EP 37 - 2LT Chris Miranda

[Music] All right, yeah, we officially started. Welcome to the Grand Tastic Podcast, Chris Miranda. How are we doing today? Fantastic bro, I'm glad I could finally make it on and talk to you man. I know we've been planning this for a minute but finally here I'm excited that it's finally happening. This has been, it's been a long time coming so we're finally here which is great. Yeah, I know a long time coming. I mean I watched some of the podcast like what you do with Sean was great and glad he guys are going to get on together and talk. So yeah well he's going to be a dad he's going to be a dad. I know he's going to be a dad. I know I saw him in him in Kaitlin dude they're expecting now just crazy. It's crazy. Yeah it still blows my mind. I like I still want to get out Austin Texas to see him in her and just hang out because also he's so groovy. He wears the groove because you know his style so I admire it I respect it so. Yeah dude I've known his dad chocked my entire life and it's like another grandparent to him and you should sit back in the day like back in the 70s. Chock was like he was one of the hippies man. He was cool. Oh that it's amazing it's amazing that's fucking awesome. They look like carbon carbon. How is love that how's Georgia? Oh I'm a little cynical about that because I'm just stuck in the field training all the time but I mean Georgia itself it's not bad man like you know I'm a fan of getting outdoors and you know going on hikes and hunting and there's night life and stuff like that. It's got it all just got search for the right spots you know our friends who go out to concerts all the time go to raves. We hit like the downtown bars and stuff every once in a while. We get out and get our fill of like hiking and all that good stuff and I'll be starting hunting in a little bit so it's not bad man it's pretty easy to live out here like it's compared to California it's nice press wise you know. Yeah well I feel like that's that's that's it's always been like that right like the Midwest itself like for rent-wise like if you can get a giant house for like maybe a hundred grand or something versus paying like a medium-sized house for a million dollars you know you can get something way bigger but you're just out you know out in the fields. Absolutely bro so I mean like the place I'm living in right now like I got a three-bedroom two bathroom with two of my friends from school and it's like 1350 a month between the three of us. Wow that's solid. It's like dirt cheap. So it's nice I definitely cannot afford to live in San Francisco I don't know how you do but the army does not pay me enough for that. Bro I mean when I came like for my rent and everything like it's expensive don't get me wrong but it's like cheap for what my like neighbors are paying like my neighbors are paying like you know five grand or something like that and I'm only paying like you know two grand which is still a lot but like two grand versus five grand I'm saving three grand right now so it's it's it's it's it's way better I mean don't get me wrong two son I was only paying 400 bucks when I was living in the dirty tea I wish I could live like I miss yeah yeah man I missed that it was me it was me and Jack Moody shout out to Jack as you say over Jack yeah so it's just like total 800 bucks for total of us so 400 400 so it was just like 800 bucks total we had our own like a kitchen two giant rooms it was it was the life man it was just like in the groceries and gas gas was only like two 15 to 30 and then you know groceries were pretty cheap out there yeah yeah man it's you can find like it's crazy like that but it's like you can live on post and it will be cheap like that you'll be spent about $800 a month but dude it's like it's literally like the project's like it's not good housing at all like you have mold roaches and all this broke down shit that hasn't been changed since like the 60s or 70s or whatever I then like if you want to live closer to post like the the warning they gave us is like don't live below exit six exit five four three two one like exit one like right outside the main gate of four betting like one of the largest armual installations in the country is completely controlled by gangs but you do not go there without nothing on you yeah that's like you know that's like tendrilogy I mean I mean you I mean you just have to be aware I don't know if you have a weapon and maybe you feel it I don't know I don't I'm just more aware I want you like tendrilogy you don't go down tendrilogy because that's where something will happen I think I told you the story someone wanted to jump me I called you that one day about like yeah man I know like which was just like uh well I was like hey white boy and then of course I'm like yes I just high or whatever I'm just like oh why did I answer why did I just do to keep walking that was my mistake from day one that's I rule no matter what you do you just got to look like you know where you're going and don't look at people if you're gonna look look with your eyes don't turn your head instead no that's what I realized that's so you live and learn from your experience yeah but I honestly but by honestly thought about like yeah human San Francisco be here for maybe a few years or so and then afterwards I want to like move to like Montana or something I'm just like I don't know buy some land build like a giant farmhouse or whatever and like have a music studio in a farmhouse like in a barn or something that would be so cool I feel like and then I also I can raise some cows and uh live some and then grow some uh I don't know some shrubs or some shit and just make a living off it with music and streams grants uh grant classic ranch that's the goal yeah yeah that's the great oh my god right there baby how do I yeah that's how we make that money that's what we're here for uh my life was good man I've had uh that's some mentors who did that back in the day before they did the military stuff and uh one of over some Montana man big Scott country gorgeous it's absolutely beautiful oh my god yeah definitely I mean you know my dad like he did the the ranch like in like uh ranch life in Austria for a year before he you know went to school medical medical school university and uh he told me it's like a lot of a lot of work but you know it pays off in the end you know it feels like you accomplished something which I'm just like I love that like kind of aspect you know I'm like using my hands that the universal god gave me and I'm putting it to use versus like I don't know cope not not to shit on coders or anything but it's like what what is the fulfillment you're doing for the world you know what I mean you're making hinge better for us to swipe right quicker like what what what what what what what is like not to shit on coders or anything but I don't know I definitely I can definitely uh understand that my my dad's been doing coding his whole life and like it is and let's just fixing bog after bog for to finally work like once and that's something else go wrong yeah no definitely and it's like okay be wrong like we need coders you know to help us like if something like like a like a I don't know virus or like China or someone which is like you know trying to hack us you need like people who can handle to you know block them but um I don't know I just I just I don't know lately for me I just been in this like zone where I just listen to like in this VIP cliche or whatever but like you know the blue collar like music or worker like you know boot like listen to Bruce Springsteen or listening to old country music or a rock and roll and just like or new young and just listening to like you know be outside with nature you know help the middle class for lower class people you know who work the hardest and um I'm like all for that right now and I've been for that you know help you know support a little man and the small businesses but uh there's just a about blue uh blue class workers where I just like they need more like we need to give them more credit or give them better raise or something that's just where I've like did not lately oh that definitely work hard man I'm a big uh supportive like trades work and stuff like that granted I don't I've learned how to do any of that myself like just basically carpentry that's about it um but did like those are well-paying jobs that everyone just turns their notes on offer no reason like I got plenty of friends who are welders right now on the civilian world and they're underwater welders too they make incredible money and they got a skill that's needed like everywhere bro I believe it like it's like I feel like that and stuff like the educational system should put in the curriculums like learning how basic carpentry or woodwork or that stuff is so useful like I'm trying to hang like you could probably maybe see in the in the back these black panels like you know took some panels took some two by four wood just to create acoustic treatment in my room um it's like it's like the fulfillment or the the feeling of like wow I did this versus paying a company you know it's like over a thousand dollars to do versus I can do this all for four hundred bucks which I was just like way better and gratifying and um it's just we got lazy you know like a lot of people are you know it's just like oh I'll just pay for it I don't care to pay extra shipping and then you're like no this is good because because if something, let's say, I don't think the world ends or anything, but like it's just good to have these kind of skills not to get rogan here. I'm just saying it's good to have skills like in your in the back of your head if you ever needed to learn or you can't or you let's say you couldn't afford to hire someone it's good for you just to help save money and stuff. Yeah man I mean there was some stat that I heard way back in the day a couple years ago and it was like if you took I think it was 100 people from the 1950s and toss them into wilderness they would generally have enough skills like surviving get by but if you do it now it's not yeah no shot. Yeah no no shot at all which is which is sad but yeah I'm just I'm just I'm just trying to learn more because I like I try to hang way these kusa panels up above me just for like because when sound bounce it sounds sound just 360 it's 3D so it bounces everywhere so what I was to try and put one pan right in front of the speakers bro did not work don't try this in an old apartment in San Francisco because I wore a helmet just in case she just fell off right on top of me I had to grab it and I was just like are you fucking kidding me so I had to get some spack and throw it up on there and just like it's a whole mess we're going to try to do something else for it but yeah I think all that work carpentry and all that stuff is so useful. Yeah that's funny you you said that man because one of my buddies just told me a story when he deployed to Afghanistan he was with Teth Mountain Division and like usually like your dad has this award like the expert field medical badge and like the combat field medical badge so he got those when he was serving and then my buddy got his because a piece of plywood blew off from the wind and knocked him out again with a question so my buddy who was a medic treated him and got his combat medical badge through some dumbass not paid attention getting knocked out by a piece of plywood. That is the best thing I've heard I'm sorry for the guy you got to put the wood but that's great for your friend he got that I might be wrong but I think the damage that the cushion might have gotten a purple heart from that I have no idea. They're just giving awards out and just fucking you know in the army right now it's not a horrible heart that's that's from enemy action but he got something from it. Definitely well here's a question about the army that I want to definitely talk about yeah well there's so but there's so much stuff but like the main one is like Ukraine let's just dive in with Ukraine like what like listen the news is is an interesting place to hearing where all information has come from you know like I say I tell us to everyone I only listen to C-SPAN I don't care how fucking boring it is they just give me the full and I realize C-SPAN maybe does it give you all the information because you know there's some stuff that's classified but for what you know and everything like where is where's the war right now with Ukraine and what does the outcome look like right now? Okay so to start with I'm going to say this is just from what I've seen and a lot of like the sources that I follow this is all like open source so things like social media and if you can google this is nothing classified I'm not privy to that information I'm just a lieutenant we don't get that come shit so not this is also not yet I do have my secret clearance but not top secret so but there we go it's ongoing into it's like some of the eighth month of the invasion now so the importance of this war is more at a global and strategic level it's what does it say about national policy international policy and especially like the US's international policy like we've been told and we've been telling people that were this superpower like don't mess with united states of America but you know what have we done like every single time line and the sand has been drawn like we've done nothing but you know use soft power to try and like reinforce entities in hard power or moving military assets and hardware into place and saying like do not fuck with us like our line the sand is not just a line there's a barrel behind it you're going to catch around if you cross it so it's kind of backtrack the importance of the war in Ukraine one it shows that the Russian Federation or the you know democratic you know union of Russia whatever the fuck they're calling themselves now they're not the world power that they claim to be they have no ability to project their combat power which is in like layman's terms they can't get like you know soldiers and tanks and anti-aircraft assets or helicopters