ICE is still terrorizing Minnesota, but it might be cracking. Travis & Tom talk about the leaks and exposes that have come out about how the ICE house may one day collapse....

Ken Klippenstein's Article: https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/immigration-agents-terrified-by-ice

Laura Jedeed's Article: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/01/ice-recruitment-minneapolis-shooting.html

Article about Jedeed's article used in the episode: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ice-undercover-journalist-recruitment-immigration-b2900345.html

Nick Shirley Interviewed by Andrew Callaghan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IrMqA3fVO0&t=2806s&pp=ygUJY2hhbm5lbCA1

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America couldn't get through one full week in the new year without violating a country's sovereignty, making plans for global conquest, and having government agents murder Americans on public streets with impunity. Travis & Tom come together to talk about how to grapple with understandable fear of what's coming next and what you can do to make things better.

Subscribe to Patreon to listen to an exclusive episode - this one being about popular video games in our lifetime!: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

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Travis shows Tom the amazing futuristic world that is video chat! Since this episode was also kind of a guinea pig for this WAY more efficient method of recording episodes, we decided to do a light subject to ring in the new year - CARTOON PHYSICS! (Don't worry, the heavier stuff is coming next week).

Subscribe to Patreon to listen to an exclusive episode - this one being about popular video games in our lifetime!: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

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We're at the end of our first year doing this podcast thing. Travis & Tom reflect on 2025, our growing pains and what we'd like to do with this podcast in the future. In the meantime, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

CORRECTIONS:

• 46:47 - The version of the first Gears of War game that’s available for the PlayStation 5 - Gears of War: Reloaded - is technically a REMASTER, not a remake. Is there a difference? Technically yes, but not really with marketing.
• 57:00 - Travis meant to say “…at time of RELEASE”, his dog Tater Tot will have been neutered already.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “Glory Hole: Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones wants some” YouTube, uploaded by Brickmaster2757, 1 August 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5w7zKC3MFs.
• “Strange Energies” Star Trek: Lower Decks, written & created by Mike McMahan, directed by Jason Zurek, performances by Jack Quaid, Jonathan Frakes and Nolan North, CBS Studios, 2021.
• The Three Musketeers, directed by Stephen Herek, performance by Oliver Platt, Walt Disney Pictures

When was the last time a character on death on TV made you sad? Or mad? Or even GLAD?! Been a while, eh? Why is that? Travis & Tom explore the broader issues with modern TV and how people are less compelled with what they see anymore.

The TL;DR? Smaller budgets, more episodes, faster turnaround. Please.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Travis & Tom turn the dial on their radios to look back at the last 30 years in music, reminiscing on the trends in music by looking at what finished on Billboard as the highest charting singles and albums - all in a futile search for a good, genuine rock band to breakthrough!

Shoutout to Todd in the Shadows who made this video indictment about “Ordinary”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrIPGgqUaT0&pp=ygUcdG9kZCBpbiB0aGUgc2hhZG93cyBvcmRpbmFyeQ%3D%3D

Travis’s Favorite Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1OqtIqzScI&pp=ygURZ3JlZW4gZGF5IGhvbGlkYXnSBwkJBgoBhyohjO8%3D

Tom’s Favorite Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYPoMjR6-Ao&pp=ygUtYWlyYm9ybmUgdG94aWMgZXZlbnQgc29tZXRpbWUgYXJvdW5kIG1pZG5pZ2h00gcJCQYKAYcqIYzv

CORRECTIONS:

• 25:31 - Travis was on to something there. Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady” was on the album, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’, which released two years before ‘The Eminem Show’.
• 26:57 - To answer Travis’s question, no Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson did not lend his voice to a GTA game. He did, however, have a voice cameo as a Navy SEAL in THE ORIGINAL ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’.
• 33:50 - No, The Black Eyed Peas album for 2009 (which had the song “I Got a Feeling”) was titled ‘The E.N.D.’
• 36:02 - Couldn’t’ find anything about a mental breakdown, but Susan Boyle did suffer a stroke in 2022.
• 50:34 - Actually, Post Malone’s debut was with the album, ‘Stoney’ in 2016. He just broke out in 2020.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “Dark Shadows” Mad Men, written by Erin Levy, directed by Scott Hornbacher, performances by Jon Hamm & Ben Feldman, Lionsgate Television, 2012.
• “Louis Armstrong sings ‘Low’ (Apple Bottom Jeans) - AI” YouTube, uploaded by There I Ruined It, 28 July 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koSkj-xios4.
• Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, directed by George Lucas, performance by Alec Guiness, 20th Century Fox, 1977.

Music Cited

• “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse (‘No Name Face’, 2000, DreamWorks Records)
• “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé (‘B’Day’, 2006 - Columbia)
• “It’s Not Over” by Daughtry (‘Daughtry’, 2006 - RCA)
• “Levitating” by Dua Lipa (‘Future Nostalgia’, 2020 - Warner)
• “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims (‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’, 2023 - Warner)
• “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber (‘Purpose’, 2015- Def Jam)
• “Some Hearts” by Carrie Underwood (‘Some Hearts’, 2005, Arista)
• “Too Close” by Next (‘Rated Next’, 1998 - Arista)
• “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey (‘The Emancipation of Mimi’, 2004 - Island Def Jam)

As Black Friday/Cyber Monday approaches and the Holiday shopping fiasco begins, Mandi-She-Who-Works-At-Returns offers Travis & Tom some insight you'll hardly hear anywhere else on the trends of people returning things to the store they bought it from (or in some cases, DIDN'T buy it from). Horrowing and hilarious true stories of retail horror ensue!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr

Clips Cited

• “A Allan Adventure” Smiling Friends, storyboarded by Michael Dockery, Jake Ganz, Paul Georghiou, Paul ter Voorde & Sheldon Vella, directed by Voorde, performances by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel, season 2, episode 3, Goblin Caught on Tape and Williams Street, 2024.

Music Cited

• “Ireland’s Call” by Phil Coulter, 1995.

It's our SHORTEST EPISODE YET (!!!)... and it's an episode about bowling. That's right - bowling. Professional bowling! Tom interviews professional bowler, Sila about the wild world of rolling heavy balls towards ten pins!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/GiveUstheLaunchCodes

Travis’ IG: @musicalnotextr