Wet Lips

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Wet Lips" Episode Summary

Release Date: April 18, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
Producer: iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction to Episode Topics

In the "Wet Lips" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a diverse array of subjects, blending contemporary issues with historical insights. From societal trends and political discourse to educational challenges and personal anecdotes, the episode offers a multifaceted discussion aimed at engaging listeners with thoughtful commentary and lively banter.

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Hormone Harmony and Aging

The episode opens with an advertisement segment featuring Jenny Garth from 9021, promoting Happy Mammoth's Hormone Harmony. Garth discusses the natural process of aging and the hormonal changes associated with perimenopause and menopause. She emphasizes the effectiveness of Hormone Harmony in alleviating symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, low moods, and poor sleep. Garth shares her personal positive experience, stating, “I've noticed a little extra pep in my step since I started taking the Hormone Harmony supplement” (00:00).

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Political Commentary: Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem

Jack Armstrong initiates the discussion by referencing an MSNBC analyst's claim about Donald Trump's alleged intentions toward political opponents. He shifts focus to an article about Corey Lewandowski and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, critiquing Noem's appearance and behavior. Armstrong remarks, “I don't know why she gets all dolled up the way she does for like visiting El Salvador in prisons” (01:53).

Joe Getty responds by expressing discomfort with Noem's use of glossy lipstick, sparking a humorous exchange about makeup preferences. This segment highlights the hosts' tendency to blend political critique with lighthearted personal opinions.

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Historical Insights: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Rich Lowry’s article commemorating the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's midnight ride. Getty provides a detailed recount of the historical event, emphasizing the myths versus the realities:

“It’s almost certainly not the case that he yelled 'The British are coming.' He almost certainly said 'Regulars are coming out.'” (02:21)

Armstrong shares a personal anecdote about walking and driving through Lexington and Concord, appreciating the historical significance firsthand. The discussion draws parallels between Revere's ride and modern-day conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, underscoring the enduring theme of home defense against occupying forces.

Historian David Hackett Fisher is cited, describing the colonists’ actions as “an extraordinary display of courage, resolve, and discipline by citizen soldiers against regular troops” (06:03). The hosts reflect on the psychological and motivational differences between defending one's homeland versus serving as an occupying force, concluding that personal stakes significantly influence the fierceness of resistance.

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The Elon Musk Family Controversy

Transitioning from history to contemporary figures, Armstrong and Getty discuss recent revelations about Elon Musk's family planning methods. Getty shares details about Musk's alleged use of surrogates and substantial financial incentives to manage his expanding family:

“He might make them sign non-disparagement agreements. NDAs. It’s all very complicated and certainly odd...” (15:04)

Armstrong speculates on Musk’s intentions, questioning the sustainability and personal impact of such a large family:

“I wonder how many kids he's thinking. I mean is he gonna get into Crazyville? Like 40, 50 kids?” (17:00)

The conversation underscores concerns about individual choice, contractual obligations, and the societal implications of billionaire influence on personal lives.

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Education Crisis: Common Core and Harvard’s Remedial Math Classes

A critical segment of the episode addresses the failing state of the American education system, specifically the repercussions of the Common Core math standards. Getty summarizes findings from a federal study indicating that despite rising grade point averages, ACT scores have declined across all subjects:

“Common Core has had a significant negative impact on 8th-grade math achievements...” (22:25)

Armstrong and Getty express frustration over grade inflation and the abandonment of traditional teaching methods. They argue that the shift towards progressive curricula has hindered students' mathematical competency, making college-level remediation necessary even at elite institutions like Harvard. The hosts advocate for a return to fundamental teaching practices and criticize the influence of administrators and teachers' unions in perpetuating ineffective educational policies.

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Social Media Trends: Egg Decorating and Peeps

The conversation shifts to lighter topics as the hosts discuss contemporary social media trends related to Easter celebrations. Armstrong laments outgrowing activities like egg coloring, while Getty reminisces about engaging activities with his children, such as playing golf and music. They humorously critique the trend of dyeing plastic eggs and the commercialization of Easter treats like Peeps, with Katie interjecting her disdain for such confectioneries:

“Peeps are trash.” (12:42)

This segment highlights generational differences and the commercialization of traditional festivities.

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Violence and Mental Health: Recent Shootings

Addressing serious societal issues, Armstrong and Getty discuss recent shooting incidents, including one involving the son of a sheriff's deputy. They critique media coverage and societal reactions to such events, advocating for a more compassionate and non-glorifying portrayal of individuals who commit violent acts. The hosts emphasize the profound psychological impact on survivors and communities, urging a shift in cultural responses to violence.

