Mindless Meanderings

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A roaming conversation between brothers covering topics from eating green to Green cards.
Hosted by: 

- Jesse Fries

- Jamon Fries

https://mindlessmeanderings.com

Support our show.

(00:00:19) Introduction and Weather Talk

(00:02:25) Political Discussions and Election Controversies

(00:13:01) Economic Shifts: UK and US Comparisons

(00:29:00) US Political Dynamics and Party Differences

(00:35:20) Tech Innovations and AI Developments

(00:41:19) Corporate Politics and Inauguration Funding

(00:46:14) International Business and Trade Policies

(00:50:57) Social Trends and Legal Implications

(01:06:55) Health Trends and Social Impacts

(01:14:00) Social Security and Legal Adjustments

(01:21:13) Cultural Shifts and Beverage Trends

[00:00:20] Jesse Fries:

Good morning,   everyone.   It is Wednesday.   Looks like January 8th,   and we are live with episode number 19 of the mindless meanderings.   I'm Jesse Friese coming to you from Central Texas where I'm wondering if Mark Zuckerberg   became conservative or he's just afraid of Trump. Yeah.  

[00:00:40] Jamon Fries:

It's a very good question. And I'm Jamin Freese coming at you from eastern Kansas where we thankfully survived   the very nasty winter storm that was running through the the central part of the country.  

[00:00:53] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. That looked nasty. I saw some of the TikToks. They were freaking awesome of you guys slip sliding around. That was,  

[00:00:59] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. That   for the first time, I we actually received emergency alerts, kinda like the, amber alerts and stuff where it would come through your phone like an amber alert does Right. Telling us to stay off the roads.  

[00:01:12] Jesse Fries:

Okay. Okay.  

[00:01:15] Jamon Fries:

Makes sense. And now now that,   now that the snow and ice are gone,   we're insanely   cold. We've,   Monday night, we had a low of negative 4.   Holy. For Kansas is pretty low.  

[00:01:31] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. No. Yeah. Wait. Kansas kinda gets that kind of regularly too. It's not an oddity really. You know? It's, but it is cool. But,  

[00:01:40] Jamon Fries:

I I was I started receiving   alerts on my phone also. I've done got,   one of the local news channels here. I have them send alerts to my phone. Uh-huh. And   I did not know this, but I guess that the negative bore temperatures,   the I the the salt and the and the spray that they put on the road becomes ineffective.  

[00:02:04] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. After some time, the   even salt water freezes.   Yep. Yep.  

[00:02:11] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. For the for the last, for the last 3 nights now, I've received those warnings saying do not be out on the road because even all the preventative stuff that we can put down is not gonna work anymore.  

[00:02:23] Jesse Fries:

Wow. Wow. That's that's crazy.   It it's kinda like Kamala Harris won't work ever again after she certified the vote against the foot drop. Yeah. That's a Yep. Yeah.   Yeah. So, yeah, that happened, what, on 6th? So on   Monday? Yep. Monday. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. This time, we didn't have any craziness going on. So  

[00:02:44] Jamon Fries:

Well, of course not. I mean,  

[00:02:48] Jesse Fries:

Guess Trump what?   Yeah.  

[00:02:53] Jamon Fries:

And you can take that in both ways.  

[00:02:56] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.   Apparently, though, this was the first time,   that Democrats have accepted the presidential election since they lost in 1988.  

[00:03:07] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Because Yeah. Some of them Up until them some of them would up until then, there was not a single time where there were not   some claims of of impropriety  

[00:03:16] Jesse Fries:

that came up. Well, it was like they so in 88, so with the Bush, the first Bush Yep. They they they said, okay. Yeah. He's president.   Actually, that technically probably would have been 89. Just saying. Mhmm. But but but the news article or whoever said it said 88. But then in 2000,   of course, there's a hanging chad thing.   Yep. And so they didn't think that the second Bush made it in.   And then you had,   in 2004, apparently, Karl Rove,   they said the Democrats said that Karl Rove   rigged the Ohio voting machines.  

[00:03:51] Jamon Fries:

Mhmm.  

[00:03:52] Jesse Fries:

And then in 16, of course, they said that Trump colluded,   with Yeah. Well, well, I see it. Yeah. Yeah. Even though there is no evidence of it. But yeah. So  

[00:04:03] Jamon Fries:

And did   I'm I'm just trying to remember. Did Hillary ever admit that she didn't win the election? I don't think she has yet. Yeah.   And yet they and yet all I've heard for the last 4 years was harping on Trump for denying that he lost the election.   I mean, you know, that and I think that's one of the one of the reasons that I just laugh at the news now because   it's just so blatant.   The the the hypocrisy is so blatant.  

[00:04:33] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. But, you know, there is a difference, though. Trump just wouldn't shut up about it. Hillary Clinton says it as an aside   every time it's brought up, but it's not Yeah. It doesn't come up that often, but, Trump  

[00:04:47] Jamon Fries:

during that period of time, he The the big the big difference is that Trump was trying to   Trump spent basically the first   2 to 3 years after the election trying to figure out a way to   get it proven that he was that that it was stolen from him.   No. Right. Right. Plus, not only that. He took he  

[00:05:08] Jesse Fries:

tried to take it to a lot of courts and stuff like that. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But not only that, he also was being attacked by the DOJ like nobody's business.   You know, for the, like, top secret files and everything like that that every president has, including Biden and everything like that. Yeah. No. He was completely   he's still being attacked for all this stuff. Yeah. So it's not Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't really surprise me that much on there. No. No.   Not at all. Along that line, it's like all these, CNN once again fact checked Trump.   And I'm just like, are you kidding me? Why   can can we just stop this fact checking? Because most of it is just Trump   is just exaggerating   a lot of times. Yeah.  

Yeah. You know, it it's just it's the actual numbers. It's, like, at one point in time, he   in Mar a Lago, he just said that,   we had a deficit trading deficit with Europe of 350,000,000,000   is what he said. Right? Well, the fact check was that's false. It's only 209,000,000   last year. It's probably more this year.   But   it   it's still 100 of 1,000,000,000 of dollars. Okay. So he doesn't have the exact figure. It's to me, it's like what   he just speaks off the cuff. And so Oh, yeah. A lot of it's gonna be wrong, but we all know what he's saying.  

[00:06:31] Jamon Fries:

Yep. You know, it it's He he may not he may not have the exact values   when he's saying it. Right. Because he is off the cuff. He's almost never scripted.  

[00:06:42] Jesse Fries:

Yep. Yep. And  

[00:06:44] Jamon Fries:

but   the everything that he's saying, the the principle behind what he's saying is still there.  

[00:06:51] Jesse Fries:

Well, at least for him, you know, there there are some arguments. It's like he he he says, like, for the January 6th, he says there are no guns,   at the capitol.   Well, and but some people have been arrested and convicted and plead guilty and whatnot to having guns at the capitol during January 6, 2021.   But   I think what he's saying is that they really weren't pulled out, they weren't used, and also they didn't actually go inside the capitol.   Yeah. You you you you know, it it's all all I see because I looked at some of these reports and everything like that from the DOJ and everything like that, and it says, on the grounds, oh, we found this we found this guy. He didn't have a gun, but we found his gun on the grounds.   So it's, like,   it's just that. It's not that they actually took them into the building or anything like that. It's just that   don't get me wrong, but   guns aren't that great, but I'm sure every crowd has guns in it, so I'm not really shocked by it. But I think it it's a splitting hairs situation of actually being inside with a gun  

[00:07:56] Jamon Fries:

versus Right.   Actually just being It's it's like the with the one that you said, it did way the way it said, it was it sounded like   he left his gun with somebody else, or he left his gun in the car   No. He's on the ground. And then he went into the building.  

[00:08:12] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Well, actually, I don't know if he ever went into the building. I just know that he left his gun   on the grounds   of the Capitol. That that that's it. And if you've ever been to the Capitol, that's some huge grounds. Just say it. Oh, yeah. It's huge. Yeah.  

[00:08:27] Jamon Fries:

Beyond the the building itself is huge. Not not not only not only is the grounds of the Capitol huge, but   it also the grounds can contain contains the pair the area where the public is allowed to be,   you know, and there are no laws that you can't you know, if if you've got a concealed carry permit,   there's no law saying you can't take it on the public plan.  

[00:08:49] Jesse Fries:

Well, right. But I'm not sure if there is such a thing in DC. If there is such thing as a concealed carry or anything like that.  

[00:08:56] Jamon Fries:

I don't know if there is or not. I'd have to look into gun law as in DC, but  

[00:09:01] Jesse Fries:

that's too deep of a subject for me. Yeah. But but, you know, it's just things like that. And and then another one that they fact checked was, oh, he said that NATO wasn't   spending enough or European countries weren't spending enough on NATO. And they can't go into that and say, well, technically, they don't have to spend anything.  

