What a Hell of a Way to Dad

This week, Francis speaks with defense journalist and subject-matter expert on drone warfare Kelsey Atherton (@athertonkd) to discuss the history of drone warfare, its current manifestations, and what new sorts of machines we can expect to see as the technology of distributed, long-distance warfare becomes more and more common. Read Kelsey's writing on Substack here: https://athertonkd.substack.com/ *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks to military dot com reporter Thomas Novelly about his recent article covering post-9/11 veterans' experiences with the VFW and similar organizations. Thomas makes the point that, after his piece ran, he was inundated with email from younger veterans whose experiences had been almost all overwhelmingly negative. So, what is the future for veterans' organizations that claim to represent veterans but are mostly very old, very white, and very conservative? Read Thomas's piece here: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/04/08/vfw-posts-are-dying-they-need-hesitant-9-11-vets-fill-void.html For this week's bonus, Francis, Joe, and Shocks are talking about military news stories that caught our attention. There was apparently a unit in the Ohio National Guard where two assigned soldiers got arrested for threats made on Discord--two different Discords and two different crimes. Only one of them threatened to do 9/11 on the Budweiser headquarters, though. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/65307535 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 16:19! Nate and Francis discuss whether or not it's a good idea to even attempt to save old veterans' social organizations and fraternal orders. We read a very ill-advised statement from the American Legion's commander in 2020 where he compared the Black Lives Matter protests to covid-19, discuss the idea of a hostile takeover of VFWs by antifa supersoldier vegan bodybuilder veterans, and much more. For this week's bonus, Francis, Joe, and Carey review the recent Hulu miniseries adaptation of Joseph Heller's classic military satire 'Catch-22.' Did you know they named Yossarian not out of a desire to tie him to being Armenian, but to make him sound weird? Learn this, and much more, in our (extremely professional) review. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/65024619 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis and Nate are joined by our former cohost Adrian Bonenberger (twitter.com/AdrianBonenber1), who's been reporting from Ukraine for years and recently traveled there to help evacuate his family. We speak about what he experienced there, the narratives surrounding the war, the lessons we can learn from it, and the one thing we all can agree on: Russia not doing any maintenance on its vehicles is very, very funny For bonus episodes going all the way back to 2016, sign up on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

In the first episode for this week, Nate speaks with Sam Asumadu of Media Diversified (@WritersofColour) about far right in places like Ukraine, Myanmar, and the militaries of countries like the UK and US. She's currently researching an article to try and thread the needle of all these stories, and we hope you enjoy this discussion. Also: Media Diversified is currently on strike in an attempt to protest the unequal response on platforms like Twitter when users report abuse against Black people, specifically Black women, and Romani people. You can see more information about this under the hashtag #DoWeCountToo. For bonus episodes going all the way back to 2016, sign up on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 18:39! It is the official position of the What a Hell of a Way to Die podcast that Madison Cawthorn is nowhere near cool enough to get invited to cocaine orgies. But he claims to have been, and this has touched off a lot of stupid discussion in the US. Nate and Francis discuss it, and Cawthorn in general, and an argument for why drug prohibition creates the overwhelming majority of issues around drugs. For this week's bonus, Francis, Joe, and Carey return with a list of agony aunt questions trawled from the internet, plus a question that one of our patrons asked. What happens when your husband goes full dadmode without being a dad? What happens when it turns out your son shares a name with a famous porn star? Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/64269397 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with Army Times reporter Davis Winkie (@Davis_Winkie) about a number of stories he's been working on: military vaccination news, a story about the Army ignoring domestic violence, how the military funded militias in Ukraine as early as 2014, and plans for a new rotational training center in Alaska. Read all of Davis' bylines here: https://www.armytimes.com/author/davis.winkie/ Get access to bonus episodes dating all the way back to 2016 here: https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with Military dot com reporter Steve Beynon (@StevenBeynon) about the misery of National Guard deployments to the Texas/Mexico border, a push among Guard soldiers to unionize, and much more. For this week's bonus, Francis made Shocks read a listicle of 'Top Boston Movies' and they discuss it. Some surprising entries on here and some Wahlberg-centric ones, too. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/63837204 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

