How to Spot the Spy in the Room

[@ModernRogue]

This week's giveaway is the Black Diamond puzzle box! This sleek, premium puzzle box includes Diamond Jim Tyler’s Diamond Deck: a gilded marked playing card deck. Black Diamond also houses a unique challenge coin within its lacquered walls, but only for those who can solve its puzzle. We’re giving away ONE Black Diamond puzzle box to the lucky winner of this week’s free giveaway. Enter now at gimme.scamstuff.com for your chance to win (no purchase necessary, giveaway ends 4/15/2021). Congrats to the winners of last week’s Trinken Lid giveaway: Dhruv Mishra, Zander Chiasson, and Helen Pinkham (we will contact you via email within two weeks)

[@shaymorcormick8743]

My friend jokingly thinks I'm a spy. He has never met someone that can so quickly and easily merge with a group and gain the respect and trust so fast. I told him it is just a defense mechanism. Growing up traveling around the country as a kid you learn how people work. What to say and what to do. When it is beneficial to be seen and when it is not. How sometimes the best way to hide is in plain sight.

[@ljanitza]

You guys should do an escape room mby custom made

[@doubtful_seer]

Hey guys, for a long time you had been one of my favorite channels because your captions were absolutely awesome without fail. The KZbin auto-captions are pretty awful and I can’t rely on them to fully make the video...legible? Not sure if that’s the word I’m looking for. But I’ve noticed that the captions have been on fewer videos recently and it’s made it a bit harder to access your content as a result. Is there a chance of the captions returning?

[@michaelsanger8327]

east germany = socialism, not communism (leading party was the "sozialistische einheitspartei deustchlands"(=socialist unity party of germany) which was also the only option on the ballot... also, not gestapo, but stasi in 1956

[@harlanmaverick3296]

pro trick: you can watch series on kaldroStream. I've been using it for watching all kinds of movies during the lockdown.

[@tyjytjafdf689]

We're creeping ever closer to Jason just leaving Brian in a car trunk in some Mexican desert with some lock picks, MREs from the 50s, and a note that says "Sham says hello.", and calling him finding his way back an episode.

[@Zodaxa_zdx]

honestly thats a great episode idea

[@GabrielsLogic]

I'm waiting for this now😂

[@ilajoie3]

Leave him with a burner phone with only one phone number in it

[@jackdaemon1056]

I want

[@spartin1173]

That sounds awesome actually

[@johnbeauvais3159]

The excited squeal of “This is the best episode we’ve ever done!” I feel that in my soul. Also, a torn gelatin box lid was the historic way of verifying identity You needed a sepia filter to cue as Brian walked back into the cafe

[@AdrianChazz]

I actually disagree... I feel like the Zeta Provocation is the coolest one... MISTER BRUSHWOOD.

[@matthewjensen8681]

Brian’s little jump at the beginning was so cute. He’s like a little kid

[@ladylilithparker]

Brian's enthusiasm for the games Jason builds for him makes me so happy.

[@erikscott1049]

Like a kid in a candy store. Who was told they could get anything they want.

[@StormFlyer657]

@@erikscott1049 beat me to it

[@Danfunnyman1234]

Just wanted to say, I find these episodes where they actually practice the secret message stuff in a setting much more entertaining than when they just talk about it in a vaccuum like last time with the number system

[@hithere4719]

Yeah a bit more Beakman’s World and a lot less Bill Nye The Science Guy.

[@AmazingRando303]

The pant cuff tucked into the shoe could be a sign. Also, where sword wearing was common, the side you wear it on is a 1-bit signal. Ball cap forward vs backwards. When shuffling cards, bridge vs. no bridge. So many signals here! Great episode.

[@SPFLDAngler]

You would never wear a sword on your dominant hand side. And only being able to convey two messages is pointless. So… that idea is beyond pointless and I gotta say kinda dumb.

