November 6, 2025 • 51 mins
Hunter's Point and Treasure Island. FDA transparency, the rise of a global right wing. Recalibration. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is
riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or
learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A
production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, my
name is Noel.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
They call me Ben.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
We're joined as always with our super producer Dylan the
Tennessee pal Fagan. Most importantly, you are here. That makes
this the stuff they don't want you to know. Welcome
back to our weekly listener mail program. Folks, if you
are tuning in the evening this publishes, we proudly join
(00:53):
you on Thursday, November sixth, just a day after Guy
Fox Day. Remember remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, trees
and plot. We see no reason why gunpowdered treason should
ever be for good.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, well I forgot it. It was yesterday.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Dang right, we're recording this on November fourth.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So Yo, where am I? What is this? What am
I trapped in this thing?
Speaker 5 (01:23):
Well?
Speaker 4 (01:23):
I hope I've got I've got an issue for all
our fellow conspiracy realists right now, as we've returned from
the High Seas, as we're exploring so many strange and
bizarre allegations of things. Guys, I've got a lot of roots,
but I don't have any vegas Tennessee. Can you help
(01:43):
us out. We got the roots, we need some bagas.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
Actually this sound's a little different. Do you remember when
DVDs had trailers at the beginning?
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yes, I do.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Like that you had to watch and there's nothing you
could do about it.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
Yeah, so that I kind of find myself in that situation.
This weekend, I was going through some old ones and
I found my copy of Monkey Bone with Brendan Fraser. Oh,
and I saw this trailer and I just ripped the
audio because it sounds familiar and I wanted to see
if you remember it.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Okay, every goat player reindeer games.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
In a world obsessed with lugumes.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Well, I can't get enough of these chickpeas.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
One hacker isn't brave enough to eat root vegetables.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Hello, downloading three megabytes of rude vegas now.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I mean he's about to dig up a conspiracy de
wil shock the world. Well, president has been compromised.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
If he's going to destroy all the beans.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
And only he can stop it from happening.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
WHOA, I'm in the main frame.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
But he's gonna have to learn to love cyber lugumes
along the way.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I cannot download another glima.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Bean right now.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Cubson Centauri is Rudebaka man in Lugume Breach.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
The new thriller by director Don Parmesan come into sears
because this concept makes zero sense.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Poetry take up aside Shakespeare. Thank you so much, Tennessee.
Thank you to everybody who tunes into our weekly listener mail,
if only for our Route Bega updates. It is our
favorite part of this program. We are not going to stop.
It is part of our blood covenant with our corporate overlords.
(03:25):
We are going to hear a lot of a listener
mail because there was some stuff, guys, there was some
stuff we needed to follow up on from our time abroad.
So let's say we take a break for a word
from our sponsors and we get right into some stuff,
starting with the FDA.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
And we have returned with the aforementioned communication regarding the
Food and Drug Administration. Drug Administration communication coming to us
from Sarah was me Hi, guys, big fan of your
show and also a fan of pro public a journalism
(04:10):
us too. Sarah was me a pair of recent articles
about the FDA's systematic lack of transparency and prescription drug
manufacturing caught my eye and I wanted to share the
links with you. I don't know if it counts as
a conspiracy so much as legal cya policy that means
cover your ass. I know, highly technical legal jargon here,
(04:32):
but appropriate. But I think this quote from the article
link below is pretty telling. I think we would agree here.
It goes, they didn't want you to do anything that
would make the industry mad. It was not what do
we need to do for public health? It was what
do we need to do to keep the FDA out
of court? That took precedence. This is the link to
(04:56):
the big article. Anyone out there in conspiracy land that
wants check it out, do go to ProPublica dot org
and the article is entitled is your medication made in
a contaminated factory? The FDA won't tell you? By Debbie
sin Zipper and Megan Rose. And I'm just gonna give
you a little bit of the highlights that they drop
(05:18):
at the beginning of their articles in very helpful fashion. Oh,
just to finish the letter, excuse me, there's a second,
shorter companion piece on the steps pro Public reporters took
trying to investigate the manufacturing source of a commonly prescribed
generic cholesterol drug, believe that is lippitour The research path
is interesting to me just from a process point of view,
and you can find that article as well by searching
(05:41):
for Here's what happened when pro public reporters tried to
find out where a popular prescription drug was made. That's
the headline, and this is I was mistaken. They're talking
about the another blockbuster drug, Lipatory is mentioned in the
larger investigation that we're about to get into, but this
one is about at or vastatin, generic drug that is
for high cholesterol manufactured by Qualant. So let's jump right
(06:06):
into some highlights from the larger piece. Huge thanks to you,
Sarah was me for turning us onto this. I read
it a handful of times and it is just absolutely
just deep. It goes deep and really is about some
stuff that they don't want us to know one, so
huge thanks for turning us on to this article. We're
(06:28):
going to jump right into some highlights hidden drug names.
For decades, the FDA has blacked out the names of
generic drugs on inspection reports for foreign factories that were
found to have safety and quality violations.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So that's really weird to me. This is the concept
that the FDA has inspected these factories in foreign countries
and they've found that there are major problems in the factories,
but then they just they're saying they hide the names
of the generic drugs that are made there on purpose redacted.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
That's right, patients in the dark. The practice has prevented patients, doctors,
and pharmacists from knowing whether manufacturing failures have made medications
that they are prescribing and using an effective or unsafe.
Consumers are limited in what they can learn about the
quality of their drugs because labels on pill bottles often
don't list the manufacturer or the factories address. The big
(07:25):
takeaway here is that an Indian factory is one part
of the investigation, was found to have been infested by
pigeons in a storage room that had defecated on boxes
of supposedly sterile equipment. In another site of inspection, pathogens
contaminated purified water that was used in the manufacturing of drugs,
(07:49):
and in a third site, stagnant urine had pooled on
a bathroom floor not far at all from where injectable
medications were made. So the FDA did run these inspections.
They did release the grim reports around these facilities, which
is why Republica knows about them. But they blacked out
(08:11):
the names of the drugs produced at these facilities because
they routinely do this, keeping this information a secret from
the public, because they make the argument, or rather their
lawyers make the argument that this could potentially cause them
to run a foul of drug manufacturers who could consider
this revolving around trade secrets. This is so weird to me,
(08:35):
it's really wild. It reminds me of exposs like about
the meat packing industry, you know, like the jungle and
all this stuff, just to hear and I know, there's
only a handful of of these factories or these facilities listed.
I'm sure the entirety of you know, pharmaceutical manufacturing isn't
infested with pigeons and rat feces. But the fact that
they block these out and they aren't required to legally
(08:57):
is an overly cautious interpretation of a law that requires
the government to protect trade secrets. It seems like the
fd IS mission is to protect the public is to
protect the public from harmful contaminants, and also a lot
(09:18):
of these problems could lead to less effective versions of drugs.
Another thing that the piece points out is that when
you or I, any of us, go and get a
prescription refilled, it is up to the discretion of the
pharmacy as to which generic you get. I recently switched pharmacies.
I take a half for many years taken a daily
(09:38):
medication for a thyroid thing, and I recently switched pharmacies,
and the new ones that I got from there completely
different shape. I mean they look completely different. So absolutely
a different generic. And then you know, Publics versus Kroger
or what have you. But who knows if one of
those two generics was produced to one of these factories.
I don't because I have no way of finding out
(10:00):
because it's blacked out.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
So okay, So in listening to that list of problems
that are at these factories, do we know if anybody
has actually been harmed at all by any of these generics?
Like is there something to measure?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
We can't know because we don't know where they came from.
They won't tell us. I don't. There isn't anything mentioned
here specifically about you know, direct harmful effects of this.
But I think that's the problem there is that we
don't know, and there's a I believe a pharmacist, there's
references in this piece who really tried to kind of
connect the dots and the metadata, and even in her
(10:36):
with all of her knowledge of the industry and you know,
the inner workings of pharmacy, was not able to figure
it out. Doctor Janet Woodcock, who's the head of drug
safety at the FDA, said to Pro Publica that she
favors releasing drug names, but also said it probably wouldn't
be that useful to members of the public and a
(10:57):
little condescending here. Maybe I'm not saying she's wrong, but
she said, you guys think you're all like citizens, scientists
and you can figure out what this means, and it's
just not the case. Woodcock, who spent nearly four decades
as the at the FDA before retiring early last year.
So the piece goes on to say, even if the
FDA opted to disclose the drug names and it's reports,
there's still significant hurdle that can prevent patients from knowing
(11:19):
if their medicine was made in a deficient factory, because
labels on pill bottles often don't list the names of
the manufacturer or include a factory address. I think it's
a good place to leave it. Ben, I'd love to
hear what you think about this. Really, we talked recently
about meat packing and the you know a lot of
these the actually on ridiculous history. We did an episode
on the radium era and how that material was just
(11:42):
absolutely you know, used in all kinds of things and
it led to the creation of OSHA and workplace oversight
and you know, people getting contaminated. This to me almost
feels like a throwback to those days.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yeah, thank you so much, Sarah was me for support
to our show and for contacting us with a story
that I agree needs to be more in the public sphere.