DadChat/CovidChat ends at 15:57! This week, Nate and Francis discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and why it's sometimes better to not feel obligated to have a take. We didn't think the invasion was going to happen, and we think it's a human catastrophe that it did. However, when weighing in, it's often important to know what you're actually calling for. We go into this in detail, and more, in this episode. Get bonus episodes of Hell of a Way dating all the way back to 2016 here: https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

(Sorry for the delayed episodes--Nate is out with covid and Francis is out of town) This week, Nate and Milo discuss the peculiarly British phenomenon of calling for the Army to be deployed domestically--whether it's to quell a social conflict or fix a logistics issue. They love to call for the Army to be sent in. We get to the bottom of what this means, and why people want it. *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

There's no Hell of a Way this week, as Nate has covid and Francis left on vacation before the war in Ukraine started. We'll hopefully be back next week. In the interim, we're crossposting a piece from Media Diversified (@WritersofColour) director and previous guest Samantha Asumadu, in which she speaks with author Matt Potter about information warfare (both as relates to Ukraine and in general). Thank you for your patience, and hope you enjoy. For this week's bonus, Joe, Francis, and Carey discuss a recent story in which some aviation Marines got charged for being idiots on a gondola ride. Yes, you heard that right. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/63322968 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate speaks with Brian (@Spocks_Brian), Josh (@boshj), and A.J. (@TheFuzzyMask) from The Worst of All Possible Worlds (@TWOAPW), a podcast by ex-evangelicals that documents case studies in the pop culture of a dying empire. We're talking how evangelical Christianity views the military, and the truly bizarre things that result when those two worlds come in contact. Get more TWOAPW content here: Website: http://worstpossible.world Patreon: http://patreon.com/worstofall For this week's bonus, Francis speaks with military tech journalist and friend of the show Kelsey Atherton (@AthertonKD) about developments in the autonomous robot realm. What if the cops were a dog that took your temperature (this exists)? What if a Blackhawk was fully remote? What if we told a robot, 'No war crimes, please'? Find out on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62871816 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

DadChat ends at 9:36! Nate and Francis discuss the true story of Captain Tom Moore, the World War II veteran who enchanted Britain by walking around his garden to raise money for the state-funded healthcare service that shouldn't need to receive charitable donations. He got knighted, he got commemorated, he got sent to Barbados on a charity publicity trip and then got covid and died. But it turns out: it started as elder abuse and ended as a grift! And we talk a lot about Britain's fixation on its World War symbology, plus a lot more. For this week's bonus, Joe, Francis, and Carey read from letters sent to Dear Prudie and determine what they think would be the best possible advice. If your kid is attracted to pokemon or you're looking for the most tactful way to tell your neighbors that you want to swim naked in your above-ground pool, this is the episode for you. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62550842 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate speaks with Sam Asumadu of Media Diversified (@writersofcolour) about her recent piece on the UK's war in Yemen–that is, the ways in which the UK arms industry's relationship with Saudi Arabia means that arms sales continue no matter what. We also discuss a lot about UK domestic politics and the relationships between reactionary movements in the US and the developing world. Read Sam's piece about Yemen here: https://mediadiversified.org/2022/01/30/britain-is-just-as-culpable-for-the-war-in-yemen-as-saudi-arabia/ For this week's bonus, we go to the southeast border of Europe (sorta): Joe's in Armenia right now and he explains some of the local issues to Francis and Carey, and they also discuss a strange subculture in which Russian men try to cosplay as American rednecks. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/62257879 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

