Covering Politics, Science, Climate Change, and when Jesse's headphones go crazy.
Hosted by:
Jesse Fries
Jamon Fries
Good afternoon, everybody. It is October 30, and it is a Thursday. And we are live with episode 75 of the minus meanderings. I'm Jesse Fries. And, yeah, that's all I gotta say.
[00:00:38] Jamon Fries:
And I'm Jamin Fries. And, yeah, that's about it for me too. There's not that much. I mean, it it's just other than that, the guy might be stopping by during the show to fix the leak that's at the on the roof that he didn't fix last time he was here. So Okay.
[00:01:01] Jesse Fries:
That works. That works. We may have to delay the show for that or pause it real quick. Yep. And also if you're live, then you get stuck with hearing dead air or my menstruations of something. Who knows? Who knows?
[00:01:16] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. All of all sorts of fun stuff. We we really need to come up with, some music to start playing when we're in we're when we're predisposed with other things.
[00:01:27] Jesse Fries:
No. We'll just call it a break. You know? It's just live. You know? No. I guess we could have some music they could listen to that way. Because, you know, it's like other podcasts, you know, like, when they have to go to the bathroom, they just cut it.
[00:01:39] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. And then come right back. And, you know, when when we're with the with the recorded version, you know, we can cut out the music that we play and all that. That's true. That's true. Maybe we could do that. But, you know, for the lie for the live audience, you know, it might be good to not have them listen to dead air for a few minutes. Yeah. Who cares? Who cares? I'm really bad at filling up that dead air.
[00:02:03] Jesse Fries:
So am I. So it's okay. It's okay. Let's see here. Let let's just jump into it. So, apparently, Eric Swalwell, Democrat from California, he says that whoever whoever well, he has succumb to BDS. Have you heard of what BDS is? No. Okay. You know TDS. Right? Yeah. Trump derangement syndrome. Right? Right. Is it Biden derangement syndrome? No. No. No. It's ballroom derangement syndrome. Okay.
[00:02:34] Jamon Fries:
Okay.
[00:02:37] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. He he he he said that whichever Democratic candidate actually wins to actually get the nomination. For him, what they have to promise is that when they get into the White House, they have to demolish the ballroom. Yeah. Wow.
[00:02:58] Jamon Fries:
What? Wow. Yeah. No. I mean, that that ballroom is something that presidents and and the federal government has wanted For, like, a hundred years or so. Yeah. Decades.
[00:03:10] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. You know? Nearly a century, actually. Yeah. Because once we became a real world power, which was, after World War one. You know? Yeah. It it it was just needed because we were a major world power. And after World War two, we are the world power. Yeah. And so, you know
[00:03:30] Jamon Fries:
And it just doesn't make sense to hold state events at a hotel. It doesn't. It just doesn't. Or
[00:03:36] Jesse Fries:
intense. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it just doesn't make much sense. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Right? You know, it it so what what does he want him to do then? Just rebuild the rebuild the old building? I don't know. I don't think he cares. Just destroy it. And so Trump can't say that he did something. These people are sick in the head. They are so far gone Oh, yeah. Yeah. To to to it's like they need it. The White House needs a ballroom. I don't know. And nobody else is gonna do it. You know? And Yeah. There's no pry no public money going into this thing. Right.
So I I seriously don't understand it at all. It just makes absolutely no sense.
[00:04:23] Jamon Fries:
No. No. It doesn't. No. I mean, you know, knowing Trump, it's gonna be pretty garish on the inside. Well And so, you know, I I could see if a pres if the next president wanted to tone it down a bit or something, you know, take out some of the gold and stuff like that. Right. Right. That I'm sure is gonna make it into it.
[00:04:44] Jesse Fries:
But there's gold right now, like, in his
[00:04:47] Jamon Fries:
office and everything like that. Oh, yeah. But, I mean, with the next president, they'll probably take a lot of that gold out. Possibly. Yeah. It's it's it's what every president does. They they make it into their home. No. They do. They do. And, yeah, it's like
[00:05:01] Jesse Fries:
it's it it from all the designs, it seems to fit in pretty nicely with the White House. So it it follows the same architectural cues and everything like that. Yep. So Yep. Yeah. I don't see yeah. No. These people. I think these these I I think But do they just do it for fun, especially, like, the politicians, you know, because they think that's what people wanna hear, and so that gets the people out there?
[00:05:26] Jamon Fries:
I think it's because they want to pretend like they're relevant.
[00:05:32] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Exactly. Exactly.
[00:05:35] Jamon Fries:
You know, I mean, if if you're not making news, if you're not standing up against the opponents, then you're not relevant to anything Yep. Yep. In their mind. And so that that's the only thing I can think of is that, you know, they've Trump has made them all irrelevant for the most part. And Yeah. Yeah. They they can talk all they want, but 90% of the time, Trump is getting what he wants.
[00:06:09] Jesse Fries:
He is. He is. 90% of the time, I would agree with that. Yeah. It's. Yeah. But it it and then the Democrats, though, we might as well talk about the shutdown a little bit longer. You know? No. You know? It's like it's still going on. I don't know what number day it is on right now or anything like that. It doesn't matter. It's a long it is a very long shutdown. Oh, and the Yeah. Democrats just seem to keep wanting to do it. But pain is about to begin. Real pain is about to begin, people. Oh, absolutely. They like, yesterday, they, what was it? I think it was Newark or JFK. They shut down all flights from evening into the night of the afternoon into the night. They just shut down because they didn't have the staffing for the Well, yeah. FAA. Makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, they just had to shut it down. And then come Saturday, no SNAP benefits.
Yep. Except for the a few states that are saying, well, we'll just take it out of our own coffers. Yeah. You know? That that's what that's what these states with surpluses should do. Just saying. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, and and If you have people that need food
[00:07:23] Jamon Fries:
Yes. Absolutely. The it's the part of part of that is that they haven't spent everything that the government that the feds gave them. And so they've made they've got a surplus in their SNAP benefit programs. And then and then they'll make up the rest of it with, with their with their other surpluses. Yeah. But, yeah. No. I mean, it it's it's one of I I I don't really I don't like the fact that all the benefits are given by the state, but the money comes from the fed. Yeah. That that's how it works a lot of the time, you know. I I I I realize that that's how it works. But there there's a lot of different things that work that way and and but many of them, I really think shouldn't.
You know, like the I agree. I agree.
[00:08:24] Jesse Fries:
Gasoline taxes, they're collected by the state. Yep. The state then gives the money to the feds, and then the feds decide who they're gonna give the money back to Yeah. For the roads and stuff. Yep. That just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It just gives people jobs. It's just more bureaucracy. You know? You need somebody to send the money to the Fed and or somebody to collect the money, then somebody to send the money to the Fed. And then on the Fed, they need somebody to receive the money, and then they need somebody to, ship off the money. And and then the state has to
[00:08:59] Jamon Fries:
have Yeah. To receive the money. You know? And I'm sure it's all different departments. So Oh, absolutely. It is. Yes. Yeah. And, you know, but with the food stamps, the the issue I have with the food stamps being controlled by the states, but all the money coming from the fed Mhmm. Is the states give different amounts of food stamps based on their own decisions.
[00:09:24] Jesse Fries:
Right. Right. Different regulations as well.
[00:09:26] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. When when I was when I lived in Colorado, I was getting, like, almost a little about three two, three hundred dollars worth of food stamps. Mhmm. Then I moved to Kansas, and I'm getting 24.
[00:09:43] Jesse Fries:
$24? Yes.
[00:09:48] Jamon Fries:
My income my income hasn't changed other than the cost of living increases from Social Security disability. So that cost of living increase is built into the, into the standards for when you're avail eligible for receiving food stamps. Uh-huh. Which means that in the state of Colorado, they considered me to be have a to be closer to destitute than Kansas does. Okay. Now part of that is because the cost of living is a little bit is more slightly more expensive in Colorado, especially where I lived. I was over on the West Side of the mountains. Uh-huh. But still, for it to for it to be 200 and some dollars dropping down to $24, why do the states get to determine how much money the federal government has to spend?