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Political Developments: U.S. Efforts in Ukraine and Domestic Policies

The hosts touch upon U.S. diplomatic efforts in the Ukraine conflict, referencing statements from Secretary of State Marco Rubio about pausing negotiations if progress isn’t made. They express skepticism about the feasibility of a peace agreement, citing Moscow's lack of willingness to compromise. Additionally, they comment on the Trump administration’s legal challenges and the implications for due process and constitutional order.

Armstrong and Getty also briefly mention the economic forecast predicting widespread bankruptcies among American small businesses due to unresolved Chinese tariffs, alongside criticisms of political figures like Bernie Sanders for fiscal expenditures.

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Conclusion and Final Remarks

In wrapping up the episode, Armstrong and Getty reflect on the multitude of issues discussed, from historical commemorations and educational reforms to contemporary political scandals and social trends. They reiterate their concerns about the direction of national policies and societal values, emphasizing the need for critical engagement and informed discourse.

Jenny Garth returns briefly for a promotional note, and the episode concludes with a light-hearted exchange about popular culture references, maintaining the show’s signature blend of humor and serious discussion.

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Notable Quotes

• Jenny Garth: “I've noticed a little extra pep in my step since I started taking the Hormone Harmony supplement” (00:00)
• Jack Armstrong: “If you're fighting with your own home, wife, and kids at your back, you fight differently” (08:33)
• Joe Getty: “The Common Core has had a significant negative impact on 8th-grade math achievements” (22:25)
• Jack Armstrong: “Goodhart's principle: Once a measure becomes a goal, it ceases to be a good measure” (25:09)

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Episode Highlights

• Historical Parallels: Drawing connections between the American Revolution and modern conflicts.
• Educational Critique: In-depth analysis of Common Core’s failure and its impact on higher education preparedness.
• Celebrity Scandals: Examination of Elon Musk’s unconventional family planning methods.
• Social Commentary: Discussions on societal trends, commercialization of traditions, and media portrayal of violence.
• Political Insights: Updates on U.S. foreign policy and domestic political controversies.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the "Wet Lips" episode, providing a cohesive overview for listeners and those interested in the topics covered.

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Transcript Reference: The timestamps in this summary correspond to the provided transcript segments for accurate attribution and context.

Transcript

[Jenny Garth]

This is Jenny Garth from 9021. OMG. Aging is a natural process, as we all know, and we at the deep dive, we embrace it. But I will tell you one thing about aging that I don't care for. It's the symptoms that stem from changing hormones. Especially as you get closer to perimenopause and menopause. That's why, listeners, I want to tell you about Happy Mammoth's Hormone Harmony. It's all over social media. Happy Mammoth, the company that created Hormone Harmony, uses science backed ingredients that have been proven to work for women. Hormone Harmony is perfect for those menopause symptoms that put a woman's life on hold. Hot flashes, night sweats, racing thoughts, low moods, poor sleep gas, no desire to be in bed next to someone, if you know what I mean. Yeah, Hormone Harmony can help with all of these things. I've noticed a little extra pep in my step since I started taking the Hormone Harmony supplement and I love feeling more energetic. For a limited time, you can get 15% off on your entire first order@happy mammoth.com just use the code. Garth at checkout. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now he here's Armstrong and Getty. An MSNBC analyst claimed that Donald Trump wants to take anyone in America and disappear them, presumably by booking them as an analyst on msnbc. Oh, mine.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was just reading this article about Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem. So Kristi Noem is the way too glam for my taste. Department of Homeland Security Secretary. I don't know why she gets all dolled up the way she does for like visiting El Salvador in prisons.

[Joe Getty]

But this thing that bothers me, that's way over the top is when she has the I have wet shiny lips lipstick. Oh, geez.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't like the way you said wet. Something off putting about that?

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Katie.

[Joe Getty]

Sorry.

[Katie]

Excuse me. It's called a gloss, you weirdo.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Why the wet lips? Yeah, what's the wet lip stuff?

[Jack Armstrong]

So is Corey Lewandowski her chief of staff or chief with a staff? That is the question that seems to be going around. Is they there seems to be an inappropriate relationship between the two.

[Joe Getty]

Are we just gonna let that go? Michael? I'm just gonna let it go.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was kind of proud of that.

[Joe Getty]

All right, so Rich Lowry of the National Review wrote a great piece about the fact that Tomorrow is the 250th anniversary of the ride of Paul Revere. Vaunted and in story and song and poem and the rest of it. The. The poem only semi accurate and it's fine. For instance, he absolutely probably didn't say the British are coming because everybody still considered themselves British.