DadChat ends at 16:30! This week, Nate and Francis discuss a recent headline about the New Mexico National Guard being called out to serve as substitute teachers due to covid. It turns out it's a state employee volunteer scheme, but in the course of researching this episode (i.e. reading two articles) we discover that a number of neighboring states have simply reduced the barriers to becoming a teacher. Read the piece here: https://www.npr.org/2022/01/21/1074711399/new-mexico-national-guard-substitute-teachers-shortage?t=1643831438982 For this week's bonus, Francis, Joe, and Carey discuss a recent proposal from slenderman freak and notably virile figure U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, who has jumped on the bandwagon blaming America's woes on the 'demonization of masculinity.' It is of course a weird fixation with no grounding in reality, but this is Francis' Senator and we feel like it's worth examining in detail. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/61734111 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 17:02! Nate and Francis discuss the strange phenomenon of the Floridian 20-year-old twins named the 'Island Boys' who are receiving Cameo requests to make military-specific greetings–to include requesting that the Marine Corps not boot a guy for a DUI. We read about it here and you can too: https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/island-boys-military-tiktok-videos-cameo/?taid=61f01823dfb48e00010ebd58&utm_campaign=trueAnthem_manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter For this week's bonus, Nate and Francis have a dadchat in which Nate is recovering from a cycling-related concussion, and it somehow winds up on the topic of Australia's extraterritorial detention camps. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/61554308 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with writer Jonathan M. Katz (@KatzOnEarth) about his new book "Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America's Empire." We learn about Butler's participation in the Spanish-American War (and in just about every other early-20th century imperial conflict), his exposure of an attempted fascist coup, and his role in subjugating Haiti. In this book, Katz follows in Butler's footsteps across Central America piecing together the history of the man, the war zones, and the American politics driving them forward. Buy the book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250135582/gangstersofcapitalism Sign up for Jonathan's newsletter here: This week's bonus features Nate and Francis discussing a variety of things: the 1990 film Ghost and why the hell demons terrified Nate as a small child, his discomfort around bees, Francis's tips on keeping mice out of your house, and a segment of relationship advice directed at straight cis guys involving all the ways we learned to transcend being dirtbag guys in our 20s. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/61172131 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with writer Jonathan M. Katz (@KatzOnEarth) about his new book "Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, the Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America's Empire." We learn about Butler's participation in the Spanish-American War (and in just about every other early-20th century imperial conflict), his exposure of an attempted fascist coup, and his role in subjugating Haiti. In this book, Katz follows in Butler's footsteps across Central America piecing together the history of the man, the war zones, and the American politics driving them forward. Buy the book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250135582/gangstersofcapitalism Sign up for Jonathan's newsletter here: This week's bonus features Nate and Francis discussing a variety of things: the 1990 film Ghost and why the hell demons terrified Nate as a small child, his discomfort around bees, Francis's tips on keeping mice out of your house, and a segment of relationship advice directed at straight cis guys involving all the ways we learned to transcend being dirtbag guys in our 20s. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/61172131 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with Task and Purpose reporter Haley Britzky about the water pollution crisis at Joint Base Pearl Harbor in Hawai'i, the ways in which the Navy effectively told its service members and dependents to pound sand, and how the Army surprised everyone by… communicating more than once. Read Haley's article here: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-investigating-hawaii-fuel-leak-may/ The bonus this week is the Zoo Crew's year in review for 2021. Well, this isn't really a review of the entire year, so much as it's a review of some military-centric stories that delighted and entertained us by being very, very dumb. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/60994304 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

DadChat ends at 15:45! This week, Nate and Francis discuss recent news that a group of Navy SEALs have filed an injunction to get religious exemptions from the DOD's vaccine mandate (which we argue is funny and also a very bad thing to entertain). In order to familiarize everyone with the topic at hand, we also read the original Navy SEAL Copypasta (for subject matter awareness). For this week's bonus, Francis subjects Carey and Joe to two current military news stories: 1. he got a copy of the manifesto that disgruntled National Guard troops on the border (who listen to Hell of a Way) wrote about their terrible chain of command, and 2. he reads the story of the sailor accused of setting the USS Bonhomme Richard on fire, for which there is apparently very little actual evidence. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/60700753 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This is an unlocked bonus from earlier this year--we'll return with a new episode next week. Joe and Shocks join Francis to discuss historical instances of draft dodging that involve fleeing into the woods of Alaska, fleeing to Germany, and much more. If you want more bonus episodes, get them on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

