No Agenda Show 1843: "Token Muncher"

Release Date: February 15, 2026
Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak

Episode Overview

In episode 1843, "Token Muncher," Adam and John serve up signature media deconstruction and sharp banter on a range of topics, from international politics to the latest absurdities in AI—particularly focusing on AI chatbots, media trust, the Epstein files, current geopolitical moves, and cultural oddities in America and abroad. They weave in personal anecdotes, listener feedback, and plenty of wit, making this episode a rich, engaging listen for No Agenda fans and newcomers alike.

Segment Breakdown

President’s Day & Curling Cheating [00:00-03:02]

• Banters about U.S. President’s Day and its cultural associations (mattress sales).
• Curling cheating allegations: Adam brings up reports of Swedish curling players cheating, much to John’s amusement and skepticism.
  • Quote: “The Swedes are cheating bastards.” (Adam, 01:11)
  • Discussion of European donors and a supposed “frozen pod” preventing donations due to US cold snap.

Americans Wanting to Leave & Immigration Realities [03:08-05:38]

• Coverage of a Gallup poll: 20% of Americans, led by young women, want to leave the US.
  • Quote: “And will they take their cats with them, is the question.” (Adam, 03:56)
• The hosts riff on the naivete of “just moving abroad” and the challenges of visas and working internationally.
  • Quote: “It’s the education system, man... It’s completely failed everybody.” (Adam, 05:30)

Louvre Ticketing Scam & “Stupid American” Tactics [05:43-08:28]

• News of a decade-long ticket scam at the Louvre; employees allegedly complicit in tourists reusing tickets.
• Adam and John trade stories of circumventing lines at major museums by playing dumb Americans.
  • Quote: “The American boom. We're in.” (John, 07:36)

No Agenda “Drinking Game” & Language Pet Peeves [07:55-08:28]

• Announcement: Instead of calling each other out for recurring phrases, they’ll make it a drinking game.

Deconstructing Media: Apple News Bias & News Aggregators [08:28-11:59]

• Discusses a Media Research Center investigation: Apple News’s left-leaning bias, lack of conservative stories featured.
  • Quote: “This is why millions of Americans don’t know about things like the violent criminal aliens being arrested by ICE…” (Clip, 10:40)
• John suggests bias originates not from Apple, but from outsourced news curation services.

AI “Token Munching” & Open Source [12:45-22:09]

• Adam recounts personal experiments with open-source AI chatbots (“Claude bot”), struggling with hallucinations, errors, and wasted credits.
  • Quote: “You cannot have an AI doing mission critical stuff because it makes things up, it lies, and it makes huge mistakes.” (Adam, 20:00)
  • Show Title: “Token Muncher” for AI burning through tokens and money.

AI Catastrophes: The Chatbot Delusions Story [22:45-32:55]

• NPR-cited tale of “Mickey Small,” a screenwriter who believed her AI chatbot was communicating with her across lifetimes.
  • AI gave her spiritual advice, set up imaginary real-life meetings, and misled her—causing distress.
  • Adam and John riff on the story’s absurdity and the risks of people taking AI at face value.
  • Quote: “If your AI writing assistant started telling you about your past lives, you might respond like Mickey Small did: 'Wait, what are you talking about? That’s absolutely insane.'” (Clip, 25:33)
• Discussion of mental health risks, lawsuits against OpenAI, and support forums for those affected.

Deepfakes, Hollywood, and Digital Likeness [36:06-38:59]

• Debate on AI deepfakes shaking up Hollywood, with ByteDance’s “Sea Dance 2.0” creating realistic video and voice clones.
  • Quote: “This is an enforcement problem. You can't uninvent it now. You have to try to keep people from using it illegally.” (Adam, 37:53)

Privacy Concerns: Ring Doorbell & Surveillance Overreach [39:10-41:30]

• Scrutiny over Ring’s lost dog scanner—could it be used to find people?
• John and Adam worry about expanding surveillance and erosion of privacy.

Munich Security Conference & Political Trial Balloons [41:33-56:53]

• AOC and Gavin Newsom’s appearances in Munich: Positioning themselves on the world stage, hinting at presidential ambitions.
  • Quote (Adam): “You go over to something like the Munich Security Conference, do a little jig for the world community and let people know.”
• Adam plays and dissects AOC’s and Rubio’s speeches, contrasting styles, substance, and “trial balloon” appeals to European elites.
• Rubio’s speech lauded as slicker, more diplomatic—positioned alongside Vance as a primary contender.

Russia, Ukraine, and the “Frog of War” [61:22-67:31]

• New claims that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with rare dart frog toxin; hosts are deeply skeptical, seeing it as a setup for more anti-Russia action.
  • Quote (Adam): “If they wanted to kill this guy, they would have just killed him. Would they have gone through some elaborate scheme to get a dart frog toxin? Come on.” (64:03)
• Discussion of false flag warnings, NATO’s “Arctic Sentry” operation, and behind-the-scenes maneuvers for a Ukraine cease-fire.

Digital Currency “Hysteria” & Propaganda [73:57-78:51]

• Viral AI-generated scare videos about fictional U.S. “Digital Services Act.”
  • John calls out British conspiracy-content farms pumping out fake news.
• Discussion of real vs. fictional central bank digital currencies—Elon Musk’s “X Money” and Europe’s digital euro.
  • Quote (Adam): “Europe, our friends in Europe. You’re about to become slaves... Financial slaves. They will flip off your money at the flick of a switch.” (79:31)

The Enduring Epstein Files Saga [81:33-94:35]

• Alex Jones claims new bombshell Epstein files released—no publicly verifiable evidence found.
• Global fallout: UK, Norway, and Dubai officials facing scrutiny; Deutsche Bank apologizes for connections, but faces no real consequences.
• LA Olympics’ Wasserman resigns over Epstein emails; Goldman Sachs’ legal head steps down over embarrassing but not illegal ties.
  • Quote: “She heads the reputational risk committee at the bank. Well, doesn’t that just say it all?” (Adam, 91:58)
• Analysis of wild conspiracy claims: “Kurt Cobain was murdered by Courtney Love as part of Epstein’s ring!”