Big shout out to the sources that you provided us,
specifically the journalist Debbie Centespear and Megan Rose. I agree,
(12:15):
this feels like a possible episode in the future, and
especially you know, the one thing that I think we
all clocked here, Sarah was Me, was the as Noel mentioned,
the slightly condescending quote, perhaps out of context by Woodcock. Oh,
civilian scientists somehow don't deserve to know, or it wouldn't
(12:39):
do them any good to know. Transparency in the FDA is,
to steal a line from Fox News important now more
than ever.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
There's this quote an ear in the article. It says,
in interviews, several former FDA officials now say they support
releasing the drug name. But this person, Woodcock and others
said they did not question the redactions while they held
positions of power at the agency.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
And right their evolving door.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Doesn't that tell you exactly?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Tell you?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
I also want to shout out here, Sarah was me
from your excellent correspondence which set us on quite a
rabbit hole. I want to shout out the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Association because they have a line from one of their reps,
Lisa Solberg, who sums it up very well in Pro
(13:34):
publica fillow conspiracy realist. Here. This well quote says, Lisa,
we've made this almost impossible for consumers to be their
own best advocate. We want our food labels to tell
us exactly how much carbohydrates are in them, but the
things we are taking to combat diseases we literally know
(13:55):
nothing about. It reminds me of the rule where over
the OTC medication just has to technically include the active ingredient.
Tut tut tut.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
There's the thing in here about how Switzerland at one
point wanted to get a hold of inspection reports that
the FDA had made on these generic factories, but the
FDA said, oh no, we can't do that. We cannot
release complete inspection reports even to other governments, like even
to other allies. Why And this concept is not about
(14:31):
safety at all. It's about making the drug manufacturers, the
industry itself, making them angry with the FDA, which could
then lead to lawsuits. So it's all about keeping the
manufacturers and the money happy in all of these things. God,
that's so crazy. Even Switzerland is just like, hey, can
we just see the inspection reports and the FDA says no, no, yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
No, you're right on the money, Ben, It's definitely worth
a deeper dive expiration. And there's other other things that
we could you know, compare this to throughout history for sure.
So huge thanks to you. Sarah was me for this correspondence.
I think we're gonna pause here, take a word from
our sponsor, and then come back with more messages.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
From you, and we have returned. I think we earlier
shouted out long time conspiracy realist Jay, who wrote to
us about the Tatum Salt Dome. And Jay, we got
or Ja Querramafon. Remember how we add such a time
(15:38):
pronouncing that name.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Oh yes, what did we do? We did?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Conference? Does he play for I love it?
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Right?
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Is that a key and pealed reference?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Of course?
Speaker 4 (15:49):
My guy?
Speaker 5 (15:49):
All right?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
So, uh, Jay, just a quick shout out to you.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Part way through researching a response to your question about
Tatum saltz Home, we did find the episode we did
on nuclear testing in Mississippi, and it just reminded us
how long we have been at this strange enterprise. So
thank you everybody. Do check out the episode. It stands,
(16:19):
it stands to be worth your time. Guys. I wanted
to open this part of our weekly listener mail with
that maya kulpup to Jay, and also with a great
message we got from a longtime fellow listener over in
what I imagined to be New Zealand. But we won't compromise.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Tom.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Tom you wrote to us on Instagram and said, just
listen to your skunk Works episode. Have you all ever
wondered if part of why we haven't gotten UFO disclosure
yet is because it's all outsourced, the Lockheed, and therefore
not something that can be foid. Governments might not be
when they say they don't know, Maybe they don't, but
(17:03):
the skunks do. What do you guys think about that?
Just to open the conversation here, what do we think
about the possibility that private defense contractors may know more
than actual government agencies?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
What was the term you guys threw around the other day,
sock puppets? Yes, isn't that kind of doesn't that apply here?
Or you literally have like private industry wielding more control
than actual government officials. I like that.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
No, I think that's a great point. It's something to
chew on too, because, to be honest with you, Tom,
we're not sure of the answer. It's such a broad
question that would really for us to answer it, we
really need to scope in specifically on things that would
be called compartmentalized access. Right, So it's quite possible there
(17:55):
is some boffin at Northrop Grummin who knows everything about
zero point energy and still gets a paycheck, and people
in Congress don't know anything other than we give this
guy we give this company X amount of dollars per annum.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, that's that's to me the big question how much
information is shared once that transaction begins? Right, and that
grant money or that whatever that seed money is that
the government gives out when and when they give a contract,
do they get all information back? And is that stored
in a database somewhere or is that just a couple
of people who are installed, you know, appointed maybe in
(18:34):
levels of government that are not public right?
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah? Where is the transparency? That's the way we have
a thematic thread running here.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Oh man, this is reminding me of a message we
got from somebody else who I think I think they
said they worked for skunk Works.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Ah. Yes, well well let's you know what, let's do
it live. Our pal, long time conspiracy realists going by
M says, Hey, y'all, I felt compelled to message you
after your last podcast. I currently worked for Boeing and
I worked the previous nine years at l M Lucky Martin,
(19:12):
three of which were in Skunk Works. I first heard
about your podcast from your book's incessant ads on your
friends Chuck and Josh's show their podcast stuff you should know.
So I decided to give it a listen. I've thoroughly
enjoyed it. I like your reference on a recent classic
episode about the hybrid airship, which I've had the pleasure
(19:32):
to see many times. Uh, it is super janky, son,
nice one there, and you said, look, I've always lived
the past few years outside of my hometown Atlanta, but
always get joy hearing the references that stuff you should
know and you all make. I wish I could take
you up on your coffee offer, but every time that
(19:52):
I go home with my wife, she would be pretty
mad if I said I wanted to go to Starbucks
with some podcasters Starbucks.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
To get a podgepodge or so. I know, what's it
that's not around opo?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Maybe yeah, caffeine and octane. Wait, that's a car show. Anyway,
as work per Perk is great, eastpol we got a
proliferation of awesome coffee shops. Anyway. You continue in and
you say, as someone who has worked on some cool things,
I can say it's not all time travel and aliens,
although they tend to be nice but misunderstood folks. Parentheses, joking,
(20:29):
question mark and parentheses what yeah, yeah, Well that's what.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Do you mean?
Speaker 5 (20:34):
Mac? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:36):
That question Mark is doing a lot of work, you see. Also,
I wanted to add that I liked your full Moon episode,
but you overlooked that there are two tides a day.
Still gravity related, but it's because the Moon doesn't just
orbit the Earth. The Earth also orbits the Moon, simplifying
since we after the moon exists if the Moon exists.
(20:56):
Since we are more massive, the center of this gravitational
release whip is pretty close to us, but still causes
some weird title effects. Keep doing what you are doing,
and if you ever have any aerospace questions, feel free
to ask. I will tell you what I can am allowed.
I doubt you will use any of this on your show,
(21:17):
but if you do, just call me Mac. So we
called you Mac, We're calling you m and we are
putting you to the question as my old friends at
the Inquisition like to say, is there any suppressed technology Mac,
by which we mean is there anything currently viable or
in the experimental phase midway from the drawing board to
(21:40):
a prototype of which the public is unaware?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yes, specifically anything that you helped create in skunk Works
that can go from the air into the ocean and
hang around in the two for five and then come
back out and fly around some more.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
M any kind of perhaps trans medium object, anything in
space that starts with an X and goes to a dash,
you know, maybe with a three after the dash.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah, or and then like a six or seven, like
six seven, I'm not sure one of those.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Really Still you're six and sevens bro, South Park did it?
So did every middle school?
Speaker 8 (22:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, yeah, we do want to know. Seriously, though, Mac,
if we were just buddies hanging out at a coffee
shop and there's no one in the shop, you can
get one last order before it closes, and we ask
you just lean in tell us a secret. What would
you say?
Speaker 2 (22:39):
I just started one of flat white please.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Also, I liked your weird double blink there, nol, We've
got time for one more. We're going to go directly
to Less Radioactive Rusty. This is a tease for an episode.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
Great.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Yeah, not to be confused with more Radioactive Rusty or
regular radios. This cool. This is a series of correspondences,
so LRR, if we may be familiar with you, you say, hey, guys,
you are recent classic on Tatum Salt test reminded me
of something I've been meaning to write in about the
(23:19):
Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard and the ironically named Treasure Island
in San Francisco Bay. When the Navy believed they could
scrub away radiation from ships used in nuclear tests, Hunter's
Point in southeast San Francisco was one of those sites.
Across the Bay, Treasure Island was a Navy base where
(23:40):
they simply left behind radioactive and chemical waste for decades.
Both this parts and italics gents. Both sites are now
used for low income housing, with Hunter's Point being one
of just two majority black neighborhoods in the city. There
is fantastic reporting on Hunters Point by reporter Chris Roberts
(24:02):
spanning a decade, but there is far less on Treasure Island.
I believe these residents deserve better, and I would love
to see stuff they don't want you to know. Give
them some attention and then and then but wait, as
Billy Mays was want to say, there's more less radioactive Rusty,
(24:22):
you wrote back to us, and you said hello again.
This just went from a listener mail to strange News.
The day after I emailed you, the city of San
Francisco learned that one year ago, the Navy found elevated
airborne plutonium levels at Hunter's Point, and they did not
(24:43):
inform the city's health department until just last week. Jesus Christ,
I know, right, and this is coming to us, by
the way, from October of twenty twenty five. Airborne plutonium. Guys,
that's a new one. Yeah, not to profile of the
(25:03):
periodic cable, but I don't like it.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
That's a new addition to the list of plagues. Right.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
It was found above a parcel in the Hunters Point
shipyard and this has been a super fun site since
time immemorial. Our buddy here LRR links us to a
report from October thirtieth, twenty twenty five, a mission local
by journalists Juji Shao and Marina Newman, and I've got
(25:33):
to say, feels like an episode. This is one of
our best ways to find episodes our weekly listener mail.
I had never heard, like I had vaguely heard of
shenanigans in the Bay, of course given the longtime military presence,
But airborne plutonium was a new one to me.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
You guys, never heard of it? No, kind of not
glad that I have heard of it.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yeah, yeah, let us keep doing our little podcasts. What
do we say, is this an episode in the future
Before we give too many details, I would say, so
all are the best, Yes, thank you all so much.