CONTENT WARNING: Nate discusses having witnessed a situation involving a lot of severe child neglect, which some listeners might find distressing. This segment runs from 9:10 to 15:02. This week, it's a holiday-themed DadChat in which Nate and Francis discuss coffee mostly, and intensely difficult Army schools that are difficult for no reason, and what happens if you refuse to jump out of an airplane, and much more. In case you missed the bonus, it's a cross-post from Trashfuture's Britainology series, in which Nate, Francis, and Joe force Milo to learn about the Midwest. Now it's the good-natured Midwestern oafs in the driver's seat, and we explain the name of the region itself, why ICP had such appeal to our generation, and why literally everyone has a driving-while-intoxicated story involving being thrown out of someone's house. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59837759 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58626568 https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with Army Times investigative reporter Davis Winkie (@davis_winkie) about his recent story covering troop deployments at the US-Mexico border and the spate of incidents–to include deaths, serious injuries, and enormous amounts of UCMJ–and the fact that soldiers and officers at every echelon are reaching out with one very important statement: they shouldn't be there. Read Davis' story here: https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2021/12/08/death-drugs-and-a-disbanded-unit-how-the-guards-mexico-border-mission-fell-apart/ And if you want to contact Davis, his details are as follows: [email protected] and [email protected] For this week's bonus, it's a cross-post from Trashfuture's Britainology series, in which Nate, Francis, and Joe force Milo to learn about the Midwest. Now it's the good-natured Midwestern oafs in the driver's seat, and we explain the name of the region itself, why ICP had such appeal to our generation, and why literally everyone has a driving-while-intoxicated story involving being thrown out of someone's house. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59837759 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58626568 https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis speaks with farmer and legendary poster Eric Peacock (@UweBollocks) about his experience as an organic farmer in northwest Ohio, what he grows in his own garden, the ethical dilemma you face when confronting the intelligence of pigs, and so much more. Check out Eric's podcast Soundtracker (@soundtracker_) here: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1840875.rss For this week's bonus: there aren't a whole lot of new military comedies being made these days (we blame Bin Laden), but in the early '80s there was STRIPES, a film in which Bill Murray and John Candy join the Army. Joe had never seen this, and Francis and Shocks couldn't resist forcing him to watch a (surprisingly accurate) movie about how the Army sucks. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59485622 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58626568 https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate and Francis discuss the fact that the Department of Defense has zero time for service members refusing to get vaccinated, even if they're the commanding general of the Oklahoma National Guard, and we ponder why things have gotten to this point. We also talk about a British F35 falling off an aircraft carrier (which you can see here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/f35-crash-queen-elizabeth-raf-b1966487.html) For the bonus, Francis takes Carey and Joe down a rabbit hole of Catholic history in their discussion of the Pornocracy, a period in which the papacy was not controlled by the Catholic church but rather by Roman elites. It has a funny name and is a story replete with some of the weirdest guys you'll ever encounter. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59060581 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58626568 https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

A bit of a hybrid DadChat / Thanksgiving themed episode in which we discuss our various military Thanksgiving experiences, Francis seeing the band Lit while in Kuwait somehow, reminiscences of the BDU era, and much more. Happy Thanksgiving, and hope you enjoy! For this week's bonus, Francis made Joe and Carey watch the 1970 film M*A*S*H*, not the series but the film itself, and react to all of the ways in which it captures aspects of the military that they recognize...and the ways in which it has not aged well. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58864653 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58626568 https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

DadChat ends at 14:13! This week, we examine a recent story about an Army Colonel getting a formal reprimand for stealing a pair of $45 sneakers at a PX in Kuwait? Which is something that legitimately took place, we guess (you can read the story here: https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2021/11/16/colonel-punished-for-shoplifting-shoes-at-kuwait-px/). We also discuss weird crimes we've seen people commit in uniform, the stuff about MASH that hasn't aged well, the career of Christopher Meloni, and much more. For this week's bonus, We're back with our Zoomer correspondent Kevin Frint (@ItsAll_Bullshit) to discuss 100 Deadly Skills, the world's most family-court book about how to stalk your ex and, uh, create plastic from milk somehow. Get it on Patreon here: *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58626568 https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

