August 12, 2025 • 46 mins
Episode 198 of the "The Soap Box Champion Podcast" hosted by Kraig Delaney, was recorded live in FEMA region 5 on August 12, 2025. This episode covers a variety of topics, including a recent arrest in an Air Force shooting incident involving an M18 pistol, the controversial role and government contracts of Palantir Technologies and its Maven Smart System in relation to the quiet disappearance of the TikTok ban debate, and a historical overview of the federal minimum wage in the United States. Additionally, the podcast discusses the legal issues surrounding the Luigi Mangione case and recounts the mysterious Frederick Valentich UFO disappearance from 1978, with the host suggesting a "turkey call" theory for the unknown sounds in the pilot's final transmission. Finally, it highlights a 70-yard field goal made by Cam Little in a preseason NFL game and explains the history and significance of the "nuclear football," emphasizing its ongoing relevance as a symbol of U.S. power.
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https://rumble.com/c/c-4346725
Leave a voicemail: 812-610-9005
Email the podcast: info.soapboxchampion@gmail.com
www.buymeacoffee.com/infosoapboW
Music: https://www.bensound.com
License code: QRSYBHJMDYFD3HGW
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Then a yellow fruit orange.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
This is the Soapbox Champion podcast. Yeah it is, heck,
yeah it is. It's Tuesday, August twelve, twenty twenty five.
This is episode one ninety eight of the Soapbox Champion podcast,
recorded live from FEMA Region five. Have you guys looked
(00:51):
and found out your FEMA region yet? In case you
need it soon probably will soon go find out your
FEMA region. Get to know it. Hey, my name is
Craig Delaney. Hello everyone, how are you. I hope you
had a good week. I did, but someone didn't. An
(01:12):
airman from the Air Force was arrested regarding that shooting
that resulted in the death of Airman Braden Lovin on
July twentieth at F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
That airman, whose identity has not been disclosed, is confronted
with accusations of involuntary manslaughter, hindering justice, and providing a
(01:34):
false official declaration. This is the incident involving the Cig
eighteen handgun that the Air Force carries, leading the Air
Force at least parts of it, to halt its use
and initiate a comprehensive safety evaluation across the service. The
inquiry is still in progress and the individual is considered
(01:55):
innocent and less proven otherwise, of course, But the following
from an article dated August eighth from air Force Times
dot com headline reads air Force makes arrest in airmen
shooting death involving M eighteen pistol by Stephen Lucy. I
guess that's how you pronounces this name. The Air Force
(02:15):
has arrested an airman in connection with the July twentieth
death of another airman, which involved a six hour eighteen
and led the service to suspend the use of the
pistol following the incident. In a Friday statement, the Department
of the Air Force spokesperson said that the unidentified arrested
person is accused of making a false official statement, obstruction
(02:36):
of justice, and voluntary manslaughter. Quote into article. I knew
something wasn't right. I knew it as soon as I
heard that an airman removed a holstered weapon, holster and
all and threw it on a table. I knew something
was a miss balderdash. I said, that just doesn't make sense.
(03:01):
Airmen are not that willy nilly with their side arm,
and they would have got in a shitload of trouble
if they were busted doing that. I knew either this
was an out of control airman making an out of
control mistake, or was a damn lie. It turns out
seems like it's a damn lie, a convenient SIG P
(03:25):
three twenty controversy, ready to take the heat for something
it didn't do. The timing was perfect, The heat on
six hour isn't an all time high right now. Everyone
interested in firearms is talking about it. It's trendy to
crap on SIG right now. We got guys jamming screws
in the trigger guard. We've got another dropping pistols from
(03:46):
three stories. What a perfect thing to blame. Now. Six
hour does have some explaining to do, but not with
this incident. It seems it was BS and I knew,
and I called it out last week. I still believe
our airmen and women are in good shape. Put the
cig mateen P three twenty variant on their hip. I
(04:09):
still would like to hear an apology from SIG regarding
the actual issues with the P three twenty. Just a
little apology it would go a long way. But I'm
sure their legal team has warned them to not apologize
as that would project guilt. You see, that's the games
we play. So another bull crap story regarding the P
(04:31):
three twenty slash M eighteen and I knew it. So
moving on. Pallunteer Technologies get to know that name. It's
the US based software company specializing in big data, analytics
and AI driven solutions. Found it in twenty thousand. Found
it in two thousand and three by Peter Thiel and
(04:53):
some associates. There's a bunch of them. It develops platforms
like Gotham and Foundry to help organizations analyze and visualize
large data sets. Plunteer has been hired by the US government. Guys,
now see where this goes. In July twenty twenty five,
the US Army awarded pallentnteer a ten year enterprise service
(05:14):
agreement worth up to ten billion dollars to consolidate seventy
five contracts fifteen as prime contractor, sixty as subcontractor into
a single framework for software and data needs. This deal
aims to streamline procurement, reduced cost, and enhance military readiness
with AI and data analytics tools. Additionally, in May, Pallunteer
(05:39):
received a seven hundred and ninety five million dollars modification
to an existing contract for Maven smart system software licenses
with the Department of Defense. Remember that Maven other recent
contracts including a thirty million dollars deal with ICE for
deportation tracking and one one hundred million dollars Army contract
(06:02):
for next Gen command. That's a lot of millions of dollars,
You guys involved in a lot of government You guys,
smells already, doesn't it. Pallunteer is now supporting agencies including
the FBI, ICE, and RHHS. It also serves private sectors
like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Pallunteer
(06:27):
went public in twenty twenty and is known for its
controversial role in surveillance and data privacy debates. And that's
why you don't hear about TikTok anymore. Short attention spance. Oh,
that was the biggest talking point for so long. Remember, guys,
the TikTok ban. It must be sold, yes, but it
(06:51):
must be sold to Google. Why so that Google will
be the number one collector of data and you and
me and every other taxpayer in the US that TikTok
controversy does doesn't just go away. Under normal circumstances. You see,
no one in the government was going to simply say, okay,
never mind, there's there had to be a reason why
it's gone. No headlines, no sale, no ban. It's still
(07:14):
on your phone right now. It's still on the App Store,
the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Your kid
probably has it on their phone and or tablet. That
controversy went from zero to eleven and record time. People
were fighting over it. Congress was consumed by a Trump
got involved. Everyone was talking about it. I addressed it
(07:34):
multiple times on this podcast, and so did every other
podcast on Earth the View. They were torn up about it.
Outrage everywhere. Remember how badly they treated Shozi Chu, the
CEO of TikTok.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Do they have to do so? According to Chinese.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Law Congressman, First, I'm Singaporean.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
That's fine with Chinese Communist Party secretary, mister Zang Fuping.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Who is your boss at by Dance?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Correct?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
No, no, no, neither my boss.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Do we have freaking content and America and lawya Also.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
My colleague representative lad to confirm that your parent company
by Dance currently can access user data.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yes, let's we have to be most specific. We do
share some revenue with some creators who produce say, one
minute plus informatic content.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Jerks. All of them were jerks to him, every single
one of them.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Then it all stopped abruptly, no headlines, no talk of it.
The nightly news moved on, late night shows, never mentioned it.
Congress went home. I think, come on, conspiracy, where are you?
I think it's because Plan B was chosen. Remember, data
(08:53):
is the new gold. Data centers and hard drives are
the new Fort Knox Gold TikTok and Bye Dance couldn't
be scared into giving the government all the data. So
Plan B was Palaeer. They have it all financial data,
healthcare data, manufacturing data, now military data. And of course
(09:16):
Pallenteer fits right in with government controversy all over them,
stemming from its business practices, clients and data handling. Plunteers
platforms like Gotham are used by US agencies as in I,
FBI and CIA for data analytics, often involving surveillance and tracking. UH.
Palunteer's secretive nature and lack of transparency about how its
(09:39):
software processes data fuels distrust. Critics, including groups like Amnesty International,
have flagged its tools for potential human rights abuses, especially
in predictive policing and immigration enforcement. Palunteer's deep involvement with
the US military, such as that ten billion dollar army
contract and the seven hundred ninety five million dollar Maven
(10:01):
Smart System deal, spark debate over its role and militarized
AI and data driven warfare, well, some accusing it of
profiting for conflict interesting co founder Peter Teo polarizing political
views and Pallenteers reported internal culture describe it as cult
(10:22):
like by some former employees, then add to its and
that just adds to its controversial image. Teel support for
conservative causes is alienated some stakeholders, but that should not matter.