and whatever where they need to be on the battlefield to you know keep up the façade of the Russian there right so they can't fight the wars that they say they could fight so that's number one two they don't have the logistic old background to like support an ongoing war they're fighting almost like granted they severely like severely underestimated the Ukrainians when they did their like assessment like bad assessment so they assumed like and this is going to sound insane to anyone who watches this that Ukrainians welcome them with open arms that they would have no resistance nobody would fight them that's like having the Taliban you know marched down like freaking Broadway in New York and expect them to you know receive them with open arms they're telling me you know some kid from the box is gonna pick up a rifle and put a hole in them like it's just stupid they were they were being done yeah so and then logistically they did not the way the Russians fight is they take like their their infantry and armored assets and they spearhead and then their logistics follow behind and then they keep on building that column logistics keep on following behind them but the problem they had is they would spearhead too far the logistics couldn't keep up all the way so now you got this whole unit right here that has no bullets no beans no bandits they don't have medical supplies they don't have food they don't have the proper you know equipment care necessary or stuff to keep your equipment running like gas to you with to Ukrainian farmers telling away tanks so the Russians can project their combat power properly they severely underestimate their enemies they can't like properly supply their plot which is four line of troops or front line of troops and they do they just they fucked up like big time so that's all the Russians. Well the biggest thing it seems the biggest thing it seems like they're taking even old tanks like I saw like from the they're the 80s or the Cold War and it was just like bro where are all I'm not saying I'm promoting they should have new tanks but like what you know you're a big country why why don't you have 2022 tanks you know what I mean? Well that's another thing about you know how I mentioned like the facade of the Russian bear is they they were saying oh we have all these brand new toys and stuff like you don't stand a chance so they had like this unmanned ground vehicle that was controlled by like you know a a little control station you know three four clicks behind the front lines it's called it will run nine and it's meant to be like a fucking terminator like this thing has six anti tank rockets on or and sorry six yeah rocket propell grenades there will be a rocket propell grenades four anti air rockets a coaxials meeting machine gun a 20 millimeter auto cannon and then other armaments they can toss on top of that thing so it's a fucking it's all teeth it will tear any infantry unit up it runs into and it'll probably give a tank a run for its money they couldn't get that thing to work more than a kilometer or two away from these control centers so they have all this technology it just does not fucking work they have like you know a couple T14 armata tanks which is the successor to the T90 the famous Russian T90 these T14 armaters and barely making off the assembly lines they have like prototypes they they can't mass produce them they also that's nothing is they don't have the economy they can't they don't have the money to back up all this new equipment that they want to put out there they can make a couple prototypes but they can't mass produce them on a scale to replace their entire fighting force so they're just they're wholly ill prepared but the Ukrainians I think if they're putting up an incredible fight they're doing a good job and you know as you would if anyone rolls in your backyard and says this is mine now you know I'd hope any American will probably do the same thing right but um don't they've also I yeah yeah go ahead go ahead no no no I want to keep hearing like yeah I think you know I'm glad you know we're like other countries are sending them stuff and everything you know supplies because they need it desperately and uh I don't want I have a question but I don't want to interrupt your your train of thought because like um I can this was my major problem so yeah don't just go in if there's something you want to go on a tangent about that's fine I can talk about this one yeah yeah yeah so we could just keep it going so I guess the question maybe you could tie in what you're saying is do you think it would be wise to send American troops into your crane to help them so actually as uh god probably less than a week ago um American special operations and special forces units are officially on the ground in Ukraine um I don't quote me on this but I believe conducting advice and assist operations so the same way we had done in Afghanistan well a step short of what we had done in Afghanistan so in Afghanistan we would go in we would train the Afghanis we were going operations with them we would bring them up to the objective and then we would also attack the objective with them so what I think is going on in Ukraine right now as we are assisting and training Ukrainians, we are bringing them on missions, we are being brought on to missions with them, and we are stopping short of the objective and letting them do their work because they're capable and actually I want to be very clear about this. So, where the Afghan is, I've talked to very, you know, what respected like peers and mentors and bond, and they said an Afghan in command will give any conventional Americans, will make into a conventional American infantryman look like a fool, like they are well trained, they are battle-hearted. So, I feel like they didn't get enough credit for their fight in Afghanistan because they were fighting a losing battle from the start. That's a whole other thing we could talk about another time or later if you want to, but the Ukrainians, I'm here for an all-man. Yeah, the Ukrainians, they're doing well, obviously, you know, they're fighting a good fight and they're going to come out on top, which I think is very evident, but that's, I think, mainly they're fighting like spirit, the morale that they have, they have a much stronger reason to fight, like you're fighting for your home, for your backyard, like you're on, your uncle, your brother, your sister could be killed because of this Russian action, but the Russians, they're being forced into it, they're being jailed and then sent, or they're taking prisoners in sending them, or they're lying to them like I've heard stories of Russian infantrymen, conscripts, you know, 18, sometimes 17-year-old kids not being given more than like a magazine of ammunition for their AK, or being given cardboard cutouts of steel plates so they don't have protective body armor. So they're being given the vest that holds a plate and fucking cardboard like this to put inside of the sheet that should hold a steel ceramic plate to stop a bullet. They're just like why would you want to fight that? And Putin doesn't fucking care, he'll send them to die like the way the Russians always do, it's just wave tactics, human waves. So I mean like yeah, it makes sense why the Ukrainians are going better. Yeah, and like I've a lot of compassion for the Russian infantrymen because they're, it's almost like the Afghanis, man, they're just set up a failure from the start, they don't care, they're just throwing bodies at a problem with the total assault, they're kids who have their entire lives ahead of them. Exactly. They've brought to that. Exactly, and there's just that there's like the sense of feeling of where is the sense of feeling of where with the Russians at first you're just like, you know, fuck Russia, fuck everything, you know, but then it's really just fuck Putin, you know, like Russian soldiers are like, they're being forced on their will. And like, I think some of them have realized like, what the fuck are we doing? You can't blame them. They're just, you know, they're just listening to their high superior. And it's like if you don't listen, you're going to either get jailed or I don't know, I don't know if they would kill them, but like either way here. Yeah, yeah, it's like it's dumb and it's like, it can't even blame. Yeah, no, you can't blame the conventional infantrymen. Like you can blame the fucking the old heads who are just clinging on to the idea of like, you know, communist power and, you know, the Russian bipolar system or unipolar system where, you know, the Russian bear was the top dog on the world scale scale or like, scaring America. Like that's not there anymore, but they're hanging on to it and they're thinking that by winning this one, Ukraine is going to change everything. Even if for some reason, some reason that they do end up winning this war, it's going to be, forgot the term for it, but it's going to be a loss for them. Like on the political scale, like it's going to take them forever for them to recover economically from this, as well as like demographically, like their population will be just fucking slashed at the knees. They have no future generation to rely on or will have no future generation to rely on. No, exactly. I think the younger generation is understanding this and what the, you know, big red and what they're all about and it's just like, they're like, fuck this. They want to, they want to, they want to change in their country, which is great. And I think, but I think it's going to take such a long time to like, you know, get these old heads out of power, especially Putin. He's been there for, I don't know how long. It's been there for so long. And like, I remember there's like that running campaign. I like, you know, I watch Vice News here and there and there was like, there was an election going on and there was that other guy, a blank guy's name, maybe you know what I'm talking about. And he was going against Putin, but then Putin somehow got him on charges. Now he's in jail. Yeah, I do. I forgot his name, but I know exactly who you're talking about. The guy he tried to have poison and killed. Yes, exactly. Yeah, it's, it's, it's insane. I mean, like, and even in this like seventh month conflict, seven, seven months, they've lost like 35 generals, 35 generals have been killed in combat. Damn. Yeah, that happened. That's like, that happened in the US. Like, I think they would have pulled out after the fifth general or severe, there's clearly reassessed what the fuck they're doing up there. It's shocking. And I don't know where, like, I guess the question is like, and your eye, in your aspect, and your eyes as like, you know, in the military. And like, maybe you're, you're commanders and, you know, the people you look up to, like, what do they see? Where, where is the end for Putin? Is the end for him just to, until he gets the land or till the day he dies? Or like, will there be a stop? Short of a coup in Russia, like a complete overthrow of that government, which already has very, very little support from like you know, 30 and under generation, which is going to be a vast majority of Russians, or at least like probably 40 to 50% of them. There's very little support for him. So I think it's going to be till the day he dies because he's turned it into like an oligarchy, which has already been pretty evident, you know, there's very few Russians with a lot of power. And they all are on the same page and answer to Putin. Or at least if they don't answer to Putin, they're kept in line by him. So yeah, I think it's going to be till the day he dies. Once he's gone, then something will happen. But until that day, we're just going to have to keep an eye on him. And does it have cancer or something people are saying like he's just very ill. I have no idea. Ill? Yeah, is he stupid? Definitely. I don't know if he has cancer. There is something in the BBC. That's the reason why I bring that up. They're saying like he has like puffy cheeks and he's taking steroids and they're like trying to figure something out. So I was just like, I mean, I in general, he's insane. But I'm like, maybe the steroids or something and just making a little bit of kukku kind of insane. So you could also just know that. I mean, there's also that is like something. That is very true. That is very, very true. But yeah, it's just so, you know, it's just as crazy to see. I don't know. Like I just wanted to like go take a step back like we like like I want people to remember this. Like we left Afghanistan. You know, we just kind of left that. It was that. Yeah, we just like left it to shit. And then suddenly we like, but it's like I don't I don't care blah blah blah. I'm the worst president for this. You know, I'm pulling out everyone in this war. We're not losing men. And that we're in a whole new fucking war. You know what I mean? Like it is like we just left war into a new war. That's the thing is actually our we were talking with our opposite, I guess, regimental commander for gay commander. Yeah, for gay commander. And like if you look at it like clockwork in US history minus the past two decades because we're actively engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq, the US has gone to war every single 10 years like clockwork. So if you look at it like I think since our country's existence, so you have like the revolutionary war, the civil war, couple wars in between that that we get to the major ones like World War two, 40s, 50s, Korea, 60s and 70s Vietnam, 80s Gulf, Gulf one, I believe Kuwait or Gulf one, 90s, Gulf two, 2000s and war on terror, 2010 war on terror, 2020 end of war on terror. Every single 10 years we've been in conflict. So in 10 years, I think we're definitely going to be in another one with who my best guess is probably the Chinese because the Russians are going to be or whatever they're going to be useless at that point on the global scale, but China is slowly becoming more and more of a problem. Well, what do you think of the whole tie, tie, is it Taiwan? Yeah, Taiwan situation. Well, there's