bad policy” are just as prevalent in conservative rural schools as urban ones.
• Ideological Influence:
  • Joe Getty: Highlights “neo-Marxist” theory’s infiltration via colleges of education, connecting it to identity politics and the emphasis on sexual and racial minorities as vectors for activism.
  • Powerful quote (04:01):

    “Of course you do, you sick. Repulsive... That is a dedicated neo-Marxist, because they want to erase all of the binaries... That is the plan of neo-Marxism that came out of the French intellectual salons in the 20th century.”

• Educator Testimonies:
  • Anonymous teacher from Idaho describes liberal bias and disdain for parental involvement, even in strong Republican districts.
  • Email from “Al Anonymous” (summarized): 25-year veteran educator, details:
    • Policy shifts: “No more Fs, no more suspensions” (since 2007).
    • Post-2016: “Professional development began focusing on pronouns and race instead of teaching practices.”
    • “No dropouts and 100% graduation" policies = grade inflation and eroded standards.
    • "Equitable" grading: mandatory minimum grades, retakes allowed for all assignments, 'restorative practices' replacing traditional discipline.
    • Administrative pressure and union influence suppress dissent and drive out opposing educators.
    • Classroom realities: rising behavioral problems, declining skill and attention, inability to conduct nuanced discussion, and widespread emotional fragility among students.
    • Teachers demoralized:

      “All the veteran teachers I know with more than 20 years of experience are tired, beaten down, and miserable.”

• Call to Action for Parents:
  • "Help us out with the phones. No kid in elementary school needs a smartphone...”
  • "Pay attention to who is on your school board. This is the most important elected position in your life right now."
  • "Never vote for a school board candidate who is an activist... or union member... or who uses any DEI buzzwords...”
• Host Reflections:
  • Joe Getty:

    “Some of these people are Marxists or they're well-meaning softheads who don't realize they're doing the work of the Marxists.” (20:43)

  • Jack Armstrong:

    “Half the country, anyway, has just switched off on the whole public education thing for many decades—just assuming it was just going to cruise along.” (20:51)

---

2. Economic Update & International Affairs

(18:16–36:59)

• Inflation & Public Sentiment:
  • Brief update: Consumer prices rose 3% from last March, with energy/gas leading the surge.
• Middle East Update w/ Mike Lyons (Military Analyst):
  • Breakdown of U.S.–Iran, Israel–Lebanon (Hezbollah), and NATO dynamics:
    • “Most maximalist demands you’ve ever seen coming from Iran... They can do whatever they want, whenever they want.” (Mike Lyons, 27:58)
    • Critique of US diplomatic history: “The Obama administration was completely, you know, taken to the woodshed by these guys...” (28:41)
    • Containment as only path: “I think we're going to draw this conclusion that they're not going to give in on anything...” (Mike Lyons, 29:03)
    • Israeli–Hezbollah relations:

      “Hezbollah is not the IRA... This is a fight for survival. This is die to the death. That’s how they operate.” (Mike Lyons, 31:45)

    • On the Straits of Hormuz: Iran’s IRGC controls access and poses ongoing threats to shipping; likelihood of stepped-up US Navy escort missions.
    • NATO & European partners: French potential involvement with Lebanon, skepticism about real military capabilities, and alliance perspectives.
• Military Innovation & Procurement:
  • Drones, AI technology, and quick adaptation in Ukraine:

    “Ukraine has been incredible in terms of that kill chain... It’s definitely the future of warfare.” (Mike Lyons, 34:13)

  • “Valley of Death” in U.S. military procurement—push for bringing commercial tech off the shelf quickly to defense forces.

---

3. Judicial Philosophy: Sotomayor vs. Kavanaugh

(43:18–46:29)

• Justice Sotomayor’s recent speech—using anecdotes of working-class hardship to judge the fairness of law—contrasted with Justice Kavanaugh’s equal-application approach.
• Quoting the hosts:
  • Joe Getty:

    “…our jurisprudence is based on identity and political results, not law and precedent.” “If equality equals something Sotomayor doesn't like, she says, well—we're not going to have equality under the law... that's a results-oriented liberal justice.”

---

4. Digital Body Language & Modern Communication

(46:29–49:09)

• What is DBL?
  • Katie Bros:

    “Digital body language involves the nonverbal subtext of online conversation... Think emojis, punctuation, word choice, length of messages, and how quickly you do or do not respond.” (46:38–47:16)

  • The group discusses how poor grammar, lack of effort, and delayed responses can signal low interest and “kill” relationships—on dating apps and beyond.
• Personal Connections in a Tech World:
  • Joe Getty: “The text-only staying in touch, quote unquote, is just not nourishing in the same way as a conversation.” (48:37)
  • Katie admits to sometimes dodging real calls to avoid long conversations, showing the balance—technology brings both connection and avoidance.

