Negligent Discharge Friday : 1/2/2026

Summary

Cleared Hot – Negligent Discharge Friday: 1/2/2026

Host: Andy Stumpf
Episode Date: January 9, 2026

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Overview

In this episode of Cleared Hot, Andy Stumpf dives headfirst into the major international headlines of the week, with a prominent focus on the U.S. operation targeting Venezuela’s President Maduro. Joined by a co-host, Andy offers his seasoned military perspective, discusses the legal and ethical quandaries involved, and explores broader geopolitical themes, generational attitudes, and the disruptive trajectory of AI. Personal banter, generational perspectives, and characteristic dark humor keep the mood dynamic amid serious analysis. The episode concludes with reflections on money, personal growth, and creative goals for the new year.

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Major Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. U.S. Operation in Venezuela: Legal, Tactical, and Moral Analysis

Timestamps: [01:28] – [17:30]

• Initial Thoughts on the Maduro Operation

  • The co-host introduces the Venezuela operation as "the biggest thing that happened this week."
  • Andy is cautious in his initial assessment:

    "I reserve the right to not have a response until I have been able to actually look at the information and make an objective assessment." ([01:53])

  • Emphasizes the importance of legal counsel in high-level military operations (noting the involvement of JAG lawyers).

• Media Skepticism and JSOC Capabilities

  • Addresses skepticism about the reported lack of American casualties and impressive JSOC performance:

    "Whatever people think they know about JSOC elements and their capability, just please take a breath and a beat and realize you actually don't know a damn thing." ([06:16]) "If they show up at your presidential compound, you are so screwed." ([06:48])

  • Describes possible tactical elements: pre-assault fires, electronic suppression, and the advantage of surprise.

• The Ethics and Optics of Intervention

  • Raises the question, "Should we be doing that?" ([08:51])
  • Discusses complexity behind striking foreign targets, especially under tenuous legal pretexts like "narco-terrorism."
  • Warns against jumping to conclusions with limited and early information.

• Consequences and International Questions

  • The co-host voices generational concern:

    “It seems like a pretty blatant breach of a country's sovereignty to go in and just take somebody.” ([12:56])

  • Andy brings up the slippery slope implications (e.g., what about China and Taiwan? ([14:36]))
  • Examines the tangle of U.S., Venezuelan, and Chinese interests, especially concerning oil and regional stability.

2. U.S. Foreign Policy and the Greenland Rhetoric

Timestamps: [22:00] – [24:41]

• Discussion of Trump’s inflammatory Greenland comments and broader U.S. stance toward NATO and "American expansionism."
• Andy’s take:

  "I do not like this idea of American expansion, imperialism—like those. That era is over." ([22:52])

  • Expresses that the U.S. should focus on domestic issues, not "taking Greenland because we want to take it."

3. Domestic Politics and Generational Divide

Timestamps: [26:55] – [35:39]

• Discussion about the White House's politicized plaques and how these actions may set dangerous precedent for future administrations.
• Andy explains his frustration:

  "It is the short-sighted nature of what's going to happen ... eventually at some point it is going to go back in the other direction. And I don't, I don't even know what that looks like. ... That is how our country absolutely falls apart." ([29:30])

• The co-host underscores a generational fatigue with polarization and propensity to swing hard politically in reaction.
• Talks about fringe figures gaining traction online due to societal polarization—how labeling everyone causes “5% to stay” and amplifies extremes.

4. AI, Deepfakes, and Digital Ethics

Timestamps: [39:04] – [44:27]

• Examination of advancements in AI image generation ("Nano Banana" and Google's latest models), the blurring boundary of digital reality, and the societal challenges this presents.
• Andy's concern:

  "What worries me the most... is that my dad’s generation ... doesn’t understand technology. ... He is susceptible ... to an AI tool that can clone my voice ... and has a conversation with him where I am ... asking for money because I am in trouble." ([41:18])

• They debate the ethics and inevitability of AI-created content and short-form repurposing ("lazy, but is it wrong?").
• Discuss the challenge of combating deepfakes and attribution, advocating that “the simple ask of just tag us” is the best defense.

5. Personal Finance & Life Goals

Timestamps: [44:37] – [50:13]

• Discussion about attitudes toward wealth, living simply, and the progression of financial goals across generations.
• Andy:

  "Money to me is much more about what you spend as opposed to what you make." ([47:31])

  • Describes wanting enough financial freedom to prioritize family, travel, and time over material acquisition.

6. New Year’s Resolutions, Creativity & Personal Growth

Timestamps: [54:37] – [62:43]

• Both hosts reflect on their stances regarding New Year's resolutions—preferring ongoing, incremental self-improvement over “starting on January 1st.”
• Andy discusses goals focused on the podcast and book launch, enhancing production quality, and growth as a speaker and creative.
• The co-host shares a desire to draw more, embracing improvement and creative experimentation as a personal challenge.

7. Humorous Banter & Notable Moments

Timestamps: Throughout

• The running joke over who has to double-check whom on technical setups, military glasses ("birth control glasses"), and the co-host’s mustache.
• Repeated poking fun at each other's generational quirks and mustache reviews ("So from a singular woman... your mom said that you look relatively good and a grandma.") ([36:21])
• Playful threats over potential haircuts:

  "How much would I have to pay you for you to let me cut your hair?" ([53:07])

  • “[If you cut my hair like that] I would just go and shave my head when I got home. I would still call that a moral victory.” ([54:31])

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Notable Quotes

• On legal caution and judgment:
  "The first information that is reported is almost always the least accurate." — Andy ([01:53])

• On JSOC:
  "People have absolutely no idea the lethality and the precision and the capability of those JSOC units." — Andy ([06:35])

• On the optics of regime takeovers:
  "We think it’s awesome as Americans ... What is the rest of the world looking at this thinking?" — Andy ([11:57])

• On America’s role:
  "We provide the most aid out of any country in the world ... I do not like this idea of American expansion, imperialism—like those. That era is over." — Andy ([22:51]–[23:04])

• On polarization and setting precedent:
  "What precedent is being set. ... I think it's like charging a battery right now ... that is going to be unleashed and drained in the other direction. And that does not serve our country well in the long haul." — Andy ([29:30])

• On AI scams and deepfakes:
  "He [my dad] is susceptible ... to an AI tool that can clone my voice ... and has a conversation with him where I am ... asking for money because I am in trouble." — Andy ([41:18])

• On financial priorities:
  "Money to me is much more about what you spend as opposed to what you make." — Andy ([47:31])

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Key Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |-----------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Venezuela operation & JSOC capability | 01:28–17:30 | | U.S. foreign policy, Greenland, NATO | 22:00–24:41 | | White House plaques, political polarization | 26:55–35:39 | | AI, deepfakes, content rights | 39:04–44:27 | | Personal finance, goals, life priorities | 44:37–50:13 | | Resolutions, creativity, personal growth | 54:37–62:43 |

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Tone & Style

The conversation is candid and thoughtful, unafraid to acknowledge uncertainty and shades of gray on complex issues. Dry sarcasm and self-deprecating humor provide levity, balancing the more serious analysis. The generational divide is explored with both empathy and ribbing, melding personal anecdotes with broader perspectives for a relatable, accessible listening (and reading) experience.

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Takeaways

• Don't rush to judgment on breaking news, especially in matters of war and law.
• The operational capabilities of elite U.S. military units are often underestimated by outsiders.
• Questions of legality and ethics in foreign intervention are deeply nuanced and demand scrutiny.
• American political polarization and precedent-setting actions in the White House have long-term, destabilizing potential.
• AI technology presents profound ethical, legal, and practical challenges that society is rapidly unprepared for.
• Personal growth, simplicity, and focusing on what matters—family, time, creativity—are enduring values amid a chaotic world.

