On the Mind

Hank Green used AI for a video script. So I wrote him a letter without it.

Kayse Melone — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 23:30:34 GMT

Dear Hank,

I heard you were caught using AI to write or edit or research a script for a recent video of yours. And as a result, you’ve caught quite a bit of internet-wide anger.

“I appreciate the pushback” - that’s the sentence that got you in trouble. In my understanding, you were going back and forth with a Large Language Model (LLM) to refine your thoughts and takeaways. Later on Reddit, you said, “I’m going to change things about how i make stuff.” That’s what I want to talk about today.

You see, I’m a content creator, too. I don’t have an audience of millions like you do. My original “niche” was about my experience growing up as an Evangelical Christian in conservative Oklahoma, as well as my deconversion and subsequent deconstruction journey. There are a lot of people who resonate with that topic, and I wanted to be able to help them.

In fact, the first time I actually watched you discuss something was on the Within Reason podcast with Alex O’Connor. Alex is one of the top atheist content creators online, so I was looking into some of his work. And I saw your episode with him - which I loved! I think you communicated a lot about “not believing in god” without being incendiary, and I very much admired that.

I’ve been creating content in this space for about a year and a half now. I’ve talked a lot about what it could look like to live a joyful, curious life outside of organized religion. I’ve researched and made videos about some of the more insidious practices of major religious organizations. I’ve “debated” 20 Christians by myself. It’s been a very fulfilling experience.

Here’s where I have to confess (not to be religious about it). There are some long YouTube video / podcast episodes of mine that were . . . mostly written by an LLM. I imagine people could go find them pretty easily - they were a bit obvious, in my opinion. I don’t think I’ve made the point in my work of openly being “anti-AI.” I think I’ve been pretty transparent about using it here and there before. But I have leaned on it - quite heavily at times.

It seems absurd for small fry like me to say, “I really relate to Hank Green.” But I’d like to think I do, at least a bit.

Can we break some of it down, the criticisms? In my perspective, the loudest and most present criticisms of specifically using generative LLM models include 1.) Negative environmental impact, especially regarding data centers in the United States, and 2.) Non-consensual and uncompensated theft of the work of artists and authors. Those are very fair arguments, and at this time, I do not dispute them. My use of AI was in full awareness of these major ethical issues, and I used it anyway. I still use it. (Exclusively not for anything creative anymore, but I still have some work to do to transition to better models or systems or something. I’m working on figuring it out. I’m just trying to be transparent, and I know I’m not alone.)

For the sake of discussion, though, let’s run a quick pulse check. For us, the audience, and everyone. Let’s say we figure out how to sustainably offer free versions of something like an LLM. (I’m clearly very good with technical jargon.) Additionally, they’re trained solely on the work of artists and authors who agree to and are compensated for it. What, if any, would be the ethical issue then? Is it that we would consider using machine learning to write a video script some form of dishonesty? Is it a spectrum instead of a yes-no concept? Is it, perhaps, just . . . embarrassing?

Here we are, hundreds of thousands of years into humanity’s self-awareness. In the past 100 years alone, the leaps and bounds in our technologies are genuinely overwhelming. We have more people able to read, more people fed, more people able to travel than ever before. We are putting people on moons and sending them above the atmosphere to sing to a flower or whatever Katy Perry did. All this time to become more us, to enjoy more nature, to compound the essence of our own self-conscious experience. And here I am siphoning off my own cognition to a machine? Why?

It’s easy and accurate to point out that an exploitative capitalist system which values quantity over connectivity will lead to inevitabilities like major creators using literally free tools in some cases to stay relevant. I think also, though, in my case, I realized I was using ChatGPT to analyze whether or not people would essentially approve of my takes or opinions. For me, that’s when I realized that I was letting the machine get too much of me.

I was told what to think my entire upbringing. And it almost ruined me. I refuse to let anyone or anything else have such a hold over me again.

So recently, I’ve been thinking to myself more along the lines of, “I’m going to change things about how i make stuff.” And I wanted to thank you for the final push to start transitioning to more sustainable, and less creative, ways of using machine learning. Because I, similarly to you according to your Reddit post, don’t consider myself blatantly anti-AI. I am interested in how we can use technology in a more solarpunk, people-over-profit way. And I’m going to figure it out for myself.