In the private sector. Pallenteers work with companies like BP
or JP Morgan raises questions about how sensitive corporate personal
(10:43):
data are handled, the fears of misuse and breaches. I
mentioned the Maven Smart System everyone. The Maven Smart System
is a software platform powered by AI created by Palenteer
as part of the US Department of Defense. Is Project Maven,
which began in twenty seventeen to improve military AI capabilities
(11:07):
by utilizing generative AI, machine learning, and large language models.
It consolidates and examines large volumes of data from various sources,
including satellite images, geolocation data, and sensor streams, to boost
awareness on the battlefield and assist in making informed decisions.
This system promotes quicker and more precise operational choices, they say,
(11:30):
by combining human and machine efforts, aiding in tasks such
as command and control. You know, since twenty twenty three,
the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency has overseen the system as
Project Maven transitioned into a program of record. It plays
a vital role into Department of FENS Combined Joint All
(11:52):
Domain Command and Control. You might know that as CJA
DC two guys, I'm sorry, that's a strategy by them now.
By May, it was in use across various US combatant
commands like Center Command and into Pacific Command and had
over twenty thousand active users engaging with thirty five military
(12:13):
tools across three security domains, and we're just now hearing
about it. Project Maven pallunteers. Agreements for the Maven Smart
System include a four hundred and eighty million dollar contract
signed in twenty twenty four that seven hundred and ninety
five million dollar adjustment has to do with Project mavenw
(12:33):
it's to increase software licenses you see, and a ninety
nine point eight million dollar contract in September to enhance
accessibility for all military branches okay, aiming for completion by
September of twenty twenty nine. The total value for the
contracts for the system has nearly reached one point three
billion dollars, highlighting the increasing need for its AI based functionalities.
(12:58):
It's all controversy, see all of it. Uh, it's it's
it plays this giant rolle, the Maven Smart system and
enabling AI driven surveillances and targeting. And that's that's all
privacy and ethical. Uh it stinks. It stinks, and in
the government hands terrible TikTok is out pallenteers in. You
(13:25):
combine all of that, all that surveillance with the smith
Mouth Modern Modernization Act of twenty twenty twenty twelve that
I don't shut up about that that made it legal
for the US government to use propaganda on its own citizens. Well,
combine that with Project Mavin, and that's the recipe. I
don't like, don't want any part of it, all paid
(13:45):
for by you and me. The government has no money
of its own, only mine and your tax dollars. Pay attention,
you guys, start listening for palenteer and speaking of tax
dollars in money. The federal minimum wage in the United
(14:05):
States was established under the Fair Labor Standards Act nineteen
thirty eight, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to address
labor exploitation by setting wage over time and child labor standards.
In nineteen thirty eight, the initial federal minimum wage was
set at twenty five cents an hour. That's around five
(14:28):
dollars sixty cents twenty twenty five dollars adjusted for inflation,
applied to employees in interstate commerce and producing goods for
It covered about twenty percent of all workers at the time,
excluded agriculture, domestic in some retail workers due to political compromises.
(14:48):
Sure it does. In the nineteen forties and fifties, there
were some increases. In nineteen forty nine, it was raised
to seventy five cents. In nineteen fifty six, it was
increased to a dollar in the sixties and seventies. Nineteen
sixty one, it was raised to a dollar fifteen, nineteen
(15:08):
sixty six, a dollar forty and it expanded to state
and local government employees and farm workers that reached around
thirty million workers. In nineteen sixty eight, it got a
bump to a dollar sixty, the highest inflation adjusted value
to date. In nineteen seventy four through seventy six, it
raised incrementally from to two dollars and ten cents and
(15:32):
seventy four, twenty two dollars and twenty cents of seventy
five and two dollars thirty cents seventy six, addressing inflation.
But in the eighties the government got greedy, everyone got greedy,
and it got stagnant. And eighty one it increased to
three dollars and thirty five cents, but no raises followed
(15:55):
until nineteen ninety, causing around thirty percent real value loss
due to inflation. In the nineties, they were modest adjustments.
In nineteen ninety it went to three dollars in eighty cents.
It's called a training rage wage. I guess. In nineteen
(16:18):
ninety one, I would call it a significant increase. I
guess under these increments, it's significant, not that it made
any difference, but it was raised from three eighty to
four to twenty five in the nineteen ninety six through
ninety seven. It bumped up to five point fifteen in
nineteen ninety seven, and ten years after it was fixed
(16:44):
at five dollars and fifteen cents for ten years, losing
an additional twenty percent of real value two thousand and
seven to two thousand and nine. FLSA amendments of two
thousand and seven signed by President George W. Bush, it
(17:05):
raised two thousand and seven. It went from that got
to five dollars daighty five cents in two thousand and
eight six fifty five and in two thousand and nine
seven dollars twenty five cents, and then from twenty ten
(17:26):
to present day nothing. The federal minimum wage remained seven
dollars and twenty five cents per hour in twenty twenty five,
unchanged since July twenty fourth, two thousand and nine, the
(17:47):
longest period without an increase in US history. Inflation has
reduced its real value to around four dollars and fifty
cent it's in twenty twenty five dollars. Its value has
decreased around thirty eight percent since two thousand and nine.
(18:09):
That's just enough of money to buy one gallon of
two percent milk. Right now, you guys. Proposals like the
Rage raised the Wage Act in twenty and nineteen, again
in twenty twenty one, and again in twenty twenty three.
They proposed the increase to fifteen dollars or higher, have
(18:31):
failed in Congress due to partisan disputes, with opponents citing
potential job losses and supporters emphasize the income inequity. But
Congress and the rest of your government has no problem
paying Paluteer thirteen point nine billion dollars so far to
(18:53):
collect data on you. Remember Luigi man I know that
name bounced around your mind and you're like, yeah, who
was that? Well he was the shooter of the United
Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of last year. Well,
the latest news, and there is latest news somehow, Mangoni's
(19:15):
defense team has accused of the Manhattan District Attorney's office
of violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Y'all
know that as HIPPA or you'd probably hear that that's
what that is, by illegally obtaining his medical records from ETNA,
his health insurer. According to court documents on May fourteenth,
(19:36):
twenty twenty five, prosecutor's issue to subpoena requesting only Mangoni's
account number and coverage period. However, Etna provided over one
hundred and twenty pages of confidential medical records, including diagnosis
and medical complaints, which went beyond the subpoena scope. I
blame Etna, not the courts. The defense claims the subpoena
(20:01):
was false and fraudulent, citing an incorrect court date and
lack of notification to the court or defense, violating HIPPA
and doctor patient privilege. They're seeking sanctions, potentially including dismissal
of charges, and it requested an evidentiary hearing. Prosecutors, led
by Assistant District Attorney Joel Seideman, have denied misconducts, stating
(20:26):
they sought only unremarkable information and that Etna's over disclosure
was a mistake and it was they claimed the excess.
The excess records were deleted upon discovery. Now, how would
they know to delete that because they read it and
it went in their brain, you know what I'm saying.
They read all of it and then they thought, we're
(20:47):
not supposed to have that. We gotta we gotta delete that. Now, well,
you don't know that it needs to be deleted until
you read it, so the damage is done in my mind.
And they also noted the defense inadvert only sent the
same ethnophile to prosecutors, which was subsequently deleted upon request.
Sure prosecutors argue there was no secretive intent, and I've
(21:10):
asked the judge to reject the defense's request for sanctions
or a hearing. And that's a crazy story that keeps
going and getting crazier. Speaking of crazy stories, the Frederick
Valentich disappearance a famous incident involving a young Australian pilot
(21:33):
and a reported UFO siding. It's a well documented case
from October twenty first, nineteen seventy eight, over bas Strait
and Australia. Frederick Valentich, a twenty year old pilot with
around one hundred and fifty hours of flight experience, vanished
during a solo flight in a Sessna one two L
(21:55):
registration vh DSJ from Moriban Airport in Melbourne to King
Island around seven oh six pm Australian something time. While
flying at forty five hundred feet near Cape Otway, he
radioed Melbourne Flight Service reporting an unidentified aircraft following him.
