
About this episode
Hour 2 of A&G features...
- Iran war & the death of Chuck Norris
- Diary on the Iran War
- The Bachelorette cancelled & worldwide happiness report
- Hochul begging for money
Stupid Should Hurt: https://www.armstrongandgetty.com/
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Armstrong & Getty On Demand — Worn Down To A Nub By Life. Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
0:00This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the app store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Type any prompt and put the AI to work.
1:00It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the S&P 500. Then, you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com slash podcast. Paid for by public investing, brokerage services by open to the public investing ink, member FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services by public advisors LLC, SEC registered advisor. Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures. Imagine if your Wi-Fi was a lot smarter and way more reliable. Picture it. Your TV, phone, laptop, even your fancy fridge working together to make life easier. Well, Exfinity makes that dream a reality. Devices so insane you'd think they're telepathic. Wi-Fi that knows when your device needs a boost. The best equipment to stream or games at once with multi-view or stream your favorite podcast on iHeartRadio. That's the magic of Exfinity.
2:01It's seamlessly in tune with you. Exfinity. Imagine that. Restrictions apply. Do you want to find a stress-free way to buy your next car? Start at CarMax and shop your way. And if you want to browse with confidence, get pre-qualified online but no impact on your credit score and shop cars within your budget. From luxury cars to family rides. CarMax has options for almost every price range, including more than 25,000 cars priced under $25,000. So hey, want to get started? Just head to CarMax.com for details and get pre-qualified today. Want to drive? CarMax. Listen, we've seen what's out there for patio furniture and what you've been paying is outrageous. But that was last season you before you ditched the specialty stores and started saving more at home-sense. Now you're listening to this while under a designer umbrella on a luxurious teak lounge chair because it's easy to relax when you refuse to settle on style, on price, on outdoor pieces that will actually outlast the season, home-sense, the home of no compromise, part
3:06of the home goods family. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radial Studio, the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. I'm Strong and Getty. And now he is Armstrong and Getty. We're also still dealing with the environment that Joe Biden created. Which was depleting those stock holes and not sending them to our own military, but to Ukraine. Which is, every time we reach back and look at any sort of a challenge we have, it goes back to, well, send it to Ukraine. Ultimately, we think this should be these munitions are better spent in our own interests at this point. And this kind of funding bill is going to ensure that we're properly funded going for it. Okay, that's kind of interesting, that's suggesting the Secretary of War that money and
4:09armaments given to Ukraine were not in our own interests, whereas this is, I would disagree with that. I think it is in our interest to not let Russia take over a country for all kinds of reasons we've talked about before. But the main thing I want to talk about is that $200 billion asked that Pete Hegseth throughout yesterday, according to all reporting, there's no way that's going to happen. You can't get a majority of the Republicans on board, let alone the Democrats voting for it. So it's just not on the table. So where does that leave the war? That's the way war sometimes ends is you can't get them funded. Once again, quite possibly being a point of Trump should have gone to Congress or made the case stronger to try to get more people on board before this came up, see how more buy in, whether from European countries or for more voters or from more people in Congress for more money or whatever.
5:10It's difficult to predict how that's going to play out. It might just be a lesser sum that they get, but it is the checks and balances of our system working. I hope it comes out in a way that we can finish the job in Iran, whatever that might be. Again, there are different goals that may or may not be achievable, but the one thing we don't want to do is pull out prematurely and leave the regime like intact with the power to project force. Well, I assume they're never going to bring this up to a vote if it's clear that there's not a chance it would pass because that would be a bad look. Right. Right. Oh. More concrete news. US warplanes and helicopters kick off the battle to reopen Hormuz, the US and its allies have intensified the battle to reopen the strait sending low flying attack jets over the sea lanes to blast Iranian naval vessels and Apache helicopters to shoot down Iran's deadly drones, running dead military officials, step up operation, part of a multi-stage
6:13Pentagon plan to reduce the danger from armed boats, mines and cruise missiles, which are more or less halted ship traffic through the waterway since early this month. If the danger can be reduced, the US could send warships through the strait and eventually escort vessels in and out of the Persian Gulf. It's going to take a while. Okay. So we're in an uncomfortable position. We have breaking news, but it's celebrity related. Do we interrupt our Iran conversation? Katie's nodding her head. Yes. Yes. So this is big celebrity breaking. This is on you, Katie Green. You and the donkey are going to be shown out post-haste if this is inappropriate. Well, Chuck Norris has died at the age of 86. Oh, the great Chuck Norris. Yeah. The family says it is with heavy hearts. Our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning. They're going to keep the circumstances private. He had been hospitalized recently and they are truly grateful for all of the prayers that they sent his way.