We get to the point at 17:51! This week, we discuss adventures in soundproofing, how to de-Ba'ath-ify yourself from the effects of the military making you react emotionally, Veterans' Day, the 5-year anniversary of this podcast, and much more. However, we also focus specifically on a story about a metallurgist in Tacoma who faked the test results of decades' worth of Navy metal castings for submarines because she thought the test standards were 'stupid.' It's the most relatable thing we've ever heard--read the story here: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/11/09/metallurgist-admits-faking-steel-test-results-navy-subs.html For week's bonus, Francis speaks with Task and Purpose reporter Hayley Britzky (@halbritz) about brigades in the 82nd Airborne trying out this new thing called 'exercise science' and 'nutrition science' and 'perhaps not destroying soldiers' bodies with terrible exercise routines that have been out of date for 40 years.' Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58342578 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

We get to the point at 23:04! This week, we're discussing horror stories of Army physical training, inspired by this article (https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-holistic-health-fitness-82nd-airborne/) in which the Army apparently confronts the fact that its previous approaches to physical training completely wreck people's bodies. Hope you enjoy! For week's bonus, Francis and Joe discuss the history of the frontier fur-trapper wars in North America, also known as the Beaver Wars. Yes, there are dumb jokes--but also a lot of history of French colonization of America, and much more. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/58032812 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This is a full episode of DadChat, so if you don't enjoy them then it's probably better to skip it! Nate and Francis go full dad mode and discuss cooking, their least favorite chores, the benefits of pressure cooking for home canning, favorite winter all-day recipes, and a story about Nate finding a cast iron pan on the street and it somehow leading to an unexpected magical night in DC. Hope you enjoy! For this week's bonus, Nate and Cynthia discuss the impact of watching famous Black role models of the 1980s--people like Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, and Ben Carson--and what Black Americans of the same age as people like Cynthia feel now that their legacies are, to put it mildly, 'complicated.' Get it on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/posts/57846832 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

DadChat ends at 13:25! This week, Nate and Francis discuss the recent death of Colin Powell, the first Black American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the man who lent his reputation to sell the Iraq War more than any other politician. We argue that you should in fact judge him for this, immediately, because he failed the moral test of his lifetime. We also discuss a recent Washington Post story that seems to imply America might also 'send the Army in' to solve supply chain issues, except no one actually thinks it will happen. Get the story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/10/19/white-house-supply-chain-national-guard/ For this week's bonus, Francis, Joe, and Shocks discuss the strange case of Marine LTC Stuart Scheller and his relentless desire to post. Is it a good idea to be pro-se defendant in a UCMJ court? Is it a good idea to try and personally charge the commandant of the Marine Corps because someone told you that it was allowed under maritime law or whatever? Find out, on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57517668 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Nate is out this week, and Francis speaks with defense journalist Jasper Craven (@jasper_craven) about a recent trend: trying to portray the U.S. military as ecologically concerned--call it 'military greenwashing' if you'd like. And it turns out, it's not really possible when the military doesn't disclose how much fossil fuel it consumes, not even to Congress. Read Jasper's article here: https://thebaffler.com/latest/greenwashing-the-military-industrial-complex-craven Subscribe to Jasper's substack here: https://battleborne.substack.com/ For more on this topic: https://taskandpurpose.com/gear-tech/military-plan-make-earth-friendly-munitions/ For this week's bonus, This week, Nate and Milo discuss the peculiarly British phenomenon of calling for the Army to be deployed domestically--whether it's to quell a social conflict or fix a logistics issue. They love to call for the Army to be sent in. We get to the bottom of what this means, and why people want it. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57234686 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate and Milo discuss the peculiarly British phenomenon of calling for the Army to be deployed domestically--whether it's to quell a social conflict or fix a logistics issue. They love to call for the Army to be sent in. We get to the bottom of what this means, and why people want it. Listen to the whole thing on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/57234686