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For anyone seeking an honest, multidimensional look at current affairs, generational attitudes, and the intersection of technology and identity, this is a quintessential Cleared Hot episode.

Transcript

[A]

Okay, I got the red smoke. Sun run north and south west of the smoke. West of the smoke. Okay, copy. West of the smoke. I'm looking at danger close now with it, baby.

[B]

Give it to me. I mean it.

[A]

You're clear hot. You asking me if I'm ready? Pretty sure We've been waiting on you.

[B]

Yeah, well, we have.

[A]

You better bring it because you were over there. I just heard this little pitter patter, tippy typey look. You didn't even turn off the other lights.

[B]

Yep. I was trying to get everything pre ready so I don't have to search for it during the show, you know, like I usually do.

[A]

Do you think that there will ever be a time or I don't have to double check your work?

[B]

No.

[A]

That light was almost directly over your head. It is visibly different the illumination that is in this room.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You wear glasses, which means I feel like you should be able to see well.

[B]

I still don't see well even with these on, but it's much worse without them.

[A]

Why don't you get a different prescription?

[B]

No, they're actually fine. But sometimes when it's really far away, it's a little tough.

[A]

Yeah, that's for everybody too. Yeah, well, it gets far enough away, it's tough to see things. Yeah. What do you have for today?

[B]

Moving on. I mean, I guess let's just start off with the like probably the biggest thing that happened this week with the Venezuela Maduro stuff.

[A]

Yeah. What questions do you have?

[B]

I mean, I know my thoughts on it and I. I am curious what your response to that is or what you think about that.

[A]

You know, I reserve the right to not have a response until I have been able to actually look at the information and make an objective assessment of what I've seen. I think it has been repeated so many times that the first information that is reported is almost always the least accurate. I am not an. An expert in international law. I don't know what authorities that they were operating under. I don't know if it was Law Enforcement, Title 10, Title 50. I am aware of the as everybody else is because my only source of information is the same source of information that other people have access to. I don't rush to make a judgment off of that. I think more of it needs to come in. So I am not an expert in the legalities of the operation. I will have to assume based on my own experience when, especially at a high level operation like this, there are lawyers involved in the process and at least in the Navy, they're called jags. I think they probably are for all the branches, but at least in the Navy, they're jags or Judge Advocate Generals, and they are going to be advising decision makers as to the legalities of the decision. Is this legal? Is this not legal? We would get briefs from then going overseas where they would talk about ROEs and clarify any questions that we would have about Roes. But my point in saying all this is a lawyer somewhere or multiple lawyers somewhere signed off on this. So I'm going to assume that it was executed lawfully and legally. I know people are talking about whether or not Congress was notified or not. I don't know what the War Powers act and what the President is able to do from a limited strike perspective without authorizing the notification to Congress. Iran was another one where he clearly didn't notify Congress because they were trying to do a surprise bag, which was a resounding success. So again, I'll leave the legalities to the side of it. It is brought to you by Hollow Socks. Have you ever seen the movie Forrest Gump? If you're my age, you definitely have. And if you're of younger generation and you haven't, I feel bad for you and slightly ashamed. You need to go watch it. When he gets to Vietnam, he talks to Lieutenant Dan. One of the most important things that he says is you have to take care of your feet and every time that they stop, you're going to change your socks. Why do you think that is? Well, you can have the most amazing pair of boots on your feet. If you have the wrong socks that layer in between your feet and whatever it is you're wearing, it can absolutely ruin your day. Not all socks are created equal, specifically compression socks. Sometimes they're made out of a material that makes you feel like you have a plastic bag on your feet. You end up feeling like you have sweaty just pools of moisture down by your toes. This is where hollow socks come in. They are the first compression socks that don't compromise comfort for functionality. You can slip them on for a long day, for long flights, a long workday, anytime your legs need to bounce back. They're made from ultra soft baby alpaca fiber, so they are compression socks so comfortable it should be illegal. These socks use a graduated compression. They don't squeeze your leg unevenly like most socks do. They're snug at the ankle and then gently tapering up the leg for a balanced circulation. Hollow doesn't just make compression socks. They offer an everyday sock, a trail sock, a hunting Sock and a trades socks for those 14 hour days in boots. So for a limited time Hollow Socks is having a buy two, get two free sale. Head to HollowSocks.com today. That is HollowSocks.com for up to 50% off of your order. After you purchase, they're going to ask you where you heard about them. Do me a favor and let them know that you heard from this show. Back to the show. My favorite thing that I have seen so far, the report coming out. What is today? Today is January 7th, seventh Wednesday. So this will come out in two days. And this has mostly been on social media, but people saying there is no way that our soldiers were able to kill 34 of the protective guard of the President of Venezuela and get out without a single casualty. And I watch movies like anybody else does their entertainment. I've seen a bunch of war movies.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And there's some aspects of it that are accurate and others that are not. But what I will say is this. Whatever people think they know about JSOC elements and their capability, just please take a breath and a beat and realize you actually don't know a damn thing.

[B]

Yeah. I mean they are, you know, and.

[A]

People ask me all the time, why do you say that? Your career was very average. And my answer is always the same. It is because of the people that I worked with and what I saw them being able to do. People have absolutely no idea the lethality and the precision and the capability of those JSOC units. If they show up at your presidential compound, you are so screwed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I won't get into the details of how I think this probably went down, but broadly, from what I understood, there was a bunch of aircraft. So there's gonna be suppression of electronic signature. If there was radar, that's probably gonna. There's going to be pre assault fires on anything that might be considered an air threat. There'll probably be pre assault fires on anything in the compound itself. So I would say some of those security personnel were probably dead before the helicopters even landed. There's a variety of ways that you could land the helicopters in a couple different ways that you do it from, you know, managing your distance. But you might have the home turf advantage and find yourself with helicopters in your courtyard and you are actually on the inside of a complex ambush. Let's not also forget that they didn't know that they were coming. So my guess is his security personnel were probably cruising around in business casual with a six shooter, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

At one o' clock in the morning let's say they had a bunch of high speed gear. Did they have their high speed gear on? Did they have it readily accessible? Is this stuff in some storage room where you got to go put in a. You know what I mean? And then disseminate and get all your stuff ready to go? Because all of a sudden blacked out aircraft are landing and the dudes getting off aren't looking for their gear.

[B]

Yeah, they're.

[A]

They're in night vision goggles with robot dogs.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they're going to eat your lunch. I don't know about the robot dogs. That's a joke. I don't know if they're using those yet. There probably is a point where the robot dogs are going to be utilized and at that point the Terminator has become a documentary. Yes, they are so incredibly lethal. It is not surprising to me at all that that was the way that the tally played itself out. And for people who think that that's impossible, I'm here to tell you, unless you have been around it, you just don't know. It's pretty awesome and amazing how capable they are.

[B]

Yeah, I mean that's the part that I am like, that is really cool that in like several hours we can just go into a city, take one person and leave. And like.

[A]

Which begs the bigger question, should we be doing that? And I think that was the point of your question. Yeah, I don't know where I land on that one yet. And it's the same thing I'll say about striking the drug boats in international water. And I know that people say that they're fishing boats, but I've yet to see anyone fishing on a cigarette boat in international water with like 6, 650 or 450 horsepower engines in the middle of the night, loaded down with bales that don't look like they have anything to do with fishing. So I'm not by any stretch here to defend a strike against a drug dealer. There's no love lost for people bringing drugs and the negative consequences that can come from that. However, having said that, there's a supply and demand issue here. We have an insatiable demand in our own country, so we should probably address that. Yeah.

[B]

If there's a demand, somebody's going to supply.