[@gabaghoul2589]

Please make more of these, maybe even a type of game where each of you set up one for each of each other.

[@person465]

YEEEESSSS I would Love that SO frickin' much!

[@jonasprice265]

Like escape rooms for eachother

[@26CW128Jake]

@@jonasprice265 Or something like a murder mystery where they have to try and lift fingerprints and things like that they've learned over the years 🙌

[@ParaspriteHugger]

I expected the card shuffler to be the contact - on the simple assumption that it offers a natural point of interaction.

[@curtishoffmann6956]

Shoe codes, same as any cipher or code system - anything can mean anything as long as both the sender and receiver agree on the keys before hand. The easiest, best signal for this episode would be to lace the left shoe (the one closest to the door and therefore first one the recipient sees on entering the room) to look like an "N" for "not now" and "S" for "see me now", or "C" for "all clear."

[@thomasm3170]

I actually want a serious safety video. I’m sure it’d be fun with them finding out what they’re actually supposed to do

[@benjaminotalora363]

They did have a safety week a year or so back, learned about burns, how to respond to car crashes, that kinda stuff

[@drpibisback7680]

@@benjaminotalora363 But that was really more about first aid. Y'know, that thing that's done when people weren't being safe.

[@benjaminotalora363]

@@drpibisback7680 So like, a video on safety procedure? Feel like they'd end up taking the piss out of old timey workplace safety vids lol guess it could be fun

[@tsorraught]

So.... Where's the link to Brian's wife's art? I actually interested in checking it out.

[@djGLCKR]

Pretty sure it's Sunshine Clay.

[@MrSchism]

@@djGLCKR you can follow her art on Instagram.

[@mandrakevermilyea7488]

You shouldn't tell a fellow Rogue you're checking out his wife. That's how you end up with a new permanent neck tie

[@andrewturner616]

@@mandrakevermilyea7488 dude wanted to buy some art calm your testosterone levels

[@mandrakevermilyea7488]

@@andrewturner616 sarcasm is beyond youre radar it seems?

[@bvoyelr]

A common movie trope is encoding a conversation within a conversation. For example, you can be instructed to ask people "how's the weather." If the respondent replies "All I know is that it's hotter in Albuquerque," that's your guy. A more esoteric one is from a book. Two characters agreed that if one started a sentence with the other's first name, it was a serious question. The response to the serious question would be the first word of the response to the statement. What's crazy is that they actually did it without telling the reader they were doing it until the end. It was pretty simple, but it was a frickin' amazing way to get me to read the book twice.

[@terida81]

You're a Dresden Files fan, huh?

[@grizzlybear9008]

@@terida81 wait wait, I haven't read the newer dresden books, which one is this in?

[@terida81]

@@grizzlybear9008 Skin Game. Only the key word isn't "Harry," it's - well, something else.

[@SnakeOilGhost]

What would it take to get a Brushwood hosted show about the history of old school magic/mystics/spiritualists? I've always been fascinated by the subject, but from my searching, there's not much in the way of actual deep dives into it.

[@ObeyCamp]

Oh man. Now here's the absolute best book for any Modern Rogue, slash, "fan of slight of hand or magic of any kind." I don't know of a book that's more well-suited to this channel's subscribers. It's absolutely fascinating. I commented on a recent Scam Nation video about how I learned about _The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception_ (and a few other books,) from you, Brian, and I'm so glad you guys talked about it in this episode. I still think we really need some kind of "Modern Rogue book club" (really just a list would suffice,) where books like this, that any Rogue should basically think of as mandatory reading, could be listed. That'd be AWESOME. I have to nominate this book, as well as _Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion_ by Dr. Robert Cialdini, and the often imitated but never truly matched _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie. (All three, I think I was tipped to by Brian, btw, so you know they're bangers.)

