You've Been So Soured By Life

Summary

Summary of "You've Been So Soured By Life" Episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Podcast Information:

• Title: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
• Host/Authors: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
• Description: The official, On-Demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show! Accept no substitutes!
• Episode: You've Been So Soured By Life
• Release Date: March 7, 2025

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I. Introduction

In the episode titled "You've Been So Soured By Life," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty engage listeners with their signature blend of humor, insightful commentary, and candid conversations. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, the duo navigates through a variety of topics ranging from personal anecdotes to pressing societal issues.

II. Dessert Dilemmas and Restaurant Economics (00:24 - 04:19)

The episode kicks off with a light-hearted discussion about birthday traditions and dessert preferences. Joe Getty shares a personal story about his son’s aversion to birthday cake:

• Joe Getty (00:24): “My son doesn't like cake. Doesn't want a birthday cake his first year. He's old enough to just say out loud, don't give me a cake I don't like.”

This sparks a playful debate between Armstrong and Getty about the merits of different desserts, such as pie and bread pudding. They contemplate the possibility of restaurants offering smaller, more affordable dessert portions:

• Jack Armstrong (02:58): “Make no mistake that this is just another version of state-sanctioned bullying and genocide.”
• Joe Getty (03:30): “...if you offered the little fellas, would you lose the profit from three different people wanting three different things?”

The conversation highlights the tension between consumer desires and restaurant profit models, emphasizing how data-driven decisions shape dining experiences.

III. The Prevalence and Impact of Ultra-Processed Foods (12:52 - 16:20)

Shifting gears, Armstrong and Getty delve into the topic of ultra-processed foods, discussing their definition, prevalence in American diets, and associated health risks:

• Jack Armstrong (13:02): “But you can gather by the radio every day, hoping someday we'll talk about whatever happened to Anne Heche.”

They define ultra-processed foods as industrial formulations containing additives like colorings, emulsifiers, and artificial flavors:

• Jack Armstrong (13:02): “Ultra processed foods are industrial formulations that contain substances with little or no nutritional value such as colorings, emulsifiers, artificial flavors and sweeteners.”

Joe Getty shares a candid admission about his own diet:

• Joe Getty (14:34): “I can't tell you how many days of my life I've eaten only probably ultra processed food.”

The discussion underscores the challenges consumers face in balancing convenience with nutritional value, highlighting socio-economic factors that influence dietary choices.

IV. Political Turbulence: Elon Musk, Trump, and Rubio (16:47 - 27:28)

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to dissecting a contentious meeting reported by the New York Times, involving President Trump, Elon Musk, and Senator Marco Rubio. The hosts analyze the dynamics and implications of this political clash:

• Joe Getty (17:37): “Elon, as I've said many times, is the only name in the last 10 years that can rival Trump's for its ubiquitousness.”

They recount details from the article, such as Rubio's confrontation with Musk over government efficiency and staff layoffs:

• Marco Rubio (20:21): “...you have fired nobody?”
• Joe Getty (20:22): “We do all know, and it's dumb. You're trying to claim that because he's the richest man in the world, we should be extra skeptical of his opinion or something?”

The conversation critiques Musk’s role and influence in government, questioning the feasibility and effectiveness of his management style within the political sphere. Armstrong draws parallels between Musk and historical figures like Steve Jobs, suggesting that Musk’s approach may be unsuited for governmental operations:

• Jack Armstrong (25:54): “You cannot have a mad genius run that the way he runs SpaceX. You just can't.”

V. Entertainment Insights: The Oscars and Film Critique (07:21 - 08:48)

Armstrong and Getty briefly touch upon the recent Oscars, specifically highlighting the controversial win of the film "Anora LeBron James":

• Joe Getty (07:43): “Anora movie... it's about the sex industry. It's a dramedy.”
• Jack Armstrong (08:48): “The idea that that's the best picture is just an indictment of moviemaking right now.”

They express skepticism about the film’s artistic merit and the broader implications for the film industry’s standards and values.

VI. University Protests: Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations (30:00 - 31:53)

The hosts address the rising tide of pro-Palestinian protests on Ivy League campuses, using Barnard College as a focal point:

• Joe Getty (30:38): “Students... set up what they called a liberation zone inside of the library at Barnard College, chanting 'Free Palestine' and blocking the doors.”
• Jack Armstrong (31:05): “We have let our university system go completely freak nuts.”

