1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff you should know 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: from house Stuff Works dot Com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. Opposite me is one Charles W. 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Chuck Chuck Tran Bryant. Nice call back, Yeah, Chuck Tran 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: call back? Yeah, the thing? Uh auditioned and won the rowl. 7 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: You've never acted like audition for anything? I mean sure, No. 8 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: I used to be in children's theater. Really yeah, interesting, 9 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: I've never done that except my audition with you, of 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 1: course for this spot. That one really well, so good. Yeah. 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: So you're so kind, You're too kind. You're generous actress 12 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: I would say about each other Jenners so Chuck, Yes, 13 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: you just move on. Sure, okay, Um, if you've ever 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: had a hand anchoring for um African monkey meat, I 15 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: can tell you where in Europe to go get it. 16 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: Really yeah, you can go to Paris, to Charles de 17 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: gal Airport and they have monkey meat. They have bush 18 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: meat of all kinds. Apparently bush meat is what it's called. 19 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: Bush meat is another term for any kind of wild 20 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: game or unregulated game. You can make the case that 21 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: livestock that doesn't pass in through any kind of um 22 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: regulatory body sure is considered bush meat. But typically bush 23 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: meat is um. A bush man goes out into the wild, 24 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: shoots a monkey through the head with an arrow, and 25 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: um chops it up and there's your meat. You can 26 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: also do that with um, crocodile. You can do that 27 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: with river hog, porcupine whatever. It is a little gross, 28 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: but they there was a study. I guess somebody noticed 29 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: that there is a lot of bush meat coming through 30 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: UH Paris, and so these UH wildlife officials got together 31 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: with the customs agency there and over seventeen days they 32 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: searched one and thirty four passengers randomly, I guess, but 33 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: they were probably like, oh, you're coming out of Africa, right, 34 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: And they found that half of them were carrying bush 35 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: meat and their luggage unrefrigerated luggage, like you opened up 36 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: their duffel bag and there was a lot of monkey 37 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: right there, as opposed to the refrigerated luggage that you 38 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: you like, well, I mean you would like to think 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: that they would at least, you know, rig some dry 40 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: ice something. It is a little nasty um, but that, 41 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: my friend, is part and parcel for a day's work 42 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 1: for customs official, is it not? It can be. Let's 43 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: talk specifically about US customs for a second. Where did 44 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: it come from, Chuck? Where did this idea originate? Where? Chuck? Well, 45 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: you know, dude, I know everyone likes to think that 46 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: our founding fathers were just all about like everybody having 47 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: freedom and the government, no one owing government money for anything. 48 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: But that's not true at all. George Washington and the 49 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: Founding fathers in the first Congress actually said, you know what, 50 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: we are a struggling nation and we need to raise 51 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: some dough by way of tariffs on mm hmm, how 52 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 1: about imported goods? Right? And so they said sure. So 53 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: that was the birth of customs, right. Actually, we can 54 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: point to the very day that it was born. The 55 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: Terrifact of July four nine was passed on July thirty one, 56 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: seventeen eighty nine. Uh and it did exactly what you 57 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: just said, right, Like you said, if you're carrying stuff 58 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: into the country, we get the taxi on it just 59 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: because it's originating outside of the country, right and then 60 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: right yeah, like Savannah, yeah, um, and uh so people 61 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: come in there funneled in through these ports, and they're 62 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: charged dough right big time. They Actually, I was staggered 63 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: by this. The U S Customs for like a hundred 64 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: years supported the entire government infrastructure. UM. By eighteen thirty five, 65 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: we had zero debt thanks to Customs revenue. And even today, 66 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: as far as I know, the Customs Agency is second 67 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: only to the I R. S in generating revenue for 68 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: the United States. Right, Yeah, I think I didn't get 69 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: a hard number, but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: about thirty billion dollars a year that they bring in 71 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: billion dollars a year from almost what we bring in 72 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: for discovery. Yeah. Originally, Chuck, the Customs Service did a 73 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: whole lot of stuff, including UM Census