The Scott Adams School - 07/08/26 The Home Team // Joel Pollack stops by

Summary

Real Coffee with Scott Adams

The Scott Adams School: 07/08/26 The Home Team // Joel Pollak Stops By

Date: July 8, 2026
Theme: Viewing Current Events Through a Persuasion Filter

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode, co-host Erica leads the "home team" through a wide-ranging discussion of current events with a focus on US foreign policy, the NATO summit with Trump in Turkey, the ongoing Iran situation, European politics, US domestic policy frustrations, and the importance of skilled trades. Joel Pollak (special guest), Owen, and Marcella contribute insights and banter, with Marcella departing early for court. The group dissects Trump's tone and strategies, Florida's new anti-extremist law, political hypocrisy over policy exemptions, crime trends, and the societal undervaluing of trade careers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Banter, Show Start, and Simultaneous Sip

Lighthearted opening with the team joking about daily life and Scott Adams’ tradition of the “Simultaneous Sip,” setting an affable, informal tone.

• [03:47] Akira (Satirical): “Join me now for the dopamine hit of the day, the thing that makes everything better except possibly this hotel room, and it’s called the simultaneous sip.”
• [04:13] Erica: “Sometimes he’d come on, like, from a hotel room, or you just never knew where he would be.”

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2. Trump at NATO: Iran and the Return to "Maximum Pressure"

[07:55 – 15:14]

• Trump’s Frustration with Iran: Trump signals a breakdown of ceasefire, promising escalation.
  • [07:55] Trump: “With the Iran ceasefire possibly over, can we expect the resumption of full scale hostilities? ... We hit them hard last night... and probably hit them hard again tonight. I’ll give them a little warning.”
  • Blames Iranians for perpetuating decades of aggression, now taking a tougher and more unpredictable stance.
  • “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s what I’m there for.”
• Panel Reactions:
  • [10:36] Owen expresses fatigue with the issue and skepticism over any imminent resolution: “I’m frustrated by it... It doesn’t seem very likely in the short term.”
  • [11:26] Marcella reflects on Trump’s psychological tactics: “He is putting fear in them by warning there’s going to be this great attack, creating the scene in their mind. I think he’s playing them... part of the negotiation with them.”
  • [12:38] Joel Pollak analyzes Trump’s predicament: “The Iranians think they have Trump over a barrel because they know he’s under a lot of domestic political pressure... They keep pushing for more advantageous terms... Trump has made some strategic compromises, but he can only go so far. If you start attacking allies... he’s going to have to retaliate.”
  • Joel highlights Israeli distrust of Iran and global implications of Trump's hardline negotiating.

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3. Trump's NATO & Europe Rants: Greenland, Denmark, Spain

[15:55 – 29:25]

• Greenland (and Denmark):
  • [15:55] Trump: “Greenland is very important for the United States, but it’s not important for Denmark... We took Greenland and then, stupidly, we gave it back. We shouldn’t have given it back… I certainly wouldn’t have given the Panama Canal back either... China is trying to take over the Panama Canal, and that’s not going to happen.”
• Spain and NATO Frustration:
  • [17:30] Trump: “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore… They don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please. Including visits... Bad people.”
  • He accuses Spain of freeloading on defense, being anti-Israel, and not “carrying their weight” in NATO.
• Panel Analysis:
  • [19:58] Joel: “They’ve (Spain) also been unhelpful with the American war effort generally... I don’t know how we really cut off trade to a member of the EU.”
  • [21:45] Owen: “To me it seems like he’s sort of playing the long game… to normalize the conversation until it becomes the obvious solution.”
  • [24:07] Owen: “I don’t care that much about Spain either. I’d rather have Trump focusing on what’s going on in America.”
  • [24:26] Marcella’s hot take: “I hate Spain, so I am so happy that he hates Spain... they never do anything that they promise... I think he’s right, they don’t want to pay for it.”
  • [27:19] Marcella (on Greenland): “Greenlanders cannot own any land... There are certain things Trump can give them that they don’t have.”

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4. Double Standards in US Politics: Virginia Gun Law Exemptions

[30:53 – 34:29]

• Audio plays of a Virginia state senator berating colleagues for trying to exempt themselves from gun laws:
  • [31:59] Virginia Senator: “We are no better than anybody else, and we should never vote for a bill that gives us a special privilege over any other citizen.”
• [32:10] Owen: “I think it should almost be unconstitutional to do things like that. It’s like treating them like monarchy or like a ruling class.”
• The crew decries Congressional hypocrisy: “Wouldn’t you feel so much better if they had to live by the same laws they’re passing?” — Erica [32:56]
• Calls for term limits and more accountability in government.

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5. DeSantis & Florida’s New Anti-Terror Law: Islamist Groups and Antifa

[35:37 – 39:54]

• [35:37] News clip: Gov. Ron DeSantis moves to designate CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa as terrorist organizations under new state law.
• [36:17] DeSantis: “We’ve got to draw a very strong line in the sand here. We’ve seen this creep throughout the country over many, many years.”
• Law also bans religious courts (spotlight on Sharia).
• [37:11] Erica: “Just so much common sense... he’s so America focused. I feel like we’re really missing the America focus.”
• [37:35] Owen: “Designating someone as a terrorist organization doesn’t really mean anything... even if it did happen, what does that mean?... I would still want to have answers to that question to know, is this just theater or is this something real?”

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6. Crime Trends, Urban Violence, and America's Sense of Safety

[41:29 – 46:44]

• [41:29] Owen: “There is a lot more left wing violence than there ever has been in recent years... But statistics say crime has gone down a lot since the 80s or 90s.”
• [43:04] Erica: “Maybe the crime is also different now... like, I’m seeing so much black crime... It’s all so escalated and so much more nasty... And then also watching these judges not putting anyone in jail because of their skin color or because they are here illegally.”
• Panel bemoans rising urban lawlessness and judges’ reluctance to “incarcerate” on political grounds. Strong sense of societal unease, amplified by social media.

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7. The Value of Skilled Trades and Societal Attitudes Toward Work

[47:51 – 58:56]

• [47:51] Scott (on a podcast clip): “Skilled trades lead to more small businesses than more people seem capable of realizing... The trades don’t get their due... We so screwed up as a society to make that entire part of our workforce and our entire educational rubric like a vocational consolation prize.”
• [51:30] Owen: “All these things that are really important have been just made out to be, oh, you’re a loser... One of the most noble things a woman can do is to raise their children and raise them well... We need those trades.”
• The team lauds investing in real, practical skills over college degrees, seeing trades as hugely undervalued and vital for economic prosperity.
• [56:47] Erica: “Please, get this word out to people... get experience, start making money right away. I did not go to college... My talent stack is insane.”
• Discussion of "talent stacks" and how nontraditional career paths can produce rounded, successful people.

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8. Closing Reflections & Life Advice

[61:28 – 65:26]

• Inspirational segment plays, encouraging listeners to “Get out”—of their heads and into real life.
  • [61:50] Akira: “You have two worlds—one in your head, and the real world. All sadness comes from the imaginary one... Get out.”
  • [64:55] Erica: “Life is short. Get out more, get the bad thoughts out, live your life, and don’t waste time. Don’t waste time. Life is short.”