They critique the methods and efficacy of such protests, questioning the impact on academic environments and the broader discourse surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

VII. Final Thoughts and Personal Reflections (32:49 - 35:15)

In the concluding segment, the hosts share personal reflections and wrap up the episode with light-hearted banter:

• Jack Armstrong (33:08): “I'm gonna eat some,” referencing a humorous back-and-forth about final thoughts.
• Joe Getty (34:07): “I'm worn down by life.”

They touch upon personal milestones and everyday frustrations, humanizing themselves and connecting with listeners on a more intimate level.

Notable Quotes with Attributions

• Joe Getty (00:24): “My son doesn't like cake. Doesn't want a birthday cake his first year.”
• Jack Armstrong (02:58): “Make no mistake that this is just another version of state-sanctioned bullying and genocide.”
• Jack Armstrong (13:02): “Ultra processed foods are industrial formulations that contain substances with little or no nutritional value such as colorings, emulsifiers, artificial flavors and sweeteners.”
• Joe Getty (14:34): “I can't tell you how many days of my life I've eaten only probably ultra processed food.”
• Joe Getty (17:37): “Elon, as I've said many times, is the only name in the last 10 years that can rival Trump's for its ubiquitousness.”
• Jack Armstrong (25:54): “You cannot have a mad genius run that the way he runs SpaceX. You just can't.”
• Jack Armstrong (31:05): “We have let our university system go completely freak nuts.”
• Joe Getty (34:07): “I'm worn down by life.”

Conclusion

The "You've Been So Soured By Life" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand masterfully balances humor with critical analysis, offering listeners a comprehensive exploration of diverse topics. From personal anecdotes about desserts to incisive discussions on political intricacies and societal issues, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty provide an engaging and thought-provoking listening experience. Their candid reflections and dynamic interactions ensure that the episode is both informative and entertaining, making it a valuable resource for those seeking insightful commentary on contemporary matters.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

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

[Joe Getty]

What do you think? How's your weekend looking good? Oh, fantastic. Glad to hear it. My son doesn't. My birthday boy, he doesn't like cake. Doesn't want a birthday cake his first year. He's old enough to just say out loud, don't give me a cake I don't like.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like cake.

[Joe Getty]

I never, I've never really liked cake either. Oh, I like it. I'll eat it.

[Jack Armstrong]

But let me eat cake. To paraphrase Marie Antoinette, who did?

[Joe Getty]

I got 10 choices for dessert and one of them's cake. It's probably going to be a bunch of other things I choose ahead of cake. I think my mom made a birthday pie a couple times.

[Jack Armstrong]

The ultimate dessert. Yes. A cake would not be at the top of my list. All right, it would. It would probably be a pie. A pie dressed up by ice cream. Even better.

[Joe Getty]

I like cheesecake, but that's not really cake. I love cheesecake.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, cheesecake's a pie, isn't it, folks? Or is it like the taco, which I have long maintained as a sandwich. It's a hybrid. It's an in betweener. Nobody knows.

[Joe Getty]

I will almost always order bread pudding if that's an option. You have never have any idea what you're going to get because it varies so much. But.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, bread pudding with a nice sauce drizzled on it. That's. That's top of the heap right there, man. Oh, that's right. We're doing a show. Let's. Let's get down to business. Deal with.

[Joe Getty]

I was talking about this with my kids the other day because we were at a fancy restaurant and we're talking about getting dessert. This is for my birthday and my seventh grader said I'd really rather have a McFlurry because there was a McDonald's we passed on the way to the restaurant and I was having the conversation that I often have. There's lots of desserts like that that if you serve that at a fancy restaurant and up the price and gave it a different name, people say, oh, this is good. Have you had the, you know, give it an Italian name, something or other at a fancy restaurant. The McFlurry's. Freaking awesome.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'm, I haven't had one in many years because I'm not a child, so I don't know that. But yeah, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Remember our old sales Guy friend Tim, who used to say he always wished they'd. They'd offer the. Back then he called it the $1 dessert. Maybe now you need to call it the $3 dessert, but just a smaller portion. I'd like dessert, but I don't need a piece of cake the size of my head or whatever it is you're gonna bring me that costs $15. So if we all get dessert, you know, we've just increased the bill by 50 bucks. Can we just get like, you know, a couple of bites of one of these things for a couple bucks?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, a dessert and a dessert and three forks or four forks or whatever is one way to approach it. But. Hey, Katie, you gotta help me with this. What's. What's the cake that's got like the chocolate sauce and stuff? The volcano cake or the lava cake? Lava cake, that's it, yeah. Oh, now that's a good cake, right?