[Jack Armstrong]

Listen, my children, and you shall hear. That one, that poem.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

[Jack Armstrong]

Correct.

[Joe Getty]

He almost certainly said the regulars are coming out, meaning the regular British troops. Anyway, so getting to Rich Lowry's story. Sure enough, we've long told our kids and ourselves of the cinematic events in April 1775, when the famous silversmith warned the countryside of approaching British troops and the American Revolution kicked off in earnest. Like all legendary events, Revere's ride in the battles of Lexington and Concord have been encrusted with myth. It's almost certainly not the case that yell the British are coming, etc. And Revere didn't ride alone and he didn't even make it to Concord. The British briefly captured him and the role of the celebrated Minutemen tends to be exaggerated, blah, blah, blah. But such minutiae aside, that day 250 years ago still deserves to be celebrated in prose and poetry and is every bit as extraordinary as you might have learned when you were a child. Before we decided we didn't like our own history and heroes so much anymore.

[Jack Armstrong]

And you said it's 250 years ago tomorrow.

[Joe Getty]

Correct, sir. 19 April.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was. I was there on vacation a couple years ago and I did the walk, slash drive through the whole thing. Lexington, Concord. And it is. It's very cool.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I'd love to do that. I can't believe I haven't. Anyway, hoping to maintain operational secrecy, the British sent a contingent out at night from Boston to capture reputed stores of weapons in Concord. They were immediately noticed and the whole one if my land, two if I see plan that Revere and his. We discussed last hour, roughly 30 other craftsmen and mechanics had come up with a plan to monitor the British movement of troops round the clock and to warn the patriots if they started to move in an aggressive way. And indeed. So the part about the Old North Church lanterns. Absolutely a real thing. And the race was on. It is really, Lowry writes, one of the most dramatic episodes in American history. Paul Revere and others rushing to warn the countryside and the British troops marching through the night, not briefed on their mission, hearing guns and bells, sounding alarms all around them. Lexington was on the way. The militia mustered as a show of force, not seeking a fight. No one knows who fired the shot heard round the world. It may have been an inadvertent discharge, but the British then fired volleys and charged with bayonets, killing eight. Concord was now fully on alert. Again, there was a wary standoff. Again someone fired. During this confrontation at North Bridge, the British got off a volley, then the colonials returned fire with deadly effect. And shockingly, the British ran, their ranks swelling. The colonials harried the regulars along the narrow battle road as they retreated back to Lexington, with the places where the fighting was especially intense, known by names such as the Bloody Angle and Parker's Revenge.

[Jack Armstrong]

This reminds me a little bit of the opening days of the war in Ukraine of a similar situation, in that the Russians met way more resistance than they thought, and the home people are much more motivated to defend their families and homes than the, you know, the Russians had wondered, why are we even here? And the Brits, many whom we thought, why are we even here?

[Joe Getty]

Right, yeah, that's an excellent point. And I tell you what, if you hear about places named the Bloody Angle and Parker's Revenge and don't get a bit of a chill, you're made of different stuff than me. Members of the militia did not, as popular imagination believes, largely act on their own inspired initiative. They were, well, the Americans repeatedly stood in formation against the British regulars during the course of the day. Historian David Hackett Fisher writes, it was an extraordinary display of courage, resolve and discipline by citizen soldiers against regular troops. The more dispersed fighting along the battle road later on was itself the product of a colonial plan to avoid direct confrontation with a now reinforced, much larger British force. By the time they made it back to Boston, the British had suffered a true mauling, experiencing roughly three casualties to 100. For the colonials, the Americans ensured that the word spread far and wide and the effect was electric. Thomas Paine, who had only recently come to America, felt that, quote, the country into which I just set my foot was set on fire about my ears. John Adams said that Lexington quote changed the instruments of war from the pen to the sword. If Lexington and Concord were small scale engagements in the schemes of things, the reverberations were enormous. They sent a message that a defiant American population wouldn't be easily subdued. Wadsworth concluded his famous poem with the lines, through all our history to the last, in the hour of darkness and peril and need, the people will waken and listen to hear the hurrying hoof beats of that steed and the midnight message of Paul Revere. May it be so, writes Rich Lowry. Beautiful job as usual, Rich.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wish I could remember what book it was. I read fairly recently about this, but Revere was captured along with the guy who's riding with. They got beaten real good by like rifle butts and stuff like that by the Brits and got out of there somehow to continue writing. But it was way more violent and dicey than, you know, the poem leads you to believe.

