#1380 - Pete Dominick

[0] Three, two, uh, uh, hello Pete Domic.

[1] How are you, buddy?

[2] Hey, Joe Rogian.

[3] Good to see you, man. Good to see you.

[4] Syke to be here.

[5] Sight's being in California.

[6] Sight to be sitting across from you.

[7] Syke to have you.

[8] You're a free man now.

[9] You've escaped yourself from the shackles of satellite radio.

[10] The shackles of corporate media.

[11] Yeah, man. See, that's the thing about dedicating so much time to a company like that.

[12] They can just get rid of you.

[13] And then you don't have a connection to all those fans.

[14] You have to re -establish a connection.

[15] It's been an amazing experience in the last, what, four weeks since it happened, to try to, first of all, I watched my funeral play out publicly because I had a huge community of listeners for 12 years that I created, but I was trying to respond to all them.

[16] And I, you know, you can't say, I still can't share, like, certain details, right?

[17] How much time did they give you before the show was ended?

[18] The show, basically, they told me after the show that, that was the last show, and then they let me have, like, a, they said I could do a last show, but instead I was, Let's like, let me just record a message.

[19] I don't want to go.

[20] So you didn't know until the day of?

[21] I had a pretty good idea.

[22] I had a pretty good idea.

[23] Do they have ratings?

[24] I don't think so.

[25] If they did, I think I'd probably be in pretty good shape.

[26] I mean, like, it's a long story, but the show I was doing was pretty special.

[27] It was really helping people.

[28] And we were enlightening.

[29] It's kind of like what you do here.

[30] I mean, that's why I love what you do here.

[31] People learn.

[32] They get enlightened.

[33] They get entertained.

[34] You make people better, better people.

[35] through this show.

[36] The contribution that you make, that's what I was doing.

[37] We were three hours every day talking about issues, talking about struggles that people are having.

[38] And it was rewarding and challenging and satisfying.

[39] And I had total editorial control.

[40] So, you know, I can't, I really can't complain.

[41] Twelve years is pretty.

[42] Do they know, though, how many people are listening to any given show?

[43] Not that I ever know.

[44] Not that it was ever shown to me. See, that is a weird thing.

[45] That's the thing that you have with Netflix as well.

[46] You know, like if you do a special with Netflix, and they go, we really like it.

[47] It's great.

[48] But they don't share it with you.

[49] Yeah.

[50] And you go, well, how are the ratings?

[51] They go, we're really happy.

[52] What does that mean?

[53] We're really, really happy.

[54] That's like when you first started doing comedy and you came off stage and your friends were like, you looked confident.

[55] No, it's worse than that because you don't, you like business decisions can be made based on what kind of downloads you're getting, right?

[56] If you, people, if Netflix says, hey, you know, four million people downloaded your, your comedy special they've really loved it we're really happy let's do another one it doesn't make any sense for the company to have the information and the host not to have the information why wouldn't you share it so that everybody has they don't want you to bargain with them well they don't want you to negotiate yeah well i mean the best thing about being fired is you don't have to worry about being fired yes and so you can do your own thing and increasingly i think people are taking advantage of that like you if you're a network you have to have a million people listening to or watching to keep the ratings up to sell advertising and you're only making just so much money.

[57] If you launch your own thing, the way you have and so many other people have, you're gambling with everything, which is what I'm doing now with podcasting, which is really an original thing to do and a very difficult way to make money.

[58] But if you do, if you're good, then you control it all.

[59] Yeah, you can do it.

[60] It's like if you've done a serious show and you developed an audience and that's something you definitely did do.

[61] Three hours live every day.

[62] You can you can definitely do the same thing on a podcast you just have to no you can it's like my family's relying on well you have comedy too yeah but it's you absolutely can do it and it's just one of those things where i see people doing the corporate route and i'm like man i get how you needed to do that 15 years ago you don't need to do that now that's that's a bad decision now where it was a good decision like hey you got a serious gig 15 years ago like wow that's awesome i think you're absolutely right It's just, it's terrifying.

[63] You know, there's always pros and cons.

[64] You work for a company no matter what you do.

[65] You're working for somebody.

[66] You have a place to go.

[67] They control all of the, in our case, in media's case, the promotion, the marketing, the legal.

[68] They hire producers to work for you and so on.

[69] And so there's a certain level of comfort there.

[70] But at the same time, you've got to answer to these people.

[71] You've got to deal with these people.

[72] And frankly, you know, you're more talented than a lot of the people that you're working with.

[73] And you have all these ideas and these inspirations.

[74] And, you know, they're either going to say yes or no to them.

[75] And when you're on your own, you just put the wheels on them and go.

[76] Yeah.

[77] Well, I remember last time I went to the serious offices, went to the studios.

[78] I was upstairs, and I was like, there's too much money here.

[79] This costs too much money.

[80] Like, there's too many people here.

[81] You see these fucking people wearing suits.

[82] Like, what does that guy do?

[83] I guarantee you, he doesn't do fuck all.

[84] That guy doesn't have anything to do with whether or not this shows any good.

[85] And all you have to do is press a button and get it out there.

[86] So there's all these people making decisions about, well, we got marketing and this.

[87] from that, and I'm going to make sure we hit the right demographics.

[88] I feel like that's the way.

[89] I've worked at CNN.

[90] I worked at MSNBC.

[91] I worked at Fox.

[92] I feel like that's corporate media or corporate America, where you have to wonder how much work and how much value each person is bringing to whatever their job is.

[93] I always want to know, but it's...

[94] They're goofy.

[95] Serious is very goofy.

[96] They offered me a great deal.

[97] Zero money.

[98] Really?

[99] Zero.

[100] I feel like you might have told me that before.

[101] Zero.

[102] Zero.

[103] Zero money.

[104] It's the most hilarious deal ever.

[105] We'll put your show on the air.

[106] give you zero like oh that sounds good i don't even not i don't even when was that i mean at that fucking recently really yeah yeah yeah they're hilarious how did you what did you do i didn't do anything i don't talk to anybody i mean it's all done through managers and agents and i say no to everything so i was like it was easy to say no to i always did everything directly myself i could never i could never allow somebody i never felt like anybody could sell me the way i could sell myself oh dude then you have to think about selling yourself which you can't It takes any, this is, I mean, for people listen to this podcast regularly, I'm sorry, I apologize for repeating myself, but the way I look at everything, and this is something I've done over the last, really cultivated over the last 10 years, but really specifically focused on over the last couple, is I look at thinking as bandwidth.

[107] I only have, say if you have 100 units of thinking, whatever the fuck you have to, what you're involved in to have this negotiation or sell yourself to this, and sell yourself to this.

[108] yourself to that and talk about this and you know and pitch your ideas to this person and that person that's taking away time that you could be working on your other shit creating i don't have any time for that i've zero time i've i allocate zero bandwidth for selling myself zero bandwidth for doing other but have you always have you always done that you were you that way at the start because i mean you're you're so big now i can anybody can understand that you can do that i never sold myself i always had an agent and a manager really i've had the same manager since i was an open micer.

[109] Really?

[110] Yeah.

[111] Jeff Sussman.

[112] Oh, wow.

[113] I know Jeff Sussman.

[114] Yeah.

[115] Huh.

[116] That's awesome.

[117] That's, you're a loyal guy, too.

[118] Well, he's awesome.

[119] And, you know, he's family.

[120] We've been together since 1990.

[121] Yeah, I feel that way about my agent, too.

[122] But I just, like, Conan Smith, he's, like, one of the few guys I met in this business that I really always liked, and he didn't seem like he's part of this business.

[123] But he'd always be like, what's next?

[124] And I'd always say tomorrow's show.

[125] because every three hour live show we talked about everything from tax policy to depression to environmentalism to anything politics parenting and so it was really challenging to do that and to prepare for all these interviews with these smart people and then I wanted to go home and be with my girls like I had an amazing work -life balance and I feel like so most people never find that they never understand it I found it and I kept it for a really long time which is what's scary to not have that I've been working my ass off since the day I left serious XM and went right into a meeting and have been on the phone ever since, reached that to you and everybody I knew.

[126] I said, hey, you know, what can I do?

[127] But it's not balance, you know, I haven't seen my girls, I haven't seen my garden.

[128] So I'm excited to hopefully get back to that, to some semblance of that.

[129] But most people don't have that.

[130] And I think finding, because you get so ambitious, especially as a guy, I feel like, if you're a breadwinner, especially, it's just work, work, work, support your family.

[131] If you've got a family, there's ego, there's money, and you just keep going.

[132] but then you realize there's got to be enough you have to in my opinion you have to have an idea of enough and I got there and that's when I you know I just would work and then I would shut that down I would still doing as much comedy as I could but that definitely fell by the wayside because the show it was up at 4 .30 in the morning I was done by two and then it was I turned it off well the good thing is you can do your show if you do a podcast you can do it from wherever you live right you can do it close by You can either rent an office space or you could do it in your fucking garage.

[133] You can do it anywhere, especially when your kids are at school.

[134] You could do it.

[135] Yep.

[136] You could do it on your terms.

[137] You know, you could bank a couple of them, do two, three in a day and then take days off.

[138] Yeah.

[139] But the most important thing, I think, is that you stay independent.

[140] We were just talking about that out there.

[141] Because there's going to be a bunch of bozos that want you to join their network.

[142] Oh, they're calling.

[143] Yeah, they take a big chunk.

[144] I don't know what the offers are.

[145] I don't know what the deals are.

[146] But it's like, why?

[147] Why?

[148] I just started doing this podcast.

[149] You've already been through what that is.

[150] I've got a great community of listeners who are like family to me. They've all been so supportive.

[151] You're like, let me just try to test that out.

[152] Definitely test that out.

[153] How active are you on social media?

[154] I try to be as active as I can't.

[155] I'm not great at it.

[156] I don't love it.

[157] That's important, though, that you have some sort of engagement so you could tell people where you're going.

[158] Yeah, definitely doing that.

[159] I mean, you don't want to be too wrapped up in it because, again, bandwidth, it's going to suck up a lot of your time.

[160] Right.

[161] You know, for a lot of people, it's a giant distraction.

[162] Yeah, I don't.

[163] I don't, that's why I, when I say I'm not that good at it, it's because I feel like it's a distraction.

[164] It seems like a very, as a creative person, it's interesting, it's an interesting outlet, and there's a lot of creative people who are great on Twitter, but I don't think in terms of what's a great tweet or I should tweet right now or put this up on Facebook, you know, comics, artists do this because they love to create, they love to perform.

[165] They don't love to promote what they're doing.

[166] Nobody really likes that.

[167] Some people do, and some people are great at it, but it's usually not why you get into it.

[168] At the same time, if you don't do it, I mean, there's a lot of great comics who don't promote themselves.

[169] And there's a lot of bad comics, if we're talking about comedians, you're about any performer, who are great at promoting themselves.

[170] Right.

[171] And I fall somewhere in between.

[172] People that are really good at promoting usually are not that good.

[173] Because they spend so much time promoting and they're trying to get famous and trying to get successful as opposed to doing the work, writing the jokes performer.

[174] They're also super conscious of how they appear to people.

[175] You know, they're super conscious and like they're trying to cultivate an image.

[176] They're trying very hard at that.

[177] I can't be bothered with that.

[178] It's not good for you.

[179] I mean, I know it works, but I can't.

[180] To go back to what your deal was, it's serious, like, when you were there.

[181] So they don't give you any indication of what kind of numbers you're pulling in.

[182] Not really.

[183] Any indication of how many people were listening to your show.

[184] It was hard to know.

[185] You see the phone volume.

[186] You see the phones lock up.

[187] You see, you know, social media is not really a good measurement because the vast majority.

[188] Were you getting people to follow you?

[189] Were you saying on the show, hey, follow me on Twitter?

[190] Yeah, but what's interesting, I don't want to disparage series XM, not because they gave me a good exit deal, I guess, but because it almost seems inauthentic because they gave me five contracts, which created an amazing life and amazing community.

[191] Like, I'm so grateful to what I had there.

[192] But yes, certainly the problem, I suppose, is you're behind this firewall.

[193] Like this morning, one of my best friends lives in Australia.

[194] He's like, yeah, I listen to Joe Rogan.

[195] I listen to Rachel Maddow's podcast.

[196] Like, they don't have MSNBC there.

[197] Right.

[198] They can't get Sirius XM necessarily.

[199] You can, I guess, online.