---

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• Joe Getty:

  “That is the plan of neo-Marxism that came out of the French intellectual salons in the 20th century.” (04:01)
  “Some of these people are Marxists or they're well-meaning softheads who don't realize they're doing the work of the Marxists.” (20:43)

• Jack Armstrong:

  “Half the country, anyway, has just switched off on the whole public education thing for many decades—just assuming it was just going to cruise along.” (20:51)

• Al Anonymous (teacher):

  “All the veteran teachers I know with more than 20 years of experience are tired, beaten down, and miserable.” (Summary from email, ~12:00)

• Mike Lyons (Military Analyst):

  “Most maximalist demands you’ve ever seen coming from Iran... They can do whatever they want, whenever they want.” (27:58)
  “Hezbollah is not the IRA... This is a fight for survival. This is die to the death. That’s how they operate.” (31:45)

• Katie Bros (on DBL):

  “Digital body language involves the nonverbal subtext of online conversation... Think emojis, punctuation, word choice, length of messages, and how quickly you do or do not respond.” (46:38–47:16)

• Joe Getty:

  “If equality equals something Sotomayor doesn't like, she says, well—we're not going to have equality under the law... that's a results-oriented liberal justice.” (45:33)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 02:48–15:15 | Public Education Crisis: Policy, Ideology, Emails | | 18:16–21:04 | Economic news, inflation, intro to Armstrong call | | 21:10–22:49 | Free speech/legal dispute (Cozy Burger) | | 27:04–36:59 | Mike Lyons on Iran, Israel, defense, procurement | | 43:18–46:29 | Judicial philosophy: Sotomayor vs. Kavanaugh | | 46:29–49:09 | Digital body language on dating apps/modern texting |

---

Memorable Moments

• The anecdote of students identifying as animals and teachers ridiculing homeschooling parents—emphasizing how pervasive progressive ideology is in schools, regardless of the area’s politics (09:00).
• Vivid. honest account from a veteran teacher about the demoralization and decline they’ve witnessed firsthand over two decades (11:00–14:00).
• Military discussion that brings both historical references (“going into battle without the French is like hunting without an accordion” 30:08) and real-time analysis of evolving threats in the Gulf.
• The lively back-and-forth about digital body language and how small cues—emojis, punctuation—completely change online dating dynamics.

---

Takeaways

• Education: There is a bipartisan consensus among educators and critics that the problems in U.S. public schools are deep, systemic, and rooted in ideology and failed policies, not merely isolated to "blue" cities or states.
• International affairs: U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East is stuck in a holding pattern, with Iran’s intransigence and the questionable will or capacity of European allies shaping U.S. options.
• Legal reasoning: The contrast between “results-oriented” liberal jurisprudence and “law and precedent”-based conservatism underscores a core divide on the Supreme Court.
• Modern Communication: Even in a digital era, how we "show up" in writing—digitally—is rapidly becoming as significant as face-to-face interaction, affecting everything from romance to friendships.

---

If you missed this episode, you missed a wide-ranging, unsparing discussion of America’s biggest problems in schools, the world stage, and even your texts—and what you can do about it.

Transcript

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Guaranteed Human support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Investing Brokerage Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Complete disclosures available at public.com kids pets life.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Your sofa sees it all. But with a washable sofa, stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine washable covers and cushions making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes. Plus with modular designs you can rearrange your sofa however you like. Perfect for growing families and changing spaces. Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress free mess proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may

[CarMax Advertiser]

App do you want to find a stress free way to buy your next car? Start at Carmax and shop your way. If you want to browse with confidence, get pre qualified online with no impact on your credit score and shop cars within your budget. From luxury cars to family rides, CarMax has options for almost every price range, including more than 25,000 cars priced under $25,000. So hey, want to get started? Just head to CarMax.com for details and get pre qualified today. Want to drive CarMax this Mother's Day

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

celebrate all the women who make life brighter with a gift from Pandora Jewelry. Choose jewelry that reflects what she means to you and the moments you share. Make it even more meaningful by personalizing your piece with an engraving in your own handwriting, something no one else has either A date, a name or something unique to you. Because the best Mother's Day gift says more than I love you. It says I appreciate you. It says, I see you. Find the perfect Mother's Day gift at your local Pandora store or [e-mail]

[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty. The other day we talked about how America's government schools are failing and read a fair amount of an unbelievably good, shockingly good piece from the Atlantic entitled America's Sliding toward Illiteracy. And as Greg Gutfeld points out here, the philosophies that have ruined American schools are operating above the border as well. It's far worse in schools. Listen to this Canadian professor.

[Canadian Professor (quoted)]

I have worked with 4 and 5 year olds in schools who have genders that their parents don't want them to have. Parents rights have suddenly been weaponized against trans and non binary and two spirit youth. I want us to get really comfortable with challenging right wing Christian patriarchy. I want to say things like you can do work around sexual orientation and gender diversity with children of all ages. And so I want us to think about these conversations in kindergarten.

[Joe Getty]