[00:09:21] Jamon Fries:

Oh my god.  

[00:09:23] Jesse Fries:

And so they go, that's false. He's wrong. It's like fuck.   We we all know that they're supposed to kick in somebody into NATO.  

[00:09:32] Jamon Fries:

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. There there's there's a certain percentage of the GDP that they're of their GDP that they're supposed to put into NATO. Right. Right. So Up up until Trump's first term, not a single country outside of the US even came close to what that to what that number was supposed to be.   Yeah. And and they still don't. Not in comparison to what they do in the US. Now now there's, like, 4 or 5 countries that that that that get up to the the proper percentage to their GDP. The rest is the way that I heard. But that's still only, like, 2 to 3%,  

[00:10:06] Jesse Fries:

you know, of their GDP. So it's, like,   you know, it's just all this   see, the thing is is that   as we were talking earlier, we were talking something along these lines. And, you know, what what what hit me was that,   basically all this stuff of, like, the fact checking, the like,   getting into the minutiae, like like like, well, this word, it's it's like Bill Clinton. What does is mean? What is is? Yeah. You you know, it is it's that point of   stupidity that Yeah. I that I think Republicans in the right just feel gaslit.   100%   gaslit. Absolutely.  

Because   we we hear something and it's not that, and then all of a sudden the left in the media is coming and saying, oh, he said this, and you're gonna where you're going, that's not really what he was saying.   So to me, this just leads to the divide.   You know? Yeah. It's it really Yeah. Adds to the divide. So  

[00:11:04] Jamon Fries:

Yeah.   And, you know, yeah, that that's something that I've that I've noticed a long time ago too and,   gotten into that with one of the brothers   before too about how,   you know, just because the me just because he said   one line   in a 5 hour speech or whatever, in a even a half hour speech,   one sentence in a half hour speech   cannot you can't just take that one sentence and say, oh, he's gonna become a tyrant. He's gonna he's gonna become   a a dictator because he was talking to one religious group that that normally doesn't like to get out and vote very much Yeah. Telling them we need you here now. Then after this, you won't have to come out anymore.   Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Or or the segue He he was gonna be a fascist that that they were not gonna be any more elections.  



[00:11:54] Jesse Fries:

Oh, yeah. Or or the one time he said,   on day 1, I'll be a dictator.   Just he went he just went, like, on the one day he would sign executive orders.  

[00:12:04] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Dictating.   Well, in fact, in fact, that that was it. He said   what he was gonna do, and then he said, yep. On that day 1, I'm gonna be the dictator. Yeah. Yeah. But After that,   after that, I'll be back to normal. Yeah. He even said in that time that he, that what he was gonna do as a dictator was sign a whole bunch of   sign, a whole bunch of just the presidential,   stuff. And   yeah. I mean, it just   yeah.   Yeah. The presidential orders, you know, I mean,   it's presidential orders is being a dictator because it's not going through the proper process. Well, well, executive order. The executive order   that is being a dictator for that period of time.  



[00:12:47] Jesse Fries:

Technically. Yeah. Yeah. Technically, it is. It is. But, you know, it's so bad that, you know, it's,   some British I I saw this opinion piece where this British guy, he he said he I think he's conservative, so a Tory. Mhmm. But he he was saying that   they should become the 51st state, the UK.   I thought that was awesome.   Yep. Yep. He said that there's been a steady process of economic transfer,   from   this is his words, from provincial England to the American Metropole.   So, do you know what Metropole is? Just so  

[00:13:27] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. It's,   well,  

[00:13:30] Jesse Fries:

no. Maybe not. Okay. Metropole, especially when it is like, the colony home.   So when there was the great British empire with it, England and, India and everything like that, right, when they actually had control over that, England was the metropole.   It is the center of the colony, basically, of the colonial system.   So it's the metropole. And so he's calling   England the   province,   and he's calling America the metropole, the center of it.   And   and  

[00:14:04] Jamon Fries:

the metro.   And  

[00:14:06] Jesse Fries:

it's getting so bad for the UK that,   we are actually off   shoring jobs from the United States,   not to India, but to England.   Because definitely? Yeah. Yeah. Because their wages   their wages are so low, dude. Solo. It is crazy how low their wages are. I have a sister-in-law over there, and, you know, when Yeah.   And she's high powered up, is in a global company and everything like that, but her wages in comparison to what she'd be making here in the United States,   it it it might not even be half.   What? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It it's really it's really bad. It's really bad. And then just recently,   it's come out that   if,   England   were part of the United States   Mhmm. Where do you think they would rank, like, GDP level amongst the 50 states or 51 with them in there? Where do you think they'd rank?  



[00:15:11] Jamon Fries:

Based on what you said, I'm prob I'm gonna guess within the lower 25,   at least.  

[00:15:18] Jesse Fries:

51st, dude. They would rank 50 first.   They're below Mississippi, which is 50. Nothing against Mississippi,   but they're below Mississippi.  

[00:15:29] Jamon Fries:

Damn.  

[00:15:30] Jesse Fries:

Yeah.  

[00:15:31] Jamon Fries:

That is how bad they are on track now. They they used to be doing they used to be doing really good.  

[00:15:38] Jesse Fries:

Everything has just been sent over to us.   It's basically what it is.   Yeah.   And then their finance,   that basically since they left the EU, they're fine their finance   always   put over into the EU because they the EU was using them for their financial hub.   Okay. Yeah. And and now they're not that anymore. So yeah. It's   the UK is just   they're they're   they need to do something,   and I'm not sure. But I'm not sure if they can also if you really think about it, because they're a small country. Now don't get me wrong. They're Yep. The populace, there's, like, what, 41  

[00:16:18] Jamon Fries:

to 50,000,000 people there. But Something like that. Yeah. But they they don't have   they don't have nearly the land that we have. They don't have nearly   I mean,   you know,   the the having a small   having a small amount of land very limits what you can do   and, you know, not just agriculturally, but, I mean, just anything, because you can't there's so many areas where you can't build cities, where you can't build industry and stuff like that.  

[00:16:45] Jesse Fries:

Right. Right. Yeah. But, no, apparently and things are expensive over there, you know, plus most of their taxes. So their wages, as I said, like,   probably, like, less than half of what, an American would make, even if you convert it. That's, like, converting it.   So dollars to pounds, it's converting it.   But   then the, like, the electrical rates and the gas rate are sky high, and then you have also the taxes.   The taxes are crazy over there. Apparently, if you start making over a 100 £1,000,   you're gonna be taxed possibly at 60%.  

[00:17:24] Jamon Fries:

Oh, boy. That's a lot of taxes.  

[00:17:27] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. So   now it could that could be, like, where that's only 60% on anything above a 100,000. I don't know if that's the case, you know, progressive taxes. I don't know if it's progressive taxes. I mean, that that's a whole lot of taxes. Yeah. At a 100,000,   dude. A 100,000. Yeah. That's like nothing. A 100,000 is nothing. Yeah.   No. Don't get me wrong. It's a good wage, but it's not Yeah. Yeah.   It's not rich by any stretch of the imagination,   especially Not even close. No. After inflation and everything like that. So No.  

[00:17:59] Jamon Fries:

It's not it's not like we're in the early nineties where a 100,000 meant that you could live pretty well.  

[00:18:05] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now it's like, okay. You're getting by decently. That's about it. It's,   you know, you can't take any trips, but you can.  

[00:18:13] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Well, it all depends on where you live. If you're here in Kansas, a 100 a 100000, you're gonna be you're gonna be pretty well off. You're gonna be able to take the trips and stuff like that. Right. Right. If you're in New York City making a 100,000 or if you're in California making a 100,000,   you're barely making rent.  

[00:18:30] Jesse Fries:

Yep. Yep.   If that. Yeah.   Yeah.  

[00:18:35] Jamon Fries:

But yeah. So And it all depends on where you live, but,   yeah, the 100,000   is not that much anymore.  

[00:18:43] Jesse Fries:

It really isn't. It really isn't. And then you have all the hate speech and everything like that. Laws are going on over there where you can't say anything online or anything like that. It's just Yep. Yep.  

[00:18:56] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. And all the misinformation   things that they're try laws that they're that people are trying to put in place now where if you basic   I I I never understand misinformation   laws because,   basically what a misinformation   law is is it's it's illegal to say anything that I disagree with.  

[00:19:16] Jesse Fries:

Basically. Yeah. It's the   I have this whole  

[00:19:21] Jamon Fries:

And that seems very   reminiscent   of the Nazi fascism.  