7:14The Grim Reaper doesn't come for Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris comes for the Grim Reaper, but not this time. Yeah. The great irony of his tough guy image, which he embraced and laughed at, is he was said to be a very gentle and loving man and family figure in the rest of it and a hell of a patriot too. And beard before beard was cool. Mm. Tony stuck with it. Yep. Yep. Plus he doesn't listen to Armstrong. Yeah, we know. Armstrong and Gettie listened to Chuck Norris. We certainly did when we interviewed. I believe he was a great innovator in mixing spandex into jeans too, because he did things in jeans. You can't do in jeans unless they're stretching way yearly. Right. Right. And I think we all thank Mr. Norris and others, some of his corporate partners for that innovation. So what is his project was he, he like a martial arts expert that somehow could act a little and got a TV show. Is that what happened? I think that was it. Yeah.
8:15Yeah. He was like a martial arts champion. Yeah. He was a legit champ. And how did he end up being Walker Texas Ranger? Well, he's a handsome devil and connect a little bit. Okay. Kick his leg way up high in the air. Is some TV exec or some writer thought, hey, what if we have like a white guy who's super good at karate and we'll put him in a lawn man drum on the TV back when everybody watched, you know, that were TV. And it was a reasonably big hit. Of course, the problem is that the number of prominent conservative TV or movie stars has gone from like five to four with his death, yes, at least a 20% drop. The interesting part about his trajectory, kind of like Bill Shatner as he became a meme, but an affectionate meme. Yeah. You're right. Very similar that people just have kind of a warm feeling toward him for no particular reason. And he and he and Shatner both embraced it and chuckled along with it. Why did nobody do it like a buddy cop movie with elderly Chuck Norris and William Shatner?
9:17I'd have been a watch too late now. So you're right, Joe. It is too late now. God rest is on March 10th. It was his 86th birthday and he posted a video that says, I don't age. I level up and he was doing martial arts in the video. Oh, man. Yeah. He wasn't so rich, Chuck Norris. Wasn't some hipster trendy beard. He was a beard when it wasn't popular to have a beard. Nice to trend too. He cared enough to look sharp exactly now back to the probable trigger of World War 3 situation in the Persian hell, which we could have used a man like Chuck Norris in these times. Oh boy, he's not going to stop. Oh, golly. Oh, maybe we should just take a break. Probably should take a break and reset. Probably. I tell you what's interesting, this diary, the online diary of the son of the president of Iran is disclosed a lot of interesting things about the thinking behind the scenes during these chaotic times in Tehran.
10:19I want to hear that. We had in our one, there is a flying venomous spider that's making its way across the country. It was said to be the size of your hand. It's not quite the size of your hand, but it is quite big. And then grow that large. Oh, I can, okay. Well, that's a thing, big spider, so we need to talk more about that because the idea of flying spiders that are venomous is, well, that'll keep you awake tonight. Among other things, so stay right here. Armstrong and Getty No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips, get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the app store today and start getting accurate
11:20weather forecasts 24-7. Looking for something different that's flexible, fulfilling and pay as well? How do you like to get paid to work out? Now you can, with ISSA, the global leader in personal fitness certification. There's a huge demand for certified personal trainers right now. And once you get ISSA certified, they guarantee you'll get a job. Trainers can make as much as $100 an hour. Yes, I said $100 an hour. And with ISSA, you can be certified in as little as six weeks. You do everything at your own pace and 100% online. Pursue your passion in specializations like yoga, nutrition or strength training. Get certified and live your life on your terms. Work at a gym, start your own business or a side hustle, whatever works for you. Just don't wait. Get your free personal training evaluation kit today. Get certified in as little as six weeks. And ISSA guarantees you'll get a job. Text Lift to 323232. Text Lift to 323232.
12:22Lift to 323232. Support for the show comes from public. The investing platform for those who take it seriously. In public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto. And now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers, growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the S&P 500. Then, you can invest in a few clicks. Data assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable, and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com slash podcast, and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com slash podcast, paid for by public investing, brokerage services by open to the public investing ink, member FINRA and SIPC, advisory services by public advisers LLC, SEC registered advisor. Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only, and is not an investment recommendation or advice.