We're going to keep this a little bit brief because spoiler,
right after this, we're all going to vote in Atlanta's election, Right,
(26:21):
are we all going to vote? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I got that thing in the mail from the Center
for Whatever Voting snooping and it says, hey, all of
your neighbors that we've redacted their names voted in all
of these elections. And then it had my name, and
guess what, I've voted in all of them because I
likes to vote.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Yeah. I love the mechanisms of democracy. Now, of course,
here in our fair metropolis, one can often write in
a candidate. So we'd like to officially put stuff they
don't want you to know's endorsement behind Donnie Leboy that
is spelled do and I E space L A b
(27:03):
O Y Dottie Laboy. He's your number one comptroller. He's
your number one city councilman. He's your number one what's another.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Title, Uhaman?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Well, no, you're the bagman, right, I mean that can
be there can be more.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
It's not Highlander rules but thank you, Ben, I do
appreciate you defending my position. What's another good one?
Speaker 6 (27:23):
Dance Czar?
Speaker 3 (27:25):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Ar Czar is a stone chair. Though comptroller is good.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
He's our comptroll.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
Obaga, hey, comtroll o bega. We got there, and we
are going to pause for a word from our sponsors.
We'll be back with more messages from.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
You and we've returned, guys. Before we jump to the
phone lines, I'm gonna I'm gonna push a product and
we're not sponsored by them, but I need you and
everybody to know about it. It's the stuff called seed
Ranch Tie Curry hot sauce.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
It is a hot sauce that is the taste of
ty green curry. You can add that flavor to everything.
It is incredible. Find it wherever you can. I bought
way too many bottles. It was on hot ones. I
believe at one point I feel.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Like I've heard of it does sound delightful.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I didn't know. I just didn't know it was going
to be that good. So that is all. Okay, let's
jump to the phone lines. Now we're going to hear
a strange encounter that friend of the show headmaster had
to everyone listening. Anyone could call in at any time
to the voicemail system, and Headmaster and Noah have been
calling in a whole bunch. Specifically, Headmaster has been calling
(28:44):
us while he's doing a bunch of work in northeast
British Columbia, Canada. We're gonna not say exactly what he's
been doing. It's a little sensitive, but Headmaster has been
doing lots of work up there and he's finally on
his way back and on his little road trip. About
three hours in he had this experience and called us
(29:04):
while it was happening. So this is a call from
the place as it's occurring. So we're gonna jump the
head Master's message and hear what he has to say.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
Hey, guys, it's head Master. I'm on my way back
from I'm in wanta want it? I think it's called
I'm not exactly sure. I was just sill, been in
for gas. I look like I'm like maybe from out
of town, you know. As I'm filling up gas, this
guy on an ATV comes in, some white dude. He's
coming in on an ATV, gets off, goes inside the
(29:36):
gas station. He comes back outside and then as he's
getting on his ATV. He asks me, do I believe
in God? I'm like what, And then he like he
turns on his ATV and then and then pulls up
alongside my truck and asks me again while I'm gassing up,
do I believe in God? And I'm like, uh yeah,
(29:56):
And he's like, Jesus is coming soon, brother, and I'm
like okay. He's like, yeah, I'm just letting you know
that Jesus is coming soon. And he drove off. And
I wouldn't really think anything of it, man, Like I
wouldn't honestly, I wouldn't think anything of it. And I
think I failed this initiation by the way. But you know,
like you guys need to know, like there's a serious
white nationalist problem going on here in Canada, big problem actually,
(30:21):
And if you want to know more about it, look
at Rachel Gilmour. She's a Canadian journalist that's actually reporting
a lot about it. And I'm just, you know, I'm
kind of concerned with the way that both of our
our economies are going and stuff right now. I'm just
really really concerned, you know, like I'm fine by the way,
I'm going to make it back my truck is okay,
(30:42):
Everything is okay. I hope I never run into this
guy again. But like, I'm just wanted to let you
guys know that this was a really weird encounter really rubbed.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
Me the wrong way.
Speaker 8 (30:51):
Stay safe and chaff for now.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Well there we go. So that's kind of a, let's say,
an unsettling thing to happen, right, anytime somebody walks up
to you and asks you about your religious beliefs, specifically
if you believe in God, and then let you know
that a deity is going to be returning sometime soon.
But it I guess it depends on tone, right, I.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Mean, is is there a positive version of that tone?
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Like?
Speaker 3 (31:21):
I don't know. Well, sorry, I guess I always just
find it sinister when people that that's a line to me,
that is such a personal line to cross, and that
you would even do that to somebody indicates that you're
willing to perhaps take it a little further.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
I think perhaps is the right way to think about that,
because I've known some people in my life and I
think I may have actually been in a place in
my life where I would want to do that kind
of thing because it was told to me by somebody
in a church that you need to spread the word right,
or you need to evangelize a little bit, you need
to tell people just with a single with a couple
(32:00):
of small things, just let them know about your faith
and try and bring them in.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
You're not wrong, man, I'm sorry. I'm going to be
a little heavy handed about that. I think I just
have a bit of a sore spot just because of
my particular history and just maybe encounters like that that
I've had. But there are good hearted missionary types and
folks that just want to help people out there. I
think it might be a little you know, misinformed perhaps,
(32:25):
or what's the word misplaced, But if that's what you
think is earning you your place in heaven or whatever,
I mean, far be it for me to tell you
not to tell people about something that you're excited about.
But I just feel like the tone is everything. Yeah,
And oftentimes there is an inherent almost threatening tone where
it's like, if you don't do this or hear me,
then you're going to the bad place.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Yeah, agreed. And we've also got those lenses on each
of our eyes and ears, right, So the way we
perceive somebody and then what they say might affect like
what we think they're saying, right, We might imply or
put a tone on something just because of what we're thinking.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
So that you nailed it, dude, you nailed it.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
But at the same time, we do know that there
is there appears to be a rising movement in some
of these nationalist movements, specifically kind of race based nationalism
movements that are occurring both here in the United States
and in Canada and many other places across the world.
We know this is a thing. We've made a couple
(33:30):
episodes about specifics in these genres, and this is the
kind of thing that's been happening for good lord centuries,
I would.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Say in source of the most bloodshed throughout history is
those religious divides, and it does feel like now, maybe
more than ever, it's being weaponized in a bit of
a like set in the groundwork for a holy war
of some kinds, you know, on the Christianity side, more
than the tone is a little more or what's the
word adversarial, othering than maybe I've ever seen it rhetoric wise.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yes, And that goes everything right to the stuff we
talked about in Japan and Spain and a bunch of
other countries where there's just there's a thing where it's
if you are not exactly like us, we who declare
these things, then you're not one of us, and you
are not welcome here. According to us, that is a
very common thing, So it's at least something you put
(34:29):
on a radar. I don't know much at all about
this Canadian journalist Rachel Gilmour, who at least for a
time was based in Montreal, but there seems to be
a lot of reporting about her and by her. So
that's something for us to look into. Just not sure
what it is yet, but there you go. Anything else again,
(34:49):
we didn't maybe fully cover this Headmaster, but anything else
you want to say, just go ahead and call back
in as always, but thank you for sharing that story.
Definitely was unsettling. Reminds me a bit of this story Ben,
you wrote one time for I don't think it was
no It was for thirteen Days of Halloween and involved
a gas station and a guy that danced. Remember this
(35:13):
visitally it's really good. Check out Thirteen Days of Halloween
season one, I think.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Hey, executive producer by Matt Frett.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Hey, Well, there's a story in there about a gas station.
That's worth your time. All right, Well, there we go.
Let's jump to another message from guys. We got a
message from the Condor. Ooh, let's let's hear this.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
You can call me the Condor. I'm a high ranking
official and I want to share some shocking information with
you and your listeners. Project Sirpo is real. You ever
heard of it? If not, give that thing a good
In nineteen ninety six, we sent six bravesmen and went
into a planet beyond your wildest imagination. In return, we
(35:56):
got the six alien brands that had been terrorized Indulga Basale.
You're in New Mexico ever since. Not a fair trade
if you ask me. Those astronauts like them. You digs
so much they never came back. Meanwhile, we've been trying
to contact Cirpo using the strongest set of satellites for years,
but no one will come and pick the little punks up.
Every day they put joey beans in the coffee grinder
(36:18):
and I'm sick of it. I just want to call
and grab Everyone around here is tired of.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Listen to me? Love the show.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
You can use my name and message on the air.
Who cares anymore?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Oh man?
Speaker 4 (36:29):
That's darker, classic condor. Thank you for your service, Dylan, I.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Had to step away to help a kid with a booboo.
But what's this about jelly beans and the coffee grinder?
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Does that?
Speaker 3 (36:45):
No, definitely not.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Is Joey Beans or somebody Dylan Dylan? Seriously, Dylan, are
you the condor?
Speaker 6 (36:53):
I cannot say.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
This is not a legally worry. My client is not
required to respond, Tennessee, you do not have to respond.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Bro, The call is coming from inside the podcast.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Well, look, whoever the condor is, This retired military personnel
had a message for us about something very very interesting.
No matter how silly the actual message is or serious,
we're not sure. Project Surpo, guys, is a thing in
the conspiraverse. Okay, it is a largely considered debunked thing,
(37:32):
but it is a thing. So let's go ahead and
look it up and talk about it just for a moment.
