Soldiers, Psychologists, and Nonsense: A Wednesday Wake-up Call

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Remember when common sense wasn't breaking news? Today's episode tackles the bizarrely newsworthy announcement that men won't be allowed to compete in women's Olympic sports. We break down why this decision from the US Olympic Committee should never have been necessary in the first place and why the terminology being used by some news outlets completely misses the mark.

We also explore a peculiar border incident where Mexican soldiers armed to the teeth accidentally wandered into New Mexico while hunting drug traffickers. When they surrounded American volunteers searching for lost migrants, the confusion that followed raises questions about border security and international protocols that rarely make headlines.

The most frustrating segment dives into what can only be described as psychological gaslighting - a supposed expert claiming that complimenting your partner is actually harmful. We dismantle this nonsense piece by piece, exposing how overthinking basic human interactions creates problems where none exist. It's a perfect example of how "expertise" sometimes veers into absurdity.

The episode wraps with personal reflections on Navy boot camp experiences and the two enduring lessons that stuck: attention to detail and teamwork. These straightforward principles have applications far beyond military service, shaping approaches to challenges in everyday life. What early life lessons continue to guide your path today? Share your story and join the conversation about the wisdom we carry forward from our formative experiences.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, happy Wednesday.
I have a couple of shortstories here for you.
First of all, breaking fromyesterday, the US Olympic
Committee has officially bannedmen from competing in women's
sports, following pressure fromPresident Trump.
The fact that this is even astory is just amazing to me.

(00:22):
Now, some news organizationsused transgender women.
There's no such thing astransgender women.
We need to knock that nonsenseoff right now.
So Nick Sorter is the one thatI am repeating here.
He says the US OlympicCommittee has officially banned
men from competing in women'ssports.

(00:43):
Hallelujah and praise the Lord.
I mean, come on, that we areeven sitting here, that I am
even sitting here.
Repeating those words to you isjust dumbfounding, is it not?
I mean, how in the world did weeven let this become a thing?
All right, but now we don'thave to worry about the Olympics

(01:06):
allowing men to compete inwomen's sports.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
We just have to worry aboutother things now, other
organizations.
Okay, heavily armed Mexicansoldiers accidentally cross US
border, surround Americans whilelooking for drug traffickers
and gunrunners.
This is from the New York Post.

(01:27):
And here we go More than adozen heavily armed Mexican
soldiers accidentally crossedover the US border into New
Mexico while searching for drugtraffickers and gun runners and
instead surrounded two Americanvolunteers scouring the desert

(01:49):
for lost migrants.
On Monday, abby Carpenter andJames Holman not related to Tom
Holman, different spellings,okay volunteers for the
humanitarian group battalionsearch and rescue that aids in
searching for migrants lost inthe southern New Mexico desert

(02:10):
came across the 18 confoundedsoldiers with the Mexican army.
According to the border report,the soldiers had no idea that
they'd crossed the border.
Uh-huh, that they'd crossed theborder.
They told carpenter and holmanthat they were looking for drug
traffickers and gun runners gunrunners and asked what the pair
was doing in mexico.

(02:31):
According to the outlet,carpenter whipped out her phone
to show them her gps tracker,which confirmed that they were
in the us.
I never felt threatened.
When I got nervous was when Ishowed them that we were in the
United States and that I had myphone out and we were
documenting.
They were there when theyshouldn't be.

(02:51):
That's when I got nervous like,oh, we shouldn't have our
phones out taking pictures ofthem in the US soil, why not?
Yes, you should, idiot.
After realizing they'd grosslyovershot their destination, the
soldiers quickly pivoted southback toward the border.
Yeah well, I would hope so.
Okay, you can go finish readingthat if you would like.

(03:12):
I don't think it's a big, hugestory whatever, but it's
something different than thesame old crap that's out there
right now.
All right, so here's anotherone for the New York Post.
This is such BS right here.
It's such gaslighting.
It is so dumb I don't even knowwhy.
It's an article and it's afairly long one too.

(03:32):
Complimenting your partner couldactually be harmful.
Expert warns Two things youshould never say.
Now, this term gaslighting Iwas first introduced to it a few
years ago.
My daughter used it actuallyone time.
She was talking about somethingelse and I'm like what in the
world is gaslighting?
I had to look it up and I stilldidn't even get a good

(03:54):
definition of it.
But here we go.
This is what gaslighting lookslike to me.
Now I could be wrong, but thisis what I think gaslighting
looks like.
Compliments can certainly go along way in making someone feel
special and loved, while youmight think everyone loves a
little flattery.
One expert, one expert.
I would like to know what hisexpertise is.