[200] The point is, if you're behind that, you're mostly in the car.

[201] And I think what I'm trying to say is it's skewed to like 50, 60 -year -old affluent men who are in cars, which I was psyched to have every one of them.

[202] But I would love to have a lot of young people.

[203] You know, I'm staying out here with my cousin, and his son is 18, and he found out us doing the Joe Rogan show and he's flipping out but he didn't know what I did at Sirius X -M.

[204] I hate to say this because I'm thankful that Sirius put on Howard and Opie and Anthony and all these comics they had on over the years but you're better off without it.

[205] It's not where the future is.

[206] The future is not in satellite radio.

[207] It's just not.

[208] It sucks.

[209] You go under tunnels it cuts out.

[210] It cuts.

[211] I mean it's just it's dumb.

[212] It's a fucking dumb way.

[213] I mean you can download an entire three -hour show in seconds.

[214] Yep.

[215] You have a podcast.

[216] And you want, you get it on Spotify or whatever, you download the whole fucking thing right before a plane ride in the airport.

[217] You're in the airport and you go, oh, hey, this is new Artie Lang podcast.

[218] Beep, download it.

[219] While you're fucking waiting for your gate to be called, you have the podcast, you get on the three -hour flight, you listen to the whole goddamn thing.

[220] It's easy.

[221] What's interesting is going, I'm really curious to see what you think, but going from live radio and constant interaction with callers, which I love.

[222] you know i'm a i'm a to podcasting and just being there alone with the mic and you know a guest no you can do that you can i'm told i can i'm told i can go live i haven't figured it out yet no you can i got a great group of people that are working with me amazing people have come out of the the greatest thing has been how people have shown up like people from my life like 15 years ago 20 years ago phone just ringing text is coming i know i haven't taught you and saying kind of just what you're saying you're better off you're you know one day you know one day you're you know one door closes, but more importantly, just people talking about how you change their life and how they can't wait to see what you do next is an amazing, amazing feeling.

[223] Like if you do that with one person, your cup is full.

[224] To have an audience of people doing that for 12 years, it's overwhelming joy and satisfaction to be able to look at my daughters and be like, no matter what happens next, what I got to do there and what I did do there on so many tough issues and helped so many people.

[225] That's it, man. I could die.

[226] I could die right now and be happy.

[227] Don't die.

[228] It would be good for me to do it on the show, though.

[229] You have a nice past, which is wonderful.

[230] But the thing about scary things and the thing about this is that it's an opportunity for growth.

[231] It's an opportunity to do something.

[232] It's an opportunity to stretch your wings, to really take a chance.

[233] And that's how you grow.

[234] And I appreciate you saying that, and I'm on that same wavelength.

[235] And I'm a guy who who thrives in these situations.

[236] Like I've taken advantage of every room I've been in.

[237] I've never been the best comic, the best.

[238] I've never been the best at anything, but I've always been gritty.

[239] I've always worked as hard if not harder than anybody.

[240] And now it's interesting because I've never been in this type of situation with a family.

[241] You know, that's different when you're single and you're young.

[242] But I was working that hard and making no excuses.

[243] And back then doing no drugs, not drinking everything.

[244] It was just about my career and being a good person.

[245] I thought if I was a good person, that mattered.

[246] And to come to find out, being a good person was the best form of currency.

[247] Everybody competing and trying to kill other people in our business or in any other business, to me, I have no interest in that and no attraction in those people.

[248] All I wanted to do is help people, not think, just for purposes of altruism, not to be virtuous, just because the same reason you are.

[249] Being kind is the way to be, not putting a knife in someone's back.

[250] and when the show ended it was amazing because people started tweeting things that I had done that I never thought would become public they were private things they weren't for and it was just like days and days of people I used to do a segment every week called Stand Up with a Veteran for veterans and like this veterans community came out strong and they're like what they let you go you did so much for us and I was like I think it's a dying company I don't think you should dwell on all this I mean it's just a dying company I mean, now you have an opportunity.

[251] I mean, it's great that you did all these good things.

[252] It's great.

[253] I don't mean to sound negative.

[254] I don't mean to sound like I'm dwelling on it.

[255] I mean to say, it was an amazing experience that was afforded to me. I leveraged it.

[256] I took advantage of it.

[257] I'm really excited.

[258] Every day I wake up now, just ideas, ideas, ideas, hammering phone calls.

[259] While you were doing the show, were you under any sort of exclusive thing where you couldn't do anything on the internet?

[260] Right.

[261] You were?

[262] Yeah.

[263] I mean, yeah, pretty much.

[264] We couldn't do a podcast.

[265] It was direct, no. That was direct competition.

[266] Yeah, because do you remember when Anthony, from Opian Anthony Kumia had live from the compound?

[267] Of course.

[268] He was doing this thing.

[269] Was that overlapping with Sirius?

[270] Oh, yeah.

[271] That's why I started my podcast.

[272] Because?

[273] 100%.

[274] Because he had a studio in his basement where he's doing karaoke holding a machine gun.

[275] And he was drunk.

[276] And I was like, what?

[277] You could do that.

[278] Oh, I don't know.

[279] It's Anthony.

[280] I'm sure it was loaded.

[281] He's fucking crazy.

[282] I know.

[283] I always had a great relationship with him now.

[284] I love that guy.

[285] Yeah, he's one of the funniest guys.

[286] He liked me. Because we agreed on nothing, but, you know, we got along.

[287] But he's a genius.

[288] I mean, it really is like...

[289] He's a pretty smart, dude.

[290] The way he thinks and talks about things, agree with him or don't agree with him.

[291] He's a very entertaining guy.

[292] I love doing radio with him.

[293] And he had this basement set up where he had a green screen and he...

[294] Yes, I remember that.

[295] Like a real production table and real production mics.

[296] And he spent all this money on, like, really high -end stuff.

[297] And he and I had a conversation.

[298] I'm like, what are you doing?

[299] He's like, I'm just fucking around.

[300] I'm having fun.

[301] And I was like, wow, I remember thinking about it going, I need to do something like that.

[302] And when me and my friend Red Band, when we started it, we just used a laptop.

[303] But I remember thinking about what he had set up.

[304] So we were just doing, like, answering questions, talking to people on, you know, like, I forget what it was.

[305] I guess it was Twitter.

[306] It was 2009.

[307] It'll be 10 years next month.

[308] It's awesome, man. But the inspiration was Obie and Anthony for.

[309] because their show was like just a hang.

[310] There was no structure to it.

[311] It was just having conversations to people.

[312] But then when I saw Anthony have that set up in his basement, I was like, oh, I could do something like this.

[313] And by the way, having a studio, and I always thought that was weird because he was all the way out in Long Island.

[314] I was like, is that going to work?

[315] How's going to get people out there?

[316] It was hard when he got fired.

[317] When he got fired, it was hard to get people out there.

[318] Yeah, I'd imagine.

[319] But like him, I had a big, a vast network, and technology has gotten so much.

[320] better in terms of getting guests but I mean I just uh you got to wonder how it's how it's all going to work and how do you if you're going to go live there's just so many things it seems to be thinking about how it's going to what's going to work like what works and well do you know anybody that has a studio that yeah yeah they're all wanting to come do it yeah as long as you don't I was going to say the commute that's the commute the fact that he has a studio and when I got a studio in my house Sirius XM had me do it early, like six and nine a .m. slot for two years.

[321] And I was like, you did it in your house?

[322] Yeah, negotiated it.

[323] I was like, you want me to do six and nine am.

[324] You've got to build me a nice studio.

[325] And they did.

[326] And that was the richest I could ever be.

[327] A friend of mine's wife works at a college and walks five minutes.

[328] That's her commute.

[329] I think a commute is almost a definition of your wealth.

[330] My body turned to mush when I had to drive into the city an hour each way.

[331] Like everything about about a long commute made me feel weaker and less than and the idea that you can have a studio in your house or work from home no matter what your job is is a pretty sweet deal yeah i think the commute can definitely grind on you but it also is an opportunity to listen to books on tape for sure you do whatever you can be productive and be positive yeah and you can go two hours early and get an hour workout in before you get there did that there's a lot of good stuff that can come from everything if you look at things correctly i agree i i share your outlook i think that one of the things i've been listening to your podcast for years but like you know not every episode not religiously but since i lost my job i was like let me let me just start listening to rogan and what's really interesting about you in my opinion is you're you are the perfect example of somebody that everybody wants to put into a box and you can't it's what's wrong with everything in our country and our conversation it's whatever people think that you are there everybody that i tell that i'm doing this show they say they have an opinion of you and then i listen to your show and here's the the main takeaway i get from your conversations is that you try to find the positivity in everything you're like the most positive guy whatever you think about any issue or any idea any opinion you have you're always being so positive and so helpful and it it has been honestly in this like trying time the other thing my dad just had my i get fired my dad had a heart attack and then a week later he's on blood thinners and he faints and bounces his face off a counter, rips his eye open, goes into surgery, now he can't see out of his eye, and he's a ski instructor and a cyclist, and he's a race car driving instructor, and so I'm dealing with that, dealing with my job, dealing with my family, listening to you and a handful of other people, just bringing as much positivity to every scenario in situation, and that's my nature too.

[332] But it's some days, it doesn't matter who you are.

[333] You've got to yourself off the ground, but, you know, you can't, I can't let my daughter see me sweat either.

[334] Yeah, well, let them see me vulnerable, but they're not going to see me sweat.

[335] Well, you don't have to sweat.

[336] You just have to grind.

[337] You just have to hustle.

[338] I'm grinding.

[339] You're a respected guy.

[340] You're a very good host of a show.

[341] You just have to find a new venue.

[342] That's all it is.

[343] This is a good opportunity.

[344] You're healthy.

[345] You know, you don't have anything wrong with you.

[346] Mentally and physically, I've always thought mentally that I was the happiest, healthiest guy.

[347] So it's, it's been a weird thing to not be able to espouse that on people and physically I'm yeah I'm back too I'm back to training well that's all that's good shit man it's like you just need to find a place the thing about doing it in the city and I know you don't want to live in the city but doing it in the city you can get guests in studio for sure and that is so much better it's so much better why do you think like why do you think that because the way we're talking right I agree but you can't look on a camera at somebody there's a weird delay like when I was doing it with Snowden yeah there's a weird delay but he wasn't even rush or something like that yeah but it doesn't matter it was real time yeah I mean I mean, the actual lag was very minimal.

[348] What do we think the, like, the lag was?

[349] The Russians.

[350] There's nothing, right?

[351] There's nothing.

[352] But even FaceTime, like, when I'm on the road and I'm FaceTime and my family, it's weird.

[353] Like, what did you say?

[354] Huh?

[355] Okay.

[356] Right.

[357] You know, so there's a weird thing.

[358] I agree with you.

[359] I always preferred having people in studio for sure.

[360] It's 50 % better.

[361] I feel like.

[362] It might be more.

[363] I just made up that number.

[364] I feel like one cool opportunity is to travel to different places and find the most interesting articulate people and do gigs there do stand up at night spend a couple days there interviewing the most interesting people in whatever town that you're in oh 100 % and so that's kind of what i'm doing the thing about that is you're going to need someone to film if you want to do a video element of it here's the thing about a video element of it when you when you talk about um some people don't listen to this podcast they don't watch it right it's a lot of people right when we first did it the video aspect of it was just an aside.

[365] We just, we did it with a webcam, and then we started putting it on iTunes, and the iTunes was way more popular than the video, which was on Ustream, which was it's not, I mean, I don't even know if it exists anymore.

[366] Does Ustream exist?

[367] It does.

[368] Now it's YouTube.

[369] Now it's YouTube.

[370] More, you have a, it's a built -in platform, right?

[371] So there's millions and millions of people are on it, just looking for shit to watch.

[372] Yeah, I definitely want to do that.

[373] I definitely want to do that.

[374] But I'm thinking you're making obviously a lot of a good points about where it can be done and what you know the best ways to do it and I've been talking to so many smart people obviously every day I mean my network is is I'm lucky to have this network and amazing people that are just so kind and generous to give me this advice and honest too you know they tell you don't be an idiot don't fuck enough don't do that you know it's it's a as a comic you I think that's that's the way that you think you want people to be as brutal as they can be with criticism you don't take it personally just like okay yep I'll take that advice, I'll apply that and change that and tweet that.

[375] Yeah.

[376] Well, there's nothing wrong with getting some constructive or even destructive criticism.