DadChat ends at 13:09! This week, Nate and Francis explore two themes. First, the story of a guy dressed as a ninja attacking a Special Operations aviation unit at an airfield in California (this really happened). Second, the theme of being Opposing Forces during military training and how much fun it is to cause havoc while shooting your fellow soldiers with lasers. You can read the ninja piece here: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2021-09-30/ninja-attack-special-operations-california-airport-3076663.html You can read the piece here: https://www.politico.com/amp/news/magazine/2021/07/27/ozarks-lake-covid-unvaccinated-500784 This week, Francis, Carey, and Joe regale themselves with the 1995 Damon Wayans film MAJOR PAYNE. Look, we're going to get through all the '90s military movies--good and bad--and this one is actually okay? Sure, it's bad, but it's also less regrettable than many others like it. Listen on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56957351 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate and Francis discuss a recent Politico article about anti-vaxxers and covid deniers partying hard at the Lake of the Ozarks resort in southern Missouri. It's an article from July, but we'd wanted to discuss this for a while for one specific reason: Francis's whole family is from southern Missouri, and this piece speaks to a particular mindset that might be hard to comprehend from the outside. You can read the piece here: https://www.politico.com/amp/news/magazine/2021/07/27/ozarks-lake-covid-unvaccinated-500784 This week, Francis, Carey, and Joe examine the 1997 Jerry Bruckheimer-produced summer blockbuster CON AIR. It's just yet another vehicle for Nic Cage to be out of his mind, but there are some redeeming qualities, right? Well, we'll see if we can get to them when the Zoo Crew homes in on how this film predicted 9/11. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56632532 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate and Francis speak with friend of the show and investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein about the various things he's got going on: reporting on DHS, reporting on labor law violations, and reporting on people in the military deciding to refuse one specific vaccine--it's a great time. Ken's got a new story out about how the leaders of the Senate GOP endorsed 'Afghan Resistance' have actually fled the country. Get it on the Intercept here: https://theintercept.com/2021/09/21/afghanistan-taliban-ahmad-massoud-flee/?utm_campaign=theintercept&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social This week, Francis speaks with secret military lawyer Pat about the recent 'Woke Military' report commissioned by extremely smart Congressman Dan Crenshaw. It's a joke, but it gets to a significant issue: the problems that service members are facing do involve bad organizational practice, but they aren't about 'wokeness' and the only people complaining about that are probably not worth listening to. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56356910 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Nate and Francis return to have a DadChat in which we discuss the facts: we're getting older, we can't post as hard anymore, and we just don't want to be mad online. But we're embracing it, and we have hope for those of you worried about the inevitable march of time: you stop caring about dumb things. Hope you enjoy! For this week's bonus, did you know there's a book of 'Violent Nomad Skills' by a former Navy SEAL? Did you know it's deeply, deeply insane? Nate joins our Zoomer correspondent Kevin Frint (@ItsAll_Bullshit) to discuss this in what will become a 2-part review. Get Part 1 on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/56099559 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate speaks with Hussein Kesvani, a notable serious journalist and cohost of Trashfuture and 10,000 Posts podcasts, about a recent phenomenon in Britain: the decision to evacuate a bunch of dogs and cats from Afghanistan while leaving behind all the Afghan staff from the charity involved. We also touch on Taliban super-poster accounts and the ways Global North countries try and demonize refugees at every juncture. For this week's bonus, we've decided to review the 2016 Coast Guard film about a guy who does his job. It's called THE FINEST HOURS and Chris Pine is horribly miscast (he's nowhere near ugly enough). To discuss it, the authenticity of its portrayal, and a lot of digressions about boats, Francis speaks with Carey Shockey (@shocks), our resident coastie and water expert. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55731709 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate speaks with Alice Caldwell-Kelly (@AliceAvizandum) from the podcasts Trashfuture, Well There's Your Problem, and Kill James Bond, about the 2009 Armando Ianucci film IN THE LOOP, in which the British TV series 'The Thick of It' visits the topic of the Iraq War and James Gandolfini plays a grumpy American Lieutenant General. Why are politicians in both countries such deranged freaks? What are stereotypes of British general officers? All this and more, this week. For this week's bonus: Yes, we forced everyone to watch it: one of the dumbest episodes of one of the dumbest shows ever made. Who would win, the real Spartans or the Spartans from the film 300? Learn the answer and experience brain death by signing up on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55419876 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate speaks with Afghan-American community organizer Arash Azizzada (@87films) about his group Afghans for a Better Tomorrow (@afghanstomorrow, @afghansforabettertomorrow on IG), the work they're doing to advocate for safe passage for Afghans, ways in which the US government could make it easier for people seeking refuge, and what he wishes Americans knew about our country's involvement in Afghanistan (which massively predates 9/11). You can read Arash's recent op-ed from the New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/opinion/afghanistan-kabul-evacuations.html And sign the petition to lift refugee caps here: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/president-biden-must-support-the-most-vulnerable-in-afghanistan-as-part-of-the-withdrawal-plan For this week's bonus, the Zoo Crew convenes to discuss Armenia, what being a tank crewman entails, Shocks' stories of nearly dying theatrically on a Coast Guard ship, and Joe accidentally calling a drill sergeant 'dad' because he was that used to getting screamed at. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/55148707 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

