Real Coffee with Scott Adams

Episode 3068: ChattingWSA
Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Scott Adams
Guests/Co-hosts: Shelly Adams, Owen, numerous community regulars

Overview

On this unusually interactive and heartfelt episode, Scott Adams is joined by his ex-wife and longtime friend, Shelly Adams, to introduce her future role as head of his estate and community facilitator. The show uses a group video call format where regulars and newcomers join to discuss current events—filtered through Scott’s signature persuasion lens—as well as to share gratitude, stories, and technical frustrations.

Besides news discussion—centered on Iran, Greenland, Venezuela, and economic/tech trends—the episode serves as an impromptu tribute to Scott’s impact on his audience over ten years. Technical hiccups and humorous moments around navigating the streaming platform are interspersed throughout, infusing the episode with warmth, authenticity, and community spirit.

Main Themes

• Transition of Leadership & Community Stewardship

  • Shelly Adams formally introduces herself as Scott’s ex-wife and new head of his estate and outlines her commitment to safeguarding his legacy.
  • Scott highlights Shelly’s reliability and courage, expressing deep trust in her stewardship.
  • Community members express gratitude, discuss maintaining the show’s spirit, and address the daunting prospect of a future without Scott’s daily explanations.

• News Through a Persuasion Filter

  • Ongoing unrest in Iran and its political implications
  • Trump’s bold proposals involving Greenland and Venezuela
  • Tech and economic updates: mortgage rates, CES, new wifi rules
  • Reflections on media narratives, information reliability, and propaganda

• Technical Adventures (and Misadventures)

  • The group struggles—with comic frustration—to manage video call permissions, resulting in repeated attempts to get regulars on air.
  • Community helps each other navigate microphone/camera hurdles.

• Community Bonding and Appreciation

  • Longtime listeners share personal, often emotional stories of how Scott’s work has influenced their lives and careers.
  • Multiple participants express thanks for Scott’s authenticity and unique perspective through turbulent times.

Detailed Discussion and Notable Moments

1. Intro & Shelly’s Role

[02:39] Shelly Adams:

"I'm going to need the help of all of you guys to do that [keep Scott's legacy alive]... I know you've supported him all these years and he loves you guys and I know you're going to support me to keep his legacy going."

[06:52] Scott Adams:

"She's the boss of all bosses. So I'm having increasing trouble talking and obviously I have no mobility... She is the person I trust the most in the entire world. One of the things I like about Shelly is that no matter how scary something is, she is undaunted."

2. Technical Shenanigans: Adding Participants

[11:38] The group repeatedly fumbles with accepting/rejecting invitees, offering an inside look at the difficulty of running interactive online shows.

[15:35] Scott Adams, on Grok’s bad instructions:

"Unfortunately, [Erica] was using instructions from Grok. Now, I don't know if you've ever tried to get instructions from Grok about anything, but it's impossible... They have very specific instructions, but it's about menus that don't exist..."

3. News: Iran’s Unrest

[13:43] Marcella:

"What [Khamenei]’s lost is support of the middle and upper class... yesterday he made a speech that basically, anybody could be shot on the spot and executed for protesting. But people are still going out doing it. And I think what pushes them is Trump, knowing that they have Trump there."

[26:40] Scott & Owen Discussion:

Scott: "It's pretty well understood at this point that it's not organic. Right. Or is it, is it organic?"

Owen: "I'm not sure I believe that any protests are organic anymore."

Scott: "Yeah, that's where I'm at. I don't believe any of these are real."

4. Trump’s Foreign/Macro Moves

Greenland Proposal [27:16 & 29:13]:

Owen: "Trump is certainly still saying he wants to go after Greenland and he's going to take it whether they like it or not... floating an idea of paying each citizen of Greenland $100,000..."

Shelly (regarding Iceland & Greenland) [29:56]: "Greenlanders, recently here or two years ago, they were told that if they didn’t follow what Denmark wanted, they would take away their free Medicare and free education ... it would be best for Greenland if the US took over..."

Venezuela Diplomacy [28:25]:

Owen: "I think there's certainly a lot of speculation that the motivation behind the [Venezuela] raid was to deprive Russia and China of oil."

5. Macro-Economic and Tech News

Trump’s 10% Credit Card Interest & Mortgage Bonds [33:52]:

Owen: "Trump made a bunch of interesting statements today. One is that he wants to limit credit card interest rates to 10%. ...he's going to buy something like $200 billion in mortgage bonds... meant to reduce interest rates."