[A]

Correct. You know, and I think the vast majority of the overdoses are coming from fentanyl related narcotics which do not come from Venezuela. The, you know, the components of that stuff are generally coming in from China and they are being put together in either south of the border or even more so north of the border up in Canada, as much as they may deny it, people want to talk about a porous and open border, the southern border. They have no idea. Have you ever been? I mean, we live 60 miles from the border. Obviously there's the border crossings that you can go to with the cbp, but have you ever. We'll go for a flight one time, a helicopter. It looks like a mode stretch of grass. It's. What it is, is a clear cut that goes from west to east. And I'm sure that there are sensors up there have actually really no idea what they have going on. But those are reactionary in nature. It's not out there. You know, they're not bear trapping people, which I'm not recommending that they should. But it is such a wide open border. If I was looking at that, I would go for the northern border instead of the southern border. Just because of the vastness of it.

[B]

There's no way you could possibly monitor every stretch of that border.

[A]

So the drug thing aside, I don't know an immense amount about Maduro. I. We're not in World War Three. You know, people are saying Trump just started World War 3. They said the same thing about Iran. People's memories are very short about the comments that they make. It's not World War 3. I'm pretty sure on the campaign trail he campaigned on ending wars and not starting any new ones. And I'm not saying we have started a war and I'm not saying that Maduro is a good person. I'm not saying I don't agree with him being removed. I just, I need more information to come out. I'm gonna be really curious how we behave as a country as Venezuela transitions to whatever is going to be next. Was this really about Maduro or was this about oil?

[B]

Yeah, that's. It seems very thinly veiled because I.

[A]

Don'T have the answer. These are things that I think about and I need more information.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, what are your thoughts? Here's a question for you. Yeah, what are your thoughts on the White House? The videos that they are posting on Instagram from the White House official channel of Maduro, Like I will wait here for you and come get me. And it's like, ladies and gentlemen, start your edges.

[B]

It's something to a degree.

[A]

It is awesome. The other side of that coin, we think it's awesome as Americans because that we. That is like speaking our love language. What is the rest of the world looking at this thinking?

[B]

Well, yeah, I mean like Greenland, I've.

[A]

Heard right now is a little bit on edge.

[B]

Well, that's the next topic, so. Okay, hold your, hold your thoughts on that.

[A]

Did you know Greenland is mostly ice and Iceland is mostly green?

[B]

Yeah, I did know that.

[A]

I had heard many years ago that the Vikings named it in that way because they wanted to be in Iceland and they wanted everybody to go to Greenland.

[B]

I've heard that too. I don't know how true it is, but that would be funny.

[A]

I assume it's fact.

[B]

Yeah, everything I hear, it's a deeply.

[A]

Held belief of mine with no evidence to support it. I don't know. I mean, what are your thoughts? You again. What is your. I mean you are now, if a draft were to be instituted, you're the one who's on the receiving end.

[B]

I'm the prime candidate, actually.

[A]

What are your, what does your generation think about this? Are they paying attention or is it at the point where there is no paying attention?

[B]

No, we're paying attention. And I, I mean, I don't think that it's. It seems like a pretty blatant breach of a country sovereignty to go in and just take somebody. I mean essentially kidnap somebody again, so kidnapping is illegal.

[A]

And that's why I say in the decision making process there are lawyers involved, probably many layers of lawyers at this point. Are all lawyers created equal? Absolutely not. I think they might have done this under some type because of the narco terrorism. I believe that's the nexus that this went under.

[B]

I mean. Yes, but to me it seems like a technicality of we need some reason to take to, you know, to take this guy and oh, conveniently he's smuggled drugs. So let's take him now because of that.

[A]

Well, he did smuggle drugs.

[B]

He did. No, no, I, I agree.

[A]

Also trend. Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Super gnarly. There's actually a presence of TDA in Montana of all places. I' Yeah, I think it's in 16 states now. Super gnarly. He. I mean, I'm not going to say he necessarily facilitated. He didn't do a damn thing to stop it.

[B]

Yeah, no. And then none of that is good. And I'm not advocating for that. But I also, I don't know, like you said, I guess we don't know the strict legality of it. I don't know. I think it's not. I honestly don't think it's okay. And I don't know. I. I am a little afraid of where it would take us.

[A]

Yeah. Like what's next is the question that comes next.

[B]

And, and then also people have been saying, well, if we're doing this to Venezuela, if China does something to Taiwan, who? We can't say.

[A]

I mean, I guess that does get a little bit slippery, you know, and.

[B]

And that's the other thing is people have been saying, well, China invested a lot of money into Venezuela in their oil and now we have essentially.

[A]

Made.

[B]

A coup in Venezuela. And I don't know, the new person is not, I think she was already the vice president of Venezuela. So we aren't in control of Venezuela, but it's like we kind of just fucked with China's whole deal there because now we're coming in and saying, hey, oil execs, go for it.

[A]

Yeah, but they're always messing with our deal too.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

You know what I mean? The soft conflict versus the hard conflict, the direct versus the past, passive aggressive. I mean, it is a constant battle between those. I mean, there's just very differing ideologies about the future trajectory of society in the world.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I don't know, I, I'm, overall, I would say I'm, I'm on the negative side of that. I, I don't.

[A]

Because you don't like the optic of it. You don't understand the legality of it. I'm just curious.

[B]

Well, yeah, the legality of it is the biggest thing for me because, you know, a lawyer did sign off on it. Yes. However, I'm not sure. It kind of seems like it was legal, you know, quote unquote. But it's the, the, the, you're getting.

[A]

Real loosey goosey with your answer over there.

[B]

Yeah, I just, I, I sounds like.

[A]

You just don't like it.

[B]

You can just say I don't. Well, yeah, I know, and I, I just don't like it. It just doesn't seem like the right thing to do. It doesn't seem like a good use of America's power.

[A]

Well, neither you nor I have the raw intelligence and data that led to the decision making point.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and that's one thing I try to remember as well too. And even when I was in the military, I never had access to that level of information, nor was I the decision maker. And I try to remind myself of that as well. I can answer some basic tactical questions, but at a strategic level, I'm over the front of my skis and my ability to really articulate and give an answer as to the upstream or downstream effects or the why.

[B]

Yeah. And then the other Part of it is. Is the. You know, I don't think this will happen, but is like the draft part where it's like, if something does come of this and it's like, all right, we're going to war with Venezuela. To me, that is not a just war at all.

[A]

I don't think we would go to war with Venezuela.

[B]

I don't think so either.

[A]

They have the military capability to have a sustained conflict.

[B]

Yeah, well, I mean, look at Vietnam. You know, I think another jungle warfare situation with a. A military power that's technologically vastly below us. It didn't matter in Vietnam. And I think.

[A]

I think we would fight it differently.

[B]

I would. I would say so.

[A]

I mean, unless it would be a very remote conflict.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Unless we're.

[A]

If you were going to get drafted, what branch of the service would you join?

[B]

Probably the Army. Wait, would I have a choice if I got drafted?

[A]

In my hypothetical situation, yes. Well, if you got drafted, you could go choose to enlist. So you made at least your choice as opposed to if there was a draft.

[B]

That's probably what I would do.

[A]

What would you. Would you try to select in the army? What would your job be?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Then why would you choose the army?

[B]

Just, I don't know. It seems like the most. Not basic, but, like, most straightforward way to go.

[A]

You just. You really like a flag in the wind, aren't you? The breeze takes you where it's gonna go.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, I would join the army. Why? I don't know.

[B]

Well, what job would you want?

[A]

Couldn't tell you. Researched none of these things. But I'm gonna definitively say the Army.

[B]

Exactly. Yep. No research. Just go for it.