13:22Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures. Imagine if your Wi-Fi was a lot smarter and way more reliable. Picture it. Your TV, phone, laptop, even your fancy fridge working together to make life easier. Well, Exfinity makes that dream a reality. Devices so in sync you'd think they're telepathic. Wi-Fi that knows when your device needs a boost, the best equipment to stream, or games at once with multi-view, or stream your favorite podcast on iHeartRadio. That's the magic of Exfinity. It's seamlessly in tune with you. Exfinity. And that. Restrictions apply. Listen, we've seen what's out there for patio furniture, and what you've been paying is outrageous. But that was last season you, before you ditch the specialty stores and started saving more at home sense. Now, you're listening to this while under a designer umbrella on a luxurious teak lounge chair, because it's easy to relax when you refuse to settle, on style, on price, on outdoor pieces that will actually outlast the season. Home sense, the home of no compromise, part of the home goods family.
14:25The President of the United States, he's in touch with his buddy Putin, he's got to say to him, we consider this an act of war against our troops that you are providing intelligence. An act of war. Yeah. That Russia is an act of war against the United States. That's right. Yeah, because they are providing intelligence to endanger our troops. So back off. So that's interesting. And it's Nancy Pelosi. I don't quite get this part of it. Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to help hit our guys. And I don't know what we're doing back channel, but we haven't said anything out loud about it. That's Nancy Pelosi suggesting we go to war with Russia. I guess I don't know. But I've heard the President said the President needs to tell him back off. Cut it out. I agree with her. I think she's right for one time in my life. Maybe we are behind the scenes, but yeah, I don't get why that's not an act of war. How is that not an act of war? It's pretty war like. Yeah.
15:26At his buddy Putin thing was probably unnecessary. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Here's a fascinating fun fact for you. One of the reasons that this is going to take it longer than it might have a while back is in 1988, the United States Navy had 214 surface ships, 214, we're down to 81. Oh my God. The year 2026. The peace dividend. Right. Because the Cold War ended and we don't need the ships and we'll never have a need for a powerful military again, said our brilliant leaderships particularly on leaders, particularly on the left. Yeah. Anyway, more on that another time, one to get a couple of other interesting developments and fun facts on good peace, good analysis. I came across about Israel and the US's different goals, which is absolutely appropriate, given the fact that Israel is a regional power with some fairly specific needs and the United
16:27States is a global superpower that also is more or less in charge of global energy supplies and global commerce working on Earth. And so yeah, our interests and theirs and some tactics are going to diverge, but that's perfectly natural. It's not a disagreement per se, it's just different goals. I mean, for instance, you know, we could get into the specifics, but like Washington is much more focused on the straight of Hormuz for obvious reasons, whereas Israel doesn't care as much. They don't really get anything through the straight of Hormuz. They're pretty, pretty energy independent, that sort of thing. So again, friends, but not in lockstep. And this was super interesting. The New York Times with a big feature about this son of the president of Iran, which as we've learned through the years is not a super powerful figure, not like ours. He's part of the leadership team, but in the serious world of Iran's leadership, nobody's really sure who has what power also allows them to have elections and pretend that they
17:30do that sort of thing. Right. Right. So this guy is very handsome. It reminds me of a couple of times, whether it's Luigi Mangioni or there's some felon in central California that had been handsome, loads some individual, but the stupid females of the world all, you know, got all hot felon, that would have been, what's that? Hot felon. Right. Hot, the whole hot felon thing, it's just so stupid. I mean, stupid as dudes are ladies, come on, at least some of you are pretty weak in the head. Anyway. Very, very handsome. Very handsome. And he's got this online diary. He's been publishing since the war began. He's 44 years old. He's got a degree in physics as a college professor. And the diary offers a rare glimpse in how Iran's political figures are fairing as the war rages and closes in on them. And perhaps inadvertently, Mr. Pasekian at times takes his readers into the arguments and inner deliberations of Iran's top leadership, which is really interesting.
18:34Here's one thing he wrote. I think some political figures are panicking. He wrote on the sixth day of the war, which is so a while ago, that people are stronger and more resilient than our pundits and political leaders. We have to keep reminding ourselves that defeat will only come when we feel defeated. Now you may think, oh, he's standing up for the people. He's a man of the people. Yeah. A stay tuned. Interestingly, he wrote of his father that he is, his two siblings could not wait for the two remaining years of the presidency and so we can all get back to our normal lives. So, you know, he has that in common with the families of American politicians to a large extent. But this guy is a hardcore loyalist. He wrote in his diary that protecting the lives of officials had become the number one priority for the country, stopping the targeted killings. He says is now a matter of honor. Let's see. He writes about attending him. Who's left to care about that?