Of course you do, you sick. Repulsive. Repulsive. Repulsive. Yeah, it is absolutely repulsive. That is a dedicated neo Marxist because they want to erase all of the binaries. It gets into political theory, but that's somebody who wants to sexualize children early and then convince them that they are an oppressed gender or sexuality. Because Workers of the world unite turned into. We actually got an email saying, joe, what do you mean by neo Marxist? I've explained this many times, but I'm delighted to explain it many more times if that's what it takes. Workers of the world unite. And Greg Lukianoff actually referred to this last hour didn't work because the workers of the world are like, you know, I'm getting paid okay, and I'm up for shop foreman next month. And you know, honestly I'm starting a side business, so thanks. I'm not gonna throw off my chains and embrace communism. My life isn't that bad. So when that failed in the 20th century, the dedicated Marxists thought, okay, what do we do now? And some of those French guys we were mentioning last hour came up with every minority of the world unite. Racial minorities weren't quite enough, so they started to invent sexual minorities. And two spirit and all sorts of queer theory and gender theory and all this trying to convince everybody that they're an oppressed minority. That's that is the was the plan of neo Marxism that came out of the French intellectual salons in the 20th century. Like the 60s, I think was the real hot time of it. And the 70s, these guys were celebrated as great thinkers, including by the left in the US Anyway, so that's what I'm talking about. We, we got a hell of a lot of reaction from educators to our discussion of the Atlantic piece and, and some of the miserable, miserable stats going on in American education right now. The lead of the Atlantic pieces the past decade may rank as one of the worst in the history of American education. It marks a stark reversal from what was once a hopeful story. And if the Atlantic is saying that babe, things are bad. So onto the reaction. I'm going to keep everybody anonymous here, but Aileen Anonymous is from a fairly small town in Idaho who says I'm an avid listener, thank you very much. And wanted to share my experience of teaching in a small town, very red north Idaho. You are correct in saying that education is liberal everywhere. What I said was I don't care if your state or your town is ruby red. There is a sapphire blue patch. It is your local schools. Anyway, she goes on, the kids in my school are allowed to wear tails and ears. They identify as animals. Teachers openly discuss their contempt for conservative values in traditional families. They mock parents who have chosen to pull their children from schools to home school. They find it ridiculous that parents are allowed to see the curriculum at all and to see all the curriculum that we use. When we moved here six years ago, I naively thought I would be entering a place where we would encounter like minded educators. I was sorely mistaken. I will say that the indoctrination is more subtle and the parents are watching for it. But even in a county that went 76% for Trump, it is alive and well in the schools. Keep that in mind. It's because the critical theory stuff I've been talking about caught hold first in the colleges of education in the United States. That's where the infection established itself before it spread. I won't bore you with the history of it, but trust me when I say that it's true. Long note from Al Anonymous here we'll see how much we can get to, but it's absolutely fantastic. And Al, we thank you for it. It's spring break, so I'm listening in real time. Everything you two are saying about education is 100% accurate and you may even be underplaying it a bit AKA under egging the pudding. Appreciate the sense of humor. I'm closing in on 25 years in the classroom and I have seen the decline happen in real time. Most of us could see it coming as policies were being implemented but were powerless as the unions, government and education schools have created an unholy alliance of far left training grounds in our public charter and in some cases private schools. Yeah, we're aware of that. Some of those high dollar schools in Manhattan are as insane as anybody. These polic were implemented behind the buzzwords equity, inclusion, belonging we are all aware of that have acted as a trojan horse into the mainstream of public education. I can even nail down two points in time when the changes started. Older teachers may have conflicting timelines, but the first was in 2007 when our superintendent at the time decreed that there would be no more Fs as grades and no more suspensions from school. That was prime Obama philosophy time. That's when that philosophy that he espoused started to take hold in schools before he was pushing it aut anyway. The next major change was spring of 2016 when our professional development began focusing on pronouns and seeing everything through the lens of race rather than teaching practices. That's Fanon and Foucault and Critical theory. Because the way you wake up, quote unquote as a Marxist would say the races to unite and throw off the chains of capitalism in Western civilization is you've got to convince them they're oppressed even if they have good lives. Hence seeing everything through the lens. All right, back to the email. All of this was set up around the goal of no dropouts and 100% graduation rate. As you two have pointed out many times, once a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. These two major shifts and resulting goals have acted under as umbrellas under which a myriad of changes have occurred. I'm throwing this together off the cuff, but I could literally write a book about this topic. Yeah, well, any as he points out, no dropouts and 100% graduation. Sounds wonderful. Unless you throw away all of your standards to get there right Back to the email. What happened next was a slow burn, but to no one's surprise, once students figured out there were no consequences for anything, behavior gradually became worse and grades plummeted. Once the grades plummeted, administrators began pressuring teachers to inflate grades. Not just Fs to Ds, but Fs to at least Cs are better. If you pushed back, life could get real uncomfortable very quickly. If you really dig your heels in, a counselor or admin will just change the grade. And now you're seen as a troublemaker. If building principle went against these policies, they were either moved or nudged toward retirement. District administrators were subject to gatekeeping regarding their beliefs, meaning decision makers who matter were all soon on the same page. That's the dei. DEI doesn't mean diversity, equity and inclusion. All it means is more neo Marxists. And do you notice how it's never a black conservative, for instance, who is included in the Eye of inclusion? Never. Never, never. Some of my colleagues enthusiastically jumped on board while others went along just to get along. Some of us complained under our breath, but decided to try our best to still teach our butts off every day and do what's best for students. It worked for a while, but it's caught up to us now. All the veteran teachers I know with more than 20 years of experience are tired, beaten down and miserable. Those close enough to retirement are lucky, but many, like myself, are too far away from the end to take solace in knowing we'll just have to make it another year or two. It's like swimming across a river when you're too far away from shore to get to the other side and too far away to go. Turn back here's what I'm seeing every day that most people don't understand. I teach AP classes with upper grades of high school. These are kids who are applying to and in often cases, getting into good universities. Most of my students are nice, polite kids who mean well. In some cases they are eager to learn, but they haven't been conditioned how to be students in the sense that their attention spans are very short and they don't process information well. Some people may take issue with the term conditioning, but there are parameters of behaviors and skills people are expected to work within in any given situation. Some may call it professionalism in the workplace as no job allows you to be, behave like you, do like you, and only do the tasks you feel like doing. Okay, we don't even do that in our own homes. Feeding ourselves and doing laundry are required. Students are allowed to show up to whatever class whenever, say whatever, and do whatever they please. The students with self discipline stand out. While most students don't complete assignments and have no idea what it looks like to study, they fall apart if subjects get difficult and it's almost impossible to approach a nuanced discussion around a controversial topic. Students know emotion and feeling, but that's about it. Education has never been perfect. I didn't get the greatest high school education, but kids are getting screwed now. Between low skill level and an increasing inability to think, we are dooming these young people to a difficult future. We got here via many of the policies you two have talked about on your show. Equitable grading practices requiring a 50% grade for a missing assignment rather than a zero. Every exam and assignment is allowed to be taken over and over again. Restorative practices and conversations. When students break the rules, there is a very good chance your child is sitting in a classroom with another student who everyone knows has committed a violent crime at school and they still get to be in school. Kids will sometimes take take honors or advanced classes way above their skill level so they can be in a safe environment. Funding is going to administration rather than into the classroom where more staff and materials are needed. Teachers often have to spend a ton of time cobbling together material and curriculum to survive the disciplinary tasks. Writing referrals and calling home to an unanswered phone. Those things take a back seat. This is just scratching the surface of issues. Like I said, I could write a book. Public education is salvage felt salvageable. But it's going to take an army of dedicated parents, teachers, legislators and community members and it's going to be a fight requiring years of patience and hard work. First and most immediate for parents. Help us out with the phones. No kid in elementary school needs a smartphone. I may even suggest no kid under the age of 16 needs one. It's only necessary now because we've allowed it. And then he says, I get it. I understand why people have them. But we've got to stop. Second, pay attention to who is on your school board. This is the most important elected position in your life right now. The activist groups are pouring truckloads of money into school board races because they are vital and no one pays attention. Go to meetings. Listen to what they say. Your school board member impacts your way of life more than Trump or aoc. It's not politically sexy, but make it that way. Pay attention to who is getting the admin jobs. Never vote for a school board candidate who is an activist. Never vote for a candidate who is a union member teacher in another district district. Never vote for someone who has crazy crap in their social media. Never vote for a candidate who uses any of the DEI buzzwords even if they don't know what they mean. If there is only one candidate on the ballot and they fit one of these categories, run against them yourself and make them publicly take a stand on grading behavior and where the money should go. Also, feel free to stay away from crazy people on the right as well. And he lists some. Same goes for your city council, but the school board thing is incredibly important. It goes on for several more paragraphs. It's beautifully written. Mr. Anonymous, thank you so much for the time. We're going to check in with Jack. Any reaction to that? Drop us a note. Mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com Armstrong and Getty.