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Notable Quotes

• Trump on Iran:
  “We hit them hard last night ... we’ll see how it all works out. ... They can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s what I’m there for.” [07:55]

• Joel Pollak:
  “The Iranians think they have Trump over a barrel because they know he’s under a lot of domestic political pressure ... They keep pushing for more advantageous terms.” [12:38]

• Marcella (on Spain):
  “I hate Spain, so I am so happy that he hates Spain. ... But the government, yes, it’s always been ... a socialist.” [24:30]

• Virginia Senator:
  “We are no better than anybody else, and we should never vote for a bill that gives us a special privilege over any other citizen.” [31:59]

• Ron DeSantis:
  “We’ve got to draw a very strong line in the sand here. We’ve seen this creep throughout the country over many, many years.” [36:17]

• Scott (on trades):
  “The trades don’t get their due, in my opinion ... We’re just, we so screwed up as a society to make that entire part of our workforce and our entire educational rubric like a vocational consolation prize.” [49:10], [50:18]

• Akira (on mindfulness):
  “There’s the imaginary world in your head, and then there’s the real world. All sadness comes from the imaginary one. As soon as you find unpleasantness ... get out. Just get out. Join the real world.” [62:27]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump on Iran Escalation: [07:55–09:38]
• Joel Pollak’s Iran Analysis: [12:38–15:14]
• Trump on Greenland / NATO: [15:55–17:30]
• Trump Attacks Spain (NATO): [17:30–19:29]
• Marcella on Spain & Greenland: [24:26–27:40]
• Virginia Senator on Gun Law Exemptions: [30:53–31:59]
• DeSantis’ Terrorist Organization Law: [35:37–36:43]
• Discussion on Social Trends/Crime: [41:29–46:44]
• Scott Adams/Trades Value Clip: [47:51–50:18]
• Encouragement to “Get Out”/Closing: [61:28–65:26]

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Takeaways

• Foreign policy remains volatile: Trump’s tone on Iran and NATO is less about “deal making” and more about public warning and psychological tactics. Allies are unsettled; adversaries may be miscalculating.
• Populist frustration: Both in Europe (with Spain, Denmark) and domestically (with politicians’ self-dealing in Virginia), the team agrees that voters are right to be angry at elite double standards.
• State-level conservatism: DeSantis’ anti-extremist legislative moves are viewed as strong and necessary, though the practical effects remain to be seen.
• Skill-building and real-world usefulness: The group urges listeners to encourage young people to consider trades, reject snobbery, and focus on building “talent stacks.”
• Life advice: Don’t live in anxieties about the past or future. “Get out,” engage with reality, and appreciate the practical and immediate.

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For listeners who missed the episode: This podcast featured incisive commentary, humor, practical advice, and a blend of high-level geopolitics and down-to-earth wisdom. The “home team” remains skeptical of both international and domestic leadership, and urges listeners toward practical involvement, critical thinking, and embracing the real world over empty credentials or empty promises.

Transcript

[Erica]

Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months, or $180 for a 12 month plan. Required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. See terms. Hey, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Sorry I didn't start early again. I'm out of breath. I'm out of breath. Yes, I. I had groceries delivered and of course they got here right when I had to get going. So I brought everything in except the watermelon. The watermelon sitting out there is gonna have to wait. How you doing, Owen and Marcella?

[Marcella]

Good.

[Owen]

I'm doing great.

[Erica]

Yeah. All right. I like it. Marcella, you are leaving us early today, right?

[Marcella]

Yeah, I. The thing is, will I remember to leave?

[Erica]

Oh.

[Marcella]

So I'm like watching like, I. I have court today, you guys, but it's at 8:30, but I have to drive there, so I have like a time to PE.

[Erica]

Want me to just kick you out at 8:30?

[Marcella]

Yeah, if I don't recall, because, you know, I love being here. I love everybody. You know, it's fun.

[Erica]

Andy says Erica using surfs. Uyghurs are more reliable. Listen, I like grocery delivery. I don't care who brings it here. Yes. You guys, I'm exhausted from being out late with Mitch McConnell. If you're on my Twitter feed, you know what I'm talking about. But I'm just waiting for you guys to come in. Just g you a second because I did not start the show early. Hey, Jim. Courtney in Alaska. And I want to give a time for YouTube. Okay, YouTube.

[Joel]

You look good.

[Erica]

You look good. All right. And Joel Pollock will be popping in. He's got some exciting news for us. Oh, there's the picture of me and Mitch riding around in the convertible last night. He's very spry, very spry. All right, guys.

[Marcella]

Drive you.

[Erica]

I was like, no, well, we. I told you we had a tickle fight over it. I was like, no, I'll drive. He's like, no, I'll drive. And then we got into a tickle fight and he's Very strong, I thought. All right, you drive. Okay.

[Owen]

I spoke to my good friend Mitch McConnell yesterday, and we talked about my car's extended warranty.

[Erica]

Oh, yeah? Did he give you good advice?

[Owen]

Yeah, I think so.

[Erica]

He's very smart, and now with his wife being in China, he's got so much free time,

[Owen]

I think it's all a cover. He just thinks being brain dead will make people not think of him as a turtle anymore.

[Erica]

Oh, but we like turtles.

[Marcella]

Poor man.

[Erica]

Oh, my God. All right. Poor Mitch. Okay, here we go. Everyone get your. Get your vessel. Let's go.

[Akira]

Yeah, it's a new look. And if you'd like to engage in the simultaneous hip. And I know. I know you do. All you need is. And watch me do this from memory. A copper mugger glass, A tanker chalice or stein, A canteen jug or flask. A vessel of any kind. Fill it with your favorite liquid. I like coffee. And join me now for the dopamine hit of the day, the thing that makes everything better except possibly this hotel room, and it's called the simultaneous sip. It happens.

[Scott]

Now

[Marcella]

go.

[Erica]

All right, I'm going out on a limb. I feel like that was an empty mug of coffee just because he was bouncing it on the carpet a little too much. That's just me talking.

[Owen]

Anyway, he almost got the whole thing by memory.

[Shelley]

Almost.

[Erica]

Yeah, almost. Yeah.

[Marcella]

You should come on.

[Owen]

Parallel pleasure line, I think.

[Erica]

Yeah, he did. He did. The dopamine pleasure. The dopamine hit of the day. The unparalleled pleasure. That. That whole part he left out. Darn it. Yes. Sometimes he'd come on, like, from a hotel room, or you just never knew where he would be. He was cozy, and it was after Covid, so he was traveling, so. Yay, a hotel room. Okay, you guys, so I. Well, before Joel comes in, I'm gonna get in one of my silly clips, okay. Because this is the mood. But. Okay. I love when people have, like, a silent running joke going. Like, it's, like, unspoken, and you just understand you're in the thing, and this is between. I don't know if this is, like, just a hotel or a cruise ship or whatever, but, you know, in the morning, like, you leave. Well, if you don't, you. You should leave a couple of dollars on the bed in the morning for the housekeeping when they come in. And, you know, you just get, like, a little bit better service. In case you didn't know, that's a little tip from aunt Eric. Here is this little unspoken contest going on between housekeeping and the House guest. Oh, I don't want to have the music too loud. Look, then the hotel's like, okay, here's our swan. He leaves the tip in his towel. They make this. I love it. And he says, here's mine. Oh my gosh, that's a good one. Yeah, the hotel. And I like how he left his, or she left her glasses so they could use it as a prop with whatever they were doing.

[Marcella]

How many days did they stay?

[Erica]

I mean, really cute. I like the crab. I don't know what that is per se, but there it is. A drunk tourist. It's almost over, guys. And, oh, the hotel.

[Marcella]

Oh, that's cry. At least he knew this was going on. But anybody else, I love it.

[Erica]

I love that they were all in on it. So sweet. So good for them. That was cute. And now, you know, just leave a couple of, A couple of bucks for the housekeeping every day. Who doesn't love that? Okay, so you guys, have we been watching any of the little NATO clips with Trump over there in. Where is he? Turkey?