[00:10:46] Jesse Fries:
That's the problem that I have. Yeah. I I I have no clue. I I really don't. When when it comes to government, I really have no clue. Especially when it gets into that nitty gritty. I I I I I I I understand the grand overarching schemes and themes and everything like that. But the that nitty gritty, you know, it's like it's just petty. A lot of times, it's just petty crap where nobody actually thinks about it. You know? It's yeah. No clue. No clue. Colorado is also, a blue state,
[00:11:19] Jamon Fries:
or was purple state when you were there. Yeah. And and that's one of that's one of the problems too is that it all you know, that that's one of the issues that I have with this with this with the SNAP benefits. If it were if it's federal money Mhmm. Then the federal money then the federal government should determine how much people are gonna get. Right. And it's fine if they if they have to look at, like, I mean, I I wouldn't even be I wouldn't even have a problem with saying, okay. So the cost of living in this city is this high, so we're going to provide this much help. The cost of living in this in this little town is this low, so we're not gonna give as much help. That's something that I would have no problems with the government doing. Uh-huh. Because it's it's how much help you need. Right. But for the states to just be able to say, Feds, you're gonna be coughing up this much money to us. And the Feds do not have any say in that, basically.
[00:12:20] Jesse Fries:
It just doesn't make a lot of sense. Yeah. It really doesn't. It really doesn't. But then that's the government for you. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Doesn't make any sense. So Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. So the shutdown, you know, so, let's see what happens. Let's see if, who's gonna feel the pain worse. That's basically it's it's a game of chicken now, especially now that things are getting serious. You know? So Yeah. Yeah. And
[00:12:52] Jamon Fries:
yeah. With with the with that with the food stamp thing, the states are starting to sue the federal government now to get them to utilize the emergency funding Uh-huh. That's that's set at the contingency fund that's set aside.
[00:13:10] Jesse Fries:
Right.
[00:13:12] Jamon Fries:
Well, there's a $6,000,000,000 contingency fund. Okay. Food stamps alone
[00:13:20] Jesse Fries:
costs 8,000,000,000. For one month? Yes.
[00:13:25] Jamon Fries:
Okay. And then you throw in WIC, and you throw in the other health the other the other service the other social welfare services that the federal government is having to cut back on because of the shutdown. Uh-huh. Yeah. If you're gonna get anything, it you might get a tenth of the money that you would normally receive, and that ain't gonna do shit for anyone. No. It really won't. It really won't. So I mean, because because you you can't just say, well, you've got this 6,000,000,000 here, so just put all that into food stamps. Mhmm. Because then what about WIC? What about the school school lunch programs? What about, you know, all of the other health care that all the other welfare stuff that the government has? Mhmm. Things that people also need to have access to.
Right. Right. You know, I mean, it just it it's just so funny. And there there was one there there's a federal judge that is, talking about, that's basically decided that she's going to make a ruling that the federal government can't stop paying SNAP.
[00:14:43] Jesse Fries:
But that that that's got nothing to do with her. Like, literally I know. She's trying to butt her nose into the legislature's business.
[00:14:54] Jamon Fries:
Yes. Hey.
[00:14:59] Jesse Fries:
That's like No. I
[00:15:02] Jamon Fries:
see. I I mean, what the hell is going on? Judges think that they can do everything now. They think that they're gods. They they really do seem to think that.
[00:15:14] Jesse Fries:
And, unfortunately, they our system has set them up for this. You know? They absolutely for the longest time, you go into a courthouse. If you don't if you're wearing shorts, oh, hell. You're going to jail because you're wearing shorts or something like that. You know? It's like Yeah. Respect the judge and blah. It's like, fuck the judge. That's what I say. I don't give a shit. You know? It's like The the judge did stuff that was worthy of respect, I might respect them. Yeah. But even that, you're you're you're, figure of The United States. I'm a US citizen. I could dress however I want wherever I go. I I I really don't care beyond that. No. I I don't I didn't see a dress code sign when I walked into the courthouse. There is no such thing. No. There isn't.
Alright. So yeah. No. It's all this crap. They they they let these judges get these big heads. Yep. And it's just in the system. And it's, like, it's I think it's everywhere. In every court system in the world, these judges have this mentality that they are God. You know? It's like it's like my court, my rules, I get to dictate everything. And it's like, wow. You you you you you're just they're they're just petty little tyrants is all they are. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. And I don't understand it. I really don't understand. You know, it's,
[00:16:35] Jamon Fries:
No. And, you know, the the other aspect of that is judges are given so much purview into every single aspect of human life, business, government, everything. Right. They can control everything. They can make a company shut down if they want to. Oh, yeah. Yeah. They can tell a company that you're gonna that you that they have to go bankrupt by paying out all this money for stuff or by telling them that they can't do these other things.
[00:17:11] Jesse Fries:
Mhmm.
[00:17:12] Jamon Fries:
That doesn't seem to be so much the purview of a judge.
[00:17:16] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. I don't think so either. I don't think so either.
[00:17:20] Jamon Fries:
If it if I mean, I I think that that's the purview of the government Mhmm. As far as, like, the, as far as, like, the anti monopoly laws and stuff like that. Right. Right. I don't think that that should be up to a judge's decision
[00:17:40] Jesse Fries:
or a jury's decision. Well, see, the thing is is that it's basically, it can be appealed. And then from there and, basically, while it's on appeal, it can be I know all that. So yeah. It's no. I understand what you're saying. I understand what you're saying.
[00:17:54] Jamon Fries:
It's The the fact of the matter is is that it become the judge the courts have become a weapon against something you'd against anything you don't like.
[00:18:04] Jesse Fries:
No. Yeah. Especially lately. It's it's Especially if you don't if you don't like the way this company is run,
[00:18:10] Jamon Fries:
you file a lawsuit. The court comes in, stops everything. Yep. Yep. And then it's all drawn out. And in the meantime, this company can't be doing what they were normally doing. Therefore, they run out of money. They go bankrupt or something like that. Milicious lawsuits and everything like that. It's a tool for for the opponents to use. Yeah. And that's just a horrible place for the for the courts to be.
[00:18:35] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. No. I I'm with you. I'm with you. Yeah. It's been used that way a lot. You know? You bury them with lawsuits. You know? Yep. Yeah. Yeah. No. There's so many things wrong with the law system, but
[00:18:49] Jamon Fries:
yeah. Yeah. Okay. What else do we got here?
[00:18:55] Jesse Fries:
Oh, I have a funny one. So so, Kennedy, the senator from Louisiana, senator Kennedy, he he wanted to try to get rid of a Biden era, owl killing plan. So, basically, during, Obama's or Biden's, tenure, they wanted to encourage the killing of barred owls because they were better at hunting or whatnot than spotted owls. And and so because of that, the spotted owl would decrease in population and the barred owls would, like, gain in population. Right? And and and so they they so the Fish and Wildlife Service, they they they they want this. They they wanna keep the spotted owls, apparently. Yeah. They they they maybe it's more maybe it was their first or something like that. I don't know.
This is up in the Pacific Northwest. Okay. You you you know, the loggers and everything like that. Remember the spotted owls where they said that, they could only, like, mate or nest in one tree and then they found them everywhere? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so now these non native barred owls are killing. Yeah. Yeah. Basically, overrunning the spotted owls. And so you could just hunt them for whatever you want. It's just go out and kill as many barred owls as you want. Oh, god. Right. Right. And and so Kennedy, he goes, how about we stop this? Because what does it matter? It's one owl versus a different owl, you know? It's like, at what point do you just say, let nature take its course, you know? It's,
[00:20:50] Jamon Fries:
you you know why they have to be against they have to, keep the spotted owl alive. Why? Because if they didn't, then they wouldn't have a reason to stop us from cutting down the trees anymore.
[00:21:06] Jesse Fries:
No. Actually, from what I understand where where is it? I think the timber industry actually wants to wants this. They they wanna kill the barred owls and not the. Really? Yeah. Yeah. I I think that's what I read in there. It's, let's see. Reading the article again. Kennedy said it was a d e I for owls.
[00:21:40] Jamon Fries:
Oh, that's good. That is good.
[00:21:43] Jesse Fries:
Because the Trump administration is supporting bear Biden era action under pressure from loggers who say scrapping the owl killing rule would affect existing land use plans. So the loggers actually want the spotted owls and not the barred owls, apparently. I I don't think loggers know what they want is what I'm thinking. No. Yeah. Maybe we should never pay attention to them. Just saying, you know, they seem to be going they were complaining about spotted owls. Now they want the spotted owls and not the barred owls and then this and then that. You know, it's like,
[00:22:17] Jamon Fries:
Well, I mean, sorrows probably gave them money. So, you know, they, of course, have to be spotted owl.