Veterans Affairs UM 74 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: and the National Institute of Standards in Technology was actually 75 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: born out of the custom Service. They're the ones who 76 00:04:56,279 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: came up with our system of um way and standards 77 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: because they had to come up with the way to 78 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: describe stuff that they were seizing or taxing or that 79 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,920 Speaker 1: kind of thing UM. And actually I wrote a really 80 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: cool post on the metric system. I don't know if 81 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: you ever read it, but that's where I learned that 82 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: it was really cool. It's a cool post. And the 83 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: Coast Guard two was birthed from the Customs Office. That's right, 84 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: Jerry thinks you are hilarious anytime I mispronouncing some perfect titters. Um, 85 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: so chuck. The custom Service did all this stuff, spawned 86 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: all these extra agencies, and then um pretty much stayed 87 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 1: the same for a while until two thousand three, Um, 88 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: when George W. Was in office. Uh, the Customs Service 89 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: became the US Customs and Border Protection. Yeah, part of 90 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: the Homeland Security Office department, which makes sense, I guess 91 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: in a way unless you have like a comprehensive immigration agency, right, 92 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: good point, um, And so pretty much their their main 93 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: job is to control or oversee the flow of goods 94 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 1: from outside the borders and and inside the borders out 95 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: right right. They are this thin blue line between you know, 96 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: free trade and total anarchy. That's a good point, thanks man. Um. 97 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: So they seize contraband, they process people, they process cargo. Um, 98 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: they enforce uh stuff is as laws as desperate as 99 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: bush meat importation to intellectual property law, Like if you 100 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: get caught with some you know, burn DVDs that are 101 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: clearly pirated, you're gonna get in trouble and you would 102 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: have gotten caught by the Customs Department, right all in all, 103 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: their enforcing about four hundred different provisions of law, right, Yeah, 104 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: and they like to refer to themselves as the oldest 105 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: law enforcement agency in the United States. And I think 106 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: the duty that scares me. And we're gonna say duty 107 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: a lot in this podcast. We should probably just get 108 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: it over with. Yeah, not d O O D y duty, 109 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: d U T y duty, right right right, I just 110 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: want to clear that up, um and chuck. They they 111 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: oversee what's called exodus um cases. Yeah, what's that? Exodus 112 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: cases are? I guess that's kind of like broken arrow 113 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: or something like that. It's, uh, if you have weapons 114 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: or weapons technology, UM. Weapons intelligence is anything you can 115 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: destroy the US with or attack the US with. Customs 116 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: is on that and they deemed those exodus cases and 117 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: those are big time. Yeah. I just saw a guy. 118 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: I didn't look into it too heavily, but like in 119 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: the news this week, there's some custom sting operation where 120 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: this big businessman was selling like some sort of batteries 121 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: that help uh a missile launch to Iran or something. 122 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: I don't know, I need to look it up. But 123 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: big stinging down type that is exodus. Um, I guess 124 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: if the urban legend about Saddam Hussein importing PlayStations to 125 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: use the very sophisticated chips in his guided missile. Yeah, yeah, 126 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: when I think the first PlayStation came out, that that 127 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: was an urban legend around it. Yeah, that's a silly one. 128 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: So chuckers, Like we said, at the basis of all this, 129 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:35,559 Speaker 1: it's the customs service in any country is charged with 130 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: keeping an eye on the flow of goods across the borders, right. 131 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: And one of the reasons why is because, as we saw, 132 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: George Washington and the founding fathers were hipped to the 133 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 1: idea that being government and all, you can push around 134 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: guys who are importers exporters, right and um say, hey, 135 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: give us a cut. Well, yeah, the idea is kind 136 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,839 Speaker 1: of twofold. It's um. One is because America wants you 137 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: to buy American goods, but a lot of times, most 138 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: times goods from other countries you can buy cheaper. So 139 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: they say, all right, well, if you're gonna buy something 140 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: from over there, we want to want you to support America. 