As ModState preps to meet and surpass a milestone it wasn't sure would come (the 300 mark) in the first place, Crazy Eddie and his counterpart (Sailor Jack) reconvene for a less structured, more relaxed look at some of the things that define America in this day and age. While both men love America, Her Republic and Her People very much, there nonetheless remain some things that could be better. There are some trends in our society (with regard, specifically, to our treatment of one another as People, as human beings) that need to go away and/or shift significantly.

Following someone in traffic to bust their window or verbally accost them is not OK, for example. Nor is busting an old lady's window in traffic a normal brag. What's even more concerning, however, is this needing to be said in the first place.

Take a listen as the two take a more light-hearted stroll and preview some future discussions and America, holistically, at a glance.

With upwards of fifty percent of the Internet now estimated to be AI-generated slop (propagated by [you guessed it] AI "agents" [chatbots]), Edmund Matuk III (Crazy Eddie) and his co-host, (Sailor) Jack return to this developing story.

New York City mayoral race leader, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, has been reportedly on something of a private apology tour with members of the NYPD and their corresponding union. Then, called out on Fox News about his purported remorse being behind closed doors, the New York State Assemblyman offered a public mea culpa. As our leaders are inherently imperfect (being chosen from among us, imperfect beings ourselves), why isn't the public more willing to forgive the perceived failings of its leaders? Is it because we automatically assume the worst and refuse to believe any request for forgiveness to be genuine? Your co-hosts discuss these matters of the heart in an effort to ascertain where we're at as a Nation.

The duo then segues into our zero sum, binary thought processes as a society: for instance, both agree murder is wrong. We can all agree on that, right? So why can two things not be true at once? Why can one not call out the ghastly events of 07 October 2023, killings at the behest of Hamas, as being just as wrong as the subsequent innocent civilian deaths at the hands of the Israeli military? If you (the Royal "You) condemn what Hamas did, then automatically you're a Zionist with no regard for the plight of starving Palestinian babies? Or, on the other hand, if the same Royal "You" expresses consternation over the conduct of the Israeli military, then you're an anti-Semite who disregards the death of Israeli grannies? Is there no sensible framework for discussion here, no middle ground to be found? Or is this truly "the foreign policy equivalent of Roe v. Wade", just as polarizing as abortion rights in America?

With episode 300 looming not far in the future, Edmund Matuk III & Jack DeViney also discussing 1 or 2 of their upcoming guests. One of them, a dynamic woman of nigh-unparalleled insight and wisdom at so young an age, is one of the brightest minds DeViney says he's had the privilege to encounter. They also discuss inviting Representative Ocasio-Cortez (AOC [D-NY]) on and that, like another aforementioned guest, they also intend to let her complete sentences and finish her thoughts. Fancy that, right? But apparently, modern public discourse features a good many men who do not believe in showing their peers (women, in particular) the same respect they'd like to receive. SAD!

As always, thank you all for joining us and sticking with us as we near the end of our first decade as a publication. Merci!

While the 5th Republic continues to struggle in the Motherland (France) with the fall of five prime ministers since June 2024, POTUS Donald Trump has inexplicably managed to force the primary parties (Hamas & the State of Israel) to the table through sheer willpower and force of personality alone, it seems. Whether it holds or not remains to be seen, but hats off to POTUS Trump for the effort. Does this lend any credibility to a possible, similar effort to broker peace betwixt Kiev and Moscow?

Meanwhile, AI continues to overpromise and under-deliver, and the Trump Administration appears poised to take historic action on cannabis by removing it from Schedule I. Is a change to Schedule III what the doctor ordered, or does this leave large issues unresolved?

Edmund Matuk III (Crazy Eddie) and his counterpart, ModState deputy managing editor Jack DeViney, reconvene to discuss and elaborate.

Speaking of reconvening, big ol' Episode 300's but a short distance away! Thank you, as always, for tuning in!

Perhaps more relevant than ever, the Milgram Experiment forms the core of the substance of episode 296. Crazy Eddie and his counterpart discuss "just following orders" and the bearing of this concept on horrors past, present and future.