[Joe Getty]

I'm always afraid I'll burn my tongue. I've never had. It just sounds so hot. But is the reason they don't offer just a little nibble of everything? It's just that it'd be such a profit center to have people order the dessert and charge a lot for it?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, but there's data on it. I'm sure a guy who's in the, like the umbrella management of restaurants world and how. It's amazing to me. It's, you know, it's obvious when you think about it. But it. I never thought about how data driven it all is how they have built in expectations about various days of the week and the number of covers that are going to serve, which is just restaurant term for people plates, and how carefully all of that is studied. So yeah, they absolutely could show you the spreadsheet of, you know, percentage of diners who order desserts, how many are multiple desserts per table and, and if you ordered the, if you offered the little fellas, would you lose the profit from three different people wanting three different things?

[Joe Getty]

I'm guessing that's true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So another thing I want to get to speaking of food this hour is a little more on that whole ultra processed food thing. What does that mean? How can you tell if what you're feeding your family is that. And also it's funny, partly because of the Trump fever pitch of changes and orders and policies and tariffs and all. Did you realize the college camp high, the, the alleged elite universities are every bit as cuckoo nuts pro Hamas this year as they were last year? It's just not getting as much coverage. We could touch on that if we wanted. But first let's take a fond look back at the week that was. It's cow clips of the week. We don't have time to kiss each other's asses.

[Katie Green]

Pocahontas says yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of the week.

[Katie Green]

America is back. $8 million to promote LGBTQI plus in the African nation of Lesotho. Nobody has ever heard of.

[Jack Armstrong]

Remove this gentleman from the table.

[Katie Green]

Wokeness is trouble. Wokeness is bad. It's gone. It's gone. And we feel so much better for it. Don't we? Don't we feel better?

[Joe Getty]

And now I want Congress to pass.

[Katie Green]

A bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children.

[Jack Armstrong]

Make no mistake that this is just another version of state sanctioned bullying and genocide.

[Joe Getty]

Would you do something like that? Would you say no? Men in female sports? I think it's an issue of fairness.

[Jack Armstrong]

I completely agree with you on that. Have you said thank you once this entire meeting? Has he found every opportunity to try to Ukraine splain on every issue?

[Joe Getty]

So I'm not hearing from you. Mr. President, a thought that you owe.

[Jack Armstrong]

The President an apology. I think that we have to be very open and very honest. Are the Europeans willing to stand up for themselves?

[Joe Getty]

We must not give in to any excess the strength that I have.

[Jack Armstrong]

The world didn't give it to me.

[Joe Getty]

Listen, this trend of you all trying to get thrown out of committee so you can get on MSNBC is going to end.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're not going to put up with it. What the problem is the Democrats are.

[Joe Getty]

On the wrong side of normal.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're going to continue to speak lies to his truth.

[Joe Getty]

That ain't true. That's what you just heard.

[Michael Angelo]

That's what you just heard.

[Joe Getty]

That's what you just saw.

[Jack Armstrong]

Trump adding a 25% tax on all goods coming across the border. Except you've been influence in those decisions because of the market reaction.

[Katie Green]

I'm not even looking at the market.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know. Winning for best picture and the Oscar.

[Joe Getty]

Goes to Anora LeBron James. 50,002 points. Far better.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is it to dare mighty things to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.

[Joe Getty]

Checkered by failure. The Armstrong and Getty show. That's.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a good T shirts made. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So a couple things on the Oscars which I couldn't have told you for money that were just this past Sunday. Adam Sandler is funny when he said hold on a Second, and he runs down to Timothy Chalamet. Shallow. Just such an act of Sandler's thing. That means nothing, but it's funny. But that a Nora movie. So I haven't watched it. It's two hours long. And it's about the sex industry. It's a dramedy. That's all I know about it. And it won a bunch of.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's about a. Yeah. A sex worker who marries a rich Russian.

[Joe Getty]

Well, have you watched it?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, I just read a fair amount about it.

[Joe Getty]

So somebody told me the other day they watched it and the. It's a. The first hour is like watching a porno. They said it's just basically nothing but sex for an hour. They said, buckle up, because it's just an hour of sex. Then they really get into the, you know, the plot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. One reviewer, a guy who I really respect, the one thing he said is, you know, if you like that sort of movie, it's a. It's a pretty good one. But the idea that that's the best picture is just an indictment of moviemaking right now.