[Marcella]

Yes, he's in Ankara, Turkey.

[Erica]

Oh, right, Ankara.

[Marcella]

Or, or Katie Miller said that her, her daughter, I think, talked about her dad being in chicken. It's like that in chicken. And she was like, oh,

[Erica]

yeah, that's cute. All right, so I just pulled a couple of clips from there. I thought, let's get into some news because if Joel comes strolling in, he can just chime in with us. So let's see which one this is. This one. This might be the Spain one again, I can't see the titles, but it's. These are all a little interesting. Let's just hear it and then we'll chat about it. Here we go.

[Donald Trump]

With the Iran ceasefire possibly over, can we expect the resumption of full scale hostilities? They are behaving very badly as they have for 47 years. And you know, we hit them hard last night after they launched. They launched a couple of. You don't have to know about this. You got enough on your mind. But they launched a couple of drones and one rocket, one missile, and at chips, because they were in the strait, which they have every right to be. And so we hit him very hard last night, very, very hard. Probably hit him hard again tonight. I'll give him a little warning. We're going to hit him hard tonight, but we'll see how it all works out. No, I'm not happy with them. You know, it's like, for instance, we'll have a meeting and we'll talk about the Denuclearization of Iran, because that's what the war is. It's not a war. It's really the denuclearization of Iran. And we'll have a meeting and we'll talk about just that. Just because my whole thing is not about regime change. It's not about, although I think it's regime change. When you knock out the first group, the second group and now you're. I think that's maybe the ultimate regime change. But, but that's not what it's about. It's about we don't want them to have nuclear weapons. And it's get out of the room. We'll talk about it like we're here. They'll agree on everything and then they'll go have a news conference and say we never even talked about, about it. They're cuckoo. There's something wrong with these people. And for 47 years, they've been the bully of the Middle east. And they're not the bully anymore. They're not the bully anymore. And all we want, I want. It's very simple. They can't have a nuclear weapon. That's what I'm there for.

[Erica]

President Trump, sir.

[Donald Trump]

President Trump, they'd use it. And we're not going to let that.

[Erica]

President Trump, sir. Look at like magic. We just multiplied. Good morning, Joel.

[Donald Trump]

Good morning.

[Joel]

How are you?

[Marcella]

Good.

[Erica]

How are, how are you? I couldn't get my words out.

[Joel]

Oh, man. I'm running around in 5 million different directions. But it's very good to be with you.

[Erica]

Oh, we love seeing you. We were just doing a quick clip of Trump talking about, well, I guess the negotiate. The, the peace agreement is no longer. And he, he's hitting them hard and he said, we're going to hit him hard again tonight. Gave him a little warning. I'll just. So Joel can settle in. I'll just toss that to Owen first. So, you know, we're, we're so, like, ah, we're so sick of this story because every day changes, like, in a whole different direction. So it's, we, we always feel like, what's the point of talking about it? Because it's going to be different in five minutes. So what do you, what are you thinking about this latest turn?

[Owen]

Well, I'm frustrated by it just because I just like this to be over. I'd like the United States to come home and not keep doing this. I'm not surprised by it because it seemed like almost inevitable that this is the way it would go because it seems a lot like the Gaza, Hamas Thing where it's like we're making a deal, but we don't really have control over the people who are doing the violence in many cases. And they don't seem very unified where they can really make a deal and stick to it. And they don't have this hierarchical control over everybody. So I'm expecting this will continue, that they'll still have random attacks and retaliations and things. And I'm still hoping we can get to some kind of agreement, but it does, it doesn't seem very likely in the short term.

[Erica]

Yeah, same.

[Marcella]

What.

[Erica]

And Marcela, on that clip, what are you, what are you feeling?

[Marcella]

I just love the fact that one, that he's wearing the golden tie for the golden age. And he just, you know, they're cuckoo. So he is putting fear in them by warning them there's going to be this great attacks, creating the scene already in their mind. I think he's, he's playing them. I, I don't necessarily think the attacks were that strong yesterday enough to take them out. I think he's just doing this as, as, you know, negotiation, part of the negotiation with them. I don't know how much it would work on them since they're, you know, want to die. So, so in, in regular terms with a regular, you know, everyday kind of country, it would work. But we'll see maybe when you were wrong about Iran and then wanting to live or not.

[Erica]

And so, yeah, he's sitting there next to Zelensky. He's like, you're a little busy, but they're cuckoo. So what do you think, Joel? Oh, you're on mute about the latest.

[Joel]

Well, it does seem that Trump is pretty angry because he's put his own political capital at risk for a deal that seems to fall apart all the time. The Iranians think that they have Trump over a barrel because they know that he's under a lot of domestic political pressure to stop the war, to keep gas prices from rising any higher, to avoid sending ground troops. So they think they can do this right up until the midterm elections, and they can keep pushing for more and more advantageous terms for themselves, which include the right to extract tolls from the Strait of Hormuz traffic, and also the right, as they put it, to keep Hezbollah in Lebanon, which will not only attack Israel, but occupy Lebanese territory and control Lebanese politics. They want to end this war with one of their most important terrorist armies still very much deployed in the field and causing mayhem. And they think they can get there because they think Trump is terrified of losing the midterms. And so they keep pushing more and more and more. And Trump, I think, has made some strategic compromises for the sake of the midterm elections, but he can only go so far. If you start firing at allies, not just Israel, but the Qataris and other people, Kuwaitis, Omanis, whatever, and you start attacking shipping, when there's a clear understanding you're not going to do that, then he's going to have to retaliate. Now, in the past, we've seen these little retaliations, nothing really escalating, nothing going after the regime itself, but that could change. You don't know. And I think Trump is certainly talking like someone who wants to end the regime now. And he basically says, these are scum. He called them scum. You can't deal with them. They're crazy. And in a sense, they are because he's offering them a fantastic deal. In fact, many people who were supportive of the effort to win the war are surprised that the terms are as nice to the Iranians as they are. People think that he's actually almost appeasing the Iranians, some critics would say, and so he's giving them a pretty good deal, at least for the next few months, and they're walking away from that and creating problems for him. So I think he could mean at this time, you never know with Trump. I think his uncertainty is one of his strengths. You never know. But I think eventually he's just going to get fed up. And keep in mind, he does have people telling him that you can't trust the Iranians. Those people include, but are not limited to the Israeli government. The Israeli government's telling him, look, you can't have a deal with these people. They're nuts. And there are advisors who agree. So, you know, he's got people telling him that he has other options and he might start to use them.

[Erica]

Yeah, it is a pretty sweet deal that he's giving them.

[Marcella]

And

[Erica]

I don't know, it. It feels different. I'm also looking for a clip I wanted to show you guys. It does feel different this time for some reason. Like, he just does seem more fed up. Whether he is or not, I don't know. I can't find the clip. I wanted to show it to you guys, if I can, later. I'll. I'll grab it. He. He actually seems kind of fed up with everybody because he's also talking. Well, here, let me just play this clip. Let's just see how he's feeling on this one. Let's just let's just wrap up all the Naito and then we're going to get to what Joel wanted to talk to us about really quick. Here we go.