[Joe Getty]

Right. It was not romantic and gallant in a horse ride of shouting, yeah, he got the hell beat out of him.

[Jack Armstrong]

The. But it's just. It's been true throughout history and for obvious reasons. If you're fighting with your own home, wife and kids at your back, you fight differently than if you're a occupying force working for a paycheck. Don't really care that much whether you're there or not, whether it's.

[Joe Getty]

Or shooting. So nobody shoots you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Russians in Ukraine or Circumstances sometimes Northern soldiers in the south in the Civil War and us in Iraq. There's all kinds of examples.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

I was going to bring up Afghanistan and, you know, that just needs to be remembered. And it's a point I've made many times through the years. You can have the most righteous mission in the world. You can be backed by the majority of a population of a place. But they get tired of being occupied really, really fast, as we would as well as we were at the time.

[Jack Armstrong]

I always remember in one of Shelby Foote's books about the Civil War, he's got a quote in there from some Southern soldier who gets captured after a bloody battle in Northern guys, Union guys ask, why are you fighting so hard? And he said, because you're here. You're in our mic. You're in my yard.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fight to the death for that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. We will post a link to this piece by Rich Lowry. I'm not sure the paywall situation. National Review does great journalism. Anyway, maybe you want to subscribe, but that's that.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know what? I'm a little bummed today. We got this. We'll play a little bit later. This has been about coloring eggs from Jimmy Kimmel, but my kids are too old for that now. I love that. That was fantastic there for a while. The get some eggs and color them and it was the little project and they were so into it and just the. The on weight of the teenager is a whole different thing. Nothing is fun or cool.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Certainly nothing to do with you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Actually there's plenty of things that are fun and cool. Hanging out with his girlfriend seems to be very fun and cool. Hanging out with me, not as much.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. I was I was so lucky with my son in particular that we both love to play golf and we both love rock and roll music and playing guitar and bass and that sort of thing. So we always, you know, we could do that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Henry and I played tennis yesterday and lifted weights. It's different stuff, but it's. You know, those little kid activities are fantastic.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. I was always very bad at dying eggs. I was more than happy to let the kids do it. I just. My eggs would come out. How are you?

[Jack Armstrong]

But how is anyone bad at dying eggs? There's really. The bar is very low. Did the egg end up not white? You win. Oh, no.

[Joe Getty]

It's the. The other people in the family. Their eggs were much more artful than mine.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, beautiful. Like rainbows of color and patterns and that sort of thing. Mine again. Looked like something had gone wrong with the egg. Better throw this one out, honey gone bad.

[Jack Armstrong]

Joe's going to tell us why. Common Core math. So sucky. Is Trump going to actually tax the rich? Wow, that'd be the ultimate populist move. But no.

[Joe Getty]

No, let's not. No, he's not going to raise tax.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's rumbling he's going to a lot of stuff on the way. Stay here.

[Jenny Garth]

Armstrong and Getty, for the first time.

[Michael]

Since 2014, Easter and 420 will land on the same day this year. Which is going to lead to some very long and confusing egg hunts. Where did I hide those?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know.

[Michael]

There are a lot of Peeps products then. Now this year they have peeps ICs. They've got peeps flavored milk. The Peeps at Peeps even teamed up with Milk Bone to make Peeps flavored dog biscuits. You know, at least one stone dude in the pet aisle at Target is gonna see that and just devour the bucket.

[Joe Getty]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

I've still never had a Peep, but a Peep Peep flavored milk sounds awful.

[Joe Getty]

That is just sugary milk. It's milk with sugar in it. I don't get it. Although I am a big fan of the Peep and have been for many, many years.

[Jack Armstrong]

We did get one text tying a story of today with our little revolutionary war. Yes. Katie, have a Peep related comment?

[Katie]

Oh, I was. I was just gonna let Joe know. Peeps are trash.

[Jack Armstrong]

In what sense?

[Joe Getty]

Well, they're just trash.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're like a low rent treat. Is that.

[Katie]

No, they're. It's there with the circus peanuts and the.

[Jack Armstrong]

I agree.

[Joe Getty]

Another excellent tr. Another delicious treat.

[Katie]

Oh, you can get them for real cheap. They come in packaging boxes as well.

[Joe Getty]

And you send the peep is a delightful, soft yet crunchy Easter themed treat enjoyed by generations.

[Jack Armstrong]

The fascinating personality that is you that combines country club wine connoisseur, you know, Beethoven with you like peeps and circus peanuts.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. And if you were more sophisticated, you'd understand understand how it all fits together.