[Joe Getty]

Well, is it just. They're thrilled with the idea of having something so sexual is that. I don't know. I'd have to watch it. I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well. And a lot of the statements by people in support of it was all about humanizing sex work. And sex workers always got to be promoting their point of view. Ye. I know, I know. Shadow. So a couple of Shad app is right. A couple of thoughts on cow. First of all, on language. Loved Trump not adopting the language of the woke left and saying we're not going to have sex changes on children. Don't ever use terms like gender affirming. Care. Hell, don't even use gender unless you're in front of kids. And saying there are only two sexes will make them giggle because the word sex. Sex changes for children is the terminology to use. Secondly, that one woke moron talking about the transgender thing, saying it's. It's bullying and genocide. Those people are going to do for the word genocide what they did for the word racist. Render it completely meaningless by calling everything genocide all the time. And I thank them for doing my work for me. Yeah, exactly. Exactly the same thing. And secondly, I appreciate it. Or thirdly, I appreciated James Comer in that hearing saying, look, this thing where you get thrown out of a committee hearing so you can get on an msnbc, it's gotta end. Call it for what it is. Well done, James Charlemagne. I gotta watch the Dylan movie. When's it gonna Be on my TV because I don't want to go to a theater.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Really dug that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Favorite Bob Dylan tune. People don't know, huh?

[Joe Getty]

Favorite Bob Dylan, I think. Unless you're not an obvious hit almost all of them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I suppose so. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

An obvious hit. And by hit you mean popular Bob Dylan because he didn't really have many hits.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no. But like saying the times they are changing.

[Joe Getty]

No, I'm highly annoyed by the early they got, you know, used in the civil rights movement. Like that's really.

[Jack Armstrong]

You can't appreciate them as songcraft. You've been so soured by life.

[Joe Getty]

He didn't even. He. It drove him nuts, so. Certainly drives me as a fan nuts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, fair enough. Fair enough. Mine's Joker. Man, love that song. What time is it? Yeah, we gotta take a break.

[Joe Getty]

Trying to think of my favorite dessert at a restaurant. Flourless cake is a different kind of cake I will usually get. If there's a chocolate flourless cake, I love it. Dense as uranium. One bite and you need a cup of coffee or you're going to die.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I take one bite and say, hey, take this back to the kitchen, put some flour in it.

[Joe Getty]

This is garbage. Okay. We got more on the way. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Coming up, we got to read from this New York Times story that just hit about this explosive meeting that happened at the White House where people had had enough of Elon Musk and a cabinet member's and New York Times makes crap up all the time. But this is Maggie Haberman who's made some stuff up through Russia hoax. But Jonathan Swan, who I usually trust and also it just rings true. It just. It just sounds like I can believe it actually happened. Rubio has had enough of Elon Musk and you know, that sort of thing. So we'll read from Marco.

[Jack Armstrong]

Isn't some big donor Johnny come lately appointed to the first task, you know, and kind of obsequious, looking for a cable news show?

[Joe Getty]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. So speaking of breaking news stuff, I was just jumped on Twitter to check something and the first thing I come across is this. This is the last time I'll ask. Seriously, does anyone know what happened to Anne Heche?

[Joe Getty]

What?

[Jack Armstrong]

This is at the top of your mind of all the topics. All right. Or you could Google it.

[Joe Getty]

I'm sure there's some information out there somewhere.

[Jack Armstrong]

But you can gather by the radio.

[Joe Getty]

Every day, hoping someday we'll talk about whatever happened to Anne Heche.

[Jack Armstrong]

Unless you're Ann Hech's sibling or mother.

[Joe Getty]

What the hell she owes you money.

[Jack Armstrong]

So mention mentioned this earlier that more than half of Americans diets are these ultra processed foods and it's really not good for you. And big new study says that it's just about. It's not, I can't remember. It's. It's more than half at home as well as eating out. And a lot of people assume it's all fast food. That is the problem here, but it's not. And they hand along a healthy definition. Ultra processed foods are industrial formulations. Oh, industrial formulations. Mom, that's yummy. That contain substances with little or no nutritional value such as colorings, emulsifiers, artificial flavors and sweeteners. Examples include packaged snacks, sugary cereals, chips, hot dogs, prepackaged meats.

[Joe Getty]

Hot dogs. No, now.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes now.

[Joe Getty]

You're hurting my feelings.

[Jack Armstrong]

Nitrate rockets, They've called them that for 20 years.

[Joe Getty]

It's 100 beef.

