Big thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!
There were so many good choices for the caption to choose from. We had the entire team take a look at the top 30 choices, and these were the winners from the pack!
I will be reaching out to the winners next week! Have a good weekend everyone!
CLA316: "Felt cute, might defy China later"
Amanda H: "When your situational awareness is so elite, even your selfies scan for threats."
Highlander: "I'm totally a 10 in this country"
Amanda Larson: "Lookin' like I'm about to breach a dumpling cart and flirt with foreign policy at the same time"
Zac: "Pucker up china. SRS is in town"
Bricktop: "The King of Taiwan... The Taiwanasaurus Rex - Common Genus Shawnasian Ryanasis or in local lingo Shăn ēn Lái ēn WE #E Tattoo Incomin!"
Cade Lynch: "Jamie, pull up that picture of Shawn Ryan doing the duck face pose, I think I saved it somewhere on my phone but can't find it through all these bear pictures I saved"
Braxton McCoy—veteran, rancher, and public lands advocate—joins us to break down a controversial Senate proposal that could lead to the largest sell-off of public lands in modern U.S. history.
Introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R‑UT), the provision initially called for selling 2–3 million acres across 11 Western states, with up to 250 million acres labeled as “eligible” for disposal. Though the Senate parliamentarian recently struck it from the reconciliation bill, Lee plans to reintroduce it in a narrower form, targeting BLM lands near growing cities.
Braxton explains why this fight matters to hunters, ranchers, local communities, and anyone who cares about public access, habitat, and heritage—and what citizens can do to stop it.
Braxton McCoy—veteran, rancher, and public lands advocate—joins us to break down a controversial Senate proposal that could lead to the largest sell-off of public lands in modern U.S. history.
Introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R‑UT), the provision initially called for selling 2–3 million acres across 11 Western states, with up to 250 million acres labeled as “eligible” for disposal. Though the Senate parliamentarian recently struck it from the reconciliation bill, Lee plans to reintroduce it in a narrower form, targeting BLM lands near growing cities.
Braxton explains why this fight matters to hunters, ranchers, local communities, and anyone who cares about public access, habitat, and heritage—and what citizens can do to stop it.
Katarina Szulc is a Canadian freelance journalist based in Mexico, renowned for her hard-hitting investigative reporting on cartel violence, political corruption, and social issues. A 2021 graduate of the BCIT Journalism program, she has covered breaking news, politics, and community stories for outlets like CBC, CityNews Vancouver, and Substack, where her newsletter dives into Mexico’s gritty underbelly, including U.S.-Mexico anti-cartel strategies and criminal indictments.
Katarina Szulc is a Canadian freelance journalist based in Mexico, renowned for her hard-hitting investigative reporting on cartel violence, political corruption, and social issues. A 2021 graduate of the BCIT Journalism program, she has covered breaking news, politics, and community stories for outlets like CBC, CityNews Vancouver, and Substack, where her newsletter dives into Mexico’s gritty underbelly, including U.S.-Mexico anti-cartel strategies and criminal indictments.
Scott Nolan details the realities of major Nuclear Energy adoption for the United States. This topic has become more and more relevant as the power requirements of AI continue to grow.
A question from our member: Ian Lane (9:59) was chosen for this segment.
Shawn is doing his first-ever Patreon Livestream on July 1st at 6 pm CST.
Tune in for an exclusive livestream with Shawn as he breaks down critical global insights! Get the inside scoop on our time in Dubai with Jay Cal of GBRS Group, a deep dive into Taiwan’s strategic landscape, and the latest on the escalating Israel-Iran tensions in the Middle East. Don’t miss this dynamic discussion on today’s most urgent geopolitical issues—join us live and bring your questions!
Scott Nolan is the CEO of General Matter, a San Francisco-based startup founded in 2024 to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) in the U.S., aiming to end Russia’s monopoly on this critical nuclear fuel.
Scott Nolan is the CEO of General Matter, a San Francisco-based startup founded in 2024 to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) in the U.S., aiming to end Russia’s monopoly on this critical nuclear fuel.
48-Hour Early Access is now available for our Patreon Members.
