Topic: Jargon

The Third Way consulting group has issued a list of "forbidden" words for Democrats to avoid, arguing that academic and activist jargon alienates voters. Terms targeted for removal include "privilege," "othering," "cisgender," "Latinx," and "justice-involved person." The group suggests these phrases be replaced with more traditional language to improve political viability.

Ohio lawmakers approved legislation restricting school bathroom use to a student's biological sex, a move expected to be signed by the governor. Meanwhile, a Financial Times article by Janan Ganesh argued that Democrats lost the election partly due to their use of "elitist" progressive jargon like "redemption arc" and "main character syndrome." The analysis suggests that voters gravitate toward podcasts because they use plain English rather than academic "code words."

A recording of an Air Force helpline demonstrates the military's heavy reliance on complex acronyms and abbreviations for its various computer systems. The menu options include references to ACES, IWIMS, TMIP, and LOGMOD, among others. The segment highlights the specialized language used within the Department of Defense.

An anonymous report from 4chan, purportedly written by a surgery resident at Washington Hospital Center, describes the night Seth Rich was admitted. The report claims Rich's wounds were not fatal and that law enforcement eventually restricted access to his room before he died. A verified cardiologist producer for the show weighs in, stating the medical jargon in the post is consistent and that the level of security described for a low-level DNC staffer is highly unusual.

Adam Curry shares feedback from his wife, who recently listened to several hours of the show. She noted that the program has become "snappier" but uses more "inside baseball" jargon and secret terms that might be confusing to new listeners. The hosts discuss how this unique language helps build a dedicated community of "producers."

James Comey described the "transformation" of the FBI as wrapping the core gift of human interaction in a "donut of smart thinking." Using Silicon Valley-style corporate jargon, he explained his vision for integrating intelligence into every aspect of the Bureau's work. This "donut" approach is intended to continue the structural changes initiated by his predecessor, Bob Mueller.

A deep dive into the actual ConPlan 8888 document reveals that the "zombie" scenario was used by US Strategic Command to avoid the political fallout of using real-world countries in training exercises. However, the document explicitly mentions that they previously used "Tunisia" and "Nigeria" scenarios. The hosts find it suspicious that Nigeria was a specific training focus years before the current Boko Haram crisis.

An eyewitness account of the Aurora shooting is scrutinized for its use of specific technical language, such as "casualties" and "10-24" location codes. The witness describes a man propping open an emergency door and signaling someone during the movie trailers. The hosts question the validity of the testimony, suggesting the witness sounds like an intelligence plant or a trained professional.

Secretary Napolitano faces aggressive questioning from a Texas congressman regarding the percentage of foreign nationals in jails. The discussion highlights her use of the jargon "T3" to refer to Title III of the Patriot Act, which the hosts view as an attempt to trivialize the proceedings. Napolitano's glib demeanor during the cross-examination is criticized.

The hosts examine Richard Clarke's use of the word "exfiltrate" to describe the unauthorized removal of data by hackers. They define the term as military jargon for removing personnel from enemy territory, now adapted for cybersecurity to describe moving terabytes of information out of a network.

A man in Spokane Valley caused a bomb scare by strapping household items to his chest with duct tape, leading to a police standoff. The incident is notable for the arresting officer's use of the phrase "divorced him from the item" to describe removing the fake bomb. The hosts mock the use of such pseudo-sophisticated jargon by law enforcement during routine mental health crises.