[A]

I. I need to get you a set of the military, specifically army glasses. BCGs, control glasses.

[B]

What are they called?

[A]

Just look up, like 2005 army issue glasses. I have heard people in the army calling these BCGs, birth control glasses.

[B]

I can see why.

[A]

They're more for function than style, wouldn't you agree?

[B]

I would say so, yeah.

[A]

Those are pretty dope.

[B]

Those are awesome. Oh, it's doing the thing again.

[A]

Well, like I said, is there ever gonna be a day where I don't double check you?

[B]

No. Yeah. Wow, these are really something.

[A]

Do I find those with the flexible strap, though? Yeah.

[B]

Yes. Those are awesome.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you have to wear these if you're vision impaired.

[A]

In the Army, Michael, you never have to wear glasses. But if you want to see the world around you, it's probably.

[B]

Well, I. I would prefer to.

[A]

Yeah, you know, Sometimes eyewear can protect you. Like Kremlin Shaw. He could have two eyes, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I would think if I was that guy, I'd be putting bills in that require mandatory eye protection in the military.

[B]

I would, you know. Yeah. You live and you learn.

[A]

Not always. Let me just tell you from personal experience.

[B]

Not always.

[A]

Yes. I mean, that's where I, I don't. Everyone deserves to be connected.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

And some of. You know, part of me wonders, is all of this stuff going on to get people so overwhelmed with so much going on that they stop paying attention, that it's impossible to pay attention to.

[B]

Yeah, maybe.

[A]

I mean, and I'm not like a crazy conspiratorial, like this Machiavellian plan behind the scenes and people are twisting their mustache, but I mean, I do ask myself those things.

[B]

I mean, this specific plan was probably on the books for quite a while, don't you think?

[A]

I would imagine it was a couple months of planning. Yeah, I was, I would imagine there were some, some rehearsals. I mean, there were multiple, if not hundreds of assets involved in this outside of just the individuals that landed at the presidential compound.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I wonder if the presidential combat had video cameras because that'd be a dope video.

[B]

That. Yeah, that's, that's the thing is like, as much as I don't think that this is a good idea, just the fact of how badass it is is like, that's pretty cool actually.

[A]

All I'll say is this, for however lethal people think JSOC is, you're way off. It should warm your heart, the capability of those individuals.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, it's. It is pretty cool.

[A]

They will tear your ass to pieces.

[B]

Yeah. So. And so then, you know, kind of on the same topic, Trump has made some really inflammatory comments about Greenland so far.

[A]

Really inflammatory comments about a lot of things.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But Greenland included.

[B]

Yes. Yeah. So what I'll say is now he's actually acted on one of those comments, which is Venezuela.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And now he says military is not out of the picture for Greenland and he's already acted on Something. So that's the thing that really kind of scares me now is isolating us from NATO, which is our biggest alliance structure that we could possibly have.

[A]

That one doesn't make much sense to me. Greenland from my understanding, has acquiesced to every military request we've ever given them, whether it's staging base, whatever it may be. Right. The access to that. So it's not like they've started saying no. And honestly, at a baseline level, I want and believe that the United States is a lighthouse for good for the world. We provide the most aid out of any country in the world.

[B]

By far.

[A]

By far. I do not like this idea of American expansion, imperialism, like those. That era is over.

[B]

Yes, far over.

[A]

It's far over. We have a substantial amount of issues that we need to focus our energy, attention, capital resources on inside of our own borders. And like I said, Greenland has been nothing but an amazing ally that has allowed us to do everything that we need to do. Why would we need to go take. There's Greenland and again. So it's again, I, I understand some people who would probably describe that. No, I'm red blooded, like this is awesome. We want it, we're gonna go take it. The rest of the world is. I mean I wanted to maintain our position in the world and maybe the rest of the world doesn't even feel this way. But I myself, the way that I view this country, I mean I deeply love this country. I love what we stand for. And like I said, I think that we are, can and should be a lighthouse to the rest of the world. Taking Greenland because we want to take Greenland, like that is the antithesis to me. And again, I don't have the raw data and information, but I would, I don't know what data or information can really change my mind on that.

[B]

No, there's man. Yeah, this like, this is the one for me that's like the most dangerous, I think to America and the world situation at large because. Well, I mean what's more important for national security? An island in the North Pole or in or an entire continent?

[A]

Did you just say island in the North Pole?

[B]

It is in the North Pole.

[A]

It's an Arctic Circle.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The really. Why don't you look up the difference between the North Pole and the Arctic Circle?

[B]

I'll just say you're right, it's fine.

[A]

I know I am right on this one. The North Pole is where Santa's workshop is. Of course, the Arctic Circle is a certain latitude that north of that you're in The Arctic Circle, which I have been into and you have not.

[B]

That is true.

[A]

I know it's true. You've left the country twice and talked to zero women three times. When you come to Australia with us in 2027, if I don't get drafted. Good point. Yeah, very, very good point. Assuming you're not serving in the army at an undisclosed job of the Army's choosing. Since you're just gonna go join the army and just. I don't know. What do you guys got for me? Here's my ASVAB score.

[B]

Zero.

[A]

Are you going to talk to some women? Per chance Leah can be of assistance to you on this? She could be your wing woman.

[B]

Yeah. Cool.

[A]

Great. Very enthusiastic.

[B]

What if I have a girlfriend by then?

[A]

Can we live in the real world? Can we operate in a world that is in some way tied to.

[B]

Who am I kidding? But what I was saying, what's more important for national security? An island in the Arctic Circle or an entire continent? Alliance network.

[A]

Well, and the island we already have.

[B]

Access to, we can already do almost whatever we want on the island. They just let us do it.

[A]

Yeah. So. And again, I don't understand on that one. And some of the rhetoric, I think it's. It's just Trump says some wild stuff.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and I don't think he means it all. And maybe that's the strategy that he likes is he acts on some of it and doesn't on others. So it keeps people on their heels instead of on their toes. I don't know. Right. I'm. I'm curious. What? At some point a Democratic president is going to get elected from the Democratic Party. I am fascinated to see how far the pendulum swings in the other direction. Have you heard about the plaques that he put up?

[B]

Insane.

[A]

In the White House?

[B]

Yes. And.

[A]

And so I look at that and of course there is an aspect of that that is kind of hilarious until you realize that there will be a transition of power at some point. And are they just going to put it back? And for. For clarity, I. The plaques are describing the presidencies of previous presidents. My personal opinion on this is I think this needs to be outsourced to a third party and should stick to factual, non biased, non biased, non emotional, factual detail. Even if that is just like they served. They were elected on this date. They came from this state. You know what I mean? This is how long they served for. Maybe even just leave it at that. If we need to. We can't agree on anything else. Let's just leave it at that. Because doing what's happening now, I, the short sighted nature of what's going to happen when the current administration or the subsequent ones that may fall in line, eventually at some point it is going to go back in the other direction. And I don't, I don't even know what that looks like. You know, Trump putting his name on the Kennedy Center. I am going to guess that one of the first thing that's things that's going to happen is that if and when a Democratic president is elected, they are going to basically reverse and they probably will run on the platform of reversing a lot of this stuff. Yes, Trump won the popular vote, but it wasn't like 30, 70, it was, you know, close.

[B]

It would, it's, it's always close.

[A]

Yeah, it's going to generally be that way. So, you know, the, the prosecution or persecution of some people, is that all going to be pardoned by it? I just don't know what it looks like because that's not what I want our governance to look like. It's just left and right and they just smash balls across the fence while they're in. And then it just like that. That is how our country absolutely falls apart.

[B]

Yeah, it's, it's actually, it's ridiculous. I mean just the fact that he's putting I. So if it was a wall of all the presidents that's like you were saying, just said, this is what they accomplished, this is when they served, blah, blah, blah, that would, I think that would be great.