[377] Like you just, you have to, you know, you have to have feedback.

[378] I mean, it does not always, it's not always accurate or correct, but feedback is important.

[379] And that's one of the good things about having like one of those talk shows where people call in, you know, that's one of the good things.

[380] They get to give you some feedback.

[381] I love that.

[382] One of the bad things is they get to give you some feedback.

[383] That's one of the bad things.

[384] Yeah, so it's always entertaining.

[385] Like if they shit on me It was always very entertaining As a comic I love heckles I love anybody yelling out I live for it Those are my favorite moments What I like best Is one -on -one conversations with people That's what I like best And that's what I like best To listen to as well Yeah And you know like when You know I'd listen to Stern And then when someone would call in I was like why are they letting somebody call in And some guy would yell out Baba Booie or talking about sniff And Robin's farts or something like that one Or they would just be born And you don't want to be rude but you have to be like I can't I'm doing a show here man you're babbling odd that he would just go to callers in the middle of a conversation you know with some lady who's an actress or something it's just yeah but that's the chaos that he sort of cultivated well I think that that's what's the great the great thing about this show is the people that you get and the interaction the conversation that you have and I was trying to do the same thing for you know at serious well you were doing it you just were doing it in this walled garden yeah a bunch assholes that are running the ship.

[386] And doing it for like 20, 25 minutes a piece.

[387] I'm always amazed that you and a handful of other people can sustain like an two -hour conversation.

[388] I love that.

[389] Everybody can.

[390] You can do it too.

[391] I think I can, but that was never allowed to.

[392] Those rules were always like...

[393] Cut to commercial, yeah.

[394] Yeah.

[395] Yeah, you had hard breaks.

[396] I'm doing a podcast in the other day and I'm like, thanks for tuning in.

[397] We're almost out of time.

[398] I'm like, you didn't tune in and we're not almost out of time.

[399] I can do whatever the hell I whatever I want.

[400] No such thing is out of time.

[401] I can just keep talking.

[402] We can just keep talking.

[403] Well, the worst thing is presidential debates.

[404] They're literally picking the person who's going to run the free world, and you have to stop because there's a Palmolov commercial.

[405] Does Paul Malve even a thing?

[406] I'm such an old man. I'm pulling out fucking Paul Mal of references.

[407] I think they're usually pharmaceutical companies at this point.

[408] Pfizer.

[409] Yeah, but it's a boner pill.

[410] The irony of them talking about the pharmaceutical companies, and then they advertise during the break.

[411] But you're absolutely, yeah, it's not real.

[412] I mean, the presidential debates are so not real.

[413] And all those networks, I mean, my friends produced those.

[414] things and it's just like it's a show it's it's like when you get Bernie like when I had Bernie Sanders in here and you get to talk to him like a real human being yes you go oh you're a you're a human being who cares about people and you have a different perspective on what these people are saying your your idea of democratic socialism is not this wacky socialism it's not a sound bite yeah and it's not this thing where people think you're just going to steal money from hardworking folks and give it to lazy people that's the worst case you know stereotype.

[415] It's none of that.

[416] It's none of that.

[417] No, it's not, we're not going to privatize shoe stores and gyms.

[418] He's a very thoughtful person.

[419] And I was talking to his, because as I told you, I'm thinking very seriously now, but also running for Congress.

[420] And I was talking to his, I think Deputy Chief of Staff, a guy named Ari Ravenhoff, great guy.

[421] And I was telling him, I was doing your show.

[422] And he told me that after Bernie Sanders did your show, he, everybody was recognizing him.

[423] I'm like, really?

[424] Like, he reached a whole different demographic talking to you than he ever had before because he's mostly on those cable news shows he's mostly on terrestrial or you know radio but when you do these what do you even call this now non -traditional alternative media might as well be mainstream but the point is when you have a long conversation with bernie sanders and he's not like up there you know what we have to do that you know all that shit is is annoying you've heard it before he sits down and has a real conversation with you and everybody's like oh man that guy's make it a lot of good points.

[425] Yeah.

[426] Well, you've got to think of like what is annoying to people.

[427] And one of the things that's annoying to people is that fucking rapid fire, not, you know, la, la, la, la, la, yeah, their cadence.

[428] And health care, and Medicare, and education I shall be free.

[429] And like, like, people are like, hey, hey, hey, fuck face.

[430] I just got off work, okay?

[431] Why are you yelling?

[432] This guy's annoying and he wants to take my money.

[433] Fuck him.

[434] And you just press stop.

[435] Right.

[436] And that's, you have to be able to change your cadence, your addiction and your commentary and you have to be able to get questions that are more thoughtful and that's the thing about all these cable news interviewers and network like they always want to get some headline and that's the other thing you know about corporate media too they want you so i've been in that belly of that beast joe for the last 15 years corporate you know political media and it's so manufactured i can tell you so many stories they call you up and they say you know how do you feel about anything.

[437] We want to make sure that you're completely the opposite of the other panelists and so that you have a really robust argument.

[438] And it's like not everything is binary.

[439] Most things aren't.

[440] There's a ton of nuance, a ton of gradation.

[441] We don't have to hate each other.

[442] That's how they get ratings.

[443] That's how they sell advertising.

[444] I blame most of the problems in our country on corporate media, terrestrial radio, just doing that format all day.

[445] It works really well for conservatives, not as well for liberals, but it still works.

[446] And They sell ads and a few people make a lot of money, but the country suffers.

[447] The idea that we're so divided is such bullshit.

[448] I talk to people from all over the country, travel all over the place.

[449] I understand the issues really intimately.

[450] And I don't care what you think about anything.

[451] There's something you have to offer me. There's something you have to make my life to enrich me. I don't care what you believe on abortion or guns or certain things.

[452] Because if you could teach me how to fix this engine, I'm into it.

[453] I want to learn how to that.

[454] If you can teach me how to exercise better, but you don't like our trade policies.

[455] I don't give a shit what you think about our trade policies.

[456] Let's just not even talk about it.

[457] Let's talk about the things.

[458] And it's trying to get to the root of somebody's soul is what we should all be trying to do.

[459] Every day.

[460] What happened to you that made you think this way?

[461] What is the experience?

[462] What is your journey?

[463] To me, that's the fascinating shit about human beings.

[464] Well, one of the things about something like cable talk shows or.

[465] Or, you know, news shows or any of these political arenas, is that there's a lack of real interaction with the general public in terms of, like, real conversations with people.

[466] You have a host who's wearing makeup, who's got spotlights on them, and there's a microphone in front of him, and he's talking to his other people, and there's cameras pointed at them.

[467] And no one really feels like this is, this is not a normal way of people talking.

[468] No, nobody talks like that.

[469] And rarely you see someone sit down and they're like, every now and then they have those shows where like it's a one -on -one, like Trump will sit across from fucking, what's his name?

[470] What's that dude's name?

[471] Which network?

[472] It's a Fox guy.

[473] Hannity?

[474] No, the other.

[475] Dobbs.

[476] That guy.

[477] Yeah.

[478] Who's hilarious.

[479] It's funny watching the two of them together.

[480] I mean, Dobbs is lost his mind.

[481] He's just kicking that ass and going like just.

[482] He is all.

[483] He is digging way in.

[484] But it works.

[485] He's making, I used to know, I used to be on with that guy.

[486] the most pleasant guy in the world, but what he's doing, he is, it's so much, it's a North Korean situation.

[487] Lou Dobb, it's like state media every night, it doesn't matter, you know, he shall not be questioned kind of guy, worship the president.

[488] It's like, what are you doing?

[489] That's not even, but that's the, it's, I once got into this long, drawn out argument with Chris Cuomo, who I like a lot, but I was talking to him about, you know, listen, man, the difference between TV and radio, it's simple.

[490] It's, it's, in radio, you can have a long form, you can have a 20 minute to two -hour conversation and it's real and you get a lot done on TV you can have a five -minute conversation I go there's so many guests that you have on your show that I have on my show they're way more they have the ability to be thoughtful and nuanced yeah and make points they can't do that on cable and now you know he's doing a radio show so good for him well that's what I was getting at is that this separation between the people and then the just unnatural environment that they're in no one can relate to it what they can relate to It was two people just talking to each other.

[491] They can't relate to it, Joe, but they also think because they're conditioned to that if it's on a network, this person must be an authority and must be intelligent.

[492] But I'm here to tell everybody, I was talking about credit default swaps in the financial industry.

[493] I have an associate's degree and came up in the New York City comedy clubs.

[494] Like, I really didn't have any business talking about that.

[495] But the thing is, I could sound really smart for three and a half minutes on anything.

[496] Get me to minute five, I can't go that deep on certain issues, and I shouldn't be an authority on it, but just because I'm on cable news with a jacket and a shirt, and I'm this guy, people are like, oh, okay, well, I'll believe this guy, and it's not real.

[497] It's not real.

[498] That's a dying medium, too.

[499] I don't think 20, 30 years from now that's going to exist in the same form.

[500] Shorter than that.

[501] Yeah, and then also the interjection of commercials every seven minutes.

[502] The things that they're doing on debates, it's the same thing they're doing on these other cable talk shows.

[503] where they're trying to encapsulate these things into these very quick five -minute sound bites.

[504] Have you ever heard of Intelligence Squared debates?

[505] Yes.

[506] My friend John Donvin is the moderator.

[507] He should be moderating the presidential debates.

[508] He's the greatest guy.

[509] They have these really well -informed panelists to have a motion, and they do like two hours.

[510] And you can come in thinking so often one idea about the issue and you leave thinking something completely different because you have these very smart people debating with an excellent moderator doesn't let any bullshit and you really learn a lot no commercial breaks and you can you know listen to it even three people is too many people probably yeah it is it's like if you want to get to know someone it's a one on one because even with three people you're there's moments where you have something to say and then someone interject something else and then you lose your point and then you don't express it and then the other person's talking and you don't know when to talk and then you find yourself being a little bit more assertive in the way you're talking because you're trying to get your point across you feel like I'm not telling it talking enough and then if there's four people you're fucked like the most ridiculous thing they ever do is when they have those seven people panels and one person just starts fucking chiming in and screaming out loud and they talk over people and but they're also talking about because i had one foot in cable news for a long time still do i mean i still go on and then i had my long -form radio show where i would talk to policy experts it was very like the like right now when they're talking about the polls for the presidential race is anybody that's paying attention to that is wasting their time.

[511] It's a complete waste of time to talk about who's leading in what poll a year away.

[512] It's a year away.

[513] You could have a terrorist attack.

[514] You could have the economy crack.

[515] People like it for a game.

[516] It's not a game.

[517] Okay, but it is a game.

[518] If you're watching basketball, do you not pay attention to the first minute of the game?

[519] Because it doesn't really matter.

[520] What's really important is how many points are scored over the four quarters.

[521] Is there four quarters?

[522] Of a basketball game, I think there might be two -hav college or pro.

[523] But the point is, it's this is a weird game going on like Kamala Harris was ahead now she's fucked like this is fun it's fun for people this is half of what it is I don't I know it's serious I know it's significant I know there's grave consequences to picking the wrong leader but this is a game right but it's a bullshit game because as you said earlier the reason why Kamala Harris or anybody else takes a step backwards is because one stupid moment and how are we possibly picking somebody on one with Kamala Harris there's a bunch of different issues sure yeah but but often I mean Howard 14.

[524] Come on.

[525] I mean, have you listened to that?

[526] It never gets old.

[527] Never gets old.

[528] Never, ever.

[529] But it is weird that, it is weird that this day and age, that that crashed him.

[530] Well, given everything that of these other candidates have done and said.

[531] Yeah, but honestly, there's probably something else.

[532] It's how he responded to that as well.

[533] It's like he showed a lack of humility or understanding of what it was.

[534] Like, yeah, I sounded stupid.

[535] That's not what's important, ladies and gentlemen.

[536] Yeah, I screamed out.

[537] Like, when you got a microphone on me, me and I get excited I go yeah I mean you can also talk just about the ego of the people who are running for these offices and they don't seem to have an understanding of the idea of ego and what it means and how they should try to separate from it while using it like once you get into politics much less entertainment and you get really well known and fame you start believing things about yourself that aren't even remotely true they're not at the root some of that right huh it's certainly some of that.

[538] There's also you're protecting yourself, right?

[539] You have an image, you're protecting yourself.

[540] Yeah, it's a delicate dance that I am completely turned off by.