[Katie]

Circus peanuts matching his peeps with a nice scotch.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Oh, that sounds delicious.

[Jack Armstrong]

One serious thing, we were talking about Revolutionary War and the anniversary of Paul Revere, blah blah blah. And one of the stories of the day. I think it's helpful to point out that the true beginning of due process began with John Adams defending the British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. He thought it would end his career and ruin his reputation, but was convinced it was the right thing to do anyway, that everybody deserved due process, even the British soldiers. And if you have not seen that play out, you should watch that HBO series with Paul Giamatti as John Adams. It's really good. Yesterday Joe brought us some fascinating information about Elon Musk and his many children and how the whole thing works. Did that include you mentioning that? Well, I'll just read this text and. I don't remember this part or not. Wait, Elon's been getting all these women pregnant with in vitro fertilization? Dude, I've got a way cooler method you should try.

[Joe Getty]

Well, no, he. I think he does it the old fashioned way. Mostly what he was suggesting to I think it was Ashley Sinclair was that they combine his most excellent spermatozoans with her delightful ovum ova and implant them in a bunch of mothers because he thought that they were a super great pair to reproduce. But you can't breed an army one kid at a time. So he's going to farm out the project to surrogate.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wonder what his goal is if he's on kid 14 at age 53 and unlike women as a dude, you could keep doing this, you know, the rest of your life. I wonder how many kids he's thinking. I mean is he gonna like get into Crazyville? Like 40, 50 kids?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I think as many as possible is his goal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Within the bounds of and and we talked about this yesterday. Hour four I think. Grab it if I podcast Armstrong and Getty on demand if you missed it. But the way he manages the women and pays, gives them a lump sum and then a monthly like hundred thousand dollar a month allowance to raise the kid. But then he might makes them sign non disparagement agreements. NDAs it's all very complicated and certainly odd from the perspective of somebody with a much more traditional lifestyle like myself.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So the figure you were. The reporting was 15 million, lump sum, and then a hundred thousand a month.

[Joe Getty]

To Ms. St. Clair. Yeah, indeed. Just little Romulus.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is that for life or is that for till the kid's 18?

[Joe Getty]

Well, she had some objections to the contract, specifically that it wasn't terribly specific about what would happen if Elon died before the kid hit 21. Because I think that was one of the. The answer to your question.

[Jack Armstrong]

That one's got to be easily taken care of.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, you would think, but. Yeah, it's a culture of don't challenge him. Just play along, and he will make it very much worth your while.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Once you got your $15 million, I think you're in decent shape. I mean, unless you're really bad, you.

[Joe Getty]

Got to pay it back if you disparage them or break the agreement. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

That's the contract.

[Jack Armstrong]

So you come, you go to TMZ and say, Elon's a bad dad and you owe him. You got to pay back the $15 million, which you probably spent most of.

[Joe Getty]

Correct?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, it's an interesting arrangement you got into anyway, but.

[Joe Getty]

So his rockets seem to be very, very good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Somebody brought up last hour. So there's a certain theory with the moms and with Elon that his genius, and I think he is a genius, will translate to the kid you have. But somebody pointed out last hour there's not a lot of examples of that. I mean, we just were mentioning John Adams, John Quincy Adams, there's one example, but there's not, like, regular examples of Thomas Edison's kid or Einstein's kid or whatever, or athletes or. You know, it happens now and then, but not usually.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, they have different goals and motivations. Of course, they're individuals. They might be really into, you know, writing about opera or history or whatever, and no interest in forging ahead in physics, for instance.

[Jack Armstrong]

So you got $15 million, $100,000 a month, and you might have a dumb.

[Joe Getty]

Kid, you know, or Thomas Edison's kid just wanted to play the banjo. I don't know. Did he have kids? I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Yeah. It's gonna be interesting to watch. I'll bet Elon's gonna end up with 40, 50 kids, which it could be crazy.

[Joe Getty]

Could be. So coming up, Harvard announced that they need to offer remedial math classes now to the most exclusive university on the planet. And part of the reason for that is because Common Core was such a miserable failure.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yep, it sure was.

[Joe Getty]

And you knew it, didn't you? Trying to help your kids with their homework. You're right.

[Jack Armstrong]

All of us parents knew it. You know, look forward to complaining about this.

[Jenny Garth]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[G]

A dozen eggs are going for more than $6 according to the national average. You might have seen the social trends. Plastic egg decorating and dying marshmallows and potatoes. All it takes is a little food dye you probably have in the back of your pantry from last year. And egg shaped potatoes. Both options are a fraction of the cost of a dozen eggs.

