August 7th • 3h 16m
Shownotes
Every new episode of No Agenda is accompanied by a comprehensive list of shownotes curated by Adam while preparing for the show. Clips played by the hosts during the show can also be found here.
Big Tech AI and the Socials
Reading books to kids
Just wanted to say, I'm 35 and we have a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old. We read to both of them throughout the day and every night before bed (4 books). Started when our first daughter was 6 months old, and she's hooked on books. She thumbs through them and we have them available for her even if they get ripped. They're cheap too. We buy them used by the garbage bag full for 50 cents each. We use them for potty training rewards (no accidents for the day then a new book before bed).
Everyone who sees it is amazed and asks how. It's not rocket science; we NEVER let her touch or look at our phones. We certainly don't read garbage "Ai" "books" from them. We limit TV to only if she's not feeling well, or if my wife needs to tend to the younger daughter while I'm at work and the older one is being unbearable. We only let her watch OLD sesame Street, and classic Disney movies before Pixar bastardized it with cgi (hand drawn animation).
One last thing that set me off about the Ai "books", I make up my own stories to our daughter all the time. They're shit but they're funny, random and my kids love it. My wife jokes that we should record them so we can retell them because I make it up as I go along and can't recall them.
Anyway, TLDR: reading to kids at a young age and letting them look through them despite damage to the books, has been amazing for us. We're so proud of our daughter for her interest in books and I hope her younger sister is the same way.
-Cameron K
Gerrymandering
1870 Democrats fled for kkk police force
2021 covid private jet Miller lite
Gerrymandering origins
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of congressional district boundaries to favor one political party or group. It involves drawing district lines in ways that concentrate or dilute voters to influence election outcomes, often creating oddly shaped districts. The term comes from **Elbridge Gerry**, whose 1812 Massachusetts redistricting plan resembled a **salamander**.
Kratom
ER Nurse on on Kratom BOTG
ER nurse here. Ok. So there is a tiny amount of 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) in normal kratom, it is the most potent part of it. 99% of the active chemicals of it is just mytragynine. In a lab they oxidize the mytragynine into 7-OH. They both effect the mu receptors (opioid) but do not recruit the beta-arrestin pathway which would cause respiratory depression. Both of them can cause addiction with prolonged use and withdrawal is unpleasant. People in the ER withdrawing from the 7-OH though have it much much worse. I would say if using kratom for pain management keeps you off of opiates then its worth it. Just don't graduate to the 7-OH as its nearly identical to opiates
Reliable Info about Kratom
Hi!
Love the show. Fairly new listener. Will be donating via the new BTC option.
I was a mod for the /r/quittingkratom Reddit sub and can give you reliable info about this controversial drug.
**TLDR**; Kratom is considered by most experts to be an opioid drug (not an **opiate** though see below) and is generally safer than street opiates/opioids as well as still generally legal, and PERHAPS easier to quit for some. It is often used as a harm reduction strategy, and if a consumer can use it in moderation it can be good for pain, mood, and as a recreational drug. But it is JUST as hard to quit as a "real opiate/oid) if you get "hooked" and has lots of other questionable properties (lead and cadmium in it in high quantities usually for example).
**Detail:**
**Opiate vs opioid**:
**Opiates** are substances that are derived from the poppy plant. Such as Opium, Morphine and Heroin. Kratom is NOT an Opiate.
**Opioids** thge broad category of substances that activate the opioid receptors (including opiates) but are not necessarily derivatives of the poppy. Fentanyl for example is not a poppy derivative. Kratom is generally thought to fit this definition.
Kratom is a "partial opioid agonist". And by most experts is considered a mild to moderate opioid. But it is ALSO an antagonist. This means it both activates the receptors AND blocks them depending on how it connects.
Kratom is sold in head shops and online in a dried powdered form of the leaf. Much like Matcha. (though it tastes fairly horrible lol)
Kratom is a tree... and a relative of the coffee plant, and this fact is often used in marketing to make it sound harmless. It is NOT. Though Kratom is less dangerous than most other opioids it can be JUST as addictive and difficult to stop. If i had a nickel for every ex heroin addict who said quitting kratom was as hard or even worse... well I'd have lots of nickels. ;) Kratom also has stimulant properties, and is thought to also modulate serotonin much like an SSRI, and nor-epinephrine as well as Gaba.
**So quitting kratom can be like quitting a moderate Heroin dependency, as well as a mild SSRI and a benzodizapine habit all at once.** Quitting a heavy kratom habit can be VERY VERY difficult.