(04:15):
Maybe they'll tell us down theline here.
One expert warns that somecompliments may have unattended
negative impacts on romanticrelationships.
Gaslighting number warningright there.
Okay.
So here we go.
Psychologist Dr Mark Traversexplained in Psychology Today

(04:37):
that sometimes what we say tothank our loved ones for their
supportive behavior might bealtering it.
This is such bullshit.
This is such bullshit.
This is such bullshit.
It just says his name.
It doesn't say he's apsychologist, but it doesn't
give him any.
It doesn't explain what hiscredentials are other than he's
a psychologist.
Compliments can be disarming.

(04:59):
They make us feel chosen andunderstood in ways that other
words rarely do.
The psychologist explained butsometimes the praise that feels
the most flattering is also thepraise that teaches us to edit
ourselves.
This is such bullshit.
Oh I swear wear, oh, okay.

(05:29):
So over time our words intendedto flatter someone can actually
nudge a person to perform,conform or shrink themselves to
stay liked and continue toreceive praise.
This is such BS I cannotbelieve.
This is even in an article.
Consider the compliment.
How are you always so calm Ifyour partner grew up playing the

(05:51):
peacekeeper in chaoticsituations?
This compliment might feel likeoverdue recognition.
Yet it can also come across asa reward for their silence.
I swear that's the gaslightingpart right there.
Do not believe this nonsense.
This is such BS.
I can't even.
I don't want to be like HunterBiden and start throwing out all

(06:12):
the cuss words here.
I'm going to try to keep itclean, but I mean, I mean.
And so the compliment how areyou always calm?
Well, first of all, the wordalways implies that they're
always like that.
So you're not really changingtheir behavior by telling them
how are you always calm?
And, first of all, it's not acompliment, it's a freaking

(06:33):
question.
How are you always so calm?
Why is that a compliment?
That's a question.
Okay, and, like I said, theword always implies that they've
always been this way.
So you're not teaching them anykind of new behavior.
You're not trying to train theminto being silent and to edit
themselves.
This BS, it's just BS.

(06:54):
So it goes on to say whenemotional suppression is praised
in adult relationships, itreinforces the message that your
worth lies in being agreeableand low maintenance.
Trevor said Look, by the timeyou're an adult, you're probably
the personality you're alwaysgoing to be.
I'm 58 years old.
Trust me, I've tried my best tochange my personality and I

(07:18):
just can't do it.
My real self always still comesout.
Trust me, I try to remain calm,I try to remain even and steady
, but nope, my silliness alwaysfreaking shows its ugly head.
This, this specific type ofpraise given to your partner,
could cause them to feel thatthey must remain calm, even when
they're not.
They may.

(07:39):
There's nothing wrong withremaining calm me, I try to
remain calm all the time, but Ican't do it.
They may feel encouraged tokeep that mask on.
What mask?
There is no, no mask.
Keep that mask on.
This guy is full of crap.
Okay, that's what I'm going tosay about that, and we're going

(08:00):
to move on, because I thinkthat's just utter nonsense.
All right, we need to I.
Because I think that's justutter nonsense, all right, we
need to, I guess, have thequestion of the day.
Okay, so in boot camp, mr Shawnhas asked me to share some of my
experience in boot camp.
There are two things that Ilearned in boot camp and of
course, I went.
I was in the Navy, so that wentto the Navy boot camp.
It's a lot different from theArmy or Marines.

(08:23):
I think the Navy boot camp iskind of easy.
It from the Army or Marines.
I think the Navy boot camp iskind of easy.
It's only eight weeks long, orat least it was when I was there
.
I went in at 18 years old, likea week after I graduated high
school.
I went in.
I went in weighing 145 pounds,came out eight weeks later, 118.
Never had it, never exercisedin my life before then.

(08:44):
I was never an athlete, so Ididn't understand the discipline
of exercise and all of that.
But when I got to boot camp, weexercised a lot.
We also went to class, we didall kinds of things, but the two
things that they drilled intoour heads and the two things
that I walked away with fromboot camp are pay attention to

(09:06):
detail and teamwork.
Those are the two things that Itook with me from leaving boot
camp.
So my question to you is whatare some lessons that you
learned early on in life thatyou still carry on today?
That's the question of the day.
Thanks for listening.
I appreciate y'all and see younext time.

(09:28):
See you tomorrow.