a lot to unpack there. So I guess is there anything specifically you want to me to talk about with that? Well, I guess, you know, I was just wondering like, you know, we would you're just talking for a second about how we're always been in a war and I'm curious, will there ever be a time where we could be like Switzerland or we're just neutral? We just like sit one out for the team right now, like I think just like, all right guys, we're going to focus on issues here in America because there's a lot of fucking issues that we need to fix and then we'll tap in when it gets a little bit closer to our land. Yeah, so as much as I wouldn't like that to happen, as much as I would like to be out of a job and not have to do this stuff, no, I don't think there will ever be a time that the US does that until we're willing to to give up the title of global superpower or pretending that we are one, because I'm kind of part of the paradigm of like thinking that the US is really almost a little more similar to Russia than we are to China in the sense that we have reached across the globe however our ability to definitively like act on those like little fingers in the pots, you know, that was back in like the Roosevelt era, I think it was like political comics about the US having their fingers and everyone's pie, our ability to like, you know, take someone's pie is I think a little less than what everyone thinks it is, not saying it's not there, the ability for US military to mass combat power anywhere in the world is what still makes us a superpower. We can bring a force to bear anywhere we want. Now how well that battle goes from there, I don't know, like I said I'm just a lieutenant, I have no experience in the army, this is just from what I've seen and who I've talked to, but with China, let's see, I think a war with China has a potential to become a larger conflict on the scale of World War 3, honestly what I think this is just my opinion maybe because China has influence elsewhere even though it's not the same way where the US has more amicable influences where we have partnerships and alliances and treaties that are active and alive and working, China has more like contracts, they have contracts with these countries where we built you a railroad, we built you a roadway, we created this port for you, but we knew when we made it, you were too poor to pay us back, so now instead of paying us back why don't you just let that railway, that highway, that port beat Chinese territory or have free or allow any Chinese intervention, have freedom of maneuver on those pieces of land, so it's more like a contract, it's not like a living alliance or a living friendship with other countries, definitely when I was in Africa when I was in like in Kenya, Nairobi, you just saw a lot of Chinese workers and everything and that's what the locals were saying, so first I experienced it, and a lot of locals were mad because they're losing their jobs here, so there's the difference, the huge process when I was there and everything, the taxi driver who kind of was our guide while we were there, it's just like yeah it's a huge strike, but the president has allowed it and they know that they probably can't pay back China, so like you're just saying right now this is a way for China to like how you're going to help us back, we'll use your vote for something when we need it or something like that, or you'll let us have men or women, just whatever military or whatever it is, you have to let us do what we want because we're giving you apartments and like you said roads and stuff, and it's like they're slowly but surely creeping up and just covering more lands, you know, and it's scary, you know, it's just happening right now. Yeah, so actually that's it's funny you mentioned like creeping because I think it's called creeping aggression or something like that, but it's what China does is like when the invasion new crane happened, the number of combat patrols or flights conducted by Chinese Air Force and Chinese naval like a fixed winged assets, those planes, sorry by planes by Chinese planes, the number of those that occurred over Taiwanese or in or on the edge of Taiwanese airspace during the initial month of the Ukrainian invasion skyrocketed, they want to see what the rest of the world would do when they were paying attention to something else, granted luckily the US and Japan were able to react accordingly and we increased our patrols in that area, you know, we moved part of a carrier group over there and what I don't think what a lot of people realize is that when you move a carrier, that's a flagship of the US Navy, that is a strategic message, that strategic signaling to the rest of the world, telling them you take one more step, we will bite your fucking head off. We have enough assets in this carrier group to level a continent, we can bring power to cities from the nuclear power plant on board this one ship, we have a floating hospital here, we have an entire battalion of Marines who can conduct combat operations, we have aerial assets, we have search and rescue, we have direct assets that can take care of close combat action, so gun runs and all that, all the stuff you see in movies, a carrier group is not something you fuck with and moving that in place near Taiwan or on the edge of Japanese like sea space and airspace, that's a direct message of China saying we're going to check if you take one more step. Yeah, I mean, that's good, you know, like I just hope China, like they seem like they're just getting more ballsy every day and it's like, you know, I'm glad, I feel like there's going to be a point where, you know, with the carrier group, like they're just like, all right, bring it, like you think, you know, even though like the carrier group is very superior, like I feel like China has some weird trick up their sleeve, like they have something that they could, you know, counter attack the carrier group, you know, or some weird shit. Carriers are more vulnerable than you think. This is all open open source stuff, anyone can Google like there's there's ship killer missiles, there's carrier killer missiles, all that stuff that flies, you know, four or five feet off the surface of the ocean and goes it like, you know, mock Jesus and just rams into this out of a carrier, it's a whole big enough to sink it. That stuff's out there. They're more vulnerable than you think, but it's still, it's a big move to move that much like equipment into an area, that much hardware, whatever you want to call it, because that's, you know, billions and billions and billions of US dollars right there, if not even mentioned US lives. Definitely. And do you think with, uh, I hopefully doesn't, but probably maybe will sadly will or three. Do you think there will be a draft? Depends on the scale of the war really. Um, I don't know. I would say maybe depends on how vicious that war is. I was talking to one of my buddies yesterday. He's a history guy and he's been kind of like dabbling in like military history. So we were just talking about stuff. But the way I view what would shine is that it's going to be a generational defining event. It's going to be a deep scar in the US like generational memory. Or sorry, no, in the US, this memory is a country. The way we remember World War Two. So it's going to be something that bad. Um, I mean, you could look at Ukraine, man. Like they've fought seven months and they've lost nine, no, seven times the amount of people we've lost in Afghanistan over 20 years. It's heartbreaking. Yeah. So I mean, the smarter we get as a race, the better we get at killing each other. The faster we get at killing each other. So what is, what is, I guess, what is trying to try to accomplish here? You know, I get like, I understand communism. I get it, you know, but what, what do they gain from having a war? You know, I mean, they're like, I just don't see their point of view. So I would argue that they're not even, I mean, maybe their goal is spreading communism, but I don't even think that's their main goal. I think they're trying to expand their power as a country. They want dominance. They don't want to have a vibe that it's called a bipolar world order. It used to be tri-polar with Russia, but now they're most likely out of that picture. So they, they want to surpass the bipolar world order. That is in place right now, which means bipolar being two world powers, the US and China. They want the US to not be as strong. They don't want, I wouldn't say they want to destroy us because we're a very strong business partner of theirs, which is kind of, you know, ironic given the context of everything, but they they want to have the final saying everything. They want to have the power at, you know, the UN table, the way the US does the G5 do. Right? So they want to make sure that I guess everyone listens. They want their voice to be heard on the world's go. I think that's what their end goal is. They want their voice to be the final voice when something is up for debate. That's so narcissistic. Like God fucking damn it. Like fucking time up a guy damn. And again, I just want to be very clear. That's just my opinion. I am also like not super well-read on this. I've just kind of skimmed a couple things here and there. Little things I remember from doing reading in my major back in college. But yeah, that's just my opinion of what they want. There's actually if you want to go look into it yourself, there's congressional research services, CRS. They do endless reports on anything you can think of. They do assessments of Russia, of Ukraine, of China, you know, US domestic and international policy, things like that. So it's actually a really good resource if people want to find like an unbiased assessment. I know it sounds kind of counterintuitive that the US government is currently and unbiased assessment, but, you know, read between the lines. Like you kind of can put two and two together. When things may be a little heavy on the US side, right? On top of that, the CIA Factbook also does a lot of good stuff. So the CIA Factbook has assessments of every single country in the world or at least every single major country in the world. And they assess them by geography, by demographics, by GDP, by economy. And they break it down even further into that. So I would highly suggest if anyone's curious about it. And they're watching to go look that up. See I had a Factbook on China on Russia, on Ukraine, and see what they have to say about it. Because their job as an intelligent service is to provide intelligence. So you're going to get probably the most clean set of facts you can find there. Yeah, no, I think, you know, like I always say to everyone, it's like, knowledge is the greatest gift. So like you should like, you know, especially correct knowledge. So, you know, I appreciate you, you know, giving the shout out to that. And for any what, I'll, you know, I'll leave a link as well or something. Yeah, absolutely. Find it and make it easier. But yeah, you know, level up, like study and make sure you know your stuff before you start, you know, spreading work knowledge to people. Because like there's, there's, there's accurate knowledge and then there's BF knowledge. And it's hard to like try to stay on the right path. So I appreciate that, Chris, for sure. And then, you know, just talking about China, you know, what about our good friend Kim Jong-un in North Korea? What like, like, you know, like they seem like I haven't heard anything about Thumbly Lee. All I know, I heard about that, like sad accident South Korea, like with the Halloween. I don't know if you saw that, like 140 people died. Jesus Christ. It was just, it was it like North Korean thing. There was like a party and it was in a tight area. People were just trampled because there was just thousands of people and they just were like, all crushed together in this like little tight area where they allowed them to have like a party. And I was just like 140 or 145 people died just like because they were trampled because there's not enough room. I was like, that's fucking awful. Yeah, that is insane actually. Wow. Yeah, no, I didn't. That's a five number just like to. Yeah, like that, like you know, like to give me like anyone who died one or two weeks already devastating. But like 140, 145 like god damn like that is. I don't I need I need like and I didn't like that was the only follow up I saw on Fox NC and then in C span. I was like, okay, there has to be more so. Wow trying to find trying to find more news on that. But yeah, it's a. That's a whole thing. But you know, you actually go to South Korea at some point, right? I will. So I arrived to Fort Lewis, Washington around summertime. I believe we. Yeah, around summertime of 2023. And they last month actually just did started a rotation to South Korea. So Fort Lewis, Washington is home of the second infantry division and second infantry division is part of a program called Pacific Pathways. So that unit will go and train with countries in Southeast Asia. So you can go to South Korea is their main rotation spot. But you can also go and do things with the Thai military Japanese military. And I think if I'm remembering correctly, sometimes the Indian military too. That yeah, yeah. Bro, I like like if we want to go over to South Korea, I'm going to try to go over South Korea. I know your station, but like time come. Yeah, I come visit. Like I that would be such an epic trip right there. Just having that be awesome. And also just just just seeing the culture and appreciating it and like bringing some. Oh, yeah, bring some like film photos just to shoot there and just have a good time. And yeah, you know, some of my dad is like, Chris is following kind of like not following. He's supposed to be going to say like he went, you know, same, same thing that he did as you already know. Yeah, that's awesome to hear, man. And like, I mean, what is being in the military, you know, like going back is, you know, high school. Like you're, you know, you always wanted to be in the military. And now actually being