Misinformation. Disinformation. Malinformation. Three words thrown around every day that most people can't tell apart. From the courtyard at the Crawford In-Town Ranch, Tom breaks down all three, explains why he thinks the American news media has mastered one of them, and calls out the stories he says you're being fed on purpose.

Then, for the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a challenge: put your charity dollars where they'll do the most good. Tom explains why the Stix & Stuff Podcast is now a monthly donor to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, how to vet a charity before you give, and why one well-known organization doesn't make his cut.

In this episode: – Misinformation vs. disinformation vs. malinformation: definitions and the difference – "We report, you decide"? Tom's case that the media has already decided for you – Data centers, ICE, and the midterms: the stories Tom says are being spun – How to vet a charity: overhead, watchdog ratings, and the 75% rule – Tunnel to Towers: 91 cents of every dollar to the cause, and mortgage-free homes for the families of fallen first responders and service members

Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome from the courtyard 1:09 – What misinformation actually is 1:45 – The data center example 2:55 – What disinformation is, and why the media is a master at it 4:57 – Malinformation: truth out of context 6:10 – Abolish ICE: Tom's take on the real agenda 7:19 – Heading into the midterms: beware the half-truth 7:56 – Doing something good: the 25th anniversary of 9/11 9:08 – How to vet a charity (and why the ASPCA doesn't make Tom's cut) 10:44 – Tunnel to Towers: where your $11 a month actually goes 12:37 – Closing thoughts

Do something good this week: donate to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation at t2t.org.

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Real Talk. Rural Life. Common Sense. Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

Tom lights up a Nicaraguan cigar in the courtyard at the Crawford In-Town Ranch and breaks down the most talked-about technology of our time in plain English — no computer science degree required.

In this episode: – What AI actually is: data processing, learning, prediction (simpler than you think) – Data centers: why one side of the aisle suddenly can't stand them, and what Tom thinks is really behind it – "Don't let the chickens run the hen house": Tom's case for independent AI oversight that isn't Republican, Democrat, or Big Tech – Autonomous cars, AI drive-thrus, and the "nobody wants to work" tirade – Why Tom says the AI race matters as much as the Industrial Revolution did

Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome from the courtyard (and the fake chickens) 1:36 – Why today's topic is "AI in your pie" 2:17 – What AI actually is: the 3 basic parts 4:24 – So what's the big deal? Chickens and hen houses 6:54 – Data centers and the campaign against them 8:34 – Cigar break 9:19 – The internal combustion engine, and why we can't slow down now 10:16 – AI, jobs, and skilled labor 11:58 – Autonomous cars: friend or foe? 13:34 – Elections, algorithms, and the SAVE America Act 16:02 – What's coming next on Stix & Stuff

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Take care of yourself, enjoy life, and do something special for somebody this week.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Real Talk. Rural Life. Common Sense. Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

What happens when immigration, religion, politics, and American identity collide? Tom takes the gloves off for another "Did You Know?" commentary.

His argument runs from the Barbary Wars and America's earliest conflicts in North Africa to present-day immigration, Muslim communities in American cities, and the political strategies he believes are reshaping the country. Tom contends that demographic change in states like Michigan, Georgia, Texas, and New York carries consequences beyond religion or culture — for elections, political power, and the direction of the country.

In this episode: – The Barbary Wars and early American history – Immigration and assimilation – Changing American demographics and voting blocs – Democratic and Republican political strategy – Tom's argument about where he thinks it's heading

Agree with him. Disagree with him. Hear the argument before deciding, then do your own homework.

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Real Talk. Rural Life. Common Sense. Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

What does George Costanza have to do with retail theft? Less than you'd think, but Tom gets there.

Back at the Crawford In-Town Ranch for another "Did You Know?", Tom starts with the staggering scale of retail shrinkage in stores across America — the numbers, what retailers are seeing on the ground, why the losses hit everybody's wallet, and why he thinks the problem isn't being taken seriously.

Then the conversation turns to data centers, AI, and what comes next. With data centers becoming a fight in communities across the country, Tom takes on the biggest arguments — electricity, water, noise, local tax revenue — and whether America can afford to fall behind in the AI race.

Agree with him. Disagree with him. Yell at the screen if you need to. Just don't steal the screen.

And a milestone worth celebrating: Stix & Stuff has passed one million views. To everyone who's watched, subscribed, shared an episode, or stumbled into this wonderfully weird corner of the internet — thank you.

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Real Talk. Rural Life. Common Sense. Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

From the Ellijay Cigar Lounge, high atop the square, Tom asks the question he says nobody in Washington wants answered: whatever happened to DOGE?