Mortgage Bonds Explained [67:13]:

Mortgage Expert: "Once there's a demand [from government purchases of mortgage-backed securities], the rates go down... Only been done once before, and it was Obama in 2008 to keep the rates down... and it worked."

CES & Tech (Robots, WiFi) [35:09; 44:19]:

Scott: "I feel like it was the disappointing show of electronics once again. Somebody's got a robot that can do one thing, but if you had it, you'd be unhappy..."

Owen: "FCC is going to allow higher powered WiFi... I have my WiFi router in my basement and it doesn’t get into most of my house... Maybe it’ll cause cancer, but it might be worth it." [45:12]

6. Fentanyl Epidemic Declining [48:19]

Owen: “Fentanyl deaths have dropped in the US significantly. It was over a hundred thousand a year, and now it’s 81,000 in 2024.”

Scott: “It seems like it won’t take long to fix the distribution problem, but it’s a start.”

7. Listener Stories & Reflections

The “Unembarrassable” Superpower [85:22]:

Patty: “I said to [my grandson], ‘Would you like to have a superpower? ... You become unembarrassable.’... I told him where I got the idea was from Scott Adams... and he asked if he could have one of your books.”

Longtime Listener Tributes:

• Multiple accounts (from Anthony, Peter, Brian, Stephen, and others) of how Scott's "persuasion filter" and authenticity helped them navigate life, work, and cultural upheavals.
• A Venezuelan listener living in France (Harvard Kennedy School grad, [39:53]) provides unique perspective on US/Trump policies, Venezuela, and evolving European attitudes.

[76:17] Brian (MIT/Law):

“I really, I don't know how I would have gotten through the last 10 years without your filter, because I once I read your book and started listening to your podcasts on Periscope, everything made sense and has ever since.”

[51:32] Peter:

“I just, I couldn't, I couldn't quit you, Scott. I kept on coming back and listening to you pretty much every single day... I think I speak for a lot of people, that that's one of the things that has kept us coming back for the past 10 years is it always felt whether we agreed with you on everything or didn't agree with you on everything. I never had a doubt that you were saying your actual opinion pretty much all the time.”

Memorable Quotes

• On Community & Legacy

  • “There’s something more than the news that has developed here... the ability to feel like you’re part of something.” — Scott Adams [53:23]

• On Technical Struggles

  • “There's nowhere on earth exists a set of instructions to do what I want… I swear to God. This is probably easy, but not to me.” — Scott Adams [53:23, 55:53]

• On Gratitude

  • “Thank you for everything. I just want to say appreciate you. Love you. ...Just thanks for making me part of your community and giving me a special place." — Owen [47:16]

• On Persuasion

  • “Free will is an illusion, and that's the most important thing, because now I know that everything around me is affecting my behavior all the time.” — Listener [52:00]

• On Being Unembarrassable

  • “If you could have anything happen to you in your life and you're unable to become embarrassed, you will have a superpower.” — Patty [85:22]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Shelly’s Introduction and Legacy Role: [02:39–06:52]
• Technical Fun & Adding Guests: [09:11–18:39]
• Iran Protests and Analysis: [13:43–26:45]
• Trump’s Greenland Proposal: [27:16–32:11]
• Mortgage Bonds/Economic Policy Explained: [67:13–71:06]
• Listener Tributes/Personal Stories: [38:26–47:43]; [51:32–53:23]; [76:17–80:06]
• Fentanyl News/Good News Segment: [48:19–49:17]
• Advice for Younger Generations (“Unembarrassable”): [85:07–86:44]
• Episode Wrap-up and Final Thanks: [88:13–End]

Tone & Language

The episode is marked by a warm, intimate, sometimes chaotic tone. Listeners and Scott frequently joke about technical hiccups and express deep affection for the show and each other. Scott is candid about his health, the challenges of hosting in his current state, and his appreciation for his audience. The language is direct, sincere, and conversational, with moments of levity, vulnerability, and gratitude.

Summary

Episode 3068 stands out as a crossroads: an informal but important handoff of legacy to Shelly Adams; a demonstration of how a community can rally around both content and each other; and an open, lively discussion of world events, sometimes through the haze of technical and health obstacles. For longtime listeners, the episode feels like a reunion—a testament to ten years of advice, companionship, and learning filtered through Scott Adams’ unique worldview.

Recommended listening for anyone interested in:

• Community-driven media
• News and geopolitics through the persuasion lens
• Honest creator-to-audience conversation about transition, legacy, and gratitude