[Jack Armstrong]

Why isn't there some protein? No, no, no. Well, yes, there's a hun. The 100 of the meat in it is beef, not a hundred percent of the hot dog.

[Joe Getty]

The rest of it is emulsions or whatever that word was.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, colorings, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, rocket fuel, whatever else and you know, worse. That's exactly right. Examples include packaged snacks, sugary cereals, chips, hot dogs, prepackaged meats, prepackaged meals, and many types of bread. Yes.

[Joe Getty]

I can't tell you how many days of my life I've eaten only probably ultra processed food. Maybe like certainly isn't a adult. Maybe two thirds of my days on earth.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Not good. By contrast, minimally processed foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, milk and other foods that undergo minimal processing like freezing or simple packaging without adding substantial ingredients.

[Joe Getty]

My brother said the last time we got to all got together as a family, he said I think I had a vegetable once in the 90s. He, he, he ate some vegetable just so Sam might eat vegetables when Sam was little, but other than that he hasn't had a vegetable since the early.

[Jack Armstrong]

90S and he's alive for his colon. They make the point that minimally processed foods, this is the good stuff, tend to be more expensive, more perishable, less available in some communities and require more cooking skills or pre planning.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

By contrast, ultra processed foods are easier and faster to prepare, often less expensive, more shelf stable.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, for me it's the last longer stable part that sucks me in. I don't live in a food desert, thank God, where I don't have access Because I'm a white guy. They made sure any white guys in this neighborhood, unless. Put a real grocery store in here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yay.

[Joe Getty]

And. And it's not the expense because it's only slightly more, but the fact that, you know, it can sit in box in the pantry for two months and you open that plastic bag and it's still perfectly fine, is pretty handy. And you buy fruits and vegetables. You gotta eat them this weekend, nerd. They're ruined.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. Or the stuff can sit in the freezer for the rest of your natural life and your grandchildren in the year 20, you know, 21, 40, you'll open it up and say, hey, these Hot Pockets are pretty good. They haven't been manufactured for 110 years, but they're tasty. Tastes just like pepperoni. Anyway, the college kids are still completely nuts. Maybe we can get to that. You want to do the crypto thing? I don't know. We got. We can stuff into the rest of the show.

[Joe Getty]

Explosive New York Times story. I want to read from.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, the explosive New York Times.

[Joe Getty]

It's gossip mostly, although not completely, because hasn't everybody been wondering, when's the Trump thing, the Elon Trump thing, blow up? It's got to at some point, right? Doesn't it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, this is some pretty good gossip. Among other things we got on. Coming up, if you missed a segment or an hour, just get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

Elon has been really teaching everybody about the numbers that you can do. But what I want is I want the numbers, but I also want to keep the good people. We want to get rid of the people that aren't working, that aren't showing up and have a lot of problems. And so they're working together with Elon, and I think we're doing a really great job.

[Joe Getty]

Trump announcing yesterday that cabinet secretaries can keep whoever they want to keep if they're doing a good job. That's being read by some people as a bit of reigning in Elon's power. Elon, as I've said many times, is the only name in the last 10 years that can rival Trump's for its ubiquitousness, at least in the last three weeks. I hear about Elon multiple times a day. Got an article in the Wall Street Journal today about how Tesla stock is down. They have a bunch of anecdotal quotes from people who are talking about selling their Teslas as lefties because they're so embarrassed. It's like, where. It's like driving a giant MAGA hat said one liberal. Okay, whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I saw some statistics that made it seem pretty significant, that change in the marketplace.

[Joe Getty]

I. I don't doubt it. I mean, I. It was. Well, it was a virtual signal to start with. There's no reason Tesla should be the most valuable car company in the world. No reason whatsoever. But it is, even today. And so much of that was, I want to be on the side of green energy and blah, blah, blah, and. And if it was a virtue signal now that Elon is the number one MAGA supporter financially on planet Earth, you know, took a lot of the fun out at first, some people. Then you got Elon coming in, run Doge and everything like that, and trying to figure out, you know, just in his observer, what. What his role is. He's not a Cabinet secretary. How. How much power does he have? Well, maybe we learned a little something in the last couple of days. New York Times with an article today. And you got to take everything the New York Times writes with a grain of salt, because they've had a lot of crap over the years. But this is not surprising. Inside the explosive meeting where Trump officials clashed with Elon Musk, simmering anger at the billionaires, unchecked power spilled out. In a remarkable Cabinet Room meeting. The President quickly moved to rein in Mr. Musk. I just think that opening phrase, unchecked power. According to who? He doesn't have any legitimate unchecked power. Doesn't even legitimate power whatsoever. So how you. How do you call it unchecked if he doesn't actually have any power?