[A]

Well, it's historical.

[B]

Yeah. If it's historical.

[A]

Do you know what he replaced Biden's picture with for a short period of time?

[B]

What?

[A]

A picture of an auto pen.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So in the White House.

[B]

This is what I'm saying. It's just, it's insane. And then putting as a result of the most corrupt election ever seen in the United States on Biden's plaque, it's just like, dude.

[A]

I don't understand why people can't see that this is at the very least setting a precedent or in. It is. I think it's like charging a battery right now. What is happening? A battery is going to be charged. That is going to be unleashed and drained in the other direction. And that does not serve our country well in the long haul. Yeah. I don't get it. Part of me, like it's hilarious, but a bigger part of me is very concerned about, again, it's the precedent. What precedent is being set.

[B]

I'm so tired of it. I'm Past the hilarity point. I just. This is ridiculous. This isn't presidential.

[A]

Okay, so let me ask you this then, as somebody who is tired of it, you're younger, you are of voting age. Trump is obviously not up for reelection. I know people say he's not gonna. He's gonna try to run for a 30, he's gonna stay. I don't see that to be the case at all.

[B]

He's already 100 years old.

[A]

J.D. vance would seem to be the likely successor, even though I think there's some rebellies that it might be Mark Rubio or somebody else inside of the Republican Party. But what I'm getting to is, let's say whoever the Republican nominee is, they run on relatively parallel policies that Trump did. A continuation, if you will. And a Democratic nominee runs on the opposite of that and unwinding those. Which would you vote for, given the fact that you are now frustrated Democrat? That's the problem.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't understand. And that is. It's the. It's somebody cutting their nose off despite their face. Yeah. I don't understand that.

[B]

Yeah. If anybody that continues what Trump is doing, it immediately turns me off. I'm like, no, I don't. I don't agree with almost 90% of what he's doing. He's. You know, there have been some good things, for sure, but everybody has a few hits, and so.

[A]

Yeah, take it easy. Nick Fuentes. You know, just because you have a mustache right now doesn't mean we need to go super crazy in the left field. Okay.

[B]

Actually, Nick Fuentes is favorite because of the mustache. God, he's an interesting fellow.

[A]

Well, here's the thing. He says some of the most outlandish stuff that I vehemently disagree with.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then nests some things in there that make sense.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that's the key.

[B]

Yeah. He said. Yeah. There are some things where I'm like, hey, that's actually a good idea. And then he says, let's repeal the 19th Amendment. I'm like, whoa, okay, that was a little bit too far for me.

[A]

Yeah. Hitler seemed like he was a great guy. What?

[B]

Excuse me.

[A]

Yeah, dude.

[B]

Yeah. Well, and the other thing, too, is because of all this polarity, people like him crop up and get popular.

[A]

So I actually. I think I might have been talking with you about this a little bit, but I heard. I was listening to. Joe was talking to an Australian guy. I love an Australian accent, by the way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

British and Australian accents are fantastic. I wonder what we sound like to them.

[B]

I feel like Idiots, I always imagine. What. What does that sound like? I'm be really curious.

[A]

And of course there's. I don't think any way to know that.

[B]

There really isn't.

[A]

There is. But what Joe was saying is something that I had said before too. I think somebody like Nick Fuentes is exactly what it looks like when you call a generation of people every name under the sun when you don't agree with them. They're a fascist, they're a racist, they're a Nazi. There are all of these things and finally people just get to the point where they go, okay, yeah, yeah, they're like, yep, sure. Oh yeah, I'm a. I'm a racist. Yep. Nazi, fascist, whatever it is. What else do you have?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you know what's funny? They don't have much else.

[B]

No, no. Then that it falls flat on. It just flies in their face. And then.

[A]

Yeah, then I think that mentality of trying to use these magic words and I'm not saying that, that he is who he is because of that, but I am saying it didn't help at all. And I do think that that is a long term extension of what that type of which I said this from the beginning. Like you need to, you need to attack an argument, not the person. Don't try to shut people down because you don't like what they're saying. You need to have a better idea. You need to drag it into the sunlight. Right. Because sunlight is the best antiseptic or bleach or however you want to call it. But just. Yeah, it's. Trust me, I'm not a fan.

[B]

No.

[A]

And again, I don't, I don't follow the guy's content and I've seen some of the stuff that randomly comes up. I've never sought it out that I cannot align myself with somebody who speaks like that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But I am understanding where they are coming from because I do believe it is the natural extension from the other side of just constantly smashing on that gas pedal. And finally it just. They don't care.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Really is. That's the case. When his stuff first started cropping up on my feed, it was like all of his hits, you know, all the stuff that I agreed with and then more and more of his obscure stuff.

[A]

A little bit deeper.

[B]

Yeah. And I'm like, oh, wow. Okay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it, that's. It hooks some people in and most people are going to turn away. 5% will stay.

[A]

I think more than that, I think. But I believe his platform since the death of Charlie Kirk has grown astronomically.

[B]

It's crazy. Yeah, it's crazy. And.

[A]

And I think it's a little bit more towards the younger generation.

[B]

It definitely is.

[A]

I'm sure there are. I'm sure there are people that spans, you know, age gaps.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But again, the younger generation, the one that he is. I believe he's in his 20s. They're the ones who have been on the receiving end of this hatred. Yeah. I just. Again.

[B]

Well, what do you do when. When you're getting everybody's spewing hatred at you, you find a group of like minded people that you can band together with and that's what's happening.

[A]

Yeah, it's tough.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Interesting times.

[B]

Very interesting.

[A]

We're going to need your generation to sort this out.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To be honest, I have very little faith. Not in your generation, in me particularly. Yes, yes. You are the representative. Representative of your generation. And I have robust concerns.

[B]

I bring the average down by a lot.

[A]

Your haircut today in class. So we partnered today in class for jiu jitsu. You look like you. Your face just looks like it belongs on the front of a salad dressing container.

[B]

Like the Goodman or what's just Caesar salad.

[A]

Yeah, a little like. Also, where are we going with this mustache?

[B]

I think I'll keep it.

[A]

What feedback have you gotten that would make you think that that is the move from women?

[B]

Actually, pretty good feedback.

[A]

What was the word you just use?

[B]

Woman.

[A]

From women.

[B]

Woman.

[A]

So from a singular woman.

[B]

No, woman.

[A]

Woman with an E. Yeah. Okay, good. You said it with an A. Woman.

[B]

No, no, woman. Woman.

[A]

It was statistically more probable if you said woman because, you know, either way, the plurality of that. That actually is what makes me question it. Just because woman. And by that, I mean your mom said that you look relatively good and a grandma.

[B]

Okay, don't.

[A]

That's. That's fair. Yeah. I mean, people who are not directly in your family tree.

[B]

Yeah, but so it gets mixed reviews.

[A]

Like I bet it does.

[B]

It's. Some people are all about it, some people don't like it.

[A]

You do you, bud.

[B]

Yeah, I will. So I'm going to keep it.

[A]

Don't go any narrower. All right. All right. We don't need you.

[B]

Nick Fuentes will really like me. Then what else?

[A]

You. God, I. I don't know what to do with.

[B]

Okay, let's stop talking about politics. Oh, I have so many tabs open. I'm trying to find.