19:34Have we taken out the head of everything? Well, those left. I don't know. This guy knows them. So, he recounted attending a meeting with government officials in the first week of the war, which disagreements about strategy surfaced. Quote, the biggest serious disagreement we have is how long are we supposed to fight forever until Israel is destroyed in America retreats, until Iran is in complete ruins and we surrender, we have to study the different scenarios. Then here's one of my favorite quotes, quote, unquote, favorite. In his diary, he says he keeps receiving messages about the war from friends, acquaintances, and also from strangers. Occasionally, he said, quote, the messages call for us to surrender and return the power to the people, a notion that he dismissed his quote, ignorant and delusional. He did say that he worried about that Iran's attacks on Arab countries could backfire. It's so sad that to defend ourselves, we have to attack American bases in friendly countries.
20:36I don't know if they will understand our situation or not. They don't son. They also hate you. Secretly. But they hate you. They want you to go away. Yeah. He fiercely defended his father for apologizing to the Arab neighbors on March 7th and saying they should stop. He was quickly dragged to the inner halls of the command and told he's going to shut up right now and apologize for apologizing and he retracted all of that. But he was in favor of that for his papa to do. Interesting. It's funny. He's really hardcore on this. We should not have allowed the enemy to have another successful assassination. Our honor is at stake. We've got to protect our official. I don't know how, dude. How? That ship has sailed. Yeah. No kidding. Unless you got a Harry Potter invisibility cloak or something that's, you know, it's just a question of time till your old man gets separated from his body. His head gets separated from his body.
21:37And his diary says unless Ron can stop the targeted killings, we will lose the war. Correct. Yeah. Well, you're going to lose the war. I think one way or the other. So what day was it? Wednesday when the oil field, the gas field got attacked on both sides of the border there. That was the, you know, a turning point according to Wall Street Journal. That was the drastic change in the war, all that sort of stuff. Stuff settled down quite a bit in the last 24 hours, though. So I don't know if we did get to Israel and get them to believe that we, that you can't be attacked in those oil fields anymore, that sort of thing. Right. Right. All right. That's enough of that. Something different on the way, including our apology for bad mouthing land. What? It was an animal bridges. Whatever. Life bridges. Whatever. Why can't you enjoy the humble pie you deserve on a topic that I don't care about? I don't just, just get back. You gave the very idea of the rough side of your tongue. They're shocking. I was horrified at the time.
22:38She just ranks below Chuck Norris in terms of important news of the day. Oh, how about what's happening in Cuba and likely to happen? We can get to that in a little bit. Oh, and why Republican Senator Ron Johnson thinks we do need to end the film. What's that? We do need to end the filibuster. Okay. Yeah. I'm really into that topic. So, I think that will blow up our country. I think that will be a disaster to end the filibuster. But I want to hear that argument. The part of the argument is that the Democrats are going to do it as soon as they take charge so why don't we do it first? Man, I mean, that is classic race to the bottom right there. Right. That everything's headed in a negative direction. So we should do the negative thing first. Man, it's hard to get out of that spiral. That is more or less his argument. And it's at least slightly persuasive. Well, and we'll get into the full extent of his arguments in a couple of minutes.
23:38I don't know how many people are into that story or paying attention to it at all, but that's a big one. Wow. Okay. Look forward to that. 415-295-KFTC-415-295-KFTC. More on the way if you miss a segment of the podcast, Armstrong and Getty on demand. Armstrong and Getty. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Tired of the 9-5 grind, looking for something different that's flexible, fulfilling, and pays
24:41well? How do you like to get paid to work out? Now you can, with ISSA, the global leader in personal fitness certification. There's a huge demand for certified personal trainers right now. And once you get ISSA certified, they guarantee you'll get a job. Trainers can make as much as $100 an hour. Yes, I said $100 an hour. And with ISSA, you can be certified in as little as six weeks. You do everything at your own pace and 100% online. Pursue your passion in specializations like yoga, nutrition, or strength training. Get certified and live your life on your terms. Work at a gym. Start your own business or a side hustle. Whatever works for you. Just don't wait. Get your free personal training evaluation kit today. Get certified in as little as six weeks and ISSA guarantees you'll get a job. Support for the show comes from public. The investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stock, bonds, options, crypto, and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI.
25:44It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the S&P 500. Then, you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com slash podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com slash podcast. Paid for by public investing. Corporate services by open to the public investing ink, member Finra and SIPC. Advisory services by public advisors LLC, SEC registered advisor. Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures. Imagine if your Wi-Fi was a lot smarter and way more reliable. Picture it. Your TV, phone, laptop, even your fancy fridge working together to make life easier. Well, Exfinity makes that dream a reality. This is so in sync you'd think they're telepathic.