[541] I mean, that's why it's hard to think about, like, I was seriously considering running for Congress.

[542] You were or are?

[543] It's hard right now because I learned some crazy shit.

[544] What'd you learn?

[545] Dun, dun, don't.

[546] First of all.

[547] Drum roll, please.

[548] The corruption, I live in New York State.

[549] Wait a minute.

[550] New York State's not corrupt.

[551] The New York State...

[552] Stop the fucking...

[553] Stop this show.

[554] All of, you know, politics, there's levels of corruption.

[555] But in the New York State Democratic Party, there's always been all kinds of issues.

[556] So I met with a whole bunch of really smart people about running for New York 17, which is the district that I live in.

[557] Like, the day after I lost my gig at Sirius, the woman had been representing that district for 33 years announced that she was retiring.

[558] and I was like, well, I got nothing going on and I've always thought about running for office and let me, you know, seriously consider it.

[559] I reached out to a whole bunch of people from all different walks of life, congressmen that were in office, that had been out of office, campaign coordinators, I talked to Chris Cuomo, I talked to a whole bunch of people, but there's one person told me that if you want to, if you want to win, regardless of your party, affiliation, you have to, There's a certain special interest group that you had to promise you wouldn't interfere with and make sure they got an envelope of cash.

[560] And I'm like, well, I'm not doing that.

[561] I will tell everybody and everywhere I go about that.

[562] What is it?

[563] I can't because I don't have a second source, so I wouldn't say it.

[564] But I'm trying to get one to prove that it's true.

[565] What does it rhyme with?

[566] The special interest group won't do it because everybody will know.

[567] Everybody will know.

[568] And it's dangerous.

[569] But the point is, the point is...

[570] What's the opposite of that special interest group?

[571] Maybe the private sector.

[572] Right, but what would be like...

[573] What would be the thing that they're opposed to?

[574] What would it be that they're opposed to?

[575] You interfering with the way that they run their show.

[576] Right, right, right.

[577] But I'm saying like what group that we know would be opposed to them.

[578] Well, I could tell you it could be a religious group, a private sector, a union.

[579] or a company, you know, a corporate interest.

[580] It could be any one of those.

[581] The point is, the point, no, the point is that all of those types of organizations pressure that you have to, I'm an honest guy, I can't, I can't lie.

[582] I've never said anything into a microphone that I don't believe.

[583] And that's been both to my detriment and to my benefit, I think.

[584] I'm authentic.

[585] So when I was talking about running for office, my brother's like, you can't, you can't lie, you can't be dishonest to people.

[586] How are you going to do that?

[587] You'll have to sell out at least a little bit.

[588] that was the other thing and then I realized I'm not sure that this district or you know the country's ready for someone like me I'm a comic I've said a billion things on TV into a microphone and on stage and we're in a humorless country right now number one I smoke pot like are they ready for for the are we there yet I don't think we're humorless I disagree I think there's a lot of criticism going on but that's because there's a lot of policies do you think I agree with you overall but I mean for politicians for me to run for office and you see some stand -up bit I did or something, and then my opponent's playing that out of context.

[589] Dude, I got five words for you.

[590] Grab them by the pussy.

[591] That guy's the president.

[592] I think he is an aberration.

[593] I do.

[594] I don't think there's anything else that can get away with that kind of stuff.

[595] I think you're probably right.

[596] He's definitely an aberration.

[597] But I just think...

[598] Al Franken won as a senator as a comedian, but he was a writer.

[599] Like there wasn't a ton of and he got in trouble when there was a photo of him.

[600] I've said...

[601] Well, it's more than...

[602] than a photo there was actually all the allegations but the but the photo you know perception politics is perception and and whatever people see it's different than what they hear and what they believe and so that's the point that photo was harmless but it looked bad just like any joke i said or anything that i've said out of context so i just feel like and then i thought that you know i they could destroy me in any future earning potential that i could have i just the second episode of my podcast i interviewed tim ryan you know who he is he was running for a president because I was asking what does it take and it's first of all you got to run you got to raise a million dollars from people and individuals you don't like you don't want to be affiliated with but you have to you got to make them promises that the whole system is so filled and corrupted with money in almost every district and every state regardless of the office and how do you how does a person I'm a fairly affluent guy I'm a white straight guy whatever but I couldn't I don't know how I can afford to apply for a job for a year and pay my mortgage.

[603] So I want to do it if it looks feasible and if I don't have to take care of my family, my parents, not to mention, you know, pay my bills, but it's, you have to be an independently wealthy person, which sucks because it makes it much harder for regular people.

[604] There's plenty of exceptions to run for for office.

[605] Now, when you say that you had to give them an envelope and that you had to to what did you have to do did you have to support them through intermediaries you have to say basically you have to basically say i'm not going to interfere with your business we'll just look the other way you had to say that that's what i'm told that was what i was told by a guy rent how are you told this are you told this like hey if you ever want to be congressman you have to do this you don't have to but if you but if you don't want to win it's you're far more likely to win if you if you pay off these.

[606] It's not impossible but they'll try to destroy you if you don't.

[607] Really?

[608] Yeah and I can't.

[609] It's like Joe They'll just go after you.

[610] You can't if it's just me. Why can't you say who this is?

[611] Because only because I don't know if it's positively true.

[612] I need another source.

[613] I try to act like a journalist.

[614] And someone who's the intermediary like what kind of person is this?

[615] He managed campaigns in that district.

[616] He knows everything about the politics of and the special interest in that district.

[617] So it could potentially be that he's hoeing you out.

[618] Absolutely.

[619] which is why I won't tell you because it once he's saying that so that he's he's like sort of playing both sides so he goes to them.

[620] No, he wanted me to run and he wants.

[621] Sure, I'm sure he did.

[622] But he might also want to maintain his relationship with what a group this is.

[623] So he says, hey, I've gotten assurance.

[624] Knowing this guy, I don't think he's affiliated with that group, but it's possible.

[625] And so I try to have journalistic ethics before I would say something.

[626] I'll tell you off the mic.

[627] Okay.

[628] But I wouldn't wait for the show to be over.

[629] but I wouldn't say without having a second source like that's what's irresponsible about so much of our media like when Trump or anybody says fake news it's like listen it's not you can't if you have to have two sources you go to your editor with those two sources and then you can print it you can't make them up if you make up a source you're like Mancia that's it you're done you can't that's like stealing a joke you can't make up a source you'll never work again it would be a stupid thing to do worse when you make up a joke I mean if you make up a source I mean you you wouldn't do it work man see is still working fair enough people do it's different after they steal journalists and comedians are a lot different but I mean it's the worst if you if someone finds that you're making up a source yet nobody does it and in the few in the few instances where someone did make up a source or even plagiarize that which are the two worst things you can do as journalists they never work again or they don't work for a very long time you know Johan Hari he's been on your show he's been on my show he was accused of of some like I think It was plagiarism, and it took him a really long time to win his integrity back.

[630] Yeah, I didn't find that out, actually, until after he'd been on the show the second time.

[631] But, like, what was...

[632] Great guy.

[633] He's a great guy.

[634] But what was he accused of?

[635] I don't remember.

[636] It was, I feel like it might have been plagiarism, though.

[637] And that kind of thing, the point is, that kind of thing ruins you.

[638] And so, I wouldn't come here and do that, even though I don't...

[639] I wouldn't call myself a journalist, but I would want...

[640] Because of what you're saying, because you're smart, I'm very skeptical, too, of people.

[641] and their sources of what their interests are.

[642] And a lot of people really want me to run for Congress for a lot of different reasons, but mainly because they think I can tap my network of wealthy people and, you know, they can make money.

[643] Love Trump or hate Trump.

[644] That is precisely what he was talking about when he said drain the swamp.

[645] Now, this is the swamp, this sort of convoluted world of influence.

[646] Well, yes and no, the swamp.

[647] Yeah, but it's also money and all the other things that he didn't drain.

[648] And he actually brought in people that were.

[649] He made the swamp.

[650] Swampier.

[651] It's filled with malaria and crocodiles.

[652] Like I always, we don't even define things.

[653] Unfortunately, we don't have the same baseline, unfortunately, in this country of what words mean.

[654] But I've always thought what that meant was government corruption, that the private sector is influencing government.

[655] And the way that they obviously do it, the system that we have is you have to get money from wealthy people and wealthy interests.

[656] And then you have to advocate for them.

[657] Whatever the interest is, you have to, or they won't get.

[658] give you more money.

[659] And so that's what's beautiful about Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders.

[660] They are not allowing any donations from any super PACs, from any wealthy individuals.

[661] It's grassroots.

[662] I think Tulsi's doing that as well.

[663] Yeah, a handful of more.

[664] The whole Democratic Party mostly committed to it.

[665] I don't think Biden's doing it.

[666] If Biden was doing it, I don't think he remembers.

[667] I totally agree with that, by the way.

[668] Dude's out.

[669] Well, listen, I don't think you should be running for president if you're 75.

[670] I think the same about Trump and Bernie and Biden.

[671] All three of them are all.

[672] My dad...

[673] Some people are 75 and they're very lucid.

[674] My dad is in the best shape of any man I know.

[675] Dude just had a heart attack.

[676] Bernie Sanders just had a heart attack.

[677] Like, when you get older, especially as a man, shit breaks down.

[678] Yeah, but it's like, who has the energy?

[679] Plus, I just think younger people just have more of an actual interest and understanding of what's happening.

[680] That's why Andrew Yang is so attractive.

[681] Yes.

[682] Yeah.

[683] No, I agree with that.

[684] But I think that there's...

[685] I mean, it depends entirely in the individual.

[686] There are 75 -year -olds that are healthy and there's 75 -year -olds that are not.

[687] I disagree because you could be the healthiest 75 -year -old in the world, did everything right, and then shit can just shut down because you're 75.

[688] Your body's just old.

[689] It's possible.

[690] It's far more the actuary possibilities are just far higher.

[691] But you're balancing things out, right?

[692] You also have wisdom and experience and education and understanding of the life.

[693] Maybe.

[694] I mean, Bernie Sanders is one of my heroes, but I want to have.

[695] him to just, you know, endorse Elizabeth Warren and get it over with it.

[696] Well, first of all, being a president is a ridiculous proposition, period.

[697] And it's an antiquated idea.

[698] I agree.

[699] We'd have one alpha that runs this whole fucking show.

[700] Yes.

[701] It's a great idea when there's 50 people in a trial.

[702] Yes, I have a chief, but not a president of 330 million people that is an outsized influence and a bully pulpit.

[703] And then has this, we have this reverence for them and this defense of them.

[704] this attacking of their every move, their every character, and it's just such an easy thing to dunk on them, and it's just tiresome to me. Yeah, it's unhealthy for the country, too.

[705] It's unhealthy for all of us.

[706] It's unhealthy for our souls every single day, especially like, like the thing that you miss about pre -Trump, whoever it was, Republican and a Democrat, like, remember when you used up weekends?

[707] Like, you could relax on the weekend, no politics.

[708] But that's internet, though.

[709] You're right, there's a lot of that.

[710] Have you seen Trump's religious advisor?

[711] Yes.

[712] How wonderful is that?

[713] She, the woman who says, if you don't support Trump, you're going against God.

[714] Yes.

[715] Can we play any of that?

[716] It's it.

[717] I don't think so.

[718] It's not that video.

[719] I don't think we can play because I'm going to add that together.

[720] Too bad.

[721] I can do it, I think.

[722] If you don't support President Trump, then you are going against God.

[723] And it's like, I'm not going against God.

[724] Those people, those people are so effective as like, I think comics can really relate to them.

[725] They're so good at performing.

[726] Yeah.

[727] Well, it's Kinison.

[728] Yeah.

[729] And if you, and if you.

[730] No, Kinnison was one of those.

[731] Right, right.

[732] He was a preacher.

[733] Right.

[734] He was one of the, yeah, who turned into a comic.

[735] He had that skill set.

[736] Trump is the same way.

[737] The way he stalks the stage and works the audience.

[738] I mean, it's very, very effective.

[739] But it's also, to say that if you don't support a certain politician, Like, to me, that stuff is so, it's very boring.

[740] Like, come on, this binary bullshit.

[741] But she's a horseshit artist no matter what.

[742] I mean, that's what she does.

[743] She's trying to get low -frequency people.

[744] She catches these nine -volt brains.

[745] Paula White, Donald Trump's new advisor, ratchets of rhetoric denounces demonic networks opposing presidents calling.