here, what has been like, I don't want to say one thing, but like the biggest eye opening thing you, you've like realized being part of, you know, in this family, you know, like that you didn't realize. It's a lot of bullshit. In short, there's, it's never. I don't know what we've been, even though we just exited a war, we've been in the mindset of a peacetime military for a while now. Because there were so few units, it's so few people actually going in the act of combat. That it's kind of become like an echo chamber of like, yes, men in some cases, which is very unfortunate because I've met incredible leaders in the military. And an officer and a listed side, it didn't really matter. And I've met great people. That's that's what's kept me around is I've made really good friends and like people I can, you know, go through anything with because I know they'll be there at the end of the day. But it's been a lot of honestly disappointments and let down at least right now because I mean coming from West Point, like I know that the West Point is not the same as the big army. The big army is, you know, your unit where you're going to be a platoon leader company commander, all that stuff. So West Point is not the big army understood that, but I didn't think, you know, trade off where I'm at, at Fort Benning would it be just as, you know, excuse my language. But it's completely fucking stupid. They treat us like children here, but then in a couple months, they expect to scope it lie tenants in charge of 40 people's lives, not to mention millions of dollars worth of equipment. But they treat us like privates and they treat us like kids. You don't know anything. And granted we don't we don't know anything. We don't have that experience. And that's fine. Understand that. But you don't have to try and fucking big dick me and act like you're this big man who's been in for 12 years. I'm like, I get it. You got the experience. Cool. Well, fucking teach me teach me how to be better. Stop child stop babying me. Teach me how to be the lieutenant you want to show up a year unit if you were getting one. Like that's honestly my biggest frustration is they just baby us so fucking much for a profession where we're literally supposed to be like proficient in some of the hardest and most unfortunate things you'd have to do as a human. It's it's it's crazy that you know they don't treat you on the same respect that they that you treat them, you know what I mean? Like you think. And this just might be just my you know, hip-be-ness of just like spreading love like just like respect or like not even love. I'm not even talking on love. I'm just thinking like just forget the way I said about the hippie thing. Just like respect your colleagues one another. You know anything like I'm showing you respect and I like the same. You know like because they're coming. I'm assuming they work there and they're not going to come with you to battle sadly you know with you but like if you I guess what I'm trying to say here is that there's needs to be change because if you. You're you're putting your own life at risk and you know and everything but you want the same respect. I feel like that can lead to like you know a mental thing you know what I mean if you're not like it may be like disgruntled with the army or something. Yeah I would say I'm definitely a little bit jaded right now but that's because I've seen a lot of how good it could be and then a lot of how bad it is. So but yeah no you're absolutely right that mutual respect goes a long way and it absolutely goes both ways like there's kind of like a phrase like you can work with your platoon sergeant or they can work for you. And the main difference between that is like them working with you is that they will help you and they will teach you and they will help you like understand and learn what the army is and how you properly do your job as an officer because the job description between like officer and listed is so. Polarly opposite like that's it completely different things but the enlisted have been around for so long that they understand at least how the officer should be interacting with them and what the officer should be doing properly. And if you're a good officer you will find yourself a good enlisted and CEO that will teach you those little things and then an officer that will teach you the officer things. So just just to understand you're an officer right yes yeah and like but people who enlist can still come to where you are in Georgia absolutely yeah so there's a couple different ways that can happen you can enlist and then you can do OCS which is officer candidate school for bending once you finish OCS and obviously you need to have a bachelor's degree to come in officer. So if you do college do OCS then you commission becoming officer you can enlist and do green to gold and I'm sorry OCS and green to gold do the same thing but you could also do ROTC or you can go to an academy. So I did the Academy route and I went to West Point ROTC is great I've had incredible people from there too and then OCS also have like incredibly good friends in that program as well. No one is better than the other am I putting you are yeah sorry go ahead go ahead no you go ahead you're go ahead sorry no no programs better than the other each of them produce studs each of them produce total fucking shit heads so it's it's all on the floor. the person like what is their personality and where they want to do. Okay and are you listed room with the officer are you guys like together like to help to grow the connections or are you guys separate? Oh no so like it's it's not like the movies you know when you're in a combat situation yeah everyone sleeps where you have to sleep you know you're sitting together wherever you end up being but when you're like in garrison which is like back on post like you can have an off post housing you can have you can live in the barracks which is only the enlisted can live there and that's generally the junior enlisted which is like the enlisted we call them rates so e1 through e4 generally live in the barracks and then like probably e5 to but e6 and above they can live in the barracks they can live on post housing they can live off post housing same with officers excuse me officers can live on posts in their own houses or they can buy their own houses off post it's all up to you know personal preference. I see and but it's just crazy that you know your head commanders then just treat everyone like just kind of like not equals you know I mean this kind of like it just blows my mind you know I understand like you see the movies like how they treat each other but it's like that's not healthy at all it's just good like you know you're just gonna have like something against these people and it's like how is supposed to grow and be the best person you can be if you're not treating them the same respect and um appreciation that you would like from each other right and like I definitely agree with that like respect is definitely the foundation of like everything respect and trust like that's my big day three things that I want like hit on when I become a platoon leader and get my platoon is like one honesty like trust respect like I'm going to respect these guys and because I know I have to earn the respect and there's like a little saying that I was taught by a retired command star major this man this man had spent his entire army career with the range of regiment so he spent 20 years in range of regiment special operations and he told me something that I've always remembered and was they will not care what you say until they know that you care so until you show them respect until they know that they you care about them as not you know specialist Jones or private snuffer or whatever until you know that they care about them as a person they will not give a fine fuck what you have to say but listen to you because of your rank because they have to but my personal goal is I would want them to listen to my orders or not orders I want them to listen to me or respect me or at least give me that respect of paying some attention to what I have to say because they know I'm competent and because they know that I care like that's it if I didn't have my rank and I didn't have my uniform I would hope that they would still listen to me and pay attention to whatever I had to say because I earned their respect to begin with yeah yeah that's a huge difference like listening because of your rank but then like respecting you so like if you like for some reason this is just a scenario random like you've always the movies or whatever Hollywood like you lost your rank or whatever but these people still respect you and they're not going to take you order to whoever they're like we trust you with our lives because you are there for us and we know you have the right intentions for us and they're going to choose you over someone who's just a higher rank that goes far and like that could be used for anything like whatever your work is like doctors or you know like if you don't if you need someone to work with you like trust me I know what I'm doing to save the person or whatever I don't know I'm just showing examples out here but uh um oh yeah absolutely yeah yeah you're definitely right about that because like it's it's simple stuff it's very little things and these are like little leaderships uh little tidbits we call it free chicken just a little phrase but little bits of like leadership free chicken it's just like it's as simple as taking a minute or two to stop and genuinely ask someone out they're doing and if they're give some bullshit answer of like oh you know just live in the life sir whatever it is like just call him out and be like bullshit man what's going on what's bothering you it's just little things like that like showing interest in them as a person or if you see this private it's like I sort of like you know um you know they're working through lunch or something it's like what are you doing man like you've got a break like go eat it's like I gotta save money sir I'm like okay come with me and fucking copy the card take them to px and buy them a meal like it's a little things like that's all it takes for them to be willing to follow you to hell and back or covering their night guard shift or whatever it's like dude like you were tired you were working physically a lot harder than I am so get like an hour to arrest I got this like that's all it takes and just being consistent showing up every time and acting the same way regardless of how much stress you are under that's when the kind of shitty things about being a leader it's like no matter what you have to kind of put on a good face but you don't have to do it alone because you have your platoon sergeant or your company commander or your other lieutenant that give me no ambiela amen like it's just I'm having a real fucking hard time right now you know I'm gonna need you to help me through this and like you know how might get the boys through this because you got to show up and just be the same leader for them every time you can't be emotionally all over the place yeah you know I'm so happy to hear that because yeah sometimes it's it's important to know do a check on your mental health and like I kind of want to talk about that and like dealing with stress like how has the army you know approach lately on mental health with their soldiers and everything because I know PTSD is a real thing and everything and like how do they make sure people who are serving in our country are enlisted or about to serve how do they make sure their mental health is on point and checked in you know they don't kill themselves suicide yeah um I have a very cynical opinion of that but in short I feel like it's a lot it's very much on the soldiers to do with themselves which is unfortunate you know the army says they have all these great programs and whatever but now it's damn near impossible to get in there while you're working because they're only open during the times that you're working and they're closed on the weekends or whatever and all that stuff but um it's not impossible I mean I would hope that lower level leaders like lieutenants or like company commanders would take that seriously some don't which is very sad in my opinion and I think very negligent of their leadership it's very fucking cowardly of them to be quite frank that they think that their soldiers supposed to be able to just push through anything like we're all human we're all somebody's son or daughter or brother or sister and mother or father you know um that's that's another thing I want to bring to my platoon is like look like we all we all have you know embrace it like this or we know someone who wears one or you know we knew someone who took their own lives that's the unfortunate truth is probably every single person I will meet in my platoon is last someone to suicide in the military maybe multiple people um that's why like if you think it's okay well excuse my friends for like the next like two minutes but if you think it's being a pussy to go talk about mental health you're a fucking coward yeah that's that's the bottom line if you think it's check it out for you don't you don't have yeah because or don't don't don't afraid don't don't go ahead this is this is like it's it's it's yeah full range go for it don't have to pause this for it cool I wasn't sure if I had to be some of a professional or not but glad I don't have to so the way I look at it is this if you think that mental health makes you weak one you're fucking stupid I don't like you and if you think seeking out you're gonna punish your soldiers for that we're gonna have a real fucking problem I do not I have no space for that at all that's that's my like and I'll be all on it I will give my soldiers time if they need to if they're really struggling to go and talk to somebody because that being a good soldier is not just being able to pull a trigger or carry a heavy backpack being a good soldier starts with being a good brother being a good father a good you know son whatever