[Michael]

Having to dye potatoes because we can't afford eggs is the reason our grandparents left the old country.

[Joe Getty]

Good lord.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know what you want.

[Michael]

You know what you can't buy eggs. Here's a suggestion. It's a good suggestion. Just tell your kids you hid the eggs really, really well this year.

[Joe Getty]

How do you dye a plastic egg? You know, it's the perfect example of a social media trend that doesn't exist on earth. It's only on nobody's dying. Blanking potatoes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Egg shaped potatoes.

[Joe Getty]

No, first of all, social media trend.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't think anybody's in a situation where that extra dollar from what they cost a year ago is going to keep you from being able to do it. And if you are, that's that. I feel for you. But like, sell some plasma today or steel, do something, but don't make your kids die. Egg shaped potatoes.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Wow. So coming up, a little bingo bango bongo of headlines. A lot of stuff going on. We'll just touch on a lot of it briefly. But I was struck, as so many were, that even Harvard is now having to offer remedial math classes because our nation's government schools are doing such a poor job of preparing kids for college. That's crazy.

[Jack Armstrong]

I can't believe you qualify for Harvard yet. You need remedial math.

[Joe Getty]

I've been hearing for years about remedial English and writing in particular courses in a lot of universities for kids who are accepted into what are, quote unquote, the elite universities. And you know, not to brag or anything, we were the product of our upbringing and the education that was offered to us and our own drive and curiosity. But the idea that you could get admitted into, well, I went, you know, to University of Illinois, for instance, and not be reasonably competent at math and reading is just a stupid, astonishing to me. Especially given. And any parent of a high schooler can tell you this right now. It's extremely competitive to get into these schools. What does all of that mean? Well, it has to do with grade inflation and the dumbing down of education in the country. It's been a miserable failure. But I thought this was interesting. The Harvard is not labeling the new course remedial. The official said that the course quote is intended to support students who face early challenges in their math courses. In other words, it's remedial.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So they quote an expert in the California globe, Izumi. Mr. Izumi. What's his first name? I don't know, but he does great work. Oh, Lance Izumi of the Pacific Research Institute. He says much of the reason for the poor performance of American students is because of the failed progressive math teaching methods and curricula pushed on schools by the national Common Core math standards, which were adopted by most states in the early 2000 and tens. Under Common Core's math standards, the tried and true standard algorithms, meaning step by step operational methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were de emphasized while progressive and often confusing methods such as drawing pictures to solve fractional multiplication problems were prioritized. The result was widespread student math failure with a federally funded study finding the Common Core has had a significant negative impact on 8th grade math achievements and that this negative effect has increased over time.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is not a shock to any parent who dealt with this. I was starting roughly 10 years ago. My kids got into elementary school and they were doing math, like grade school math that I couldn't help them with. And I was a math guy and I couldn't help them with it. And I talked to lots of people like, oh, we've gotten emails from people that were like literally rocket scientists who could couldn't help their kids with their math because it made no sense.

[Joe Getty]

You know, that method of teaching makes sense to a small number of kids who for whatever neurological reason see the world that way.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, good for them.

[Joe Getty]

You know, and I'll go ahead and get to my usual punchline on this. And then there's more information on this, which to me is really interesting. But education is so overloaded with, with administrators, number one, and with people with phony advanced degrees, masters and PhDs that are completely unnecessary to the task of educating children. They did a hell of a job not very long ago without a bunch of PhDs running around your local elementary school. Well, if you are a would be, you know, leading light in your industry, you're never going to become one by saying the stuff we've been doing for the last 70 years. It's it's perfect. It's great. Really. We don't need to tweak it hardly at all. Let's just keep going. You will never become a leading light that way.

[Jack Armstrong]

The last seven years.

[Joe Getty]

Innovation.

[Jack Armstrong]

How about the last 700 years when it comes to basic math?

[Joe Getty]