You can head on over to the website Surpo s
e r po dot org. If you choose to do so,
you will find out that there's a Surpo conference on
top secret program and it says welcome to our conference
(37:53):
on the top secret exchange program of twelve US military
personnel to SURPO planet Zeta Reticuli between nineteen sixty five
and nineteen seventy eight. Guys, it's got a whole thing
about in April conference from April twenty sixth to the
twenty eighth. There's a place on Burton Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee,
(38:14):
where I guess this conference is gonna happen. There's a
huge pull down menu for all the different things happening
on each day. On the first, second, and third day
of this conference. There's even a phone number associated with
this website and associated with whatever whatever this is. We're
(38:35):
not going to say the phone number on here, but
you can find it at sirpo dot org. And you
can dig a little deeper yourself if you do a goog,
just a quick little goog, as Condor asked us to do,
and you look up SURPO Project Project Sirpo, you will
find stuff on Wikipedia that has a lot of information
(38:55):
on here about a certain website where some people went
on made some anonymous posts about this thing, and then
somebody you might recognize, Richard Dody. Do you guys remember
this dude, Richard Dody. No, he was a counterintelligence officer.
I think was is officially what we would call this guy.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
He worked directly with the USAF Office of Special Investigations,
and he was kind of known as somebody who would
go through and full ment disinformation on purpose within the
UFO UAP community back in the day, like would basically
do some Ada boys with somebody saying something kind of
crazy and then would kind of give credence to those
(39:40):
things as a smoke screen to perhaps the real stuff
happening with Mac.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
While also importantly not promising anything concrete.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Oh absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
Oh and big thanks to Tennessee for shouting out season
two of Strange Arrivals.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Oh oh yeah, no, that's very true. Yes, in the
I think the documentaries titled Mirage Men, that's how we
learned about Dody for the first time, about what was
going on with him. Very fascinating stuff. Who's the other guy?
Paul Benowitz? I think there's so many folks that are
kind of they're huge figures in that sphere. Anyway. You
(40:25):
can look up all this stuff about the alleged secret
program where these you know, I guess aliens got left behind,
the six aliens on the base reaking havoc. Is that right? Condor.
Oh he didn't respond. Okay, then that is correct. Sorry,
I'm fixing a call from the shit good stuff. Well,
(40:48):
go on your own surpo hunt. Maybe we could do
an episode on it. I don't know if it's worth it.
Maybe it's a rabbit hole worth going down, though, because
there were some people that came for that really truly
believed that this was going down. It was a program
that there was some kind of communication between Zeta Reticulai
and the United States government. Pretty fun stuff. I got
(41:08):
one last one, guys. I don't know, if we have time,
we can do a quick one one quick message here
from Flounder. This one's a little more serious. Let's just
see what Flounder has to say.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
Flounder like Ariel's little buddy.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
Little runt exactly spelled with a pH.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
Perhaps also then a fan of the band fish.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Let's find out.
Speaker 7 (41:31):
Hello, gentlemen, just listening to the episode on Japan and
their far right movement and politically I believe it was
Noel asked who defines what is right and what is left?
And I'm gonna post the question who defines what is center?
There were many interesting parallels between what's going on in
(41:52):
Japan and what's going on here in America. I'm gonna
draw a parallel to die Hard two and Guy too.
The terrace didn't have to crash the plane. They just
had to recalibrate where ground level was, and the plane
crashed itself. If an actor were to recalibrate where center is,
(42:16):
politically speaking, will our political plane crash itself? Appreciate you guys,
please feel free to use my message on the air boom.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
What a question, flounder M does feel that, you know,
the political plane is kind of being built in mid flight,
so I would not put a crash bastard.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Oh yeah, So to answer that, who defines what is center?
I would say, well, this is just me and being
quite a bit uninformed here, But I imagine center is
defined by the extreme edges, right, because you've got one
extreme side versus another extreme side, and somewhere in the
(43:00):
is the center. But I guess you could you could
be going more extreme in one direction than the other. Right,
So then center is now completely recalibrated. And that's just
by the nature of the discussion that you're having on
the which side you could take.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
And what happens in the center cannot hold, that's only
get up a crash.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
And what do you think Ben.
Speaker 4 (43:20):
Oh h yes, Flounder, Thank you, longtime conspiracy realist. We
love it when you write to us or call. There's
this concept that that I think you will you'll be
familiar with, even if you haven't heard the specific term.
Something we're all familiar with. It's the concept called the
Overton window O v R T O N window, and
(43:42):
it's the idea of what is considered proper or centrist
or allowable discourse in the mainstream when you hear people
and shout out to our Palell Miles Gray, who talks
about this at length from his previous life. Uh, the
Overton window is a good Rubriker perspective to evaluate kind
(44:05):
of what you were saying there earlier, Matt Centrism being
defined by what is itself defined as extremes. So one
thing a lot of people, a lot of analysts spend
a lot of time on is figuring out how an
Overton window can be defined or where it shifts. For
(44:26):
a brutal embracing historical example of this, consider the Three
Fifths compromise in United States history, where the Overton window
on the acceptability or the vility of chattel slavery came
up for intense debate, and then people were slowly moving
(44:48):
what was considered acceptable or not acceptable. I don't know
if that makes sense, but that's kind of a precedent
that I think you're asking us about here, Flounder, Like,
who defines the center the The easy way to look
at that is to look at what we will call
the Overton window. And as we said in our episode,
Japan's rise of a far right signals a shift of
(45:11):
the Overton window.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
That makes sense. The Overton window thing is what I
was searching for. Thank you, Ben, Well, yeah, I guess
that's true. I don't know. It just feels nowadays like
there is no group in the United States specifically that
represents that thing. That is, let's try and give everybody
this thing that they want to an extent, but everybody's
(45:35):
got to come to the table and compromise.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Well, I mean, it's so polarized that I just don't
think that would even even gain that much traction. It
wouldn't even make that much noise. Being completely center is
almost like anomalousts or it just doesn't really play into
the way the system works.
Speaker 4 (45:51):
Centrism is similar to postmodernism. It's often defined by what
it is in fact not and that is lever rhetorical device.
But to the lovely point you made there, Matt, there's
this missing aspect of discourse. There's not a reasonable compromise
(46:12):
or a parliamentary procedural kind of kind of mechanism.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Right.
Speaker 4 (46:19):
The game of US politics, at least is very much
winner take all, very highlander, wherein if you look at
European democracies or other democracies, including Japan's, people get together,
different parties get together, and they make compromises, and they
work toward what they see as a greater good, which
(46:41):
does shift the over to window. But it goes back
to something we talked about many years ago, the two
party system here in the US, Like why is there
why do both of those parties, the Democrats and Republicans
never cooperate on anything except for squad a third party
(47:01):
because they will double dragon real quick on that one.
Shout out rossbor reluctant shout out.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
Oh yeah, Well, it makes you understand why folks who
got into the political sphere that were becoming really popular,
like you're Bernie Sanders or folks who are really writing
on that libertarian concept. Right, it's more about liberty than
you know, any group or any huge dogma that we're
(47:31):
all going to agree on and follow. It's more about
the human being and liberty, right, Or it's more about
everybody together as a collectivist set of needs that we
can address with the funds and all this stuff. It
sees you can see why there's a there's a desire
for that, or maybe there has been. Maybe it's kind
of losing steam at this point because we've moved so
(47:53):
far in one direction that now you have to battle
that the movement of that direction by pushing as hard
as you can the other side. And sure, but you
doesn't this he overseen that across the world.
Speaker 4 (48:05):
Yes, absolutely, It's the monopolization of mass media that's a big,
big part of it. We have to remember that. You
don't look new further than the recent rise of Mamdani
over in New York City, massive public support from the
(48:26):
people who live in New York City and massive opprobrium
from the powers that be.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
I don't know how to fix it, Flounder. Maybe you've
got better ideas, hey, Flounder, Yeah, I got some ideas.
We don't want to crash the plane. Let's recalibrate where
the ground is, where the ground is in the skies,
where the sky is, and then we'll all be in
this flight simulator together, fly in the great skies, just
(48:56):
like Ben.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
That's too kind. Yeah, big big thing to the Condor
headmaster Flounder. Sarah was me less radioactive Rusty. Hey, you
know what. Shout out to regular radioactive Rusty as well
as Tom m Z and of course jaquiram fog juquamevera fog.
We can't wait for you to join us on our
(49:18):
continuing adventures. Folks. As always, thank you so much for
tuning in to a little lighthouse in the dark. We
want to hear your thoughts. Find us on email address,
find us on a telefonic device, find us on the
lines should thou sip thy social meds.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
You can find us at the handle Conspiracy Stuff where
we exist on Facebook with our Facebook group Here's where
it gets crazy. On x FKA, Twitter, and on YouTube.
We have video content for your perusing, enjoyments and education.
Hop on Instagram and TikTok. However, we're Conspiracy Stuff Show.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
We have a phone number. It is one eight three
three st d w y t K. When you call
in like whoever this condor person is, flounder or headmaster,
do remember to keep your messages as brief as possible.
The three minutes is what we like to cap it on,
and that just helps us fit them into this listener
(50:14):
mail format. That's super helpful. Anything longer than that it's
just tough because we need to make kind of its
own episode and it's a whole thing. If you got
awesome things to say, got comments, questions, anything, send them
our way in voicemail format. Or if you've got attachments, links,
a lot to say, anything, really anything, send us an email.
(50:35):
We are the.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
Entities the bead.
Speaker 4 (50:37):
Each piece of correspondence we receive be well aware, yet unafraid.
Sometimes the void writes back at length, what do we
mean to find out? You'll have to join us here
in the dark. We also accept messages in midnight mirrors, crossroads,
and wija boards for now conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
Stuff they Don't Want You to Know is a production
of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,
From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is
riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or
learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A
production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Welcome back to the show. My name is Matt, my
name is Noel.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
They call me Ben.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
We're joined as always with our super producer Dylan the
Tennessee pal Fagan. Most importantly, you are here. That makes
this the stuff they don't want you to know. Welcome
back to our weekly listener mail program. Folks, if you
are tuning in the evening this publishes, we proudly join
(00:53):
you on Thursday, November sixth, just a day after Guy
Fox Day. Remember remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, trees
and plot. We see no reason why gunpowdered treason should
ever be for good.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, well I forgot it. It was yesterday.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Dang right, we're recording this on November fourth.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
So Yo, where am I? What is this? What am
I trapped in this thing?