[Bombas Socks Advertiser]

You're a pro at running your life. At committing to your workout. At showing up every day. At bombas, we're pros too. Pros at making socks. Our sport assortment has specialized socks for whatever sport you're committed to running, hiking, golf, Pilates and so much more. Made with sweat, wicking yarns, blister fighting details and targeted arch support. Bombas Sport is pro level socks from the Pros of Socks. For another pro you go to bombas.com audio and use code audio for 20% off your first purchase. That's bombus.com and use code Audio Support

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Investing Brokerage Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Complete disclosure is available at public.com disclosures kids, pets, life.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Your sofa sees it all. But with a washable sofa, stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine washable covers and cushions, making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes. Plus with modular designs you can rearrange your sofa however you like. Perfect for growing families and changing Spaces Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress free mess proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[The RealReal Advertiser]

So you're running out of closet space. The good news, you don't need to stop shopping. You just need to start selling with the RealReal. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. Whether it's that mini bag that can't even fit your phone or those boots you never fully broke in, the RealReal handles everything from photography and copywriting to shipping and pricing. So you can just sit back, get paid and make room for things that actually feel like you. And with 10,000 new arrivals every single day from top designers like Prada, Celine, Louis Vuitton and Loewe, all for up to 90% off retail, you're bound to find something perfectly on brand to fill that extra closet space with. Plus right now you can get an extra $100 to shop when you sell for the first time. Make room for what feels like you go to therealreal.com to start selling and get your extra hundred dollars to keep [e-mail] that's therealreal.com terms apply.

[News Anchor/Reporter]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that prices for nearly everything rose by 9/10 of 1% between February and March and 3% from last March to this. With Iran closing down a crucial supply channel for oil, gasoline was a major driver of last month's increase in consumer prices. Energy costs are up 12 and a half percent in the past 13 months.

[Joe Getty]

When energy goes up, everything goes up. Is it a trend or a blip? Nobody knows. Please welcome the co host of the show to the show live from the Heartland, Salina, Kansas. Not Salina, not Salinas. Salina, Kansas. Jack Armstrong. Hello, Jack.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

You know, so inflation's up 3.3%. What are people saying about that? That's the most in a couple of years.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, it's, it's all golf related.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

Yeah. I just read an interesting thing about how difficult it is for the Secret Service guarantee the security of J.D. vance over there in Pakistan doing negotiating because that government is very shaky in terms of their ability to control things. So Islamist fundamentalist nut jobs could make it very dangerous for our negotiating team to be there.

[Joe Getty]

And the government plays footsie with various radical groups just to keep them from taking out the government.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

Boy, that'd be a heck of a thing. Yeah, that'll be something to keep A person's eye on. How's the show been today?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, it's been great. Fun. We had a hell of a nice conversation with Greg Lukianoff from Fire and I read, and I'm sorry you missed this. I read a couple of emails from educators reacting to our segment on America sliding into illiteracy, worst decade in American education, from the Atlantic. Powerful stuff. I will just tell you this. Everybody said 100% right. And you guys may have underplayed it.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Wow. Yeah, wow.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

Up against a pretty powerful force.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. But you know. Yeah. Well, the teachers unions and the teachers colleges, which are radical left and, and, and government too. But one thing, one thing that several emails had in common, including the one I'm holding in my hand, is calling out the parents. Where are the parents? Know what's being taught. Know your teacher. Go to school board meetings, figure out who's running and vote accordingly. Don't vote for activists. They're all crazy. They're. Well, they're Marxists or they're well meaning soft heads who don't realize they're doing the works of the work of the Marxists. Anyway.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

Yeah, it seems like the whole country or half the country anyway, this switch on the whole public education thing for many decades now, just assuming that it would be, you know, just cruise along the way. It was years ago, but clearly not the case.