[Katie Green]

Well.

[Jack Armstrong]

And how do you know it's not being checked? I mean, that's just a crock of crap.

[Joe Getty]

It is. I'll read from the article. Marco Rubio was incensed. Here he was in the Cabinet Room of the White House, the Secretary of State seated beside the President and listening to a litany of attacks from the richest man in the world. All right, already. I'm off at the New York Times. Why do you always have to. Why does everybody who hates Elon always have to point out he's the richest man in the world? Why? I mean, what are you trying to say with that phrase?

[Jack Armstrong]

I think we all know.

[Joe Getty]

We do all know, and it's dumb. You're trying to claim that because he's the richest man in the world, we should be extra skeptical of his opinion or something? I mean, what the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or assumes evil is actually more interesting. Well, it's a very interesting thing, I'll grant that. But is it really more interesting or More descriptive than the most innovative engineer of our generation or the most important figure in space exploration since NASA. How about the. A man who built the most valuable car company on Earth? The. The sheer fact of his wealth ain't the. The significant part to me.

[Joe Getty]

No, I was telling. It's interesting. My. I have to keep my voice down because he's right out there. My seventh grader doesn't like Elon because of. Elon's got all these kids and he has picked up on the fact that. The fact that Elon is clearly not being a dad. Yeah. And doesn't like him for that reason. Switch. You know, I. I understand knocking him on that. I was trying to explain to him how. Yeah, I don't like that at all either. But I think ultimately, I think Elon will be remembered hundreds of years from now in the same way that, like da Vinci's remembered or Isaac Newton or a variety of people. I think he is that level of person. Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah, the whole richest man in the world. Whatever you're. Unless I'm just reading too much into it. I feel like it's always used as a pejorative, like, he's the richest man in the world, so give him extra scrutiny because there's no way you'd become the richest man in the world without being evil on some level, you weird anti capitalist nut jobs. Anyway, back to the article. Seated diagonally opposite from Marco Rubio, across the elliptical mahogany table, Elon Musk was letting Mr. Rubio have it, accusing him of failing to slash his staff. You have fired nobody, Mr. Musk told Rubio, then scornfully added that perhaps the only person he had fired was a staff member from his Department of government efficiency. Mr. Rubio had been privately furious with Mr. Musk for weeks, ever since his DOGE team effectively shuttered an entire agency that was supposedly under Mr. Rubio's control. That's the United States Agency for International Development, that USAID thing, because that's supposed to be run by Rubio and the State Department. But in the extraordinary Cabinet meeting in front of the president and around 20 others, details of which have not been reported before, says the New York Times, Mr. Rubio got his grievances off his chest. Mr. Musk was not being truthful. Rubio said, what about the more than 1500 State Department officials who took early retirement and buyouts? Didn't they count as layoffs? He asked sarcastically whether Mr. Musk wanted him to rehire all those people just so he could make a show of firing them again. Then he laid out his detailed plans for reorganizing the State Department. Musk was unimpressed. He told Mr. Rubio he was good on TV, with clear subtext being that he wasn't good for much else. Throughout all this, the President sat back in his chair, arms folded, as if he were watching a tennis match. Wow. Which is sometimes good bossing, as you let, you know, people fight it out and kind of observe what's going on here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's let off steam, then talk about it. Yeah, that. That part does not ring fictional to me.

[Joe Getty]

No, I believe all of this part.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of the totality of Elon Musk is undoubtedly his autism and his quirks. He is not like Steve Jobs in a lot of ways, but some of the great geniuses who've altered history and technology have been extremely difficult to work with. And not just because you couldn't keep up with their genius. No, it's because they're a holes. It's because they either don't care about other people's lives and feelings and the rest of it, or they're not capable of it. So, yeah, this does not strike me as nutty.

[Joe Getty]

After the argument dragged on for an uncomfortable time, Mr. Trump finally intervened to defend. Mr. Rubio is doing a great job. Mr. Rubio has a lot to deal with, the president said. He's very busy. He's always traveling and on tv, and he had an agency to run, so everyone just needs to work together. The meeting was a potential inflection point after the frenetic first weeks of Mr. Trump's second term. It yielded the first significant indication that Mr. Trump is willing to put some limits on Mr. Musk. Again, I think that's. I think you on the left were acting like he had free reign to do whatever he wanted. I'm sure Trump had never at any point thought, Elon gets to do whatever he wants. Musk, whose efforts have become the subject of several lawsuits and prompted concerns from Republican lawmakers. Cabinet officials almost uniformly like the concept of what Mr. Musk set out to do. Reducing waste, fraud, and abusing government, but have been frustrated by the hacksaw approach to upending the government and the lack of consistent coordination.