Speaker 5 (01:23):
Well?
Speaker 4 (01:23):
I hope I've got I've got an issue for all
our fellow conspiracy realists right now, as we've returned from
the High Seas, as we're exploring so many strange and
bizarre allegations of things. Guys, I've got a lot of roots,
but I don't have any vegas Tennessee. Can you help
(01:43):
us out. We got the roots, we need some bagas.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
Actually this sound's a little different. Do you remember when
DVDs had trailers at the beginning?
Speaker 4 (01:51):
Yes, I do.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Like that you had to watch and there's nothing you
could do about it.
Speaker 6 (01:56):
Yeah, so that I kind of find myself in that situation.
This weekend, I was going through some old ones and
I found my copy of Monkey Bone with Brendan Fraser. Oh,
and I saw this trailer and I just ripped the
audio because it sounds familiar and I wanted to see
if you remember it.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Okay, every goat player reindeer games.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
In a world obsessed with lugumes.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Well, I can't get enough of these chickpeas.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
One hacker isn't brave enough to eat root vegetables.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Hello, downloading three megabytes of rude vegas now.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I mean he's about to dig up a conspiracy de
wil shock the world. Well, president has been compromised.
Speaker 4 (02:33):
If he's going to destroy all the beans.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
And only he can stop it from happening.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
WHOA, I'm in the main frame.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
But he's gonna have to learn to love cyber lugumes
along the way.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
I cannot download another glima.
Speaker 7 (02:47):
Bean right now.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Cubson Centauri is Rudebaka man in Lugume Breach.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
The new thriller by director Don Parmesan come into sears
because this concept makes zero sense.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Poetry take up aside Shakespeare. Thank you so much, Tennessee.
Thank you to everybody who tunes into our weekly listener mail,
if only for our Route Bega updates. It is our
favorite part of this program. We are not going to stop.
It is part of our blood covenant with our corporate overlords.
(03:25):
We are going to hear a lot of a listener
mail because there was some stuff, guys, there was some
stuff we needed to follow up on from our time abroad.
So let's say we take a break for a word
from our sponsors and we get right into some stuff,
starting with the FDA.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
And we have returned with the aforementioned communication regarding the
Food and Drug Administration. Drug Administration communication coming to us
from Sarah was me Hi, guys, big fan of your
show and also a fan of pro public a journalism
(04:10):
us too. Sarah was me a pair of recent articles
about the FDA's systematic lack of transparency and prescription drug
manufacturing caught my eye and I wanted to share the
links with you. I don't know if it counts as
a conspiracy so much as legal cya policy that means
cover your ass. I know, highly technical legal jargon here,
(04:32):
but appropriate. But I think this quote from the article
link below is pretty telling. I think we would agree here.
It goes, they didn't want you to do anything that
would make the industry mad. It was not what do
we need to do for public health? It was what
do we need to do to keep the FDA out
of court? That took precedence. This is the link to
(04:56):
the big article. Anyone out there in conspiracy land that
wants check it out, do go to ProPublica dot org
and the article is entitled is your medication made in
a contaminated factory? The FDA won't tell you? By Debbie
sin Zipper and Megan Rose. And I'm just gonna give
you a little bit of the highlights that they drop
(05:18):
at the beginning of their articles in very helpful fashion. Oh,
just to finish the letter, excuse me, there's a second,
shorter companion piece on the steps pro Public reporters took
trying to investigate the manufacturing source of a commonly prescribed
generic cholesterol drug, believe that is lippitour The research path
is interesting to me just from a process point of view,
and you can find that article as well by searching
(05:41):
for Here's what happened when pro public reporters tried to
find out where a popular prescription drug was made. That's
the headline, and this is I was mistaken. They're talking
about the another blockbuster drug, Lipatory is mentioned in the
larger investigation that we're about to get into, but this
one is about at or vastatin, generic drug that is
for high cholesterol manufactured by Qualant. So let's jump right
(06:06):
into some highlights from the larger piece. Huge thanks to you,
Sarah was me for turning us onto this. I read
it a handful of times and it is just absolutely
just deep. It goes deep and really is about some
stuff that they don't want us to know one, so
huge thanks for turning us on to this article. We're
(06:28):
going to jump right into some highlights hidden drug names.
For decades, the FDA has blacked out the names of
generic drugs on inspection reports for foreign factories that were
found to have safety and quality violations.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So that's really weird to me. This is the concept
that the FDA has inspected these factories in foreign countries
and they've found that there are major problems in the factories,
but then they just they're saying they hide the names
of the generic drugs that are made there on purpose redacted.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
That's right, patients in the dark. The practice has prevented patients, doctors,
and pharmacists from knowing whether manufacturing failures have made medications
that they are prescribing and using an effective or unsafe.
Consumers are limited in what they can learn about the
quality of their drugs because labels on pill bottles often
don't list the manufacturer or the factories address. The big
(07:25):
takeaway here is that an Indian factory is one part
of the investigation, was found to have been infested by
pigeons in a storage room that had defecated on boxes
of supposedly sterile equipment. In another site of inspection, pathogens
contaminated purified water that was used in the manufacturing of drugs,
(07:49):
and in a third site, stagnant urine had pooled on
a bathroom floor not far at all from where injectable
medications were made. So the FDA did run these inspections.
They did release the grim reports around these facilities, which
is why Republica knows about them. But they blacked out
(08:11):
the names of the drugs produced at these facilities because
they routinely do this, keeping this information a secret from
the public, because they make the argument, or rather their
lawyers make the argument that this could potentially cause them
to run a foul of drug manufacturers who could consider
this revolving around trade secrets. This is so weird to me,
(08:35):
it's really wild. It reminds me of exposs like about
the meat packing industry, you know, like the jungle and
all this stuff, just to hear and I know, there's
only a handful of of these factories or these facilities listed.
I'm sure the entirety of you know, pharmaceutical manufacturing isn't
infested with pigeons and rat feces. But the fact that
they block these out and they aren't required to legally
(08:57):
is an overly cautious interpretation of a law that requires
the government to protect trade secrets. It seems like the
fd IS mission is to protect the public is to
protect the public from harmful contaminants, and also a lot
(09:18):
of these problems could lead to less effective versions of drugs.
Another thing that the piece points out is that when
you or I, any of us, go and get a
prescription refilled, it is up to the discretion of the
pharmacy as to which generic you get. I recently switched pharmacies.
I take a half for many years taken a daily
(09:38):
medication for a thyroid thing, and I recently switched pharmacies,
and the new ones that I got from there completely
different shape. I mean they look completely different. So absolutely
a different generic. And then you know, Publics versus Kroger
or what have you. But who knows if one of
those two generics was produced to one of these factories.
I don't because I have no way of finding out
(10:00):
because it's blacked out.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
So okay, So in listening to that list of problems
that are at these factories, do we know if anybody
has actually been harmed at all by any of these generics?
Like is there something to measure?
Speaker 3 (10:14):
We can't know because we don't know where they came from.
They won't tell us. I don't. There isn't anything mentioned
here specifically about you know, direct harmful effects of this.
But I think that's the problem there is that we
don't know, and there's a I believe a pharmacist, there's
references in this piece who really tried to kind of
connect the dots and the metadata, and even in her
(10:36):
with all of her knowledge of the industry and you know,
the inner workings of pharmacy, was not able to figure
it out. Doctor Janet Woodcock, who's the head of drug
safety at the FDA, said to Pro Publica that she
favors releasing drug names, but also said it probably wouldn't
be that useful to members of the public and a
(10:57):
little condescending here. Maybe I'm not saying she's wrong, but
she said, you guys think you're all like citizens, scientists
and you can figure out what this means, and it's
just not the case. Woodcock, who spent nearly four decades
as the at the FDA before retiring early last year.
So the piece goes on to say, even if the
FDA opted to disclose the drug names and it's reports,
there's still significant hurdle that can prevent patients from knowing
(11:19):
if their medicine was made in a deficient factory, because
labels on pill bottles often don't list the names of
the manufacturer or include a factory address. I think it's
a good place to leave it. Ben, I'd love to
hear what you think about this. Really, we talked recently
about meat packing and the you know a lot of
these the actually on ridiculous history. We did an episode
on the radium era and how that material was just
(11:42):
absolutely you know, used in all kinds of things and
it led to the creation of OSHA and workplace oversight
and you know, people getting contaminated. This to me almost
feels like a throwback to those days.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yeah, thank you so much, Sarah was me for support
to our show and for contacting us with a story
that I agree needs to be more in the public sphere.
Big shout out to the sources that you provided us,
specifically the journalist Debbie Centespear and Megan Rose. I agree,
(12:15):
this feels like a possible episode in the future, and
especially you know, the one thing that I think we
all clocked here, Sarah was Me, was the as Noel mentioned,
the slightly condescending quote, perhaps out of context by Woodcock. Oh,
civilian scientists somehow don't deserve to know, or it wouldn't
(12:39):
do them any good to know. Transparency in the FDA is,
to steal a line from Fox News important now more
than ever.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
There's this quote an ear in the article. It says,
in interviews, several former FDA officials now say they support
releasing the drug name. But this person, Woodcock and others
said they did not question the redactions while they held
positions of power at the agency.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
And right their evolving door.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Doesn't that tell you exactly?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Tell you?