[A]

Is brought to you by Firecracker Farm. You want to talk about things that integrate into my life. This product right here. Might be one of the easier ad reads that I do. I am putting this hot salt on just about everything. And I'm being the first to tell you I don't understand the chemical reaction and how it's able to pull the flavors out of everything. I'm putting it on from eggs in the morning to avocado toast to steak, just about everything. I'm not a psychopath. I don't put it on fruit. I haven't tried that yet. I don't understand how it does it, how it pulls the flavors out, how it makes everything that I eat taste better, but it does. My recommendation to you is to head over to Firecracker Farm to check out what they have to offer because they have legitimately very spicy hot salts, but they also have new stuff like the Vanilla Heat flavor, which I'm pretty sure Alex's daughter had the idea for. They sent me some. It has been my absolute go to. And then everything in between is going to come in these stainless steel push button grinders. All you got to do is drive the plunger down with your thumb and you can control how much. I don't have a crazy heat tolerance, so I'll generally use one or two pumps. But you can go as insane as you may like. So you can get them on firecracker.com or we actually sell these in the coffee shop here locally in Kalispell. Or if you live somewhere that has a black rifle coffee, you can get them in store as well. Alex and his family are creating these products together at their small family farm. So this is your opportunity to really level up your seasoning game, but also support the American dream for a family that is all in on this and they're doing it together. So it's an amazing opportunity. The best way to do so probably for most people, head over to Firecracker Farm, check out what they have to offer. I would. I would suggest the Vanilla Heat. You won't regret it. Back to the show.

[B]

Somebody's trying to get in right now.

[A]

Yeah. With a key that doesn't work.

[B]

Good luck. So Nano Banana.

[A]

What is Nano Banana?

[B]

So the new Google AI. It's the second version.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So this is an image creator. This is. Yes, this one's generated.

[A]

The one on the right. Yes. Okay. What about the one on the left?

[B]

This is also generated, but okay. When I first saw this, I thought this was a real foot. Like you can tell.

[A]

I would have guessed on the left because it's too polished.

[B]

Yes, it's too polished. Like everything looks perfect.

[A]

Holy Cow. The one on the right looks like a slightly out of focus or like a thumbprint on an iPhone camera.

[B]

It looks like an iPhone photo.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like this is now the new standard for image generation. And it looks completely real. This looks like an absolutely real picture.

[A]

How do we combat this other than deploying AI tools against this to. To determine what has been created with AI?

[B]

I don't know. But the implications are like you can.

[A]

Just say you can just use this on Google. You just go to. Anybody can just use this for free.

[B]

Yes. Well, you might have to pay. I don't know if it's free, but you can just use this.

[A]

Have you seen. Do you ever go on Twitter?

[B]

No.

[A]

They Grok, which is the AI for Twitter now. All people. I mean, again, I not going to say all people, but I see a lot of people. It was even Maduro is like, hey, Grok, put that dude in a bikini. And it does. And so it is just. I mean, the amount of people. It's a lot of pictures of women like, hey, yeah, take her pants off. All this. I'm like, what are we doing?

[B]

And he just does it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's getting into like revenge porn category.

[A]

Yeah. I don't know the legalities of that kind of insane. Well, revenge porn, I don't know. Wouldn't you have to know the person? Would it be an unauthorized.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I guess I'm using it broadly. But like, yeah, just seeing a girl that you think is attractive or somebody that even somebody you know, if you have a picture, you can say, okay, make her naked.

[A]

You know what worries me the most about this is that my dad's generation, and probably the generation before that, he. I love my dad to death, but he doesn't understand technology.

[B]

No.

[A]

And he is susceptible. And it's not going to be for like a picture of a woman. It's going to be an AI tool that can clone my voice. Because of the thousands of hours of my voice on the Internet, who dials his number from my phone number and has a conversation with him where I am in my own voice asking for money because I am in trouble. What do you think he's going to do? Anything that they ask. And it'll get to the point where you could do fake video calls and all. Like that's to me, it is insane. Yes. I don't think we're that far. So what's the time horizon between the image on the left and the right? I agree. The one on the left. I think that was the classic way to tell that it was an AI.

[B]

It looks too good.

[A]

It just glows a little bit, you know.

[B]

Yeah. But this looks like a shitty quality camera, which is crazy.

[A]

That looks like a classic iPhone picture in an other than optimal light setting.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know what the. Oh, there we go. What the time frame is between the two.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'll try and look it up here. But yeah, just the implications are crazy.

[A]

It's just not long and I feel like the timelines and horizons are getting.

[B]

Shorter and shorter and shorter. Yeah, well, yeah, I mean as. It's so crazy as technology advances, you just use that technology to help with the advancement and so it just exponentially.

[A]

Grows to where we were talking about this earlier. What do you think about people who are AI creators and by that they don't actually create their own content. What they could do is take again, there's thousands of hours of content of me doing episodes with people or hundreds of hours of you and I talking. And they can take that, spit it into AI, create their own shorts and have a very prosperous. I mean obviously not every channel is going to be like that, but they can throw mud against the wall until something and create a living by artificially repurposing other people's content, yet creating nothing themselves. What are your thoughts on that?

[B]

I think it's lazy, but I'm not gonna lie.

[A]

But is it wrong?

[B]

I don't know. Because once you put it out there, it's the Internet.

[A]

Yeah. And let's say whatever that channel is, say they use your content. You know, something I saw Sean Ryan doing and I appreciated it. He was saying use our content however you want to. Make sure it's. Share it all you want. All we ask is that you post that you tag us.

[B]

Tag us.

[A]

Yeah, I think that's awesome.

[B]

I think so too. Cause I mean, let's say something they post gets 2 million views, that that's going to kick back you.

[A]

That's what I'm saying. It could bring its way back. And also it's not like you could stop people from doing it anyway. So probably better to have a. A friendly relationship than an antagonistic relationship. I just, I just like the fact that like. And that's the thing. If you hit upload on any of this stuff, you have no control. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. You can't do anything. Yeah.

[A]

I think a simple ask of just tag us. Most people probably wouldn't though, even. And again, but maybe some people would hear that and realize that that is the ethical thing to do. Or the moral thing to do, depending on your morals and ethics. But, yeah. Yeah. I can't fault somebody for utilizing the tools.

[B]

No.

[A]

That are evolving. It's just weird that you could make a living.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Repurposing the work of other people.

[B]

It is.

[A]

I'm not hating on that.

[B]

I'm not either. I would do the same thing I kind of do with the clips.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, if I could make a ton of money off of a YouTube channel and I only have to generate videos.

[A]

What would you buy if you had a ton of money?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

Probably like a wiffle ball bat.

[B]

Yeah. Maybe with a couple wiffle balls.

[A]

Would you get the thick wiffle ball bat or the thin one?

[B]

The thin one. I like the thin one better for some reason.

[A]

We know you do and we know why, but.

[B]

Yeah, video.

[A]

Okay. What's. What's like a bucket list purchase for you?

[B]

I mean, I need a new vehicle at some point. Mine's fine right now, but it's really.

[A]

Old and I know a guy.

[B]

Do you?

[A]

Yeah, it's Riley.

[B]

Yeah. So that would probably. But that's like. I'm not like. Oh, I don't really have, like, a dream.

[A]

What is a large sum of money to you at 23, 26.

[B]

Probably ten grand and over.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What is, like a crazy yearly salary to you.

[B]

Of 40 to 50 a year?

[A]

What about wealth? What would that be?

[B]

Like, how much I have? Just.

[A]

No. Like, what would be, like a number? Like a pie in the sky. Oh. If I hit this number, I would be wealthy.

[B]

Probably. I mean, currently, right now, a couple hundred thousand.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because I just. I don't really spend money on anything. And that's not like.

[A]

I mean, you gotta spend money on something.

[B]

Well, I mean, I spend money on food and rent and gas and all the essentials.

[A]

I don't know why you have a house. You dog sit 72 days a month. I'm upset that there are more animals in the. The decks than just Javi. And he. Actually, I told him about. He's very upset with you.