(22:19):
He described a large, shiny, metallic object with four bright
lights and a green light, moving rapidly and orbiting above
him as if quote unquote playing with his plane. Balantche
reported engine issues like rough idling, and said the object
was hovering stationary, concluding with quote, it's hovering and it's
(22:40):
not an aircraft end quote. The transmission ended with seventeen
seconds of metallic scraping sounds in contact was lost redcrafted at.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
At least a thousand state above. Is any airports aircraft
in the vicinity? Know an aircraft in the vircinity? Seems
to be playing some sort of game. He's flying over me.
Can you describe the aircraft as it's flying past? It's
a wrong shape when I identify it. It has such speeds.
(23:16):
It's before me right now, Melbourne. How large would the
object be? Seems like it's stationary. What it's doing right
now is orbiting. The thing is just orbiting on top
of me. It's also I've got a green light and
a sort of metallic like it's shiny on the outside,
that strange across, huggling on top of me. A breath,
(23:37):
it's hodling that it's not an aircraft.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Valentine was an enthusiastic but inexperienced pilot with a Class
four instrument rating allowing night flights under visual conditions. He
had failed multiple commercial pilot exams and faced warnings for
minor infractions like flying into clouds or controlled airspace. He
was obsessed with UFOs, influenced by his family, and had
(24:22):
recently expressed fears of abduction, having watched close encounters of
the third kind. He stated his stated purpose for the
flight to pick up friends or crayfish, was later disproven
as no arrangements were made at King Island. A massive
search involving ships and civilian aircraft found no immediate trace
(24:46):
of Valantache or his plane. The search ended October twenty fifth,
nineteen seventy eight, with Valantage presumed dead. In nineteen eighty three,
assessment one eighty two engine cowl flap washed up on
Flinders Eye with serial numbers partially matching Valentine's plane, suggesting
a crash. Witnesses reported seeing a green light near a
(25:09):
descending plane, and photographer Roy Manifold captured images of a
fast moving object emerging from water, though skeptics attribute this
to film defects, or natural causes, and an unverified twenty fourteen
claim by a UFO group mentioned a farmer seeing a
craft with Valentine's plane attached leaking oil. The Australian Department
(25:33):
of Transports investigation couldn't pinpoint a cause, but noted Valantice's
UFO fascination as a factor. Theories include a real UFO
encounter ufologist in Valentine's family, especially his father, speculated he
was abducted or destroyed by a UFO, citing the green
light photos and lack of wreckage. Or then there's pilot
(25:56):
error or disorientation. A two thirty teen analysis by James
mcgaha and Joe Nichol suggested Valentich, flying after sunset, experienced
spatial disorientation, possibly mistaking a planetary conjunction for a UFO.
He may have entered a graveyard spiral due to the
(26:17):
tilted horizon illusion, causing engine issues and to crash with
the green light being his own navigation light. Then there's
the theory of a stage disappearance. Some theorized Valantiche faked
his disappearance as the plane wasn't detected on radar near
cap Otway, and unconfirmed reports suggested it landing elsewhere suicide
(26:42):
was considered but dismissed. Virtually unheard of story. I hadn't
heard about it until very recently. Is that because there
are so many skeptics and so many holes in the story? Probably?
I think so. My first clue in my first Red
Flag with UFA stories and sightings is the red lights
and the blue lights of green light whatever lights. Do
(27:05):
we really think the visitors from another realm, another dimension,
another galaxy, are gonna have marker lights on the aircraft,
you know, for safety? No, it's no. I can't stand it.
If I see some kind of UFO sighting on film
and there's blinking lights, I immediately go, now that's some
(27:27):
secret things someone's working on, or just fake the lights.
It just gets me every time. I don't know, it's
probably why we've never heard of it. And also I
think and some of my Southern Indiana listeners, the last
few seconds of that audio of the metallic scratching sound
(27:49):
sound very much like a turkey call, as in one
puts in his mouth and uses to call turkey. Do
you hear it? Do you feel that like I do?
(28:10):
I don't know. Do I believe this story? I personally
do not, but it's a big story and I've never
heard of it, and that's why I mentioned it today.
What do you think? Was it legit or stage by
Valentine himself? Leave a voicemail at eight one two six
one zero nine zero zero five, or email the podcast.
I'll read that thing. Info dot Soapbox Champion at gmail
(28:33):
dot com. Now it's time for sports. Jacksonville Jaguars kicker
Cam Little made a seventy yard field goal during a
preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday at EverBank Stadium.
The kick, which occurred at the end of the first half,
(28:54):
narrowed the Steeler's lead to fourteen to nine. It was
celebrated widely, with teammates Mobby Little on social media post
highlighting its significance. Listen, we're not joking. This kid can
really drill the ball. Holy smokes, they got a shot.
He just kicked a seven yard.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Here are you kidding me?
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Crazy?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
I crazy NFL record. I love that SoundBite and the
video of him kicking it's even better. Sadly, however, because
it was a preseason game, damn it, it does not
count as an official NFL record. The current NFL record
for the longest field goals, held by Justin Tucker, who
(29:41):
kicked a sixty six yarder in a regular season game
against the Detroit Lions in twenty twenty one. And that's
gonna do it for this week. Ass stupid, and that
will transition us right into the quote of the week
the next one. It's by Ricky Gervais, comedian Ricky Gervais. Uh,
(30:06):
I think the world settled on a love hate relationship
with him. He rubs me the right way. You thought
I was gonna say the wrong way, didn't you. I
get him. I get him. He's crass, brutally honest in
this good way. I like Ricky. And uh, here's a
good quote by him. Quote it's better to be at
the bottom of a ladder you want to climb, than
(30:30):
halfway up one you don't end. Quote. How's that? I
like that? I like that quote, Ricky Gervas. And if
you listen to this podcast more than twice, you know
what comes next. Say it with me. Now it's time
for sugar. Hit me sugar, Come on, that must be
(30:54):
the sugar man trouble trouble with these cues today? How
many times you heard me say that, have I done
anything about it? Oh? Why would I? Why would I? Ah?
So we talk about politics here, right, don't we? Yeah,
we do.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
I know.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Uh, there's been something missing in politics. It was something
I learned about as a kid. It was something kind
of legendary as you first learned how politics and global
leadership works and what it really means to be a superpower.
I remember seeing it in movies. There's been movies that
revolved around this thing, or the loss of this thing,
(31:35):
or someone trying to steal this thing. Can you guess yet,
I haven't spotted it in the wild in years, you know,
I haven't seen it in like, you know footage. It's
the Presidential Emergency satchel. You never called it that. You
called it the nuclear football. It's a black leather briefcase
(31:57):
that serves as a mobile command hub for the US
president to authorize a nuclear attack, went away from fixed
command centers like the White House situation Room. It symbolizes
the president's role sole authority over nuclear weapons and has
been a critical part of US national security since its
inception during the Cold War. The nuclear football emerged in
(32:20):
the late nineteen fifties during the Eisenhower administration, with its
development solidified under President John F. Kennedy following the nineteen
sixty two Cuban Missile crisis. Kennedy's concerns about the nuclear
weapons security and the need for a rapid, verified presidential
control led to its creation. A declassified nineteen sixty three
(32:41):
memo shows Kennedy asking what would I say to the
Joint War Room to launch an immediate nuclear strike? And
how would the person who received my instructions verify them?
These questions drove the development of a portable system to
ensure the president could act decisively in a crisis. The
(33:04):
term football may, ever, enginated from a nuclear war plan
code named Dropkick, though that is debated, with some suggesting
its relates to the Kennedy family's love for touch football.
Who knows. By nineteen sixty three, the briefcase was officially
called the Presidential Emergency SATCHEL, but nicknames like black Bag
(33:27):
or Satchel were used earlier. Its creation was also spurred
by incidents like Harold avenue Is nineteen fifty nine observation
of inadequate nuclear bomb safeguards at a NATO base, prompting
the development of electronic locks. They are like permissive action links.
That's what they're called in the business and centralized presidential control.
(33:50):
The football, weighing about forty five pounds, contains classified materials
essential for nuclear decision making, according to former White House
Military Official Director Bill Gully in nineteen eighty. Its contents
include the Black Book, a roughly nine x twelve document
with seventy five pages detailing nuclear strike options, including targets,
(34:13):
delivery systems as in ICBMs or bombers, and timing. It's
designed for quick comprehension using cartoons and color schemes. Authentication
codes nicknamed the biscuit, a three x five inch card
with codes called gold codes the president uses to verify
(34:33):
their identity to the National Military Command Center. Classified site locations,
a book listing secure bunkers where the president can shelter
during a crisis, emergency broadcast system procedures, a Manila folder
with instructions for activating the emergency alert system to address
the nation, and communication equipment. A small antenna suggests secure
(34:58):
communication devices to can with the Pentagon and military leaders.