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
I also want to shout out here, Sarah was me
from your excellent correspondence which set us on quite a
rabbit hole. I want to shout out the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Association because they have a line from one of their reps,
Lisa Solberg, who sums it up very well in Pro
(13:34):
publica fillow conspiracy realist. Here. This well quote says, Lisa,
we've made this almost impossible for consumers to be their
own best advocate. We want our food labels to tell
us exactly how much carbohydrates are in them, but the
things we are taking to combat diseases we literally know
(13:55):
nothing about. It reminds me of the rule where over
the OTC medication just has to technically include the active ingredient.
Tut tut tut.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Dude.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
There's the thing in here about how Switzerland at one
point wanted to get a hold of inspection reports that
the FDA had made on these generic factories, but the
FDA said, oh no, we can't do that. We cannot
release complete inspection reports even to other governments, like even
to other allies. Why And this concept is not about
(14:31):
safety at all. It's about making the drug manufacturers, the
industry itself, making them angry with the FDA, which could
then lead to lawsuits. So it's all about keeping the
manufacturers and the money happy in all of these things. God,
that's so crazy. Even Switzerland is just like, hey, can
we just see the inspection reports and the FDA says no, no, yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
No, you're right on the money, Ben, It's definitely worth
a deeper dive expiration. And there's other other things that
we could you know, compare this to throughout history for sure.
So huge thanks to you. Sarah was me for this correspondence.
I think we're gonna pause here, take a word from
our sponsor, and then come back with more messages.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
From you, and we have returned. I think we earlier
shouted out long time conspiracy realist Jay, who wrote to
us about the Tatum Salt Dome. And Jay, we got
or Ja Querramafon. Remember how we add such a time
(15:38):
pronouncing that name.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Oh yes, what did we do? We did?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Conference? Does he play for I love it?
Speaker 5 (15:45):
Right?
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Is that a key and pealed reference?
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Of course?
Speaker 4 (15:49):
My guy?
Speaker 5 (15:49):
All right?
Speaker 4 (15:50):
So, uh, Jay, just a quick shout out to you.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
Part way through researching a response to your question about
Tatum saltz Home, we did find the episode we did
on nuclear testing in Mississippi, and it just reminded us
how long we have been at this strange enterprise. So
thank you everybody. Do check out the episode. It stands,
(16:19):
it stands to be worth your time. Guys. I wanted
to open this part of our weekly listener mail with
that maya kulpup to Jay, and also with a great
message we got from a longtime fellow listener over in
what I imagined to be New Zealand. But we won't compromise.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Tom.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
Tom you wrote to us on Instagram and said, just
listen to your skunk Works episode. Have you all ever
wondered if part of why we haven't gotten UFO disclosure
yet is because it's all outsourced, the Lockheed, and therefore
not something that can be foid. Governments might not be
when they say they don't know, Maybe they don't, but
(17:03):
the skunks do. What do you guys think about that?
Just to open the conversation here, what do we think
about the possibility that private defense contractors may know more
than actual government agencies?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
What was the term you guys threw around the other day,
sock puppets? Yes, isn't that kind of doesn't that apply here?
Or you literally have like private industry wielding more control
than actual government officials. I like that.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
No, I think that's a great point. It's something to
chew on too, because, to be honest with you, Tom,
we're not sure of the answer. It's such a broad
question that would really for us to answer it, we
really need to scope in specifically on things that would
be called compartmentalized access. Right, So it's quite possible there
(17:55):
is some boffin at Northrop Grummin who knows everything about
zero point energy and still gets a paycheck, and people
in Congress don't know anything other than we give this
guy we give this company X amount of dollars per annum.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
Yeah, that's that's to me the big question how much
information is shared once that transaction begins? Right, and that
grant money or that whatever that seed money is that
the government gives out when and when they give a contract,
do they get all information back? And is that stored
in a database somewhere or is that just a couple
of people who are installed, you know, appointed maybe in
(18:34):
levels of government that are not public right?
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Yeah? Where is the transparency? That's the way we have
a thematic thread running here.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Oh man, this is reminding me of a message we
got from somebody else who I think I think they
said they worked for skunk Works.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Ah. Yes, well well let's you know what, let's do
it live. Our pal, long time conspiracy realists going by
M says, Hey, y'all, I felt compelled to message you
after your last podcast. I currently worked for Boeing and
I worked the previous nine years at l M Lucky Martin,
(19:12):
three of which were in Skunk Works. I first heard
about your podcast from your book's incessant ads on your
friends Chuck and Josh's show their podcast stuff you should know.
So I decided to give it a listen. I've thoroughly
enjoyed it. I like your reference on a recent classic
episode about the hybrid airship, which I've had the pleasure
(19:32):
to see many times. Uh, it is super janky, son,
nice one there, and you said, look, I've always lived
the past few years outside of my hometown Atlanta, but
always get joy hearing the references that stuff you should
know and you all make. I wish I could take
you up on your coffee offer, but every time that
(19:52):
I go home with my wife, she would be pretty
mad if I said I wanted to go to Starbucks
with some podcasters Starbucks.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
To get a podgepodge or so. I know, what's it
that's not around opo?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Maybe yeah, caffeine and octane. Wait, that's a car show. Anyway,
as work per Perk is great, eastpol we got a
proliferation of awesome coffee shops. Anyway. You continue in and
you say, as someone who has worked on some cool things,
I can say it's not all time travel and aliens,
although they tend to be nice but misunderstood folks. Parentheses, joking,
(20:29):
question mark and parentheses what yeah, yeah, Well that's what.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
Do you mean?
Speaker 5 (20:34):
Mac? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:36):
That question Mark is doing a lot of work, you see. Also,
I wanted to add that I liked your full Moon episode,
but you overlooked that there are two tides a day.
Still gravity related, but it's because the Moon doesn't just
orbit the Earth. The Earth also orbits the Moon, simplifying
since we after the moon exists if the Moon exists.
(20:56):
Since we are more massive, the center of this gravitational
release whip is pretty close to us, but still causes
some weird title effects. Keep doing what you are doing,
and if you ever have any aerospace questions, feel free
to ask. I will tell you what I can am allowed.
I doubt you will use any of this on your show,
(21:17):
but if you do, just call me Mac. So we
called you Mac, We're calling you m and we are
putting you to the question as my old friends at
the Inquisition like to say, is there any suppressed technology Mac,
by which we mean is there anything currently viable or
in the experimental phase midway from the drawing board to
(21:40):
a prototype of which the public is unaware?
Speaker 2 (21:44):
Yes, specifically anything that you helped create in skunk Works
that can go from the air into the ocean and
hang around in the two for five and then come
back out and fly around some more.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
M any kind of perhaps trans medium object, anything in
space that starts with an X and goes to a dash,
you know, maybe with a three after the dash.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah, or and then like a six or seven, like
six seven, I'm not sure one of those.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
Really Still you're six and sevens bro, South Park did it?
So did every middle school?
Speaker 8 (22:21):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (22:22):
Yeah, yeah, we do want to know. Seriously, though, Mac,
if we were just buddies hanging out at a coffee
shop and there's no one in the shop, you can
get one last order before it closes, and we ask
you just lean in tell us a secret. What would
you say?
Speaker 2 (22:39):
I just started one of flat white please.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Also, I liked your weird double blink there, nol, We've
got time for one more. We're going to go directly
to Less Radioactive Rusty. This is a tease for an episode.
Speaker 5 (22:58):
Great.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Yeah, not to be confused with more Radioactive Rusty or
regular radios. This cool. This is a series of correspondences,
so LRR, if we may be familiar with you, you say, hey, guys,
you are recent classic on Tatum Salt test reminded me
of something I've been meaning to write in about the
(23:19):
Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard and the ironically named Treasure Island
in San Francisco Bay. When the Navy believed they could
scrub away radiation from ships used in nuclear tests, Hunter's
Point in southeast San Francisco was one of those sites.
Across the Bay, Treasure Island was a Navy base where
(23:40):
they simply left behind radioactive and chemical waste for decades.
Both this parts and italics gents. Both sites are now
used for low income housing, with Hunter's Point being one
of just two majority black neighborhoods in the city. There
is fantastic reporting on Hunters Point by reporter Chris Roberts
(24:02):
spanning a decade, but there is far less on Treasure Island.
I believe these residents deserve better, and I would love
to see stuff they don't want you to know. Give
them some attention and then and then but wait, as
Billy Mays was want to say, there's more less radioactive Rusty,
(24:22):
you wrote back to us, and you said hello again.
This just went from a listener mail to strange News.
The day after I emailed you, the city of San
Francisco learned that one year ago, the Navy found elevated
airborne plutonium levels at Hunter's Point, and they did not
(24:43):
inform the city's health department until just last week. Jesus Christ,
I know, right, and this is coming to us, by
the way, from October of twenty twenty five. Airborne plutonium. Guys,
that's a new one. Yeah, not to profile of the
(25:03):
periodic cable, but I don't like it.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
That's a new addition to the list of plagues. Right.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
It was found above a parcel in the Hunters Point
shipyard and this has been a super fun site since
time immemorial. Our buddy here LRR links us to a
report from October thirtieth, twenty twenty five, a mission local
by journalists Juji Shao and Marina Newman, and I've got
(25:33):
to say, feels like an episode. This is one of
our best ways to find episodes our weekly listener mail.
I had never heard, like I had vaguely heard of
shenanigans in the Bay, of course given the longtime military presence,
But airborne plutonium was a new one to me.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
You guys, never heard of it? No, kind of not
glad that I have heard of it.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yeah, yeah, let us keep doing our little podcasts. What
do we say, is this an episode in the future
Before we give too many details, I would say, so
all are the best, Yes, thank you all so much.