[00:22:23] Jesse Fries:
I don't know about that, but
[00:22:25] Jamon Fries:
I don't know either. But, yeah, that that's just there there's there's some financial reason that they would prefer the spotted owl over the barred owl. Uh-huh. Yeah. There has to be a financial reason for it because, I mean, loggers are cut are people that are there to make money. So Mhmm. If, you know, if if they can't cut down trees because this spotted owl will only ever nest in this one tree
[00:22:53] Jesse Fries:
Right.
[00:22:54] Jamon Fries:
Then wouldn't it be to their benefit to for the spotted owl to go away so that they could cut down every tree? Because I'm sure that, you know, barred owls probably you know, there there's certain things that limit how how serve the survivability of an animal. Uh-huh. One of those is to never be able to move your nest.
[00:23:21] Jesse Fries:
Right.
[00:23:23] Jamon Fries:
Because if that tree goes away, which happens naturally, you know, forest fires, just weather, stuff like that, just get the tree getting old and rotting,
[00:23:37] Jesse Fries:
suddenly, that owl no longer has a home, and they can't build a house and another tree, I guess. They had no clue. No clue on that. But yeah. Yeah. No. It's it's awfully funny. But, you know, it's like my senator, actually. You you know, unfortunately, I don't know why, but lately, I've actually been I've actually agreed with Ted Cruz more and more, and I don't like it. I swear to God. I don't like it. No. No. No. There's something wrong with you. I know. Right? He he said, killing the half billion owls seems like a crazy thing for the government to be doing. Just yeah. It really does. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But, this the the play is still Kennedy's little bill where everything failed. It was a 25 to 75 vote.
Okay. So yeah. Yeah. They're gonna keep killing those barred owls. But but he did it in the Kennedy way. You know? Kennedy is hilarious. He he's one of the funniest senators there is. And he had nice big pictures of owls. And he he had a picture of Elmer Fudd hunting.
[00:24:43] Jamon Fries:
Wow. Wow. That's a name that's a blast from the past. I haven't heard that name in a long time.
[00:24:48] Jesse Fries:
Well, to find a hunter in cartoon, you know Oh, yeah. They have good Elmer Fudd. That's all he was. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
[00:24:55] Jamon Fries:
Yeah.
[00:24:56] Jesse Fries:
But, yeah, it's hilarious. It is hilarious. Yeah. God bless Kennedy. He he he he he's he's a good show. He really is. Yep. Yep.
[00:25:05] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. So I guess the, House is trying to it has has started up a proposal that would grant Tulsi Gabbard the leading role on counterintelligence. Okay. So, essentially, what what they're saying is that, they they would be taking the counterintelligence aspects out of the purview of the FBI and the CIA and stuff like that and giving it to Tulsi Gabbard Okay. To the intelligence agency. But, you know, I mean, of course, the FBI and stuff like that, according to this article, are up in arms about it Well, right. To two people.
[00:25:48] Jesse Fries:
Well, more than likely, there's people in the FBI going, come on, man. Yeah. Even though they probably just shift those people over from the FBI over to the NSA. So Yeah.
[00:25:59] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. I mean, nobody no. There there'd probably be very few people that would lose their jobs. But Right. I am all for having one intelligence agency that deals with intelligence and counterintelligence. Because that way every that way that one it that one agency has all of the information.
[00:26:21] Jesse Fries:
Well, yeah. If they know how to spy, they know how to catch a spy, you know? Yeah. Exactly. Spy versus spy, you know? Yeah.
[00:26:29] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. And it just doesn't make sense to me. I I will never never understand why so many of the quote unquote law enforcement agencies Mhmm. Have their own intelligence agency with internally as well. You know, I mean, the intel I can understand in some aspects, you know, but there should be more about investigating rather than having an intelligence agency.
[00:27:01] Jesse Fries:
No. I understand. I understand. Yeah. No. It it's yeah. I don't know. It it's it kinda makes sense for the FBI to have it also because they investigate crimes, and it's a crime to spy. You know? So, you know, I could see that aspect. But then, you know, it's it's like you have the CIA and then you have the DIA. Right? Yeah. So you have the just central intelligence agency and then you have the, defense intelligence agency. Or or is it WAI now? W It might be WAI. It it should be WAI now. Right? War intelligence agency. Yeah. I know. It's a but, yeah, it's like, you have why do we have both of those? You know? It doesn't I don't you know? It doesn't make sense.
[00:27:48] Jamon Fries:
It it doesn't make a whole lot of sense because, you know, if if the Defense Intelligence Agency, now the War Intelligence Agency, potentially. I don't know if they've actually changed it or not. Probably not. Probably not. But it would be cool if they did. Mhmm. If the War Intelligence Agency, which I'm gonna call it from now on. Sounds good. War Intelligence Agency. Yeah. Why? So yeah. So if why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why But to the best of my knowledge, they don't only look at military intelligence.
[00:28:27] Jesse Fries:
No. True. True. Yeah.
[00:28:29] Jamon Fries:
And so you you don't need two different departments that are looking at the same intelligence. It's just
[00:28:38] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. But is it it's it may even be different intelligence that the other one doesn't know. Yeah. Well, I mean, they may have different You know, it's Of course, it's different intelligence. No. Exactly.
[00:28:48] Jamon Fries:
But the problem is is that they don't communicate with each other.
[00:28:52] Jesse Fries:
Well, of course not. Why would you communicate with your enemy? You know?
[00:28:58] Jamon Fries:
I'm just saying, you know. It's Yeah. I mean, you know, the there's so much shit slips through the cracks Uh-huh. Because the FBI knows a little bit. The CIA knows a little bit. The the this other this other group has a little bit of intelligence, but none of them talk to each other and so shit bad shit happens.
[00:29:20] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. No. Exactly. Exactly.
[00:29:23] Jamon Fries:
So the more we can centralize it into one agency
[00:29:27] Jesse Fries:
Well, that's why we have home I I realize
[00:29:30] Jamon Fries:
well, yeah. But it doesn't it's not effective.
[00:29:34] Jesse Fries:
Well, I agree. They they still they still don't share the intelligence. You know? I I I'm with you on that. The entire purpose for it. I'm with you on that one. But, yeah, that is technically, under one department, so it's all shared. Right? Kumbaya, you know? Yeah. Nine eleven happens, so it's Yeah.
[00:29:53] Jamon Fries:
So no. So, I mean, I I am all now the downside to having everything under one agency is the the potential that if that agency misses something or if someone within that agency is a little bit corrupt and intentionally misses something, then nobody else is out there looking to see if something was missed. Right. That is one downside to that. But at the same time, we if if we do everything we can to prevent that, then it's still better than known things where each department knows this little bit, but because they're not talking, something happens.
[00:30:42] Jesse Fries:
Mhmm. No. Completely. No.
[00:30:44] Jamon Fries:
Because those would have been completely preventable. You know? The the fact the possibility of corruption is avail is open everywhere. So it's, you know, it wouldn't just be this one department. Would all would be the only potential corruption that there's corruption everywhere else. So, you know, the I I still think it would be better to have everything under one under one branch rather than have it all separated out like it is right now.
[00:31:10] Jesse Fries:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's, yeah. I can see that. I can see that. Let's see here. Fed cut the interest rate again. So Yep. Now it's down again. So, apparently, a lot of people are, refining their houses now, because it it, Oh, it makes sense. Yeah. It makes sense. It makes sense to you. When the interest is low. Yep. Yep. Completely. Completely. So there's that. Looks like inflation is kinda ticking a bit higher, so there might not be another cut in December even though they had signaled that earlier. Mhmm. So who knows who knows on that one? But, yeah, inflation has been ticking up a bit. It's like, about 3% now. So Yep. Which is turning just about
[00:31:58] Jamon Fries:
right. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
[00:32:00] Jesse Fries:
And then let's see here. We got, the tariffs and trade deals, like, galore going on right now. Of them. In Asia. Yeah. Trump is on a mad spree over in Asia. So Oh, absolutely. Yes.
[00:32:14] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. With Japan and South Korea for AI chips and biotech Uh-huh. With China, he's gotten them to hold off to he's gotten them to completely open up the trade for the, rare for the rare earth metals for the at least the next year. Mhmm. He's got the they've they're they've they're gonna start, accepting soybeans from America again. Yep. Nope. They had cut that off earlier this year.
