What a Hell of a Way to Dad

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

England chat ends at 23:31 We have a story about the German military using a logistics contractor to repatriate all the beer they'd brought to Afghanistan (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57386704). However, before we could get to that, we had to respond to criticism that we're unfairly biased against Britain. The answer is: yes. So, we discuss some spicier aspects of Britain's central role in the Atlantic slave trade. Hope you enjoy! For this week's bonus, Francis speaks with defense journalist Kelsey Atherton (@athertonkd) on the topic of AI-enabled weapons, the state of the industry as opposed to its marketing, and the dangers of what may be coming our way if the trend towards automating violence continues. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51970212 *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 chat ends at 5:52 New York politics chat ends at 16:59 This week, Nate and Francis discuss a recent story that US Air Force nuclear missile custodians based in Europe accidentally disclosed the locations of their munitions by creating open-source, search-engine-indexed flash cards for study. For our bonus, it's the Zoo Crew: Francis, Shocks, and Joe discuss a recent self-published book by a serving military officer who claims that the newly-discovered right-wing boogeyman of 'critical race theory' is making the military Marxist. Does that sound insane? It definitely is. Get it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51888735 *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 Patreon bonus episode -- to hear more like it, sign up at https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie Warning: this episode contains strong depictions of intimate partner violence, murder, and fatal drug use This week, we're speaking with Rolling Stone journalist and Army veteran Seth Harp on the topic of a string of murders and unexplained deaths at Fort Bragg, NC. Did you know a Delta operator murdered a Green Beret in front of his family and no charges were filed? Did you know an enlisted soldier in the 82nd was beheaded while camping and no investigation was conducted for almost a year? Whatever's happening there is grim, and Seth has a lot to say about it. Read Seth's article here: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/fort-bragg-murders-1153405/

Dadchat ends at 10:50 However, it's followed by Britainchat, which ends at: 27:40 This week, Nate and Francis discuss a TPM article in which it is revealed that the January 6 riot participants are trying to make the case that they have diminished capacity because they watch too much Fox News and that Trump made them do it. Will it work? Who knows, but we also argue for accountability and against double standards, while also trying (maybe failing) to walk an anti-carceral line. For this week's bonus, Francis and Shocks discuss a recent letter by retired officers claiming that the military has been infiltrated by 'Cultural Marxism.' This is, of course, bananas, but that doesn't stop this particular kind of thing getting written. Why did they do it? What did they say? Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51334765 *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 Intercept journalist Ken Klippenstein about two recent stories of his -- one on the topic of the US DOJ threatening to prosecute MIT researchers for questioning allegations of fraud in Bolivia, and the other on the topic of CBP spending hundreds of millions of dollars on anti-drone technology, to include proposals for armed drones under their command. Sounds normal to me! For this week's bonus, we're speaking with Rolling Stone journalist and Army veteran Seth Harp on the topic of a string of murders and unexplained deaths at Fort Bragg, NC. Did you know a Delta operator murdered a Green Beret in front of his family and no charges were filed? Did you know an enlisted soldier in the 82nd was beheaded while camping and no investigation was conducted for almost a year? Whatever's happening there is grim, and Seth has a lot to say about it. Get the episode on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51086638 Read Seth's article here: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/fort-bragg-murders-1153405/ *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 is joined in studio by friend of the show and repeat guest Milo Edwards (@Milo_Edwards) of the Trashfuture and Masters of Our Domain podcasts, to discuss the recent story about French generals threatening to do a coup against Emmanuel Macron if he isn't even more Islamophobic. We also discuss a similar phenomenon in Britain, in which the specter of a military coup was wielded to threaten Jeremy Corbyn. Check out Milo's live stand-up show (to be streamed over Zoom!) on May 30th here: gignify.co/miloedwardspindos For this week's bonus, Francis speaks with Will Nguyen, also known as the Star Trek Commie (@boomerniner) about Star Trek's communist underpinnings, the way it represents different modes of production, the different conflicts it represents (and the dark side of the Federation), and why it's fun to just talk about it for hours. Get it on Patreon here: The article about Will is available here: https://www.startrek.com/news/the-star-trek-communist-hopes-star-trek-can-inspire-a-real-revolution *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 11:52! You have been warned! Have you heard that the Pentagon budget is going up more? Yes, even more. What is that spent on? Well, a lot of it is spent on dumb garbage that gets disposed of creatively, and we're here to discuss it. However, before we talk about that, we talk about a story about an Army Major getting imprisoned in a Polish sex dungeon while blackout, in which strippers bit him to keep him awake while running his credit card. Field-grades: don't let it happen to you! The story is here: https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-army-officer-poland-obsession/ Our discussion of the Army's property system, and the sheer volume of waste we've seen in our own time in uniform, starts at 22:32. For this week's bonus, we ask some important questions. Why is the DoD spending money on memes? Why does anyone think this will influence our 'adversaries?' What sort of propaganda is this? To analyze this entire phenomenon, Francis brought on Shocks and Joe to discuss it in detail. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50316927 *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, we react to the news of Derek Chauvin's conviction, discuss a story of a drill sergeant who got arrested for assault and battery of an unarmed Black man because he has a terminal case of cop brain, and all the reasons why it is incumbent on veterans to debaathify their own heads. For this week's bonus, we ask important questions. Why does Missouri produce so many bonkers politicians? Why is it that, in order to get elected, you have to be full on blood-and-soil white nationalist? Well, we happen to have two Missouri experts here to give you the lowdown on what the national GOP will be in about 5-10 years. Joining us once again is friend of the show Brock Wilbur, a KCMO resident and a long-suffering observer of the state's politics. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/50180777 *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