[746] Demonic.

[747] She's wonderful.

[748] I bet that lady does Coke, and I bet she likes it right in the booty.

[749] I think that every time.

[750] You see...

[751] I bet you see parties.

[752] Every time you see one of these people, I just have a knee -jerk reaction.

[753] When I see a Catholic priest, I'm like...

[754] Oh, yeah.

[755] When I see one of these people, I'm like, they're completely contradicting.

[756] You know, these gay conversion people that have come out...

[757] Pray the gay away.

[758] Yeah.

[759] They're banging guys.

[760] Oh, hell, all the time.

[761] All the time.

[762] You remember Ted Haggard?

[763] Do I?

[764] Oh, yeah.

[765] I'll bet you did.

[766] Well paid.

[767] With meth or no. Smooth skin.

[768] Yeah, of course.

[769] I would never massage Ted Haggard without meth.

[770] Really?

[771] Block me on Twitter.

[772] He said That's quite an accolade See, I forget what he said He said something like You know, after Sunday service You know, what should we do?

[773] And I said, how about meth and blow jobs?

[774] That was it.

[775] Boom.

[776] That's actually what they do.

[777] It's a joke But it's also probably what He seemed like such a nice guy too But it's so sad too.

[778] Not really though.

[779] Did you ever see the thing with him and Dawkins When he got really nasty with Dawkins?

[780] Wow.

[781] Yeah.

[782] That was before he actually got in trouble, too.

[783] That was when he was running a whole arena filled with...

[784] Back to ego.

[785] Yeah.

[786] When you think so much of you and your ideas and you come up in that case, Ted Haggard versus Richard Dawkins is like Mike Tyson versus...

[787] A baby.

[788] Something lower.

[789] Yeah.

[790] Something much lower.

[791] That's a fetus.

[792] And there's no match.

[793] And so you're going to lose your shit.

[794] You know, I love those debates on...

[795] Super frustrated.

[796] But it's also...

[797] he was frustrated that, you know, Dawkins had, Dawkins has an arrogance about him, you know, this.

[798] Yeah, scientist's tender.

[799] Yeah, but he does specifically particularly.

[800] Well, I had him in here recently when he was talking about life after death, that he thinks the lights just go out.

[801] And I'm like, well, maybe, but we don't know.

[802] We don't know.

[803] I don't think.

[804] I don't have any experience with what happens when you die.

[805] I really have no idea.

[806] It would be very interesting if there was some sort of dimensional travel thing that happens to the spirit or the soul or whatever this concept of consciousness is.

[807] How much have, do you think about your mortality?

[808] Sure.

[809] On a regular?

[810] I try not to.

[811] It doesn't do any good.

[812] Right.

[813] But when it comes in, what do you do?

[814] You know, try to be nice to the people I know.

[815] Try to be kind to the people that I care about.

[816] That's an interesting answer when I say, when you think about your own death, what do you do?

[817] I just try to be a good person.

[818] I love that.

[819] There's nothing you can do.

[820] While I'm here, I want as little bad feelings as possible.

[821] It's impossible to have no bad feelings.

[822] Right.

[823] So whatever I can do to mitigate that, I try.

[824] How have you worked on your anger and had that dissipate?

[825] Like, what's the best thing?

[826] Exercise.

[827] For you?

[828] Exercise is the big one.

[829] Yeah, because I think a lot of my anger is just caveman genetics.

[830] And then a fucked up childhood, too.

[831] So growing up in a violent household and being around a lot of violence, like I also had a deal with, I grew up essentially all throughout high school until I was 22 fighting.

[832] So I was always involved as an outlet for your emotions.

[833] Yeah, well, it was also developed my human potential.

[834] It was martial arts.

[835] It was competition.

[836] But it's also there's a downside of that that I grew up like being praised.

[837] for explosive violence That's wrong Yeah I mean it was in competition It was it was agreed upon I was doing it with other trained killers But it's still That's a weird thing to get past Yeah I have an example of I mean I'm sure you have a billion of them I didn't mean to cut you off But when my daughter was like three years old We're visiting family And people I don't really know my wife's family And his five year old son goes over My daughter's just looking up with the TV This little three year old girl and he comes over and you just clocks her knocks her over and we're all like oh my god what what and the dad comes over and just starts beating the shit out of his five -year -old and i just starts screaming i'm like that's why he did it that's why he did it he you learn what you live oh my god you know and children learn what they live and so when you're so when you're but what you're saying when you when you train when you exercise are their feelings are there emotions coming out or is it energy that you're just expended Energy.

[838] You're not thinking about when you're...

[839] I'm not like angry at my child or anything when I'm hitting the bag.

[840] No, I'm just exercising.

[841] When I'm running or doing yoga or anything I'm doing, it's strenuous.

[842] I just had this conversation with Ben Westoff, who's on here before you.

[843] And the way I described it is I think that a human body has a certain amount of physical requirements.

[844] I think there's your body's a system.

[845] And this system is designed through nature and natural selection and hundreds of thousands of years of being human beings.

[846] to have issues that come up and to be physically prepared to deal with those issues, whether it's a neighboring tribe invades you or an animal's trying to attack you or you're just trying to hunt and gather food.

[847] All those things are built into our system and it takes tens of thousands of years for that DNA to shift and change and become something different.

[848] So we have a certain amount of physical requirements that we're just born with, and it's different with every person.

[849] Some people have less.

[850] Some people have more.

[851] I tend to be on the high side.

[852] And I'm a different person when I exercise.

[853] I'm a different person when I get time to sleep correctly and eat correctly and exercise.

[854] I'm different.

[855] And I like that person better.

[856] That's a nicer person.

[857] I like that guy better.

[858] So I try to be that guy as much as I can.

[859] But I have a million different people living inside my brain all the time, bouncing around, fighting for dominance.

[860] Really?

[861] Yeah.

[862] It's like there's a director that try to keep them all in order, which is like the consciousness.

[863] Is that a struggle?

[864] Every day?

[865] Everybody has it.

[866] There's always things.

[867] Like, you're a better person when you're well rested.

[868] Life is going well.

[869] For sure.

[870] You had great interactions with your family, great interaction with your friends, and then you run into someone on the street versus you just got fired from your job.

[871] You walked in and your wife sucking the plumber off.

[872] You have all these things go wrong.

[873] All that happened to me just now, by the way.

[874] All those things can happen.

[875] I lose my job.

[876] I go home.

[877] There's my wife with the plumber.

[878] You are a different person.

[879] No, I...

[880] Depended upon what you encounter in your life.

[881] I completely agree with that, but it's a practice.

[882] I like that work, and you have to practice it every day, and you have to find out...

[883] You're not going to fix it.

[884] Right, right.

[885] You're not just going to get better.

[886] You're just going to get better at forming the good habits.

[887] What about therapy?

[888] I don't do that.

[889] Never did?

[890] No, but I do get in an isolation tank.

[891] I've done a lot of psychedelics.

[892] I was going to ask you about that.

[893] I'm thinking about trying that.

[894] You should.

[895] I feel like that's been a big pot of your life.

[896] What do you want to do?

[897] Are you some mushrooms?

[898] Have you ever done mushrooms?

[899] No. You can't?

[900] I mean, I would like to.

[901] If I do it, I want to do it with you for sure.

[902] Okay.

[903] But I got a long night ahead of me, I think.

[904] Oh, what are you doing tonight?

[905] I have, like, family.

[906] Oh.

[907] I haven't seen a long time that they're begging me to.

[908] Yeah, you don't want to.

[909] I probably don't want to.

[910] A lot of little microdose.

[911] Microdose is not a bad way to get through a day.

[912] Can you drive with it?

[913] Oh, I wouldn't recommend it.

[914] Yeah, I don't know where I am.

[915] I got a rental car.

[916] Yeah.

[917] I really want to do it.

[918] I'm ready for it, but I feel like I need.

[919] Huh?

[920] You've done nothing?

[921] No, I mean, weed every day.

[922] Grace.

[923] Yeah.

[924] You got any of those Kevin Smiths?

[925] No, I don't want to smoke on the show because I feel like it makes me verbose.

[926] Well, you're already verbose.

[927] You talk for a living.

[928] There's nothing wrong with that.

[929] But it makes me even worse.

[930] And I don't want to...

[931] What happened to this one?

[932] It got crusty and broken.

[933] Don't worry about it.

[934] We can do it.

[935] Or towards the end, whatever.

[936] I love that.

[937] Yeah, but for me, that I didn't...

[938] My brother was in rehab when I was 16.

[939] He was 18.

[940] I love that you're scanning the room.

[941] Where's those Kevin Smith?

[942] joints we have on the table oh okay so uh what's that right there that little tube right there jami that's hilarious there's just stuff everywhere what's that oh there's one what is this this ashtray filled with treasures um um but i didn't touch any alcohol or drugs so it was like 25 my brother was in rehab we had to do an intervention it was nuts and i was like i knew i wanted to be a comic and i thought that if i did anything it would affect me It would distract me. Make you a loser.

[943] No, no. It would just make me pursue that and not my dreams.

[944] This is the other thing.

[945] Like, if I take a hit off this and I still want to run for Congress, like, it shouldn't matter.

[946] This is how I deal.

[947] Well, it's legal.

[948] It's no different than having a drink.

[949] Yeah, of course.

[950] It's preposterous to judge, but people do.

[951] Yeah, but I think the generation that's coming up will judge less.

[952] The generation after them will judge less.

[953] And it's just, we're living with the echoes of Reef or Madness, right?

[954] We're living with Harry Ann Slinger and William Randolph's work in the 1930s.

[955] Look them up, everybody.

[956] Look them up.

[957] Yeah, no doubt.

[958] But I think that you say they're the echoes, and I think they're pretty loud, certainly pretty loud in certain parts of the country.

[959] Yeah.

[960] And it's hard to measure.

[961] It's a good thing about being a congressman.

[962] It's you're representing a district, right?

[963] One of the guys is I become really good friends is that he was a Republican congressman.

[964] Name is Trey Radle.

[965] And he's the guy who got, he got, from Florida.

[966] Trey Radle.

[967] I like it.

[968] He got kicked out of Congress for buying cocaine from a Fed. Do you remember that?

[969] No, I don't.

[970] It was like three years ago.

[971] I don't pay that much attention to politics.

[972] I think politics is like baseball.

[973] Like some people just watched the World Series and some people watch college and look at fucking first round draft picks and.

[974] Oh, I'm addicted to it.

[975] Yeah.

[976] I was.

[977] That's another.

[978] nice thing and not having to be live every day and not having to know every single step of everything of going on because you realize that you're a very small minority of people when you uh found out that thing when you were told that thing by that guy i mean just make sure this doesn't go away is jrmy won't just plenty of it when you were told that thing about the guy who was the you know the congressman job you know that you would you're going to have to uh bribe play ball um was that what did you feel like let down yeah like almost like like, okay, I've been promoting a rigged game No, I know how well I know intimately how rigged the game is.

[979] It's just that you don't always know where and who the players are.

[980] I mean, I've done enough.

[981] Right, but isn't it, you're an honest person.

[982] You're not, you're not a bullshit artist.

[983] I hope everybody thinks that.

[984] I do.

[985] But, so if you're a part of a bullshit system, right?

[986] It's almost like you can't.

[987] To be who you are, you almost like can't be of Congress person.

[988] You just nailed it.

[989] It's a system.

[990] What you just said almost made me want to cry.

[991] Don't cry.

[992] Because, well, I get very emotional when someone pings a truth.

[993] That's what happens to me. I'm like, Jesus, I can't believe he just said that.

[994] My brother, who's my moral compass, my elder brother, is just radical, like, ridiculous, radically different person.

[995] He's like, said just what you said.

[996] Right before I came over here, he goes, the problem with you running is that.

[997] do you really buy in to this corrupt system?

[998] And I think because I'm such an optimist and such a positive thinking person, I've convinced myself, and that I do know a lot of people in Congress, know them personally and intimately, and I know a lot of people that work in government that I really admire.

[999] But the system, it's not the people as much as the system, but I also think that the way, I don't want to talk about it in a way that exonerates the public.

[1000] Like, we have to not be apathetic.

[1001] That's what my show has always been about.

[1002] It wasn't always a confusing title, stand up because I'm a comic.

[1003] But it meant stand up for something.

[1004] It meant care about something.

[1005] You don't have to be a full -time activist, but don't be, don't be apathetic.

[1006] The United States of apathy.