26:46Wi-Fi that knows when your device needs a boost. The best equipment to stream or games at once with multi-view or stream your favorite podcast on iHeartRadio. That's the magic of Exfinity. It's seamlessly in tune with you. Exfinity. Imagine that. Restrictions apply. Listen, we've seen what's out there for patio furniture and what you've been paying is outrageous. But that was last season you before you ditch the specialty stores and started saving more at home sense. Now you're listening to this while under a designer umbrella on a luxurious teak lounge chair because it's easy to relax when you refuse to settle on style, on price, on outdoor pieces that will actually outlast the season. Home sense, the home of no compromise, part of the home goods family. ABC pulling its upcoming highly promoted season of the Bachelorette after this new video emerged obtained by TMZ showing the show star Taylor Frankie Paul in a domestic violence dispute with her former partner. Your daughter is right here. In the video from 2023, you can see the secret lives of Mormon-wives star throwing bar
27:50stools at her then-boy friend Dakota Mortensen all in front of her five-year-old daughter her crying. ABC and Hulu's parent company Disney says we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of the Bachelorette at this time. So they had to pull the Bachelorette because a video came out that this super hot chick was crazy. It's shocking, I think, to many of us that a super hot chick who is about to be on her third different nationally televised reality show turns out to be a nut job. That is shocking stuff. Trying to decide if it's beneath contempt. No, I still have a little contempt for it, but it's just about beneath contempt. She had been on some sort of thing that I'd never heard of, then she was on secret lives of Mormon-wives or something and then. She's going to be the Bachelorette and the video comes out of her attacking her boyfriend with a chair in front of her little kid. Turns out she's a nut. I'll be damned. Seriously, anybody who watches those shows, if they write a letter explaining that they
28:55enjoy them ironically and to make fun of the people, you will be allowed to vote. But if this is actually important to you how those shows come out, you will be denied the vote. So, the happiness, the worldwide happiness report came out yesterday. It comes out every year. Finland's always on top. We always mock the criteria. We're not going to have the same conversation we have every other year about this because this is slightly different. There seems to be a big, really big drop among young people specifically in countries where social media has caught hold over the years. Now, I think I, I don't know what you all think when you think social media. I think I need to change my mind. I always thought when you're talking about social media, you mean stuff like Facebook, not that young people are on Facebook, but any platform where you're like comparing yourselves and interacting and all that sort of stuff. I wasn't thinking of just scrolling YouTube and scrolling Instagram or just scrolling Snapchat.
29:57And apparently that's what people mean when they're talking about social media. I don't know why we call that social media, but I guess we call that social media. So I've been, I've not understood this conversation the whole time, apparently, because I didn't know scrolling YouTube videos was being on social media. Right. I understand the distinction you're making. I think that the kids are doing all of the above, but yeah, a huge part of it's just watching video after video after video. Yeah. Okay. So if that's what we mean by social media, then yeah, now I understand it more than I did before. But I guess so. Well, and I know Instagram is huge too, especially among young women. Right. But just the scrolling and it doesn't have to be the posting it, getting into conversations, comparing yourself to other, it just scrolling it all day long makes you depressed and miserable apparently. So that's interesting and not surprising to me at all, but yeah, I think although you threw in comparing yourself and I think in Katie, feel free because you're closer to this world than I am, I just happened to come across a feature about Bachelorette outings
31:00and how everybody posts their spectacular, amazing, expensive, glamorous, Bachelorette thing on the gram or whatever and women look at that and feel like they really need to live up to that or they're not happy enough about being a bride or their friend being a bride and so it is rampant comparison stuff. Yeah. That has a lot to do with like a weak mentality though as well. I mean, I know a couple of people on there who if you looked at their Instagram profiles, you would think they are rich and happy and I know for a fact that they are neither. So I mean, it's just people that fall for that though, I think I'm barely on any of that stuff. I mean, I've barely looked at it in my life and maybe I've made up this connection in my head because I want to be true, but it sure looks to me like the more pictures you have of you and your wife or husband walking on a beach as the sunset, the more likely it is your divorce already then then the reverse. It just seems to me looking at those that I've seen a lot of those, but you've got the fantastic
32:05you hired a photographer to take pictures of you all and coordinated outfits walking on the beach and now you're divorced then some family style then yeah, then people who aren't on it. Not, you know, it's not universal of course, but certainly not there's no more than a 50% chance that you'll be on the evening news. One of you having murdered the other, you know, within, you know, six months. I just think it takes a certain kind of person though to see those posts and have it really affect them. Oh, well, an adolescent, yeah, yeah, but I mean, there are women my age that watch these TV shows that you were just talking about that, you know, the rich and famous life and glamour and all that and it's just, I think it's a certain person. Well, if you're older, maybe you're already so, you know, worn down to a nub by life that you were too cynical to fall for that stuff in the first place when it all arrived in the world. You know, the social media stuff that at least I described I don't think one must be nubby.