good uncle and vice versa for women you know it starts with taking care of your immediate subordinates it's being a better team leader a better squad leader you know then that's where that starts and being a good person like that matters that's that's what's about to be a good soldier and like I talked with one of my mentors about this and I was like hey sir like the way I see it if it's not gonna make you more lethal more survivable or more more more more lethal more survivable right it has no space in the army but what I didn't mention to him is that in my mind being more lethal more survivable starts with all that stuff with being a better person at home because when you're better at home and everything is well set and squarely way back there you can be entirely focused on being a good soldier you know and that's the way I see it that includes entirely includes mental health so yeah I'm absolutely a huge proponent for it I I'm trying to personally go find like therapists to go talk to just about life in general like you know sometimes you feel down sometimes you feel like you're walking backwards or walking in place or you're not achieved your goals, even though you're doing stuff that, you know, less than 1% of the population that U.S. has ever done. You know, sometimes you need someone to help you organize all the things in your head and get it straight. And I feel like I need to do that as a leader one to like, set an example for my guys and be like, "Hey, I do it too." And if it got a problem, we'd do it. I don't fucking care. Kick fucking rocks. Not my problem. Like, it's a new age, like this stuff matters. If you think you can go to war and kill somebody and be just fine, you're retarded. Sorry. You were actually stupid. No one, even though it's, I would argue, war is probably part of the human experience just because humans are by nature aggressive and defend their whatever aggressively. I think war is part of the human experience. However, killing still messes people up just because it's part of our experience doesn't mean it's something we are built to experience. So, yeah, that's my take on it. Yeah. No, definitely. No, yeah. I appreciate you opening up about it because I think it's such a huge thing in like learning how to deal with stress and anxiety and like seeing it there because it's so crucial. And a friend of mine told me like, "I'm not sponsored by them at all, but like, you know, he's going through some rough patches." We'll just say and he used the app better help. And I guess like it's where you can find therapists around you. Oh, I don't know how the how the payment or insurance works, but they're, you know, certified therapists. It's an app. You download it and that you find what you're looking for, the type of person, man, a woman, you know, certain things talk, particular topics. And they find someone who can who can focus on that and help. So he said it's great. And just to give some insight going on my life and stuff is that, you know, I'm seeing a therapist this upcoming week because I had an anxiety attack or a panic attack in which is the hospital and all that. So I'm sorry, man. You know, just it's, yeah, man, I thank you. I mean, it's, you know, it's, I was thinking about, I don't know if this is a good thing, like Robin Williams, you know, someone who you think is so happy and everything, but deep down like the happiest ones are the most depressed ones. Now I'm not saying, I'm not saying I'm depressed or anything. I know I am happy. I truly am enjoy life. But just with like, like the inner stress, I guess that was in me or whatever, I just kind of like neglecting it and it was just building up in my consciousness to the point where it's just I couldn't breathe. And my heart was racing and it was tightening. I thought, you know, what the fuck is happening with which wrong? My heart, heart, heart, hope, it's just something wrong. And they're like, we did like the echo and all this, you know, EKG is testing my heart and it's like, you're fine. You're just having just had a really bad anxiety attack and they gave me some meds for it and only take it when it happens. But like, I'm like, fuck, like what, what is the cause of this? And of course, you know what's kind of going on in my life and everything. That will cause this type of stress. But I'm just like, it was, is it really that bad? And it's like, I'm now more aware than ever. You know, I'm not going to just like, like you're saying, just shine and ask, like, oh, this is nothing. You're just being a wimp. It's like, no, I need to obviously release this, whatever tension in me and talk to someone about it in fine ways. Like how to psychologically, you know, when I feel like getting stuff is getting tension, where breathing feels tight to like take a step back, breathe. And like whatever this therapist will tell me like, routines to what to do or steps, I need to really appreciate and take seriously because it was not a fun feeling. It was probably one of the scariest feelings for sure. I'm sorry, I didn't go through that man, but I appreciate you telling me, Ben. And you know, like I've said before, I've been with you through a lot, bro. So if you ever need help, just reach out, you know, almost a type of way. So. Yeah, man, you know, you know, I love you. Like you're like a brother, you and like shout out to the other, you know, shout out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100% like for real, like you guys are my day ones, you know, you've been my day ones and, and don't get me wrong. Like there's people, you know, that I'm close to, but like for the people who've been hell there and back with me, you guys understand. And it's like, it's not, I don't have to explain myself, you know, you just understand and then you just give me the advice instead of like judging or whatever, which I appreciate. And it's just likewise, honestly, always, you can always just hit me up or just event. I think that's such an important thing. Like, yeah, have your therapist talk about it, but if your therapist is for somebody that isn't there, because I understand they have other clients and everything, your close homies or cousin or relative or whatever, you know, just invent it out because it's sometimes, and this is the biggest thing I learn, um, especially with Ian is that they just want someone to listen, just, just listen. Don't even say anything they just want someone to hear what they're saying. And that is all. And I realize sometimes just being there, present and just listening to what they're saying, can go a long way to them that you have no idea. Yeah, I did. Feeling feeling like you've been heard is a huge thing. And that's like, that's why I also want to kind of find a therapist to, is like, even when I talked to like my parents and stuff, like not until lately, you know, I never really felt like they were really listening to what I was saying. You know, they're, they're probably the few people who I've kind of told some of this stuff to. And I've, I've probably told Merf and you, I think the most, you know, like I've told Merf, like I have like many anxiety texts, like quite often about like, you know, life and death and all that stuff. Because like, since I was 19, there's been someone significant or, you know, who played a major role in my life as passed away for the past like five years. So it's like, the kind of like, it doesn't mess me up, but like it makes me think about it a lot, you know. And, um, yeah, that's stuff like that. Like, I'm sorry I had to go through that, hopefully not alone when you had your anxiety attack, but it's not fun, man. No, definitely, I haven't an understanding of that. No, yeah, man. And it's not fun. And like, especially the death and like the people who we lost, you know, I like, what having the attack, it, like, it made me just think about, I don't know, maybe think about Spencer and move back from high school and then also Kamau. And then just my brother and then just like, if I make this through like, you know, I don't know, just like, I appreciate the people I just want them to know. And of course, like, in a shout out to Mama Evans, like she was like, she was there and like, she answered and she's like, she's like, what grant? And I was like, I was like, mom, mom, I'm having an anxiety. And then she, she, she like, realize I wish you're just calling for some bullshit, whatever, just like, okay, relax, you know, she was there. And it was just like, appreciative. And I know that feeling for sure, like, at least with my dad, you know, just because like, you know, he's like a tough kind of dude, you know, army, the stabs him as, you know, like with the little fucking thing, you know, with that, like whenever he won that medal, whatever thing. And just like, I understand like his generation was pretty tough and everything. And like, he looks at maybe my generation and he and like, oh, come on. But like, I think he, but he understands that's a doctor. I think thank God he's a doctor. He's that like mental health. It's a big thing. So like, there's some things. Yeah, I got tough it out. But there's also things where it's like, you need to express your feelings and not keep it in there. So yeah, it's hard for me to to sometimes talk to him about that. But like, I'm thankful to have you guys. And also, at least my mom who who hears me out, even though sometimes she's like, come on, you need to be like, fucking Miranda or like, you know, or Jack Moody, like just be strong. I was like, I am strong. I mean, maybe not like, like physically, we're working on it. But like mentally, like, like chill the fuck out. Like, come on, man. I like, what the hell? But it was just like a moment where it's just like, I need to like do some like, and I don't want to like keep be that simple person like self-love. But like, you know, just like take better care of myself, you know? Yeah. And sometimes that is like being maybe a little harder on yourself. But also just, I think the biggest part of it that our generation is to focus on is like introspection and self-regulation. So like really, really taking a count of what you were feeling and why understanding that because that, when you can, I guess almost diagnose where it's coming from, it makes it so much easier to deal with because it's not just some random attack or something on your mental health or your, you know, your emotional heart. Right? It's you now know where it's coming from and you can do something about it. Yeah, definitely. And I just, when I found that out, now I'm just like, and I think the biggest thing is like my brain sometimes when I'm busy, I'm totally fine. So like right now we're doing podcast stuff or I'm doing stuff, but like those times where it's just like, I'm by myself and I have nothing to think about. Obviously, my brain is going to be like, how's your breathing right now? How's your heart? And then it's just in my head. And then it starts to like, you know, make it harder for me to breathe and some shit. And I'm like, Oh, like, okay, bitch, fucking relax. You are totally fine. Like, stop causing your pain in your own, you know, fucking body and just chill. And I realize I just got to do activities or do something or just be exhausted, like just go do for a run or workout, like stop psychologically setting myself up for this shit. It's a weird fucking game or battlefield where everyone call it. Right. Well that's actually when I used to get nervous for things, it was like at what point we would have a ton of performance metrics that were very crucial to whether we passed or failed or got kicked out of that school. And so whenever I get nervous for that stuff, or I was just getting chewed out because that isn't what's stupid, like you know, again, nervous get chewed out by like a kernel whart. So I heard about like this box breathing method and it's apparently they teach it to seals, not that that means it's supposed to work, but it's something that worked for me. But I would like close my eyes. I would take a deep breath and you breathe for four seconds. That's your box you breathe in for four, hold for four, exhale for four and breathe in for four and start over again. And I would just shut my eyes and I would imagine seeing in my head like one, two, three, four and then I would hold it and then I would exhale for four and I would do the same thing over and over again. And it was a way of giving my mind something else to focus on like when you're trying to get rid of hiccups, you know, focusing on slowly sipping that water droplet by droplet. So it's a mental way to get rid of your hiccups, right? Yeah. I think that's great. Obviously just doing it when you're saying that, I was kind of doing it in the moment of breathing it. It's very like I realized everyone's different and everyone what works. But really like and that was something I looked up online that there was like like there were I know Google is a is an interesting place. Google should not be a doctor because the Google can be the randomist answers. But you know, I saw it on like it was similar to saying when having anxiety attack or something, you know, you got to breathe slowly. If you breathe fast, you're just going to call, you know, you're just going to, you know, the heart is just going to go rapid. So you just use it when you said, breathe slowly. What you're saying right now is just like, yeah, that really does where you just got to get your heart to relax, chill, and it's like the paperback thing. People breathe slowly in the paper bag kind of situation. Exactly. Yeah. I think it's a huge thing. And I think like that, those techniques need to be like, there needs to be like an easy way for people just to find this information. I mean, I know Google is so saturated with all this different stuff. We just need a, you know, first thing that comes with the list of basic things to help someone with anxiety attack make it simple. A, what could figure it out, you know, intelligence does not matter. A dog could figure it out. Like just keep it simple for people because when you're in that zone of freaking