141 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: But if you're gonna do that, then we want to 142 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: get our our piece of the pie, right or they 143 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: will they charge duty on um. Say, uh, some breros 144 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: in Mexico. That's a good one. So there. So you 145 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: can get a sombrero here, but you're gonna pay like 146 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: seventeen dollars for it, the same sombrero, virtually the same, 147 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: except it was manufactured in Mexico. Mexico is a bad 148 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: example after NAFTA has passed. But let's stick with it, 149 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: shall we. Um, you can get that one for two bucks. Well, 150 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: the government's gonna impose a duty on it. So maybe 151 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: ultimately once you pay the duty and how much you 152 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 1: were being charged for the sombrero. You're actually paying nineteen 153 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: dollars for the Mexican one, where you can get the 154 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: seventeen dollar one here in the US, so you might 155 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: as well just get that. Well yeah, but that that's 156 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:05,359 Speaker 1: if you're shipping like large. Like there's duty free exemptions. 157 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: We should go over that real quick. Yeah, duty free? 158 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 1: Explain it? Duty free is uh? In the United States? 159 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: You get a four hundred exemption if you come back 160 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: into the country from anywhere except a Caribbean basin country 161 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: or the Virgin Islands, Guam or American Samoa. So if 162 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: you come in from Europe, let's say you're allowed to 163 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: bring four dollars worth of stuff in uh, and you 164 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: declare it and um, four dollars worth of bush meat 165 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: of bush meat, and then after that you have to 166 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: start paying your tariff on that. And they they have 167 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: specific outlines for um like tobacco you can bring two 168 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: hundred cigarettes or a hundred cigars as part of that 169 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: under four hundred dollars. And alcohol, of course, you can 170 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: bring in one leader a booze duty free. And you 171 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,959 Speaker 1: can bring in a curtain of cigarettes and a leader 172 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: of booze. Yeah, that's a party right there. You got it. 173 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:01,559 Speaker 1: And you know, a few cigars as long as they're 174 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: not Cubans, which we'll get to. But I did find 175 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: this interesting. Fine art and antiques that are at least 176 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: a hundred years old or not subject to tax really 177 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: no matter. I mean it could be like a ten 178 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: thousand dollar painting and no duty. What about a twelve 179 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: thousand dollar painting no duty? Huh? Ask me about folk art? 180 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: What about folk art? Chuck duty? Really? Yeah? Just fine 181 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: art folk The custom service has an opinion on art, 182 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: and the folk art is crappy. Yeah, or maybe not, 183 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: or maybe they think it's so great it should be taxed. No, 184 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: I don't think that's no. No, have you seen folk 185 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: art before? Yeah? I had. I should say say this 186 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: real quick. When I was living in l A. I 187 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: went to a show with Emily, one of those shows 188 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: where they have folk art, and I thought that, wow, 189 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: what a scam. He was like, I could I should 190 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 1: do this? And I came up with an idea to 191 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:59,320 Speaker 1: drum up um buzz by calling, over the course of 192 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: like a year or different places and saying, hey, do 193 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: you have any art by Chuck Bryant, this artist, and 194 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: to the point where they had heard this name. And 195 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: then at one point I would enter these places and say, hey, 196 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:10,719 Speaker 1: I'm Chuck Bryan. I didn't know if you want to 197 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: cover some of my carry some of my art nice. 198 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: They'd be like, well, we've heard of you. Let me 199 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: see that piece of tin the east Lung paints on. 200 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 1: That's actually a brilliant idea, Chuck, somebody should go do that. 201 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: Why didn't you ever do it? Because it's fraud and 202 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: it's not nicer ethical. I don't know that that's fraud 203 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: in the art world. No, Okay, I think that's just 204 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: normal business. You know, I didn't do it. I was lazy. Yeah. Um, 205 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: so that's duty free. That is very odd. Did you 206 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: find out why folk art is just that it is? No, 207 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: we could probably call and get an answer to that. 208 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: You want to call right now? Okay? Um, so we 209 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: covered duty free, right, yeah, And I guess we should 210 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: talk about big business. It's because there's two different kinds. 