[Joe Getty]

Are you going to get a cozy burger as a gesture in support of free speech? We were talking about that yesterday.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

Yes, it is gotten national attention and a number of major litigation groups who fight for free speech are fighting for the freedom of this burger place to have a mural on its side. Anyway, the short answer to the question is yes, I'm going to get a Kosi burger.

[Joe Getty]

Excellent. Excellent. What else is on your mind news wise this morning? Anything in particular? Are you just doing the family thing?

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

I'm just doing the family thing really. And, and realizing what it's like to live the way most people probably do where they don't, you know, paid attention to the news on a 24 hour news cycle and it's really not on your mind that much. Yeah. In the airport yesterday and hanging out on planes and you know, nobody's talking about the news of the day at all.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Was travel not a nightmare? Because if it's not a nightmare, you've won the lottery.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

It was, it couldn't have been easier. Yeah. Nothing was crowded anywhere and no delays of any kind or anything like that. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

We were joking that this segment would be a little short and I was going to bump you like a guest who didn't quite get on the tonight's show. But we'll rebook Jack Armstrong. Sorry we couldn't get to you, but boy, what a show we had. Blah, blah, Mike Lyons is coming up Next segment. We're going to figure out what's going on. We're going to figure out what's going on in the Gulf. No, we're not. We're going to try to figure out any aspect of what's going on right now and comprehend it.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

So I'm going to figure out how to listen to that because I'm pretty interested myself.

[Joe Getty]

All right, go enjoy the family in beautiful Salina and tell the town I miss it. And thanks for launching our careers. Talk to you later.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

I'm chain myself to the Cozy Burger.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, ship me a bag of them before you do. All right. Much more to come. If you can't stick around, grab the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[The RealReal Advertiser]

So you're running out of closet space. The good news? You don't need to stop shopping. You just need to start selling with the RealReal. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. Whether it's that mini bag that can't even fit your phone or those boots you never fully broke in, the RealReal handles everything from photography and copywriting to shipping and pricing. So you can just sit back, get paid and make room for things that actually feel like you. And with 10,000 new arrivals every single day from top designers like Prada, Celine, Louis Vuitton and Loewe all for up to 90% off retail, you're bound to find something perfectly on brand to fill that extra closet space with. Plus, right now you can get an extra $100 to shop when you sell for the first time, make room for what feels like you go to therealreal.com to start selling and get your extra hundred dollars to keep [e-mail] that's therealreal.com terms apply.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Investing Brokerage Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures tired

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

of spills and stains on your sofa? Wash away your worries with Anabe Annabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slip covers made with performance fabric. Experience cloud like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Shop washablesofas.com for up to 60% off site wide backed by a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back. Upgrade [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Jack Armstrong]

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 ash 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 Melonleaf 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 of that available@meaningful beauty.com.

[Joe Getty]

if Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that's ultimately their choice. We think that would be dumb, but that's their choice. The dizzying situation in the Gulf, the Straits of Hormuz, the U.S. iran, Israel, Lebanon and all the players. Let's dive right into it with military analyst Mike Lyons. Mike, welcome. How are you today?

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Great to be back with you.

[Joe Getty]

Great. Always good to have you. So, you know, I think both of us have probably read about, studied various peace agreements through history and how some of them were a bit rocky or, you know, there are hidden elements that the layman didn't learn about until many years later. But I don't recall anything as wobbly and complicated as this in recent memory.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Yeah, I don't never seen sides so far apart. I mean, I guess the 15 points on our side versus the 10 on their side, they are the most maximalist demands you've ever seen coming from Iran or from really any country, basically saying that they could do whatever they want whenever they want to do it, and they'll do whatever they want to another country whenever they want to do it to them too. So I don't know where this will start. You know, Trump, I think originally beginning of the week with a lot of his tweets and comments where he's just kind of trying to out crazy the crazy people on some level talking to the Iranians in language they understand. I'm just not sure they understand any language. I'm just not sure this is going to go anywhere. They just don't have a history of negotiating anything, any, you know, giving in on anything whatsoever. I think the Obama administration was completely, you know, taken to the woodshed by these guys and they're gonna try. We'll see what happens.

[Joe Getty]

So is that line of thought leading to the conclusion that the only thing we can do is so reduce their capabilities, that the intransigent maniacs that run Iran just won't be as dangerous?