[@ObeyCamp]

Consider also, _What Every BODY is Saying_ by Joe Navarro, and _Unmasking the Face_ by Ekman and Friessen, if you're into that sort of thing. Being able to discern emotion and intentions from people's faces and body language is exceptionally useful if you're even slightly interested in persuasiveness or cultivating charisma and the utilization of emotional intelligence in social situations.

[@drpibisback7680]

_The Dangerous Book for Boys_ is meant for young people, but I feel like it really deserves at least an honorable mention in the Rogue's Library.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

Here’s a thing about shoes, years ago USA network had a special “tips from a conman” and he said for pickpockets look at shoes because people may dress cheap but those with money buy nice shoes. Moreover people don’t immediately notice people’s shoes like In Shaw shank redemption when the hero walks out in the warden’s shoes. Finally, the knot can indicate handedness, left handed people will reverse the lay of the knot compared to a right handed person.

[@wobblysauce]

Some like comfort others like style.

[@johnbeauvais3159]

@@wobblysauce This is true, that’s why you look at the welt stitching, cheaper shoes are glued. Moderately expensive shoes use a Goodyear welt, and really nice shoes use a Blake stitched welt.

[@Ann0nymous]

I like how in the world of the story, this would have played like one of the more unhinged Quantum Leap episodes: Brian is Sam, leaped into someone and somewhere he knows nothing about, and Jason is Al, with Ziggy not on the fritz.

[@EchosTackyTiki]

Ok, I don't typically give episode ideas, but I would love to see you guys do an episode on how to play Liar's Dice. If you've ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, it's the dice game they play aboard the Flying Dutchman. It's also a playable mini game in Red Dead Redemption. It's a very scoundrely game and I think it would be perfect for a short episode.

[@dakotaredd1742]

That would be super cool!

[@latinodollar]

@@dakotaredd1742 it was pretty cool

[@Qsie]

I love how there isn't a warning on this, like, there isn't any possibly helpful warning about detecting spies they could give that you wouldn't already know

[@thelegend8570]

I thought it was going to be a message encoded in how many cards he placed down before reshuffling or dropping in a match. Also, bit odd that there would be a note saying "tip the establishment" in a supposedly communist area.

[@erinfinn2273]

When I was watching this, I suspected the card shuffler, but then I saw how many red flags of "suspicious" went up, and then I remembered Brian saying: "Want to hide something: paint it red." Same goes with spycraft. Stand out to blend in.

[@JackCFairman]

I just want to say that you spelling out rogue in the beginning of all of your square space ads is the only reason I know how to spell it

[@tanishalfelven93]

spell it one way, and you have a cunning master, spell it the other way and you have a either a color, or anthropomorphic bat-lady.

[@ghplayer9228]

Oh god this reminded me how badly we need something like a “Modern Rogue’s guide out of Ambushes” or something like it, where they teach how to avoid and/or get out of modern day occurrences. It could even be “Thawing a turkey out as fast as possible” to “surviving a dictatorship”, and be as goofy or serious.

[@REdATard0]

It’s funny how the people behind the camera have to watch them like little kids😂

[@TheRealAlpha2]

Anytime Brian or Jason get to role play on MR is a good time. Without a key into where the messages was it might taken hours to figure out. The lock picking alone could have been an endless rabbit hole. But I kinda wanted to know what would have happened if he picked the wrong one, like Cory turns and cuts him down instantly or something.

[@ecamiran4004]

Brian speaks like he’s never been in a pre-COVID cafe before. People gaming, people doing business, someone doing whatever they’re doing. Totally normal

[@racistpandagod]

OK come on now that Brian has that lush long hair this is the perfect time to do a bushido experiment

[@LangyMD]

Or a Gentleman Rogue class on how to cut your own hair.

[@BeeCeeJay]

6:13 Love seeing Scott Johnson's deck of cards on the table! :D

[@Platinum_Tugboat]

This ovbiously makes me want to watch the intense bar scene in the movie "Inglorious Bastards" again.