211 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: There's people, there's businesses that ship in and import tons 212 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 1: of stuff and ports of call, and then there's you 213 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: and I getting off an airplane. Well we should say 214 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: also that with duty free, the exemption applies to the importer, 215 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 1: not the customer. Right, So if we come back into 216 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: the States or yeah, if we come back into the 217 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: States and we say I could use a leader of 218 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 1: Scotch and the cartoner Dunhills, so we pick them up 219 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: and then we continue on into the United States, we 220 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: don't pay any duty. But if we do the same 221 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: thing at Charles de Gaul Airport, uh, and then coming 222 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:29,959 Speaker 1: to the United States, we pay a duty because we're 223 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: still importing, right yeah, yeah, okay, so you're actually an 224 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 1: importer that that you're classified as an importer. Yea, So 225 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: big business Josh, millions of dollars worth of goods each 226 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: year UH is imported and are imported, and they kind 227 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: of keep track of it the same way as they 228 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: do with individuals. They like, they can't inspect every single 229 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: thing or every single person, so they'll just kind of 230 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,559 Speaker 1: pick and choose. I'll open up a cargo container and say, 231 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: I'm gonna look at these seven boxes in container eight, 232 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: and then the guy crosses his fingers that the cocaine 233 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: is not in those, you know gargo holds exactly. And 234 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,839 Speaker 1: that's that's a deterrent in and of itself, the randomness 235 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: of it, all right. But at the same time, that 236 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 1: method means that tons and tons and tons of illicit 237 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: substances seep through our rather poorout border. And it's not 238 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: it's not just with big business too, it's individual travelers 239 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: as well. Like UM. Some countries use actual you know chance. 240 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 1: They leave it to chance who gets searched. So they 241 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: have people passing through their borders at their airports press 242 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: a random number generator and a certain number will trigger 243 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: a green light which means you keep going, and other 244 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: will trigger a red light that means you're going to 245 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: be your rectum is about to be probed, or instinct, 246 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: which is my favorite, when the they count on the 247 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: border agent to be the customs agent to be so 248 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: skilled that they can like eyeball you and say that 249 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: guy has something stuffed in a place that we should check. 250 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: Either that or the GDP of that country is so 251 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: low that they don't have enough money for a random 252 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: number generator. They rely on instinct, which comes with the salary. 253 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: That's a good point, Chuck. We we talked about illicit 254 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: substances cocaine, uh, marijuana, Um sure, So, like we were 255 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: just saying, the stuff is coming through all the time, 256 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: and Customs is aware of this. I don't know if 257 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: you knew this or not, but they know that they're 258 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: drugs coming across the border, and um, they have equipment 259 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 1: at their disposal right at the ports. We talked about 260 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: the random number generator. The US is fairly flushed with 261 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: with cash as far as UM customs go. So we 262 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: actually have truck size X rays that you can literally 263 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: they're big enough to drive a truck through at the 264 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: US Mexican border. Have you really you've driven through the 265 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: X ray before? What's it like? Were you inside? Uh? 266 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: What do you mean? Dangerous. Well, I means the same 267 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: as walking through an X ray, which is pretty dangerous. 268 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: But this is like a truck size X ray. Yeah, 269 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: good point. And din't really think about that. Yeah, been 270 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: over and across the border quite a few times. I 271 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: got you never carried anything unlicit. That's very smart, don't 272 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: you worry? Yeah? Um, we also have black Hawk helicopter 273 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: citation jets at our disposals. Cigarette boats, yes, for catching 274 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: cigarette smugglers. No, those are the super fast boats like 275 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: Miami Bice is it? Apparently the drug smugglers that come 276 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: in like undercover of the night, really fast. And so 277 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: the Coast Guard works in concert with the d e A. 278 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: It's a joint effort and customs agents. It's not a 279 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: joint effort, no it is. I just thought that was 280 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: a funny pun. Yeah, so they're looking for, you know, 281 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: bad things. And I looked up you know they mentioned 282 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: in here that people actually smuggle things in on their 283 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:00,760 Speaker 1: person they'll go through customs instead trying to smuggle it 284 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: around customs, And uh, I thought they should have a 285 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 1: TV show called Smugglers Do the Darnest Things, because have 286 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: you ever seen I mean, I know you hear about 287 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 1: these stories from time to time. But the way that 288 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: these people trying to get drugs in the country, it's 289 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,239 Speaker 1: crazy in their bodies. Remember the guy that made a 290 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 1: cast a foot cast out of cocaine. No, I hadn't 291 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: heard of that. I think we talked about them the webcast. 