[00:19:28] Jesse Fries:

Well, you're right. Right. Because misinformation is, who who what is misinformation is based off of what the government says is misinformation.   Yeah.   So you have to tow the line to the government propaganda is what you need to do. Yeah. Otherwise Yeah. Yeah. You can't speak out against government propaganda or else you get arrested, which  

[00:19:48] Jamon Fries:

is very reminiscent of either communist   Russia or fascist Nazism.   Fascist Germany was that way too. So Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. To me,  

[00:19:59] Jesse Fries:

a society can't   function,   especially, like, a democracy or something like that. Oh, yeah. Unless if unless if there's, like, actual free speech, like, you could say whatever. But because if free speech is out there, then you can have arguments. You can actually argue about it and everything like that. Exactly.  

[00:20:16] Jamon Fries:

Otherwise, you'll just Not only not only that, but without the free speech, without the ability to   to speak out against something that you believe is wrong,   you're you will have no more progression.   Right. Right. You know, you'll have no improvement in in anything   if nobody can talk about it. You know, you you look at a company. If a if a business   if they made it so nobody could talk against the upper upper echelons of the business,   you couldn't you couldn't discuss anything saying that you're doing this the wrong way,   that company would be bankrupt in 10 in 5 months.  



[00:20:55] Jesse Fries:

Exactly. Exactly. You you know, it's just like   it's like just because you don't like what somebody's saying doesn't mean that they're wrong. You you know, it's   it's like it's like the classic example, like, truly classic. Like, Galileo,   for Christ's sake. You you you know, he he just he came   he invented the telescope or nearly did, and, you know, he he saw the moons of Saturn and everything like that. Yeah.   And then the church just didn't like what he said, so they just put him under house arrest for the rest of his life. You know, it's, like,   even if you don't like it, he was right.  

Yes. Absolutely.   Yeah. He he was right. There's nothing else to say about it. You know? And Yep. You you need to have a argument back and forth. Otherwise,   you don't know what you're missing if   you just   shut down speech.  

[00:21:46] Jamon Fries:

And if if you can't have those if you can't have those   small arguments   back and forth,   you're never actually gonna get to something that can actually   work because,   you know, like, right now,   you know,   everybody, like, with global warming. Everybody is is saying, you know, you can't you can't you you know, if you if you say that   the numbers don't quite add up, then you're a you're a global warming denier and stuff like that.   But   if you can't talk against the science, if you can't try to prove that the science is wrong,   then you're never actually gonna come up with any new science that might be better.  



[00:22:32] Jesse Fries:

Right. Right. Or   say or it's like just, like, with social things, you know, like, the grooming gangs over in Yeah. Yeah. England and everything like that. You can't say anything about it because you're gonna upset the Pakistanis, the Pakistanis. Right.   Or and   you're being racist, and you're being this and everything like that. You know? And Mhmm.   If you suppress everything, even if it's the truth and you're suppressing it just because you don't like that it that there's a racial tone to it.   Even if it's not racist, if it's just stating facts about a racial group or something like that, if you limit that, what that is going to do is it's gonna drive that descent deep in the ground, and it will fester there and it will grow and then it can explode at some point in time. This is what happens. It's like if you it's like the monarchies back in the day, you know. It's like   England actually survived, I think, as a country and their monarchy   because they allowed   freedom of speech.  

They actually allowed it back then. You could talk bad about the king and everything like that. Now it was always it was kinda iffy and everything like that. They did try to shut down the coffee houses one time because there is descent going on there. But the English were going, well, fuck you. No. We're not gonna do that. And then, like, went about his business. Yeah. But the monarchy Yeah. Yeah. There was a civil war and they're kicked out for a bit. But, you know, it's master survived. Their democracy has survived.   Yeah. And and if you don't allow that, it could just   lead to   really bad things. It's   you you you need to have that sort of thing.  



[00:24:08] Jamon Fries:

Oh, yeah. Yeah.   Oh, yeah. The the backfiring thing. I mean, that's exactly what happened in the election. You know? The Yep.   The Republicans put up with the with all the name calling, with all the the racial racist comments, with all with everything else, with all the wokeness.   They put up with that for 4 years, and they're finally like, you know what? The hell with this. We're not pulling up with it anymore. It's not just 4 years. Republican every Republican But, I mean, it was really hard and heavy. Well, okay, for 6 years. There are No. No. No. No. No. Even before that. If you think about it No. I know that it was going before that, but the I'm talking the wokeness, though. That that's something that's been a long time ago. It was just called politically correct before then.  

[00:24:49] Jesse Fries:

Yeah, it was basically the same sort of thing, but it it's like that   getting to being called a racist or things like that, Republicans have been called racist since, like, the eighties.   Oh, yeah. And   to the and maybe even before then. And   the thing is is that every Republican   has kinda just they they don't listen to Democrats when they say it. They go, well, you're just full of shit.   Yeah. Because, you know, Dick Cheney, he was called a racist. Now he's a hero because he's against Trump. Yada yada yada. You know, it it it's all this crap. Whenever a democrat says racist or calls you a racist or a fascist, you just every republican just goes, yeah, okay.   They don't even entertain it doesn't even enter their brain. They just go,   okay. And then they move on with their life. You know? It's, Yeah.  



[00:25:39] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I I remember back in the day when when you if you were called racist, you know, it was be like,   I'm not racist. I've I've got a few black friends and stuff like that.   I have a bad   and, you know, the the thing that I find hilarious is that you still hear that from the Democrats now.   If if any if any Democrat is called racist or anything like that or, you know, they're like, no. I've got a few black friends.   I'm like, you know,   I don't prove jack shit.  

[00:26:12] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. You you know what's funny, though? I proved.   Unfortunately, I proved that it goes both ways. Because we're at this bar once,   I think it was America's Pub in KC when the if that was if that's still open. I don't know if it was is or who, but it was. Anyways, we're down down   in America's Pub, and   I I was there with Carol.   Mhmm. And she was, like,   doing something. I was just sitting at a table, then all of a sudden,   this group of, black people come up and then just start causing me havoc and everything like that. And they say, tell tell me to leave and everything like that.   And I was like, what the fuck are you doing? I was sitting here. This is my seat. They go, no. No. You gotta move it, everything like that. I go   Carol walks up,   who's black.  

And I I go, what's go she's going, what's going on? And I said, and they go, oh, we're so sorry. We're so sorry. We didn't mean anything. I go,   what? So   now that with a black woman, this is a problem. They go, well, we have white friends too. I'm just like  

[00:27:22] Jamon Fries:

Oh,  

[00:27:25] Jesse Fries:

god. And then I go,   sure. Whatever. And let me and Carol watch. Yeah. She really doesn't want me to pay. It was like   yeah.   Everybody uses that. It's like, oh, I I I know somebody. I'm not that way, but   Yeah. You you might be or might not be. I'm not saying you are, but there was something about   race   involved. Just saying. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Just saying. Yep. Absolutely.  

[00:27:52] Jamon Fries:

Oh, wow. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep.  

[00:27:57] Jesse Fries:

So what you got? I think I've been spouting a lot.  

[00:28:02] Jamon Fries:

Well, along with the,   certification   of Trump, the,   House Republicans   were rejoicing   over the fact that there's only one defector when they when they nominated the speaker of the house.  

[00:28:17] Jesse Fries:

Well, wasn't that, like, the second vote, the first vote failed and then they got everybody in line. Wasn't that it?  

[00:28:24] Jamon Fries:

I'm not entirely sure on that. That that didn't I didn't The the article that that I read didn't mention that, how many notes it happened. Oh, yeah. But, yeah,   the yeah.   The it was such a shock that only one defector. You know?  

[00:28:39] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:28:41] Jamon Fries:

Because, I mean, normally normally, it'd be at least 5 or 5 to 10 of them wouldn't wouldn't go with the Brooklyn,   which is,   yeah, one of those things.  

[00:28:52] Jesse Fries:

Well, yeah. It was plus he   it's, like, no matter what that job is right now, that job is, like, the most hated job in the Republican Party. Oh, yeah.   But   you need it.   Yep. And   the way the job works is that you have you you're the leader of the house. This means that you're the leader of   technically   everybody there.   Yeah.   And so you have to be willing to talk and compromise I bet. Yeah. With the other side and everything like that.   Absolutely. Yeah. Generally, if you're in that position, you'd love the system itself.   You know? So you love how it works and things like that.  



[00:29:32] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's that's what but   yeah, that's one thing that I've never really understood about   politics lately. You know? I I remember back in the nineties   where   both parties would sit down. They'd talk to each other. They'd hammer things out, and we might end up somewhere in the middle. Right. Right.   Whereas now, it's like, well, we're not gonna talk to you at all. So   if we don't have a majority vote and whatever we're done dealing with, nothing's gonna happen. If you don't have a majority vote, nothing on your side is gonna happen.   So just which which you know what I mean? It's not terribly bad that nothing gets done, but   the stuff that does get through and get done because, you know, because people   will always politic.  