[Jack Armstrong]

We have hailed his approach to rocketry in that they fail fast and learn faster. It's. It's a different thing approaching government, though, for a variety of reasons. And there are aspects of what he's done and how he's done it that remind me of his rocketry stuff. And. And you can't always adapt A methodology from one thing to another, completely smoothly. So, again, this strikes me as it sounds true, and it's not shocking, but the other reality of Elon Musk and the way he does things is he learns from it and adjusts.

[Joe Getty]

Last part, I'll read. Thursday's meeting, which was abruptly scheduled on Wednesday evening, was a sign that Mr. Trump is mindful of the growing complaints. I'll bet all these people have gone to him, said, dude, you got to do something about Elon being up my shorts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Trump tried to offer each side something by praising both Mr. Musk and his Cabinet secretaries. At least one Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant, who has had tense Encounters related to Mr. Musk's team, was not present. The President made clear he still supported Doge's mission, but now was the time he said, to be a bit more refined in the approach. From now on, Trump said, the secretaries would be in charge, as you just heard in that last clip, and the Musk team would only advise. So he said that out loud in front of Musk and all the secretaries. From now on, Doge advises, secretaries are in charge of who gets laid off, fired, lectured, whatever. Interesting, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. I am not troubled by. All right. A little too much too fast. Let's rein it in a little bit. As opposed to the exact opposite, which has existed for generations.

[Joe Getty]

Doesn't bother me either. Mr. Musk, who wore a suit and tie to Thursday's meeting instead of his usual t shirt after Mr. Trump publicly ribbed him about his sloppy appearance, defended himself by saying that he has three companies with a market cap of tens of billions of dollars and that his results speak for themselves. He must have been feeling a little cornered to have to throw that out there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

I. My guess would be just from what I know of Elon, and I keep meaning to read that Walter Isaacson book, because Walter Isaacson got to follow Elon around for weeks and months. And I just want to know more about the way Elon works. Elon seems to flip from thing to thing, which he gets to do. And, like, he gets super into, like, the new Tesla thing, and then I think he gets bored with it. And I wonder what's going on with the rocket company. And then I wonder how they're doing with the chips and the monkey brains. And I just think either out of, okay, fine, you don't like the way I'm doing it, I'm go over here and work on chips and monkey brains. I just think at some point he's gonna be. He's gonna hand it off to somebody. And you're not going to hear much from Elon. He ain't going to be around D.C. all the time, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah, I suspect so too. You know, another way to look at this, couple of things I remember in school I used to hate when we had to do group projects. And this is, this is not some sort of weird, humble brag, but it always was the case that it would slow me down, you know, later in life, as you know, I got to choose who I worked with and all. It became like a privilege and great to work with other people with great ideas and. But in school, especially when you're randomly assigned, you know, I can do this a lot faster and a lot better if I don't have to, you know, include you. Anyway, Elon Musk has that personality to, to his core because he's like unspeakably brilliant and mind bogglingly energetic. So I get that 100%. And you can make that work. Steve Jobs in a private corporation, but the very nature of our government with the, the three branches of government and then the layers of how they function within each branch and then how they interrelate. You cannot have a mad genius run that the way he runs SpaceX. You just can't.

[Joe Getty]

Those of us on the other end of the personality spectrum, you get into a group setting and you got some gung ho person like Joe and you think he usually gets good grades. Feel free. Yeah. You yourself out and I'll sit here and stare at my zipper while you do all the work. And I'll get a B also. And awesome.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not even out the window at the birds.

[Joe Getty]

We will finish strong.

[Jack Armstrong]

Next, Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael Angelo]

Pro Palestinian protesters really think they're in charge. Okay. They think they can go to the dean, go to the president of these Ivy League universities and tell them they have a long list of demands saying they're not going to stop until they get what they want. Even though President Trump has threatened to pull that funding and throw those agitators behind bars. The chaos continues. The students, who have their faces covered all the time with the headscarf, set up what they called a liberation zone inside of the library at Barnard College, chanting Free Palestine and blocking the doors. For how long? At least four hours. Students who pay big money and tuition couldn't even get inside to study.