I’m not sure what this looks like for us, for creators. I’m recording myself typing this letter to you in an effort to not just prove it’s human-written without any LLM help (watch it on YouTube here), but also to keep myself accountable to the small-but-mighty audience I do have. I know, though, that even a method such as this isn’t infallible. There’s no real way to prove I didn’t have ChatGPT write a detailed outline that I happen to have somewhere else on screen, or someone dictating what to write, or a million other things. But I suppose it’s a start for now.

What will you do, Hank? I’m excited for your future work. I’m excited to see how you grow with this - which is why I wrote to you. I think you have a chance to do something so incredibly human! We make mistakes all the time. We make so many blunders, life itself can be extremely embarrassing. My favorite thing about us, though, is that not only do we learn from our mistakes to do better next time. But we use our missteps, we transmute them into something of service to the collective. We show others willing to listen how to walk a better path than us. We teach those younger and less experienced how to avoid certain pitfalls - and perhaps more importantly, we teach them why some habits are worth avoiding.

I’m excited for what’s next, Hank. Not because we’ve solved all of the problems facing humanity. But because if there’s one thing I know about this stubborn species, it’s that we will in fact figure it out.

You’re going to do great - you are doing great. Thank you for admitting where you’re at and staying committed to what’s next. Thank you, I suppose, for being human.

-Kayse

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#033. Running a Christian Zionism PSYOP for Israel (and regretting it) - w/Brandt Burleson

Kayse Melone — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:01:25 GMT

Brandt Burleson worked inside the machinery connecting evangelical churches, mega-pastors, and U.S. foreign policy to support the Israeli government. In this interview, we talk about how Christian theology is used as a geopolitical tool, how American churches were targeted, and how the experience ultimately led to Brandt’s own deconstruction and loss of faith.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Brandt’s work.

His YouTube channel.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

02:09 Working for Israel From the United States

10:40 The Manipulation Behind Christian Zionism

24:24 The Sinister Link Between Religion & Politics

34:52 How Deconstructing Christian Zionism Can Lead to Atheism

46:11 Navigating Critical Thought Amid Religious Extremism

55:41 Conclusion

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#032. Christian Nationalism vs. Secularism: Who Will Win? - w/Hemant Mehta

Kayse Melone — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 21:00:28 GMT

Are more people leaving religion in the United States? If so, what comes next? In this episode of The Kayse Melone Show, I sit down with Hemant Mehta (The Friendly Atheist) to discuss religious switching, the decline of organized Christianity, the rise of the religiously unaffiliated, and why conservative churches are aligning more aggressively with politics.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Hemant’s work.

Hemant is the founder and editor of FriendlyAtheist.com, a Youtube creator, and co-host of the Friendly Atheist Podcast.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

00:50 Initial Interest in Church-State Separation

05:03 The Secular, Non-Religious Community

17:03 People Leaving & Switching Religions

22:04 The Intertwining of Politics & Religion

30:40 The Diversity & Growth of the Atheist Community

35:00 Optimism in the Face of Christian Nationalism

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#031. Atheism, Religion, and the REAL Value of Truth - w/Britt Hartley

Kayse Melone — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 03:01:22 GMT

Rebuilding a meaningful life after leaving a high-control religion has unique challenges, including how to handle “truth.” In this first ever guest interview on The Kayse Melone Show, I sit down with Britt Hartley from No Nonsense Spirituality to explore the cost/benefit of truth, the rise of nihilism in secular culture, and whether meaning, identity, and well-being can truly survive without religion. We cover what most Exchristians struggle with, what most Atheists struggle with, and everything in between.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Britt’s work.

Britt Hartley is a certified atheist spiritual director with a Master’s in Theology focusing on the future of American religion.

Find Britt Hartley on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Purchase her book, No Nonsense Spirituality, here.

Browse her resources here, including her new Nihilism Course.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

04:59 What Most Exchristians Struggle With

09:44 Why Women/Queer People Have Different Spiritual Needs Than Men

15:36 Identity Construction After Religion

22:44 The Values of Truth vs. Well-Being

31:24 What Most Atheists Struggle With

44:56 The Challenges of Secular Humanism

51:05 Consciousness As Fundamental

01:00:00 How to Think Critically

01:03:00 How to Live Meaningfully

01:07:00 Deconstructing Jesus

01:19:00 Reclaim Your Inner Life

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#030. What I Learned After 1 Year of Being an "Online Atheist"

Kayse Melone — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 03:30:29 GMT

It’s the 1-year anniversary of my work as an “online atheist.” Let’s talk about it.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

02:42 The Atheist Identity

04:52 Constantly Talking About What’s Wrong With Christianity

08:19 The Value of “Being Right”

12:03 The First Guest on the Show!