Right. A lot of it a lot of the stuff to get through is just   craziness now.  

[00:30:27] Jesse Fries:

A lot of it is. A lot of it is. It's   yeah. Something needs to change.   And Yeah. Really, it it kinda started going this route back in the nineties with Gingrich Yeah. When he was leader of the house. It was Yep. They had that whole   point plan or whatever. I can't remember what they called it at the time, but they had a plan and they were gonna force it through and everything like that. Yeah. Luckily Yeah. With them, they had Bill Clinton who was is a moderate.   Yeah.   And so they were able to actually work with him a little bit even though they did Yep. Impeach him and everything like that. But it's Yeah. But ever since then, except for that brief period of 9/11,   that year or 2 after that Yeah. It's just been   a contest of wills,   in Oh, yeah. Our commerce.  



[00:31:15] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. It it it's like the it it's like between the Matador and the bull.   You know, the Matador is waving this red flag and, you know, either the party is the Matador, whichever one is trying to get something to do. They're waving that red flag trying to get that bowl to come and join them. Yep. Yep. But, you know, it it never turns out quite the way they want it to.  

[00:31:37] Jesse Fries:

It never   it never does.  

[00:31:47] Jamon Fries:

But yeah. So that was I just found it amusing that they were celebrating that there was only one defector.  

[00:31:52] Jesse Fries:

Oh, completely. Completely. That that's   it's perfect.   Yep. Yep. Yeah. Because they've had problems before.   Yeah. A lot of problems before.  

[00:32:07] Jamon Fries:

That they have.   That's one thing that I've always wished that the that the Republicans were as good at as the Democrats is sticking together.   Because, you know, with the Democrats,   once somebody in the on the Democrat side says we're doing this,   almost every Democrat basically, every Democrat toes the line and goes with it. Well, the Whereas with the Republicans, that's hardly ever the case.  

[00:32:33] Jesse Fries:

The Republican party generally allows dissent,   more or less.   Yep. Democrats,   they really don't. You you know, that that,   this that group, the squad, you know, with AOC and,  

[00:32:46] Jamon Fries:

Yep.  

[00:32:47] Jesse Fries:

Elon Omar and everything like that. You know, it's like they're   they're bucking, but I know Nancy Pelosi really had to talking to of,   AOC. You know, she really went after her at one point in time just because it's like Yeah. You really need to get your act together. This is how the party works. This is if you want anything to be done for us, and we will take it personally, and we will shut down anything even if it's a good idea.  

[00:33:11] Jamon Fries:

Yep.  

[00:33:12] Jesse Fries:

Republicans are some are like that, but in general,   they   aren't as   loyal.   And and also also in the Democratic party, it's like if you if it's your turn, it's your turn. So if you're running for president, if it's your turn, you're gonna be the choice.   It's they they, of course, they do the,   primary show and everything like that. Yeah. Yeah.   With the super delegates and everything like that. They they know they know   far ahead of time who's actually gonna be their their person. Right. Unless if they fuck up, of course. Because yeah. Or, yeah. You you know, no matter what if they go, yeah, that that person just beat you, dude. Just say it. We gave you a shot. You you crapped out, but, let's move on from there. But, yeah, the Republican party, it really   it's not really it's about who comes up on top at the given moment.  



[00:34:07] Jamon Fries:

Yeah.  

[00:34:08] Jesse Fries:

From how I view it at least. I may be wrong on this, but I I think that's a big difference in between the two parties beyond the actual  

[00:34:16] Jamon Fries:

ideas of the party. He's way beyond the politics of the parties. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. The the way that the parties are run, that that definitely is true. I mean, that's,   the Republican Party is definitely more of a   third party that allows people   to have their own ideas and their own opinions about stuff really.   Whereas the the liberal the Democrat party is more of a   you have to tow the line type of party is what it seems like to me.  

[00:34:51] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah.   Yeah. Okay. Yep. Next topic.  

[00:34:58] Jamon Fries:

Next topic.   Yeah. I think we're done with politics now.  

[00:35:02] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. Well,   actually, no. There's a lot of politics in this list. Wow. It's not   kinda just   in and out. Let's see here.   Oh,   no. We'll save signs for   later on in the show.   Hey. Let's see here.   So what's the   project   digits?  

[00:35:29] Jamon Fries:

Oh, yeah. Let's say,   the video has put out a new thing. It it's a like, a little 5 inch by 5 inch cube  

[00:35:38] Jesse Fries:

Uh-huh.  

[00:35:39] Jamon Fries:

That   it's   it it it alone   can power an AI can power AI.  

[00:35:47] Jesse Fries:

Oh, okay.  

[00:35:49] Jamon Fries:

It's a tiny ass supercomputer.   So it's expensive as heck.   Right. But it's for $3,000,   you can   own your own AI.   You can now it it's not the AI itself. It's just the computer, so you'll have to program the AI for whatever you want it to do. Oh, okay. Okay.   So, I mean, you can you can you can connect it to your PC. You can connect it to whatever you want,   and you can have your own your own personal AI that you program.  

[00:36:19] Jesse Fries:

Oh, nice. Nice. Nice. Yeah. I've been messing around with Grok lately.   Yeah. So Okay. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Seems to be pretty good. Yeah. So Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:36:31] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. That it definitely is.   Yeah. That in fact, the, computing power of it   is, if you put 2 you you can connect up to 2 of them together.   Oh, yeah. So you   and the computing   power of 2 of them   is,   2 project digits machines can be linked together to run up to   405,   405,000,000   parameter models.  

[00:37:05] Jesse Fries:

Okay. I don't even know what that means, but it sounds impressive.  

[00:37:10] Jamon Fries:

Essentially,   you can   you can put the computing power in there to   drive a car. You can, you know, you can basically, think of all of the AI stuff that's out there. Uh-huh. These these two little machines can do it all.   Oh, okay. As long as you've got the programming for it. So   I know it's pretty insane, and it's just I mean, for for what you're getting, it's only   $3,000 for that. So, I mean, you know, it's   it's expensive, but comparatively,   I mean, think of any other supercomputer   that you're gonna build. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Talking close to close to that anyways, if not more. So Well, a regular laptop can be around your 3,000.  

[00:37:52] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:37:54] Jamon Fries:

It's not Yeah. It does seem that it's a anyways. So You can have a you can have an AI supercomputer   for the same price as you can get a a good laptop.  

[00:38:03] Jesse Fries:

Well, that's cool. That's cool. But you have to know how to program it is what you're telling me. Right?  

[00:38:07] Jamon Fries:

Yes. Yes. It it's it's completely blank. So you would have to you'd have to do all the programming yourself. So Well, fuck that  

[00:38:16] Jesse Fries:

then.   That's too much work for me.  

[00:38:20] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. It it's definitely for those that that are interested in AIs and wanna see where you can go with it.   I I think it's it's more what it's mostly. I think what it the target   market, I think, for that   would be,   say, an individual that has a specific thing   that AI would be helpful helpful for them for Mhmm.   Then they can, you know, like,   they they can then they can just buy this and they can program the AI the way to do just the specific thing that they wanted to do. It's it's   basically to me right? Because right now, most AI   is done by one big company that has thousands   of thou you know, has thousands of of   of servers set up to to generate this one AI. Mhmm. And so any anything that they want AI to do, they have to run it through all these servers. And this this just allows it to allows you to fine tune exactly what the what the AI is doing for a specific purpose rather than having to build a broad AI that can then handle a lot of different things.  



[00:39:32] Jesse Fries:

Oh, okay. Okay.   I think I spaced out there for a bit.  

[00:39:39] Jamon Fries:

It's not surprising with you.   We're talking tech. You know? We're talking computer tech. That's not really your forte. It  

[00:39:48] Jesse Fries:

really isn't, especially in the nitty gritty of it. You know? It's why I use Apple stuff. They completely it's like,   I love tech.   I used to really pay attention to it back when it was, like, a Pentium 2, Pentium 3 sort of thing. Yeah.   But   since then, I have completely   I just work. I just want you to work. That that that's it. Just just just work and make it simple for me, which is why I love Apple stuff because it's just simple.   But speaking of Apple, actually, this is a perfect segue.   Speaking of Apple,   Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple,   is donated $1,000,000   to the Trump inauguration,  

[00:40:29] Jamon Fries:

committee. Yeah.  