[B]

I. Hey, I coined the name Lord Hovington for you guys, so that should be some sort of.

[A]

He was. We took him to Chicago. He came home. He was so stressed from the travel. He does so well.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He laid down on the couch and just buried his head. Only his head under the blanket, and his balls were just blasting out. He was fully on his side.

[B]

I know exactly.

[A]

Scissoring about.

[B]

Yeah. Whoa.

[A]

Dude, put the bubble gum away.

[B]

Like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[A]

God, they're Tremendously large.

[B]

Yeah. They. For his. In proportion to his body size.

[A]

They'd be cantaloupes if they were human.

[B]

Yeah. If he was a human. Be huge.

[A]

Yeah. Money's an interesting one. I would have guessed that you would have said higher numbers for all of those. But I deeply appreciate what you said. The numbers that you did. That's more in line. I think your money's going to shift over time, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, it is. It's crazy. God, lifestyle creep is such a thing if you have a family, if you have kids. I mean it just. And it's honestly. And I'm not, I'm not giving anybody financial advice. I'm just talking about my own experience. Money to me is much more about what you spend as opposed to what you make.

[B]

Yeah. I 100 agree with.

[A]

And that's why, like keeping things simple, man. I'm telling you, like Leah and I right now, we. We rented, you know, the, you know, where we live now. We rented a townhouse that was near where my son was finishing high school. And there's a lot of construction going on in Kalispell and there's just. God, they are building a three story apartment complex. I'm not going to say I could spit and hit it, but it's not that far from where I could spit and hit it. And I could go in the morning and have a cup of coffee and be like, hello neighbor. Hello neighbor. Hello neighbor. Like three.

[B]

Just look right in.

[A]

Yeah. So. So no, we're not going to do that. So we found another house to rent because a. The cost of money right now to buy a house is just expensive and I think the prices are a little bit inflated. Montana's releasing some information about. Actually growth has stopped, if not decreased a little bit. A lot of the remote jobs are gone, so people are moving back to where they came from or other places. It should, but it's going to take time. I also don't understand why they are building so many apartments here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What? So many apartments over by the townhouse now on the western side of the.

[B]

Yeah. Across the free or the bypass.

[A]

Basically it's a Venezuelan presidential palace over there. Right. I'm gonna have to call the CAG boys and have them do a little knock and talk.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But yeah, I mean, money. Money shifts over time, man. I have made such dumb decisions with money. And at this point I just want to make enough money that I can say no to things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That I can prioritize my time and my time with Leah and my kids over Everything else.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I want to be able to go to Australia. My dad is going to turn 79 in about a week. Just a little bit over a week. He wants. He loves rugby. The. What is it? The World Championship. What do they call it?

[B]

I think it's a World Cup.

[A]

World Cup, Yeah. Is in Australia in 2027. My sister and I, we're going to take the whole family and I want him to be able to go over there and do that. And I want to be able to take two weeks and just not worry about it. That's. That's. That's as rich as I ever want to be.

[B]

That. Yeah. I mean, that's. I'm the same way. Like, would it be nice to have all this thing? Like, yes, it would.

[A]

But things come with problems though, too. And don't get me wrong. Yeah, nice things are awesome.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Don't get me wrong. I like nice things, but oftentimes that nice thing, like, God, yeah, you got to get insurance for the nice thing, maintenance for the nice thing. Sometimes you're like, ah, a nice thing. Why is it when the nice thing breaks, it costs so much money? Because it's so nice.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know? Yeah, man. No, that's. It's. Yeah. What you're talking about is achievable. I. Yeah. Money's. Money's an interesting one. It has certainly shifted over time. What used to be a tremendous amount of money to me when I was younger, now it's like, yeah, that's. That's not going to do it because the things I want to do just cost more.

[B]

Yeah. Well, I also just feel like as you grow and gain more knowledge and get more experience, you're going to be utilizing that to make more money.

[A]

And maybe it's like some people do.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Some people don't, but. Yeah. How do we even get on this topic?

[B]

I have no clue.

[A]

Are we talking about AI?

[B]

Yeah. Oh, and scamming and I think the.

[A]

AI stuff is cool. I'm using it to work with the thumbnails. If people noticed, Monday's thumbnail with Andrew Child was a little bit different. I used AI to help create the. The template and zooming in the. You know, So I like the creativity aspect of. Because I am not inherently a creative person, I can't draw. Sketch design ideation is tough for me. So those tools are great.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You still have to have a kernel of an idea. So I love the productivity aspect of it. I. I do get worried, though, the amount of people that are going to be just absolutely Bamboozled by things that aren't true or aren't real.

[B]

Yeah, well that's already a problem. Like I've already seen videos that fooled me.

[A]

I mean catfishing and stuff like that is already real. And scams before this, but with AI.

[B]

You would never know until you actually use it.

[A]

Also, if you are somebody who like again I'm an absolute nobody, but I put myself out there on the Internet. If you do that in any way, you are very susceptible to somebody being able to attach themselves to your identity and use it however they would want to in ways you probably wouldn't want to them to.

[B]

Yeah. Oh yeah, for sure.

[A]

And you won't hear about it until somebody gets totally screwed by it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Which sucks cuz I don't want that to happen.

[B]

Yeah. My biggest gripe with AI is that it uses other people's work without their consent. That is my biggest thing. H. Yeah, like when, when you. And they. They don't get paid for it.

[A]

Yeah, but that was happening before AI. I mean people repurposing YouTube stuff, you know, content and stuff like that without AI. Before. Yes. They were just manually doing it.

[B]

What's that?

[A]

They were just manually doing.

[B]

Yeah, that's true. But it now it's on such a large scale tour. I don't know, it's just like you.

[A]

Could take, but yeah, you could take the most world renowned, let's say nature photographer and you could train an AI tool uploading their images and say hey, just Change this.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

1% or whatever the legal threshold is. And now you're producing these works that.

[B]

Something new.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Which is like okay, really? So that's the part that bothers me is where it's like these people aren't getting any kickback for that. They never agreed to have AI scrape their. And whatever they put on the Internet.

[A]

It's probably in the fine print somewhere.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

Because I'm sure you are thoroughly reading every bit of fine print.

[B]

Oh, of course.

[A]

You would never just scroll. Where's the click now?

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And again, that's not accidental either.

[B]

No, no. Yeah.

[A]

Don't be a hater. Let people use your work.

[B]

Yeah. But you know, obviously, that being said, if I could make $20,000 a month making AI videos, I would do that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I actually can do that.

[A]

Yeah. Get a better haircut too.

[B]

That's true. Maybe I can help you get a.

[A]

Barber like on salary.

[B]

I really could. Yeah.

[A]

How much would I have to pay you for you to let me cut your hair?

[B]

Oh, $1,000 well, it would depend on the haircut.

[A]

My choice.

[B]

Right. You would have to tell me first, and then I would.

[A]

Well, yeah, I'll tell you. Sure.

[B]

Okay. What would it be?

[A]

It would be a comb over or a fryer tuck.

[B]

So you would shave this.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

But leave this long so I can.

[A]

That would be one option. Here's the thing. I'll tell you whatever gets you sit down in the chair. And then as soon as I start cutting your hair, it would be something different, of course.

[B]

Well, in that case, I would have to upcharge you a lot. Such as $5,000.

[A]

That you're ridiculous. You just said $10,000 is a tremendous amount of money. Come back to reality.

[B]

Then don't cut my hair.

[A]

How much for a fryer tuck? We're just. It's like, you only get the strip, you get the halo. The rest of it's bald.

[B]

How long do I have to keep.

[A]

It for until it grows back?

[B]

4,000?

[A]

No.

[B]

Okay, well, that's how much it costs.