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#029. The Myth of "Judeo-Christian Values" EXPOSED

Kayse Melone — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:30:30 GMT

Religion is always a tool of empire. In the West, we’re told to defend our “Judeo-Christian Values” at all costs. Let’s talk about how that has been an intentionally manipulated narrative.

The article I reference is called “The ‘Christianization’ of Israel and Jews in 1950s America’ by Michelle Mart.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

01:38 How Christian Theology Is Harmful

05:50 The Cold War & The Judeo-Christian Narrative

08:25 The Problems With “Judeo-Christian” Values

11:16 The Establishment of Israel

13:12 Where Our Sense of Morality Comes From

17:00 Conclusion

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#028. I (an Atheist) Got a Christian to Agree With Me

Kayse Melone — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 02:30:38 GMT

I recently was featured on a show where I, an atheist, got a Christian to agree with me. Let’s talk about it.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

The Dr. Daf Show in question.

Get your own Spiritual Atheist Playbook here.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

00:47 My Invitation to the Dr. Daf Show

05:37 Opening Statements: Christian vs. Atheist

14:48 Personal “Supernatural” Experiences

19:01 How the Christians & Atheists Behaved

23:32 Personal Transformations

27:48 The Final Agreement

31:29 Last Reflections

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#027. The End of Religion in America? My 2026 Predictions

Kayse Melone — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 18:01:04 GMT

Research shows that people in the United States are walking away from religion - especially the one they were raised in - more than ever before. My question is: now what?

In this episode of The Kayse Melone Show, we’ll take a look at why I think people are walking away from their childhood faith, what we can expect from the year 2026, and what we should do about all of this in general.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Get your own Spiritual Atheist Playbook here.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

01:34 Data About Religion in the United States

07:14 Hope for Younger Generations

10:54 The Deconstruction Movement

12:52 Exposing the Hypocrisy of Megachurches

15:07 Doubling Down on Christian Nationalism

15:58 More Discourse on Religion’s Place in Society

18:06 The Rise of the “Spiritual Not Religious” Community

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#026. The God Question & The Philosophy Behind Atheism

Kayse Melone — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 04:20:26 GMT

Let’s explore a question that has haunted humanity for millennia: the God question. What if the most profound answers to life’s biggest questions—purpose, morality, and even what comes after—aren’t found in ancient scriptures or divine revelations? What if the path to understanding suffering, or finding meaning, lies entirely within human experience and critical thought? In short, what if there is no god? And if there isn’t one, what does that, well, mean?

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

00:40 Humans Asking Existential Questions

01:18 Viktor Frankl’s Will to Meaning

02:17 From Christian to Atheist

02:47 What Is God?

07:44 A Brief History of Ancient Atheism

09:27 Atheism During the Enlightenment

14:13 Whether or Not to Believe in God

19:49 Morality Without God

24:59 The Problem of Suffering

26:30 Conclusion: Atheism & Free Will

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#025. 6 Ways Christian Dogma Still Controls You

Kayse Melone — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 03:00:48 GMT

Even after leaving Christianity, Christianity doesn’t automatically leave you. There are so many ways Christianity is the dominant cultural force in the United States and the western world, affecting even people who don’t adhere to it.

So, In this segment of the Kayse Melone Show, we’ll explore how Christian dogma still infiltrates our daily lives — even for nonbelievers.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

01:41 What Is Dogma?

04:26 The Christian Dogma of Original Sin

09:17 The Christian Dogma of The Trinity

15:01 The Christian Dogma of The Incarnation

19:31 The Christian Dogma of The Resurrection

23:15 The Christian Dogma of The Immaculate Conception

26:45 The Christian Dogma of The Final Judgment

29:24 Life Without Dogma

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#024. All the Ways My Life Got Better as an Atheist

Kayse Melone — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 14:28:38 GMT

From Evangelical Christian to Atheist - is life really better now? So many Christians talk about how their “relationship with Jesus” amounts to their experience of a personal transformation that has essentially improved their overall quality of life. I respect that.