[Donald Trump]

But, hey, I mean, just so they say Greenland is very important for the United States, but it's not important for Denmark. In fact, when Denmark was overrun by the Nazis in less than one day, Hitler beat them out in one day, took over. They asked us to take care of Greenland. In fact, we took Greenland and then, stupidly, we gave it back. We shouldn't have given it back to them because we're the ones that need it. We need it for protection of the world, not just the United States. And it's very important. It doesn't help Denmark, but it helps us, and it's very important for us. And again, they were defeated very quickly. Denmark was. Was beaten in one day, less than one day, by the Nazis, by Hitler. And when this happened, they immediately switched it over to us. We owned it. We had it. We were taking care of it. And then we gave it back, which is. I don't know why I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have given the Panama Canal back either, you know, so what do I know? I certainly wouldn't have done that because China is trying to take over the Panama Canal, and that's not going to happen. So. But I just, you know, it's interesting. I'm very unhappy with NATO and yet this man is a great leader and he gets it. He gets it, gets it maybe better than some of the leaders.

[Erica]

So I think I'm going to play the next clip also, and then we'll just talk about all of it and, like, his general feeling, because something just feels different to me, maybe now that, like, the fourth of July whole thing is over and he's seeing, like, you know, what's coming down the pike for him. So one more quick clip, and this one is directed to Spain. Again, he's not happy.

[Donald Trump]

And I want to thank Mark. He's been a great Secretary General of NATO. I'm not happy with NATO because of what they did with Greenland, and I'm not happy with NATO because of the fact that they didn't want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terror, that's Iran. They were unwilling to help us. Now, in all fairness, I didn't speak to Mark about it. I think if I did, it might have been different, but we didn't need help. But I was really testing. I wanted to see whether or not they'd be there. And the answer is they Were. I spoke to Germany, I spoke to France, spoke to uk, spoke to Italy. I spoke to. I didn't speak to Spain. Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore. By the way, I'd like you to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate. They. They don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please. Including visits. Okay. We don't want anything to do. Watch them come running back. Oh, they'll come running back. They treat this man terribly. And this man's a good man, too. Great man. They're lucky to have him. But Spain doesn't agree to anything. And you shouldn't carry him. I mean, you're sort of automatically carry because you're protecting an area. So they're there. So they probably figured they have to protect us. Right? But we don't have to. And we don't have to trade with them. I don't want to do any more trade with them. All right, Take it immediately. Don't even talk to them. They're hopeless, bad people because, you know, they have everybody else going and paying and working in Spain, in particular Spain, there are a couple of others, but in particular Spain, they're open, open about it, they're hostile about it, and let's see how. So they remain when they call up and they. Please, please. We want to trade with you, sir. We want to trade with you, sir. They make so much money with us, and we're going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them.

[Erica]

Oh, man. Spain, you are in trouble. So he's looking over at Scott Bessen and Marco Rubio, that's who he's talking to. And he says, no more communication with them. Don't even talk to them. No visits, nothing. So, yeah, so I feel like the tone is different. I feel like he's a little bit more serious now. Joel, I'll come to you first on this one. So are you sensing that things are, I don't know, more serious with him now?

[Joel]

It's hard to know because I don't know what it means to cut off. Trade with Spain has not been helpful in the Middle East. They've been very anti Israel, and it sort of illustrates a classic principle of scapegoating. The Spanish prime minister's wife is under suspicion of corruption. She's got a bunch of corruption allegations against her. And the worse that scandal gets, the more the prime minister starts beating the Middle east issue and attacking Israel. It's sort of a classic don't look at the corruption, look over here at this other thing. So they've said and done some, some pretty hostile things. They've also been unhelpful with the American war effort generally. So, you know, it's not a surprise that, that he'd have a problem with them. At the same time, I don't know how we really cut off trade to a member of the eu. Maybe we cut off visits. That's easy enough to do. But I, I, you know, you have to think he's going to get some attention by saying, I think there's a strain of politics in Europe right now which is to try to interfere, determined to interfere with the President in any way possible. Hello, this is my, this is my four year old.

[Akira]

Hi.

[Joel]

Anyway, and I'm about to get interrupted again by, by a call for a radio interview. But yeah, I mean, we'll see where this goes. I think the President could end up just simply making a decision and, and we'll see. I do think the Iranian regime is taking a huge risk. I mean, the President is giving you this much, then you should take it.

[Erica]

Take it. Yeah, but they're not right. Okay, so Owen, I'll come to you on this one now. And whether it's on Greenland or Denmark or anything he's talking about, what do you, what are you feeling from him?

[Owen]

I don't, I mean, to me it, it seems like it's just a continuation of his policies for, for those things. I think he has been talking about Greenland for a long time. I think people, it makes the news just because he's bringing it up again, because I think people were hoping it would just go away. I don't think it will. You know, I think to me it seems like he's sort of playing the long game with that where he's not, you know, invading Greenland or anything, but he's just bringing up to normalize the conversation and to continue it until it becomes the obvious solution. I mean, I think that's the strategy. And as far as Iran goes, I agree with Joel that they are probably getting the best deal they're ever going to get in terms of ending this. But I just don't think they have control. I don't think they have a unified government at this point. So I think it's kind of impossible for them to really rein everybody in and say, okay, we're all going to get together and do this. It seems like they have the hardliners and the people who want to make a deal and then maybe just some loose cannons in between. And so it just seems like it's, you know, a hard thing for them to pull off.

[Erica]

Yeah. And what about the whole thing with Spain? I mean, I just. I just am sensing frustration and I also feel like maybe he said the Spain thing also to appease the head of Naito, who is, like you said, having a hard time with Spain, maybe to show like, hey, I'm your buddy, or something.

[Owen]

Well, I think it's a. Certainly a card that Trump can play. You know, he's done it in the past where he just like, says, I'm going to blow up your trade, and then suddenly they come to the table and say, let's make a deal. So I think he does have a lot of leverage over Spain. And I do think they're probably not being very cooperative, not just from NATO, but in general. You know, their policies seem amongst the more extreme. I mean, they're the ones that are kind of saying we're going to give blanket asylum to all illegal immigrants. I posted a story today that says, like, 70% of the people who are going to SP who claim to be unaccompanied minors are actually adults. Like 70.

[Erica]

Wow, that's creepy.

[Owen]

And, you know, so they seem to be going in the wrong direction everywhere. And so, you know, if we can bring them back to the table and say, you got to get in line with, with what we need here, I think it would be a good thing. But I don't know.

[Donald Trump]

I don't.

[Owen]

I don't really care that much about Spain either. I mean, I'd rather have Trump focusing on what's going on in America.

[Erica]

Same, same, same. So, Marcela, hilarious. Listening to him, we were laughing for sure. He's very entertaining. So on any of those three clips, Take it away. You. You only have five minutes left with us.

[Marcella]

Yeah, I only have like six minutes.

[Erica]

Take it, sister.

[Marcella]

I, I hate Spain, so I am so happy that he hates Spain. Like, I.

[Erica]

Wait, why?

[Marcella]

I've always hated Spain. Just anybody from Latin America hates me. But anyways, I won't go into that,

[Joel]

but

[Marcella]

it's just the people that I love, but the government, yes, always been. You know, it's the third term of Pedro Sanchez, the, The, the prime minister of Spain. He's a socialist. You know, nothing. They never do anything that they promise. And it's, well, we can go into why socialism sucks and all that, but. But we get it right? You know, I think he's right. They're not bringing in non East European countries, are actually bringing it into NATO. They want to be living their life, you know, having 30, 30 to 60 day vacations. And they want America to defend them, you know, and they don't want to pay for it. So I'm glad Trump is the first president that is asking to increase their, their commitment to NATO because they seem to be very like, oh, we must meet with NATO and have NATO. You mean more. You mean, you mean us, you mean America, you know, and so it's like this idea anyways, Greenland. The Greenlanders are freaking out whenever Trump brings this up because they, they don't like it. One of the reasons that, that they don't like it is because the US can already be there. They can already have multiple control militarily. They already have a, a station there, they have different things there. They have military there. So they, they're wondering. So their suspicion is that it's a time their suspicion and they're looking for a clip. Their suspicion is that there's perhaps they want the oil. That's their suspicion. And there has been an American company there recently that wanted to extract the oil from certain area. They have to get the okay of Denmark, they have to get the okay of the Greenlanders and all sorts of things. And it takes a while, but they're figuring that it's not the military issue because the US has already control over the military. They're thinking, oh, you want all the oil? Greenland is very original oil and very like, they're doing very good, so. Oh, okay, my time.