In contrary to pop culture myths, there's no big red
button inside there from launching nuclear weapons. The football is
a command and control tool. The football is carried by
a rotating military aid, one from each of the six
US Armed Forces branches pay grade zero through four or above.
(35:23):
Who undergoes rigorous Yankee White background checks and Yankee White
it's not a standalone clearance, but a category requiring a
single scope background investigation, equivalent to a top secret clearance
with sensitive compartmental compartmented information access. It's tailored for roles
(35:46):
with proximity to the President or the Vice president. The
scope of Yankee White is an investigation exhausted covering personal
family history up to three generations, financial records incl in
credit history and debts, criminal background, any legal issues, foreign contacts,
travel affiliations, psychological and emotional stability, of course, drug use,
(36:11):
alcohol habits, and other lifestyle factors. Interviews with associates, employers, neighbors,
and references. And I remember who the hell was it.
It was a police department, someone are not far from here,
calling me in reference to someone, and this was absolutely
(36:33):
not a Yankee White thing. But it said right here,
it says drug use, alcohol habits. And I remember them
spending a lot of time asking me about alcohol of
the guy that they're asking It's so strange that they
would ask about that so much when there's so many
other anyway sidetrack side note limited to US citizens, with
(36:56):
a strong preference for those with minimal foreign ties to
produce spas risks. Dual citizenship or significant foreign connections can
disqualify candidates. Also UH conducted by the Department of Defense
or other authors that authorize agency. It evolves multiple layers
of review to ensure no vulnerabilities, no blackmail potential, no
(37:17):
foreign influences, nothing UH and at all. There's also continuous evaluation.
Personnel with Yankee white clearance undergo ongoing monitoring, including periodic
investigations every five years for top secret and random checks
to maintain eligibility. And I would want them to do
random checks. UH. The term Yankee white is a DoD
(37:39):
designation and its exact criteria or classified, but it's known
to be one of the most rigorous and vetting UH
vetting processes reflecting the sensitivity sensitive those roles UH. For example,
the aids carrying the nuclear football or you know, they
must they must pass all of that and be trusted
in high stakes scenario, the AID stays within arms reed
(38:04):
of the President. President of all times, including on Air
Force one, Marine one, or the presidential motorcade. A backup
football company is the Vice President, and a third is
stored in the White House. If the President decides to
authorize a nuclear strike, the process involves the following authentication.
(38:26):
The President uses that three x five card, the biscuit
and the codes on it to confirm their identity via
a two person verification with the NMCSE using a challenge
code of two phonetic letters. Strike selection, the President consults
advisors like the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs Chairman, and
(38:48):
people like that, and select an option from the Black Book,
ranging from a single ICBM to large scale attacks under
O Plan eight OHO one to zero one two targeting
adversaries like Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran. Execution orders
are relayed to the NMCC, which uses a two man
(39:11):
rule at launch facilities to ensure authenticity. Authenticity the president
has so launch authority, though orders must be lawful and
military officers are obligated to refuse illegal orders. The process
is designed for speed, as a response to an incoming
near attack could require a decision within thirty minutes. There
(39:33):
are some notable incidents and security serns with this thing
nineteen eighty one, the Reagan assassination attempt. During the attempt
on President Reagan's life, the aid was separated and the
biscuit the card was found in a hospital plastic bag
after Reagan's clothes were removed. In two thousand, former Joint
(39:55):
Chiefs Chairman Hugh Shelton reported the President Clinton lost the
biscuit for months, calling it a gargantuan deal. And in
twenty seventeen, President Trump allowed guests to pose with the football,
raising concerns about its security. Ah don't know who cares.
(40:15):
You know, it's protected. It's just it's not open. I
don't know about that one. These incidents at fueled debate
about the football's vulnerability and the risk of solo presidential authority,
especially in politically unstable times. The football it remains a
symbol of presidential power, but also a point of contention.
(40:37):
Recent discussions in a twenty twenty five analysis, question the
safety of sole authority in a complex geopolitical landscape. Proposals
like the Restricting First Use Nurcular Weapons Act by Senator
Ed Markey and Representative Ted lu aim to require congressional
approval for a first strike, though such efforts have gained
(41:00):
little traction, and we've seen how Congress operates and so
slow and shady. Don't really want them involved in something
like that. Really, I don't. I don't, you know, I don't. Personally, Uh,
I don't agree. As a matter of fact, I think
we need to see more of the president with the football.
I think it's a not so subtle reminder that the
(41:21):
US still hold some very powerful keys. The presidential football.
That thing should have its own IMDb page since it
has been in so many movies. And that is why
it's this week's sugar and that, Ladies and Germs. Is
the end of episode one ninety eight. Thanks for listening.
(41:43):
We're watching. Go watch the soapbox Champions Rumble Channel. Go
to Rumble. It's cool. Uh follow me there. You don't
even have to watch me there. Just follow me on
Rumble and listen to audio if you want. If once
a week's not enough of me, follow me on social media,
all of them, Facebook, X, Insta, Truth, Blue Sky, all
of them. I suggest Facebook and X because I'm just
(42:07):
it just seems like I'm more active on there. I
don't know. Just go follow me, got an idea for
a topic for an episode, great, because I'm all out. No,
I'm just kidding. But if you do have something you
want me to cover or got to complain or a compliment,
leave a voicemail for the podcast is eight one two
six one zero nine zero zero five, or compose an
(42:29):
email and send it to info dot Soapbox Champion at
gmail dot com. And remember, the suicide and Crisis Lifeline
is available twenty four hours a day, absolutely free for everyone.
That number is nine eight eight. You can even text it.
It's hard to talk sometime. I know it's hard for
me every episode, and I'm I'm not kidding, I have
to psyche myself up for this nine eight eight. Take
(42:52):
care of yourself in one another no matter what their
political affiliation. You guys, and we'll talk to you again
next Tuesday. Al Paul is a rookie cop in New York.
Speaker 5 (43:07):
One day, he's tasked with escorting four scientists known as
the Ghostbusters to the Mayor's office. He overhears what Egon
and the other Ghostbusters are explaining about paranormal activity. Being
a nice, talkative young man, he keeps asking questions. He
eventually gets the twinkie explanation from Egon. He was also
there to witness Gozer, the staypuff marshmallow Man, the near
(43:27):
destruction of all life on earth. Unable to think clearly,
he accidentally shoots a thirteen year old boy because they
thought the kid had a real gun.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
The shooting was.
Speaker 5 (43:36):
Investigated, he was found to have not done anything wrong,
but it was time for a change of scenery. He
transfers to la where he's forced to work a desk
job while his work probation runs its course. We see
him in Diehard buying twinkies. His knowledge of Twinkie ingredients
and willingness to tell John McClain about it shows his
obsession with the food since leaving New York and Egon's
(43:57):
explanation won't leave his brain, he's still not in a
good place mentally. We start to see the cracks forming
in his reality. He admits to the store clerk that
twinkies are for his pregnant wife, but this is just
a made up lie to himself to appear normal because
he's not an everyday guy. There's not a wedding ring
on his finger. He's beginning to build up an alternate
reality in his mind because he tells John McClain the
(44:19):
same thing. He even starts to hang onto the hope
of forming a quick friendship with John. Unfortunately, the events
that night at a Knakatomi plas a force Al into
murdering again in the line of duty. After almost being
killed by terrorists, John moves on with his life and
the police chief takes all the credit for saving the day.
This nightmare is at its peak for Al pol and
(44:39):
he's admitted to a mental institution where he completely breaks down.
To escape the pain, he creates an alternate reality in
his head where he becomes Carl Winslow, a family man
in Chicago as far away from the coast as possible.
He's still a cop, but his duties never interfere with
a solid, loving home life. He has a wife, three kids,
a SI mister in law, a mother, all surrounding him
(45:02):
giving him support. Whenever he is safe, he is happy. However,
the guilt of his real life is manifesting itself and
bubbling underneath until it finally pushes its way into Al's
dream world. A thirteen year old boy named Steve Rkle,
the very same boy that Al killed accidentally back in
New Yorld with nothing to offer but being obnoxious interruptings.