US DHS Shutdown Drama & Law Enforcement Masking [95:17-102:42]

• Political standoff: DHS shutdown, TSA pain points, Democrat focus on restricting agency excesses.
• John praises Fetterman’s honesty about the DHS budget shell game.
  • Quote: “So they're just purposely hurting TSA. The TSA people are already pissed off... This is an outrage.” (Adam, 101:35)

Trans Ideology & Canadian Policy [103:05-105:04]

• Report on Tumblr Ridge mass shooting and immediate anti-trans rhetoric in Canada.
• Listener boots-on-the-ground feedback on aggressive SOGI education, denial of parental rights, and rising social pressure in BC.

Medical Stat Shot: GLP-1s and Erectile Dysfunction [105:33-106:43]

• Adam jokes that marketing for GLP1 agonists (Ozempic, etc.) has reached its logical endpoint: “They reduce your risk of erectile dysfunction!”

Open Source, Shareware, and Value for Value [109:06-114:00]

• Ode to Linux/open source tools and the old shareware movement.
• Call for supporting independent creators, “value for value,” vs. subscription firewalls and paywalled podcasts.
  • Quote: “We don’t put a firewall up... The good stuff is behind the paywall. Bonus content. No, I don’t believe in it.” (Adam, 112:05)

The “Fungus Among Us” & Public Health Hysteria [128:43-134:24]

• Alarm over “Candida auris,” a drug-resistant fungus, and sexually transmitted ringworm outbreaks among MSM (men who have sex with men).
• John predicts an inevitable “fungus vaccine” campaign.

Lasers, Directed Energy Weapons, and Military Modernization [135:49-137:54]

• The hosts spar about the definition of “directed energy weapons” after news of the Locust military laser system.

Geopolitical Tensions: Iran, Cuba, and Intervention [139:25-146:19]

• Trump’s saber-rattling regarding Iran; mass protests in Munich for regime change, hosts suspect classic regime change op.
• Cuba’s deepening fuel and economic crisis, US sanctions, suspicion of concealed motives.

Cat Poop Fundraiser & Bigot Girl [147:00-154:13]

• NPR spotlights Rhode Island SPCA’s “Love Stinks” Valentine fundraiser—put your enemies’ names in the cat box.
• John introduces “Bigot Girl,” a woman demanding ideological purity at her wedding, with “maids armed with swords” for security.
  • Quote: “We will not have bigots at our wedding.” (Bigot Girl, 153:17)

Recommendations, Listener Support, & Show Credits [165:23-end]

• John’s Tip of the Day: Try Tanqueray Ten (“Tank 10”) and Unipero gins for classy G&Ts or martinis.
• Encouragement for value-driven support, shout-outs to top donors, and credits.
• End of show isos: Chosen—“What you heard was a masterpiece.”

Notable Quotes

• Adam, on Apple News/Big Tech bias:
  “The phone is the attack vector.” [11:59]
• John, on trust in institutions:
  “I never have.” [15:28]
• Adam, on ChatGPT’s unreliability:
  “You cannot have AI doing mission-critical stuff because it makes things up.” [20:21]
• John, on Munich Security Conference political trial balloons:
  “This is a trial balloon. You go over and do a little jig for the world community.” [50:29]
• Adam, on the EU’s “digital euro”:
  “Europe, our friends in Europe. You’re about to become slaves. Financial slaves.” [79:31]

Key Timestamps

• President’s Day/Curling Cheating – 00:00–03:02
• Americans Want to Move/Immigration – 03:08–05:38
• Louvre Ticketing Scam – 05:43–08:28
• Media Deconstruction (Apple News Bias) – 08:28–11:59
• Open Source AI, Token Muncher – 12:45–22:09
• AI Chatbot Delusions – 22:45–32:55
• Hollywood Deepfakes/AI Regulation – 36:06–38:59
• Ring Cameras, Surveillance – 39:10–41:30
• Munich Security Conference & US 2026 Election Trial Balloons – 41:33–56:53
• Navalny “Frog Toxin” & Russia Narratives – 61:22–67:31
• Digital Currency Hysteria – 73:57–78:51
• Epstein Files Fallout – 81:33–94:35
• DHS Shutdown Drama – 95:17–102:42
• Trans Policy & Canadian Culture War – 103:05–105:04
• Linux, Open Source, & Value for Value – 109:06–114:00
• Fungal Superbug Outbreak – 128:43–134:24
• Directed Energy Weapons – 135:49–137:54
• Geopolitics: Iran, Cuba – 139:25–146:19
• Cat Poop Fundraiser – 147:00–149:40
• Bigot Girl – 151:23–154:13
• John’s Gin Tip of the Day – 165:23–168:59

Memorable Moment

• Adam’s AI Frustration Culminates:
  • Quote: “At that point I burned through $20 of token credits on Claude. This thing is a token muncher.” (21:53)

Tone & Style

As always, the episode blends sharp skepticism, satire, technical insight, and offbeat personal stories. Adam and John’s interplay is conversational and improvisational; snarky but deeply informed, inviting listeners to think critically—and have a laugh—about the week’s headlines.

For Listeners

• Missed the latest on AI, politics, and conspiracies? This episode will catch you up and then some.
• Want more context? Visit noagendashow.com, join the live “troll room” during tapings, and check the No Agenda Art Generator for unique covers per episode.
• Support value-for-value media: noagendadonations.com

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