[Erica]

So funny. Yeah, so I think so. I mean, some Greenlanders like it, but I'm sure the majority are worried about it and with good reason. If they're thinking it's about the oil, I mean, would make sense that that would be an option. I don't know. And Trump's been talking about the Panama Canal for as long as I can remember.

[Marcella]

So it would be in their best interest from Greenland for the US to take over Greenland. One of the things you might not know is that Greenlanders cannot own any land. So if you have a property, it's the property, but the land is owned by the government always. So there's certain things that Trump can give them that they don't have. They don't have certain rights that, to the land, to this, to that, to exploring, to even creating. Their population is exploding. They don't have. So, you know, maybe call me Trump so I can like, help you out with. Yeah, certain things.

[Erica]

President Trump, please call Marcella. You Can. Her DMS are maybe open. I'm sure for you they are, and she'll help you figure that out. Thank you. I like that. And that's. I didn't know they didn't own their land. That's kind of sucky, but. All right. Marcella, do you want to say goodbye?

[Marcella]

Yeah, I'll say goodbye.

[Erica]

Marcel, enough. Don't go. This is not right.

[Marcella]

You know, Owen just does the Irish goodbye, which is less sad.

[Erica]

Yeah. I was like, I'll just listen to

[Marcella]

what Owen says because I have one more minute.

[Owen]

So I'm part Irish, so that makes sense.

[Erica]

I do the Irish goodbye.

[Owen]

I think you should just tell the judge that you need to reschedule. I mean, I don't know what you're doing here.

[Erica]

Oh, yeah. He'll be happy with that. All right, so then. So that was. That was all I really pulled for NATO. I mean, we will see what happens tonight with Iran and, you know, what kind of bombing campaign there's going to be. Or not. I'm so. I just so want to focus on this country, you guys. Like, you have no idea.

[Marcella]

And.

[Erica]

All right, so let me move on, then. Marcella, I'm going to a new topic in Virginia. This is just. Just to show us all. Was that your Timer? Oh, God bless. Bless your soul. Marcella, have fun in court today. Marcella, kick some butt, would you? She does not want to go, you guys.

[Marcella]

I don't want to go.

[Erica]

I love you guys.

[Shelley]

Bye. Look.

[Scott]

Look at her.

[Erica]

Like, she's getting sent away to jail.

[Owen]

We won't stop you if you want to stay and just blow off court.

[Erica]

Marcel, do you want me to kick you out?

[Marcella]

Make a comment on. I'm 12. So whenever you say yes. Anyways, have fun, you guys. And I see Joel's still there. So he'll be back.

[Erica]

He'll be back. Yeah. And you'll be back tomorrow.

[Marcella]

Yes.

[Erica]

Okay. Thank God. I'll kick you out. Okay, bye. Okay, bye. I feel bad. Okay. There she goes. All right, so this is in Virginia. So we always talk about, like, how the politicians just hate us so much. Here's another example. So Owen and I were talking about this a little bit before the show. You know, where these people pass laws, and then they were like, but we're exempt. We're exempt. Like, we don't have to have Obamacare. We don't. You know, but you little minions down there have to. So here is one about gun laws in Virginia, which is home of Abigail Spamberger. But listen to this.

[Virginia Senator]

Madam President, I Wish the senator from eastern Fairfax could hear himself. Could hear himself. Because this job. We think this job has gotten dangerous in the last couple of years. Well, how many Virginians out there believe that they're in a situation where they need to protect themselves, but yet we don't listen to them? Well, not me, but this body's not going to listen to them because they think they need to have this protection. We're going to carve something out for General assembly members that, to me, is beyond the pale. General Assembly. We are a citizen legislature. We are citizens just like everybody else. We go back home. We interact with their constituents. We're a part of the community. We are no better than anybody else. And we should never vote for a bill that gives us a special privilege over any other citizen

[Erica]

senator from Western. Amen. I mean, good for him for speaking up and saying that. I don't know what happens after that, Owen, but

[Owen]

I'm guessing they just move on and pass the bill. But it is ridiculous. I totally agree with them. I think any time any kind of either state or federal Congress passes legislation that says, well, we're exempt from this law, it's, like, so blatant in terms of saying we're going to do something bad for other people, but we're not going to do it to ourselves, and we're just going to, you know, treat ourselves like we're special. And I. I think it should almost be unconstitutional to do things like that. I think it should be just not allowed to say we're gonna exempt Congress from something that we subject everyone else to because it's, like, the opposite of the philosophy of the Constitution. It's like. It's like treating them like monarchy or like a ruling class.

[Erica]

Yes. And, I mean, I think everybody that's watching this right now would agree that. Wouldn't you feel so much better if they had to live by the same laws they're passing? And don't you love how they're always giving themselves a raise when everyone else is, like, losing jobs? And you're just, like, the. Like, the nerve. And they have all this vacation time, like, it's all so backwards, and it sends such a terrible message. And, you know, I gave Marjorie Taylor Greene, like, a lot of props for staying and working, like, what she was like, you know, it's just gross. Like, everyone's going on vacation, and, you know, we have the government shut down, and we have this and we have that. And I'm like, yeah, that's kind of what I want to see from all of the politicians act like you care. And also, that's another reason why you need term limits. Like, these people, they're. They've just got it made. It's so gross. I forget what other laws there were, but they don't. They don't do anything that we have to do. So it's pretty crazy to say we're going to take your guns away and good luck, but we're going to keep ours because we're more important than you. Like, what an insult. I don't know what Virginians are going to do. Oh, and any more, I'm hoping they'll

[Owen]

realize their mistake and they'll reverse it next time. They can, at least. But it doesn't seem like the way things go. I don't. But again, it's hard to know whether it's through some kind of legitimate election or whether there was a whole bunch of influence or corruption or fraud or whatever, because it seems like we find that everywhere we go.

[Erica]

Yeah, you guys, sorry that we're a little haphazard, but with Marcella having to leave, and then Joel came late, but now Joel's gone. He's just gone. Just so you know, if he comes back, I'll let you know. So we're a little bit, like, choppy. So I'm just gonna run a couple more clips that we have because there are things that I wanted to show you guys and talk about anyway. So this is good. It gives Owen and I a chance to clear out the. The deck here. So Owen has no idea what's coming next, so it'll be fun. Okay. I've been wanting to play this one. So the other day, I posted on my socials that if Ron DeSantis could Florida America, I so want him for president. I mean, he just does the most common sense, smart things all the time for the people of Florida, and I'm just like, oh, flavor. You can joyfully adapt. I love that. Oh, and someone offered to come tell jokes. Dr. Von Hardy. Okay, so listen to this, you guys. You know what one of my biggest issues is, which is Islam. Just listen to Ron DeSantis on this issue.

[Owen]

Governor Ron DeSantis says he wants to label several groups as terrorist organizations under a new Florida law that just took effect. Governor DeSantis named the council on American Islamic Relations, also known as cair, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa, as groups that he's targeting. The law allows Florida law enforcement to recommend organizations for this label, but the state cabinet has to vote on it.