We're going to keep this a little bit brief because spoiler,
right after this, we're all going to vote in Atlanta's election, Right,
(26:21):
are we all going to vote? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (26:23):
I got that thing in the mail from the Center
for Whatever Voting snooping and it says, hey, all of
your neighbors that we've redacted their names voted in all
of these elections. And then it had my name, and
guess what, I've voted in all of them because I
likes to vote.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Yeah. I love the mechanisms of democracy. Now, of course,
here in our fair metropolis, one can often write in
a candidate. So we'd like to officially put stuff they
don't want you to know's endorsement behind Donnie Leboy that
is spelled do and I E space L A b
(27:03):
O Y Dottie Laboy. He's your number one comptroller. He's
your number one city councilman. He's your number one what's another.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Title, Uhaman?
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Well, no, you're the bagman, right, I mean that can
be there can be more.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
It's not Highlander rules but thank you, Ben, I do
appreciate you defending my position. What's another good one?
Speaker 6 (27:23):
Dance Czar?
Speaker 3 (27:25):
There you go.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Ar Czar is a stone chair. Though comptroller is good.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
He's our comptroll.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
Obaga, hey, comtroll o bega. We got there, and we
are going to pause for a word from our sponsors.
We'll be back with more messages from.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
You and we've returned, guys. Before we jump to the
phone lines, I'm gonna I'm gonna push a product and
we're not sponsored by them, but I need you and
everybody to know about it. It's the stuff called seed
Ranch Tie Curry hot sauce.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Guys.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
It is a hot sauce that is the taste of
ty green curry. You can add that flavor to everything.
It is incredible. Find it wherever you can. I bought
way too many bottles. It was on hot ones. I
believe at one point I feel.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Like I've heard of it does sound delightful.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
I didn't know. I just didn't know it was going
to be that good. So that is all. Okay, let's
jump to the phone lines. Now we're going to hear
a strange encounter that friend of the show headmaster had
to everyone listening. Anyone could call in at any time
to the voicemail system, and Headmaster and Noah have been
calling in a whole bunch. Specifically, Headmaster has been calling
(28:44):
us while he's doing a bunch of work in northeast
British Columbia, Canada. We're gonna not say exactly what he's
been doing. It's a little sensitive, but Headmaster has been
doing lots of work up there and he's finally on
his way back and on his little road trip. About
three hours in he had this experience and called us
(29:04):
while it was happening. So this is a call from
the place as it's occurring. So we're gonna jump the
head Master's message and hear what he has to say.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
Hey, guys, it's head Master. I'm on my way back
from I'm in wanta want it? I think it's called
I'm not exactly sure. I was just sill, been in
for gas. I look like I'm like maybe from out
of town, you know. As I'm filling up gas, this
guy on an ATV comes in, some white dude. He's
coming in on an ATV, gets off, goes inside the
(29:36):
gas station. He comes back outside and then as he's
getting on his ATV. He asks me, do I believe
in God? I'm like what, And then he like he
turns on his ATV and then and then pulls up
alongside my truck and asks me again while I'm gassing up,
do I believe in God? And I'm like, uh yeah,
(29:56):
And he's like, Jesus is coming soon, brother, and I'm
like okay. He's like, yeah, I'm just letting you know
that Jesus is coming soon. And he drove off. And
I wouldn't really think anything of it, man, Like I
wouldn't honestly, I wouldn't think anything of it. And I
think I failed this initiation by the way. But you know,
like you guys need to know, like there's a serious
white nationalist problem going on here in Canada, big problem actually,
(30:21):
And if you want to know more about it, look
at Rachel Gilmour. She's a Canadian journalist that's actually reporting
a lot about it. And I'm just, you know, I'm
kind of concerned with the way that both of our
our economies are going and stuff right now. I'm just
really really concerned, you know, like I'm fine by the way,
I'm going to make it back my truck is okay,
(30:42):
Everything is okay. I hope I never run into this
guy again. But like, I'm just wanted to let you
guys know that this was a really weird encounter really rubbed.
Speaker 5 (30:50):
Me the wrong way.
Speaker 8 (30:51):
Stay safe and chaff for now.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Well there we go. So that's kind of a, let's say,
an unsettling thing to happen, right, anytime somebody walks up
to you and asks you about your religious beliefs, specifically
if you believe in God, and then let you know
that a deity is going to be returning sometime soon.
But it I guess it depends on tone, right, I.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Mean, is is there a positive version of that tone?
Speaker 4 (31:21):
Like?
Speaker 3 (31:21):
I don't know. Well, sorry, I guess I always just
find it sinister when people that that's a line to me,
that is such a personal line to cross, and that
you would even do that to somebody indicates that you're
willing to perhaps take it a little further.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
I think perhaps is the right way to think about that,
because I've known some people in my life and I
think I may have actually been in a place in
my life where I would want to do that kind
of thing because it was told to me by somebody
in a church that you need to spread the word right,
or you need to evangelize a little bit, you need
to tell people just with a single with a couple
(32:00):
of small things, just let them know about your faith
and try and bring them in.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
You're not wrong, man, I'm sorry. I'm going to be
a little heavy handed about that. I think I just
have a bit of a sore spot just because of
my particular history and just maybe encounters like that that
I've had. But there are good hearted missionary types and
folks that just want to help people out there. I
think it might be a little you know, misinformed perhaps,
(32:25):
or what's the word misplaced, But if that's what you
think is earning you your place in heaven or whatever,
I mean, far be it for me to tell you
not to tell people about something that you're excited about.
But I just feel like the tone is everything. Yeah,
And oftentimes there is an inherent almost threatening tone where
it's like, if you don't do this or hear me,
then you're going to the bad place.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Yeah, agreed. And we've also got those lenses on each
of our eyes and ears, right, So the way we
perceive somebody and then what they say might affect like
what we think they're saying, right, We might imply or
put a tone on something just because of what we're thinking.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
So that you nailed it, dude, you nailed it.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
But at the same time, we do know that there
is there appears to be a rising movement in some
of these nationalist movements, specifically kind of race based nationalism
movements that are occurring both here in the United States
and in Canada and many other places across the world.
We know this is a thing. We've made a couple
(33:30):
episodes about specifics in these genres, and this is the
kind of thing that's been happening for good lord centuries,
I would.
Speaker 3 (33:40):
Say in source of the most bloodshed throughout history is
those religious divides, and it does feel like now, maybe
more than ever, it's being weaponized in a bit of
a like set in the groundwork for a holy war
of some kinds, you know, on the Christianity side, more
than the tone is a little more or what's the
word adversarial, othering than maybe I've ever seen it rhetoric wise.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yes, And that goes everything right to the stuff we
talked about in Japan and Spain and a bunch of
other countries where there's just there's a thing where it's
if you are not exactly like us, we who declare
these things, then you're not one of us, and you
are not welcome here. According to us, that is a
very common thing, So it's at least something you put
(34:29):
on a radar. I don't know much at all about
this Canadian journalist Rachel Gilmour, who at least for a
time was based in Montreal, but there seems to be
a lot of reporting about her and by her. So
that's something for us to look into. Just not sure
what it is yet, but there you go. Anything else again,
(34:49):
we didn't maybe fully cover this Headmaster, but anything else
you want to say, just go ahead and call back
in as always, but thank you for sharing that story.
Definitely was unsettling. Reminds me a bit of this story Ben,
you wrote one time for I don't think it was
no It was for thirteen Days of Halloween and involved
a gas station and a guy that danced. Remember this
(35:13):
visitally it's really good. Check out Thirteen Days of Halloween
season one, I think.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
Hey, executive producer by Matt Frett.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Hey, Well, there's a story in there about a gas station.
That's worth your time. All right, Well, there we go.
Let's jump to another message from guys. We got a
message from the Condor. Ooh, let's let's hear this.
Speaker 5 (35:36):
You can call me the Condor. I'm a high ranking
official and I want to share some shocking information with
you and your listeners. Project Sirpo is real. You ever
heard of it? If not, give that thing a good
In nineteen ninety six, we sent six bravesmen and went
into a planet beyond your wildest imagination. In return, we
(35:56):
got the six alien brands that had been terrorized Indulga Basale.
You're in New Mexico ever since. Not a fair trade
if you ask me. Those astronauts like them. You digs
so much they never came back. Meanwhile, we've been trying
to contact Cirpo using the strongest set of satellites for years,
but no one will come and pick the little punks up.
Every day they put joey beans in the coffee grinder
(36:18):
and I'm sick of it. I just want to call
and grab Everyone around here is tired of.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Listen to me? Love the show.
Speaker 5 (36:25):
You can use my name and message on the air.
Who cares anymore?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Oh man?
Speaker 4 (36:29):
That's darker, classic condor. Thank you for your service, Dylan, I.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Had to step away to help a kid with a booboo.
But what's this about jelly beans and the coffee grinder?
Speaker 5 (36:42):
Does that?
Speaker 3 (36:45):
No, definitely not.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Is Joey Beans or somebody Dylan Dylan? Seriously, Dylan, are
you the condor?
Speaker 6 (36:53):
I cannot say.
Speaker 4 (36:55):
This is not a legally worry. My client is not
required to respond, Tennessee, you do not have to respond.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Bro, The call is coming from inside the podcast.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Well, look, whoever the condor is, This retired military personnel
had a message for us about something very very interesting.
No matter how silly the actual message is or serious,
we're not sure. Project Surpo, guys, is a thing in
the conspiraverse. Okay, it is a largely considered debunked thing,
(37:32):
but it is a thing. So let's go ahead and
look it up and talk about it just for a moment.