[A]

So it's not how much it costs. How do I just hold you down and do it? There's no. You can't stop.

[B]

I would struggle.

[A]

Yeah, that's fine. I would chill, actually. I would just choke you unconscious and start half of it to the point where when you woke up, you would say, just finish. Just finish. Just finish doing the haircut.

[B]

Well, in that case, I'm not getting paid, so I'll just go and shave my head when I got home.

[A]

I would still call that a moral victory. What else you got?

[B]

Let's just go. We have like 10 minutes. Let's just go. New Year's resolutions, do you have any?

[A]

You know, I didn't do well this year. I don't really. I don't. I've never been like a, hey, New Year's is my resolution time. Because I find that you can really put stuff off and actually have really bad behavior leading up until New Year's because you're like, oh, yeah, I'll just set this artificial timeline to change a habit that would really benefit my life if I change right now. So I try to change stuff as I identify it. I do look at yearly goals, to be honest with you. All I have that I'm kind of focusing on right now is Q1 of this year of 25, because I don't know what the rest of it is going to look like. The book comes out in April, which we'll just call that like, it's the 14th, right before tax day. I don't know if that's good timing or bad, but I don't know. I want the book to be successful and I guess the thing I enjoy doing the most other than the podcast is public speaking. I found out when, or I realized when I was a BUDS instructor that I really like teaching, which in my opinion public speaking is exactly that you would need to. You don't need to. My goal is to try to take an experience or my experiences and impart that on the people in the audience so they can actually do something with it to change their life. Like you need to have an entertainment aspect associated with that to keep people engaged. But I really enjoy doing that. And for whatever reason, people who have a successful book, they get booked to speak more, not to use the same word twice, but I don't know what that's going to look like. I'm doing the audiobook next week here in the studio. We have some studio changes coming the week after this which are going to be epic. And then it's going to be traveling a little bit to go on other people's shows to help with the promotion of the book. I don't think I've talked about it yet, but I'm going back on Joe's show in April. I'll probably hit some other Austin related shows around that time period. So a lot of it is I want to make sure. I want to make sure I at least do the things that I need to do to give it the best chance of success. Because I wrote the thing two years ago, it's either going to be well received or not. I don't remember what I wrote at this point, it was so long ago, and then went through so many edits and editorial. Thank goodness it did because let me just tell you, I didn't know how to use a semicolon very well. And there's a lot of words that should be pluralized that I wasn't pluralizing. A couple that shouldn't have been that every time I was just like, wow, I am not doing great on my understanding of English 101. Having said that, I barely graduated high school. That's all the education I have. So that's kind of all I have on the books. And my goal for that is make sure I do what needs to be done. And then you and I have been focusing on this together is just increasing the production value of the podcast and the quality. Like, you know, people can't see it, but we went from two cameras to five. And again, a lot of that is going to kind of Be revealed a little bit here on. We'll call it the 24th or whatever, the episode that comes out after that week. Yeah. I'm not trying to be cagey about this by any stretch, but I'm just trying to leave it so I can have that, you know, like a nice shift and announce that and just move.

[B]

Yeah, so that's.

[A]

I mean, that's kind of it for. I want to do the things that I do better. That is my overall overarching goal for 26.

[B]

Yeah. Nice.

[A]

How about you?

[B]

I'm kind of the same way. Like, I've never really set a goal at the beginning of the year because.

[A]

Have you ever watched somebody eating, like, a garbage disposal and they say, yeah, but I'm changing on January 1st?

[B]

Yeah, but don't worry, guys, I'll stop on January.

[A]

But like, hey, dude, it's March, so.

[B]

Yeah, no, next year. Next year. Yeah, yeah. And that's. I agree. Like, there's an aspect of that, but.

[A]

It gives you this, like, silent permission.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

To be a douche.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

To just. Oh, yeah, yeah. You know, it's going to be. It's really broccoli and Kale starting January 1st. Like, really? Because you're eating Skittles with chocolate chips on top right now. Or in your case, it would be a Snickers upside down because you like the texture of the little ridges.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Of course, people can figure that one out on their own.

[B]

But I actually did set a goal this year, and that is to actually focus on drawing and drawing more.

[A]

You doodle quite a bit over there.

[B]

Yes. And I found that if I actually, in the past, if I actually sit down and focus on making somewhat. Something halfway decent, I can do an okay job.

[A]

What do you want to do with the drawings?

[B]

Nothing, really. I mean, I just like drawing for myself. I really, really like it. But I've always been less than mediocre at it. So I've been like, I just don't have it. But then I'm like, how do you.

[A]

Draw over there on your notebook? But, yeah, pay attention to the show at the same time.

[B]

I usually draw when I'm doing the editing or not the editing, the clips.

[A]

That's not true.

[B]

Sometimes I draw when you leave your.

[A]

Notebook out and I see that there are notes taken and drawings.

[B]

Yeah, sometimes I draw that when we. We're doing the show. But it's really easy to pay attention.

[A]

So you're splitting your attention. You're doing both at a suboptimal level, maybe, but there's no, maybe you can take the maybe out of that sentence.

[B]

It doesn't take much brain power to do the doodling. Like, it literally is just, like, pretty easy. Also, a lot of these are truly when I'm doing the editing, because I'll look at the notes that I made when I did it. But anyways. Yeah. And I got it, like a sketchbook and everything. And.

[A]

Cool. Okay.

[B]

Instruction book.

[A]

And so you should do something with them.

[B]

Yeah, I maybe make a sticker for.

[A]

The podcast or something.

[B]

That's what I was kind of thinking about something. But I need to improve a lot more before that comes around.

[A]

So let's let the Internet be the judge of that. Let's start posting some of your pictures.

[B]

We can. I'll send you some that I'm, like, actually somewhat proud of. No, then I'll send you some that are horrible.

[A]

I'm interested in more of the subpar works.

[B]

Okay. I am not afraid to send you some of my shitty ones because they're.

[A]

I can't draw. I. Again, to go back to the AI, I. I was down at Montana Knife Company yesterday and picking up some knives for gifts for guests. And Josh was showing me around their new facility, which is just spectacular. The first time I met him, he was literally forging in his garage, which was about the size of this room, maybe two of these. Then to the building he built on his property where Toothless worked, and then to the new building, and it's crazy. And he went into the boardroom and there is this insane table made from a single piece of redwood. And I'm looking at this like, if you gave me 10 years, it's not happening.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't have that gene. I don't have the ability to craft things like. Or Cameron, who made this table. I just can't do it, man. And drawing stick figures at best.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's kind of what I thought, too. But then I realized, like, all these people that are really good at drawing have just done it and done it and done it. It's just repetitions. And I think I always had the mindset of, oh, I just don't have the artistic talent. But really, they just have been building up their visual library for years and years and years to where they can just draw something in there from their head out of memory.

[A]

Leah takes a lot of notes at seminars in her notebooks and she uses stick figures.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Every time she leaves, I put dongs on them. Let me tell you, it really changes.

[B]

The vibe as she looked back through them.

[A]

And she gets relatively upset. Let me just tell you some of the jiu jitsu positions without the dongs.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

As compared to with the dogs.

[B]

Yeah. Vastly different.

[A]

Meaning it really changes the lexicon.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I. I will try. I try to do it four or five pages back so she doesn't notice it right away.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Sometimes there's a little, like, a little, you know, like a little hobby p. It's.

[B]

That's so awesome.

[A]

I think so, too.

[B]

I think it's hilarious. I don't know why she has a.

[A]

Different answer from her.

[B]

Yeah. I don't get it. I think that would be hilarious. So, anyways, we're at 58 minutes.

[A]

Good enough. Let's call it for today. Cool.

[B]

Sounds good.