[Shelley]

Yeah, Russ, the new state law took effect yesterday. And Governor DeSantis says that safety starts with first identifying a threat. That's why he designated the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Muslim Brotherhood, and dozens more organizations to be terrorist organizations.

[Owen]

We've got to draw a very strong line in the sand here. We've seen this creep throughout the country over many, many years.

[Shelley]

The new law also prohibits courts from imposing any stipulations of religious law with a specific focus on Sharia law. Critics say it violates the rights of freedom of speech and due process. DeSantis says the new law will also strip funding from schools and local governments with ties to these organizations.

[Owen]

You know, let's just say, you know, you had a school with ties to CARE and the Muslim Brotherhood. You know, do you want Florida scholarship money going to those. To those schools? Of course you wouldn't want that.

[Shelley]

The Florida cabinet will have to ratify all 90 plus organizations as terrorist organizations before those designations can become official. The governor said he expects the law to face legal challenges.

[Erica]

Ugh. Just like so much common sense. I know people are like, oh, his personality is dull, or I didn't like this or like that. But I mean, it's so much common sense. And I feel like obviously he's a governor, so he's not having to deal with, you know, international issues, but he's so America focused. And I feel like, Owen, like, I feel like we're really missing the America focus. What do you think about what he's doing there?

[Owen]

Well, I agree with a lot of the things DeSantis has pushed through, and I think he's been one of the best, if not the best, at actually making changes at the state level to push things in the direction that at least people like us or conservative leaning would want. I think it's the right way to go because I think it should also probably cement the population over time. I mean, you know, if someone is like one of these woke liberals that is going to be screaming every day and crying every day, maybe they'll leave and maybe it'll attract more people that would vote the way that we want people to vote. And, you know, I suppose you could make the same argument for the other side that, you know, the places like Washington and Oregon, when they pass all these woke laws, it might cement their ability to maintain their voter base. So maybe that's what it is. But I do think it's, you know, markedly different in Florida in terms of all these things. As far as this particular thing, I guess I would have to understand more about what it would really mean. Like I, on the surface, designating someone as a terrorist organization doesn't really mean anything. And it sounds like this is just the ability to recommend it, that then another body has to actually vote on it, which means it may or may not happen. But even if it did happen, I would just then ask the question, okay, what does that mean? Because at the federal level, like we talked about this in the past with domestic terrorists, you know, Muslim Brotherhood and others, Antifa, and things like that, but I don't think that really has any teeth. Like, it doesn't really mean anything to designate someone as a domestic terrorist organization. It doesn't give any additional authorities. It doesn't mean you can go arrest them. It doesn't mean anything really, as far as I can tell. And so I would ask the same question at the state level, like, okay, if you do get the Muslim Brotherhood or Care or some of these other things to be designated as a terrorist organization, what does that mean? What does it change? And maybe there are, maybe there is a good answer for it. I mean, maybe that means you can't donate money to them or you can't, you know, like, maybe it does give law enforcement some additional capabilities at the state level. Because I just don't know what the, how that, how that works. But I, I would still want to have answers to that question to know, is this just theater or is this something real?

[Erica]

Yeah, I agree. I, I, because what's happening at that Delaney hall or whatever it's called in Newark with all the pro. Ice. Pro protesting out there, a lot of those people are antifa. And I'm like, well, doesn't that mean that there are domestic terrorists? And then if you're a terrorist, wouldn't you be in jail? So I do wonder what that means. Although I have a feeling in Florida it means more than it does on the federal level. But you're right. I'd like to see what that means. Maybe we could dig into that a little bit further and find. And we'll. And someone mentioned Andy? No. So you guys, if you don't know Andy. No. His last name is spelled N as in Nancy G, O. He has been covering Antifa since, oh, my gosh, like 2015ish. So check him out, because the man is like, literally put his life on the line. He's one of the few people I, I will donate to just like, privately to help him because he's, he's doing such great work. But I don't know. I just, you know, somebody said Desantis picks up the Free money on the table. Yeah, I mean, it's common sense money he's picking up. And again, also, I feel like that's such a sense of patriotism to be doing these things to keep America safe. And that's kind of all I care about right now because I, I feel so much less safe than I have ever, you know, ever in my time. And then I, and then you have people saying, no, it's the golden age. It's the safest time to be in America. I'm like, where is that happening? You know, I'm like, are you just gaslighting me? Because I don't see it.

[Owen]

I think partly it's both are true. I do think there is a lot more left wing violence than there ever has been in recent years at least. And I think, you know, the racial divide and all the violence, that has gone up a lot as well. But I think if you look at statistics, even with the fact that all the data is wrong or corrupt or whatever, I still would say, like, compared to, let's say the 80s or 90s maybe, you know, crime has gone down a lot. Just in general. Like, there's just a lot less in terms of murders, rapes, arson, robbery, whatever. I mean, if you look at most of the statistics, sure, it was a lot worse. Yeah. I mean, just like per capita and stuff, I'm pretty sure I could pull up the stats. But you know, I think to some extent I don't, I don't think it can be completely made up that it's like not safer now than it was back then. But I think you just didn't hear about it in the news all the time back then. Like there were lots of things going on in places like New York City where people were getting robbed and stabbed and murdered and whatever. And you just, unless you read the newspaper, you wouldn't even see the stories. And even if you did, you might only see one or two of them and you wouldn't see a lot of them. I mean, again, I'm not minimizing the problems. I think there are real problems. I mean, I live in, I live near Chicago. Like, I see the stats on that all the time and they're ridiculous. And I don't know why more isn't being done to stop it. So it's not like, isn't a problem, but I think it depends on the lens you put on it. Right. Like if you go back 30, 40, 50 years, it's different. I think it has gone up in recent years compared to, let's Say five or ten years ago.

[Erica]

Maybe the crime is also different now because, you know, let's just call it out. I mean, like, I'm seeing so much black crime that. And. And black on black crime. Like, you know, racist stuff, the teen takeovers and I don't know, like, everything just seemed, you know, and like when. When people are getting in a fight now, it's not like two dudes duking it out. It's like, I'm gonna get you on the ground so 67 people can stomp on your head. It's like, what are we doing? Or just someone shooting guns off because they don't give a. About anybody's life. It's like, just. I don't. I'm not even thinking about you as a human being. A life with a family or anyone that cares about you. Like, it just all seem different now that, you know, maybe that's not anyone else's opinion, but that's. That's just how I feel. Like it's all so escalated and so much more nasty. And then also watching these judges not putting anyone in jail because of their skin color or because they are here illegally, and I'm just like, what laws are we in for? Like, what is happening here? So, you know, yeah, the good old days, though, of. Of a base or maybe in the 70s chunks, but the good old days of just like a basic brawl was usually like two people and then all their friends trying to break it up. Now it's everybody with their cameras and like, let's see how extreme it can go. And you put a camera on anyone, they're going to perform to the max. So I feel like that's a problem too. I don't know. I don't like it. I don't like it. Can I.

[Owen]

Again, I'm not trying to say there isn't a problem. There is.