33:11I just could be skeptical for a stank well, worn down to a nub by life. So when social media first hit, I was already somewhat skeptical of your, your perfect pictures and all that sort of stuff. But if you're young and you're new to it, you don't know any better. And heavy social media use appears to be contributing to the drop in well being among young people in English speaking countries and Western Europe, especially among, hmm, which genders at affecting the most girls, of course. According to the 2026 edition of the World Happiness Report, which came out yesterday, Oxford puts it together along with Gallup and a bunch of other think tank people and we talk about it every single year. And again, Finland's always at the top. Good for you, Finland. The picture, however, shows that the younger crowd seems to be really affected by hours, long hours of scrolling through what they're calling social media and that's a contributing factor to the drop in happiness.
34:15The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, those in the youngest generation reported an initial increase in life evaluations before smartphones. So as go in the right direction, so smartphones showed up in the world in like 2007, 2008 and became widespread followed by a sharp decline since then. Yeah. Right. So, hey, I think it's worth pointing out to the numbers and then you can do this. Yeah. And a ranking of happiness changes for under 25s. The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, now rank between 120 second and 133rd out of only 136 countries. So we're down near DFL for our young people's happiness. Wow. So like the Haitians and the Somalians are saying, yeah, that's all right here. Yeah. That gets a little hot in the summer. And our affluent youngsters are miserable. Yes.
35:16So I think it's helpful to actually talk about the Finland thing a little bit because I think it relates directly to this. Finlanders aren't happier or more cheerful. They're content. Their whole culture is, no, you don't have much, but you can have a happy life with that. And to think that you need lots of stuff and status to be happy is stupid. And you don't fit in to finish society. We're a tough down to earth people. That's why they're quote unquote the happiest on earth is because they don't expect much at all. And if you spend your day scrolling through the fakery of the most glamorous, exciting living beautiful people on earth and all the things they have and the wonderful things they do, that's like anti Finland. Most Western industrial countries where it'd be the most likely that you have smartphones in your, you know, scroll on the gram are now less happy than they were in the 2005 to
36:192010 period with 15 having had significant drops, significant drops in happiness since the smartphone showed up on the scene is anyone surprised by that? No. Well, that fits in with one question that they ask. Most people agree. Most people, the majority of people agree they'd be better off if these platforms didn't exist. Isn't that something that we know we'd be better off if they didn't exist yet can't stop ourselves from participating and making ourselves miserable apparently? A lot of people, yeah. I see plenty of, as they say, green shoots of away from technology, away from doom scrolling movements among the young. It's really difficult to determine, is that like a teeny tiny percentage or is that going to be something that really grows? I certainly hope it's the latter because you're not ever going to find happiness scrolling.
37:21You will find it with human beings. Yeah, you don't get the immediate little dopamine hits from the old wife and people get addicted to that, I guess. The most problematic platforms are those with algorithm driven by algorithms, curated content, influencer culture, and primarily visual material because they encourage social comparisons. algorithms designed to facilitate direct communication show a more positive association with happiness. So what I was calling social media in my head, I've been listening to all these discussions for the past several years having a completely different idea of what we were talking about. So that is a mistake, but because I thought all of the, I thought platforms were interacted each other a lot was what we meant by social media, but apparently we don't. But those were you interact with each other. There was a more positive association with happiness among the platforms where you actually interact as opposed to the ones where it's mostly just scrolling.
38:23Yeah, it's more positive, but I bet it isn't net positive, particularly among young people. Heavy social media use more than five hours per day is associated with lower well-being on average. Heavy users are significantly more likely to report higher stress and depressive symptoms and believe they are worse off than their parents. Well, that might be. Has there ever been an example of something where we, this isn't like, there's a ton of problems where we guess we try to guess the cause of them and this like could be 10 different things, maybe all to all of them combined or whatever. We just don't know what's driving this problem. And this one though, everybody knows exactly what it is. Well, looking at social media makes you less happy if you stopped, you'd be happier. We know exactly what it is, but still can't get past it for some reason. It can tell you it's a huge. That's my question. Are we getting past it?