[Katie Green]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm always going on about how badly we need to reform the university system. Maybe we just stand back.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, no kidding. Let it tear itself down. My first, my first thought on hearing that if I was the dean, you see, the pro, the thing you always got to remember about these stories is the dean agrees with them. That's why this goes on. But if I were the dean, they come in there and they say, here's our list of demands. I think, okay, good for you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's my list of responses. One middle finger, two middle fingers, knock.

[Joe Getty]

Yourself out, hand me the demands. And if you don't meet them by midnight tonight, we're gonna. Okay, well, if you block the doors of the library, we're gonna kick you out of school. The end. That's the end of the discussion, Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Stephen Miller, We've got the clip, but why bother? He says, look, Trump's made it clear, expel these students or you're gonna lose the funding. And I don't know exactly what that enforcement mechanism looks like, but by golly, we have let our university system go completely freak nuts, I would say.

[Joe Getty]

So if you got students going to the dean and say, here's our list of demands and you must meet them. And the dean acts like he needs to like that. If you saw the video, is this, I think, the same dean from Barnard asking permission to go to the bathroom when he was being held against his will a couple of weeks ago. What?

[Jack Armstrong]

That ought to be known from coast to coast. People ought to know in every berg in America that that happened and understand what it means because that's a power symbol, but, but powerful symbol. But so much of the media is uncomfortable reporting this. Oh, and on that topic, I have laid out a couple of times the thought, the question, the request that I can't picture any result to the Israel Hamas thing other than the complete annihilation of Hamas and Israeli control over the Palestinian territories or a massive change in the leadership among Palestinians. And nobody's ever said no, Joe, here's what you're missing. Nobody has ever responded to that. If you'd like to [e-mail] I believe.

[Joe Getty]

In a two stage solution. Oh, it's final thoughts. Armstrong and Yeti. It's final thoughts. It's final thoughts. I'm strong again. Get ready with Katie Green and Michael Angelo. It's final thoughts. I'm strong again. Wow, that's good. Here's your host for final Thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew to wrap things up for the day and the week. There is our technical director, Michelangelo Michael. Well, my dad shared the same birthday as your son Jack.

[Joe Getty]

And as a tribute to my dad.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm gonna eat some.

[Joe Getty]

Maybe prime rib or Mexican food. I'm just glad he had good taste. You know, he didn't eat liver or something.

[Jack Armstrong]

That would have been a bummer. Oh, agreed. Katie Greener, esteemed newswoman, has a final thought.

[Joe Getty]

Katie, I just opened my new slip on knee braces for the gym and.

[Michael Angelo]

I just have to tell you guys, I am so relieved that they came.

[Joe Getty]

With a user manual, actually. Instructions on how to use your knee brace. You slip it on over your knee. You see, that's it.

[Jack Armstrong]

But there's more. Okay, Jack, a final thought.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I'll make it about me. I became a parent 15 years ago today. Best decision I ever made. I can't imagine my life without it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Here, here. My final thought is I don't have one. I'm so wrapped up in thinking about the university system because I'm so bothered by it. I didn't. I didn't get to it mentally.

[Joe Getty]

Joe Getty worn down by life.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, partly.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm frustrated. My golf game got canceled tomorrow. Gonna play with a buddy of mine, but it got screwed up.

[Joe Getty]

I'm taking my birthday boy, oldest son and a couple of his friends on a little birthday outing that I night. And they're gonna have a really good time and want me to not be around. I have a feeling. Armstrong and Yeti wrapping up another grueling four hour workday.

[Jack Armstrong]

So many people to thank. So many generations not getting their kids musical choices. Go to armstrongandgetty.com we have hot links, we have swag. Pick up an A G sweatshirt for your favorite A G fan. Maybe it's you.

[Joe Getty]

Musical choices and clothing choices. What the hell is that?

[Jack Armstrong]

You're gonna leave the housewaring?

[Joe Getty]

We'll see you on Monday. God bless America. Armstrong and Getty were unquestionably in poor taste. And you know what?

[Katie Green]

Everybody knows it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whatever you say, daddy. They need to tone it down.

[Katie Green]

And I think I have the power to end this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Doesn't that sound crazy?

[Joe Getty]

Well, first of all, I'll show you whatever part you want to see for a five spot. If there's any demand, I'll give you.

[Jack Armstrong]

A 10 not to.

[Joe Getty]

That's what I'll do. One final message. It's cold. Bye. Bye. Have a great Friday. You mother are Armstrong and Gettysburg.