[00:32:45] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. So so because of that, you know, farmers are both some farmers are pleased with them and some farmers are pissed off at them. Yeah. Because, he was, like, he did a trade deal with Argentina to allow more of their beef in. So that pissed off our cattlemen. Now he's, ensuring soybeans can be sent to China, so that's helping those farmers. So it's like this whole yeah.
[00:33:08] Jamon Fries:
Well, you know, I I am 100% in agreement with allowing more beef into the country Uh-huh. Simply because the price of beef is so
[00:33:18] Jesse Fries:
fucking high right now. Right right now, it is. Yeah. It's crazy. It is really crazy. And, actually, you know, most of our beef that we raise is exported, actually. Yeah. That doesn't surprise me. Because it's better beef, and so a lot of other places want an American beef, and then we get the, like, Argentina beef. You know? Which is fine beef. You know? Argentina is very well known for their beef. Yeah. So
[00:33:43] Jamon Fries:
yeah. It's, yeah. You can't make anybody happy. They're here to take a look at the roof, I believe. I'll be right back. Okay.
[00:33:51] Jesse Fries:
And we're I'm back. Woo hoo.
[00:33:54] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. So I I I go to I go to talk to the roofer Uh-huh. And get back to my computer, start talking, and my Internet had died. Well, that sucks. That is weird. My modem again. Yeah. That's weird timing right there. Yeah. Yeah. Very much so. Yeah. He's up he's up there taking a look. I may get interrupted again once they if they find something. So Okay. Sounds good. Sounds good.
[00:34:26] Jesse Fries:
Let's see here. What were we talking about? Oh, the trade deals. The trade deals. Yes. Yeah. I think did we basically cover it? He made deals with Xi. He made deals with pretty much everybody. Things seem to be going well with China. Yeah.
[00:34:43] Jamon Fries:
More than likely The only thing that he didn't he hasn't accomplished accomplished yet from what I've heard that he wanted to was he hasn't gotten g to sign up on the TikTok deal yet.
[00:34:55] Jesse Fries:
That's kinda odd that that one hasn't. I I know it was a done deal.
[00:34:59] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. The I I I read an article this morning that said that he hadn't that it hadn't been done. Maybe they haven't talked about that yet or something, because today was supposed to be the day that it got signed.
[00:35:11] Jesse Fries:
Oh, okay.
[00:35:13] Jamon Fries:
So, I mean, it could be that it just hasn't happened yet. Although,
[00:35:16] Jesse Fries:
this late in the day, it's kinda late in China now. Yeah. It's also a bargaining chip, you know. So Yeah. Mhmm.
[00:35:23] Jamon Fries:
Okay. Yeah. No. Yeah. So we'll we'll see what what happens with that. Yeah. He cut some tariffs
[00:35:29] Jesse Fries:
automatically and whatnot. Yeah. So, yeah, things seem to be going well overall, I would say, on that.
[00:35:38] Jamon Fries:
Okay. Hello? Okay. Sorry about that. No worries. No worries. I was just playing some music for those people everybody's listening. I heard that. It got very loud at some points in time. Yeah. That wasn't good for my ears. I'm just saying. Oh, I still had my headset on it. It just blew my ears out of the water. I'm sitting there I'm sitting there listening to the music that sounds like the ice cream truck going by. Uh-huh. And it's suddenly just blaring or Yeah. Music.
[00:36:12] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. I was yeah. Yeah. That was a mistake. I know what to look for now. Look at that. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Okay. So yeah. Okay. We'll get off whatever we were talking about. Yep. And more about the, trade deals. Yeah. We'll Whatever we've got that finished up. Uh-huh. That's our group. National news? Let's see here. We can, so well, we we kinda cover there there's Ted Cruz is also in the news again for something else. Okay. So you you know that whole Arctic whatever, Arctic Fox whatever, Jack Smith, where he was subpoenaed, US congressman's phone records and everything like that? Yeah. Yeah. So, apparently, Ted Cruz was one of those people.
Okay. And, apparently, it was like there was a he he did this whole spiel and everything like that. It's quite the thing. But, yeah, it it was so, apparently, they he Jack Smith, along with everybody else, Jack Smith, subpoenaed, his records. It was, like, something like a 190 some organizations or something like that were Okay. Targeted, and they were all Republican, by Jack Smith and everything like that. And it was, like, basically, it was like going after the entire Republican political apparatus. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And with this, so there was a subpoena by AT and T.
AT and T denied the subpoena. Okay? They it was like Okay. They got the subpoena, and AT and T is going, no. This is completely unconstitutional. We cannot give you this. So they actually did not give, Jack Smith Ted Cruz's, phone records, thankfully. Thankfully. Yeah. Yeah. But they also there was a gag order on that subpoena itself. The judge this this is this is that Bozberg, guy who is keeps doing things against Trump and everything like that constantly. But it was this guy, and he put a gag order on it saying that there was, like, there is proof that, basically, this person it was, like, copy paste sort of thing. Like, Ted it did say Ted Cruz, but this person will destroy evidence. He'll do this. He'll do that.
And so because of this, you cannot tell him that he there was a subpoena against him Oh my god. For a year, at least a year, and everything yeah. Wow. Yeah. So now Ted Cruz is calling for his impeachment.
[00:39:07] Jamon Fries:
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
[00:39:09] Jesse Fries:
Because it is and more than likely, because there it was also, like, Lindsey Graham, Grassley, few others as well. There's a lot of people. Yeah. Yeah. And big names. And more than likely, they also had the same copy paste, do not disclose, sort of thing. So yeah. Yeah. I think if you you know, it's you could complain about Trump. Yes. I think there's valid things about how it seems he's going after political opponents, but you know something, you guys did it worse. And, at least from what I we can tell so far right now. The thing the the big difference is, though,
[00:39:47] Jamon Fries:
is that to the best of my knowledge, everything that Trump is going after them for is true. No. Completely. It's real. Yep. They actually broke these laws. They actually did these things. Yeah. This was officially When they went after when they went after Trump and and the Republicans, there was no law that they had broken that they could say you're going to go to jail for this. No. They had to really try so many different ways. Yeah. They had to I mean, they they did so many things to try to get information. Jesus Christ.
[00:40:22] Jesse Fries:
What? Hold on. What the what the hell? What? Oh, goodness. Oh, Jesus. Did you hear that or no? What now? Oh, Jesus Christ. On my side, just it was a web. It was a ad, and it came in louder than hell. Oh, my god. Yeah. It didn't make it to dear to me. I hopefully, it didn't make it into the recording. No. I don't think it did. I I it's Safari isn't linked up to that. So Okay. Okay. Yeah. That scared the crap out of me. Let me check my shorts.
[00:41:02] Jamon Fries:
Damn.
[00:41:05] Jesse Fries:
Then I'd find which tab it came from. Yeah.
[00:41:09] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. But, I mean, you know, the Democrats, they even went so far as as, taking lawyers' cell phones away from them so that they could look to see if Yeah. The if they had been talking say, if they had been saying anything to if the if Trump had said anything to an attorney.
[00:41:28] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. Which is completely illegal. Yeah. Yeah. No. There there there's so much shady ass crap going on with that. I they they tried to do everything to completely bury Trump. Like Oh, yeah. Yeah. It it it was like anything and everything just to bury him. It didn't matter. You know? It's like Yeah. I don't care if it's legal or not. Bury that fucker. You know? That's basically what they were saying. You know? And Yes. It it was completely pathetic. They should all go to jail. Yeah. You you know? It it's
[00:42:00] Jamon Fries:
yeah. I'm I'm sorry. But going even even if he would just went after them for doing that stuff to the Republican party, that is so highly unconstitutional and illegal Yep.
[00:42:13] Jesse Fries:
That they all should be sitting in jail right now. No. They should. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, hopefully, it's not too far out of the statute of limitations, but you never know with these things. Yeah. But yeah. No. It it is completely crazy. It is completely crazy. It makes no sense. And it just leads to the divide in the country. You know? Republicans see this or conservatives see this, and they go, what the hell? Or even just moderates. What the hell? Yeah. And then the Democrats are going, oh, that's nothing. Who cares?