[1007] We can't sit here and blame the systems that we are complicit.

[1008] And watch you watch these, you watch this fucking every weekend in Hong Kong, every weekend, they stand up for their democracy.

[1009] They'd be doing it for months.

[1010] Right.

[1011] That's the biggest story.

[1012] It'll be the biggest story of 2019 and maybe the decade because they are fighting off China.

[1013] It's unbelievable.

[1014] Meanwhile, I just feel like we're just so comfortable.

[1015] And Hong Kong used to be a part of Great Britain, right?

[1016] Yeah.

[1017] And until like what?

[1018] 90 something when they had to give it back after like it was a 100 -year agreement or something like that.

[1019] Which is so crazy.

[1020] But China deal with China's like, Listen, we're not going to bother you.

[1021] You could keep doing what you're doing.

[1022] And then they started bothering them.

[1023] And they said, no, we're going to, you're ours now, now, behave.

[1024] Because they had so much more power and leverage.

[1025] And then human beings stood up.

[1026] Now they're doing it in Chile.

[1027] And now they're doing it in Iraq.

[1028] People are protesting.

[1029] And they're getting shot.

[1030] The greatest thing that I was ever a part of in media was probably, well, there was a lot of good things.

[1031] But CNN and Sirius XM's coverage of the Egyptian revolution.

[1032] It was a fucking amazing.

[1033] And that was something that was organized by social media, essentially.

[1034] Exactly.

[1035] Same thing in Iran and the Green Revolution of 2009.

[1036] What's interesting to me about this whole Hong Kong thing is that they're being introduced to the government of China over the last few decades, that this was something they were separated from.

[1037] And then all of a sudden they become property of China again, essentially, right?

[1038] and so then you're seeing this thing where they become accustomed to the British way of things and the Hong Kong original Hong Kong way of doing things and then things shift over it's a really unique moment of protest because it's very rare that you see the the actual government of a country shift the way it has in Hong Kong right I mean correct me if I'm wrong well I don't I don't profess to be an expert in revolution but this is what the conversation is about right now it's watching people in other parts of the world going out in the streets risking their lives literally and meanwhile in America why don't we what is it that will get us unified and out in the streets what is that issue and who things things get us unified particularly disasters yeah of course 9 -11 I was in New York what I'm saying about the yeah that was a big one I was a huge shift in the way people communicate a billion stories what I'm saying though is like We've never seen, like in our time, we've never seen a government shift over, right?

[1039] You've never seen that kind of a shift where a free, democratic sort of Western way of running things all of a sudden shifts over.

[1040] And because of that, I think the resistance to it is very unique.

[1041] I think if you studied the British colonization of the world, there would be a lot of that.

[1042] I think that's what we're talking about, literally, because it was Britain.

[1043] And then I can't speak to the specifics of the history of that, but it's what you're bringing up is a fascinating question that I'd love to get to the bottom of.

[1044] And there's probably a billion people who would be so good on it.

[1045] Well, even with so important, people stand up for something and care, I think.

[1046] Even with our limited understanding of the history of it, this is one thing we know for sure.

[1047] They used to be under Britain, and now they're not.

[1048] And now they're under China, and we're watching this resistance.

[1049] and we're seeing these people hundreds and hundreds of thousands of them in the streets and you know what my favorite part of it all was there was one time we're in ambulance how to get through and all the people from Hong Kong was just stood on left and the right and they let the ambulance go through and I'm like whoa good luck with that in Boston this fucking not going to happen bro look at this video man I mean this is incredible look at them this is what my brother and a lot of people who I respect and admire, but maybe I'm not courageous enough to challenge our system more, want to see here for something.

[1050] But what's it for?

[1051] Well, right now.

[1052] And why can it be climate?

[1053] Well, the hustle is the right versus left, right?

[1054] That's the hustle.

[1055] And the real hustle is the fact that people get ideologically driven and they pick aside.

[1056] And they go, you know, the problem is these fucking liberals, these fucking pussy liberals.

[1057] And then, you know, this problem is these racists, these white racist assholes.

[1058] I love your, I love your liberal.

[1059] liberal person.

[1060] That's how it goes, man. I'm from Berkeley, man. More.

[1061] More.

[1062] I want that.

[1063] This is a character that should definitely break out.

[1064] I should man. I should bring them out every now and then, man. It's like fucking heteronormative bullshit, right?

[1065] But these characters, but the problem is these are patterns of behavior that people slide into.

[1066] And that's why, you know, we were talking about putting people in boxes.

[1067] People love to be able to put you in that pattern.

[1068] I want to find out who you are.

[1069] Who are you?

[1070] Are you a liberal?

[1071] Are you a libertarian?

[1072] Are you a mean person?

[1073] Are you a nice person, or who are you?

[1074] My trick for my mom, when she would be telling whoever what her son does, well, he hosts a radio, he's a comedian, and he hosts a radio show.

[1075] Oh, what's his radio show about?

[1076] Oh, he talks about all kinds of news and issues and politics.

[1077] Oh, is he a liberal or a conservative?

[1078] They immediately want to know that.

[1079] You want to know whether you're a piece of shit racist or a cuck.

[1080] Cuck, please.

[1081] But my mom, the answer is a fucking hilarious word.

[1082] It really is.

[1083] It's really underappreciated.

[1084] I hope they keep it.

[1085] I hope it doesn't become racist or something.

[1086] You know, it's one of those words where it's like, I hope it doesn't slip away from us.

[1087] Like, we have it right now, we can enjoy it.

[1088] Like, you can't silence a lot of nonsense by calling somebody a cuck.

[1089] You really can.

[1090] It's like, woo!

[1091] And it's been overused, for sure.

[1092] But it's because it's the...

[1093] Not in text messaging.

[1094] It's recent and so effective.

[1095] It's just got such a pop to it when someone calls someone a cuck.

[1096] Especially if there's a ring of truth to it.

[1097] You know what I like it most used when you say?

[1098] something endearing.

[1099] I'll text my brother.

[1100] He's the kind of person that will use it maybe to me. Stop being such a cuck.

[1101] I'll be like, I love you, bro.

[1102] You're saving me. My brother's like my hero.

[1103] He's always there for me. He wrote my first stand -up material in high school when I was hosting a talent show and he was getting kicked out of the house and I had no material and I was doing Dana Carvey's impressions hosting a talent show and I had no material and I walked out and I see a whole script that my brother had written.

[1104] Wow.

[1105] That's awesome.

[1106] Didn't let me down.

[1107] that's awesome even though he's high and drunk didn't let me down those are the guys the best writing for you i'll say something endearing to him like that loving and then you get back uh cock like that kind of response like when you don't yeah perfect yeah perfect i'm not even actually now don't even know if he is uh actually using that or if i'm just high i'm sure he used it it's a good word but back to revolution like why can it and and what you're saying the hustle i love that discussion because everything is about defining so my answer my mom would give excuse me getting back to that was well he talks about issues so you know that's what he talks about but they want to pin you into something so they can know how to feel about you to like or to hate you are you on my team or you're not and that is destroy so destructive it is and the other thing is the resistance to what you're saying the resistance is toxic too because people think no it's it's important that you take aside it's important that we de -platform Nazis they say things like that and you're like whoa whoa whoa who's all fucking Nazis stop Look, they're real Nazis, and the problem is you start calling everybody a Nazi, and then one day you meet a real one, and you ran out of words, you fucking cried Wolf.

[1108] These aren't Nazis, and when people feel like you're treating them unfairly or talking shit about them, and this is a problem we have both in the right and the left, they fucking double down.

[1109] They dig their heels in, and they go, fuck that other group.

[1110] It's Team Red all the way.

[1111] Fuck you, it's Team Blue.

[1112] It is so destructive.

[1113] And watching it is so sad And being a part of it When we are Is the problem And trying to have The answer to that The solution to that Is to try to listen to each other And to try to understand Because I completely agree with you That they If they don't feel respected You've lost them completely We can't People enjoy it like a team Like when the Celtics win People get pumped When the Republicans win People get pumped You know it's like When the Democrats win people get pumped it's their team I had a friend of mine as a comic who said you know we gotta win the house because if we win the house we win the white house I'm like what are you talking about what is we what is we are we in this are you running for something that I don't know about like they have to I feel that way about sports by the way bro I think when we say we you're not on the team it's the giants you're not a giant you're out here it's not exercising and it's the same thinking it's the same thinking people attach themselves I remember when I was a kid I was a big fan of guy named Donald Curry.

[1114] He was this badass boxer, this world champion, Walterweight champion.

[1115] He was a fucking beast.

[1116] And then one day, he got knocked out.

[1117] And by this guy, Mike McCallum, the body snatcher.

[1118] He was another world champion, a bad motherfucker.

[1119] And he hit him with a left hook to the body and the left hook to the head, knocked him out cold, flat on his back.

[1120] I couldn't believe it.

[1121] He was my favorite boxer.

[1122] And he just got knocked out.

[1123] And I felt so bad.

[1124] I couldn't take it.

[1125] I put my running shoes on.

[1126] And I ran out.

[1127] the house and I ran for like a fucking mile and I was just so worked up I was probably like 17 I think somewhere around then 16 17 I don't remember um maybe a little later 18 at the latest I turned around and walked home I ran like a mile and a half a mile whatever I turned around I just walked home I'm not I'm never gonna get upset about someone I don't even know losing like that but that was a team thing I was on Team Curry And like people really literally do that with fighters I feel like I have a litmus test Though I feel like I fall victim to the criticism that you're You're laying out on the planet On environmental stuff Like I feel so panicky and so anxious about that And I care so much about it And for me it is religious Like it's a spiritual connection to nature That it brings me so much joy to be in it And around it And professing it And to see us destroy it by the way we're living.

[1128] Like I feel I'm one of those people that feels guilty about I rail against single -use plastic which is why I want to advocate for you guys to get a bunch of, you know, big tank and everybody had thermuses.

[1129] We've talked about that before.

[1130] Because if you do that today, if you made that choice, just get a big thing and a glass or mugs and sell them and raise money or something.

[1131] And Ari would come by and dose the bucket.

[1132] You can't have a big open bottle water around with Ari.

[1133] Ari Shafir gave out like a plate of pot.

[1134] pot cookies years ago at Stan Comedy Club.

[1135] My wife does not Did she know as a pot cookie?

[1136] Didn't know.

[1137] Went to take it took a sniff of it and she's like, oh no!

[1138] And Ari's like, oh, sorry.

[1139] Oh boy.

[1140] She almost took it?

[1141] She is no good with the weed, the edibles especially.

[1142] Well, edibles are rough on you.

[1143] She once had like a whole Kit Kat because she was hungry and went to the sink and was washing her hands and just said, this water is so wet.

[1144] I go, Oh, shit.

[1145] Something's wrong.

[1146] Put some headphones on.

[1147] Yeah.

[1148] This water's so wet.

[1149] When you look at that Hong Kong thing, right?

[1150] Yeah.

[1151] You know, I don't think we need a revolution.

[1152] I think we need a resolution.

[1153] Like, I think we need to, like, relax and come to this understanding.

[1154] Like, most of the stuff we fight about is because we're tricked into this tribal way of thinking.

[1155] I don't mean tricked by some overlords.

[1156] I mean, tricked by your own biology.

[1157] We have a natural inclination to form teams.

[1158] and we have a natural...

[1159] Because there's only two real ones.

[1160] I mean, you could be one of them fucking dudes who's only in independent music and you always vote Green Party.

[1161] But for the most part, there's two parties, right?

[1162] When it comes to like national politics and when we think about whoever the fuck's going to win, whether we think about what the real important thing is the economy or protecting our borders or you think the real important thing is the environment and stopping global warming who've got to do something to engineer like biodegradable plastic and make them mandatory and whatever thing becomes your side and you know you can make arguments for both sides the problem is people then subscribe to whatever ideas are in that party you know you could almost pick to a person if you're pro -life you're probably pro -war but when you said you know we're doing well or you know relax we're doing well I react to that with working with and advocating for all these anti -poverty organizations What do you mean relax?

[1163] We're doing well.

[1164] I felt like you were saying like when everybody is getting fired up, maybe I misunderstood you.

[1165] It was like, I don't think we need a revolution, but.

[1166] I think instead of thinking about it like a competition between two teams, we should think about it as a resolution.

[1167] We should resolve our issues.

[1168] And what are our issues?

[1169] Resist being tribal.

[1170] Absolutely agree.