(45:26):
Al's peaceful dream exists is Steve haunts him like an
angry spirit, causing frustration Carl's powerless. As each horrible torture
befalls Carl and his family, his tormentor cries did I
do that? Only to serve and mock Carl even more
because Carl did do that, he killed the boy.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
The harder Carl.
Speaker 5 (45:47):
Tries to suppress his guilt, the worse it becomes. It
becomes so unbearable that his peaceful life turns into a
horror flick, eventually giving him a heart attack and having
his family disappear one by one. Carl's winslow dream reality trumbles,
leaving Al Paul alone in a straight jacket.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
M
Then a yellow fruit orange.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
This is the Soapbox Champion podcast. Yeah it is, heck,
yeah it is. It's Tuesday, August twelve, twenty twenty five.
This is episode one ninety eight of the Soapbox Champion podcast,
recorded live from FEMA Region five. Have you guys looked
(00:51):
and found out your FEMA region yet? In case you
need it soon probably will soon go find out your
FEMA region. Get to know it. Hey, my name is
Craig Delaney. Hello everyone, how are you. I hope you
had a good week. I did, but someone didn't. An
(01:12):
airman from the Air Force was arrested regarding that shooting
that resulted in the death of Airman Braden Lovin on
July twentieth at F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
That airman, whose identity has not been disclosed, is confronted
with accusations of involuntary manslaughter, hindering justice, and providing a
(01:34):
false official declaration. This is the incident involving the Cig
eighteen handgun that the Air Force carries, leading the Air
Force at least parts of it, to halt its use
and initiate a comprehensive safety evaluation across the service. The
inquiry is still in progress and the individual is considered
(01:55):
innocent and less proven otherwise, of course, But the following
from an article dated August eighth from air Force Times
dot com headline reads air Force makes arrest in airmen
shooting death involving M eighteen pistol by Stephen Lucy. I
guess that's how you pronounces this name. The Air Force
(02:15):
has arrested an airman in connection with the July twentieth
death of another airman, which involved a six hour eighteen
and led the service to suspend the use of the
pistol following the incident. In a Friday statement, the Department
of the Air Force spokesperson said that the unidentified arrested
person is accused of making a false official statement, obstruction
(02:36):
of justice, and voluntary manslaughter. Quote into article. I knew
something wasn't right. I knew it as soon as I
heard that an airman removed a holstered weapon, holster and
all and threw it on a table. I knew something
was a miss balderdash. I said, that just doesn't make sense.
(03:01):
Airmen are not that willy nilly with their side arm,
and they would have got in a shitload of trouble
if they were busted doing that. I knew either this
was an out of control airman making an out of
control mistake, or was a damn lie. It turns out
seems like it's a damn lie, a convenient SIG P
(03:25):
three twenty controversy, ready to take the heat for something
it didn't do. The timing was perfect, The heat on
six hour isn't an all time high right now. Everyone
interested in firearms is talking about it. It's trendy to
crap on SIG right now. We got guys jamming screws
in the trigger guard. We've got another dropping pistols from
(03:46):
three stories. What a perfect thing to blame. Now. Six
hour does have some explaining to do, but not with
this incident. It seems it was BS and I knew,
and I called it out last week. I still believe
our airmen and women are in good shape. Put the
cig mateen P three twenty variant on their hip. I
(04:09):
still would like to hear an apology from SIG regarding
the actual issues with the P three twenty. Just a
little apology it would go a long way. But I'm
sure their legal team has warned them to not apologize
as that would project guilt. You see, that's the games
we play. So another bull crap story regarding the P
(04:31):
three twenty slash M eighteen and I knew it. So
moving on. Pallunteer Technologies get to know that name. It's
the US based software company specializing in big data, analytics
and AI driven solutions. Found it in twenty thousand. Found
it in two thousand and three by Peter Thiel and
(04:53):
some associates. There's a bunch of them. It develops platforms
like Gotham and Foundry to help organizations analyze and visualize
large data sets. Plunteer has been hired by the US government. Guys,
now see where this goes. In July twenty twenty five,
the US Army awarded pallentnteer a ten year enterprise service
(05:14):
agreement worth up to ten billion dollars to consolidate seventy
five contracts fifteen as prime contractor, sixty as subcontractor into
a single framework for software and data needs. This deal
aims to streamline procurement, reduced cost, and enhance military readiness
with AI and data analytics tools. Additionally, in May, Pallunteer
(05:39):
received a seven hundred and ninety five million dollars modification
to an existing contract for Maven smart system software licenses
with the Department of Defense. Remember that Maven other recent
contracts including a thirty million dollars deal with ICE for
deportation tracking and one one hundred million dollars Army contract
(06:02):
for next Gen command. That's a lot of millions of dollars,
You guys involved in a lot of government You guys,
smells already, doesn't it. Pallunteer is now supporting agencies including
the FBI, ICE, and RHHS. It also serves private sectors
like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Pallunteer
(06:27):
went public in twenty twenty and is known for its
controversial role in surveillance and data privacy debates. And that's
why you don't hear about TikTok anymore. Short attention spance. Oh,
that was the biggest talking point for so long. Remember, guys,
the TikTok ban. It must be sold, yes, but it
(06:51):
must be sold to Google. Why so that Google will
be the number one collector of data and you and
me and every other taxpayer in the US that TikTok
controversy does doesn't just go away. Under normal circumstances. You see,
no one in the government was going to simply say, okay,
never mind, there's there had to be a reason why
it's gone. No headlines, no sale, no ban. It's still
(07:14):
on your phone right now. It's still on the App Store,
the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Your kid
probably has it on their phone and or tablet. That
controversy went from zero to eleven and record time. People
were fighting over it. Congress was consumed by a Trump
got involved. Everyone was talking about it. I addressed it
(07:34):
multiple times on this podcast, and so did every other
podcast on Earth the View. They were torn up about it.
Outrage everywhere. Remember how badly they treated Shozi Chu, the
CEO of TikTok.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Do they have to do so? According to Chinese.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Law Congressman, First, I'm Singaporean.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
That's fine with Chinese Communist Party secretary, mister Zang Fuping.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Who is your boss at by Dance?
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Correct?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
No, no, no, neither my boss.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Do we have freaking content and America and lawya Also.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
My colleague representative lad to confirm that your parent company
by Dance currently can access user data.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yes, let's we have to be most specific. We do
share some revenue with some creators who produce say, one
minute plus informatic content.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Jerks. All of them were jerks to him, every single
one of them.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Then it all stopped abruptly, no headlines, no talk of it.
The nightly news moved on, late night shows, never mentioned it.
Congress went home. I think, come on, conspiracy, where are you?
I think it's because Plan B was chosen. Remember, data
(08:53):
is the new gold. Data centers and hard drives are
the new Fort Knox Gold TikTok and Bye Dance couldn't
be scared into giving the government all the data. So
Plan B was Palaeer. They have it all financial data,
healthcare data, manufacturing data, now military data. And of course
(09:16):
Pallenteer fits right in with government controversy all over them,
stemming from its business practices, clients and data handling. Plunteers
platforms like Gotham are used by US agencies as in I,
FBI and CIA for data analytics, often involving surveillance and tracking. UH.
Palunteer's secretive nature and lack of transparency about how its
(09:39):
software processes data fuels distrust. Critics, including groups like Amnesty International,
have flagged its tools for potential human rights abuses, especially
in predictive policing and immigration enforcement. Palunteer's deep involvement with
the US military, such as that ten billion dollar army
contract and the seven hundred ninety five million dollar Maven
(10:01):
Smart System deal, spark debate over its role and militarized
AI and data driven warfare, well, some accusing it of
profiting for conflict interesting co founder Peter Teo polarizing political
views and Pallenteers reported internal culture describe it as cult
(10:22):
like by some former employees, then add to its and
that just adds to its controversial image. Teel support for
conservative causes is alienated some stakeholders, but that should not matter.
In the private sector. Pallenteers work with companies like BP
or JP Morgan raises questions about how sensitive corporate personal
(10:43):
data are handled, the fears of misuse and breaches. I
mentioned the Maven Smart System everyone. The Maven Smart System
is a software platform powered by AI created by Palenteer
as part of the US Department of Defense. Is Project Maven,
which began in twenty seventeen to improve military AI capabilities
(11:07):
by utilizing generative AI, machine learning, and large language models.