39:23Some people absolutely are getting past it. I wonder how many and how quickly that trend will continue, but I just gave you a. But I can just tell you it's a huge conversation amongst soon to be or new parents right now, bringing babies into the world, going, how are we going to make sure that this is not what their living situation looks like? Sure. Yeah, that's good. Instinctively, you can just see the danger. Yeah, it's possible that those of us who raised kids with the first, like the first round of how bad is this now that we all know it's really, really, really bad. The next crowd of raising kids like you and all your friends, Katie, are going to know them. No way that made me miserable. I ain't going to let my kid do this. Yeah, for newer listeners, Jack and I are virtually the same age, but my kids have been grown for quite some time. We had him young, Jack had him later in life. So I like had was raising kids just before the, what is this?
40:28What do we do with it? And what does it mean, era of smartphones and social media and stuff like that? And yeah, the one, you were in the sweet spot of what the hell is this? What do we do? I think you're right. The next cohort of parents is going to be aware of, okay, the one thing that ain't going to happen in this house is, you know, whatever social media danger. And it seems to be agreed upon across all the boards. So instead, you know, it's really interesting. Well, and because you've talked about like, well, if our kid doesn't have the phone and the YouTube or whatever, then they're left out. They don't know what everybody else is talking about. But hopefully this next round, it seems like we're all kind of like, no, you're not getting that. So maybe it won't be what everybody is talking about. Air quotes used, you know, I'll bet there is an answer to this question. Is there a really great resource for parents who want to talk to their, their little boys in particular, but girls too about porn before you think
41:31it's necessary, because that's when it is necessary. I'll bet there are some really good resources for that. I don't know. I'm hoping it's true, Katie, that your crowd that has lived through being miserable from Darren at Instagram. Yeah, it didn't exist when my kids were born. Are going to be police it much heavier than it was brand new to a lot of us. It brings us bring back the Nokia bricks, man. You can play snake, you can text and you can make a phone call. That's it. Yeah, that makes me the first phone. Every kid gets absolutely any thoughts on that. Our text line 415 295 KFTC. Armstrong and get it. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weather bug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need from storm warnings to pollen levels right at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10 day forecasts wherever you are.
42:33It's hyper local real time customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the app store today and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24 seven. Texting privacy policy in terms of conditions posted at texting terms.us. Texting rules you for occurring on a media text marketing. That's just message data is may apply or play stopped out. Is it ISSA online for details? Tired of the nine to five grind looking for something different that's flexible, fulfilling and pay as well. How do you like to get paid to work out? Now you can with ISSA the global leader in personal fitness certification. There's a huge demand for certified personal trainers right now. And once you get ISSA certified, they guarantee you'll get a job. Trainers can make as much as $100 an hour. Yes, I said $100 an hour. And with ISSA, you can be certified in as little as six weeks. You do everything at your own pace and 100% online. Pursue your passion in specializations like yoga, nutrition or strength training. Get certified and live your life on your terms. Work at a gym, start your own business or a side hustle. Whatever works for you, just don't wait.