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Yeah, I think that's really where we're at. We're back to a containment foreign policy. If we can't, you know, get some kind of resolution within the next 14 days, I don't think it's going to take 14 days. I think we're going to draw this conclusion that they're not going to give in on anything before that. The vice president's comment about this being linked to Hezbollah is exactly the point. I mean, Israel has its own security concerns and, you know, the fact that the country with 9 million people is still punching up against the country with 90 million and doing pretty well, you know, there's a lot of other potential solutions there. The French could get involved with Lebanon and help the Lebanese government, government disarm Hezbollah. That's there. I mean, think about Hezbollah as kind of like a cancer or kind of, you know, that's infected a country for so many years and the civilians and the government does nothing about it. Well, the French, which was what, you know, their influence was there, if they'd like to get in the game, they could possibly help the Lebanese government do that. Hezbollah has never been any weaker. But they don't have the military. They don't really choose to do anything. They just continue to send Richard signaling statements from Paris and hope the United States continues to, you know, get the job done.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I saw the quote from Norman Schwarzkopf recently that I love that going into battle without the French is like going hunting without an accordion, which I thought was.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Yeah. Again, these countries, their perception of their strength in reality versus the actual reality of it. Realpolitik is just, again, the Grand Canyon. It's as wide as this UN Iran debate right now. And so the UK is the same way. I mean, there's going to be real consequences over their actions within the NATO alliance. You know, the NATO alliance is not going away. I think it's going to be strong to have. But again, their perception of their reality and their actual strength remains to be seen. Look, the French have nuclear weapons, though. That's the other thing to this. I mean, so they can decide to maybe back off and then control Spain, but the Germans don't. The Germans, we don't want them to have nuclear weapons. You know, there's other issues about that, nuclear non proliferation that we want to keep. And that's one of the things that ties NATO together.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. I was going to feature a little bit later on in the show an absolutely terrific piece of writing I came across by a woman who's an author and commentator and thinker on this sort of issue. And the piece is entitled why the West Won't Call this A Holy War. And I'm thinking about Hezbollah in Lebanon, which, if people aren't familiar, it's a heavily armed political party that's also an army. If you can picture the insanity of that Israel, quote, unquote, coming to an agreement and a peace agreement with Hezbollah at this point, that just, that's fantasy land, isn't it? Especially from the Israeli perspective.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Exactly. This is not, you know, the IRA that years ago decided to put its arms down and become part of the political process, joined the current government there and had a representative and the like. But this is not, this is, this is a fight for survival on their side. This is die to the death. This is how they operate. And it's, you know, similar to what happened in the Second World War in terms of how badly, you know, those countries at the time. Look, Japan, Japan had a tremendous tactical victory on December 7, but look where that ended up leading to. It ended up being to the fundamental demise of their country back then. And I think that's the same historical analogy taking place right now. The Arab nation or the terrorist organization Hezbollah, Hamas. And Iran has this great tactical victory on October 7, a few years, but it's going to lead to their downfall for sure.

[Joe Getty]

I certainly hope it does. More on that to come, we're talking to military analyst Mike Lyons. So, Mike, let's get down to brass tacks. Is there any opening the Straits of Hormuz without the consent of whoever is running Iran?

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Doesn't look like it. It looks like the IRGC still controls it because the threat is still coming. From a military perspective, it's those coastline batteries that could potentially fire on a container vessel or a ship that's going there. And ballistic missiles, they're mines there. We could use the help of the British and other NATO countries that have some capability with some of their minesweeping and then also some of the asymmetrical fast boating that takes place. And so no insurance company still going to get involved right now. So I think the next military mission is going to be looking for the Navy to really force that issue and protect carriers and protect the container ships going through there. You're going to see possibly a stepped up escort mission. I know the Navy's been hesitant to do that from sources, but I think that's what the President's gonna ask the Navy soon to do.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, interesting. Okay, let's change topics completely. Another really interesting piece of journalism I came across was a gal whose name I don't recall, but she was embedded with the NATO troops as they were doing drone training in Estonia, I think it was last week. And that's obviously a fascinating topic. And it was. David Petraeus was over there or at least commenting on it, and he said, look, you need to understand this is changing the face of warfare completely. How do you think we're doing on that learning curve, the United States and our allies?

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Well, we're hanging on to it, we're watching closely and we try to import some of that technology into what we're doing. I mean, you saw, for example, the fact that we're locating this pilot using some heart murmur technology that can pick him out 40 miles away based on AI.

[Joe Getty]

Was that right? I hadn't heard that. Yeah. Tell us more about that.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Yeah, so, I mean, again, with these kind of conflicts, all this technology comes off the shelf. And this technology was able to find him, help locate him using AI by his heart rate, by his heart mural. And so, yeah, I mean, so again, this. And so now bring that same mentality. Ukraine gets up every day and figures out how it's going to survive. So they have to figure out how to close the kill chain right this time and distance between when they know there's a target and when they can kill the target. And what they've done is just phenomenal. Their industrial military complex in terms of building the drone technology, the software they implement in it, and then once it faces off to the enemy and they see the reaction to it changing the software so it becomes more survivable. Ukraine has been incredible in terms of that kill chain, from a military's perspective, in helping them survive. And it's definitely the future of warfare.

[Joe Getty]

And you would know this a lot better than I would, I'm told. The procurement process has in the past been, well, it can make a person insane. Whereas now, you know, it's got to be, if I need a certain drill bit, I run to the store, I've got that drill bit in 20 minutes. Now that's not practical. But what about that topic and how we need to change our procurement?

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Give you a shameless self promotion. A couple months ago, I wrote an article for Rear Clear Defense on the new systems, the new playbook. In order to succeed in doing that, if you're a startup, innovative company. Because Pete Hexted has changed that. He's changed the entire process of how you can bring this lethality to the war fighters. And it's all about taking things commercially off the shelf and getting them quickly to the hands of the war fighters. Innovation centers like Softworks in Tampa, Florida, working with special operators and again, shrinking this distance in time between when they need something and tinwhell actually shows up on the battlefield. So I'd urge your listeners to go take a look at that article. If they're doing an innovative startup company and help them to get to do government work, because that's what this is all about. They're trying to break that cycle of these long acquisitions. It's called the Valley of Death when you have a good idea and it dies in between when you get funding for it. This Trump administration is trying to do that. And I think that's a really good move.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Interestingly enough, my brother is in that very line of work. Mike, send us a link to that article. Why don't we post it so everybody can flock to it and read. Read it.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Be sure we'll show it. Yeah, for sure.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Okay. Military analyst Mike Lyons. Mike, as always, we appreciate the thoughts and the wisdom. Great to talk to you and have a good weekend.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Thanks to you too. Have a great one.