You can head on over to the website Surpo s
e r po dot org. If you choose to do so,
you will find out that there's a Surpo conference on
top secret program and it says welcome to our conference
(37:53):
on the top secret exchange program of twelve US military
personnel to SURPO planet Zeta Reticuli between nineteen sixty five
and nineteen seventy eight. Guys, it's got a whole thing
about in April conference from April twenty sixth to the
twenty eighth. There's a place on Burton Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee,
(38:14):
where I guess this conference is gonna happen. There's a
huge pull down menu for all the different things happening
on each day. On the first, second, and third day
of this conference. There's even a phone number associated with
this website and associated with whatever whatever this is. We're
(38:35):
not going to say the phone number on here, but
you can find it at sirpo dot org. And you
can dig a little deeper yourself if you do a goog,
just a quick little goog, as Condor asked us to do,
and you look up SURPO Project Project Sirpo, you will
find stuff on Wikipedia that has a lot of information
(38:55):
on here about a certain website where some people went
on made some anonymous posts about this thing, and then
somebody you might recognize, Richard Dody. Do you guys remember
this dude, Richard Dody. No, he was a counterintelligence officer.
I think was is officially what we would call this guy.
Speaker 4 (39:16):
That's correct.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
He worked directly with the USAF Office of Special Investigations,
and he was kind of known as somebody who would
go through and full ment disinformation on purpose within the
UFO UAP community back in the day, like would basically
do some Ada boys with somebody saying something kind of
crazy and then would kind of give credence to those
(39:40):
things as a smoke screen to perhaps the real stuff
happening with Mac.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
While also importantly not promising anything concrete.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Oh absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
Oh and big thanks to Tennessee for shouting out season
two of Strange Arrivals.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Oh oh yeah, no, that's very true. Yes, in the
I think the documentaries titled Mirage Men, that's how we
learned about Dody for the first time, about what was
going on with him. Very fascinating stuff. Who's the other guy?
Paul Benowitz? I think there's so many folks that are
kind of they're huge figures in that sphere. Anyway. You
(40:25):
can look up all this stuff about the alleged secret
program where these you know, I guess aliens got left behind,
the six aliens on the base reaking havoc. Is that right? Condor.
Oh he didn't respond. Okay, then that is correct. Sorry,
I'm fixing a call from the shit good stuff. Well,
(40:48):
go on your own surpo hunt. Maybe we could do
an episode on it. I don't know if it's worth it.
Maybe it's a rabbit hole worth going down, though, because
there were some people that came for that really truly
believed that this was going down. It was a program
that there was some kind of communication between Zeta Reticulai
and the United States government. Pretty fun stuff. I got
(41:08):
one last one, guys. I don't know, if we have time,
we can do a quick one one quick message here
from Flounder. This one's a little more serious. Let's just
see what Flounder has to say.
Speaker 3 (41:19):
Flounder like Ariel's little buddy.
Speaker 4 (41:21):
Little runt exactly spelled with a pH.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
Perhaps also then a fan of the band fish.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Let's find out.
Speaker 7 (41:31):
Hello, gentlemen, just listening to the episode on Japan and
their far right movement and politically I believe it was
Noel asked who defines what is right and what is left?
And I'm gonna post the question who defines what is center?
There were many interesting parallels between what's going on in
(41:52):
Japan and what's going on here in America. I'm gonna
draw a parallel to die Hard two and Guy too.
The terrace didn't have to crash the plane. They just
had to recalibrate where ground level was, and the plane
crashed itself. If an actor were to recalibrate where center is,
(42:16):
politically speaking, will our political plane crash itself? Appreciate you guys,
please feel free to use my message on the air boom.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
What a question, flounder M does feel that, you know,
the political plane is kind of being built in mid flight,
so I would not put a crash bastard.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Oh yeah, So to answer that, who defines what is center?
I would say, well, this is just me and being
quite a bit uninformed here, But I imagine center is
defined by the extreme edges, right, because you've got one
extreme side versus another extreme side, and somewhere in the
(43:00):
is the center. But I guess you could you could
be going more extreme in one direction than the other. Right,
So then center is now completely recalibrated. And that's just
by the nature of the discussion that you're having on
the which side you could take.
Speaker 3 (43:15):
And what happens in the center cannot hold, that's only
get up a crash.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
And what do you think Ben.
Speaker 4 (43:20):
Oh h yes, Flounder, Thank you, longtime conspiracy realist. We
love it when you write to us or call. There's
this concept that that I think you will you'll be
familiar with, even if you haven't heard the specific term.
Something we're all familiar with. It's the concept called the
Overton window O v R T O N window, and
(43:42):
it's the idea of what is considered proper or centrist
or allowable discourse in the mainstream when you hear people
and shout out to our Palell Miles Gray, who talks
about this at length from his previous life. Uh, the
Overton window is a good Rubriker perspective to evaluate kind
(44:05):
of what you were saying there earlier, Matt Centrism being
defined by what is itself defined as extremes. So one
thing a lot of people, a lot of analysts spend
a lot of time on is figuring out how an
Overton window can be defined or where it shifts. For
(44:26):
a brutal embracing historical example of this, consider the Three
Fifths compromise in United States history, where the Overton window
on the acceptability or the vility of chattel slavery came
up for intense debate, and then people were slowly moving
(44:48):
what was considered acceptable or not acceptable. I don't know
if that makes sense, but that's kind of a precedent
that I think you're asking us about here, Flounder, Like,
who defines the center the The easy way to look
at that is to look at what we will call
the Overton window. And as we said in our episode,
Japan's rise of a far right signals a shift of
(45:11):
the Overton window.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
That makes sense. The Overton window thing is what I
was searching for. Thank you, Ben, Well, yeah, I guess
that's true. I don't know. It just feels nowadays like
there is no group in the United States specifically that
represents that thing. That is, let's try and give everybody
this thing that they want to an extent, but everybody's
(45:35):
got to come to the table and compromise.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Well, I mean, it's so polarized that I just don't
think that would even even gain that much traction. It
wouldn't even make that much noise. Being completely center is
almost like anomalousts or it just doesn't really play into
the way the system works.
Speaker 4 (45:51):
Centrism is similar to postmodernism. It's often defined by what
it is in fact not and that is lever rhetorical device.
But to the lovely point you made there, Matt, there's
this missing aspect of discourse. There's not a reasonable compromise
(46:12):
or a parliamentary procedural kind of kind of mechanism.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Right.
Speaker 4 (46:19):
The game of US politics, at least is very much
winner take all, very highlander, wherein if you look at
European democracies or other democracies, including Japan's, people get together,
different parties get together, and they make compromises, and they
work toward what they see as a greater good, which
(46:41):
does shift the over to window. But it goes back
to something we talked about many years ago, the two
party system here in the US, Like why is there
why do both of those parties, the Democrats and Republicans
never cooperate on anything except for squad a third party
(47:01):
because they will double dragon real quick on that one.
Shout out rossbor reluctant shout out.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
Oh yeah, Well, it makes you understand why folks who
got into the political sphere that were becoming really popular,
like you're Bernie Sanders or folks who are really writing
on that libertarian concept. Right, it's more about liberty than
you know, any group or any huge dogma that we're
(47:31):
all going to agree on and follow. It's more about
the human being and liberty, right, Or it's more about
everybody together as a collectivist set of needs that we
can address with the funds and all this stuff. It
sees you can see why there's a there's a desire
for that, or maybe there has been. Maybe it's kind
of losing steam at this point because we've moved so
(47:53):
far in one direction that now you have to battle
that the movement of that direction by pushing as hard
as you can the other side. And sure, but you
doesn't this he overseen that across the world.
Speaker 4 (48:05):
Yes, absolutely, It's the monopolization of mass media that's a big,
big part of it. We have to remember that. You
don't look new further than the recent rise of Mamdani
over in New York City, massive public support from the
(48:26):
people who live in New York City and massive opprobrium
from the powers that be.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
I don't know how to fix it, Flounder. Maybe you've
got better ideas, hey, Flounder, Yeah, I got some ideas.
We don't want to crash the plane. Let's recalibrate where
the ground is, where the ground is in the skies,
where the sky is, and then we'll all be in
this flight simulator together, fly in the great skies, just
(48:56):
like Ben.
Speaker 4 (48:58):
That's too kind. Yeah, big big thing to the Condor
headmaster Flounder. Sarah was me less radioactive Rusty. Hey, you
know what. Shout out to regular radioactive Rusty as well
as Tom m Z and of course jaquiram fog juquamevera fog.
We can't wait for you to join us on our
(49:18):
continuing adventures. Folks. As always, thank you so much for
tuning in to a little lighthouse in the dark. We
want to hear your thoughts. Find us on email address,
find us on a telefonic device, find us on the
lines should thou sip thy social meds.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
You can find us at the handle Conspiracy Stuff where
we exist on Facebook with our Facebook group Here's where
it gets crazy. On x FKA, Twitter, and on YouTube.
We have video content for your perusing, enjoyments and education.
Hop on Instagram and TikTok. However, we're Conspiracy Stuff Show.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
We have a phone number. It is one eight three
three st d w y t K. When you call
in like whoever this condor person is, flounder or headmaster,
do remember to keep your messages as brief as possible.
The three minutes is what we like to cap it on,
and that just helps us fit them into this listener
(50:14):
mail format. That's super helpful. Anything longer than that it's
just tough because we need to make kind of its
own episode and it's a whole thing. If you got
awesome things to say, got comments, questions, anything, send them
our way in voicemail format. Or if you've got attachments, links,
a lot to say, anything, really anything, send us an email.
(50:35):
We are the.
Speaker 3 (50:36):
Entities the bead.
Speaker 4 (50:37):
Each piece of correspondence we receive be well aware, yet unafraid.
Sometimes the void writes back at length, what do we
mean to find out? You'll have to join us here
in the dark. We also accept messages in midnight mirrors, crossroads,
and wija boards for now conspiracy at iHeartRadio dot com.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
Stuff they Don't Want You to Know is a production
of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know News
Hosts And Creators
Matt Frederick
Ben Bowlin
Noel Brown
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