Introducing the ultra-exclusive "Night Market Nomad" T-shirt, featuring "Vigilance Elite" boldly written in Taiwanese (警覺菁英) with the iconic Taipei 101 and vibrant Taipei cityscape as a striking backdrop.
Crafted for fans who embody vigilance and adventure, this collector’s item celebrates Taiwanese culture and resilience in true Vigilance Elite style.
limited to just 250 pieces
This shirt is a Pre-Order and will begin shipping on 07/08/2025.
Step into the vibrant world of Taipei, Taiwan, with Shawn and the team in our latest Patreon vlog! From the serene beauty of historic temples to the electric buzz of a famous Night Market, we’ll also dive into Taiwan’s fight against China’s disinformation and spotlight KUMA Academy’s inspiring work to train citizens for a stronger, safer future.
Members from all tiers submit your most creative caption for the photo above.
The most entertaining captions will win big with items like: Stay Vigilant Collection gear, Vigilance Elite Water Tumblers, Vigilance Elite Crystal Rocks Glasses, Chisel Machining Shotgun Stocks, Zippo Lighters, and more!
Hsiao Bi-khim | 蕭美琴 is Taiwan’s Vice President, sworn in on May 20, 2024, alongside President Lai Ching-te. A seasoned diplomat, she served as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States from 2020 to 2023, becoming the first Taiwanese official to attend a U.S. presidential inauguration since 1979 when she attended Joe Biden’s in 2021.
Hsiao Bi-khim | 蕭美琴 is Taiwan’s Vice President, sworn in on May 20, 2024, alongside President Lai Ching-te. A seasoned diplomat, she served as Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the United States from 2020 to 2023, becoming the first Taiwanese official to attend a U.S. presidential inauguration since 1979 when she attended Joe Biden’s in 2021.
Due to travel and safety concerns for our team, early access to today's episode is unavailable. As a result, all behind-the-scenes content will be accessible to all tiers.
Alex Wang is the CEO and co-founder of Scale AI, a leading data platform accelerating the development of artificial intelligence applications. Founded in 2016, Scale AI provides high-quality training data for AI models, serving clients like OpenAI, Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Defense. A former software engineering prodigy, Wang dropped out of MIT to build Scale AI, which is now valued at over $13 billion. Recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, Wang is a prominent voice in shaping the future of AI innovation and deployment. He advocates for responsible AI development and policies to ensure ethical and secure AI advancements.
Due to travel and safety concerns for our team, early access to today's episode is unavailable. As a result, all behind-the-scenes content will be accessible to all tiers.
Alex Wang is the CEO and co-founder of Scale AI, a leading data platform accelerating the development of artificial intelligence applications. Founded in 2016, Scale AI provides high-quality training data for AI models, serving clients like OpenAI, Microsoft, and the U.S. Department of Defense. A former software engineering prodigy, Wang dropped out of MIT to build Scale AI, which is now valued at over $13 billion. Recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, Wang is a prominent voice in shaping the future of AI innovation and deployment. He advocates for responsible AI development and policies to ensure ethical and secure AI advancements.
Augustus Doricko is the founder and CEO of Rainmaker, a next-generation cloud seeding company. He is a UC Berkeley dropout, Thiel Fellow, and member of the El Segundo hard tech scene.
Rainmaker uses weather-resistant drones to increase precipitation and novel radar hardware to measure how much man-made precipitation is created. Rainmaker’s first priority is reversing the desertification of the American west, and ultimately to terraform deserts into abundant, green, arable land.
Augustus Doricko is the founder and CEO of Rainmaker, a next-generation cloud seeding company. He is a UC Berkeley dropout, Thiel Fellow, and member of the El Segundo hard tech scene.
Rainmaker uses weather-resistant drones to increase precipitation and novel radar hardware to measure how much man-made precipitation is created. Rainmaker’s first priority is reversing the desertification of the American west, and ultimately to terraform deserts into abundant, green, arable land.
Tim discusses what his desert island cigar would be, and what conspiracy theory he would want to learn the objective truth about in this segment of Desert Island.