out or whatever trying to stay cool, it's hard to just like, for me to just to read something because like, I'm so focused on what's happening here and stuff, it's like, okay, stop this, try to focus what the instructions are saying and just do it. So yeah. Yeah, man. I mean, there's, I think they're taking a step generally in the right direction in healthcare when they not think it was the 411 hotline, the mental health hotline. I think that's good and really happy they made that because, you know, a lot of people just feel like they have no one to reach out to. And sometimes when you have a faceless stranger that just listens, then hopefully they're trained to listen the right way. I think that maybe just all the convincing some people need and hopefully it's helps in lives. So actually, I wanted to, yeah, definitely go back to something. I did something like you just say like, stop waiting. Oh, no, go ahead. No, no, you don't, you go ahead. You go first, you go first. It's fine. We could come back to one second, what we were saying. Well, I don't really remember what I was going to say, but you go first now because I was so excited what you were saying. So I don't come back to me. Okay. All right. I wanted to go back to something you said about like your mom saying like, you know, be stronger, tough like Miranda. That's not true at all. One, we're all tough. We're all tough in our own ways. And second, I am not, I'm just, I don't know good at making it seem like that, but dude, I don't think most people or any people have realized how much I've struggled with like internally, just like feeling one like I belonged where I was or two, like I always told myself I wasn't depressed or, you know, I'm just feeling sad or whatever. And I was like, dude, I was like straight up depressed. There's like times like multiple, multiple times, right? I sometimes may not even eat during the day or like I eat one meal. I spend like 14 hours in bed. And I like, you know, it's a, it feels like a task to get up and like go shave or, you know, take a shower or something before the start of the day or something. But yeah, dude, there's like their times. I've just, I felt so shitty and lonely and like just not good. And like the only reason it seems like I was doing stronger, like being a good friend or whatever is because I didn't want anyone to feel the way I felt. And like that's why I always go out of my way to like reach out to my friends because like I understand at least at their surface level, even if it's not full on depression, it still doesn't feel good, you know? And if I can do something to help my friends and people I care about, now feel that way then like, who am I to not do that? So I think people are strong in their own ways. No. No, definitely. I think, I think when she said that to me, like she obviously knows like, like mentally, I'm strong, especially like my incident now having anxiety attack, like the shit I've been taking on lately. And I think just sometimes, you know, you know how I could be just like, I just throw a lot of shit at her or whatever. She's like, okay, great, I calm the fuck down. Like, you know what I mean? Just like, but in general, yeah, I think we all like, I know I can handle stuff just and everything. It's just there's some things where it's like, you know, like the, I don't want to like make me sound awful here or anything, but like the boy prize will be like, I go to her for anything, like anything that's happening in my life. Like there's some things I realize I don't need to tell her just because, you know, she already has enough stress in her life. So it's like, if some super bullshit or whatever, that's happening. Like, you know what, I could figure it out or ask the homies or my neighbors, don't need to get her involved or whatever because it's something she just does not need to deal with, especially everything that's on her plate. So, yeah, so it was something like that, but no, I realized like we all, no one is strong. Like, like everyone has their struggle. Everyone has like, you take, you want to use the analogy, take like everyone has their kryptonite or whatever, you know, like exactly for me and or whatever. And it's like, this idea of being perfect is not exists in our world. Like, like perfect is weird in my opinion. The idea of being normal does not exist. We all have our flaws or our niches or whatever it is. And it's like, you need to embrace that. And when, and like the point of friendship and family and love, it's about like when you're at your low, the people who you consider and you know are there are supposed to get on your back and help you lift you up while you're down, while you until you can like, you know, rest and rejuvenate and get that energy back until you feel like you get back on your two feet. And I think that's so important for people to realize you don't have to do it all alone. Like as humans, we're supposed to be like collective and like, I don't know what the word is. I'm sorry for my vocab here folks. I'm just trying to be on the zone right now. Yeah, there we go. We're basically in tribe. So like, stop acting like this lone wolf, whatever, you know what I mean? Like it's important to be with your tribe and your people and to help you and when you're at your lows, while they're at their top because that's how we grow together. So all we connect with one another and like really be there like actually and like not the people say like there's some people is like, if you need anything, let me know. Like, like fuck those people. Like I mean the actual people who are actually there, who are your ride and fucking die. And like they don't actually just say it. They actually mean it. There's a difference. I realize that like growing up like the actually people who are actually there and not the ones who just say shit just to, you know, when the people around them, like, oh, he's a good person, but really he isn't. He doesn't mean it at all or she. Right. And that's like another thing, man. Like I think a lot of people are very at least now caught up with having, you know, in the same team of the tribe having the biggest tribe. But I'd rather have a tribe of three people who I know will never leave my side than a tribe of 30. I can't count on. Yeah, definitely. Like I thought about that a lot. And like I even thought about, you know, the people who I'm close to and like the work closed, you know, it doesn't mean you have to talk every day, you know, like at the beginning, I thought like, like I always have that idea. Like the close means who I'm with right now. I was like, no, like that idea was so, I don't know how like I'm ahead. I think maybe like Jesuit or whatever or some weird shit that all that shit back then with like your big group, but really like close means just who has your back, your right and die. And I thought about like the people who I consider and like for anyone who listens to this, like don't hate me. I'm just, this is just my perspective. You Jack Murphy, you know, Jack Moody, my folks, you know, my mom, my siblings too, even though like, well, you know, like yes, my siblings care, but like I'm not going to go to my issues just because I just feel weird to me for my siblings. I don't know. I just can't, I'm just not there with them, but with you guys, folks, Jack Moody, Jack Murphy, another Jack got so many jacks in this. And my neighbors and Jake and you know, as you know, my thigh and yeah, I think that's basically just thinking about that. That's basically just that that's toward core group, you know. And no offense to anyone else, but it's like, as you grow older, you like, and after you go to college in high school, you figure out the ones you stick around and the ones who you just you were just friends during that time when you were all together, but you know, it wasn't the bond wasn't sealed. Yeah, that was it's kind of funny like it's a cynical way of looking at it or maybe a nihilist way looking at it, but I always thought like when I die or if I died earlier unexpectedly because of whatever hazards of my job, you know, I have what who would I leave a video for? Because I know I want to leave a video for the people I care about and like, it obviously hits, you know, my family, my sister, my uncles and aunts and stuff. But like the one specifically I believe behind that, I remember it was always like Jack and you were always at the top of that list. You know, my friends that I wanted to talk to you before or if in the case that's something happened, you know. So yeah, so I mean, that's how I know where it's like there's never I never have to second guess that. That people I can call on and rely on. Yeah. 100% and I feel the same way and that means a lot just hearing that Chris and I think there was something that we talked about this like a long time ago, but it was like, you know, we talked about like your day ones and everything and it was like coming back from college and like trying to see people, but it like people just it never worked out and I understand there's timing and stuff, but always being that person who always had to make the plans always like, hey, you want to hang out and it's like, it's always you and it's like, why does it they hit me up? That's like when it for me, it started clicking like it was like, I think my day ones really because like they would try to hit me up. Why am I always the one? I understand some people are just not best at planning or whatever not aware, but it maybe because like you, and Murph were always like there just to hang out and stuff to hit me up or go to the golf range or some shit and it was like, yeah, that's that's what's up, you know. Yeah, do that's like another thing I realized is why I don't really have an issue with the friends I keep around me or having to choose who I keep around me is because it's who cares to even simply send a text something as easy as that who cares to do that. Yeah, definitely. I'm just a set and it's like like the one thing that I do like I grit because I got so busy with school and on engineering school is that I never went out to Sedona. That's the one thing where you guys went out. I like like still to this day you and Murph, I still feel shitty that I just couldn't make it out because I wanted to do that trip. So like truly, but it was just like that timing of like, you know opportunities for coming here and they were like, yeah, I'm in charge for looking at me like, if you're here to if you're here to do this, like, I need to know you're here to do it. And I was like, okay, though I want to see my friends, but like, this is like, it's like, you know, it's like a balance. Everything's a balance and like, it's like, I had to like, I feel like that was maybe not the right balance of like, yeah, I want to do this music industry. I want the opportunity when it's presented at me, but I also need a balance to make sure like my friends, you know, because you guys mean everything to me. And it's like, just want to say again, like, that's on me that I wish I came out. Well, great. You know, I love you, bro. And I'll tell you when you're doing something right, I'll also tell you when you're being fucking stupid. So I would have called you a fucking idiot if you would come to hang out with us because you've been working towards this goal for so long. And Jack and I still would be there at the end of the day. So if you would come out to Arizona, I would have slapped you kicked your ass back in the car and told you to go drive into your mentor. That means a lot to me. I mean, I still want to do like a big fit for something like this year we're going to make it happen. Like I'm still down to come to Georgia. That could be off the camera too, but like, you know, I mean, like we'll have to figure something out before before I'm still like, I mean, we'll make something happen. Even when you do go to Korea, I still a bucket goal for me to go out there. Absolutely. I want to come visit me too. Well, do some care. Yeah, man, I make a whole fucking trip. Yeah, man. Yeah, that'd be great. Tell me what's up. Go for it. Go for it. You just let me know I got weekends coming up and I can figure out my schedule if they tell me. So yeah, if you feel like coming down for a weekend or something, then I'm free. Yeah, man, I never been down to the South. So like, it's been like a bucket list of my hearing mean. Yeah, I could take a go shooting some of the shooting ranges out here to check out some of the hiking and stuff. Oh, yeah, I'm here for it. I'm also here for the country women. I'm here for it all like this. There's not a whole lot of country women in Columbus, Georgia, but we can maybe take you to Auburn or Atlanta. Oh, yeah, there we're going for that. Well, that was a perfect segment into my question was like, yeah, what I'm just curious about the army. Is that like what is it's what's it's rules on like cadets mingling or creating relationships like is that the army is against that because or are they fine with it? Well, we're not cadets anymore, but when we were sorry, they can't say sorry. No, it's not good. When we were I know people who had relationships with someone who was an officer of second lieutenant while they were cadet. I mean, I know people so the general rule is it's called fraternization. I'm probably featuring that we call it fret for short. You can't fret. So officers in the list that cannot have relationships. Generally, you can have them between enlisted and enlisted and officer and officer why I don't know it seems kind of a class is to me, but as long as you were not in the same China command or in the same unit, then it's generally fine. I would probably say like make sure that people are in different battalions. I mean, there's plenty of dual military couples that are out there, you know, where you know, wife and husband are both a military or husband and husband wife and wife. That's not uncommon at all. So yeah, it's really just kind of up to the commander. It's commander's discretion and they'll make the call on that. That's great. Yeah, I just was curious like if that's always