Two Grumpy Vets and a Duuude

<p>In this week’s Two Grumpy Vets and a Duuude, we celebrate a birthday (the Duuude's) and dive into a lively, winding conversation about intentional living, service, and everyday grit. We kick off with retail rants (Walmart vs. H‑E‑B and the lost art of customer service), drift into wealth, power, and philanthropy, and spotlight the Bentonville/NW Arkansas boom. From there we hit military life—why a one‑time $1,776 payout matters to junior service members—then swap stories from the road: high‑wind trucking hazards, governed rigs, and the science of getting blown around at 70,000 lbs. We cover nicotine’s grip, addiction recovery, and mindset triggers; ham‑radio contest woes and sunspot cycles; winter storms out West; cold‑weather Army “Mickey Mouse” boots and Alaska training; plus moonshine stills, Jeep tires, and the economics of tire warranties. We also get into health: VA visits, amniotic‑fluid injections for shoulder pain, new hearing aids that stream calls and music, and how better hearing changes daily life (from birdsong to turn‑signal clicks). Not only that, but we round it out with AI image/video tinkering, backups and local models, pet antics, Mardi Gras timelines, and a quick Value‑for‑Value segment on how listeners can support the show. Programming note: we’re off for Christmas and back on New Year’s Day. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!<br /><br />Resources mentioned (non‑sponsored):<br />• <a href="https://crystalbridges.org/" target="_blank">Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art</a> (Bentonville, AR) — free admission supported by philanthropy<br />• <a href="https://solarham.com" target="_blank">SolarHam</a> for solar and sunspot activity (ham radio propagation)<br />• <a href="https://va.gov" target="_blank">VA audiology and ortho care discussions</a> (hearing aids; context)<br /><br /><strong>Email Us:</strong><br />Rich -- mailtto://[email protected]<br />Bryan -- mailto://[email protected]</p> <p><br />If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988<br /><strong>The world needs you here.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>In this week’s <em>Two Grumpy Vets and a Duuude</em>, we kick off with post-Thanksgiving catch‑ups and a surprising win with the local post office. We riff on tech tinkering—expanding backup storage to 7TB, rediscovering years of photos, playing with Darktable on Linux, and dabbling in AI video experiments.<br />Then, things get... grumpy. We discuss everyday life gear, specifically <strong>a $2,500 mattress that Bryan claims "just lays there and sweats."</strong><br />On the heart side, Ron shares a meaningful afternoon playing chess with veterans at a VA home—learning to match play to a person’s abilities (and dealing with spilled coffee). Then we step through <strong>tough family terrain involving "Cluster B" personalities</strong>, custody battles, and protecting grandkids—balancing concern with letting grown kids make their own choices.<br />We wrap up with a friendly debate on whether politics belongs in church, some Jeep talk, <strong>a Sasquatch meme war</strong>, and a reminder of why this show exists: three friends showing up for each other.<br /><strong>Merry Christmas, and good luck to Rich in the 10‑meter contest! (Go get that Silver!)<br /><br />Email Us:</strong><br />Rich -- mailto://[email protected]<br />Bryan -- mailto://[email protected]</p> <p><br />If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988<br /><strong>The world needs you here.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This week on Two Grumpy Vets and a Duuude, we kick off with real life updates: Rich’s MRI reveals significant shoulder tendon tears, bursitis, and pain management ups and downs, plus Bella the dog’s hilarious water-glass heist. We wander into geeking out on Linux, local AI models, audio workflows, backups, and why permissions matter—complete with a near-disaster Gmail wipe and how he recovered it. From there, we dive into a spirited, good-natured brawl over AI: art quality, “brown and muddy” palettes, hallucinations, summary collapse, and the soul of human-made art. We compare classic works like the De Witt brothers, Raft of the Medusa, and Ivan the Terrible to AI images, and debate what counts as “good art” versus useful tools. <br /><br />We also hit healthcare headaches in rural Oklahoma, insurance changes, pharmaceutical incentives, and the cost-of-living contrasts with manufacturing abroad. Rounding out the hour: drones and looming DJI restrictions in the U.S., staking Solana on-chain and APY realities, chess at the VA soldiers’ home as a way to give back, and a nostalgic first Christmas tree in decades—complete with vintage bubble lights. We close with value-for-value: share the show, send us feedback, and keep the conversations rolling.<br /><strong>Email Us:</strong><br />Rich -- mailto://[email protected]<br />Bryan -- mailto://[email protected]</p> <p><br />If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988<br /><strong>The world needs you here.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>This week on Two Grumpy Vets, the crew gets real about everyday life, health hiccups, and the small joys that keep us going. Bryan kicks things off riding the struggle bus with a full-on tooth emergency and the saga of finding an in-network dentist, urgent care antibiotics, and insurance timing. From there we wander through the comforts (and crimes) of hot dog cooking methods, microwaved pot pies, and the eternal spam vs. Vienna sausage debate, with plenty of laughter and veteran-grade gallows humor along the way.<br /><br />We shift gears into road-life stories from the truck, AI dash-cam shenanigans, and how modern safety tech can be both blessing and nuisance. Rich shares a big win from the ham radio November Sweepstakes—325 contacts, pileups, and rare states snagged—plus antenna upgrades that transformed Rich's station. We round out with practical talk on marriage communication (ditch the score keeping), crypto ups and downs, Linux and podcast app picks (AntennaPod for the win), stargazing through a serious telescope, and plans around Thanksgiving. As always, it’s unfiltered camaraderie with some hard-earned perspective and a few genuine wins to celebrate.<br /><br /><strong>Email Us:</strong><br />Rich -- mailto://[email protected]<br />Bryan -- mailto://[email protected]</p> <p><br />If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988<br /><strong>The world needs you here.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>In this week’s Two Grumpy Vets and a Duuude, I open the mics with Bryan and the Duuude for a sprawling, honest hang that runs from health and MRIs to ham radio, Linux life, dogs, decluttering, and a heavy dose of real‑talk on politics and insurance. We kick off with Rich’s marathon MRI session, steroid shots, pain management, and the search for relief through acupuncture and even cupping. That flows right into ham radio world: solar flares, auroras, contest scores, chasing DX across the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia, and the ongoing quest for a clean sweep amid radio blackouts. We also get nerdy about ditching Windows for Linux Mint, terminal scripts, logging software, and why onions and Tor matter. <br /><br />From there, it’s pure life: decluttering garages, estate sale realities, and the insanity of insurance inspections. We riff on playgrounds, liability, and how risk-averse culture and policy shape everyday life. We swap veteran shop stories—motor pools, gun bunnies, generator mishaps, jump boots, and mirror shines—before landing on the pure joy of dogs. Bella and her buddy Ringo steal the show with paper‑towel confetti, toilet‑paper “snow,” a murdered turkey toy, and the truth that a tired dog is a happy dog. It’s the kind of episode that feels like sitting around the table with friends: practical, salty, funny, and real.<br /><br /><strong>Email Us:</strong><br />Rich -- mailto://[email protected]<br />Bryan -- mailto://[email protected]</p> <p><br />If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988<br /><strong>The world needs you here.&nbsp;</strong></p>