[Joe Getty]

All right. Thanks. Thanks. Yeah. Where this goes, nobody knows. It is. Maybe I lack imagination, but I'm using my feeble brain power, such as it is, to try to figure out how we get from this side is on is saying these things and demanding these things. And this side is, you know, got its own set of demands and they are utterly incompatible. The Iranian regime is completely intransigent. They're either religious fanatics or dead enders because they will be, as Jack likes to put it, hung upside down in the town square as the end of their days. If they don't hold on to power, there's going to be no sense saying, hey, I said some harsh things. You said some harsh things. I tortured dissidents. You know, we all make mistakes. You can have power now. No, these people are going to be killed. So they are dead enders. On a lighter note, we all love our dogs, don't we? And Rough Greens could be a great thing for your pup as it ages. Rough Greens is not a new dog food. It supplements your dog's diet, which I assume is already pretty good because you care about your pet, right? Supplements the diet with natural antioxidants and anti inflammatory compounds that help reduce oxidative stress. Look it up. Support immune defense and slow age related decline, helping dogs stay active, mobile and alert as they age. And in short, it promotes the longevity by addressing common nutritional deficiencies found in processed dog food. So don't change your dog's food, just add Rough Greens. Rough Greens is offering a free Jump Start trial bag. You just cover the shipping. Use the discount code Armstrong to claim your free Jumpstart trial [e-mail] that's ruffgreens.com use that promo code Armstrong Armstrong one more time. R u f f greens rough greens.com use promo code Armstrong. So don't change your dog's food, just add rough greens and watch the health benefits come alive. Got a couple of things I want to shoehorn into the next segment, including one of the best examples I've ever heard straight out of her own mouth of the way liberal Supreme Court justices think and the difference between that way of thinking and a conservative justice thinking. Plus. Katie Bros. The headline an hour or so ago an hour and a half ago ago about if you're not doing well on dating sites, it might be because of your quote unquote digital body language. I've got to know. I got to know what that is. I know less about dating websites than astrophysics, other than, you know, just what I've heard and read. So I can't wait to hear this among other things.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

Oh, and I'll let you know. And it's, it's, it's shortened to the DBL there, Joe.

[Joe Getty]

Digital body language is dbl.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

The dbl.

[Joe Getty]

All right, all right. Is it a trend? Are we going to talk about a trend?

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

No, the word trend is not in this article, I promise.

[Joe Getty]

Trend is not trending. That's interesting. Makes you stop and think. All right. That and more. Oh, you know what I ought to tell you is next hour. Really looking forward to a conversation with Tim Sandifer about his brand new book about the Declaration of Independence. Can't wait for that. So hang around if you can. Back in moments. Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[The RealReal Advertiser]

So you're running out of closet space. The good news? You don't need to stop shopping. You just need to start selling with the RealReal. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. Whether it's that mini bag that can't even fit your phone or those boots you never fully broke in, the RealReal handles everything from photography and copywriting to shipping and pricing. So you can just sit back, get paid and make room for things that actually feel like you. And with 10,000 new arrivals every single day from top designers like Prada, Celine, Louis Vuitton and Loewe, all for up to 90% off retail, you're bound to find something perfectly on brand to fill that extra closet space with. Plus, right now you can get an extra $100 to shop when you sell for the first time. Make room for what feels like you go to therealreal.com to start selling and get your extra hundred dollars to keep shopping. [e-mail] that's therealreal.com terms apply.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public

[Public Investing Brokerage Disclaimer]

Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice.

[Public Investing Platform Announcer]

Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures kids pets, life.

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Your sofa sees it all. But with a washable sofa, stains don't stand a chance. All of our sofa collections come with fully machine washable covers and cushions making cleanup effortless. Liquid and stain resistant fabrics provide extra protection against everyday messes. Plus with modular designs you can rearrange your sofa however you like. Perfect for growing families and changing spaces. Starting at just $699, it's time to upgrade to a stress free mess proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Cindy Crawford (Meaningful Beauty Advertiser)]

Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well I don't know about you but like I never liked being told oh wow you look so good for your eg. Like why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age?

[The RealReal Advertiser]

Every age.

[Cindy Crawford (Meaningful Beauty Advertiser)]

That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now.

[The RealReal Advertiser]

Meaningful Beauty.

[Joe Getty]

Beautiful skin at every age.

