Why do you think this movement has gotten traction? I think the movement

is getting a lot of traction today is because Americans of all political persuasions are seeing how nakedly corrupt and how horrible the fascist regime is in D.C. And that is the Republican identity today.

And they're seeing it for themselves.

It's people corrupt.

Mass people jumping out of vans, kidnapping their neighbors.

It is slashing social services in favor of of tax cuts for the rich.

And that is simply abhorrable for people.

And I think it is a question that DSA leaders tend to sort of avoid answering is like, what role do these things that the organization plays clearly does stand for play in a competitive election in something besides a very safe, very blue district, which is where DSA has won elections to date.

And I think it is a question that DSA leaders tend to sort of avoid answering is like, what role do these things that the organization plays clearly does stand for play in a competitive election in something besides a very safe, very blue district, which is where DSA has won elections to date.

Alex Lee, what do you think? I mean, I think when people try to covet the mythical median voter, I think it's a load of BS.

Because this is the same giddiness that, look, the Republicans are so giddy that Democratic socialism is on the rise.

But this is the same naive giddiness that mainstream DNC Democrats had when, oh, it's like, oh, Trump is going to be nominated? This is great.

We're going to beat Trump, you know.

And it turns out there are actually a lot of people very devoted to Project 2025, mass deportation, cutting tax cuts for billionaires.

People are very dedicated.

So what do you think? How to talk about, Alex Lee, the sort of big terms and connect them to the policies that you're interested in planning?

Now, if you're advising, uh, a bookkeeper today around looking at the behaviors or the thoughts or the work, like you said, take, look at this as an opportunity, what would be things they could do that would start taking them further down the opportunity investigation pathway, if that, if, if that makes sense?

I like to take a crawl, walk, run approach in many of the things that we do, and I think it applies very s- um, adequately here.

The starting point is getting started, and you don't need to over-engineer or overthink what it means to get started.

There's enough AI tools in the market, so pick one.

Pick one that you have heard about.

Maybe you tried once or twice.

You just got comfortable with it.

What if we make a mistake? What if we expose something that we shouldn't expose?" Maybe talk a little bit about that, what, what the, the reality is of it and what people can-- should be thinking about and maybe doing differently or, or making sure that they're in the, the right trajectory to make sure that security is being handled or privacy is being handled.

The White Horse Vikings, tell me a little bit about more of the group, how many are involved there, you know, besides the festival that's coming up, do you get together and, you know, re-enact battles?

Yeah, so what we do once a week, when the off-season over comes September, we train weekly.

So we train with the weapons, so we look at the body mechanics of what we fought back in the day.

And then we do, like, freestyle fighting.

So we have two different styles.

We have a western style, which is a softer, light touch, more control.

So it's a lot skill-based to be able to land a blow just hard enough that your opponent can feel it and acknowledge the hit.

Talk to me, what time and where and what can they see?

Besides the festival that's coming up, do you get together and, you know, reenact battles?

Yeah.

So what we do, once a week, when the off-season over, come September, we train weekly.

Um, so we train with the weapons.

So we look at the body mechanics of how they would've fought back in the day, and then we do, like, freestyle fighting.

So we have two different styles.

We have a Western style, which is a softer, light touch, more control, so a lot skill-based to be able to land a blow just hard enough that your opponent can feel it and acknowledge the hit.

Talk to me, what time and where and who, who, what can they see?

Yeah

...

I think we ended up just using the original.

And actually, in the, I, I don't know, it was a little while ago, so maybe I don't remember, but I think we riffed a lot on the day, and then, um, because there's still that thing with this, audience is sitting at you but only laughing, like, when the script says to laugh.

[laughs]

Pour them on the surface that you wanna stink up, and I guarantee nothing will wanna come close to that area.

This- I'm reading this in my head in a Tim Robinson voice.

[laughs]

What's your understanding of why Governor Newsom is so generally opposed to new

taxes? Well, Governor Newsom has been, and I know firsthand because I was author of the billionaire tax several times, the governor is quite adverse to new taxes.

Even though in this proposal, I think there are some ingenious things that we negotiate a compromise that I am quite proud of.

Number three things.

Number one is a cap on tax credits for mega corporations.

Unlike most people, probably unlike most people like you and I are leaving listeners, we cannot zero out our tax liability through tax credit schemes, nor even get refunds.

If we are large multinational corporations, they are able to utilize tax.

As a supporter of the billionaire's tax, as someone who has authored previous versions of the billionaire's tax, is there anything the governor could put on the table that would so satisfy you you didn't think it was worth a ballot fight over the billionaire's tax?

It's time to get up and greet the day, honey.

Well.

Is that you? Wait.

Sorry, I was having a dream about Michael Buble.

... no, but duck d-

I think it is incredible.

I just, you know, it's just a shame, because it's this Cape of Waterbreathing is also pretty stylish.