[Erica]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Owen]

And I think a lot of times, especially in some of the bigger cities, things I think getting worse. But I think it's just crime in general. I think there has been a lot of measures that have been taken over decades, and maybe some of it is just other trends that have made it less likely that these things happen. I mean, some of it might even be like, I see stories regularly how we just don't hang out with each other anymore. We don't have parties, we don't go out as much. People are just at home a lot more. And so maybe that naturally just leads to less crime. But because, you know, there are these natural factors, like when the temperature goes up there's more crime, you know, and it's like some of these things just have an effect. But I think, you know, we're. We're much more in a surveillance state now, so people get caught a lot more. They probably get put in jail or prison a lot more in general. I mean, we, you know, and we hear stories, especially on the right, about them releasing the prisoners, but the other side of that is they're releasing them because they ran out of room. Like, they don't have enough space for of them, all the prisoners. And so I think, you know, it is something that, again, could be improved and should be improved. And I do think we should take that 1 or 2% and just lock them up. Like Trump has said recently. I think, where it's like, hey, the 2% is doing like half the crime or whatever. You know, we can solve that, right? Like, just get rid of that 2%, I think is what he said. I don't know that he meant it in a, you know, hang them sort of way.

[Erica]

Alligator moats, you know, but, you know,

[Owen]

if you could get those people in prison and keep them in prison or somehow keep them away from everybody else, you probably would increase our safety by a lot. So I guess that was my timer. I'm not sure why that went off.

[Erica]

Oh, that scared me out. That sounded like a big nuclear.

[Owen]

Don't worry, I don't need to go.

[Erica]

It's just me. Not that I ever can't talk by myself, Lord knows. All right, so. All right, so we'll see about that. And also the other thing I wanted to say too, is watching our politicians be so disgusting. This is like another level too, where I feel like, makes me feel less safe. Just their, just their language and, you know, calling people racist. Like, you know, they're literally, literally putting targets on people's back. So, yeah, you know, it's all. It's just different. It's different, it's ugly, it's nasty, it's ramped up. People are really going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs out there. So I did want to play one other clip, you guys. I got so much positive feedback and so much, much, I don't know, so many great comments about people, like with their kids in the trades or that you took notes on yesterday's shows. And, you know, when we were talking about micro. There's another clip from that podcast that I picked up today, and the person that posted it was WDYFW underscore pod clips. I just wanted to shout them out. So that was a mouthful so this is their clip. But I, it's so funny. He's saying like, kind of all the things I said about the welding and blah, blah, blah, blah. Let's, let's take a listen, take notes. Let's go.

[Scott]

But I'll tell you something else about the skilled tradesman. They, they lead into more small businesses than more people will seem capable of realizing. And that path nobody talks about, and I see it all the time.

[Owen]

Did you say they leave small businesses?

[Scott]

Lead, lead to the formation of them? I, I could literally give you a list of people who I helped get a welding certificate for six, seven, eight, ten years ago. Whatever people think in their minds, ah, that's it. He's going to be a welder. So he's going to weld and that's it. Maybe he'll tig weld, maybe he'll mig weld, maybe a little underwater weld. Those guys make, make a lot of coin, right, dude, Whatever it is. But that's what, that's what this person's going to be. So many times that certification leads to a plumbing certification or an electrical certification, and there's like this hierarchy within the trades. And then they buy a van and they hire their buddies. They got an H VAC buddy, right? And now they got two vans. And now they have a mechanical contracting company. And now you've got a dozen guys, men, women, whatever. And they didn't go to college and they're running this business, you know, and like knives, whiskey, success. It's like there's so many paths to that. And, and the trades don't get their, their due, in my opinion. So many of the people I, I profiled on Dirty Jobs, nobody believes this, but I'm telling you, you watched the show growing up. I know for a fact 40 of the people we profiled were multimillionaires. We never talked about it. They certainly never talked about it. And nobody assumed that kind of success because they were normally covered in mud or blood or shit or something worse. You just don't, you just don't equate that kind of success with that, that, with that optics. But it's always been there. It's always been right in front of us. And we're just, we so screwed up as a society to make that entire part of our workforce and our entire educational rubric like a vocational consolation prize. But we did it. And we're still doing it.

[Erica]

Genius. Because it's so true, right? We just said this yesterday. People made it like you were less than if you did something Vocational. No, we screwed up. We really screwed up, you guys. He's so right.

[Owen]

I mean, I think the whole no Child Left behind and, you know, everybody needs to go to college idea was just a massive screw up. And you know, I would say even the same thing about like stay at home moms being denigrated as less than, like, it's like, you know, all these things that are really important have been just made out to be, oh, you're, you know, you're a loser or you're somehow less than other people if you do those things. And you know, again, I'm not trying to say like, nobody, no women should be in the workforce or any of that. I'm not saying any of that. But I'm saying like, there is this perception today, I think with many women, if not even most women, that if you don't have a career, you're somehow less than everyone else. And that if you're a stay at home mom, you're not important or something. And it's like one of the most noble things a woman can do is to raise their children and raise them well.

[Erica]

What better for your child than to have its mom?

[Owen]

And I think the same is true in a different way for the trades. It's like, you know, there are a lot of people that probably it's not the best thing for them to go to college. And, and it doesn't mean they're stupid. It just means that's just not the best fit for them. And it's also, I think Mike Rose point is just we need those people, we need those trades. Like we, there's demand for those skills and people exist that could be doing those jobs, but they were taught not to pursue them and they were taught that they weren't worthwhile. And in many cases I would say they were lied to in the sense of like, how much money you can make or how good your career would be. Because I think many of these people were tricked into going to college and taking on like $100,000 in student loans. And then they end up not finding any job that can ever pay it off and they end up not making any more money than if they had gone into a trade. In fact, they might have done much better. I mean, I've seen the math calculations where it's like, okay, this guy went to college and took on a bunch of debt, and maybe he did get a slightly higher sal coming out of it, but the person who went right out of high school into the trade is suddenly making a really high hourly rate he didn't take on any debt. And so he was making money those four years while the other person was paying a hundred thousand or more dollars. Now it's almost like $100,000 a year. I mean, it's like, really bad. I mean, at the top schools, I think it is close to $100,000 a year. So you're talking about $400,000. I mean, maybe some people get scholarships, but it's still, it's a massive amount of money, and you're not making any money during that times, and you're not building the skills. You're not not moving ahead. And so, you know, if you take an equivalent person that might be really smart and capable, they could go into one of those trades. And then maybe by the time they've been in for 10 years, which means only like six years out of school, right. They might be like 26 or whatever, or 28 maybe, you know, maybe they're ready to start their own business. And yeah, if they have the intelligence and the skill set and they've been smart about it, they could probably just say, okay, now I'm running my own H Vac contractor or my own general contractor or my own whatever specialty they went into. And even if they just stay in their job, I mean, I'm not a big fan of unions, but it, but they do have this seniority system, so you kind of automatically keep getting more per hour and all this other stuff, and you do really well financially, from what I can see. Again, it may not be like, you know, the top of what you could potentially make as a college graduate, but most people who get college degrees don't end up there either.

[Erica]

No, no, they don't. And they don't end up using their degree either. But, you know, like yesterday. So there's a High Rise on 33rd Street, New York City, that's having a vicious structural problem, and they're afraid the building's going to collapse. And anyway, this one guy's like, you know, they, they went for the money. You know, when pricing out this job, they were adding like 14 floors or something to the building. The steel's buckling. And he said they went for the, to, like, get the best deal on the job instead of going with the people who are, you know, proficient tradesmen. And we knew what we were doing, and now they've got a problem where this whole building might come down. And ironically, it's the Pfizer building that could.

[Owen]

I saw that story and I, I. But I also have to think, like, there's got to be some failure there beyond just that. Like there, there had, as I understand, especially with high rise buildings like this, like, somebody has to approve the plans, somebody has to inspect the work. Like you're supposed to do all these things. Did they just bribe these people to look the other way? I mean, maybe something.