43:34Get your free personal training evaluation kit today. Get certified in as little as six weeks. And ISSA guarantees you'll get a job. Text train to 32 32 32. Text train to 32 32 32. Train to 32 32 32. Support for the show comes from public. The investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi-asset portfolio of stock, bonds, options, crypto, and now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semi-conductor suppliers, growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one-of-a-kind index, and lets you backtest it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com slash podcast, and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com slash podcast. Paid for by public investing,
44:35brokerage services by open to the public investing ink, member Finra and SIPC. Advisory services by public advisors LLC, SEC registered advisor. Generated assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only, and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com slash disclosures. Imagine if your Wi-Fi was a lot smarter and way more reliable. Picture it. Your TV, phone, laptop, even your fancy fridge, working together to make life easier. Well, Exfinity makes that dream a reality. Devices so insane you think they're telepathic. Wi-Fi that knows when your device needs a boost, the best equipment to stream, or games at once with multi-view, or stream your favorite podcast on iHeartRadio. That's the magic of Exfinity. It's seamlessly in tune with you. Exfinity, imagine that, restrictions apply. Listen, we've seen what's out there for patio furniture, and what you've been paying is outrageous. But that was last season you, before you ditch the specialty stores and started saving more at home sense. Now you're listening to this while under a designer umbrella on a luxurious teak lounge chair,
45:35because it's easy to relax when you refuse to settle, on style, on price, on outdoor pieces that will actually outlast the season. Home sense, the home of no compromise, part of the home goods family. All right, New York's governor, Kathy Hocal is pissed off. At a recent media appearance, she begged ex-wealthy New Yorkers who fled the state to come back to support her social programs. What I want to make sure we are smart about is having a system in place where it's not just taxing for the sake of taxing, and being conscious of the facts that I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state. The translation, rich dudes, I want you back because I miss your money. Yeah, clearly. Oh, there's more from Greg Gutfeld. No, there are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up. Oh, shut up. Okay, cut me the checks. I mean, just if you want to be supportive,
46:38but maybe the first step should you go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home? That makes me angry. I can't even listen to her talk. That makes me angry. Oh, that was good. That was good. Don't tell me I'm not patriotic because I don't want to support your stupid social program that doesn't do anything. If you and the horse you rode in on, good lord. Why do you get off saying that? Oh, you're not. If you're a patriot, come support my giant social programs. Screw you. All right, Michael, place six again, because she's just getting to the point where she's trying to recruit what zillionaires to go down to Palm Beach and browbeat people in a moment back to New York to pay high taxes. What? No, there are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up. Okay. Sickening. Cut me the checks. I mean, just if you want to be supportive, but maybe the first step should be go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home. Because our tech space has been eroded. Like, I have to look at the fact that we are in competition with other states who have less of a tax burden
47:39on their corporations and their individuals. Yeah, yeah. That's unbelievable. It's funny. I was going to be more charitable and say until that clip that she's a politician who understands the mobility of wealth, unlike her populist dip S supporters, who just want to punish billionaires than billionaires. They shouldn't even exist. Let's tax them out of the existence. She's like, dude, it's not going to work. Is there another one? Okay, go ahead. Yet the Dems are shocked when taxpayers leave when it was the same capi-hocle back in 2022 who told them just to do that leave. Just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong. Okay? Get out of town. Get out of town. Because you don't represent our values. You are not New Yorkers. So you don't like it well then leave. Well, how do that work for you? They did leave along with your tax base.
48:41The only ones who didn't leave are those who are still captive, meaning us. Believe me, if Fox wasn't here, I wouldn't be here either. It's so maddening that the people in the left, they think all their government programs are just wonderful and doing good things. Apparently, the politicians know they're not. They know it's a scam, but boy, the voters still believe it. And it's about all the evidence of their eyes and ears. God, that makes me angry. All right, we got more in the heart, three, stay tuned. Arms strong and getty. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve a weather app that can help. Weatherbug is easy to use and provides forecasts for your every need. From storm warnings to pollen levels, write at your fingertips. Get the fastest local alerts and comprehensive 10-day forecasts wherever you are. It's hyper-local, real-time, customizable alerts. Make sure the weather never takes you by surprise so you can plan every day with confidence. Download the free weather bug app from the App Store today
49:42and start getting accurate weather forecasts 24-7. Imagine if your Wi-Fi was a lot smarter and way more reliable. Picture it. Your TV, phone, laptop, even your fancy fridge, working together to make life easier. Well, Exfinity makes that dream a reality. Device is so insane you'd think they're telepathic. Wi-Fi that knows when your device needs a boost, the best equipment to stream, or games at once with multi-view, or stream your favorite podcast on iHeartRadio. That's the magic of Exfinity. It's seamlessly in tune with you. Exfinity. Imagine that. Restrictions apply. Listen, we've seen what's out there for patio furniture and what you've been paying is outrageous, but that was last season you. Before you ditch the specialty stores and started saving more at home-sense. Now you're listening to this while under a designer umbrella on a luxurious teak lounge chair because it's easy to relax when you refuse to settle on style, on price, on outdoor pieces that will actually outlast the season. Home-sense, the home of no compromise,
50:44part of the home goods family. Ryan Reynolds here from InMobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistance assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at MintMobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra, default terms at MintMobile.com. Owning a home is full of surprises. Some wonderful, some, not so much. And when something breaks, it can feel like the whole day unravels. That's why home-serve exists. For as little as $4.99 a month, you'll always have someone to call, a trusted professional ready to help, bringing peace of mind to four and a half million homeowners nationwide. For plans starting at just $4.99 a month, go to homeserve.com. That's homeserve.com. Not available everywhere. Most plans range between $4.99 to $11.99 a month
51:45your first year, terms apply and covered repairs.
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