**7-OH** (7-hydroxymitragynine) is a metabolite of kratom's main alkaloid mitragynine. Though it DOES exist in the plant in TINY quantities, it is generally synthesized and is an **EXTREMELY potent simi-synthetic drug**. It comes in a pill form, and is often compared to taking a strong pharmaceutical opioid like Percoset. It is **highly** addictive, and many people must go to a treatment center to get off. 7-OH is not only stronger but certainly as dangerous as almost any other powerful opioid.
All that said. Kratom is considered by many to be a form of harm reduction. Heroin addicts can quit taking heroin and switch to kratom with little trouble (that alone should be a red flag for potential users!). And there is less chance of death by respiratory depression.
If a user can use it in moderation they can mitigate pain and other issues.
The problem is many many people cannot help but take more and more, and before they know it they are in trouble.
CAVEAT EMPTOR.
Kratom BOTG
Dear Adam (hi, John!),
I was pleased to hear you covering the kratom/7-OH controversy on episode 1788. I live in Florida and travel for work (including lovely places like Lake Wales). Everywhere I travel, I visit Florida's kava bars, where kratom is also sold. I have a small Instagram account where I post reviews of these places.
Kratom leaves come from a plant related to the coffee tree. The two main chemicals, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, have activity at the main opioid receptor, the "mu" receptor, which is the same one stimulated by heroin and oxycodone. However, the stimulation is not the same; as someone described it to me, heroin and oxy "punch" that receptor, while kratom kind of dances around it. So, the propaganda that this is "legal heroin" is not accurate.
I could say a lot about this, but the part that would interest you and John the most is that **big alcohol and big pharma do not like kratom and kava**. People use kratom for chronic pain relief and to mitigate opioid withdrawal. Yes, **kratom helps people get off of opioids and avoid prescription pain relief medication**. I know people who have ended their relationships with dangerous drugs by using kratom. In my own case, I have completely quit drinking alcohol and reduced my dose of anti-depressant from 40mg to 20mg, with the goal of ending them entirely.
Further, it's well known that Gen Z has lower alcohol consumption than other generations. Many follow the "sober curious" movement, and kava and kratom bars are a big part of that movement. These drinks threaten big alcohol's relationship with the young generation, making it harder to cultivate those lifelong drinkers.
Kratom drinkers and producers do not embrace 7-OH. The point of drinking kratom is not to get high -- the point is the health benefits. However, the community is worried that the FDA's crackdown on 7-OH will open the door to anti-kratom legislation.
To that point, I attach what I consider a highly suspicious
[ IMG_4323.MOV](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-qFB0YPi9qTJzF6bcGCmun4Z7AveI4xS/view?usp=drive_web)
post from an influencer telling a ridiculous story about a product called "Feel Free" that contains kratom (not 7-OH) and kava. I have tried it myself, and it affected me no more than anything I would buy in a legitimate kava bar. I think pharma and alcohol are going to start trotting out the influencers to scare parents so they can get kratom off the market. That would be a shame, as it has helped so many people.
Sincerely,
Mel
Tariffs
Robert machine CDC materials - China 40% is crap
Transmaoism
Rob's three sons
John—This is Rob Carty, a.k.a. Sir rob.lawyer, Constitutional Lawyer. I heard the story about your son and how he had three personalities as a child. It struck a chord with me, because my son Robby did exactly the same thing.
When he was little, he played three characters. First was himself—a happy, excitable, sweet little guy. Second was a dog. This dog’s name was Fluffy. On random mornings when Robby would come downstairs in his PJs, we’d greet him and he’d say “I’m Fluffyruffruff.”
His third personality was the funniest of all. He had this image of everyone in the family having a real-life identity and that of a corresponding actor. I was Dad, but the “actor of me” was someone named John Button. My wife Maggie was Mom, but the “actor of Mom” was Alexis Pretty. And Robby’s actor was someone named “Woodrop.”
Despite these identities, I did not send Robby to the veterinarian, nor did I send him to acting school. He grew up to be a good man, a solid mountain of muscle (Adam will attest) who’s both a classical pianist and a powerlifter. So I suppose he’s still many characters in one—but he knows who he is.
Anyway, I enjoyed the story. Cheers.
Epstein
EU UK Ukraine and NATO
How the Dutch Government Is Destroying Its Own Tourist Industry
The Dutch government has officially committed to a decision that could cripple one of its most vital economic sectors. With parliamentary approval already secured, the Value-Added Tax (VAT) on overnight accommodation will rise from 9% to 21% starting January 1, 2026.