[00:40:31] Jesse Fries:

And it's from his own pocket too, dude. It's not even Apple. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's not from Apple. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So but it looks like Trump   has raised $200,000,000   for this   fucking party.   So   we we which the the last record was a 107,000,000,   and that was Trump again.   Yep. Yep. He he he's doubled this.   And, basically, like, everybody in tech   has stepped in. They're giving, like, meta and everything like that. Amazon, they've given, like, $1,000,000   to him.   I I think it was, like, the story was, like,   I think Tim Cook gave, like, Biden, like, maybe, like, $20 or something like that   for his.  

Somebody's given a $1,000,000.   These guys are, like, buttering up Trump. They're like, oh, come on, buddy. Don't be mad at us.  

[00:41:29] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. There there was a   speaking of of that, there was a,   a newspaper,   cartoonist   Uh-huh. That quit her job because the   because the newspaper wouldn't put the cartoon that she that she drew into the newspaper.  

[00:41:46] Jesse Fries:

Okay.  

[00:41:47] Jamon Fries:

And,   she says that it's it's because they were trying to butter up the Trump. But what the what the cartoon was, it is it had,   like, Zuckerberg.   It had,   it may it had Bezos. It had,   the the Apple guy.   So who? They were all yeah. They they were all, like, kneeling in front of a big stat a statue of a big guy with a long tie   supposedly truck. All the bags of money.   Mickey Mouse was in there.  

[00:42:24] Jesse Fries:

Was this for the Washington Post, and was Bezos on there as well? Yes. Yeah.   Okay. So she wanted to put a hit job against her own boss into the Washington Post.   Yeah. Yeah. That's gonna get denied. I'm sorry. That's just  

[00:42:40] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. The the the official   reason for that you know, she says that it was because of of you know, they they were afraid of Trump and stuff like that. But they said that the official reason was because they were running a story about the same type of thing, and you didn't run the story and the cartoon   or something like that. I'm like, no. They always run cartoons that run along with the stories.   Generally, something that that might end up here.  

[00:43:07] Jesse Fries:

May may maybe it's 2 on the nose or something like that. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. It could be. It could be.   Doubtful. But, you know, maybe. Just maybe. You know? Yeah. Just maybe. Just maybe.   Let's see here. Sticking with tech business,   the h one b visa   situation,   looks like Tesla   is re well, they fired, like,   14,000   people worldwide,   like, 27100   of them were here in Austin.   But at the same time, they also applied for 2,000 h one b visas   at the same time. So it it's Uh-huh. So there there's some of that going on. You know, it's   it it does seem a bit hinky, but, you know, to me, it's   you don't know who they're firing and everything like that because I'm sure a lot of those people also were h one b's.  

So I I don't know if   if you do a h one b   and you fire them, do you have to get a new h one b or can you use the same h one b? You know, I I don't know   what the law on that is. You know? It it maybe those 27 that they fired in Austin area were all on h one b's.  

[00:44:23] Jamon Fries:

They just want you to replace them. I do believe that I do believe that they have to apply for new ones,   because,   essentially, what the h one b is is it's   you're bringing in that individual instead of bringing in instead of just a blanket group or something like that. Yep. And so the so they have to they have so is it what they've what it sounds like they did is they they went out and they found some individuals that they wanna bring in,   and   maybe they were at their h one b capital capital,   you know, where they couldn't bring in anymore or something like that. And so if if that's the case, then, yeah, if you've got people that are more skilled that that that you want in   and   you got people that   are questionable that you want out, you know, yeah, you get rid of them and you bring in a new h one b. Yeah. You never know. It's like the firings, they never say  

[00:45:15] Jesse Fries:

if any of those are h one b's or anything like that. They don't say they're green card holders or this or that. You know? So   what they fired may have been h one b's. So I I I I always take these stories. I go, well, yeah, it sounds bad, but is it bad? I don't know. Yeah. And   I Yeah. I don't feel like doing the research.  

[00:45:35] Jamon Fries:

But it's one of those things that it it could be bad, but maybe not. You know? It's a Well, there there really is no way to do the research on that. I mean, you can't find out why somebody was fired or what they're legal. Like, how many what they're Yeah.   Unless if I become a spy and test them. Imagine just a could you imagine just a a little podcaster like us being able to go in and find out the legal status of of somebody that was working for a  

[00:46:02] Jesse Fries:

company. Yes. Especially a private company,   or public. No. It's technically public. But, yeah, still, it's,   it'd be kinda funny.  

[00:46:11] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Yeah.  

[00:46:13] Jesse Fries:

Let's see here.   Sticking with business,   looks like,   American companies really aren't backing China on this whole run of tariff threats   of Trump.  

[00:46:26] Jamon Fries:

Yep.   But Which is kind of odd because they normally do.  

[00:46:31] Jesse Fries:

Right. Right. But apparently, it's because China is becoming closed off themselves.   It's getting harder to actually do business in China.   Yeah. And it's both from the government, but also just the people. A lot of people try a lot of the Chinese are just choosing   a Chinese product versus an American product.   Not only that, but China passed a law that state owned companies had to use domestic products.   So they, like, they could no longer use, like, Microsoft   or whatnot in their,   systems.   Okay.   Also, China offers subsidies   for Chinese products.  

So the Chinese government will just pay the company to lower their prices.   And then now that they will also provide subsidies to the   customer.   So the customer buys it, and then they'll give money to the customer for this.   So it's it's like, how are you gonna compete against this? It's almost impossible. You can't.  

[00:47:33] Jamon Fries:

Well and that's, that's what they're trying to do. I mean, they're they're they're trying to get a they're trying to get us that their market is secure.   Oh, man. Yep. And and it's   really I mean, as as China's technology isn't has been catching up,   they're able to do that more and more. Right. Right. Because, I mean, that's kind of always been how they how China has been   with   almost everything   non tech related.   You know? Yeah. Because if you're you know, food and stuff like that, they don't impart a lot of food. They don't impart a lot of a lot of the the manual labor type stuff. You know? Yeah. Textiles.   Easily done.  

Yeah. Yeah. The Chinese have never imported that stuff. And so now that they finally started catching up in the tech world, they're just they're just bringing that policy up into the tech world as well. So it makes absolute sense with the with the way that China is usually run. No. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's like, one example, it hit me because my wife works for GM. But apparently, GM,  

[00:48:35] Jesse Fries:

they have a huge market over in China.   Mhmm. But apparently, their market share,   in 2018,   they had a 13.7%   market share.   In 5 years,   it dropped to 8.4.   Oh, wow. So, yeah, that's a 5 point, what, 3 percentage drop in market share. Yeah. That's a huge drop.   Yeah. Yeah. So   I I could see why companies are good. We don't care about tariffs on that. Tariff them. I don't care. Yep. Yep.  

[00:49:13] Jamon Fries:

Gotta make sense in that light. Yeah. Absolutely. That it does.   Yeah. Talking about,   businesses,   the,   out in California,   you can no longer have a ladies night at a bar.  

[00:49:37] Jesse Fries:

Hilarious.  

[00:49:38] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. The   back back in early 2000   is when the law was passed, but they've never really enforced it up till now. Right.   They have a law that says that says that you can't discriminate against anyone in your pricing and stuff like that. Okay. And so that what the what they've taken that to mean is that if you offer a ladies night for   where women get beer cheap or even get free drinks or anything like that For no cover. You have to you have to legally offer that make that offer available to   everyone that goes there.   You can't discriminate with this one group that you're trying I mean, the whole point of a ladies' night is to get women to go there so men can can talk to them and stuff.  

You you're kidding. It's it's a business driving way. Yeah. It's a good   I I've I've lived   but yeah. I mean,   you you you can you can no longer target a group at to give them a cheaper price that they come in   to benefit the whole.   Instead, you have to give you you just can't give it anyone a deal anymore.  

[00:50:50] Jesse Fries:

It sounds about right. We we try to make everything   equal.   Yeah. Sometimes you get shafted.  

[00:50:57] Jamon Fries:

But then, you know, it's like you just The funny the funny thing is that it's not even the government that's doing this. It's people bringing the civil lawsuits. Oh, yeah. Of course. Of course. Yeah. You   you offered her a free drink, but she didn't offer me one, so I'm gonna sue your ass.   I'm like, okay. But she wouldn't be there if they didn't offer her that free drink. You would be, so there's a difference.  