[Erica]

I mean, maybe. But if they hired like this whole union, one, that never would have happened. But then I was like, you know what? There's such a need now just for this building, for very skilled tradespeople for every facet of this building. And the other thing I wanted to say was, you know, I remember in high school, you know, we, yeah, we had home EC and whatever they called it. Food technology was one. And then there was like the auto shop and the wood shop and whatever. And you know, like I. I can remember I went to a very snooty high school, you guys in a very, very wealthy town. And you know, the guys in auto shop, I love them. But, you know, people be like, oh, they're like the dirt bags and whatever. They're the same people that are like Jerry Seinfeld's mechanic today or Jay Leno's mechanic or like the people with like these bougie cars. You know how much money these people make. So it's like so funny how people are like, no, it's so, you know, beneath, you know, whatever. It can be whatever you want it to be. But how many people always are like, I need a good mechanic. Does anyone know someone for my air conditioning who, like, you really trust? It's not just like a friend of yours, but someone that you know is good. Like, you, like, those are the people that mean the most in our lives. Like an accountant, you know, all right, like, whatever. Lawyers have to follow the law, like, as long as it's nothing like crazy crazy. But like, when you're doing something in your home and you're spending your money, which is so expensive, your money, you want the best people and you're like, you do anything, you know, for. To have like a good tradesperson in your pocket. So you can't tell I sound like a normal person.

[Marcella]

Yay.

[Erica]

So, you know, it's just, it's just something that's really needed. And like we were saying yesterday, the. The really devoted electricians and H Vac and builders and you name it, they're. They're going to be retiring like, very soon. So, you know, welders and everything. So please, you know, get this word out to people. My friend's sending her daughter to College after she has one more year in high school. And I'm like, why are you doing that? Like, what? Like, what's the point? There's nothing she's interested in at. And they're gonna, you know, go into some form of a. Not debt, but they're gonna, you know, they're gonna have big, big, big bills. And she's. She's like, I love her, but she's flaky. She's young. She doesn't know what she wants to do. So I'm like, get her out in the world. Get experience, Start making money right away. And just so you know, I can speak to that. I did not go to college. I. I opted out of college, and I went. My talent stack is insane. You guys. If I told you all the different jobs I've had, you would be like, what are you, 95 years old to have had all those jobs in your lifetime? But, you know, whenever Scott talked about a talent stack, I'm like, amen. Because I feel like I know not even a little. I know like, a decent amount of a lot of different things. And so maybe that made me not nervous, not embarrassed, not shy. It taught me how to deal with different types of people and how to grow and do whatever. And so I just don't think stereotypes are healthy. And I think people should go out into the world and just start being useful as fast as you can. And don't ever feel like, oh, I don't. Like, I have friends that are like, I didn't go to college. And I'm so embarrassed that someone's going to ask me where I went to school. And I'm like, thinking, that's never even occurred to me to be like, you know, someone's going to ask me if I went to college. I didn't go to college. I'll tell you my whole story one day. You guys will laugh. We'll do it on. On Scott's private locals. But it's funny. But anyway, that's kind of all I wanted to say about all that. Anything in closing, Owen, We've hit our time.

[Owen]

No, I think. I mean, this has been a good discussion, and I agree with everything you said, and I think it's. It is the snobby people. And I think I saw SJV asking what a bougie was. It's basically a snob. Someone only wants the best stuff and looks down on everybody that doesn't have the best stuff.

[Marcella]

Stuff.

[Erica]

Bougie. It's. Yeah, Never mind. Yeah, that's it. All right. Well, you guys, thank you. Yeah, we lost Joel and Marcella. Hopefully they will be found again. But I do know that Joel is very excited about how the biography is going. So, like I said, he called me yesterday morning before the show, and he just said that Joshua Lysac and him, they've been having great success with the book. Like, there. There's a great momentum going, and so they're both going to kind of rotate and come on and keep us updated as we get closer to the book launch. All right. Okay, so I think that's it. You guys, should I play an Akira song on the way out? Oh, and if you have to dip out, I totally get it.

[Owen]

I do.

[Erica]

Okay. All right, great. So we'll. We'll just do a closing sip, and we'll say thank you to Scott and Shelley for allowing this show to continue. Don't forget, Friday, we have an. Oh, I announced this yesterday. At the end, we have a new guest professor coming on. His name is Jesse Kelly. So if you don't know him, get used to him. He's a perfect Friday guest host. He's a lot of fun. You're gonna love him. He just speaks his mind. All right, so you guys get out there, be useful, do all the things, and let's have a closing sip to our very beloved Scott Adams. To Scott.

[Owen]

To Scott.

[Erica]

Suburban. Let me answer you. Wait, where'd you go? Why isn't Owen live? He isn't live because he has a job. It's not like a CIA job. We joke around, but he has a job that might not appreciate him being on a show that's has any kind of politics in it. So he's always been. I mean, I know who he is. Scott know who he is, and Marcella knows, but he's always had a private Persona just so he doesn't have to have his personal life ruined. And so it was always known that Owen would be just an image. That's why. Nothing crazy. Okay, let's do it. Let's do. Oh, you guys. Which one? Which one? How about Get Out? Let's do Get Out.

[Akira]

Somebody asked me for a reframe to help them get out of their head and, you know, stop having ruminations and bad thoughts. And I suggested the reframe of that. I tried myself, and it worked. Where you just say, get out. Where you just say, get out, Akira.

[Donald Trump]

Get out.

[Akira]

Just say, get out. Just get out of your head. Now, the frame that makes it work is to realize that you are a person who has two completely different lives. This is the key. There's a part of you that lives only in your head where you think about the past, which literally doesn't exist. It's imaginary. It existed at one point, but now it's just the thoughts of the past. Get out.

[Owen]

Get out.

[Donald Trump]

Get out.

[Shelley]

Out.

[Akira]

Now just say, get out.

[Owen]

Get out of here.

[Erica]

I want you to help.

[Donald Trump]

Get out.

[Akira]

Well, you also have thoughts of, oh, what will happen in the future. I'm worried about the future. And that does. Doesn't exist. Doesn't exist. So the life you live in your head is a completely imaginary one. Things of the history in your past that don't exist anymore, and worries about the future that doesn't exist yet. But the outside world is all real stuff. Stuff you can touch, breathe, sense. And we live in both of those worlds. We go back and forth. And so the idea that I had that worked when I did it was I just said, get out. What I meant was, get out of the imaginary world and get into the real one. Get out. Just say, get out. Get out. Just say, get out. And just walk out in the sun. Walk out the door, pet the dog, do a chore exercise. Just get out. And so I'm gonna ask you this as a favor. Try it once. Just try it once. Once. Just tell yourself you have two worlds. There's the imaginary one in your head, and then there's the real one. And all sadness comes from the imaginary one. As soon as you find unpleasantness because you're in your head, get out. Just get out. Join the real world. Just go, hey, I'm in the real world again. Look at this real world. You'll feel instantly better. The cure for it is to yell, get out. Just say, get out. Just say, get out.

[Erica]

Get out of here.

[Donald Trump]

Get up. Get out now. Get out of here. Get out of here.

[Erica]

Get out of here. Get out of here. Thank you, you guys, so much. We will be back tomorrow, so the home team will be back tomorrow. We'll have a better flow to the show, but thanks. Sometimes it's a little chaotic, and I appreciate you guys going with the flow. All right, say your goodbyes so I don't cut you off. I'm gonna go and get out. I'm gonna get out of my house and I'm gonna visit with some friends today, you guys, life is short. Life is short. Okay? So get out more. Get the bad thoughts out. Live your life and don't waste time. Don't waste time. Life is short. All right, I love you guys. We'll see you tomorrow. Bye, guys.