[00:42:45] Jamon Fries:
But don't you dare go after us for shit we really did. No. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. You know? It's like
[00:42:52] Jesse Fries:
I I
[00:42:53] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. I I you go after us for something you did that we did, and you are using law fair.
[00:42:59] Jesse Fries:
No. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's like that whole, New York thing where he was found guilty. You know? But, you know, they had to Yeah. Tie something that was passed the statute of limitations onto something else. A misdemeanor on something else to make it a felony.
[00:43:14] Jamon Fries:
And and they had to change the statute of limitations on that specific time. Yes. Probably only for that instance as well. Exactly.
[00:43:22] Jesse Fries:
And you go Yeah. No. That's all bullshit. No. It is completely bullshit. Yeah. It it was what they did is completely crazy. It really is. You know? It's there's nothing else to say about that. You know? It's just completely crazy. Yeah. Let's see here. Speaking of, crazy, so, Minnesota man was arrested for threatening to kill a murder for hire thing against Pam Bondi.
[00:43:50] Jamon Fries:
Okay.
[00:43:51] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. It was a murder for hire TikTok post, apparently. So Wow. Set fifth $45,000 bounty on her head is what it said. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Dead or alive, preferably dead, it said.
[00:44:10] Jamon Fries:
Well, if it's a if it's what what else would does he want her them to kidnap her if they don't kill her? I do you know that's the thing. I mean, he's like alive on a on a on a hit order? Dead or alive? You you Alive
[00:44:26] Jesse Fries:
means she failed. You can't arrest her for anything that I need to do. You you maybe there's a crime she committed. I'm not saying that she's innocent because, well, she is in politics, you know, just like every other politician. But Yep. Yeah. Yeah. That's, Yeah. So dead or alive. Yeah. I yeah. I don't know what they were supposed to do with her. Because it's it's you do the dead or alive if you like the government, you know. We'll put him on trial or you can show him he's dead. You know, what are the other Or or you all you could also you could also do the dead or alive if you
[00:45:00] Jamon Fries:
want them brought to you, but it's okay if they're dead. No. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. No. I understand. It's either kidnapping or dead. But in this kind of situation, he has the alive why why even add the alive part? Yeah. Yeah. It makes no sense. It really doesn't. It really doesn't. Yeah. That that just shows how crazy he is.
[00:45:27] Jesse Fries:
Seriously. Right? Speaking of crazy, so there is this Lufthansa flight. It was flying from, Chicago to Germany. Right? Okay. But it had to divert to Boston because a guy stabbed two passengers with a metal fork, slapped a woman next to him. It it it was like they were just 17 years old, these other passengers. So and and, you know, this guy that did it, he was a 28 year old, Indian. So, you know, Indians are having a rough time, people. You you you guys need to They really are. Yeah. You you you need to control yourselves, control the bad seeds. You know? I I know there's a lot of good of you out there. You know?
Many of you, I would consider friends. But, you know, you need to control some of these people. You know? It's like stabbing people, turning around in the middle of a highway, killing people, you know, being high on the highway. You know, these things are not good things.
[00:46:29] Jamon Fries:
Not good things. They there was, I guess, up in Canada, there was one where this Indian guy, he had a whole bun he had set up the passenger side of a truck of his truck like a I I get according to the video, it it was set up, like, to cook. He had a Yeah. He had a burner there, and he was cooking. Oh, yeah. I've While he was driving
[00:46:57] Jesse Fries:
Yep. And I've seen TikToks of this. Yeah. Yeah. They apparently, it's very common or let me not say that because I have no clue if it's common or not. But Right. Some sometimes you see, like, two people different time. Like, husband, wife tandem. The wife cooks, on the truck as they're driving down the road as as the man drives, things like that. You know? It's like, well, that's different. You know? It it doesn't seem safe to me by any stretch of the imagination. No. No. Yeah. But, yeah, all these videos come from Asia, like, different parts of Asia. It's, yeah. So I'm sure there's some Africans doing it too because, you know, they're crazy too. So Potentially.
[00:47:39] Jamon Fries:
I I could see I could see the, Aussies with their big trains that go all the way across the country. I could see them doing something like that. I could see that. I could see that too. Yeah. It's,
[00:47:50] Jesse Fries:
I see there's not very many huge semis, trucks No. There aren't. In Africa. They're Oh, okay. I I'm not sure if they have any sleeper compartment ones. So Really? Yeah. They're all local then. Okay. Yeah. More or less. Yeah. And then you they
[00:48:07] Jamon Fries:
sleep under the truck. They they probably they probably
[00:48:10] Jesse Fries:
move a lot more by rail than than we do? Possibly. Yeah. No. Just rail? No. They're they're they're they're rail sucks, dude. Yeah. Oh, does it? Oh, yeah. Yeah.
[00:48:21] Jamon Fries:
Well, I mean, their roads aren't the greatest either, though. Well, there is some of the stories that I've heard.
[00:48:27] Jesse Fries:
No. I've been on the roads. I've been on the roads. So yeah. Yeah. Some of them are pretty crap. Some of them are pretty crap. Yeah. Imagine trying to trying to carry a load of glass on those roads. Hey. Yeah. They do it. They do it. I don't know how I know. But but they do it. They do it. Yeah. Yeah. Well, then also talk about craziness and truckers. So, apparently, there was this, truck. Where was this? It was in Mississippi, on Tuesday. A truck carrying, several monkeys. Animal testing was done on these monkeys, and it tipped over. And some of these monkeys had, like, herpes, hepatitis c, COVID, and they're they're carrying these diseases on them. You know? So and these things are rhesus monkeys, so they're about 40 pounds each. Okay. Yep.
And, yeah, as of what I know, at least one was still at large. So the movie Outbreak is about to happen. Just saying. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love those stories. They're funny. Yeah.
[00:49:43] Jamon Fries:
Absolutely.
[00:49:45] Jesse Fries:
Let's see here. Then, Israel, apparently, they so Hamas, you know, they were gonna they were gonna turn over an we're not gonna get into the whole,
[00:49:57] Jamon Fries:
back and forth fighting that that's been happening lately. Right. Yeah. No. They they were they're still in the process of returning the the cadavers.
[00:50:05] Jesse Fries:
Right. Right. Right. And what what the bodies. I I'm not gonna say cadaver for this. The bodies. Because these are people. Yep. Cadavers to me are like science experiment things. You know? It's Yeah. I guess that's great. Once you once you, give your body to science, you become a cadaver in my book. But to me, there's a distinction. You know? It's Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But anyways, so, Israel was flying a drone over Gaza. Right? And they actually saw Hamas dig a hole, put this guy's body in the hole, cover it up with dirt, dig it out of the dirt, and then say, hell, we found the body.
Oh my god. They have drone footage of this crap. It's like, oh, wow. Wow. I'm sorry, Hamas. You you you it's funny. Yeah. Sad. Yeah. Funny. Everything like that. But, Hamas, you gotta do better. You you know, just give the bodies if you have the bodies. This this shows that you know where these bodies are. Oh, yeah. It shows you do. Yeah. You probably you you probably have some coolage storage somewhere or a mass grave that they're all at, and then you just go through and pick them out. Something. I don't know what you're doing with them on us, but yeah. Yeah.
[00:51:31] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. You you need to return them as quickly as possible. Yeah. So to doing this bullshit. And why would you dig a grave of the
[00:51:39] Jesse Fries:
bury it and then unbury it all at the same time? It just just just just throw dirt on them real quick and say, oh, it came out of the ground. No. No. No. Remember what they're getting because they can't because they need help getting digging the bodies out.
[00:51:56] Jamon Fries:
They're getting a whole bunch of equipment to do stuff. Yeah.
[00:52:00] Jesse Fries:
But yeah. I swear to god. It's amateur hour. It is amateur hour. Yeah. I thought that was kinda funny. Yeah. That's hilarious. Yeah. Not not not the loss of demand and everything like that sat over Right. Yeah. Everything like that. Absolutely. Being caught. Red handed. Yeah. Yeah. Speaking kind of another funny thing, but the French first lady sure doesn't think it is. So 10 people are on trial now for harassment of the French first lady. Oh, wow. Yeah. Yeah. She, yeah. She she she says she claims that, she's had mental anguish and so on and so forth and everything like that due to all this, all these people saying that she was a man, when she was born and everything like that. Right.
And, apparently, she just couldn't get out of out of her head. And, apparently, the French system allows these people to be, sued out of existence. So or thrown into jail, actually, because this is so
[00:53:08] Jamon Fries:
I I mean, that's what happens when you don't have freedom of speech.