[00:51:21] Jesse Fries:

Right. But there also isn't at the same time. You know? It's,   yeah. No. I I under   I understand both points of view. I understand why you would sue because, well, you can, and Americans love to sue. Yeah. But This is a very litigious country.   It really is. But yeah. No. It's just stupid overall. It's, just   let the business be for God's sakes. Let them try to make their money that they Yeah. If you don't wanna go, don't go. You know? It's, but then with this new generation and everything like that, do they really care about ladies' nights? Do they even go out to clubs to meet people? Do they even meet people? I don't know. You know? It's a  

[00:51:59] Jamon Fries:

you you you hear me? Yeah. It's a it's a good point. I mean, that's,   it's a very good point, especially after COVID. I I can't believe how many people's lives changed after COVID. You know, they they went from being out all the time   to then for a year, they were cooped up and couldn't do anything.   And after everything stopped,   they know they don't go out and do stuff. I'm like,   if it were me, if I would have been the type of person that always wanted to be out in amongst the group,   I would have been celebrating the day that they ended the that they ended everything from COVID,   and I would have been right out there partying again.  



[00:52:39] Jesse Fries:

Yep. That's,   that's what we did. That's why   yeah. Moving to Texas was great. We're at Michigan.   Right? Do you do that?   We moved out here in 21, and it was like a it was night and day. You still had to wear your masks and all that crap up in Michigan.   You you moved out here and   I think, like, 1 or 2 places would go, oh, you need a mask.   Yeah. We're going,   sure. We carried the mask around, but, Jerry, it was just free down here. It was beautiful. It it was freedom. It was true freedom, and I loved it. Oh, yeah. Yeah.  

[00:53:15] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. Thankfully, here in Kansas, we didn't have too long of a period that we've had to mask up. They they we had to mask up at first, but then, you know, after about a couple of months, they're like, yeah. What? The hell with it.  

[00:53:28] Jesse Fries:

Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. That's,   that that's generally how the republican or the red states did it.   At first,   everybody was subs was sub   we all went along with the line at first. You know? It's, Yeah. We we were very subservient.   Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep.   But then after some time, we're going, well, this isn't as bad as they say it is.   So Yeah. Yeah.   Let's not do that.  

[00:53:55] Jamon Fries:

Yep.   Yep.   But,   yeah, that was   yeah. Talking about going along with things is   and a new trend on Tik TOK now. Uh-huh.   Do you remember   the,   those old catch a predator shows?  

[00:54:15] Jesse Fries:

Oh yeah. Yeah.  

[00:54:17] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. There's some that are trying to do stuff like that on Tik TOK now.  

[00:54:22] Jesse Fries:

Oh, Jesus.  

[00:54:24] Jamon Fries:

Yeah.   And, of course, you know, they're not doing any research into this, and they're   lying about it as well.  

[00:54:31] Jesse Fries:

Right.  

[00:54:32] Jamon Fries:

So there's a college in in a at a college in Massachusetts.   It didn't it didn't state which college it was.   There were   6 6 people   who work together   to   basically lure   a person to their campus.  

[00:54:52] Jesse Fries:

Okay.  

[00:54:54] Jamon Fries:

Her TikTok   profile said that she was 18.   Uh-huh. He was a 22 year old serviceman that that had gotten time off because his mother had died.   22? And so yeah. He was 22.  

[00:55:07] Jesse Fries:

Okay.  

[00:55:09] Jamon Fries:

And   he he had come back   to Massachusetts   to to bury his I believe it was his mother that he was bearing. It was either his mother or his grandmother, one of the 2.   And   they got him to go to campus,   and then they told everybody on campus   that he was a predator trying coming to try to take trying to have sex with a 17 year old   even though her profile on TikTok said that she was 18.   What now? And so he had a he it so they got, like, a group of 30 people to chase him and beat the shit out of him. Jesus Christ. We all in jail now? Yeah.   Yes. Most of them are. Yeah. No shit.  



[00:55:52] Jesse Fries:

It   no.  

[00:55:58] Jamon Fries:

No. No. Yeah. But, no, that that's that's something that's that's been happening. The the but a few other cases of it now, and it's all it it's from a TikTok challenge type thing. You know, it's it's got on the TikTok and people saw it and  

[00:56:13] Jesse Fries:

Wait. Your your your your profile says that you're of legal age.  

[00:56:17] Jamon Fries:

Yes.   It it doesn't matter if he's 22 or more. Someone that's 4 years older than you to come and chat with you on campus.   And that's just even going to have sex with her technically.  

[00:56:30] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. That's a fair with   Yeah.   That's a very normal  

[00:56:35] Jamon Fries:

age range to for days. Yes. It is. A fair year the fair year gap is nothing.  

[00:56:41] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. It really isn't. And he's going to a college campus,   which Yes. Yes. I know there are some people that are 17 on on the college campus.   But   99.99%   of people on college campuses are 18 and above.  

[00:56:59] Jamon Fries:

Absolutely.   Yes.   Yeah. You you you know, it's   it's like these poor guys that get caught up. It's not like he was going to her house or so or something like that. You know? Oh, yeah. Yeah.   He was going to meet her on campus out in the public area on campus. I mean,   what the hell?  

[00:57:17] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. No. It's,   especially when they put you know, it it's like these poor   these poor guys that,   I could get in trouble for saying this. But these poor guys that, you know, they go to a club that's 21 and over.   And so and then they meet a girl.   And the next thing you know, the cops are there because she's 15, but he he he it was a 21 and over club, so he just assumed. Yeah. You you you know? You really have to don't get me wrong. Check. Always check and everything like that, but it it's   but this one, they were 18. Come on. They even said they were   yeah.  



[00:57:58] Jamon Fries:

That I'm glad they're in trouble. Did did did it all the whole issue stemmed from them tell from them   to say doing on a campus post in the campus social media   Uh-huh. That he was coming for a 17 year old.  

[00:58:16] Jesse Fries:

Wow.   What's the legal age in California anyways?  

[00:58:19] Jamon Fries:

This is Massachusetts.  

[00:58:21] Jesse Fries:

Oh, Massachusetts. Let's see. Yeah. Age   of consent   in mass.   Age of consent in Massachusetts is 16 years old.   So even if it's a 17 year old 17, it wouldn't have been illegal. It wouldn't have been illegal.   The age of consent is rage to is raised to 18 if the victim is of a chaste   life.   And the offender induces them to have sexual intercourse.   So, basically, if you're already having sex,   it's 16.   But if but if your virgin 18. It's   that's different. Okay. That's   that is that that is different. So in yeah. Massachusetts,   age of consent is 16.  

Yeah.   So he wasn't even doing anything illegal.   Yeah.  

[00:59:25] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. These   25, 30 guys, 30 people still wouldn't beat the shit out of them. Wow.   The heat, they chased it. They chased him to his car, slammed his head in the car door. Oh, Jesus Christ.   Yeah.  

[00:59:43] Jesse Fries:

Wow.  

[00:59:44] Jamon Fries:

Wow. Yep. That's TikTok for you.  

[00:59:48] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. God bless TikTok.   Just go back to it swallowing   Tide pods for god's sakes.  

[00:59:56] Jamon Fries:

You know? Hey, yo.   Let's see here. Yeah. I'd I'd say that the TikTok challenges, though, that's the one thing that I think where one place where TikTok kinda gets   out of control.   Well because I I some of those challenges get pretty bad.  

[01:00:12] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. But it's not just TikTok. It's it's been Oh, no. I got it. Facebook challenges.  

[01:00:18] Jamon Fries:

But TikTok, TikTok is the one that's known for known for their Tik Tok challenges.   Well, right now, yeah. Yeah. It's called the TikTok challenge no matter which platform it's on now because it did originate   from TikTok, I believe. Oh, well,  

[01:00:33] Jesse Fries:

no. No. It's just because TikTok is the most popular right now. It's it's real.   Yeah. It's the most popular social media in the United States right now. So they just call it TikTok challenge. But, yeah, it's because it it it's it was going on on Facebook even before TikTok and everything like that. So it's not Yep.   Yeah. It happens on Instagram and everything like that too. But, Yeah. Yeah.   But, you know, just like that, you know, here at the Mindless Sea, we are a value for value model. So if you wanna help us out, send us some donations. You can find the link   in,   right along the podcast app, and in the show notes and everything like that. You can see that there.  

Yeah. And but what could really help us at this stage in our point is just letting people know about our podcast. Just let them know. Just say, I like this podcast. You might not agree with everything they say, but   I like the podcast.   Just get the word out there. Have fun. I try to have fun. That's all I'm doing. But, yeah, money wouldn't work out. Over here. Yeah. Exactly. Just for fun.   And money if you can bring us some money.   Money always helps. Yes. Yeah. Money always helps. Keeps us going in life. Right?  

[01:01:48] Jamon Fries:

Yep. Yep.  

[01:01:49] Jesse Fries:

Let's see. Speaking of money Uh-huh.  

[01:01:52] Jamon Fries:

This   New York has found a way to   make inflation even worse.  

[01:01:59] Jesse Fries:

How now?  

