Confederate Statues, AI Ghosts, and Marriage Rescue Phrases

When technology crosses the line from innovation to uncomfortable territory, we need to talk about it. Jim Acosta's recent interview with an AI-generated avatar of Joaquin Oliver—a teenager killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting—raises profound questions about grief, memory, and the ethics of digital resurrection. Created in partnership with his parents' gun control advocacy group, this AI offered generic responses about gun violence solutions while mimicking the personality of someone who would have turned 25 that very day. The conversation feels simultaneously heartbreaking and disturbing—a grieving parent potentially trapped in conversation with a digital ghost.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service has announced plans to restore and reinstall the statue of Confederate General Albert Pike that was toppled during the 2020 riots. This decision represents an important stance on historical preservation: "If we erase our history, we're no longer America." While our past isn't perfect—that's precisely why it's history—removing these monuments represents a dangerous path toward forgetting both our triumphs and failures.

On a lighter note, marriage experts suggest four simple words to prevent relationship arguments from spiraling: "Always assume good intentions." This phrase creates space for empathy before reaction, helping couples navigate potential conflicts with grace. After seventeen years of marriage, I've found that well-timed humor works wonders for defusing tension. My husband can sense when a conversation is heading south and cracks a joke that completely transforms the tone. What works in your relationship? Do you have specific phrases or techniques that help you communicate through difficult moments? Whether it's humor, taking a timeout, or assuming the best about your partner, these small communication strategies can make all the difference in maintaining healthy relationships.

What do you do to help tone down conversations with your spouse when things get heated? Share your wisdom—we could all use more tools for navigating the relationships that matter most.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Show Introduction
• 0:40 AI Interview with Deceased Teenager
• 4:41 Restoring Confederate Statues
• 6:15 Marriage Arguments Prevention Phrase
• 10:14 Question of the Day

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Well, hello and good morning, Happy Tuesday. We are going to get right to it. I have three stories. They're not heavy or dark or anything. Well, one of them is kind of weird. Jim Acosta interviews AI-generated avatar of deceased teenager promoting gun control message. Oh, my word, we're going to save that for the last. No, actually we're going to. You know what we're going to start with that one. I like to go heavy and then end light. Okay, oh dear, mr Giblets is going to get me on that one of deceased teenager, jaqueline Oliver, to promote a gun control message.

Speaker 1: 0:52

On Monday, working with the gun control group Change the Ref, founded by Oliver's parents, acosta had a conversation on his sub stack with an avatar created by the father of the son who was killed in the Parkland High School shooting in 2018. He would have turned 25 on Monday. I would like to know what your solution would be for gun violence. Acosta asked Great question. I believe in a mix of stronger gun control laws, mental health support and community engagement. We need to create safe spaces for conversations and connections, making sure everyone feels seen and heard. Oliver's avatar said it's about building a culture of kindness and understanding. What do you think of that? I think that's a great idea.

Speaker 1: 1:53

Hawkween, the CNN correspondent, said All right, let's back up and let's analyze the answer that this AI gave. It's totally generic and bullshit. It's nothing we're not doing already. We're already talking about it. We're already talking mental health support, community engagement. I mean, we're already doing all of this stuff. All people are doing is just talking about it. I'm sure there's legislation out there that's happening too.

Speaker 1: 2:21

I don't know, I don't follow it that in detail, but I just think this is crazy, dangerous territory. Of course, mr Giblets responded in the Twitter feed. It's like one AI talking to another AI. Get it. Artificial intelligence. Jim Acosta. Yeah, I agree, I agree, this is bizarre and dangerous. Excuse me, and I, okay, hold on a minute. Okay, had to clear my throat. I don't know what was going on there. Look, I can feel bad for this parent and I it's I don't even know to bring. I don't know. I would not want to do this. I don't think I would. I don't know. I've never lost a child, but to bring them back with AI is, oh, it's heartbreaking and sad. I don't know. Just oh, it's dangerous. I don't like it. I don't like it.

Speaker 1: 3:22

So Acosta also asked questions like what Oliver's favorite team movies and TV shows were? The Avatar answered and often asked Acosta the question back, sometimes sounding robotic, sometimes highly enthusiastic. Star Wars is such an epic saga. The adventures, the characters and that iconic music are unforgettable. Oliver's avatar said at one point oh my gosh, this is so sad. I can see this dad sitting in his home talking to this artificial intelligence thinking it's his son.

Speaker 1: 3:56

This is so disturbing and heartbreaking I can't even go on and read any more of it. If you want to go finish reading that, you can. It's on my X feed, it's. Oh, I wish, I wish Pat Gray and other people would cover this. This is. I wish bigger media would cover this. This is disturbing, quite frankly. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. No, all right, moving on, let's see, let's do.