[@ParaspriteHugger]

As a German, I just have to emphasize that the scene was brilliant. I saw that guy order and thought "boy, you fucked that one up" - thinking it was a production error, a mistake no spy would make. Turning that into a plot point was genius.

[@hithere4719]

@@ParaspriteHugger I just watched that scene yesterday out of the blue, and knowing now that the British spy is a German actor made it sink in how perfect the scene was. I think it would have sucked to have had to explain all of that to an actor after they got the role.

[@CN-wt2bj]

Terrible movie.

[@JohanCody]

@@CN-wt2bj I think the fact that it has won tons of awards and been met with critical acclaim kinda disapproves your comment, but thank you for taking time out your day to let us all know you disliked it.

[@CN-wt2bj]

@@JohanCody Ofc it won fake awards.

[@stalker42]

I thought that TMZ Cobra scavenger hunt last year was Brian's favorite. He's just easily excitable.

[@kurotoruk]

Brian bouncing up and down in excitement has energized me to get my self out of bed. Best.

[@harrisons8218]

Guys, this was a ridiculously great idea. Please, PLEASE (if you want to, of course 🤣) do more of these in the future. These are great ways to put different skills together and get a great laugh at the same time. 👏👏👏

[@username65585]

Ask them if they are a spy. They have to tell you if they are a spy.

[@michaelhegwood9977]

Assume they're all spies and light the room on fire

[@StormFlyer657]

The dnd player strategy

[@PS1HagridEnjoyer]

But you're trying to find your spy friend lol you'd kill your buddy and never know the message

[@Povilaz]

Day 24 of reminding the Modern Rogue to do another radio video!

[@gaijinbonsai3975]

Radio video? Wouldn't that be television?

[@Casta2]

@@gaijinbonsai3975 :/

[@GastropodGaming2006]

seeing them make a GMRS repeater system, after getting a license, would be cool

[@kaoticyagura5242]

a spy sitting at a bar crosses his feet beneath the stool, casually yet covertly displaying his lace message for anyone who knows what to look for. He orders a drink and awaits his contact. Minutes pass and multiple patrons leave while new ones arrive and go about their buisiness throughout the bar, ordering drinks or chatting with other patrons. Casting a subtle glance around the room; the spy notices a man he's seen before, outside the bar and watching attentively while the spy entered several minutes ago. Throwing his mind back and recalling his walk to the bar; he recalls the strange man's face on a man standing by a lamp post several blocks away, and again under a tree outside his appartment. "i've been followed" he thinks to himself as he swigs the remnants of his drink and bends down to tie his shoes. He relaces his message to read "i've been followed, don't make the exchange". message complete he stands up and orders another drink before retaking his place on the stool, his new message on display. the spy looks around the bar and sees the man who's been following him get up and leave with a group of people, laughing with them. He second guesses himself. "Was that really the same man who he'd seen under the tree? by the lamp post? "in anycase he's gone now." the spy thinks as he bends down to relace his shoes again with the NEW message. Partway through relacing his shoes again, this time displaying the message "I may have been followed, proceed with caution" he looks up, laces partially relaced, as he notices a pair of heavy dark leather military boots in front of him. His eyes trace up the man from boots to him well fitting military uniform and up the the scouling man before him. "come with me" the military man says in a thick Russian accent. As the spy is taken away for interogation, the soldier thinks about what the barman said over the phone "there's a man in here who's retied his shoelaces twice in the last ten minutes, taking around three minutes each time, and i think it's a bit suspiscious. Do you think he might be a spy?"

[@MrSchism]

A great use of this was if you had one foot up on a rung of a stool or crossed over the other, you could have to two options available based on the mission. For example: target in room, target in bathroom.

[@Lt_Tappy]

I was waiting for Brian to snap and just give it to someone only to get pinned to the ground by everyone in the room.

[@ZGBrickfilms]

I never would have expected the message to be in the shoes! Great video guys!