We brought on Joe Kassabian of the Lions Led by Donkeys podcast to discuss the Taliban victory in Afghanistan, and we try to push back against the politicians' line that the Afghan military didn't want to fight--and ask call for everyone who can assist Afghan refugees (even if all you can do is humiliate your elected officials) to do so. For this week's bonus, we're reviewing films that everyone our age loved and that we're sort of embarrassed to like. In this case, Francis had never seen V FOR VENDETTA, and Joe was a shameful teenage fan of the comic books. So, we got the Zoo Crew together to discuss. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54987946 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Francis and Nate speak with reporter and author Spencer Ackerman about his new book REIGN OF TERROR, a comprehensive history of the War on Terror. Particularly, we home in on the concept of how the culture war created post-9/11 requires veterans to never question the war itself if they want to retain any respected status. It's a phenomenal book that we both loved, and we strongly recommend you go out and buy it. In fact, if you buy it here you can get it from a local independent bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781984879776?aff=TAPBookClub For this week's bonus, Francis speaks with defense journalist Kelsey Atherton about his recent piece on Substack covering the long usage-life of weapons and how there are in fact quite a few weapons that have been around for decades, if not centuries. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54670319 Read the piece on Substack here! https://athertonkd.substack.com/p/the-deuce-the-buff-the-constitution *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

If you don't like DadChat then skip this episode! This week, it's a DadChat with Nate and Francis. We discuss gardening, Francis' daughter starting her own podcast on her tablet, why libertarianism appealed to middle class white kids in the Midwest in the 2000s, our mutual fixation on Redwall books as kids, the underappreciated art of actually talented bass guitar players, and much more. For this week's bonus, Nate speaks with Alice Caldwell-Kelly from the podcasts Trashfuture, Well There's Your Problem, and Kill James Bond, about the 2009 Armando Iannucci film IN THE LOOP, in which the British TV series 'The Thick of It' visits the topic of the Iraq War and James Gandolfini plays a grumpy American Lieutenant General. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54385089 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