292 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: It was either that or we talked about they made 293 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: a dinet set. Like the plates and the bowls, we're 294 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: all made of cocaine. It's crazy. Uh. There was the 295 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: that was twenty kilow's of coke by the way, for 296 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: the dinner were. One thing they'll do is they'll put 297 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: it in a condom and feed it to their snake, 298 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: their pet snake, and then smuggle the snake in, which 299 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,159 Speaker 1: I guess is easier than smuggling drugs. And I don't know. 300 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: That seemed like I wonder if people. I wonder if 301 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: the average customs agent is afraid of snakes like any 302 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: other person. Yeah, maybe so they figured that out. Frozen 303 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 1: sharks I saw her some I think it was Cambodia. 304 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: They had like forty frozen sharks and they were stuffed 305 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 1: full of drugs. Uh. And then the sad ones like 306 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: the when they smuggle them inside the dogs liquid heroin 307 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: inside the puppies. Remember that was a few years ago. 308 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: And then uh, this yellow lab had likety dollars worth 309 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: of cocaine and it's belly one time when they were 310 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: smuggling this dog in. It's a bad dog. He's a 311 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 1: good dog, bad people. Jerry slaughing again, So U how 312 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:31,679 Speaker 1: how would you stop that? Though in an airport let's say, Well, again, 313 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,159 Speaker 1: there's some the randomness of the whole thing serves as 314 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,880 Speaker 1: a deterrent um two into intuition, as you said. And 315 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: dogs good dogs, not ones that are drug smuggling bad dogs, 316 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: but they kind of tattle on drug smuggling dogs. Good dogs. 317 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: Beagles specifically are good apparently not just for illicit drugs, 318 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: but especially for agricultural products. Apparently they're fine tuned to 319 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: sniff those out and bombs of course, which has nothing 320 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 1: to do with the customs. But I was actually in 321 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: I guess Atlanta. I don't know where I was coming 322 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,959 Speaker 1: back from, but um, there was this cute little beagle 323 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: who walked up to this woman and just sat down 324 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: and looked up at her. And this customs guy was like, man, 325 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: we please come with me, and uh, turn out she 326 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: had fruit on her. Oh yeah, yeah, well you should 327 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 1: go ahead and mention that. Then well it's it's more 328 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: of a threat than you would think, right, absolutely. Um, 329 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: there's there's apparently a guy in the late eighties who 330 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,680 Speaker 1: brought a piece of fruit, one piece of fruit back 331 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: from the Mediterranean and it was infested with Mediterranean fruit 332 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: flies and it contaminated and destroyed millions of dollars worth 333 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: of crops in California that year. That's crazy. One piece 334 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: of fruit. Have you ever driven into California? Uh? You got, 335 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 1: I've always flown in. Yeah, you gotta stop and they check, 336 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: they check your car. It's a real bummer too, because 337 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: when you make the Vegas to CA California trip, you're 338 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: coming back from Vegas and all you want to do 339 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: is get back to your house and sleep, and you 340 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: gotta stop at this It's always backed up for miles 341 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 1: and they you know, it's the fruit, it's the agriculture. 342 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: Stop really yeah, And they asked they either ask you 343 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: to you know, do you have any fruits, vegetables or seeds, 344 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: or they just eyeball you in your car and like 345 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: we'll wave you through or or say stop. They rely 346 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: on intuition. See if you like a pair smuggler. Yeah, 347 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: I always getting nervous. I don't know why. It's just fruit, 348 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 1: the drug, dogs, everything. They always make me nervous and 349 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:34,320 Speaker 1: I never you know. Of course I don't have like 350 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: cocaine strapped on my belly, but it just makes me nervous. No, 351 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: I think that's pretty typical. And I think they make 352 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: everybody nervous. You know, you're being scrutinized, you know, and 353 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: nobody