They found the waste. Tons of it. Then it all ground to a halt, and not one politician on the left or the right has been indicted. Tom's take — blunt and open — on fraud, term limits, and how a $175K salary turns into a $30 million net worth.

Timestamps 0:20 – Live from the Ellijay Cigar Lounge 0:57 – Where to eat, drink, and wander in Ellijay 4:10 – Whatever happened to DOGE? 6:37 – The Attorney General question 7:47 – How does this keep happening? 9:35 – Term limits 12:04 – Where Tom actually stands 14:15 – Do something special for somebody this week

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Visit the sponsors, all within reach of downtown Ellijay: Ellijay Cigar Lounge (on the square), House of Applejay (distillery, East Ellijay), Château Meichtry (winery, worth the drive), Buckley Vineyards & Buckley Downtown (new restaurant and tasting room), The Roof & The Door (restaurant upstairs, speakeasy downstairs — ask about a horse), and Smitty's Cigars (Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville).

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

Tom sits down with Caroline Porsiel at House of Applejay Distillery in East Ellijay and tastes his way through the cocktail menu. If you're planning a trip to the North Georgia mountains or just want to know where the locals go, this is the stop — off Highway 515 in the old Sears building, visible right from the four-lane.

Cocktails featured: – Classic Appletini — vodka, Applejay, splash of lime – Hank's Cosmo — vodka, cranberry liqueur, lime – Applejay Mule — Applejay, Fever-Tree blood orange ginger beer, lime – Appalachian Iced Tea "The Chuck" — vodka, Applejay, iced tea, lime

Along the way: Applejay's run in the "Coolest Thing Made in Georgia" competition, why Caroline backs original artists over AI music, and how the distillery turned the 2026 FIFA World Cup into watch parties and a prediction game.

Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome and a word on sponsors 2:29 – Meet Caroline + "Coolest Thing Made in Georgia" 5:11 – The Classic Appletini 6:06 – Hank's Cosmo 7:26 – The Applejay Mule 8:39 – Appalachian Iced Tea: "The Chuck" 10:06 – AI, music, and supporting original artists 14:14 – World Cup 2026 watch parties 18:23 – The free prediction game 20:11 – Cheers and wrap-up

Local, leaf-peeper, or just passing through the Blue Ridge - come taste what Ellijay's pouring.

House of Applejay | East Ellijay, GA | houseofapplejay.com

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

Part four of the "Divided America" series, from the Bobby Cox chair at the Ellijay Cigar Lounge.

After celebrating a 50,000-view milestone and a round of thanks to the local businesses that keep the show going, Tom digs into the trends he finds most disturbing about where the country is headed: primary elections with 20% turnout, a cultural apathy he sees taking hold in modern urban centers, a news media that profits from chaos, and a public that lets talking points do its thinking.

Are we looking at facts, or letting the narrative think for us? Tom's answer: take off the blinders and have the honest debate.

Timestamps 0:00 – Catching up and a milestone: 50K views 1:40 – Shoutout to the local Georgia sponsors 7:28 – Old school vs. new school: the microphone debate 9:15 – Divided America Pt. 4: disturbing trends 10:15 – The baffling truth about voter apathy 12:38 – Cultural apathy and the left's blind spots 16:41 – Why the news media is the devil 19:41 – Do something special for someone this week

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com

Where did the respect go?

Tom settles into the Bobby Cox chair at the Ellijay Cigar Lounge for part three of the "Divided America" series and takes on the death of civil discourse — the respectful, open exchange of ideas that's supposed to help a country find common ground, and that Tom says no longer exists.

Nobody gets a pass. Tom calls out the right — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Nancy Mace, Anna Paulina Luna, Rand Paul — for putting "principles" ahead of the people they serve, and the left for media bias, labels, and political violence. Then he gets to the fix, which starts with regular people: the next time someone disagrees with you, don't insult them. Ask them why.

Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome: RIP Bobby Cox 1:45 – Keeping the cigar lit 2:24 – What civil discourse actually is 3:05 – Calling out the right: MTG, Nancy Mace, Anna Paulina Luna, Rand Paul 6:15 – Decorum vs. stupidity: why shutting down the government helps no one 6:45 – Attack the ideas, not the person 8:55 – Calling out the left: media bias, labels, and political violence 11:00 – Protesting vs. anarchy 12:00 – Handling someone who ignores the facts: just ask "why?" 14:00 – The mental health crisis in America 15:20 – Why Tom could never be a Walmart greeter 16:28 – Do something special for someone this week

Opinions in this episode are Tom's alone and do not reflect the views of any sponsor.

Stix & Stuff Podcast with Tom Crawford | Ellijay, Georgia Sponsor inquiries: thestixandstuffpodcast.com