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Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast, recorded live at George’s Cigar Shop in Swansboro, North Carolina. In this episode we fire up George’s house cigars, crack a rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year (Lot B), and get into everything from Tesla road trips and insane tolls to the new Carolina Museum of the Marine, AI, and life in and after the United States Marine Corps.

If you’re into cigars, bourbon, Marines, road trips, and real talk – you’re in the right place.

⏱️ Chapters

• 0:00 – Cold open, false start, getting settled
• 1:13 – Intro at George’s Cigar Shop; cigars & drinks roll call
• 2:25 – Non‑alcoholic beers & TK’s Lowe’s NA beer story
• 5:51 – Internet “experts,” gun debate trolls, missing context on shorts
• 6:56 – Four‑day cruise recap & gambling strategy
• 8:51 – 650‑mile Tesla road trip, charging time, and delays
• 10:25 – Self‑driving, lane assist, and future automated tickets
• 13:11 – Tolls vs. flying; cost of driving to New England; airport hacks
• 15:17 – Plane speeds, takeoff/landing, small planes vs. jets
• 17:16 – Weed‑smelling passenger kicked off flight & attention‑seekers
• 18:23 – Negativity, “The Secret,” energy, and Bruce Lee on self‑talk
• 19:24 – Bruce Lee ping‑pong clip & early fake videos
• 19:55 – How we use AI for podcast transcripts & design
• 21:49 – Customer service vs. chatbots and automation
• 22:38 – Automated golf ball picker and fewer human jobs
• 23:50 – Flower business, order‑gatherer websites, and SEO dominance
• 26:37 – Carolina Museum of the Marine tour overview
• 30:09 – Memorials, pricing, field trips, and events at the museum
• 33:06 – Funeral of a retired Master Guns & Marine brotherhood
• 34:34 – Future guests & Marine friends coming on the show
• 36:01 – Dakota arrives; maple bottle fake‑out; Pappy Van Winkle 12 reveal
• 40:55 – First sips of Pappy; taste reactions & Pappy background
• 46:23 – Bourbon vs. beer; late‑night drinking stories
• 52:37 – 80s movies: Big Trouble in Little China, Mannequin, Kim Cattrall
• 54:32 – Surfing, Paddle Out Project, Cape Hatteras, and aging bodies
• 56:44 – Memorial Day kayaking & boat wake problems
• 58:05 – Cognac, Hennessy days, and sipping vs. slamming liquor
• 1:02:01 – Carlos Perez intro: Colombian‑born infantry Marine & career path
• 1:03:49 – SgtMaj Zek Fews as a mentor & battalion legend
• 1:06:08 – Choosing First Sergeant over Master Sergeant; staying with Marines
• 1:09:40 – Retirement timing, family, and son joining 1/6 Alpha
• 1:14:47 – Artie intro: retired Sergeant Major, now teacher & football coach
• 1:20:56 – AMOI, OCS, university duty & “don’t make stuff up”
• 1:23:35 – SDAs (recruiting, drill field) & being treated like a LCpl again

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