[1171] That's the entire problem.

[1172] And I'll do anything to work with you or anybody else.

[1173] on furthering that conversation because that's all bullshit theatrical manufacture shit that you're divided by your neighbor because of any number of stupid and that we're not talking because of that.

[1174] I believe that our species can do a lot better.

[1175] And it's normal.

[1176] That's the thing.

[1177] It's like normal to not like people that, you know, you look at somebody as conservative, it's normal if you're a liberal to not like them.

[1178] If you're a conservative, it's normal to think these fucking silly liberals they're going to ruin everything Don't put them in that box.

[1179] What kind of a man is he?

[1180] What kind of a father?

[1181] That's how I evaluate men or women.

[1182] What kind of a partner?

[1183] What kind of a parent?

[1184] I just watch them behave with their kids.

[1185] I don't think about what they think about guns.

[1186] If I find that stuff out later, then we talk about it.

[1187] But what kind of a role model are you for your children is how I evaluate another man?

[1188] I don't know if that's a good measure.

[1189] That's what I do.

[1190] I don't think about what showy watches or what kind of calls.

[1191] car he drives or what his job is how what kind of a man is he what kind of a father a role model a contributor to society does he care about other people and other things what is he what is his morality not not perfect yeah I mean I don't know but that's not that why is that is that abnormal isn't that how we all should be isn't that how we all are to some extent I think this resonates with a lot of people that are listening there's a lot of people that try very hard to do that there's a lot of people that also escape the grips of tribal thinking as they get older and wiser.

[1192] I think I'm one of those and I think a lot of people are one of those.

[1193] I am too, I hope.

[1194] And I think one of the ways that you help it is by having these conversations.

[1195] So people listen and then it resonates with them and maybe it only resonates to a certain degree and maybe they slip away from it a week later when they're drinking and hanging out with their friends or they're not exposed to the ideas, you know, very often.

[1196] And when they do, it's not as effective as it would be if they're around people that were like -minded.

[1197] But that's just having these conversations.

[1198] You know, you're affecting, like right now, we're affecting a lot of different people's thinking, right?

[1199] They're listening to this and they go, a lot of interactions could have been different on both sides, depending upon what you did.

[1200] Like, sometimes you run into someone and they're duchy, but if you just turn it around a little bit, so it's all right, brother.

[1201] You know, I'm just here.

[1202] And then they relax and they go, oh, he's okay.

[1203] But if you ramped it up and they ramped it up more, you can go, that guy's a piece of shit.

[1204] Well, yeah, he acted like a piece of shit.

[1205] But maybe part of the way he acted like a piece of shit was the way you, you're going to be.

[1206] dealt with his initial weirdness because sometimes people are just fucking weird and sometimes people come off douche people are complex people are so complex and so rooted in so many I mean I I just go straight to interviewing I've interviewed murderers and rapists who have you interviewed this murder uh uh Senghor I think his last name is Shakti Senghor he wrote a book he changed my life he killed a guy when he's 18 went to prison served 19 years and got out and wrote a book and he redemption like he found like how did he get there to murdering somebody and how did he become the man that he was that's the way to measure a man and so he did the worst thing so when you say you have this idea about any number of issues from race to to energy issues to guns to abortion to feminism to all the stuff it's like well where is we're Where did he start?

[1207] Who were his role models?

[1208] You know, there's so much data about the zip code that you're born into in this country determines where you will be when you're 18.

[1209] And it's so accurate.

[1210] It's so hard to get out of certain places.

[1211] I heard you and someone talking about that it was Dakota Meyer, who was amazing.

[1212] That was a love that whole interview.

[1213] It was fascinating.

[1214] Really interesting guy.

[1215] And nothing but respect for that guy.

[1216] But talking about America as like this.

[1217] place where it's the greatest place to get ahead.

[1218] Like, it's not.

[1219] It's so hard to get ahead here.

[1220] In some spots.

[1221] In some spots, it's very hard to get ahead.

[1222] In so, in way too many spots.

[1223] I'm with you if you're talking about impoverished neighborhoods that have a history of crime and violence because they don't fix that and it doesn't change and it's really hard to get ahead if you're not.

[1224] But in other places, if you're doing what, if you're in a nice city and you're in a nice neighborhood, it is difficult.

[1225] But it's compared to the rest of the world?

[1226] It's far, far easier.

[1227] In what sense?

[1228] In terms of being able to move up a rung in the ladder.

[1229] Okay, I feel like that's only true in impoverished areas that are riddled with crime and drugs.

[1230] But that's not how it's measured.

[1231] But I mean, but I'm thinking if you're talking about places where things are doing well, right?

[1232] Yeah.

[1233] And you're comparing them to the rest of the world.

[1234] This is one of the easiest places to get ahead ever that's ever existed because there's Only if you start in a certain spot.

[1235] If you start at the bottom in America, it's almost impossible, which is why the media loves to focus, and Americans love to focus on even themselves.

[1236] So many people say, you know, listen, I started with nothing.

[1237] And now I'm a major success.

[1238] And so they don't then have sympathy for somebody else.

[1239] I'm like, that's your story to tell.

[1240] What were your opportunities?

[1241] Who were your role models?

[1242] What did you have?

[1243] Did you have universal pre -k?

[1244] that's like that's the bottom line if you have universal pre -k all over this country this whole country would be so much more intelligent that's what all the education data says that's what every other country does we don't have it but what we do have is just so many fucked up budget priorities the budget is a moral document it means where your values lie and you spend what on health care what on defense what on anti -poverty what on nutrition what on education yes that's how i determined by the way in a thoughtful conversation not only are you a liberal not are you a liberal or a conservative you know pro anti -government it's how do you think we should spend our tax money where should we spend it around the world and domestically and in terms of it's like we have this huge defense budget with these weapons that will never be used and russia beat us with facebook and north korea hacked into sony it's like that's where the threat is right let me ask you this when it comes to defense because that's always an interesting subject there's two arguments right There's this pro -military argument that is you have to have a certain amount of military might all over the world.

[1245] We have to be the world's policeman because if we're not, someone else will, and we are protecting America by doing this, and we fight them over there so that we can be free over here, right?

[1246] That's the pro argument.

[1247] The anti -argument would be you could do everything that you need to do to protect us with less money, and you could take that money and inject it into these inner cities that, They're impoverished and crime -ridden, and you could, in my words, is why I always like to say, if you want to make America greater, what's the best way to do that?

[1248] Well, have less losers.

[1249] Have less people that are losing the game because they're a shitty roll of the dice.

[1250] Give people opportunity.

[1251] The bad hand of cards when they were young.

[1252] Give people health care and education.

[1253] Give them an opportunity to succeed.

[1254] It's not that hard.

[1255] Most of us got it.

[1256] But the pro -military argument would be, okay, that is not going to work.

[1257] We will get fucked over by another country.

[1258] And then no one will have an advantage.

[1259] Like, we have to maintain a certain amount of power worldwide.

[1260] I'm not this is not my argument okay I'm just I'm just saying no it's but I would reject the binary on its face because it's a thoughtful binary and I'd love to answer it but it's so much more geopolitical and filled with history and then technology and so now I think if I am going to answer the question it's like the threat the threats that were fake the threat matrix is a way to look at it like what are the you know existential threats nuclear war and any kind of geopolitical what kind of conventional war.

[1261] It's everything's online in terms of the way that we countries are fighting.

[1262] It's all going online.

[1263] It's all transparent.

[1264] Well, I don't know if it's transparent.

[1265] It is in some ways, right?

[1266] But the point I would like to say, like, how is the Department of Defense not only focused on saving the planet?

[1267] That's it.

[1268] That's it.

[1269] Just do that.

[1270] Everybody wins.

[1271] I think it's complicated, man. Well, of course.

[1272] I think it's way more complicated than we would ever understand.

[1273] I think to be a military leader in 2019 and to be making decisions one way or another when that you attack people.

[1274] Woo, good luck with all that.

[1275] Good luck with trying to figure out how to kill terrorists and do it live on television while the president's watching from the fucking Oval Office or whatever really happened.

[1276] I think he was golfing.

[1277] I think he was golfing.

[1278] Yeah, that was a whole weird situation.

[1279] How about the picture afterwards?

[1280] Like, I know what a post picture looks like.

[1281] Dude, every single one of those pictures, It does look bad when every one of those pictures are coming to all the Oval Office is a bunch of white dudes.

[1282] Well, God wants you to wear makeup and God wants you to sit right there.

[1283] That's right.

[1284] God wants that.

[1285] Right.

[1286] We don't, people don't talk enough, man. There's too many of us.

[1287] That's a lot of what all the shit is.

[1288] I think you're leading, I think one of the reasons why you're doing so well is because you're leading the conversation about how the conversation should be.

[1289] Yeah.

[1290] I hope has evidence from what we're saying.

[1291] Well, I hope so, too.

[1292] I'm just happy if people enjoy it.

[1293] but the conversations that we're not having, we're not having enough of is face -to -face one -on -one like this.

[1294] Everyone's distracted.

[1295] You can't get to know people over soundbites.

[1296] You definitely can't get to know them through text messages or little tiny snippets of a conversation that they're going to have before they cut to commercial.

[1297] To get to know a person is very easy.

[1298] You just look at their internet history.

[1299] You find out what kind of porn they like.

[1300] Oh, my God.

[1301] Whether or not they like muscle cars.

[1302] It's great as bit.

[1303] I mean, it's the idea that, you know, Facebook and your social media There's what you want.

[1304] People think you don't.

[1305] Here's my family in the Bahamas.

[1306] But like, if you had a video of me melting down, just smoking weed and feeling my heart thumping and sweating because I'm having a panic attack.

[1307] It's like that's your internet history.

[1308] Like you're looking up every lump that you find.

[1309] Right.

[1310] And you go down weird rabbit holes.

[1311] You find out about strange diseases.

[1312] Yeah.

[1313] Very unhealthy.

[1314] All day today about parasites.

[1315] I was watching.

[1316] I saw your tweet about that.

[1317] I was like, no, don't put it out there.

[1318] Don't put it out there.

[1319] It's interested as hell, but it's terrifying because the idea of, like, I always get so worried, especially that one, because it's like trail running is my favorite way to run.

[1320] I love it, too.

[1321] That's why I posted it.

[1322] Some lady got eyeball worms, man. But kids are terrified to go outside.

[1323] There's this amazing organization, Children in Nature Network.

[1324] Everybody should discover and support and look up the work of Richard Lou, who's just written a new book about relationships, you'll love it, with animals and humans.

[1325] And he wrote a book called Last Child in Woods, that is my Bible.

[1326] my life.

[1327] And kids are afraid to go outside because there's tics, there's Lyme disease, there's parents afraid that there's kidnapping.

[1328] No, there isn't.

[1329] That is definitely Lyme disease.

[1330] Well, yeah, but you just be vigilant.

[1331] Yeah, but Lyme disease is really significant.

[1332] It's horrible.

[1333] I grew up in several people.

[1334] I live in Rockland County.

[1335] Me too.

[1336] Horrible.

[1337] Don't get me wrong.

[1338] But we can't not send our kids outside.

[1339] No, I agree.

[1340] Cut your lawn and check your kids for ticks.

[1341] Good night.

[1342] Yeah, you got to be vigilant.

[1343] But the kids have to stay out.

[1344] They have to be outside to appreciate getting all dried yeah no i agree the connection to nature that's what it's all about it's all it all works together the idea that we're drinking out of bottles that are made of petroleum that's what plastic is this is going to be here for 700 years unless we melt it and make cool shit out of it let's take some ideas let's go to the calls do you know who boy onslaught is he's that guy oh yeah the guy collecting the plastic dutch kid yeah he makes everybody else look he's like 18 he's like unaccomplished like 19 he's like I am 18 and I'm going to take all of the plastic out of the ocean like what is I doing I was bashing mailboxes the first one didn't work and everybody's like say he didn't know shit he's like yeah that one is a prototype we're trying to make it work look the next one works he's still only 20 let's cheer for him I know people are hating on why are we tribal on getting plastic getting rid of this horrible single use plastic because it's connected to ego because someone who's 19 years old figured out how to do some shit that you've never figured out how to do.

[1345] He's a better person than you.

[1346] Fine.

[1347] No, it's a game.

[1348] It's a game.

[1349] I'm rooting for him.

[1350] No, you're not.

[1351] That's why you're happy when his machine breaks.