This, however, is my story of how atheism has improved my own existence.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

02:03 My Previous Life as an Evangelical Christian

04:16 Some Definitions: Deconversion & Deconstruction

06:06 Why I Talk About Going From Christian to Atheist

10:09 No. 1 - Critical Thinking

16:15 No. 2 - Compassion

23:25 No. 3 - More Meaningful Life Purpose

26:49 No. 4 - The Atheist Community

31:42 No. 5 - No More Anxiety About the Afterlife

35:54 No. 6 - Goodbye, Internalized Patriarchy!

41:47 My Final Message Here

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#023. "Debating" a Christian Nationalist Changed My Life

Kayse Melone — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 05:01:42 GMT

I am all for calling out the harm of Christian Nationalism, but I do want to pick my battles more. Let’s talk about some upcoming changes to The Kayse Melone Show.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

02:11 About “Debating” a Christian Nationalist

08:01 Will I Debate a Christian Nationalist Again?

11:38 Why I’m Doing What I’m Doing

17:55 Changes to The Kayse Melone Show

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#022. I Escaped the Religious Right

Kayse Melone — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:05:15 GMT

This shouldn’t surprise you, but political indoctrination and religious indoctrination go hand-in-hand. The psychological mechanisms infused in both kinds of indoctrination are the same. Keeping people controlled, complacent, and compliant appears to take many forms throughout the ages, but there are underlying concepts that ring true in these efforts no matter what. And that’s what we’ll be talking about in this segment of The Kayse Melone Show.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

01:56 The Basics of My Religious Indoctrination

05:12 The Formation of The Religious Right

08:18 Civil Religion in the United States

12:28 How Indoctrination Works

18:03 Rebuilding After Deconstruction

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#021. Christian Zionism EXPOSED (part 3: the money behind it)

Kayse Melone — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 04:51:03 GMT

Let’s talk about how Christian Zionism is funded to the scale of billions of dollars on behalf of everyday people in the United States. Every Sunday, millions of families in this country make their way to their local church - and the majority of those churches stand behind the settler occupation of the state of Israel. No matter the cost.

The money behind the powerful and harmful ideology of Christian Zionism is one of the most corrupt and immoral facets of today’s world. As the third part of my series on Christian Zionism, this segment might be the most important.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

00:45 The Basics of Christian Zionism

07:12 Billionaires Who Back Christian Zionism

11:38 The Organizational “Middlemen”

16:19 Televangelists Who Fuel the Christian Zionist Movement

20:36 How Christian Zionism Is Political

32:24 Conclusion: The Violence of Christian

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Donation Links for Gaza.

HEAL Palestine: a nonpolitical, nonreligious nonprofit that supports Palestinian children and families
Taawon (Welfare Association): Gaza Emergency Relief Fund
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund: provides urgent medical aid, food, and life-saving treatment to those in desperate need, including orphans and amputees

#020. Christian Zionism EXAMINED (part 2: from pulpits to politics)

Kayse Melone — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 04:50:21 GMT

I will never shut up about how terrible Christian Zionism is.

This is Part 2 of my 3-part series exploring the roots and results of this concept. From British imperial interests to televangelist media empires, in this segment, I trace how Christian Zionism jumped from the pages of the Bible to the halls of Congress.

Christian Zionism is fueling United States foreign policy, shaping public opinion, and justifying genocide in real time. This segment is a no-holds-barred look at how Christian mythology became a geopolitical weapon, and why it’s still one of the most dangerous belief systems in America today.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

02:09 A Brief Summary of Christian Zionism, Part 1

09:36 The Balfour Declaration of 1917

14:10 Christian Zionism in American Evangelical Christianity

28:09 Conclusion: The Dangers of Christian Zionism

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Donation Links for Gaza.

HEAL Palestine: a nonpolitical, nonreligious nonprofit that supports Palestinian children and families
Taawon (Welfare Association): Gaza Emergency Relief Fund
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund: provides urgent medical aid, food, and life-saving treatment to those in desperate need, including orphans and amputees

#019. Christian Zionism EXPLAINED (part 1: an origin story)

Kayse Melone — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 01:09:33 GMT

Christian Zionism is the most harmful belief in the United States. After growing up indoctrinated in the Evangelical Christian church, I can promise you that the depths of this insidious ideology go much deeper than you think.