[00:53:12] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It it's all crazy. It is all crazy. Yeah. It's it's just be like missus Obama, please. You know, just just just know that these people are idiots. Don't listen to them. This is what you do with social media.
[00:53:27] Jamon Fries:
Yes. You know? You ignore them. You ignore them.
[00:53:31] Jesse Fries:
100% it goes away. It does. Pretty much everything goes away. Now there will always be some crank going, Oh, it's a man and everything like that, you know? Oh, yeah. You know, sometimes it's a good joke, you know, and so,
[00:53:45] Jamon Fries:
yeah. You know, like, like, and as soon as she starts ignoring it and it becomes something that Candace Owens can't make money off of anymore Right. She'll stop talking about it. Yep. Yep. Well, Candace Owens comments and you keep doing stuff and stuff like that, they're gonna keep talking about it.
[00:54:05] Jesse Fries:
Yep. No. It's kinda how it works. Kinda how it works. If you if you just leave it be, it it's like if you say something stupid, which I'm sure we have. Oh, yes. Absolutely. If you just lay low, don't comment on it or anything like that for, like, a couple weeks. Usually, it blows over. That's usually what happens. You know? If you keep it going, you know, yeah, you gotta watch out. Nope. You gotta watch out. Yeah. Here at the Mindless Meanderings, we are value for value model podcast. What this means is that you could be the producers of the show.
You can help us out in all aspects of the show, and we will actually give you producer credits if you send us some money. Any amount, actually, at this point in time. You can be a producer of the show. You can put it on your resume, your CV, whatever you wanna call it. You think the show is actually worth to you, whether it's a dollar, whether it's $2, a $100, a million dollars, you know, or, like, Elon Musk, a trillion dollars just for doing I don't know. You know? Just anything that you could help us out. Or if you have ideas for the show or anything like that, you can always help us out. You can donate, through the PayPal link on minusmeandering.com or through the podcast apps. You can just do it on the new ones, not like, Apple Podcasts or anything like that. But some of the newer podcasting two point o apps, you can do that, like PodHome and everything like that or Cast o Matic.
Please just help us out anyway, ideas and whatnot, artwork, anything you can send to us at jesse@mindlessc.com or jaymond@mindlessmeanderings.com, and we will, give you credit. And, if you have a little note, we can even read that on the air if you would like. So if you have any thoughts about how crazy and stupid we are, that'd be perfect. Or how right and awesome we are too. You know, we like both. You know? However it goes. So please help us out any which way you can.
[00:56:04] Jamon Fries:
Alright. So do do we wanna talk about the firings or about the somewhat positive stuff with business? Yeah. I I think we've got two articles that don't involve people getting fired.
[00:56:20] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. I think that's really about it. Let let's do that, and then we'll talk about the people getting fired because why not? Okay. So the first one is, in
[00:56:28] Jamon Fries:
in Iowa, Google has, there was a power plant that shut down a while back because of, forget the a Durango or something like that. That's, basically, very strong straight line winds during a storm, like seventy, eighty, 90 mile per hour type winds. Oh, okay. And it it damaged the exterior, protective quarantine zone of the nuclear power plant Mhmm. Which meant that potentially some radiation could escape. So they had to shut the plant down, and they've been looking for people to sponsor the plant now. And Google has decided that they're going to invest in it, patch it up, get it running again so that they can power another AI AI bank with it. Oh, okay. Okay.
So that's more you know, there there's a huge trend now going into the nuclear energy. Mhmm. The other one is well, you you remember Amazon's AWS shutdown? Yeah. Well, Microsoft Azure went down as well Now Ouch. Yesterday. This quote this, shutdown March, Xbox, Minecraft, and other things.
[00:57:51] Jesse Fries:
Okay. So nobody really cares. Right? Yeah.
[00:57:55] Jamon Fries:
Come on in. Okay. Right. Okay. Alright. Sounds good. Okay. I appreciate that. You too. Okay. I'm completely done with the refer now. Okay. Sounds good. Possibly Monday. Okay. Well Great. Another show day. Why are you picking show days, Jabin? Show days? Not picking him. That's when he can come out. That's when he's gonna come. And he'll either come in the over the weekend or on Monday. He said Monday at the latest. So we'll see. Okay.
[00:58:53] Jesse Fries:
Okay. So yeah. So Microsoft went down. Okay. There you go. Yeah. Yeah. It
[00:58:58] Jamon Fries:
there there was a lot of I mean, it's I don't know what's going on. This this one, it seemed to be an update that went
[00:59:07] Jesse Fries:
wrong. That's kinda what the other one was too. Yeah. That's what AWS was too. All the jokes was it was a intern doing his first code. Yep. I don't know how accurate that was. Maybe it happened. Somebody gave an intern access to production. Stupid.
[00:59:29] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. With with this Microsoft thing, Costco's, websites went down. Starbucks websites went down. Okay. Yeah.
[00:59:37] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Just normal stuff. You know? It's Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. Okay. So onto layoffs? Is that the is that the We are at the layoffs now. Okay. Let let let's, let's do Amazon last. Okay. So Okay. Paramount, Skydance, you know, they were merging. So and with every merger, people get laid off. So they're laying off a thousand employees. So it's very typical. Very, very typical of a merger. So and then more on the EV side, GM is laying off 1,700, people in Michigan and Ohio Yeah. Because of well, they're having problems selling EVs.
[01:00:23] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. And they're also, they're also furloughing, workers in their battery plants for now. Yep. Those are those are expected to probably start back up sometime mid mid twenty twenty six or so.
[01:00:40] Jesse Fries:
That's what they hope. Yeah. I want better. That's what they hope. Yeah.
[01:00:44] Jamon Fries:
But yeah. So they're they're furloughing the the battery work the battery manufacturing and they're and they're laying off the the automobile builders. Yeah. The 1,700.
[01:00:55] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. So yeah. It's a quite a thing. Yeah. But right now, in the current climate, EV, the GM is still good. Oh, yeah. We're pushing it. We're pushing it. We're still good. Still good. Let's see. I have no clue. Well, yeah. I mean,
[01:01:10] Jamon Fries:
if if China can really do the fast charging that they that I've heard that you talked about a while back, if that's true, then EV is much more reasonable. No. Completely. Completely. Yep. So until we've got that here in The US, though, EV is not gonna be
[01:01:30] Jesse Fries:
feasible for many people. I agree. I agree. Yep. I agree. I agree.
[01:01:37] Jamon Fries:
Let's see here. And then Amazon. We have three different stories on Amazon.
[01:01:41] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. They laid off 14,000 and gonna be 30,000 is what the plans are. So Yeah. Yeah. Mhmm. And, they blame AI. Yep. But then I've heard people say it's not AI people or at least not AI as you think. Right. It it's like
[01:02:01] Jamon Fries:
It's it it it from what I from from the story that I read, it's mostly the bureaucratic
[01:02:07] Jesse Fries:
part of Amazon that they're laying off. Off. Yeah. Yeah. It's a re it's just a basic regular restructuring is what it is. Yeah.
[01:02:13] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah. But yeah. It's the bureaucrats, and that stuff that's easily most of what they do is easily replaceable by just simple computer programs.
[01:02:24] Jesse Fries:
Well, right place, not even that. It's not actually replacing anybody. It's just a restructuring and more than likely they'll hire a whole bunch of these people back over time. And it's just this is what I've heard, you know, is, like, people that have that have been fired from Amazon, they go, yeah. It's not that AI is taking any jobs. It's just it it their their bottom line was hit hard. Yep. And so because of that, they were investing too much into AI, but also they could not get as many chips because they didn't have enough money to actually power AI at the demand that people wanted. And so it's kinda like this whole they want AI. And so to get AI, they need chips, but they don't have any money. So to get those chips and get money, they have to lay off 30,000 people.
[01:03:10] Jamon Fries:
Okay. That's the AI access app. Right. Yeah. The the article that I the article that I read didn't really go into that aspect. They just said that it was that they were getting that they were getting rid of some a lot of the bureaucracy within Amazon. So Yeah. The the the I I read that story and I'm like, Sounds like what Trump is wanting to do with the government. Yeah. Exactly. You know, it's what you do. It's amazing how everybody wants to get rid of the bureaucracy.