Speaker 1: 4:27

The National Park Service announces it will restore reinstate statues honoring Confederate General Albert Pike. Good, more of this needs to be done. We do not need to erase our history. We have a history. That's what makes us America, and if we erase it, if we erase our history, we're no longer America. Uh, we don't have. No one has the perfect history. Okay, that's why it's history. You learn from it and move on and correct yourself. Okay, all right. The National Park Service announced. I'm sorry. The National Park Service announced Monday that it will be restoring and reinstating a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike. The National Park Service announced today that it will restore and reinstall the bronze statue of Albert Pike, which was toppled and vandalized during the riots in June 2020. Boy, I tell you what. 2020 to 2024, it was just some crazy shit, wasn't it? The Monday announcement from the National Park Service is. The rest are. Wasn't it the monday announcement from the national park services? The rest are. I tell you what we need to have a. We need to have some history on 20 to 24, somewhere that we will never forget. All right, so this is good news. I'm glad we need more of it. We need to do all of them that were destroyed and removed. This is asinine that we even removed it to begin with. All right, moving on the last one here, kind of light-hearted, I thought, oh boy, this is going to be good. I'm going to tell you my response to it.

Speaker 1: 6:04

Saying this one simple phrase can prevent arguments in your marriage. It works when your spouse is driving you crazy. My spouse spouse never drives me crazy and I know I don't drive him crazy. Ha ha, really, my husband does not drive me crazy, but I know I probably drive him crazy. I just know I do, I just know I am All right. Sticks and stones can hurt, but the wrong words can blow up your marriage before you can spit out You're overreacting, can blow up your marriage before you can spit out, you're overreacting. Look my husband, we have never, really we've never argued as far as like a shouting match. We've had discussions, you know, but anyway. So the good news is there's a four word phrase. There's a four-word phrase that can supposedly stop a fight before it starts, or keep you from snapping at your sweetie.

Speaker 1: 7:01

According to the writer Rachel Bowie, the lifesaver that can stop your love from flatlining is as follows you ready, you ready for it? What do you think? It is All right here? It is Always assume good intentions. Now, so this is like, seems like it would be totally out of left field. If you are having a heated discussion with your spouse about whatever. This seems like it would be from left field, out of nowhere. Always assume good intentions.

Speaker 1: 7:31

But I'm going to tell you something. If the husband and I, the gent and I, were having a discussion, an involved discussion where I was trying to prove my points and he was trying to prove his points and we were like not really arguing but just having discussions, and he said this to me it would work on me. It would work on me big time. He's done this before, caught me off guard and I will start to say something back. My mouth will open, I'll take a breath and my mouth will open, but then nothing comes out, because then I start laughing. So this would totally work on me.

Speaker 1: 8:09

I want you to try it next time you're having a conversation with your spouse. That's kind of getting up there, and you always assume good intentions. Only you have to try it next time you're having a conversation with your spouse. That's kind of getting up there and you always assume good intentions. Only you have to say it the right way. Don't say it in a smart, alecky way. That won't go over. Well, so say it sincerely, all right.

Speaker 1: 8:41

The reason this phrase works when your spouse is driving you crazy is kind of obvious. Bowie wrote. She suggested thinking okay, before I blow my lid off, perhaps there's more to the story here. Well, maybe, maybe not. Maybe it was a hard afternoon. Maybe the baby started crying halfway into a game of trouble. Maybe my husband deserves a bit of grace. I am so sorry about my stupid cough I've had to pause this twice. Now I don't know what is happening. All right, sorry, moving on.

Speaker 1: 9:20

It's not about avoiding conflict or conversation around tougher topics. It was irritating that our home was a mess and that I stepped on two Yahtzee dice. Okay, I don't know, this is like going off course. It's more about making room for productive and thoughtful conversation, reducing conflict and achieving an improved way forward together. My husband and I have come to rely on the phrase in matters large and small. All right, I'm going to stop right there.

Speaker 1: 9:48

Look the husband and I. We are older. I'm 58. He's 63, I think. Oh dear. We've been married for 17 years. We've been around the block a few times with each other and before we met each other, we've been through some stuff together and we're usually on the same page about everything. I mean, I think that's what made us come together to begin with. We are not opposites as far as philosophy goes. Now, we might be opposites in personality-wise, but as far as philosophy, religion, spiritual things, we are on the same page. I think that helps a lot.

Speaker 1: 10:34

Okay, we need to move on to the question of the day. Well, I think we're going to stick with this topic for the question of the day. What do you do to help tone down a conversation with your spouse when you feel like it's getting heated? I'm sure you've had arguments before and heavy discussions. What have you done to help ease the discomfort in the in the argument or discussion? I tell you what my husband needs. He cracks a joke if we're like going, if we're like getting in a serious conversation and he can tell I'm getting aggravated with him, he he'll usually crack a joke and it works. It just works on me. They're like totally turning the turning, the whole tone, and it just works. Okay, I gotta go. Thanks for listening. Love y'all. Bye.