It consolidates and examines large volumes of data from various sources,
including satellite images, geolocation data, and sensor streams, to boost
awareness on the battlefield and assist in making informed decisions.
This system promotes quicker and more precise operational choices, they say,
(11:30):
by combining human and machine efforts, aiding in tasks such
as command and control. You know, since twenty twenty three,
the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency has overseen the system as
Project Maven transitioned into a program of record. It plays
a vital role into Department of FENS Combined Joint All
(11:52):
Domain Command and Control. You might know that as CJA
DC two guys, I'm sorry, that's a strategy by them now.
By May, it was in use across various US combatant
commands like Center Command and into Pacific Command and had
over twenty thousand active users engaging with thirty five military
(12:13):
tools across three security domains, and we're just now hearing
about it. Project Maven pallunteers. Agreements for the Maven Smart
System include a four hundred and eighty million dollar contract
signed in twenty twenty four that seven hundred and ninety
five million dollar adjustment has to do with Project mavenw
(12:33):
it's to increase software licenses you see, and a ninety
nine point eight million dollar contract in September to enhance
accessibility for all military branches okay, aiming for completion by
September of twenty twenty nine. The total value for the
contracts for the system has nearly reached one point three
billion dollars, highlighting the increasing need for its AI based functionalities.
(12:58):
It's all controversy, see all of it. Uh, it's it's
it plays this giant rolle, the Maven Smart system and
enabling AI driven surveillances and targeting. And that's that's all
privacy and ethical. Uh it stinks. It stinks, and in
the government hands terrible TikTok is out pallenteers in. You
(13:25):
combine all of that, all that surveillance with the smith
Mouth Modern Modernization Act of twenty twenty twenty twelve that
I don't shut up about that that made it legal
for the US government to use propaganda on its own citizens. Well,
combine that with Project Mavin, and that's the recipe. I
don't like, don't want any part of it, all paid
(13:45):
for by you and me. The government has no money
of its own, only mine and your tax dollars. Pay attention,
you guys, start listening for palenteer and speaking of tax
dollars in money. The federal minimum wage in the United
(14:05):
States was established under the Fair Labor Standards Act nineteen
thirty eight, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to address
labor exploitation by setting wage over time and child labor standards.
In nineteen thirty eight, the initial federal minimum wage was
set at twenty five cents an hour. That's around five
(14:28):
dollars sixty cents twenty twenty five dollars adjusted for inflation,
applied to employees in interstate commerce and producing goods for
It covered about twenty percent of all workers at the time,
excluded agriculture, domestic in some retail workers due to political compromises.
(14:48):
Sure it does. In the nineteen forties and fifties, there
were some increases. In nineteen forty nine, it was raised
to seventy five cents. In nineteen fifty six, it was
increased to a dollar in the sixties and seventies. Nineteen
sixty one, it was raised to a dollar fifteen, nineteen
(15:08):
sixty six, a dollar forty and it expanded to state
and local government employees and farm workers that reached around
thirty million workers. In nineteen sixty eight, it got a
bump to a dollar sixty, the highest inflation adjusted value
to date. In nineteen seventy four through seventy six, it
raised incrementally from to two dollars and ten cents and
(15:32):
seventy four, twenty two dollars and twenty cents of seventy
five and two dollars thirty cents seventy six, addressing inflation.
But in the eighties the government got greedy, everyone got greedy,
and it got stagnant. And eighty one it increased to
three dollars and thirty five cents, but no raises followed
(15:55):
until nineteen ninety, causing around thirty percent real value loss
due to inflation. In the nineties, they were modest adjustments.
In nineteen ninety it went to three dollars in eighty cents.
It's called a training rage wage. I guess. In nineteen
(16:18):
ninety one, I would call it a significant increase. I
guess under these increments, it's significant, not that it made
any difference, but it was raised from three eighty to
four to twenty five in the nineteen ninety six through
ninety seven. It bumped up to five point fifteen in
nineteen ninety seven, and ten years after it was fixed
(16:44):
at five dollars and fifteen cents for ten years, losing
an additional twenty percent of real value two thousand and
seven to two thousand and nine. FLSA amendments of two
thousand and seven signed by President George W. Bush, it
(17:05):
raised two thousand and seven. It went from that got
to five dollars daighty five cents in two thousand and
eight six fifty five and in two thousand and nine
seven dollars twenty five cents, and then from twenty ten
(17:26):
to present day nothing. The federal minimum wage remained seven
dollars and twenty five cents per hour in twenty twenty five,
unchanged since July twenty fourth, two thousand and nine, the
(17:47):
longest period without an increase in US history. Inflation has
reduced its real value to around four dollars and fifty
cent it's in twenty twenty five dollars. Its value has
decreased around thirty eight percent since two thousand and nine.
(18:09):
That's just enough of money to buy one gallon of
two percent milk. Right now, you guys. Proposals like the
Rage raised the Wage Act in twenty and nineteen, again
in twenty twenty one, and again in twenty twenty three.
They proposed the increase to fifteen dollars or higher, have
(18:31):
failed in Congress due to partisan disputes, with opponents citing
potential job losses and supporters emphasize the income inequity. But
Congress and the rest of your government has no problem
paying Paluteer thirteen point nine billion dollars so far to
(18:53):
collect data on you. Remember Luigi man I know that
name bounced around your mind and you're like, yeah, who
was that? Well he was the shooter of the United
Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December of last year. Well,
the latest news, and there is latest news somehow, Mangoni's
(19:15):
defense team has accused of the Manhattan District Attorney's office
of violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Y'all
know that as HIPPA or you'd probably hear that that's
what that is, by illegally obtaining his medical records from ETNA,
his health insurer. According to court documents on May fourteenth,
(19:36):
twenty twenty five, prosecutor's issue to subpoena requesting only Mangoni's
account number and coverage period. However, Etna provided over one
hundred and twenty pages of confidential medical records, including diagnosis
and medical complaints, which went beyond the subpoena scope. I
blame Etna, not the courts. The defense claims the subpoena
(20:01):
was false and fraudulent, citing an incorrect court date and
lack of notification to the court or defense, violating HIPPA
and doctor patient privilege. They're seeking sanctions, potentially including dismissal
of charges, and it requested an evidentiary hearing. Prosecutors, led
by Assistant District Attorney Joel Seideman, have denied misconducts, stating
(20:26):
they sought only unremarkable information and that Etna's over disclosure
was a mistake and it was they claimed the excess.
The excess records were deleted upon discovery. Now, how would
they know to delete that because they read it and
it went in their brain, you know what I'm saying.
They read all of it and then they thought, we're
(20:47):
not supposed to have that. We gotta we gotta delete that. Now, well,
you don't know that it needs to be deleted until
you read it, so the damage is done in my mind.
And they also noted the defense inadvert only sent the
same ethnophile to prosecutors, which was subsequently deleted upon request.
Sure prosecutors argue there was no secretive intent, and I've
(21:10):
asked the judge to reject the defense's request for sanctions
or a hearing. And that's a crazy story that keeps
going and getting crazier. Speaking of crazy stories, the Frederick
Valentich disappearance a famous incident involving a young Australian pilot
(21:33):
and a reported UFO siding. It's a well documented case
from October twenty first, nineteen seventy eight, over bas Strait
and Australia. Frederick Valentich, a twenty year old pilot with
around one hundred and fifty hours of flight experience, vanished
during a solo flight in a Sessna one two L
(21:55):
registration vh DSJ from Moriban Airport in Melbourne to King
Island around seven oh six pm Australian something time. While
flying at forty five hundred feet near Cape Otway, he
radioed Melbourne Flight Service reporting an unidentified aircraft following him.
(22:19):
He described a large, shiny, metallic object with four bright
lights and a green light, moving rapidly and orbiting above
him as if quote unquote playing with his plane. Balantche
reported engine issues like rough idling, and said the object
was hovering stationary, concluding with quote, it's hovering and it's
(22:40):
not an aircraft end quote. The transmission ended with seventeen
seconds of metallic scraping sounds in contact was lost redcrafted at.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
At least a thousand state above. Is any airports aircraft
in the vicinity? Know an aircraft in the vircinity? Seems
to be playing some sort of game. He's flying over me.
Can you describe the aircraft as it's flying past? It's
a wrong shape when I identify it. It has such speeds.