feels comfortable being scrutinized. Right, Or maybe it's a 354 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: the T shirt that don't scrutinize me T shirt. I 355 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: have one, right, I don't have drugs on me. Um. 356 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 1: Dogs also get taken onto planes, Chuck, I thought this 357 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 1: was kind of cool. Um, it's very roundabout, but it 358 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: makes sense. They'll take a dog onto a plane to 359 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: sniff around after everyone's disembarked, and if somebody had drugs 360 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: on him or her, uh, he or she would have 361 00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: left some sort of trace on that seat, so the 362 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,080 Speaker 1: dog will like, say the seat right here. They'll look 363 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: up on the flight manifest who is sitting there, find them, 364 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: and then take them to be thrown in prison. It 365 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 1: was Josh Clark, right, Black ghost to the sky. Uh. 366 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: The other cool thing too that we didn't mention was 367 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: the electro vacuum device. It's like a handheld dust buster 368 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: super dustbuster sort of, but it analyzes particles in the air. 369 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,879 Speaker 1: So if you have cocaine packed in your suitcase, in theory, 370 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: there's probably some like residue floating in the air and 371 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: these things will sniff that out. Well, it's it's like 372 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: um poop, when you smell poop, it's an odorant. It's 373 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:55,120 Speaker 1: an actual poop molecule that you're interacting with the same thing. 374 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: That's very good. What he just winked at me? What 375 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:06,120 Speaker 1: else we got here? Oh, money's cash. You're not allowed 376 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:08,680 Speaker 1: to take more than ten thousand dollars in cash out 377 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: of the country. But I would suspect that if you 378 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 1: had nine, then you're probably a little suspicious. I don't 379 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: know that for sure, or maybe that happens a lot 380 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: and and you're not suspicious. What do you think. I 381 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,160 Speaker 1: think if if you're a penny over ten thousand bucks, 382 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: they know it. I think if you get anywhere near it, 383 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: or if you declared ten thousand dollars, they check you. Okay, 384 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: I never lived I mean I never have more than 385 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: like eight bucks on me anywhere US. Yeah, I've never 386 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 1: had ten thousand dollars in cash on me ever probably 387 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: never will of course not Chuck, you mentioned art. Customs 388 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: agents are also on high alert for antiquities, including once 389 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,240 Speaker 1: you remember when we invaded Iraq there was a huge 390 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:59,919 Speaker 1: cultural ransacking. Their museums were getting looted. I mean, you know, 391 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: ancient stuff is just being moved out of a rock, right, Um, 392 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: once it's in UM, I guess us borders there's that 393 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily mean you're out of the woods. There was, 394 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 1: um the example of customs finding a thousand year old 395 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:21,679 Speaker 1: Chinese sculpture that have been stolen from a tomb in 396 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: turning up um on Christie's auction catalog. I guess they 397 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: monitor these, uh and then cross reference them, and they 398 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 1: found that it was going to be auction contacted. Christie said, hey, 399 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna be taking that and give it back to China. Right, 400 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: So that's a that's something. Yeah. And this news story 401 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: I pulled from just a couple of days ago in Bulgaria. Yeah, 402 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 1: they at a border check between Calatina and Serbia. They 403 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:57,359 Speaker 1: discovered four artifacts from third and second century BC and 404 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: first century a c. That we're wrapped in that kins 405 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:01,920 Speaker 1: at the bottom of the suitcase. And the guy was like, Oh, 406 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 1: those are just drink it gifts for my family there 407 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: thousands of years old. So busted. Yeah, is he busted? Busted? 408 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,640 Speaker 1: They didn't believe him. Uh No, they didn't believe him, 409 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: and they did some checking and they haven't like nothing 410 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: has turned up missing for museums or anything yet, but 411 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 1: I'm sure they'll get to the bottom. Mother. Um. Lastly, Chuck, 412 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,639 Speaker 1: we were talking about bush meat. You were you you also, um, 413 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: you can't bring dog meat into the US. That's a 414 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: good thing, especially after two thousand when the US passed 415 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:37,880 Speaker 1: the Dogging Cat Protection Act, which is the most adorable 416 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:40,120 Speaker 1: act we've ever passed. I think it is. But sad 417 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: that we needed that. Yeah, well, none of it. Not 418 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: every country's you know, they don't look at dogs necessarily 419 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: the way we do. Yeah, it's a good point. You know, 420 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 1: some countries look at dogs the way we look at monkeys. 