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Send us Fan Mail A Linux install should be boring. Ours turns into a full-on troubleshooting spiral: USB sticks, flashing tools, Mint editions, and the one thing everyone skips until it’s too late, verifying the ISO hash. That setup mess is the perfect launchpad for the real project we’re chasing: a practical, cross-platform app that monitors AI subscription usage across services like Claude and Grok so we can see tokens and limits in real time without living in a dozen browser tabs. From there, we dig into the economics of AI. Local AI hardware costs keep climbing while cloud AI gets faster and more capable, and the pricing math isn’t as straightforward as “API tokens times usage.” We talk through why fixed monthly plans can deliver outsized value for most users, when local models still make sense for privacy or sensitive data, and how building with Rust helps keep a multi-platform tool fast, portable, and sane to maintain. Then we get distracted in the best possible way: a Tesla Roadster demo that looks like it belongs in a movie. We react live, question what’s real, and tease apart the difference between an amazing tech demonstration and something you can actually live with day to day. We also hit a grab bag of headlines and internet mechanics, including anti-bot roadblocks, tech hiring incentives, and what happens when AI “agents” start working like a small team instead of a single chatbot. If you like candid builder talk, real-world AI workflows, and tech skepticism with receipts, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review with your hottest take on cloud AI vs local AI. Support the show Want to hear old episodes? All subscribers have access to the full back catalog of episodes and specials! Just Two Good Old Boys (Just Two Good Old Boys +) Communicate with us directly on x.com by joining the Good Old Boys community!  https://x.com/i/communities/1887018898605641825 Can't donate? Listen to Amy Clare Smith Music  Check out Gene's other podcasts - podcast.sirgene.com and unrelenting.show Read Ben's blog and see product links at namedben.com

Send us Fan Mail A bot that hunts RFPs for you sounds like a cheat code until you have to decide what you trust, what you verify, and what you never delegate. We walk through a real hybrid AI setup where Grok handles internet-facing scraping and link gathering, then a local LLM takes over for summarizing, classifying, and formatting clean output you can actually use for sales pipeline work. It’s the kind of automation that turns “I should check that site someday” into a Monday-morning CSV you can act on. From there, we get into the uncomfortable but necessary part: AI security and access control. We talk about MCP bridging, why we keep hard separation from credentials, and how easy it is to accidentally weaken your own guardrails when an agent is listening for commands. We also compare local LLM performance on a Mac Studio versus an older Nvidia card, and why raw speed changes whether AI is a fun experiment or a practical daily tool. Then we zoom out to what’s changing fast: AI-assisted coding that can recreate software behavior from UI images, the tedious reality of debugging AI-generated apps, and what “copying” even means when source code isn’t available. We round it out with policy and power, including license plate camera surveillance and major shifts in ATF posture around forms, suppressor transfers, and the possibility of selling certain post-1986 government-purchased full-auto firearms to the public. Subscribe for more candid, technical conversations, share this with a friend who’s building agents, and leave a review if you want us to keep pushing deeper. What part of AI automation do you want us to test next? Support the show Want to hear old episodes? All subscribers have access to the full back catalog of episodes and specials! Just Two Good Old Boys (Just Two Good Old Boys +) Communicate with us directly on x.com by joining the Good Old Boys community!  https://x.com/i/communities/1887018898605641825 Can't donate? Listen to Amy Clare Smith Music  Check out Gene's other podcasts - podcast.sirgene.com and unrelenting.show Read Ben's blog and see product links at namedben.com