Well, they've said we're leaving Afghanistan for good! This will certainly be different than all the other times we've supposedly left, because while there won't be any "combat troops," that won't include special operations or any Afghan auxiliaries under the command of the CIA. So, that means we're leaving, right? DadChat ends at 11:34! For this week's bonus, we have to drop some knowledge on you: the cruise ship industry is weird and variegated. There's a 311-themed cruise, a cruise where you meet Foghat, Disney cruises, Kid Rock cruises, and so much more. Why? No one knows, but Francis has done the legwork to expose all of it, and he explains it to the rest of the Zoo Crew. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49897036 *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 viral story about a Navy officer based in Japan accused of writing a letter about why he doesn't want to live among 'deviant' enlisted troops. Who knows if the letter is real? What we do know is that the Navy absolutely loves to segregate between officer and enlisted, more so than most other branches, and also it's an opportunity for us to read the comments section on military dot com and find the true gems. DadChat ends at 12:47! For this week's bonus, Francis has brought journalist Jasper Craven about Zoomer fascist congressman Madison Cawthorne, his weird proximity to veterans and lies about admittance to the US Naval Academy, and why we're probably stuck with him. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49675750 Jasper wrote a piece about this topic which is available here: https://thebaffler.com/latest/vacuous-valor-craven Jasper has a substack and you should absolutely sign up for it: https://battleborne.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, Nate and Francis discuss a recent CNN article that examines how the U.S. Government might be on the hook for billions of dollars in settlements or lawsuits if the war in Afghanistan ends on time. Why? Because the DOD has kept issuing contracts for services in Afghanistan that extend to 2026 and in some cases beyond. The CNN article is here: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/29/politics/pentagon-contractors-afghanistan/index.html DadChat ends at 9:40! For this week's bonus: Francis keeps getting stupid cold-pitch emails from a veteran thought leader and, despite having been told to listen to the show, he simply will not quit. So, to make sense of the situation, he consulted with Joe Kassabian and Carey Shockey. This episode gets to the bottom of the vet-fluencer phenomenon, why it's so uniformly right-wing or crypto-right-wing, and why you shouldn't listen to these people. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49127050 *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 were not entirely surprised to read the story this week about a man who looks like Saddam Hussein in a spider hole attacking a National Guard convoy in Texas. Although they haven't gotten to the bottom of it yet, it's pretty safe to assume it's some Q sort of thing, and we discuss a lot about what the responsibility of tech platforms is versus arguments about free speech. DadChat ends at 10:57! For this week's bonus, the Zoo Crew is back: Joe, Carey, and Francis review the 1996 John Woo film FACE/OFF, which has some.... things that didn't age well. You can get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/49038290 *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 2019 we had a bonus episode featuring Sam Knight of the District Sentinel (@TheDCSentinel) to discuss his predictions about the 2020 Presidential election. Well, at least in as far as the primary was concerned, he called it exactly right. So, we brought Sam back on to talk about what we've seen since Biden assumed office--all the good, bad, and ugly. Sam is also a correspondent for Means TVs "Means Morning News," (@MMNonMeansTV), For this week's bonus, we're joined by the cast of the Well There's Your Problem podcast to discuss the story of the M2 Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicle. What is the deal with this thing? It's not a tank, but it might as well be a tank in almost every capacity. How did it get made, and what does the future hold for giant clown turrets? Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48771869 *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 figured that, if you've followed the news lately, you've probably heard about the recent debacle with the British royal family and the Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. This is an expressly anti-royalty podcast, but to discuss the particular dynamics of British racism and the experience of being a Black American woman married to a slightly younger redhead who is kind of a moron and fought in Afghanistan, Cynthia Bethea joins us this week. For this week's bonus, Francis speaks with defense journalist Oriana Pawlyk about what the Space Force actually is and does -- and the fact that it's not going away, despite it being Trump's signature plaything. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48465304 *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 the recent news that the military may require service members to take the covid-19 vaccine (much like it requires other vaccines) now that the FDA has approved it. So, why does the military have, on average a 30% refusal rate for the vaccine? And what really is going on with vaccination in the US? (source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/01/military-may-revisit-making-covid-19-vaccines-mandatory-after-fda-grants-approval.html?fbclid=IwAR1AOgpMr4DAiNm4Rbm1eXg31QH5mtTRQiBuCFt4hbRAJv2vX4um-rHvyWQ) Also discussed: has the military actually helped reduce the risk of extinction for one species of woodpecker? Yes. Does this mean the military is good at ecology? No. (source: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/02/972486093/how-the-military-helped-bring-back-the-red-cockaded-woodpecker?fbclid=IwAR049XUxWdH-RAHhHKmi7mg6oPW1tqMKuLF1DXctuSveFoTuY7-9OEP1hK8&t=1614799637267) This week's bonus is a combined Hell of a Way / Lions Led by Donkeys episode in which Joe relates to us the story of Valentine Strasser, the Sierra Leonean army captain (and specialist at heart) who took over a country and decided to change its national anthem to a disco tune -- among a LOT of other things. Get it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/48207919 *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