(23:16):
It's before me right now, Melbourne. How large would the
object be? Seems like it's stationary. What it's doing right
now is orbiting. The thing is just orbiting on top
of me. It's also I've got a green light and
a sort of metallic like it's shiny on the outside,
that strange across, huggling on top of me. A breath,
(23:37):
it's hodling that it's not an aircraft.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Valentine was an enthusiastic but inexperienced pilot with a Class
four instrument rating allowing night flights under visual conditions. He
had failed multiple commercial pilot exams and faced warnings for
minor infractions like flying into clouds or controlled airspace. He
was obsessed with UFOs, influenced by his family, and had
(24:22):
recently expressed fears of abduction, having watched close encounters of
the third kind. He stated his stated purpose for the
flight to pick up friends or crayfish, was later disproven
as no arrangements were made at King Island. A massive
search involving ships and civilian aircraft found no immediate trace
(24:46):
of Valantache or his plane. The search ended October twenty fifth,
nineteen seventy eight, with Valantage presumed dead. In nineteen eighty three,
assessment one eighty two engine cowl flap washed up on
Flinders Eye with serial numbers partially matching Valentine's plane, suggesting
a crash. Witnesses reported seeing a green light near a
(25:09):
descending plane, and photographer Roy Manifold captured images of a
fast moving object emerging from water, though skeptics attribute this
to film defects, or natural causes, and an unverified twenty fourteen
claim by a UFO group mentioned a farmer seeing a
craft with Valentine's plane attached leaking oil. The Australian Department
(25:33):
of Transports investigation couldn't pinpoint a cause, but noted Valantice's
UFO fascination as a factor. Theories include a real UFO
encounter ufologist in Valentine's family, especially his father, speculated he
was abducted or destroyed by a UFO, citing the green
light photos and lack of wreckage. Or then there's pilot
(25:56):
error or disorientation. A two thirty teen analysis by James
mcgaha and Joe Nichol suggested Valentich, flying after sunset, experienced
spatial disorientation, possibly mistaking a planetary conjunction for a UFO.
He may have entered a graveyard spiral due to the
(26:17):
tilted horizon illusion, causing engine issues and to crash with
the green light being his own navigation light. Then there's
the theory of a stage disappearance. Some theorized Valantiche faked
his disappearance as the plane wasn't detected on radar near
cap Otway, and unconfirmed reports suggested it landing elsewhere suicide
(26:42):
was considered but dismissed. Virtually unheard of story. I hadn't
heard about it until very recently. Is that because there
are so many skeptics and so many holes in the story? Probably?
I think so. My first clue in my first Red
Flag with UFA stories and sightings is the red lights
and the blue lights of green light whatever lights. Do
(27:05):
we really think the visitors from another realm, another dimension,
another galaxy, are gonna have marker lights on the aircraft,
you know, for safety? No, it's no. I can't stand it.
If I see some kind of UFO sighting on film
and there's blinking lights, I immediately go, now that's some
(27:27):
secret things someone's working on, or just fake the lights.
It just gets me every time. I don't know, it's
probably why we've never heard of it. And also I
think and some of my Southern Indiana listeners, the last
few seconds of that audio of the metallic scratching sound
(27:49):
sound very much like a turkey call, as in one
puts in his mouth and uses to call turkey. Do
you hear it? Do you feel that like I do?
(28:10):
I don't know. Do I believe this story? I personally
do not, but it's a big story and I've never
heard of it, and that's why I mentioned it today.
What do you think? Was it legit or stage by
Valentine himself? Leave a voicemail at eight one two six
one zero nine zero zero five, or email the podcast.
I'll read that thing. Info dot Soapbox Champion at gmail
(28:33):
dot com. Now it's time for sports. Jacksonville Jaguars kicker
Cam Little made a seventy yard field goal during a
preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday at EverBank Stadium.
The kick, which occurred at the end of the first half,
(28:54):
narrowed the Steeler's lead to fourteen to nine. It was
celebrated widely, with teammates Mobby Little on social media post
highlighting its significance. Listen, we're not joking. This kid can
really drill the ball. Holy smokes, they got a shot.
He just kicked a seven yard.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Here are you kidding me?
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Crazy?
Speaker 2 (29:20):
I crazy NFL record. I love that SoundBite and the
video of him kicking it's even better. Sadly, however, because
it was a preseason game, damn it, it does not
count as an official NFL record. The current NFL record
for the longest field goals, held by Justin Tucker, who
(29:41):
kicked a sixty six yarder in a regular season game
against the Detroit Lions in twenty twenty one. And that's
gonna do it for this week. Ass stupid, and that
will transition us right into the quote of the week
the next one. It's by Ricky Gervais, comedian Ricky Gervais. Uh,
(30:06):
I think the world settled on a love hate relationship
with him. He rubs me the right way. You thought
I was gonna say the wrong way, didn't you. I
get him. I get him. He's crass, brutally honest in
this good way. I like Ricky. And uh, here's a
good quote by him. Quote it's better to be at
the bottom of a ladder you want to climb, than
(30:30):
halfway up one you don't end. Quote. How's that? I
like that? I like that quote, Ricky Gervas. And if
you listen to this podcast more than twice, you know
what comes next. Say it with me. Now it's time
for sugar. Hit me sugar, Come on, that must be
(30:54):
the sugar man trouble trouble with these cues today? How
many times you heard me say that, have I done
anything about it? Oh? Why would I? Why would I? Ah?
So we talk about politics here, right, don't we? Yeah,
we do.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
I know.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Uh, there's been something missing in politics. It was something
I learned about as a kid. It was something kind
of legendary as you first learned how politics and global
leadership works and what it really means to be a superpower.
I remember seeing it in movies. There's been movies that
revolved around this thing, or the loss of this thing,
(31:35):
or someone trying to steal this thing. Can you guess yet,
I haven't spotted it in the wild in years, you know,
I haven't seen it in like, you know footage. It's
the Presidential Emergency satchel. You never called it that. You
called it the nuclear football. It's a black leather briefcase
(31:57):
that serves as a mobile command hub for the US
president to authorize a nuclear attack, went away from fixed
command centers like the White House situation Room. It symbolizes
the president's role sole authority over nuclear weapons and has
been a critical part of US national security since its
inception during the Cold War. The nuclear football emerged in
(32:20):
the late nineteen fifties during the Eisenhower administration, with its
development solidified under President John F. Kennedy following the nineteen
sixty two Cuban Missile crisis. Kennedy's concerns about the nuclear
weapons security and the need for a rapid, verified presidential
control led to its creation. A declassified nineteen sixty three
(32:41):
memo shows Kennedy asking what would I say to the
Joint War Room to launch an immediate nuclear strike? And
how would the person who received my instructions verify them?
These questions drove the development of a portable system to
ensure the president could act decisively in a crisis. The
(33:04):
term football may, ever, enginated from a nuclear war plan
code named Dropkick, though that is debated, with some suggesting
its relates to the Kennedy family's love for touch football.
Who knows. By nineteen sixty three, the briefcase was officially
called the Presidential Emergency SATCHEL, but nicknames like black Bag
(33:27):
or Satchel were used earlier. Its creation was also spurred
by incidents like Harold avenue Is nineteen fifty nine observation
of inadequate nuclear bomb safeguards at a NATO base, prompting
the development of electronic locks. They are like permissive action links.
That's what they're called in the business and centralized presidential control.
(33:50):
The football, weighing about forty five pounds, contains classified materials
essential for nuclear decision making, according to former White House
Military Official Director Bill Gully in nineteen eighty. Its contents
include the Black Book, a roughly nine x twelve document
with seventy five pages detailing nuclear strike options, including targets,
(34:13):
delivery systems as in ICBMs or bombers, and timing. It's
designed for quick comprehension using cartoons and color schemes. Authentication
codes nicknamed the biscuit, a three x five inch card
with codes called gold codes the president uses to verify
(34:33):
their identity to the National Military Command Center. Classified site locations,
a book listing secure bunkers where the president can shelter
during a crisis, emergency broadcast system procedures, a Manila folder
with instructions for activating the emergency alert system to address
the nation, and communication equipment. A small antenna suggests secure
(34:58):
communication devices to can with the Pentagon and military leaders.
In contrary to pop culture myths, there's no big red
button inside there from launching nuclear weapons. The football is
a command and control tool. The football is carried by
a rotating military aid, one from each of the six
US Armed Forces branches pay grade zero through four or above.