[@junkie2100]

on the whole both shoes tied the same thing, i would assume youd want them both different in that type of situation, one for yes and one for no because they wont know whether its safe there before they actually show up, and even if it is when they show up whos to say its going to stay that way an enemy agent could walk in and start watching everyone like a hawk. so youd probably want one shoe that says yes one that says no and then just put the foot forward that gives the proper answer, or tap that foot or something

[@Magnum_Dong]

You could have one shoe say "give me the device" and the other "don't give me it" then when you know whether it's safe or not, cross your feet with the answer on top. This would block out the wrong answer to simplify the message and cover up that your laces don't match so there's no suspicion. Brian could have even stuck around, waited for the spy to cross his feet, then acted.

[@greenbalaclavaman]

Now THIS is a modern rogue episode! Cold war era tradecraft, love it!

[@nathansicklerevans2841]

Your guy's ad segments are great and always makes me chuckle.

[@SCP--cy7cd]

brians jumping at the beginning made me so happy

[@SirFrederick]

It's always the weird little stuff. Like wearing a watch upside-down

[@mikereadscopypasta]

Next week the boys are going to set a mayonnaise plant on fire.

[@Jay-cq5qr]

They didn't mention how you were supposed to give the secret agent the device. Or did I miss it?

[@cjoniak0202]

Watching this channel made me realize the truth behind the phrase "Tradecraft is the art of making the mundane meaningful"

[@bjormika9]

I'd so do that "Walk in again with "fresh" eyes" as well. Was thinking that from the start. To bad it didn't bring any "eureka" moment.

[@davinciandiversity8823]

This was such a sick way of presenting code.

[@mablestark6501]

This made me think you guys should do some type of choose your own adventure series kind of thing

[@Forgotten_Lore]

Jason: Just go through the door you random weirdo Brian: ...oook, so whats going on here? Jason: Basically you need to find out what one if your allies is contacting you. Brian: *Jumps up and down like a child* BEST. EPISODE. EVER! Awww! It's always so cute seeing a man child nerd out! XD

[@sjoerdhoogland790]

this is awesome, nothing against the rest of the content, but PLEASE make more of this. We fucking love the mystery

[@ChemoshKamos]

Murphy looking sharper than scalpel in that black and red button up, ngl

[@dean-o-bean-o]

These types of episodes where Brian doesn't know what's going on until Jason introduces it reminds me of giving an animal enrichment (in the best way).

[@clickclock7853]

I thought he had never seen his contact but that the code needs to be agreed upon before hand

[@manwithnoname476]

This would make an awesome series

[@faeryn5992]

loved the episode. i got myself caught up in the eyelines though.

[@Fuzzycap]

When in earlier part of video the camera quickly glanced at shoes, I knew it was shoelaces because in my instagram feed....there have been a lost of posts about how spies back then used shoelaces to communicate

[@milokiss8276]

I straight up thought Jason was going to say the laces were “Over, Over, Half-Over, Swap, Obvious”.

[@mavericktheace]

This was a really fun episode! Always down for more spycraft content 8-) But I have to disagree with Brian's assessment of the repeatability of the tasks. Shuffling and picking a lock are activities you can practice all day if you're trying to improve, but cleaning something excessively is just a sign of a mental disorder.

[@hopingforthebest1.9]

I think this would make a fun party game, kind of like spyfall but with less talking

[@thelieutenant7732]

I was expecting Brian to go to a gulag today

[@RJiiFin]

Jason, when Brian asked "so this is a life and death situation", you reeaallly should've pulled out a handgun :)

[@memyopinionsche6610]

If I have to look at someone shoe laces in order to get a tell.. I am definitely not the 007 or CIA MATERIAL.. YEP I SUCK.

[@SealFormulaMaster]

With everything going on, this episode seems more and more apt. Guess I know what to look for next time I head to Starbucks or such.

[@SleepyCthulhu]

I really like that shirt Jason its pretty rad.