a tricky situation, you know, I don't know. I always felt like they always have to be careful if you have someone here within the army and like I guess more, maybe it's like if they're the general and you're like something lower like a private or something you have relationship with them, then you start using. Like like levels like you know, it's like a social climber. You just kind of get up the range because of their level. It's like I didn't know that to be careful with that aspect. I hope that wouldn't happen because generals are about like between 50 and whatever 45 and 60 years old and private are like 17 and 18. So. Okay, that's some Harvey Weinstein. They're shit. Oh, yeah, there are cases of which is pretty bad because adultery is actually a UCMJ punishable offense for officers. Actually, I think in the military in general. Yeah, but there's been cases if actually our former post commander here for bedding was banging some like lieutenant or whatever who is his secretary or something like that or aid. And she made like major in like five years, which is unheard of because captain is the longest rank in the army. I mean, you can make captain in like probably three and a half to four years, but you have to spend like 10 years almost a captain or five to six years of captain minimum to become a major. And she made major in five. Born of would have loved that little script. Yeah, I'm surprised he didn't get fired. I think he might have resigned himself or whatever. Yeah, that's that's just, you know, those stories you hear that like there was the time like you tell these like secretary just that story. It's like I remember it was Mother's Day and we went to nap on my folks. And you're like, where the fuck is this going? And like, and so we went to this French restaurant and then we parked the car next to it. We left in like this, this like truck was just watching my folks, my family's car and like my dad was like, hmm, it seems like he'd get this bike store that's closed. So he's like looked in knocked. He opened the door. It was open. He's like right here. He goes in and like he sees a door with a light open. And he just walking. He says, hello, hello, no one's answering or it's answering at all of a sudden you just see the owner because you know, you see the owner's face on the store. Yeah, fucking straight fucking maybe the secretary or a bike odor or maybe his wife. I don't know. And he's like, hello. And the girl screams and the guy's like, yeah, he just keeps on going while my dad's there. It's like, can you move your car? And then like, yeah, give me a second. And then my dad was like, guys, I he he lifts to my mom. They're they're fucking and then like, Wally sees the word like she's good reading lips. They're fucking and everyone around us just look at us like, what the guy comes out. He's the whole family and my sister says, add on. I got on. We're all looking at it. Oh my God. He just told them what you're doing. happened and it was just like one of those moments is like what the fuck like what the fuck oh man that's good man Jesus yeah yeah how was it just one of us tell your folks us to hide by the way man I've been seeing them in a minute yeah honestly yeah I definitely will like my like my mom always you know tell Chris catch on gonna pocket tell say tell her mama Evan says you know thank you she loves you and everything you know you always just being there especially like for Ian you know anything because like that that means the most to us I wasn't like that bro and I hope he ends doing better now I know that was real rough for him he's doing good you know I guess I guess the only I think well there's two out of top what I want to talk about just for this podcast and we I guess was to with Ian it was just one about like you know we talked like he works well with the segment we're at but you know mental health just going back to that it's like I think the biggest thing and I don't think it's just Ian I think there's other people too about it it's just like relationships and that's been a big thing you know with Ian and Seth and and 12 for other people I'm not gonna put you know in spot like for that but it's that you know understanding like self love going back to that kind of idea of it's like you know I understand everyone wants to be in a relationship and start out when you're young sorry there's that fire truck just passing by ignore that okay everyone wants to be in a really ship and that like you know I some people do some people don't but it's like you got to learn and don't get me wrong I was it simple for a while for a long time when I was young but then realizing that you got to make sure like it's a balance again like your career and stuff like you can't like being like 23 now and like going to Tucson and having my fair share of partying and all that stuff and then being in the city here it's like yeah that's great you know me and girl or or if you're like guys whatever it is but you got to make sure you put yourself first you know and like trying to explain that to Ian and stuff I understand he listens but it just goes out the other year and like you know I mean like you can't worry about it you know what I mean there's uh it's it's just gonna take life experience man he's gonna have to have you know some of that down to disappointments and heartbreaks before he really understands it but I mean I'm pretty sure I told you this I've ever been in like a serious relationship I just have common sense and learn very quickly from other people I mean I've had plenty of fail talking stages or like three four months of whatever going on but you know never a long-term girlfriend like a year or more so I don't even know if that's considered long-term or not but the way I see it man like yeah I've learned throw okay yeah there you go so over you definitely nowhere near that but um I've learned I guess unfortunately the hard way is that like it doesn't matter how much happiness they'd bring you if there's there's a lot of things honestly that go into relationships I guess it would start with like I would say like the power dynamic of a relationship if you feel like someone is loading themselves over you where it's like yeah I'm trying to figure out how to put this in words someone is always like oh I'm I'm so special you're so lucky to have me you can never get anyone else like me obviously that's a horrible thing to say to anybody especially someone you claim to care about like that's just fucking awful you should never make someone feel lesser of a person or that they should feel grateful for having you you should feel grateful for having that person because of how they show and express their love and care right so they should show their gratitude for having you through their actions in their words as well but obviously actions more importantly and a relationship should never be your whole life it should be a happy addition to it but I think that's probably part of the reason why I've never been in a long-term one because I don't think I've found anyone that I just felt so comfortable with that my life was going so well that they were making it better by being there just it felt forced in some cases and not the right thing to be doing at that time for myself so yeah relationships are tough they're the very dynamic and potentially volatile if not handled the right way but yeah our our generation is slowly learning that and I think there's a lot of maturity maturing that needs to happen in the years between 20 and 25 or whatever there's a whole lot of life that happens in those five years so yeah fact you're speaking so facts and it's like that was like one thing like again my mom always said to me like you know you as a in your 20s is a whole is a whole completely different person than your 30s you're a totally different person like when you're 30s that's when you kind of like become who you really are because you've been through life and you've seen everything kind of like you settle down and everything and it's like I totally get it like you know what I mean like and also like relationships for when's out there I'm not with I'm not a relationship there because I'm just telling you just do like again just this is all just an experience and just like giving knowledge for people they could take here that can leave it whatever you want from this podcast but you know you feel it everything's a feeling you know you know what I mean you it's it's a feeling that if it's right it's right if it's wrong it's wrong and I mean just saying like I've been I've made shout out to you and Merck always been there for me with all the bullshit relationships I was come to you or whatever I say this or that or whatever and like looking back like yeah like all the relationships I've been in it was all the girls and everything they all been like they happen they weren't and like listen I don't mean just how like an asshole that's not what I'm saying but it I'm not gonna say it wasn't real but it's just it wasn't it wasn't looking back like it wasn't the right person maybe that moment thought it was because you're in that honeymoon stage but none of it was right there's only maybe like one girl where like still today my folks are like how why did you fuck it up blah blah blah blah blah on everything and it was like I was like listen we yes she technically she like on the books look perfect but like there are things you know that like we you know it was easy it's easy to it was easy to communicate with her and everything and stuff like that but there's things that she wanted I did it one and I was just like then that just shows you like like if she was never gonna change that's the big thing it's all about communications and if you know they aren't gonna change something that it really matters to you then it's like obviously that isn't it so it's like you know you just got a it will happen I realize understand apps like they're they're good so I help you and a rack with people and start something but I'm just again I don't know maybe I'm just an old soul but I'm just so down just with letting you happen you know what I mean just like yeah absolutely force it's too force with the apps and then you go and you get the drink or go hang out or do whatever and then you know you feel like it to put on a show or something you know how long you hang with this person and it's like I rather just like live my life I'm in my lane and if this other person somehow comes into my lane and it works perfectly what's going on my life and like there's no like commitment or there's no like oh could we went on this day like this is supposed to happen it's like no if it does it does and if it doesn't that's okay like I'm at that point in life where I'm not trying to force it you know I think that was the biggest thing is just of time and I think you'll take Ian will learn and people and Ian's like his friends because they're talking to me all this about it it's like you know you can't force stuff like this it will happen when it wants to do definitely man and that's like I'm with you too like honestly these dating apps are like pretty fucking sad bro like they all just they it's weird because like the offset between like the amount of male and female users and whatnot and so it just makes you feel like trash like where I know we're both we're both non-models we're not models but we're not the ugly either bad looking dudes either sorry I don't like using the word ugly that's not good word we're not like conventionally unattractive either we're I'd say like relatively average above average slightly above average looking dudes but like on those apps nothing get nothing what if we get like you know respond back or whatever most times yeah and it's like just kind of makes you feel like trash but like I'd rather meet someone like generally strike up a conversation with them and feel like you can communicate with them and like it's not a chore to see them like is they make time for you they make you feel important so you know so wait and to find that yeah man well I agree and it's like something like at least in here in San Francisco like some of the people on the apps and again for the people who listen to this and for from San Francisco or any of the girls who who have met me and everything who actually do say they listen to my podcast nothing against you just understand that but grant grant I'm gonna stop you right there you remember I told you if you're being an idiot you're being an idiot I don't apologize no no words don't apologize for what you say if you're gonna say it say what you just that is true I'm not okay. I'm not gonna find I'm just gonna say this is what it is is that Kind of lost a train of thought right there, but no, I have I have it is that a lot of these a lot of these girls Seems to me even just talking to them like some of them I we just became friends, which is great It's that they've just used the app when they're bored. You know any mean they're not actually they're just here to have just It was kind of fuck just a fucking feel you know any mean just like actually not serious and it was like And I just like that's most of the people in that pool there like they're just kind of going for the external validation, you know Which is pretty much stuff exactly like you know you're playing with somebody and like Potentially playing with their emotions if you get deep enough into it like why would you do that to someone? Well, yeah, and just also like where I'm at like the Marina particularly I would I want to say I'm the best fit here Just because a lot of like the frasher already people kind of here and just like like those type of folks and like I think Against those folks, but we just don't like we don't really vibe that well I should I should have they like hate as peri or the mission or you know like Berkeley You know what I mean because as we all know like I'm just into the whole like yeah, yeah Ruby whatever so I could down like whatever you want a fucking call of folks like invest the tarz and Swooms and all that stuff, but like like people here are just like those