[01:03:37] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Yeah. It's like there's so many reasons behind it, but I think I don't think that AI taking the job actually is
[01:03:44] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. It at all. I don't think there's too many other I I no. I I I'm pretty sure that you're probably right. It's probably just that in order to get the money to get the chips that they need for the AI, they have to let go of some of those employees that don't really do much for them. Yeah. Yeah. Because
[01:04:04] Jesse Fries:
the demand for AI is high. Very high. Yes. Oh, very high. Yeah. So
[01:04:10] Jamon Fries:
she And if they if they don't if they don't get if they don't get into the AI hard and heavy right now, they're gonna fall so far behind everybody else. Oh, completely. Completely.
[01:04:23] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. And, let's see. With that, along let me I don't know if it actually made this list, but I also it's AI related. So it was Bill Gates. Okay. Bill Gates said that it's it's a bubble is what he said. He said AI is a bubble. He said of AI, the value is extremely high, just like creating the Internet ended up being, very valuable. But you have a frenzy. And some of these companies will be glad that they spent all this money, and some of them, they'll commit to data centers whose electricity is too expensive. And then a lot of these AI companies will just fall away.
Okay. Just like what happened during the dot com bust.
[01:05:10] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. Was was that the, no. That that wasn't that one. I'm not sure.
[01:05:17] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. I don't I don't see that one in here. Yeah. Yeah. It I I don't know why it didn't come through, but, yeah.
[01:05:23] Jamon Fries:
I may have I may have skipped over it when I was going through the email.
[01:05:27] Jesse Fries:
Maybe so. Maybe so. But yeah. It's yeah. So there's that. There's that. You know? Who Yeah. Yeah. I have another story from Bill Gates that we'll cover later. Okay. Yeah. So, yeah, just on the AI thing, more than likely, it's a bust and stock market will tank probably for a bit, and then it'll, go back up. So Okay. Yep. Yep.
[01:05:51] Jamon Fries:
Alright. So we done business then?
[01:05:54] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Looks like we're on to studies from what I can tell. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So just so you know, studies. Yeah. There was a study that showed studies are not right many of the times, most of the time. So take every study with a a grain of
[01:06:14] Jamon Fries:
salt. There we go. Absolutely. And let's see. Start with yours.
[01:06:19] Jesse Fries:
Oh, with mine. Okay. So there are they say that there are seven or, there are some creative skills that can keep your brain younger. And, basically, they they've said this sort of thing a lot. It's basically keep your brain active. Right. And you can actually have a younger brain. It is what they say. So, basically, what this is is, they say where is that? Let me find. So people skills in creative pursuits like tango, music, visual arts, or, like, strategy gaming. Yeah. They can show brain patterns that look about four to seven years younger, than their cohorts.
Okay. So, yeah, just, keep active. Be creative. Use strategy, you know, chess, Stratego, whatever. Remember that game? Stratego? Oh, yeah. I love that game. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Johnny pulled it out one time when we were there. Yeah. Yeah. He was trying to teach Zoe and everything how to play, Stratego. Yep. Yep. But yeah. So there's that, and you can have younger brains. Just keep active. Learn a new language. I've also heard that helps. So just dance routines and everything like that. Learn how to Yeah. Do things like that. So yeah. Yeah. You keep using your brain, and it's not gonna age on you as quickly. It's kinda crazy. Usually crazy. Yeah. Yeah. We need to kind of speed this up a bit. We're getting a bit late because of the Yeah.
[01:07:51] Jamon Fries:
Well, the next one is just kind of my my two studies where I I think someone in the background is trying to convince people that the COVID shots are actually not the COVID vaccine is actually not bad for you. Uh-huh. So the first study says that the m r mRNA vaccine, COVID vaccine, may make cancer treatments more effective.
[01:08:19] Jesse Fries:
Okay. I'm gonna have to read this paper because I it sounds a bunch of bullshit.
[01:08:24] Jamon Fries:
Essentially, what they're saying is that it it it changes in some in some cancers, they can take the the cells that are immune to to being to the, drugs Uh-huh. And it can make them receptive to the drugs.
[01:08:39] Jesse Fries:
So what it is saying is that the mRNA changed the DNA of things in your body. Yes.
[01:08:49] Jamon Fries:
And that it's a good thing because it'll it'll help it. It'll help cure any cancer.
[01:08:55] Jesse Fries:
Wow. Wow. That is yeah. So what are the negative repercussions? So okay. You have you found one good thing about it. Well, how about the negative things? How does it cause more cancer? You know? That's the thing is that, first, you have to survive everything bad that happens because of the vaccine.
[01:09:13] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. Then And, you know, you might get the benefits of the vaccine. Yeah. And, going going by going with that, there was another report that came out talking about cardiovascular disease and COVID and Uh-huh. How how a lot of the how the the cardiovascular stuff, the reason that the numbers were up ticked was because it wasn't that the vaccine was affecting people. It was because, well, during COVID, people weren't going to the doctors, so they weren't getting diagnosed with these problems.
[01:09:53] Jesse Fries:
So this is why young men were keeling over while they're playing sports? Yeah. Because they didn't go to a doctor?
[01:10:00] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. Because they kept them from going to the doctor.
[01:10:05] Jesse Fries:
Wow. They just really cannot handle that. They messed up. They they are trying to save their ass like nobody's business. You know? I so so okay. We got one study, my first one, that I I I would agree with. And then Oh, yeah. So so so two thirds are crap. Look at that. Yeah. That sounds about right. Because disproves it. Yeah. Because I I don't what
[01:10:30] Jamon Fries:
whoever Well, it seems I can't To me, the second the second one could be accurate in that maybe if if the if the scare was so bad and this was done in you this study was done in UK. So Right. Right. I I think their their shutdowns were a lot more stringent than ours were. But, there were also hospitals that wouldn't let people in unless it was an extreme life threatening emergency. No. Exactly. Yes. So I mean, there is a semblance to the truth that some people didn't go in to get
[01:11:05] Jesse Fries:
to see the doctors with their heart issues. No. No. It it it did happen. And and that that's for, like, generally older people, you know, and maybe one or two younger people. Yes. But when athletes are keeling over and they are normally healthy, you
[01:11:19] Jamon Fries:
you you you know, it is You can't use that as just coming out and saying that, you know, that this means that the vaccine really wasn't that bad. Yeah. No. Now the article the article didn't say that literally. Uh-huh. But I could kind of read it between the lines. They're trying to save their ass. Yeah. It the these the both these studies were on the same website, and it was it's a left wing left leaning medical journal. Right. Right. They always they always go with the left on everything. So, I mean, I I think somebody's somebody in the drug companies is just trying to get everybody to
[01:12:04] Jesse Fries:
forget about how bad the vaccines actually work. No. Or still are. Yeah. Or still are. Yeah. They're still trying to push that crap. I it would just just makes no sense. Okay. I can't even Okay. Let's see here. I'll skip that first one. Oh, so now they say you need over 10,000 steps. Okay. Yeah. It's it's, it's, like, is it more? Is it less? It's it's, like, I I be active, people. It it helps the heart. Yeah. You know? It it it it does. You know? So be active. Your body is designed to be active. So but saying a specific number, I'm I'm kinda tired of that. You know? It's a Oh, yeah. Ten ten thousand, 8,000. It's like Well, I And they go You know, the only it only helps if you if you only do less than 5,000. Then once you start doing, like, 10,000, then you're it really helps you out. Your chances get better. But Yeah. Okay. So it sounds like between 5,010, it doesn't matter.
[01:13:17] Jamon Fries:
Right. So less than 5,000 should be okay too.
[01:13:20] Jesse Fries:
No. 5,000 if you do 5,000 or less, just do it walk it a little bit more really helps the heart. Okay. But from 5,000 on According to the study somewhere. Yeah. According to the study. But from 5,000 up oh, this should have been in the studies. But but yeah. So from 5,000 on up, they they they say in the in the it's it's it's not as helpful to do more. Okay. So Yeah. Yes. So it sounds to me that it's, like, 5,000, but they say 10,000. So I I you you yeah. Yeah. Things get crazy. Things get crazy. It does. Yes. Let's see.
Had a in the science, looks like there's some evidence that dinosaurs were thriving until the asteroid hit. Apparently, there's some scientists that said they were they were on the decline. Okay. But now some scientists say there's a site in New Mexico that proves that they were thriving.