[@deusdragonex]

I honestly thought the canned air was the clue. It has a trigger like a gun and was pointed at the card shuffler. I just KNEW the code was that he was an enemy agent and the lockpicker was warning Brian not to reveal himself. As you can tell, I'm no spy.

[@5192aaron]

Giddy Brian Brushwood made my day today

[@jackwriter1908]

Well, that was interesting... I think I am going to buy a copy of that book.

[@steveheist6426]

I was immediately looking at it being the card player - because we were looking for a yes or no answer and he was making two stacks of cards... With the stack being away from the door I'd've said keep the maguffin on that alone.

[@playstation10able]

I feel that if you have a friend who is a cold war nut, this could be an interesting birthday gift

[@Veptis]

The Modern Rogue escape room? Or nudist colony etiquette?

[@leonardusl5141]

I love the spy stuff! Please more spy stuff episodes with cryptography and secret messages and stuff of that sort.

[@aaronhelmsman]

So have these guys ever read the dangerous book for boys? There’s some great little gadgets in that book. A pressure plate or a timed circuit would be fun to build and the diagrams in that book are really solid.

[@CatchThesePaws]

Is this Brian’s birthday party or something? This is the happiest I’ve seen him lol

[@luckyluke1038]

Gestapo was the German secret police during WW2, not the East-German or Russian secret police during the cold war.

[@cipher3966]

Would it not be a little conspicuous if someone walked into a cafe and inspected the shoes of each customer?

[@drpibisback7680]

You can't really inspect, you have to look without it being obvious.

[@raresteakcubes3109]

This would be a fun video game/party game

[@Chris11231]

I thought it was the color of Corey's shoes, red means Stop

[@bsand727]

So this is the mayo guy lol

[@interrobangings]

brian I'm coming for you with a bottle of mayonnaise!!!!!

[@jasonbourne7950]

I agree I like this format

[@Namiizan]

Honestly I thought it would be the person by the plaque, because they really could just scrub specific letters and spell out a message

[@thepurplefistoffury5350]

Its amazing how you bring me s o much joy yet you will never know i even exist

[@notsogoodgaming7793]

Enjoying the video?

[@gyroscope915]

Hahahah what do you mean there are no spies here, there is no need to look for one comrade. Everything is fine do not worry *hurriedly whispers into shirt*

[@shanleyshoupe7873]

JASON I LOVE YOUR SHIRT

[@countjulu]

Don't think you're going to find much gestapo in cold war Eastern Berlin

[@criebeef555]

I am gessing rn but im at 3:30 and I think it is the masked man pointing at words on the plaque.

[@bonbin6053]

I’m glad that there’s a rebirth of the myth busters, except better

[@johnfrancis3203]

Yes Jason is a nerd and a comic fan and whatever. Buuuut in these history ep, Jason always feels like an expert on history stuff

[@CKRETZ]

How is he supposed to read the code in the laces without being suspicious?

[@ZSchrink]

I'm now curious about the juke box thing they had! What is it and what does it do!?

[@vonwagner1257]

This was about 20 mins longer than it had to be

[@myname-mz3lo]

brians long hair suits him . center part would suit him even more .

[@ilobdell]

Love the spycraft episodes

[@wickedomen]

4:23 Corey brushes the name Corey Davis

[@wafflemaster59]

13:59 the one all the way to the right is how I have always laced my shoes. Is that not how everyone laces their shoes!? What does the code mean!? What secrets are my shoes hiding??

[@mrjoshthefreeman]

I remember back in middle school me and my friend found away to talk in class using Rubix cubes

[@marcushosmer1856]

They need to have a cafe/bar set to use for these videos

[@h.Freeman]

Blinking....he's blinking!

[@xarin42]

So was the Cistercian Numbers ep taken down? The URL doesn't work.

[@ExtremeLiveCams]

Actually my first time in a premier xD