people with the with the flip the caps and they the wear all the workout clothes and like you know They just look like they're just like just douchebags in my opinion sorry, but like it's just it is what it is here And I'm saying like everyone here is like that like my neighbors are super chill And like I hang out with them a lot, but yeah like some of the like I realize like you could just tell like who works what what is the right vibe and it's like I realize like for me I don't use the apps anymore. I just leave them all and I'll shout out to again to like Jake, you know like I met a lot of his friends at like one of his close friends I'm close to his name is Dean and Dean lives in the mission and He throws a lot like parties like events like real like you see like in the indie movies this stuff like house parties or Adventure that he likes to plan stuff and like And he always invites me and I go to him and it's just like It's a great way to meet people and I enjoy that so much and like mind you like they're I mean Jake and that those group of people are a little bit older than me But you know they're cool with me joining them and stuff and like hey, I met I met one chick who was totally five or five eight and I was like Okay, let's see where this can play you know, let's see where it goes, but yeah, I'm so down with that I'm also just trying to be like Not awkward. I think COVID has made us like so introverted a bit where like if you meet someone It's like you feel weird trying to start a conversation with someone you don't could you don't want to come off weird or anything Yeah, like or like maybe they have headphones in but and like you don't want to bug them because they're doing something But sometimes I got out something which is where headphones here and they don't have music They just use it so they don't have to talk to anyone which I thought was totally fucking weird I was like what kind of crazy person is why I try to have another conversation with another person like what's wrong with us Okay, I'll be honest. I would do that sometimes. I mean, we're not a lot of where them in uniform But like I would just not want to be bothered like I'm just kind of annoyed with the day. I'll put my headphones in and Just walk around or whatever and I get that okay that airport is a whole different game Yeah, I get that you're like that's like you're tired or coming from somewhere or going somewhere and it's just airport It's very stressful. I don't know what to deal with that is but when you yet to get to three hours early just for fly It's a whole yeah, it's so it's so interesting for Christmas and New Year's I'm pretty sure I'm flying in and out of SFO or at least into Oh Come say craft, yeah, well, I mean I might be getting it in midnight. I think I still need to buy my flights But I'll let you know men if I'm flying out of San Jose or flying out of a SFO try and get up there. Oh, yeah, we can hang out for a little bit Yeah, well shit. I'm just thinking about it last time I saw you was in Berkeley fuck that would I know Man, yeah, that was when I headed down here in July Yeah, I think so also you wore that cool Oh, sure, you know with all I need to find that shirt. I love that shirt. I want a pair of that like I got it If you're gonna find it in the States man, I got it when I went to India. I probably should have worn that for this, huh? It is what it is. It's cool. I mean if you know if you remember the store or Have relatives that can pay power if I'm you then mo I'm here for it because that is a cool cool shirt It's like it just represents what I'm all about and Yeah, man, that's that's awesome to hear and then I guess the last question I had just for rap the whole podcast Well, I guess now there's two I have another one. Okay, let's come in man. This is the second one, but And this is the thing I always have a talk with everyone is that like how America has it changed and like how Political parties are just all extremists now. You just got extreme left you got extreme right and I don't agree on both sides. I'm just like a moderate man like I'm just like can I agree with some I like I'm down For liberals and I'm down for like actual like Republicans, you know what I mean? I'm not talking about the crazy like Trump coups. I'm like I understand both like the you know Back in the day where like it was in the extreme or maybe it was and I was just young and I just didn't fully understand at the time But you know, I mean do you think America's have just gone just extreme on both sides. There's no it's hard to have a middle ground now people Yeah So that's also that's could that's a deep question of But to begin with like I do agree that there's polar opposites in the country. However, I don't tend to use the word extreme with that because the way I view extremists is like, you know Taliban and ISIS like those those are extremists Those are the people who are You know just bend and pervert all those messages and whatever Far left and far right absolutely far. Yeah, there we go. Yeah far left and far right absolutely But what I think people would come to believe if they would just put down their fucking phones and talk to somebody and Have those uncomfortable conversations with respect. That is the biggest thing is no one fucking respects someone else's opinion if it's something different That's what they need to work on with this kind of like open debate in discussion that we shouldn't be having with each other The common Americans should be engaging that kind of conversation with other people They need to remove themselves from echo chambers put themselves in other party shoes See what things are like and I think they'll find that the most most Americans are moderate They're like you and me you and you and I have lived very different lifestyles However, we don't I mean we probably do disagree on some stuff does it change that we're best friends. Absolutely not Right, so like I think that's what most Americans would find and I think media is just so Fucking like cynical and like cancers at this point that like it's it's useless to watch American media. I don't follow any of them I get most of my Most of my news from International sources like British news. Al Jazeera Al Jazeera Europe Al Jazeera Middle East Al Jazeera, Mina, which is like Middle East and North Africa Um a lot of this stuff where I I follow a lot of accounts on Instagram that are Combat or conflict focused So it keeps you updated and posted on like the conflicts are going on around the world But then it also touches into the geopolitical part of that and like the importance of it and like why that Matters to Americans why it should matter You know, so there's other ways you can find them and they're not They're not left. They're not right. They're incredibly unbiased. You know, fortunate to think about that is is that there's some of the accounts I can ban the most which I do not fucking understand and tries me up a wall It's almost like major media sources are trying to polarize people Which is unfortunate because I think like That we we can be so much stronger and better together that like if you let the common American see How close their values are to their neighbors and we could do so much better as a country Yeah, definitely it's it's like Like again shout out to mama Evans. I hear my mom. She's like like the media is supposed to be just for information It shouldn't it shouldn't be entertainment and it's definitely become now entertainment Which is like it's supposed to be boring. It's just supposed to inform you that is all it's not supposed to like Get it real or create an emotion. It's just supposed to tell you what's happening that is it But we love to spin off ideas or not show the full picture and it's it's spot. It's so fucked and then like You know, I feel like before all this the whole Trump era or whatever it was like My friends like it might didn't matter if you were a public interliberal or independent or whatever the fuck you were like We were all like we respected each other for what it was and like both I didn't would destroy a friendship because then when Trump happened and all that stuff and then well I should pull up it's more media, but then you know You know what I'm talking about. It's just like it caused this whole fireball where everyone was like oh I guess I should be thinking if they don't agree with me then we can't be friends or some shit or whatever and it's like Whoa, whoa, let's all chill the world fuck out here like like yeah why are we just trying to why are we just trying to cause drama that doesn't need to happen and you know those like scars like those guys yeah sorry yeah yeah for like those those people like divided and like that division was happening even leading up like on the tail end of the Obama administration we could see carry over to the Biden administration and it's like it's insane that you can't have a conversation with somebody about it have a have discourse with somebody you know a disagreeing conversation and like that's that just blows my mind like how do you ever expand your scope and like your thought process as a person if you don't listen to the other side if you put yourself in an echo chamber that does you know good it did it fucking does you worse honestly yeah it definitely does and it's like I don't know it makes it harder for people to like build connections or bonds you know and I I folks always told me never talk about politics or religion to people that's just how like they told me growing up you know it's not important but it's like it's like we should talk about it yeah but like exactly respect but respect but we respect each other you know what I mean like yeah like you're giving me a party view and I respect you and you you'll give me my point of your respect you don't have to like you see the angry carons out there or whatever just fucking flipping out and it's like if they don't get it their way it's like you're actually like fucking china then man you're like you don't get it your way you're just be like good all whatever it's like chill the fuck out like it's it's ridiculous and so like I feel like somehow it would be great if like all the power went out or something or media sources just got bay under something because like it's ridiculous like we all need to I feel like I don't know weird ideas that like you know we're heading to this like you know this tension like we're talking about like a panic attack like a bottle just you know filling up filling up filling up to a point is just gonna be like it's just gonna explode and then we're gonna go back and restart from ground up again you know like I don't know how to explain it but that's how it feels like right now it's just about to explode and we're gonna have to start all over again yeah man I mean I've thought about that and like generally I've seen I've looked at that whole thing at like a global scale like how it affects the US and like mainly from a military point of view obviously like that's that's what I do so like that's ten that's how I tend to look at things at this point in my life you know it's not how much gonna look at things but like I believe in the goodness of the average American I really believe that we can do great things as a country if we just you know we're able to put our differences aside like we can do so much good like we are the we are one of the most affluent countries on the face of the planet we are one of the strongest military powers and those can do a lot than not not because left fighting wars because we have the ability to project that power but that also means we have the ability to bring all the aid and assistance that comes with those things I don't think a lot of people realize just how much humanitarian work the US Navy the US Coast Guard the US Army does like they're in if we like solely focused on like talking my headphones are telling me the batteries low that's fine so I got some time um if we really focus on just drawing back on that and like fixing America first we're gonna lose that title is super power but I don't think we'd lose those alliances like I talked about before you know they're living and breathing friendships with other countries and that's not just gonna go away overnight but I think that the common American is capable of a lot of good and I think we have just been so forced into believing that that's not possible that we've lost sight of what we used to be capable of doing as a country so it's it's sad because I feel like fuel in my bones that that's possible and I hope that we can see that you know one day again during our lifetime but yeah man yeah preach like I felt everything you said there because it's it's a weird dark time and confusing time we're in right now and I know the good I know the good will always prevail it will shine even though in dark time we're just in this rough patch and the good always conquers evil I believe and so it just takes time for us to get back on the right track and uh what just how shit do we just end thank you cut out on me man so just um what the fuck just happened okay so it's it's me on the podcast christius left and yeah well I guess I could just end it here you know um yeah we're just we'll just end it here anyways all right guys that was the point you know we're in some weird times it will get better we just gotta like understand their differences but if we're off it just come together and hear each other out and try to work with each other I know that's not that's not it's not easy said than done but really just just talk I think talking communication so important to hear about it a lot and it's like people tell you like the one thing how people work strive together is communicating so if we can get to that level of being mature and communicate and not to start screaming and acting mature we can get back to a better place so we're gonna leave it off with that and uh thank you again to christ maranda and yeah this was the grandtastic podcast it christ probably says we'll say thank you for being on this so anyways I love you guys fix water and have a good day.