[Cindy Crawford (Meaningful Beauty Advertiser)]

Learn more@meaningful beauty.com

[Joe Getty]

how's your DBL? Check your DBL. Talk about that in a second. First this though, this is so interesting. So Justice Sotomayor, one of the liberals who famously said in a speech that she hoped a wise Latina woman would produce Better judicial outcomes than white males who haven't lived that life. She was giving a speech at the University of Kansas the other day, and she was talking about a court decision last year related to the reasonable suspicion that federal agents need to question someone because they think they might be an illegal immigrant. And she said, I had a colleague in that case who wrote, you know, these are only temporary stops. And she was referring to Brett Kavanaugh. Okay, so she's. I'll just tell you what she said next. This is from a man whose parents were professionals and probably doesn't really know any person who works by the hour. Even if somebody stopped by immigration gets released, quote, those hours they took away, nobody's paying for that person. And that makes a difference between a meal for him and his kids that night and maybe just cold supper, which is, you know, empathetic and true. But what does that have to do with the law? Federal judge ordered immigration agents not to form reasonable suspicion based on any combination of four factors that they go into. But the Supreme Court stayed that injunction. And Kavanaugh explained, under this court's precedence, not to mention common sense, those circumstances taken together can constitute at least reasonable suspicion of illegal presence. To be clear, apparent ethnicity alone cannot furnish reasonable suspicion. It needs to be four of these factors. Sotomayor dissented and was joined by two other liberals. She blah, blah, blah. She said that's not good enough. We can't live in a country where the government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, or appears to work at a low wage job, which is a little overheated, as they point out. But as they point out in this article, that was overheated. And this week the justice underscored how much are jurisprudence is based on identity and political results, not law and precedent. To spell that out for you,

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

there

[Joe Getty]

would have to be a different standard for hourly workers than professionals, in her opinion, and that a judge who has a professional background can't decide the case for working class people. There can't be equal treatment under the law because of the differences in those two sets of people's lives. So she doesn't like the result. She doesn't like the result for certain individuals. So she's like, this can't be a law. And Kavanaugh's like, no, no, everybody's got to be equal in the eyes of the law. So if equality equals something Sotomayor doesn't like, she says, well, we're not going to have equality under the law, then that's a results oriented liberal justice as Opposed to a law and precedent oriented justice. Anyway. All right, Katie, what's that headline you hit us with?

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

The headline is struggling with dating apps. It might be your digital body language.

[Joe Getty]

All right, help us out. What's a dbl?

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

Okay, the dbl. The article states, before texting and dating apps, the only body language that daters really had to worry about was their real life interactions. But now, now experts say body language involves much more. With your digital body language and the way you come off through messaging, I love this. Logan Urie, who is the director of relationship science for the dating app Hinge, says the DBL involves the nonverbal subtext of online conversation. Think emojis, punctuation, word choice, length of messages, and how quickly you do or do not respond.

[Joe Getty]

Ah, okay. All right.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

Punctuation and word choice. Absolutely. Totally lost interest in a guy because he didn't know they're there and there and didn't capitalize his words.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, my. I hate no capitals.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

I do too.

[Joe Getty]

People don't understand the conventions of language. Written language exist, so it's readable.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

It's not because we're picky. It's because people write us emails that are like 27 lines of type, no paragraph breaks, and it's nearly impossible to read.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

Yeah. It makes it difficult.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

So he continues on saying, on a date, you can read somebody's body language to figure out if they're into you. But when you're still in the texting phase, daters rely on the DBL to read between the lines to show someone how you're feeling. It's about how long you take to reply. Whether you put any effort into your messages or not. If you ask questions and initiate, or you just react to what they're saying, saying all of that creates a subtext. And that subtext is what people are using to figure out how interested and invested you are in them.

[Joe Getty]

This is not bull crap.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

It's not. So it just kind of goes. It stays along that line of, you know, it has a lot to do with the. The effort that you put into your messages. Meaning, you know, you could send just okay or okay and say a couple more words to make it seem like you're taking more time for that.

[Mike Lyons (Military Analyst)]

Them.

[Joe Getty]

By the way, somewhat related. I have a couple of friends now who have embraced don't text, call or text and say, hey, we need to catch up. Do you got a couple of minutes? Because they've realized that the text only staying in touch, quote unquote, is just not nourishing in the same way that a conversation is. Yeah, and, and I should be a leader on that. And I'm not. I've kind of been a follower. But it's true.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

I responded to a missed call via text yesterday.

[Jack Armstrong (Guest from Salina, Kansas)]

Yesterday.

[Katie Bros. (Commentator on Digital Body Language)]

I just didn't have it in me. Man, I knew it was going to be a 30 minute phone call.

[Joe Getty]

Oh wow, a special exemption for that one. All right, stay tuned. Tim Sander for next hour. Armstrong and Getty

[Washable Sofas Advertiser]

Life gets messy spills, stains, head accidents and kid chaos. But with annabe, cleaning up is easy. Our Sofa Sofas are fully machine washable inside and out, so you never have to stress about messes again. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Sofas start at just $699. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Pandora Jewelry Advertiser]

This Mother's Day Celebrate all the women who make life brighter with a gift from Pandora Joy choose jewelry that reflects what she means to you and the moments you share. Make it even more meaningful by personalizing your piece with an engraving in your own handwriting, something no one else has, either a date, a name, or something unique to you. Because the best Mother's Day gift says more than I love you. It says I appreciate you. It says I see you. Find the perfect Mother's Day gift at your local Pandora store or [e-mail] Ryan

[Ryan Reynolds (Mint Mobile Advertiser)]

Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15. A plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail]

[Coldwater Creek Advertiser]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] you know what quality feels like. You can see it in the way a fabric moves. Recognize it in a flawless fit, appreciate it in the details that make our styles unique. That kind of quality doesn't happen by accident. It happens with imagination, creativity, and intention. At Coldwater Creek, it's the design standard we've honored for over 40 years. Our rich Mountain heritage has shaped how we think about clothing from the very beginning, with a commitment to quality that never quits exceptional fabrics considered design silhouettes, we've made our own the signature touches that set each piece apart and styles that are distinctively Coldwater Creek. For a wardrobe you can count on season after season, visit coldwatercreek.com shop new arrivals and save 15% on purchases $75 or more with code iHeart.