Right, right. Yeah. 7,000. Archimedes is spinning in his grave anyway, so there's this never ending push to innovate, even at the expense of the kids. And it's all supported by the teachers unions who work to quash any. I remember at the time anybody was saying, hey, Common Core's craziness doesn't work. You're portrayed as some sort of right wing fascist.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And then a lot of something. Not a lot, but some of the teachers were completely aware of this because I ended up in a situation where one of my children was struggling with the math and they said, look, look, just to do the flashcards. Do the old fashioned way of the flashcards. Okay, so memorizing math facts because they didn't want kids to have to do for some reason.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. Wow. So back to Mr. Izumi. He said, A major study by the ACT test found that from 2010 to 2022, a dozen years, the grade point average in high school English, math, science and social studies courses among students taking the ACT college entrance test increased year over year while their ACT scores decreased in every one of those subjects.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, that's. We know why that is. They. They lower the bar to get more passing grades or straight A's. You're not learning more. They just make it easier to qualify for an A. It's the, it's the. What's the, the good what? Principle. It's my favorite thing I've ever learned in my life.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Good heart principle. Once a measure becomes a goal, it ceases to be a good measure. And that. And that's exactly what happened there. And there's all kinds of examples through life. Once you think about it. This is a perfect one right there. Once a measure became a goal, the goal was we need more people who are straight A's or we need more people who pass. Okay. Then you change the structure to get that result. Right.

[Joe Getty]

Thumbs on scales, in short. Yeah. Final note from Mr. Zumi. In my book, I conclude that too Many K through 12 schools are putting political ideology over what works. Whether it be a misguided equity agenda that seeks to dumb down learning to the lowest common denominator or progressive curricula and instructional methods that are being used in intellectual defiance of empirical evidence showing that they are ineffective and are damaging children. Then he goes into grade inflation, how dangerous it is, and then how miserable things are in the state of California, since this is the California globe, and how, what an utter failure education is in particular compared to Florida. But enough of that that you're right all along, folks. You were right all along.

[Jack Armstrong]

Man, that's frustrating. If you spent many hours sitting around the table trying to figure out how to help your kid with their math, they get frustrated, you get frustrated. And it was all freaking. A waste of time. Complete freaking waste of time. No need whatsoever. God, that makes me angry, man.

[Joe Getty]

If I was a zillionaire, I would figure out a way to, to grow some of the great private school, the fundamental schools that exist in the world. I'm aware of John Adams Academy. I was just talking to somebody involved in that the other day, and there are a number of worthy examples around the country. But, man, I would like to somehow fertilize their growth and their affordability for average American families, because talk radio is the land of hyperbole. It's like the Internet. But I swear I'm not trying to be hyperbolic when I say this is a terrible, almost fatal disease we have in this country, how perverse and ineffective our education systems have become. And it ought to be just coast to coast of national priority to sort it out. But there are moneyed interests who are standing in the way.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, it, you know, after many generations of you could count on as a parent, you know, my kid waits out there at the bus stop. He gets on the bus, he goes to school, he learns, he's going to learn what he needs to learn. He's going to come out, he's going to be able to be a productive citizen in the world like I did. Like I did. You could count on it. You didn't have to worry about it. But those days are over. But it's just, it's a lot easier to think you can just drop your kid off at school and they're getting what they need. No, they're not, probably. And you got to stay on top of it. And it's very frustrating.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it is. It absolutely is. A few more stories to squeeze in the court. A appeal. Federal appeals court yesterday delivered a striking rebuke to the Trump administration's renewed challenge to an order that is seeking the return of that guy who needs to be returned from the Salvadoran prison. The court called it a shocking, or the quote, it must facilitate the return. The government is asserting a right to stash away Residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process. That is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that now nothing can be done. Said the Reagan appointee judge writing for a unanimous three judge panel of that appeals court. Though this is not over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Biggest question mark on that whole story to me is why did his wife try to get a restraining order on him claiming he was beaten her and was so violent and all this sort of stuff. And the quotes are out there from the actual legal documents and now is saying he's a great man. That wasn't true. I mean, I didn't mean it or something. I wonder what's going on there.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Boy, it could be half a dozen different things.

[Jack Armstrong]

It could be, could be lots of different things.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Fear, being cajoled by activists, being bribed, some sort of, you know, they were about to get divorced when she made the original claims. Who knows with, with something like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not impossible that somebody gets to her with. Here's a lot of good things that'll happen to you if you just say he's a good dude.

[Joe Getty]

That's what I'm saying. Oh, yeah, we'll, we'll, you know, you want your kid to go to school in this country, we can take care of that, go to college or whatever. Here's a little fun to get you started. Our buddy Mr. Soros, who is behind a lot of the protests that are going on right now, as always, finances it. But yeah, absolutely true. Go ahead and roll clip 90. Michael, I wanted to touch on this.

[Marco Rubio]

President has spent 87 days at the highest level of his government repeatedly taking efforts to bring this war to an end. We are now reaching a point where we need to decide and determine whether this is even possible or not, which is why we're engaging both sides. We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days whether this is doable in the short term. Because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on from our perspective.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Secretary of State Marco Rubio there said the US would pause its efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine if progress isn't made in the coming days in an attempt to put pressure on Kiev and Moscow to compromise. I have not seen Moscow compromising at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no. What is next, the next step? No idea.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. The Euros are going to hold a meeting that Rubio said I'm happy to go to if there's any point in it. But this, the Prospect of some sort of peace agreement is completely out to sea at this point. Completely out to sea.