The end of an era is also discussed, as America Online discontinues its once-ubiquitous dial-up service. AI (again) rears its ugly ahead as the economy continues to hold amidst massive investment from the so-called "Magnificent Seven"....for now.

No, it's not a sequel to a deep track from Sir Elton's early-1970s catalogue but is a fairly accurate (if opaque) assessment of your hosts' feelings in fashioning this, Episode 295 of the flagship ModState Podcast.

AI makes for a return (but of course) to the discussion but Crazy Eddie and his counterpart, Sailor Jack, return to the hallowed First Amendment and the nigh-sacred Freedoms of Assembly and Speech they hold dear. Be it Steve Bannon or Louis Farrakhan, the duo is of the opinion no one should be murdered for expressing their own.

Will the US expand its involvement in the War in Ukraine? Did Jimmy Kimmel have good ratings upon returning?

Which way now after recent, evermore ghastly events?

Once again, A.I. occupies the earlier portion of this discussion, along with UFO (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena per the US Government) reporting and the seismic shift within the US Navy on the matter. While pilots were previously kicked out (or at the very least ostracized), personnel are now encouraged to come forward to testify in public (and often un-classified) settings.

Did Cortana truly go away when she was phased out by Microsoft? Or did she (the AI) get absorbed by the Department of Defense / Department of War with the JEDI contract awarded Microsoft Corporation?

The latter half-ish segment focuses on an unfortunate (but necessary) discussion: the undeniable human tragedy of Charlie Kirk's murder and the ignominious assault on our right to peaceful assembly and speech that it represented.

In a BIGLY return to form, Crazy Eddie & Sailor Jack come back to discuss whether or not A.I. is indeed taking all the jobs, Epstein (but of course), pop stars who've needlessly OD'ed, American leadership (or at times, the lack thereof), the MSM (Mainstream Media) and its lack of truthfulness, et al. 

It was as if some occult hand had shoved the pair toward an abyss, but alas, all's well that ends well.

A lot of ground gets covered, but the duo definitively agreed that they're in it to win for the long haul, whether our peers over in the MSM like it or not. --> [They probably do not] < --

Crazy Eddie & Sailor Jack return to form to discuss: A) the possibility of a real economic treat known as stagflation (high inflation, minimal growth & high unemployment), B) the immortal filth of Jeffrey Epstein & C) the eternal shame of there being no USS Richard M. Nixon  --  lots to unpack but it's great to be back!

Aside from a little half-crowing about calling the development of public hiccups in the relationship between the POTUS & so-called "First Buddy", Crazy Eddie & his Navy veteran co-host reflect on the crises in SoCal & if there's a path for AOC to Pennsylvania Avenue that's not on a tour bus.
 
 Call us whatever you want, but we do make an attempt to answer a question (specifically about how to "reach" White men) by virtue of telling the truth on our gut and what's with the cringeworthy state of the relationship between the Democratic Party and White men & if there's a way thru for AOC.

Our master of all things audio, Edmund Matuk III (Crazy Eddie), and features editor Jack DeViney meet again. This fine, gorgeous day in Upstate New York finds our two hosts revisiting a number of topics. Trending or not, we've learned a lot about our fellow Americans simply by driving, DeViney asserts. Hint: many of our fellow citizens don't just look self-absorbed and contrarian on social media....and naturally the discussion returns to the (increased) tariffs implemented by the 47th POTUS. Tariffs have long been in place in America (and most other recognizable world powers), but the President took things to levels not seen in a little more than a century. 

Another sticking point for DeViney is the either disregard for or ignorance of history when it comes to the so-called Gilded Age: "while yes, otherworldly increases in wealth occurred amidst this vast transformation [that occurred in the same timeframe as the creation of the Federal Reserve System and the implementation of the Federal Income Tax], but folks seem to have forgotten one of the other main hallmarks [of the Gilded Age] right along with obscene new wealth, which was abject poverty." 

Indeed, the streets of gold immigrants had heard of? They found out the hard way they didn't exist. And Hell, they might be there in places today, but they ain't for everybody.

That includes our hosts. "Stay outta Malibu, Lebowski!"