[01:02:02] Jamon Fries:

Every single vehicle that goes into lower Manhattan, whether it's delivery vehicles or anything like that is now gonna have to pay $9   at every single day to go downtown.  

[01:02:15] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A congestion fee. Yep. It's,   it was fought in court, but the courts are saying, no, they can do it.   Yep. So   yeah. Yeah. It's, and   $9 is the cheapest you can get.   It can actually go up, like, delivery vehicles and everything like that. It can be, like, $21   or whatnot,   to go in. So   yeah. Yeah. But then   New York is just damn expensive anyways. So  

[01:02:47] Jamon Fries:

Oh, it is. Absolutely. But, I mean,   just, you know, can you imagine the the the   I can only imagine   that   people that live outside of town are not going to be as   ready to come into the city anymore.   I mean, could you imagine spending $9 a day just to go to work?  

[01:03:11] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. It suck.   London has the same sort of thing.   Mhmm.   But they fight them over there. Holy hell. The thing's that   there is this one. I thought I think it was in London. It may have been in Scotland. I don't know. But it was for, like, the emissions or the congestion thing, everything like that. Yeah.   Somebody used a a drone   to put a trash can on top on top of one of the cameras and the sensors.   And so they  

[01:03:42] Jamon Fries:

it was awesome.   Nice.   I love  

[01:03:47] Jesse Fries:

it. You you you know, the the British, you know, they have, some issues. But, you know, there's some good guys down there fighting a good fight against the   Yep. Overwrought   government. Yeah.  

[01:03:59] Jamon Fries:

Yeah.   Yeah. No. They they were interviewing a business owner down there, and he's like, you know, it   not only will I have to start paying this $9 a day to drive my vehicle to work,   My employees will have to start doing that, which means that if they're gonna continue working here, I'm gonna have to pay them more,   which me which also means that   for every delivery that I get in here, yes, that they may charge $9   or whatever they're gonna charge.   But you know you know how companies run because they charge that $9, the price of the delivery is actually gonna go up by, like, $20   at least.  



[01:04:41] Jesse Fries:

Right. Right.  

[01:04:42] Jamon Fries:

And so he's like, everything is just gonna get so expensive that it's really gonna kill the small business owners out here.  

[01:04:54] Jesse Fries:

I could see that, but   in the amount things cost in New York, I I I just Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's a pittance.  

[01:05:04] Jamon Fries:

Really? 9 $9.9   a day in New York is like a dollar a day here.  

[01:05:09] Jesse Fries:

Well, parking will cost you at least 50 to $75   a day. You know? Yeah.   So what's $9?   Yeah. You you you you   regular employees aren't driving into work anyways in New York.   They're taking the subway. Oh, yeah. Yeah.   So,   yeah, the the the I understand.   But  

[01:05:35] Jamon Fries:

The the really, the only the only thing that it's gonna affect is it's going to affect the people that live outside of the city   that are coming into the city. You know? Like, if you live in New Jersey or something like that, you're not gonna wanna work in lower Manhattan anymore   because the cost of doing that just increases.  

[01:05:53] Jesse Fries:

Or you just,   park they park and ride, you know, park in New Jersey and then,   take the subway   under the river and, you know, there you go. You know? It's,   Yep. Yep. I actually prefer to stay in New Jersey and then just go into New York.   That was that was good when I did that. Yeah. That was, Okay.   You you then you can look at New York.   Yeah.  

[01:06:18] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. That's absolutely true. Yeah. Yeah. When you're in New York, that that doesn't   look   good.  

[01:06:25] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. So  

[01:06:27] Jamon Fries:

You you don't you can't see the you can't see the skyline. You can't really see anything around it. You know, if you're in Jersey,   depending on where you're at, you can see the Statue of Liberty   with the skyline. You know, you can you can see the   it's just it's a lot more impressive when you're not actually in New York City. It's more impressive when you're across the river. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yep.  

[01:06:49] Jesse Fries:

So let's get to some science here since we're in this latter part of the show.   So Alrighty. Apparently, I ran across this article, that said the obsession with heat eating or obsession with healthy eating can lead to addiction   and mental illness.   So this was a study done in Hungary, which is kind of funny because it's done in Hungary,   and let's talk about food. But, you   but, you know,   whatever.   Anyways,   apparently, there's this,   it's not like a   you can't be diagnosed for it, but this   thing is called   orthorexia   nervosa   Okay. Which is an addiction to eating pure foods, healthy foods, like like really pure foods.  

And, apparently,   if you   get into this,   it was an American   physician   named Steven Bratman,   in 1997   he came up with this. And, basically, it's   if you have these and   if you're this type of person,   that does this, that it can really restrict your dietary needs and it can lead to unhealthy consequences.   Because if it's pure food, it might not have all the nutrients that you need. You because you need gluten, you need this, and everything like that. Yep.   And a lot of times, it's actually associated with, social isolation because you can't just go have a burger, you know.  

[01:08:16] Jamon Fries:

Right. That's very true. Yeah. You can't really go out to a restaurant or anything like that. Yeah. Yeah. Or anxiety  

[01:08:22] Jesse Fries:

and malnutrition,   even death apparently sometimes.   It doesn't surprise me. But, yeah, the the the the best part about it   was that,   at the end of the article it said,   the condition affects men and women equally and research has found that those affected tend to score highly on narcissism   and perfectionism.   It has been suggested that it is not   it is not low self esteem driving this trend,   but a desire to feel superior to others. Yep.  

[01:08:58] Jamon Fries:

Yep.  

[01:09:00] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. I can see that.   I bet you're not too bad. You should be eating like me. I'm better than you. You know? It's, yep. Yep. There's so much of, like, over there. I've heard that. Right? It's, like,   no. Just   do what you do. You know? I may make fun of you behind your back, but that's about all I'm good to. You know? I  

[01:09:22] Jamon Fries:

may make jokes, you know, for the for the vegetarians and the vegans out there. I may make jokes that, you know, you you are what you eat, which means that you're a piece of lettuce, But,  

[01:09:33] Jesse Fries:

I'm not vegetarians. They're they're also,   eggs. You know? They they   drink milk. So, you know, there's, you know, with the eggs.   Yeah. They can eat egg.  

[01:09:47] Jamon Fries:

There's only vegans that can't, though? Yes.   Okay.  

[01:09:51] Jesse Fries:

Vegetarians can eat eat milk, cheese,   eggs. They can eat animal products.   Okay.   But the  

[01:10:00] Jamon Fries:

they They can eat the byproducts, but they can't eat the meat themselves. That's all. Correct. Correct. Correct. Vegans  

[01:10:06] Jesse Fries:

Okay. Can't and and I think   vegans fall into this level of the red blood, the axi and the rosa. Yeah.   So many of them just wanna feel superior, you know, vegan is a way of life and, give me a steak. Come on, dude. Well, I mean,  

[01:10:23] Jamon Fries:

that's that's why so many people are eating gluten free is because they think it makes them better than other people. I mean Yep. Yep. Even though it doesn't do anything. Gluten is important in in many cases.  

[01:10:36] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Unless, of course, you have celiac disease, then Well, yeah. Yeah. Of course. Yeah.   Gluten. Good.   Mhmm. Yep. Gluten.  

[01:10:45] Jamon Fries:

Absolutely.  

[01:10:47] Jesse Fries:

Let's see here. What else?   I have a funny story for the end that I'll do. Do you have anything else that you really wanna cover?  

[01:11:00] Jamon Fries:

One comment and possibly another one.   So you've you've heard about the,   the Social Security Fairness Act?  

[01:11:11] Jesse Fries:

No.  

[01:11:12] Jamon Fries:

Okay.   It was just recently signed into law by Biden.   What it does is it makes it so that   the, set public employees such as teachers and stuff like that   don't get their Social Security,   diminished because they're getting into pensions.  

[01:11:33] Jesse Fries:

Okay.   So they're screwing over Social Security.  

[01:11:37] Jamon Fries:

Actually,   no. They were screwing over the employees before, which is kind of odd.   It doesn't usually work that way. So what what it there there was a law enacted a while back that said that if you received,   if you received a government pension, if you received a pension   from public service Right.   That your that   the money that you receive would would offset your Social Security   payment.  

[01:12:05] Jesse Fries:

Okay.  

[01:12:07] Jamon Fries:

The problem is,   in my mind, is that   in no other category of of income   does any extra income diminish your Social Security payment.   So   if only the government only a government employee,   because they received the government pension,   would have their Social Security diminished because they were receiving money from that pension.   Everyone else. So union pensions and everything else like that does what does not affect the the Social Security at all. Yes. It does.  