(35:23):
Who undergoes rigorous Yankee White background checks and Yankee White
it's not a standalone clearance, but a category requiring a
single scope background investigation, equivalent to a top secret clearance
with sensitive compartmental compartmented information access. It's tailored for roles
(35:46):
with proximity to the President or the Vice president. The
scope of Yankee White is an investigation exhausted covering personal
family history up to three generations, financial records incl in
credit history and debts, criminal background, any legal issues, foreign contacts,
travel affiliations, psychological and emotional stability, of course, drug use,
(36:11):
alcohol habits, and other lifestyle factors. Interviews with associates, employers, neighbors,
and references. And I remember who the hell was it.
It was a police department, someone are not far from here,
calling me in reference to someone, and this was absolutely
(36:33):
not a Yankee White thing. But it said right here,
it says drug use, alcohol habits. And I remember them
spending a lot of time asking me about alcohol of
the guy that they're asking It's so strange that they
would ask about that so much when there's so many
other anyway sidetrack side note limited to US citizens, with
(36:56):
a strong preference for those with minimal foreign ties to
produce spas risks. Dual citizenship or significant foreign connections can
disqualify candidates. Also UH conducted by the Department of Defense
or other authors that authorize agency. It evolves multiple layers
of review to ensure no vulnerabilities, no blackmail potential, no
(37:17):
foreign influences, nothing UH and at all. There's also continuous evaluation.
Personnel with Yankee white clearance undergo ongoing monitoring, including periodic
investigations every five years for top secret and random checks
to maintain eligibility. And I would want them to do
random checks. UH. The term Yankee white is a DoD
(37:39):
designation and its exact criteria or classified, but it's known
to be one of the most rigorous and vetting UH
vetting processes reflecting the sensitivity sensitive those roles UH. For example,
the aids carrying the nuclear football or you know, they
must they must pass all of that and be trusted
in high stakes scenario, the AID stays within arms reed
(38:04):
of the President. President of all times, including on Air
Force one, Marine one, or the presidential motorcade. A backup
football company is the Vice President, and a third is
stored in the White House. If the President decides to
authorize a nuclear strike, the process involves the following authentication.
(38:26):
The President uses that three x five card, the biscuit
and the codes on it to confirm their identity via
a two person verification with the NMCSE using a challenge
code of two phonetic letters. Strike selection, the President consults
advisors like the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs Chairman, and
(38:48):
people like that, and select an option from the Black Book,
ranging from a single ICBM to large scale attacks under
O Plan eight OHO one to zero one two targeting
adversaries like Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran. Execution orders
are relayed to the NMCC, which uses a two man
(39:11):
rule at launch facilities to ensure authenticity. Authenticity the president
has so launch authority, though orders must be lawful and
military officers are obligated to refuse illegal orders. The process
is designed for speed, as a response to an incoming
near attack could require a decision within thirty minutes. There
(39:33):
are some notable incidents and security serns with this thing
nineteen eighty one, the Reagan assassination attempt. During the attempt
on President Reagan's life, the aid was separated and the
biscuit the card was found in a hospital plastic bag
after Reagan's clothes were removed. In two thousand, former Joint
(39:55):
Chiefs Chairman Hugh Shelton reported the President Clinton lost the
biscuit for months, calling it a gargantuan deal. And in
twenty seventeen, President Trump allowed guests to pose with the football,
raising concerns about its security. Ah don't know who cares.
(40:15):
You know, it's protected. It's just it's not open. I
don't know about that one. These incidents at fueled debate
about the football's vulnerability and the risk of solo presidential authority,
especially in politically unstable times. The football it remains a
symbol of presidential power, but also a point of contention.
(40:37):
Recent discussions in a twenty twenty five analysis, question the
safety of sole authority in a complex geopolitical landscape. Proposals
like the Restricting First Use Nurcular Weapons Act by Senator
Ed Markey and Representative Ted lu aim to require congressional
approval for a first strike, though such efforts have gained
(41:00):
little traction, and we've seen how Congress operates and so
slow and shady. Don't really want them involved in something
like that. Really, I don't. I don't, you know, I don't. Personally, Uh,
I don't agree. As a matter of fact, I think
we need to see more of the president with the football.
I think it's a not so subtle reminder that the
(41:21):
US still hold some very powerful keys. The presidential football.
That thing should have its own IMDb page since it
has been in so many movies. And that is why
it's this week's sugar and that, Ladies and Germs. Is
the end of episode one ninety eight. Thanks for listening.
(41:43):
We're watching. Go watch the soapbox Champions Rumble Channel. Go
to Rumble. It's cool. Uh follow me there. You don't
even have to watch me there. Just follow me on
Rumble and listen to audio if you want. If once
a week's not enough of me, follow me on social media,
all of them, Facebook, X, Insta, Truth, Blue Sky, all
of them. I suggest Facebook and X because I'm just
(42:07):
it just seems like I'm more active on there. I
don't know. Just go follow me, got an idea for
a topic for an episode, great, because I'm all out. No,
I'm just kidding. But if you do have something you
want me to cover or got to complain or a compliment,
leave a voicemail for the podcast is eight one two
six one zero nine zero zero five, or compose an
(42:29):
email and send it to info dot Soapbox Champion at
gmail dot com. And remember, the suicide and Crisis Lifeline
is available twenty four hours a day, absolutely free for everyone.
That number is nine eight eight. You can even text it.
It's hard to talk sometime. I know it's hard for
me every episode, and I'm I'm not kidding, I have
to psyche myself up for this nine eight eight. Take
(42:52):
care of yourself in one another no matter what their
political affiliation. You guys, and we'll talk to you again
next Tuesday. Al Paul is a rookie cop in New York.
Speaker 5 (43:07):
One day, he's tasked with escorting four scientists known as
the Ghostbusters to the Mayor's office. He overhears what Egon
and the other Ghostbusters are explaining about paranormal activity. Being
a nice, talkative young man, he keeps asking questions. He
eventually gets the twinkie explanation from Egon. He was also
there to witness Gozer, the staypuff marshmallow Man, the near
(43:27):
destruction of all life on earth. Unable to think clearly,
he accidentally shoots a thirteen year old boy because they
thought the kid had a real gun.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
The shooting was.
Speaker 5 (43:36):
Investigated, he was found to have not done anything wrong,
but it was time for a change of scenery. He
transfers to la where he's forced to work a desk
job while his work probation runs its course. We see
him in Diehard buying twinkies. His knowledge of Twinkie ingredients
and willingness to tell John McClain about it shows his
obsession with the food since leaving New York and Egon's
(43:57):
explanation won't leave his brain, he's still not in a
good place mentally. We start to see the cracks forming
in his reality. He admits to the store clerk that
twinkies are for his pregnant wife, but this is just
a made up lie to himself to appear normal because
he's not an everyday guy. There's not a wedding ring
on his finger. He's beginning to build up an alternate
reality in his mind because he tells John McClain the
(44:19):
same thing. He even starts to hang onto the hope
of forming a quick friendship with John. Unfortunately, the events
that night at a Knakatomi plas a force Al into
murdering again in the line of duty. After almost being
killed by terrorists, John moves on with his life and
the police chief takes all the credit for saving the day.
This nightmare is at its peak for Al pol and
(44:39):
he's admitted to a mental institution where he completely breaks down.
To escape the pain, he creates an alternate reality in
his head where he becomes Carl Winslow, a family man
in Chicago as far away from the coast as possible.
He's still a cop, but his duties never interfere with
a solid, loving home life. He has a wife, three kids,
a SI mister in law, a mother, all surrounding him
(45:02):
giving him support. Whenever he is safe, he is happy. However,
the guilt of his real life is manifesting itself and
bubbling underneath until it finally pushes its way into Al's
dream world. A thirteen year old boy named Steve Rkle,
the very same boy that Al killed accidentally back in
New Yorld with nothing to offer but being obnoxious interruptings.
(45:26):
Al's peaceful dream exists is Steve haunts him like an
angry spirit, causing frustration Carl's powerless. As each horrible torture
befalls Carl and his family, his tormentor cries did I
do that? Only to serve and mock Carl even more
because Carl did do that, he killed the boy.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
The harder Carl.
Speaker 5 (45:47):
Tries to suppress his guilt, the worse it becomes. It
becomes so unbearable that his peaceful life turns into a
horror flick, eventually giving him a heart attack and having
his family disappear one by one. Carl's winslow dream reality trumbles,
leaving Al Paul alone in a straight jacket.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
M
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