Send us Fan Mail Shrimp and gritsIngredients Grits: 2 Tbsp. beef tallow1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)3 cups chicken broth1 cup whole milk1 tsp. kosher salt1/4 tsp. black pepper1 cup uncooked quick-cooking gritsCheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)1/4 cup heavy whipping creamShrimp: 2 Tbsp. beef tallow1 lb. jumbo raw shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled f**k de-veining1/2 tsp. kosher salt1 pack  Andouille sausage1/2 cup finely chopped yellow1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1 small tomato, seeded and finely choppedminced garlic to tasteTony’s to taste1/2 tsp. black pepper2 cups chicken broth2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)1 Worcestershire sauce1/2 cup thinly sliced scallionsDirections Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add broth, milk, salt, and pepper to saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Slowly whisk in grits, and reduce heat to medium. Cook, whisking often, until grits are thickened and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; whisk in cheese, cream, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter until smooth. Cover and keep warm. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high. Add shrimp, and sprinkle with salt; cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp, and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned but not cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Reduce heat in skillet to medium-high; add sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring often, until tender and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir broth, cream, lemon juice, and Worcestershire into skillet; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet, and coat in sauce; cook until cooked through, about 1 minute. Red Beans and RiceIngredients: Pickled Pork 2 cups water1 cup apple cider vinegar1/4 cup kosher salt6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed2 tablespoons sugar2 tablespoons yellow mustard seedTabasco to taste3 bay leaf1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercornsIce too cool it down1 1/2 pounds fresh boneless pork butt, cut into cubesTony’s to tasteFor the beans 2 tablespoons Beef Taleo1 pack of Zummos Andouille Sausage halved and sliced1 medium onion, chopped2 medium green bell peppers, chopped3 stalks celery, chopped2 teaspoons kosher salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper5 cloves garlic, minced12 ounces pickled pork, cut into 1-inch pieces5 bay leaves1 teaspoon dried thymeTabasco to tasteTony’s to taste2 quarts water1 pound red kidney beans, rinsedPickled Pork Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a saucepan set over high heat and bring to a boil. Maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir, enough to cool it down . Put the pork into a 1-gallon zip-top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible, then seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for 3+ days, turning the bag occasionally.Red Beans and Rice Heat the Beef Taleo in a large  Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic . Add the pickled pork and Zummos Andouille Sausage, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, tony’s, water, and beans to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened to your liking, another 30 to 40 minutes. If you prefer an even creamier texture, mash some of the beans.Redfish and Shrimp Puttanesca:Ingredients  Approximately 1/2 cup olive oil 1 cup finely chopped onion red and white 8 cloves minced garlic 2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, broken into pieces, with juice 1 cup tightly packed, pitted, and halved Kalamata olives 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 tablespoons drained capers 2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets) 1/2 cup fresh chopped oregano and coarsely chopped fresh Italian 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves  dried crushed red pepper flakes Salt as needed 1 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente 1 pound head on Shrimp (16-24) 1 pound Redfish fillet cut into 1/4” cubes  Bay leaves   Directions  In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and lightly caramelize. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients except for seafood and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Add Redfish and allow to cook for 10 min. Add shrimp and allow to cook for 10 min; Add penne pasta to the pan and toss for 1 minute.   Support the show Want to hear old episodes? All subscribers have access to the full back catalog of episodes and specials! Just Two Good Old Boys (Just Two Good Old Boys +) Communicate with us directly on x.com by joining the Good Old Boys community!  https://x.com/i/communities/1887018898605641825 Can't donate? Listen to Amy Clare Smith Music  Check out Gene's other podcasts - podcast.sirgene.com and unrelenting.show Read Ben's blog and see product links at namedben.com

Send us Fan Mail This is our Christmas card to our listeners and especially to our monthly supporters! Ben and Gene wish you a very Merry Christmas! Support the show Want to hear old episodes? All subscribers have access to the full back catalog of episodes and specials! Just Two Good Old Boys (Just Two Good Old Boys +) Communicate with us directly on x.com by joining the Good Old Boys community!  https://x.com/i/communities/1887018898605641825 Can't donate? Listen to Amy Clare Smith Music  Check out Gene's other podcasts - podcast.sirgene.com and unrelenting.show Read Ben's blog and see product links at namedben.com

Send us Fan Mail Did the election night in Pennsylvania and the Rust Belt catch everyone off guard, or was it a masterstroke of strategy? We unravel the surprising victory of Trump and the eerie calm that followed in cities like DC and Baltimore, which were braced for chaos. As we ponder over the lack of expected unrest and the implications of these results, our personal stories and firsthand experiences paint a vivid picture of a nation in disbelief and contemplation. The unexpected voter shifts among Hispanic and Black male voters, as well as the Amish and Jewish communities, give us plenty to dissect about what this might mean for the political landscape. Trump's strategic choices, including picking Vance as a running mate, seem to have played a crucial role in his sweeping success. We speculate on the possibility of a future Vance presidency and what that could entail. The conversation also touches on the role of capable leadership in shaping the administration, with names like Elon Musk entering the fray. For some, this election harkens back to the Reagan era, signaling a robust rejection of wokeism. Join us for an engaging discussion that not only revisits the past but also looks ahead at what these results might mean for the future. Support the show Want to hear old episodes? All subscribers have access to the full back catalog of episodes and specials! Just Two Good Old Boys (Just Two Good Old Boys +) Communicate with us directly on x.com by joining the Good Old Boys community!  https://x.com/i/communities/1887018898605641825 Can't donate? Listen to Amy Clare Smith Music  Check out Gene's other podcasts - podcast.sirgene.com and unrelenting.show Read Ben's blog and see product links at namedben.com