This week, Nate speaks with reporter, academic, and cyclist James Stout about the history of Antifa. What started as a reaction to European fascism became a movement often cited and rarely understood, but James's academic research is focused on this topic--and, particularly, the 1936 Popular Olypics, an anti-fascist international competiton cut short by the advent of the Spanish Civil War. You can support James's work on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/Jamesstout For this week's bonus, Joe and Shocks join Francis to discuss historical instances of draft dodging that involve fleeing into the woods of Alaska, fleeing to Germany, and much more. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54213692 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat/weather discussion until: 0:19 until 14:47 Transphobia in the UK discussion: 14:47 until 23:29 Repatriation of Pat Tillman jersey: 23:30 until end This week we discussed a recent story from Stars and Stripes about the repatriation of memorabilia from the Pat Tillman USO at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. In case you didn't know, they named the USO after Pat Tillman despite his only real connection to Bagram being the fact that his remains were transported there and his body armor burned there in order to mask the fact that he died from friendly fire. We have thoughts on the prioritization of American feelings versus the humanitarian catastrophe of the war in Afghanistan. (Story is here: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/07/19/what-happened-pat-tillmans-jersey-heres-how-last-americans-bagram-airfield-rushed-secure-mementos.html) For the bonus this week, Francis speaks with writer Erica X. Eisen about her recent Boston Review piece 'Blackness and the Bomb,' discussing the ways in which nuclear defense in the Cold War prefigured a segregated response that would ensure racial boundaries even in the event of a post-nuclear war future. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53844158 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 17:43 We're going to cover the events in Haiti and Cuba next week, but for this week we decided to do an episode where we discussed England's performance in the Euros, the logistics of dropping fish into a lake from a plane, and what it's like for Francis to be a former Midwestern stoner now able to purchase legal weed. This isn't a politics-heavy episode but we enjoyed discussing our takes on what the end of weed prohibition (in certain areas!) means in practice. For the bonus this week, Francis and Joe discuss deranged weapons of the Cold War -- particularly, a nuclear recoilless rifle called the Davy Crockett and a plan for a nuclear-powered unmanned plane that, had it been constructed, would have flown low-level at Mach 3 delivering a fatal dose of nuclear radiation all over its flight path. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53490393 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 14:57 This week, we read a special investigation about an Army lieutenant colonel who's managed to push the edge of the military's (insane) adultery laws--by faking deployments, faking the death of one of his children, and juggling 6 partners on the side. It's wild! Get the news story here: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-officer-affairs-women/ For this week's bonus, Nate explains the 4th of July to Milo and forces him to listen to a deranged listicle from Military dot com about how to make the day even more patriotic. Brain damage was suffered on this episode but we hope you enjoy it. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53328558 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 16:28 This week, we discuss news that a shady Republican billionaire is funding a National Guard deployment to the US-Mexico border. This wouldn't happen if South Dakota wasn't run by a psycho, but we're slightly concerned about the precedent. We also discuss the cultural freakout of a large chunk of white Americans over the past 13 years, and what it means given that history, as ever, is repeating itself. This is the piece we read, replete with military dot com comments sections: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/06/29/billionaire-gop-mega-donor-funds-national-guard-mission-us-mexico-border.html For this week's bonus, we've reconvened the Zoo Crew to discuss Madison Cawthorn being at it again. The political right in America sure do love some freaks, and it seems that it's only getting worse the further down the QAnon rabbit hole these guys travel. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53005374 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat ends at 11:10 We review two pieces this week. First, we discuss news that the Taliban have captured a huge chunk of Afghanistan's provincial districts since May: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/22/americas/afghanistan-taliban-districts-intl/index.html We also discuss a story from the Washington Post about the National Guard reporting food scarcity and money insolvency because, as Guard veterans know, they intentionally schedule deployments and activations to avoid paying Guard troops the benefits they'd be entitled to on active duty: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/06/22/hunger-national-guard-reserves/ For this week's bonus, Francis found an article about how astrology applies to the military, and in order to really get to the heart of this, he spoke with astrology enthusiast and Army PAO Kelsey in order to discuss. Let's just say this piece goes in some wild directions. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52722111 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang

Dadchat / Truck chat ends at 21:52 This week, Nate and Francis discuss a recent article in the Associated Press about missing military weapons--everything from pistols to 40mm automatic grenade launchers--which are turning up at crime scenes across the US. You can read the article here: https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-business-gun-politics-crime-6caba27108d05a8b7c1860959d1ae130 For this week's bonus, it was the sequel no one really wanted and we were going to bring a historian on to discuss, but Joe was busy. So, Francis and Shocks reviewed this film and discussed the ways in which this film continues the legacy of shoehorning weird American culture war arguments into a version of ancient Greek history that is sure to make guys want to buy lifted coal-rollers. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52346454 *SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT* We now have a storefront to sell the patches, buttons, and magnets that we also give out as flair for our $10 tier. Buy some sweet gear here: https://www.hellofawaytodie.com/shop We have a YouTube channel now -- subscribe here and get sweet videos from us in which we yell in our cars like true veterans: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHZpNTz-h6aTeQiJrEDKw You can follow the show on Twitter here: @HellOfAWay Follow Nate here: @inthesedeserts Follow Francis here: @ArmyStrang