421 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:57,880 Speaker 1: It's like meat, right, you know, Yeah, we prize them 422 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 1: for their fur kind of stuff. And think about that. 423 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,240 Speaker 1: Oh another thing too, it's not always illegal stuff per se, 424 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: Like Cuban cigar. Sometimes it's just there's like an embargo 425 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: trade embargo. That's a really good example. But I mean, 426 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 1: don't you sence you regard Cuban cigars and what's the 427 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: same way you would drugs too, Just because it has 428 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: that stamp of forbiddness on it, it's it is, it 429 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: seems like highly illegal. You know, I'm on the internet. 430 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 1: Now I've heard that you can and and like they 431 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: send you the cigars and then like a week later, 432 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: in different package they send you the bands. The bands. Yeah, 433 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: I've heard of the I wouldn't know. I know, you 434 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: wouldn't show up kid like Switzerland or Sweden. You can 435 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: buy him from something like that. Uh. Well, if you 436 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,440 Speaker 1: want to know more about customs, we have a lot 437 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,159 Speaker 1: of articles on the side about it. I think if 438 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: you're just type in customs in the search part how 439 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 1: stuff works dot Com, it's gonna bring up, um, probably 440 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: all sorts of stuff things for Christmas, um, illegal border crossings, 441 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,360 Speaker 1: that kind this stuff. There's one on US customs in particular. 442 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: UM And I said search bar right, which, as everyone knows, 443 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: is the automatic trigger for listener mail. Right, Okay, Josh, 444 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 1: this one struck us both pretty pretty well. Here from 445 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: Sergeant Walker in Afghanistan. Yeah, this is cool, This is awesome. 446 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: We love hearing from our men and women, servicemen and 447 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: women over there putting their lives at risk, and this 448 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,920 Speaker 1: is a good one. Hello guys, my name is Sergeant 449 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: John Walker. I'm with the hundred and third Special Ops 450 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: Division in Afghanistan. I cannot give you a more district 451 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 1: descriptive location, he says. My platoon and I protect the 452 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 1: surrounding areas near schools so that children may achieve a 453 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: well rounded education. My life is not easy, but one 454 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: thing makes it all the better. Your podcast is the 455 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,880 Speaker 1: thing that keeps me going strong out here. Every podcast 456 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:53,200 Speaker 1: keeps me wanting more, and the next one comes out, 457 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: and so forth, so forth. I always have my iPod 458 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: on listening to you guys. And some of my platoon 459 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: asked what I was listening to all the time, so 460 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: I turned them onto it, and now they are at 461 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,640 Speaker 1: least one hundred guys who use my computer to download 462 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 1: your podcast. How cool is that? It's cool, but it 463 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: doesn't stuff there, Like I said, with the children in 464 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 1: the school, Although some speak poor English, most speak the 465 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: local dialect of Farci. My friend and I have learned 466 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: a little bit of farcy and actually translate your podcast 467 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: for the older children to be able to understand it. 468 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: We don't do some like the large a drunk collider, 469 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 1: but more simple ones that they can understand and that 470 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 1: we can translate. We're expecting care packages soon. And I 471 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,000 Speaker 1: asked my family for a camera so I could share 472 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: all of our happiness with you. I wish I had 473 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,879 Speaker 1: something I could give back to you guys. And clearly, 474 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,920 Speaker 1: Sergeant Walker, what you give us is mind and cool 475 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: emails and cool emails. Yes, so we wrote him back 476 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: and he's a he's a very cool guy. And he's 477 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: still over there and he's still safe. This came in, 478 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: you know, a little bit ago. Yeah, pretty cool. So 479 00:27:55,480 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 1: good luck to you, sir, Good luck, Sargeant Walker. Right, yes, um, 480 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: And if you have a cool email about translating our 481 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,359 Speaker 1: podcast into some other language to help other people, we 482 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:11,160 Speaker 1: want to know about it. Bet we don't get anymore. Uh. 483 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 1: If you have one, though, or if you just want 484 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: to say hi or something like that, you can email 485 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:21,640 Speaker 1: checking me at stuff podcast at how stuff works dot 486 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 487 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff Works? Dot com. Want more how 488 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: stuff works, check out our blogs on the house stuff 489 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:40,719 Speaker 1: Works dot Com home page. Brought to you by the 490 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you