[01:12:45] Jesse Fries:

Now Yes. It makes it You don't pay into   it. You don't pay into  

[01:12:50] Jamon Fries:

Social Security if you're on a pension. Right. Right. No. Well, you you do pay in the you do pay in if you're independent. If you're   it it all depends on what your,   government employees   the the the problem is   is that the Social Security payment that they were receiving   is from work outside of their public service.   So they they held regular jobs but didn't work for over 30 years. So say you went into public service at, say you became a teacher at, say, 40 years old. Uh-huh. You've been working for 20 years.  

[01:13:26] Jesse Fries:

Okay. So you're pretty fully sector. So you're fully vested in Social Security?  

[01:13:30] Jamon Fries:

Yeah.   And so   they so they were supposed to receive their Social Security checks based off of the income that they made while they were in the public sector.  

[01:13:41] Jesse Fries:

Okay.  

[01:13:42] Jamon Fries:

But then they went into into the government work. And because they received a government pension,   the the Social Security money that they were getting from their from the from their their previous work   was being was being short.  

[01:13:57] Jesse Fries:

Okay. Okay.   So so so it's only for those that   also worked in the  

[01:14:03] Jamon Fries:

Yes. Yes. If you didn't work in the if you didn't if you didn't work in the private sector at all, then you you have no option of receiving Social Security. So in order to receive the Social Security, they had to have paid into it at at some point in time.   And so but because they went into the public sector because they were working for the public sector and getting that pension Right. They were the the the old law was that their Social Security would be reduced. Right. Right. Right. Right. Okay. Okay.   And and the big problem that they were running into with this was that   the Social Security would start paying out before the pensions did. Uh-huh.  

And   when when you're doing stuff like this, they go back for a year.   And so once your pension hit,   you had to pay back for basically the full year of Social Security that you'd already been paid.   So they they were so as soon as they went down to the pension, they were having to they they were they suddenly owed owed the Social Security department, like, 5 to $10,000.  

[01:15:09] Jesse Fries:

That sucked.   Yeah.   Okay. Okay. I see what you mean. Okay.  

[01:15:16] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. When when I first read the story, I'm like, well, they're not supposed to receive social security anyways because they didn't pay into it. Right. Right. But then as I was reading into it further,   it it turns out that these are people that were in the private sector first   or or even sometimes during because, you know, some Yeah. No. Absolutely. Make a whole lot of money, so you work in the private sector as well. Yep. And so   the the Social Security the the Social Security payments that they were rightfully get supposed to get were being withheld because they had worked in the private in the public sector as well.  

[01:15:48] Jesse Fries:

Got it. Got it. Okay. Yeah. That's cool.   No worries. Yeah.   If you didn't yeah.   That makes sense. That makes sense.  

[01:15:57] Jamon Fries:

Yeah. I I I read that. I was like, damn.   Yeah. No kidding. No kidding. We we've had we've been screwing over our postal workers the same time. They're the whole other thing to go postal.  

[01:16:12] Jesse Fries:

It's just a small minority, Jayman. Jeez, dude. What?  

[01:16:20] Jamon Fries:

Yes. I know, but there's a reason that they did that idiot for it.  

[01:16:27] Jesse Fries:

Let's see here. Oh, I have something about the   green cards here.   Okay.   So apparently,   some this one person, he wants to get rid of the green card lottery system.   So green card lottery, basically, what it does is allows 55,000 people,   to get a green card and move to the United States. The only restriction on that is that you either have to have a high school diploma   or have worked for 2 years of your life.   Okay.   And then you can just move into the United States,   with that green card. They give out 55,000.   My brother-in-law actually just applied for it, this year.   So Oh, okay. But, anyways, apparently, this came about in the eighties, the green card lottery.  

And apparently, it was only   as a way to get Irish in.   So in the early That's interesting. Yeah. In the early stages, about 40% of the lottery winners were Irish.   40%. Okay.   And,   it was to the point where 40 half percentage. Yeah. It was to the point where, Ireland was actually paying for the flights of these people to come over to the US because they wanted to get rid of their people. I swear to god, the Irish are weird.   They are. Yeah. Yeah. That they are. And they would even have, like, application parties   and things like that.  



[01:17:57] Jamon Fries:

Oh,   that's hilarious.  

[01:18:00] Jesse Fries:

Right? But, yeah, so this one guy, he says we should get rid of that. And, there's actually a backlog of,   educated people   Yeah. That wanna come in. It's, like, about, like, 1,800,000   people.   And he goes, we could just get rid of that   and then just let these highly educated people in.   It'd be better for a go for a country if you let them Yeah. Absolutely. Educate yeah. So,   yeah, maybe the green card lottery will go away. Who knows? You know, but some   we also need these restaurants that they open up. They're awfully tasty. Oh, absolutely. Saying. Yeah. They have they are. Yeah. And we need taxi drivers. You know? It's a Yep.  

[01:18:41] Jamon Fries:

It may it may not it made it not involve it may not increase the technological   aspect of the country,   but at least, you know,   improve the   the social aspect, then we Yep. You know, it'll it'll it'll improve the   just   the culture.   You know? Possibly. I I think that's the one thing that you lose out when you're only going for highly educated people is you   you they generally culture gets educated out of people   eventually   in some cases.  

[01:19:15] Jesse Fries:

Sometimes that's a good thing. Just saying.  

[01:19:18] Jamon Fries:

Sometimes   it is. Sometimes it is. But, you know, it's never bad to have a little bit it's a little bit more of a culture mix up in there. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It'll just take a few generations to work its way through. Just like ours. Yeah. That's how it always is.   Yep. You had one more thing you wanted to talk about? Hear that, that 2 of the death row inmates that Biden wants to commute   have, started filing cases to get rid of that commutation.   Yeah. Yeah. I heard that. I heard that. It's quite interesting. You know, I it's Yeah. When I fur when I saw the headline, I go, do they actually think that they deserve to die? Nope. That wasn't it, was it? No. No. It's purely it's purely because and I did not know this, but it it makes absolute sense. When you're on death row, every legal proceeding gets fat gets facts. Correct?   Yep. And so when you're so if you're if you if you truly believe that you're innocent,   you wanna be on death row so that you can get out of prison faster if it if it happens to be overturned.  

Uh-huh. Yep. It it Because once once they get out of death row, everything goes back to normal, and you're talking   years  

[01:20:26] Jesse Fries:

before anything can happen. Yeah. Nobody will look at your case. It it's like Yeah. It's like, you're not gonna die. Who cares?   Yeah. Exactly. You were found guilty. Just say it. Bye bye now. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yeah. 1 one of those two people is,  

[01:20:41] Jamon Fries:

somebody that the person that he that I think it was his brother or something like that that had committed the crime with him   ended up dying in prison not to not too long ago. Oh, okay. He's like, you know, I I want this to be fast tracked. I don't wanna die in prison while I'm still waiting to get rid of this to get taken care of. Oh, yeah. Completely. Completely.   Yeah. It was I thought that was very interesting.   Learned a lot about the legal system when I read that article.  

[01:21:09] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. There's so much to it. There is so much to it. It's just like,   Guinness over in the UK.   So   my friend is over in the UK. Right? Or he was.   And he he said he's been drinking some Guinness.   Apparently, he caused a shortage. I'm just saying there's a shortage of Guinness in the UK right now. And it has to be him only. It has to be him. It's a friend of yours. It it's a friend of yours, so it doesn't surprise me.   Well, yeah, apparently, there's actually a shortage of Guinness   in the UK.   In the UK for god's sakes.   Yeah.  

And guess why guess why it is?  

[01:21:55] Jamon Fries:

Why is that?  

[01:21:57] Jesse Fries:

Because   young people are actually drinking Guinness now over there. Apparently, it was only used to be a young, old man drink was Guinness.   And then Guinness had, like, a was brilliant and had a TikTok thing going, influencers and everything like that. And now you can just see, like,   a group of 6 young people   equally divided between male and female, and they're all drinking a Guinness now.  

[01:22:23] Jamon Fries:

Wow.  

[01:22:24] Jesse Fries:

Yeah. Yeah. So   it was sad when a lorry, aka a truck,   with   35,000   pints of Guinness   was stolen.  

[01:22:39] Jamon Fries:

Somebody was trying to party.  

[01:22:41] Jesse Fries:

Right? Right?   Yeah. Maybe it was those,   a bar needed it, and they couldn't get it any other way. Very  

[01:22:51] Jamon Fries:

well could be.  

[01:22:57] Jesse Fries:

Well, thank you for joining us for episode 19 of the mindless meandering   podcast. I'm Jesse Fries.  

[01:23:03] Jamon Fries:

And I'm Jabin Fries.  

[01:23:05] Jesse Fries:

And you guys have a great week.