[Jack Armstrong]

It was from the beginning.

[Joe Getty]

I'm out of order here. I meant to mention that, that Senator Van Hollen from Maryland met with the deported Mr. Abrego Garcia. And the only reason I bring that up, or wanted to was because the wise cracking president of El Salvador, naive Bukele, continued his sarcastic comedy tour saying that after the meeting, now that he's been confirmed healthy, he gets the honor of staying in El Salvador's custody. So we're not turning them loose anyway. So he's still there and will remain so until further notice.

[Jack Armstrong]

Opinions are like elbows, as they say. But here's an opinion for or other people say a more earthy version of that saying, which I don't say because I'm, you know, classy, but everybody knows that. At least one high profile business watcher saying there are going to be thousands, then many, maybe millions of American small businesses go bankrupt this year if this whole Chinese tariff thing doesn't go away. We can explain that at some point. That, that's, that's quite a prediction.

[Joe Getty]

And Bernie Sanders spending a quarter of a million dollars for private jets on his fighting oligarchy tour.

[Jack Armstrong]

Stay with us all on the way. Stay here.

[Jenny Garth]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Deputy Eichner]

The shooter is 20 year old Phoenix Eichner and he's a son of a Lynn County Sheriff deputy. Our deputy, Deputy Eichner has been with the Leon County Sheriff's office for over 18 years. Unfortunately, her son had access to one of her weapons and that was one of the weapons that was found at the scene.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a shooting that happened at college in Florida yesterday. Have you heard anything about kind of trouble this sheriff's deputy might be in? Kid getting a hold of her gun?

[Joe Getty]

No. I can assume a couple of things, but no, not really. The mainstream media, I was just looking at some news alerts, is delighted to inform us that this young man had right wing conspiracy theories. It's funny how they were uninterested in the fact that the lunatic who burned down the Governor Shapiro's house in Pennsylvania appears to be not only a lunatic, but a pro Palestinian activist. That was not worthy of coverage. They're just such lying liars. But stop shooting people and burning stuff, you jackasses.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I don't need to belabor this at all. Is there anything to say about another shooting? Anything?

[Joe Getty]

Not really. I don't know how another pathetic coward who thinks he gets to hurt people because he's unhappy about this. That or the other. When are we going to start as a culture calling these people stupid cowards and make it utterly clear to everyone, right? Like. Like a drunk driver or a wife beater. It's not funny. It's not cool. You're not a hero. You're not scary. We're not gonna put your pictures on the news like you're some sort of character out of the Matrix. No, you're a stupid coward.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I wonder if we could get all the media to go along with the loser, then walked through the hallways and, you know, just refer to him as a loser all the time.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Change topic. Luckily, that wasn't a whole bunch of deaths there. Oh, there were a couple of. Couple of kids there going to that college that had been at the school in Parkland, Florida, when they were younger then.

[Joe Getty]

Jeez. Well, you talked earlier about a shooting in the town where you live, where thank God, nobody died, but the kids are terrorized and afraid to sleep in their own beds. And often I think we, all of us say, okay, thank God nobody died. But if you've ever a been in a situation where you could have died, like some monstrous lunatic was trying to kill you and perhaps he shot you, and you have a gunshot wound to heal from, your body and your mind or mind are changed forever, it's not okay because somebody didn't die. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, complete change of tone. Here is somebody on Facebook making. Making fun of the whole Chickstronaut episode.

[Joe Getty]

What?

[Jack Armstrong]

I know. Yeah. I hate to see it made fun of.

[I]

I feel love. Like, live laugh love, but like the rich version of it. I hope everyone sees how unified we were. Go to space in full glam. I hope that in seeing us make the decision to spend that kind of money to leave Earth, that everyone else understands you're not like us. This was important for us to do because tourism to space isn't for everyone. We weren't just going to space. We were making space where all of you, you to watch us. This is what women need right now. Tourism, cute outfits, hair extensions, and zero gravity.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's pretty good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, there's a lot to mock in the whole thing. Yeah, whatever.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was the biggest backfires in recent memory, but it was delightful.

[Joe Getty]

We all needed a mood lift, didn't we, folks?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

I'd like to thank the ladies for that.

[Jenny Garth]

Yeah, Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Jack Armstrong]

It.