[01:14:23] Jamon Fries:
So one site, you know, that that's enough too. Yeah. Yeah. Which means that in one specific location on the world, they were thriving. But everywhere else, they were in decline.
[01:14:35] Jesse Fries:
Exactly. Exactly.
[01:14:37] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. Talking about dinosaurs and comets
[01:14:44] Jesse Fries:
Uh-huh.
[01:14:45] Jamon Fries:
Have you heard about the three I ATLAS comet?
[01:14:51] Jesse Fries:
Is this one of the asteroid? Is this the second one that's coming, like, from the top of instead of from the side or something like that? No. No. No. This one is
[01:15:02] Jamon Fries:
this one is on our is on the plan the planet's plane.
[01:15:06] Jesse Fries:
Okay.
[01:15:08] Jamon Fries:
And it's one of three that we've ever known of that came from outside of our solar system.
[01:15:16] Jesse Fries:
Okay.
[01:15:20] Jamon Fries:
But it's made of nickel, which is not a natural element. It's according to many people. It cannot be found anywhere naturally. It has to be made. It's like a combination of metals. Okay. And they say it's not behaving the way they would expect it to. Uh-huh. Because it's not reacting to gravity in the same way as everything else as they as their models show it should, which has led a Harvard professor to say that it's a spaceship. Uh-huh.
[01:16:02] Jesse Fries:
Yeah. Nickel is on the I know. It's on the Yeah. You don't have to do anything. It's there's nickel.
[01:16:15] Jamon Fries:
That's what I was pretty sure of too, but there was a periodic table. There there was a guy on, on Fox News that said that that it's the same that this nickel has the same amount of different metals in it as we have here on Earth, which proves that it was man made or something according to to some people. He wasn't saying it was man made. He he firmly believes that it's just an asteroid, but there's other people that are using that and its reaction to gravity as proof that it's alien life, that it's a spaceship. Well, these people have to believe anything. They have to keep trying to come up with proof why they're not crazy. So And it's a Harvard professor that's that's the head of it. That doesn't mean anything. Absolutely. Well, no. And to me, I mean, that's a pretty damn good reason not to go to Harvard.
[01:17:10] Jesse Fries:
Let's see here. So Bill Gates, he has, he's kinda changed his mind on climate change. He still says it's very important and everything like that. Uh-huh. But, he says that we need to focus more on people, and that things are actually getting better anyways. We've actually done a lot towards reducing c o two anyways, and Uh-huh. They'll just continue to get better anyways. And so we really don't need to like just with regular innovation and everything like that, we'll get cleaner and cleaner and cleaner and cleaner. Yep. So and then he also said, you don't know matter what, whether the it goes up to three degrees or whatever, civilization will still thrive in a warmer world. So we could he he he wants to focus on people. He wants to that's what he's that's he he wrote this whole huge article on his website.
He go it's it's all, like, help the poor. Just help the poor have better lives, you know, is basically what he's trying to do. And Yeah. Things are good. So and they're getting better. So how about we stop the climate? The world is the sky is falling sort of crap. So Mhmm. Yep. Yep. So he's actually kinda come around to what most people think. So or what? Yeah. I wonder where his sanity came from. Probably money somewhere. Just, you know? Yep. Yep.
[01:18:46] Jamon Fries:
Or he had a falling out with the pea with the friends that he had that were convincing him to talk about the climate.
[01:18:53] Jesse Fries:
Right. Right. Right. Let's see here. Are any of these things you have super important? Or
[01:19:01] Jamon Fries:
Not really. Just, there's a company that's using AI and gene therapy that thinks that they'll be able to reverse kidney disease. Is That's cool. Some of them. They're gonna begin, human trials potentially in 2027, I think. Okay. So That is cool. Kinda cool. For technology, the only other story that I have that's where the only well, my last story is, going into the energy creation. A comp a company has dug really deep into the earth Mhmm. To the point of where it the surroundings are about 450 degrees Celsius, if I remember correctly.
Okay. The average geothermal is done at about 200 degrees because they only target, like, the hot springs where it's close to where it's close to the crust. Right. These guys are digging down deep, and they expect it to be able to generate about 10 megawatts of energy versus the standard about 10,000 watts of energy. Yeah. No. Geothermal. It's, it's a good technology. It really is. And it runs twenty four seven. You never have to worry about it. Exactly. It's like it's like hydro, you know. Yeah. So it's a consistent thing. You know? Well, it's even more consistent than hydro because hydro No. It is. So those routes that No. Yeah. Dry up the water. So No. Completely. Completely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. It's,
[01:20:32] Jesse Fries:
makes sense. It really does. You know? That's what Iceland runs on. So Yep. With the have to dig very deep for it. But Right. Yeah. No. Makes sense. Cool. Cool. Yeah. Okay. So have a little, fun story here. So, so, you know, Ma'am Dani and everything like that, you know, he's running for New York mayor and everything like that. And so a British newspaper, they wanted to know, what, Bill, de Blasio thought about this Ma'am Dani. Right? Because Right. Bill de Blasio was, mayor, right, of Yeah. New York. And so they he he emails Bill de Blasio.
And Bill de Blasio, it just he he did email Bill de Blasio, but it was a completely different Bill de Blasio. Oh, god. Both of them, apparently, are Mets fans. Right? And and this guy gets an email from this reporter. Good. So what do you think about Mbem Dany? Because and this guy, he he he constantly gets emails and whatnot from people Yeah. Trying to contact with the mayor and everything. I I called the mayor. Yep. Right. Right. So he he just kinda got sick of it. So he decided to have some fun with this reporter. So he asked Chet g p t to write up reasons why Ma'am Dani's plan is full of shit. Right?
And and and he just sent that off to the reporter. The reporter used it. Oh my god. And nobody fact checked
[01:22:14] Jamon Fries:
it. Nobody contacted real de Blasio to find out if that's what he really said or not. Yes. Nobody. Oh god.
[01:22:21] Jesse Fries:
So it ran. Yeah. And and then you have, and then once it was found out that it wasn't the mayor and everything like that, people started attacking this Bill de Blasio going, oh, he's he he he's a he he's just an impersonator, or he he's just faking it and everything like that. It's like, no. This guy is actually Bill de Blasio. You know. It's Yeah. And, apparently, when, the reporter contacted this Bill de Blasio, he didn't call him mayor or anything like that, you know. So he was just he goes, well, okay. And he was kinda sick of this anyways.
[01:22:55] Jamon Fries:
Yeah. I mean, the guy was the guy is asking for my opinion. He didn't specify didn't specify whose opinion he wanted. Why shouldn't I answer him? Exactly.
[01:23:06] Jesse Fries:
And this Bill de Blasio actually has a picture of himself with Bill de Blasio. They met Nice. They met at a Mets game. And and and That's hilarious. And the mayor goes, how bad is it having the same last name as me? And the other Bill de Blasio goes, dude, you're killing me. Oh, hell. You gotta love those stories.
[01:23:36] Jamon Fries:
Absolutely. Yes.
[01:23:37] Jesse Fries:
And with that, we'd like to thank you for joining us for episode 75 of the mindless meandering podcast. I'm Jesse Fries. And I'm Jamin Fries. And we will see you on Monday.
Intro
White House ballroom and partisan grandstanding
Federal shutdown fallout: flights, and SNAP
Courts, judges, and weaponization of the legal system
Sen. Kennedy vs. Spotted owls
Counterintelligence shake-up proposal
Rates, inflation, and Asia trade spree: chips, soybeans, and tariffs
Roofer interlude, tech hiccups, and resuming trade talk
National politics roundup: subpoenas, gag orders, and backlash
Threats, unruly flights, and loose lab monkeys
Hamas' botched body-return ruse
French first lady harassment cases
Value-for-value note to listeners (producer credits and feedback)
Business beat: data centers, outages, and big tech downtime
Layoffs and EV realities: Paramount–Skydance, GM, and Amazon restructuring
Is AI a bubble? Gates’ caution and chip constraints
Studies corner: creativity, mRNA claims, and cardiovascular spin
Health tips in flux: step counts and what activity really helps
Science grab bag: thriving dinosaurs and interstellar objects
Bill Gates on climate: focus on people over doomsday
Tech & energy: reversing kidney disease, deep geothermal potential
Will the Real de Blasio Please Stand Up
Wrap-up and sign-off