As someone who was raised to call myself a Zionist as a child, I’m pulling back the curtain on this theological and political movement to trace its roots all the way from the Protestant Reformation in Europe to the modern-day genocide still happening in Palestine. If you were taught to “stand with Israel,” this is the history lesson you were never meant to hear.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro: Christian Zionism Explained

02:10 Some Basics Before Exploring Christian Zionism

04:56 Origins of Christianity in Relation to Judaism

10:13 A More Complex Definition of Christian Zionism

16:56 Origins of Christians Zionism

29:55 Dispensationalism & John Nelson Darby

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#018. The Christian Nationalism to Fascism Pipeline

Kayse Melone — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 04:45:19 GMT

Christianity has primed millions of Americans to not just accept the rise of fascism in this country, but to openly embrace it - whether they realize it or not.

The Christian Nationalist movement grows in power every single day. What might have started out as a more fringe belief system is now a full-blown attempt at an authoritarian theocracy. But this isn’t about religion or faith at all. It’s about power in the hands of a few people at the top. Who honestly might not even believe in the Christian mythology - but, they do know how to wield this religious institution in their favor.

Let’s talk about the Christian Nationalism to Fascism pipeline.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro: The Christian Nationalism to Fascism Pipeline

02:03 What Is Christian Nationalism?

09:45 Why Christian Nationalism Is So Successful

13:32 The Roots of the Christian Nationalist Movement in the United States

18:59 What It Means to Be a “Moral Christian American”

29:11 The Authoritarian Personality

33:59 The Real Dangers of Christian Nationalism

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#017. The Myth of Western Civilization EXPOSED

Kayse Melone — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 04:30:12 GMT

We’ve been sold a lie: that “Western Civilization” is the pinnacle of human progress, reason, and morality. But that’s propaganda talking.

I spent the first 21 years of my life fully indoctrinated in Christian Conservatism, which I now realize is the cultural foundation for the empire that is the United States. Deconstructing Christianity and colonization is a never-ending journey, but we all have to start somewhere because we all have a part to play in building a better, more equitable future.

And that’s gonna have to start with debunking the idea that we were ever the supreme civilization in the first place.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

00:48 What We’re Told About Western Civilization

03:19 Global History Western Society Doesn’t Want You to Know

10:53 Christianity & Western Society Are NOT the Sole Contributors to Science

26:08 How Christianity Is the Tool of Empire

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#016. Christian Morality Is a LIE

Kayse Melone — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 04:05:10 GMT

We often hear that Western Civilization was built upon Christian morality, but is that actually a good thing? In fact, is that actually a real thing?

I would argue that no, Christian morality is not as set-in-stone as the religious leaders in power would like their everyday congregation members to believe. To go further, I think the idea of Christian morality is used by the leaders in this country to falsely justify discrimination, violence, and now, involvement in yet another destabilizing war in the Middle East. Let’s talk about it.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:00 Intro

01:29 The Basics of the Myth Behind “Christian Morality”

05:04 The Evolution & Mutability of Christian Morality

10:26 Why I Don’t Focus on Islamic Religious Fundamentalism

15:29 Christianity, Colonialism, Calvinism, Capitalism

24:31 Roe v. Wade, Racial Segregation, and the Rise of the Religious Right

32:26 The Role the Media Plays in Moral Outrage

38:03 Where to Go From Here

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#015. The Best & Worst Parts of Leaving Evangelical Christianity

Kayse Melone — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 20:10:15 GMT

I grew up indoctrinated in the Evangelical Christian church, but 12 years ago, I walked away. The journey since then has been both challenging and rewarding.

In this episode of The Kayse Melone Show, I talk about the best and worst parts of that journey leaving the Christian faith.

Want to watch the video on YouTube instead? Here’s the link.

Chapters.

00:21 Intro

01:00 Growing Up in the Evangelical Christian Church

04:37 Believing in the Second Coming of Jesus

06:34 Realizing I Was Taught History Wrong

11:33 Christian Zionism: The Worst Part of Evangelical Christianity

17:51 Loss of the Christian Community

20:12 Old Friends Deconstructing Christianity

26:16 Freedom Outside of Evangelical Christianity

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Tune in to the (mostly) daily live show at 7am CT on YouTube or Twitch.

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