[1352] Like, ha -ha.

[1353] Never.

[1354] That's, I don't know that mentality.

[1355] I don't understand that mentality.

[1356] But you understand it.

[1357] I understand it, but I don't feel it.

[1358] I'm not rooting for your pain.

[1359] If I don't like your opinions, I don't want you to get sick.

[1360] I don't want you to even get your finger crunch in the garage door.

[1361] I don't want you to have pain.

[1362] I think it's the same sort of feeling.

[1363] It's the same thing that leads people to be tribal.

[1364] It also leads people to be jealous.

[1365] It's the same kind of thing.

[1366] It's like a pattern of thinking that's easy to slide into.

[1367] It's like a well -oiled shoot.

[1368] You just slide right in there.

[1369] You can name that and acknowledge it for your kids.

[1370] That's what you're doing.

[1371] That's what I'm doing, hopefully.

[1372] Like that's what that is.

[1373] Don't fall into those veins.

[1374] People, I think, by the way, are mostly good all day.

[1375] All day.

[1376] Most of my interactions.

[1377] Yes.

[1378] I'm walking out the door with this lady out of the bank and we both walk out the same time.

[1379] We're both like, oh, sorry, both are faults.

[1380] Have a good one.

[1381] Little smiles.

[1382] Like, that's most interactions that I have at least, but I'm very attractive.

[1383] You are handsome man. I agree with you, though.

[1384] I think that's, that is the case.

[1385] And also, it has to do with how you interact with those people.

[1386] And we've all been guilty of being loaded up in one way or another interacting with someone and it doesn't go as well as it could have gone if you were in a better place.

[1387] when you met that person.

[1388] It's all about reactions.

[1389] That's the second time you mentioned that, and that's the most important thing I've learned in therapy and with my wife.

[1390] It's if you choose how to react to a situation or a comment, and everything rides on that reaction, potentially your life.

[1391] I figure which book it is, whether it's one of those ancient philosophy books, but I never forgot this term.

[1392] Nothing has any meaning other than the meaning that you give it.

[1393] Yeah, it's...

[1394] Whatever it is, tragedy or positive thing.

[1395] look for sure it's a tragedy it's very difficult to not what we see it's how we see it yes but talk regular moments in your life like the worst case scenario for a person is approaching any moment in their life and being like woe is me god damn it why has it always happened to happen to me why instead of having a perspective like look how lucky i am that my real concern to someone keyed my car the reason and i look at that and i say why is that person always saying woe is me why i i i you know but why?

[1396] Where's it come from?

[1397] It's a natural pattern.

[1398] It's like...

[1399] It's a role modeling.

[1400] That's why you have to give people an opportunity to break out of that.

[1401] We are so evolved.

[1402] We are so far, probably to evolve, that we've created plastic bottles and we're killing ourselves.

[1403] You know, but...

[1404] We're killing ourselves with plastic bottles?

[1405] We're 7 billion people or it's just too many people.

[1406] That's a lot.

[1407] Do you buy into the argument that the more westernized or the more advanced society gets, the population actually starts to decrease?

[1408] because there are certain cities that they point to where that's on the trend.

[1409] I think Tokyo is one of them.

[1410] But the idea is that as people, as a civilization advances, people decide to pursue careers before having children and less and less people have children.

[1411] And that there's some sort of a direct correlation with the amount of children people have versus the amount of technological advancement is around them and the amount of education and the level of the city.

[1412] Like if you're around a place like New York...

[1413] I think it's generally education based.

[1414] Education and...

[1415] Affluence, too.

[1416] I think affluence has something to do it as well.

[1417] Well, affluence usually comes with education.

[1418] Sometimes you could be a...

[1419] Usually, you could be any...

[1420] You could have examples of people who came from absolutely nothing and had a general heart defect and overcame it to become, you know, a CEO of a McDonald's and then have to step down because they had an affair.

[1421] Well, people start their own businesses and shit, you know?

[1422] Yeah.

[1423] I mean, a lot of it and nothing, but...

[1424] certainly I have nothing but I look at someone who's started a business and ran a business from a dry cleaning store to whatever they're doing.

[1425] My dad owned a insurance agency in Syracuse, New York.

[1426] That's what my dad did.

[1427] And my mom was a public school teacher and it's like so I saw the public and private sector that was my role model.

[1428] That's a good combination too to grow up with.

[1429] And I had health care and I had nursery school.

[1430] My mom was a early childhood.

[1431] She had an associate's degree.

[1432] My dad didn't go to.

[1433] college.

[1434] Shout out to my pop, by the way.

[1435] I just had a heart attack and ruined his eye.

[1436] How bad is his eye?

[1437] Can't see out of it.

[1438] It's not surgery number three.

[1439] Dude, just wrapped up 44 years as a ski instructor.

[1440] And he's a competitive cyclist.

[1441] He's ripped off, broke every bone in his body.

[1442] He's fucking man of steel.

[1443] What is the damage to the eye that doesn't allow him to see?

[1444] I can't explain it, but it's a laceration.

[1445] He was on his blood thinner.

[1446] He fainted and bounce his face off to table, lacerated his eye.

[1447] Has a big impact on whether or not he heals crook, right?

[1448] Oh, yeah.

[1449] And he's all filled with blood so he can't see out of it.

[1450] And my dad is like, my dad is a very physically healthy guy.

[1451] So it's aging, man. It's tough.

[1452] I mean, that's where my situation is.

[1453] My mom and dad married 48 years.

[1454] But that's, you know, my dad, I look at my dad, and he's a great story in America.

[1455] He didn't go to college.

[1456] He started his own insurance agency.

[1457] He did well, supported us.

[1458] We lived in the suburbs.

[1459] Marcellus.

[1460] New York.

[1461] You know, what's crazy about America?

[1462] It's only 300 years old.

[1463] And the idea of a new America is out of the fucking question.

[1464] Right?

[1465] The idea of someone coming along, the millions of years of life on this planet and the hundreds of thousands of years of being humans and the 300, whatever, almost years of the United States, if someone said, we're going to start a new country now.

[1466] And we found a new spot in New Zealand or Greenland or something.

[1467] be like fuck you you can't do that you can't do that today we'll see do you think I think everything's changing everything is changing but if first of all anyone who people would be super suspicious well you were going to start a new country they'd go that guy's just gonna fuck all the women ah well there's a lot of that I mean that's a lot of that's a lot of the world right now yeah well that's a lot of why you would start your own country but that's why it has almost probably always been the reason that's religion right there would have to be someone who says listen this is how we're going to do this we're going to have like an open ended constitution we can amend it whenever we see fit instead of having a present we'll have a council I'm all for a blown up system and redoing it to make it more equitable however you describe that.

[1468] We're going to need nukes okay because the North Koreans aren't fucking around the Russians are always shifting and those Chinese man they're plotting things I think that you're going to try to cancel our internet the fact that we haven't cancel it you made it sound like they're the cable cut but I got to cut the cord The fact that we haven't had an accident, who is it?

[1469] Schlausser.

[1470] Eric Schlausser wrote this book and documentary is fascinating.

[1471] History of accidents and close calls is nuts.

[1472] And we got to get rid of all nukes.

[1473] Yeah.

[1474] Like, all thinking people believe that.

[1475] It's so crazy.

[1476] That was a horrible statement, what I just said, by the way.

[1477] All thinking people?

[1478] That's, by the way, a great example of a condescending thing for a person to say to a microphone.

[1479] All thinking people think blanks.

[1480] Stop it.

[1481] But it's also one of those things where it doesn't help to say it.

[1482] Even if it is true, all thinking people agree with me. No one is going to go, wow, I didn't, I don't want to be considered a non -thinking person.

[1483] Exactly.

[1484] That's why.

[1485] Yeah, that's why I nailed it.

[1486] It's like, people are yelling into a microphone.

[1487] What is wrong with you?

[1488] You must be a non -thinking person.

[1489] Like, what, I don't want to be yelled at.

[1490] I dated this girl once when I was 21.

[1491] She'd get upset about shit.

[1492] She was older than me. She was smarter than me, too.

[1493] but she would she got upset once and I said we just please just please relax she goes no one who's upset ever wants to hear you saying relax it doesn't work and I thought about that I was like damn she's right like that doesn't work someone says relax relax doesn't work it just doesn't work like you don't go thank you I mean sometimes you do but you have to be not very wound up and you have to really love the person who's telling you to relax no it's a it's an absolute condescension attention.

[1494] I've done that a hundred times to my wife.

[1495] She nails me every time.

[1496] Every time.

[1497] I remember thinking as a 21 -year -old savage going, oh, okay, she's, okay, she's right.

[1498] That makes sense.

[1499] Yeah, I don't want to hear that either.

[1500] That's very, but that's called being open mind and being vulnerable, being able to check you're in with yourself as opposed to being this kind of authoritarian beast of, don't you tell me, this is my castle.

[1501] Like, I don't understand that kind of, whatever you want to call it.

[1502] I don't, I don't want to even need.

[1503] it it's just an attitude that we have to our generation of men is so much more vulnerable I think yeah yeah yeah for sure than our parents and so much more open mind and sensitive and it has nothing to do necessarily with sexuality it has to do with human growth and evolution yeah and realizing this you're actually weak to pretend that you're strong absolutely the idea that they that somehow you don't feel things addressing your PTSD as a combat veteran is somehow seen as weak it's like no that's if you're taking on your worst nightmares that strength.

[1504] And by the way, how do we measure strength?

[1505] I mean, it's always about what you can lift, not the pain you can endure, which is why I think if you're measuring strength by gender, women can endure more pain.

[1506] So that's one measure of strength.

[1507] But more importantly, that's whatever you overcame in life, that's the measurement of strength, not how you can force yourself.

[1508] I mean, I'm a small guy, so that's a small guy mentality.

[1509] I talked my way out of every, you know, my dad's like just when you walk, into that class you make friends with the biggest kid in the class and I've done that my whole life so that's I just talked my way out but well whatever works but not that in an authoritarian way that you're saying in a way that you think about maybe when you say any thinking person agrees with that that is a version of saying relax oh yes the same thing oh for sure is a perfect no yeah no it's a perfect analogy absolutely it's we could do a whole long sort about condescending remarks especially in marriages or any relationship in this conversation, if I put you down in the way that you're thinking, it's like the whole conversation then changes.

[1510] It gets gross.

[1511] It doesn't respect my intellect, my experience, and it's like...

[1512] The conversation gets gross.

[1513] Yeah.

[1514] And ineffectual and damaging.

[1515] Well, that's the easy way...

[1516] That's how you sell ads.

[1517] That's how you create ratings.

[1518] That's so crazy.

[1519] This show does pretty good.

[1520] We don't do that.

[1521] You don't have to do it.

[1522] Exactly.

[1523] Exactly.

[1524] But the thing about like online conversations is that you don't have this interaction like we're having like this is probably more intimate than a regular conversation because we're in each other's ears right we're wearing i prefer headphones yeah i wish all of life was this way i don't want this all the time it's too it's too narrow focus but it's good for conversations don't tell me what i want i will stay here and put anybody in those headphones calm down everybody just calm would agree with me relax calm down joe would you calm down joe rogu that's my favorite thing to say when someone's not worked up you're working with a young person in a corporate yeah you know It's serious, or CNN.

[1525] And they're not at all worked up.

[1526] They're like, hey, do you want me to send that over?

[1527] Calm down, okay?

[1528] Like, I was, what do you talk?

[1529] I was totally normal.

[1530] What percentage of people that you worked with run Adderall?

[1531] Oh my God, I wish I know.

[1532] I thought everybody around me was on something.

[1533] What do you think?

[1534] Antidepressants, I thought.

[1535] Would you think it would be a high number?

[1536] Adderall, I don't know.

[1537] I don't know anything about Adderall.

[1538] I know a lot about, and I hear a lot about Xanax and antidepressants and anti -anxieties.

[1539] None of which I've ever put in my body.

[1540] Those are spooky.

[1541] I think some people need them.

[1542] I think for some people, they have a bad chemical makeup.

[1543] I mean, this is just a fact, just like some people have thyroid cancer, right?

[1544] Some people have, there's a missing link.

[1545] There's something wrong with the way their brain's firing.

[1546] And this is just a biological issue because we're, you know, we're not, you don't pick your biology.

[1547] Sure, there's a lot of issues.

[1548] And Johan Hari writes about that in his new book.

[1549] And there's been a lot of really great work written about.

[1550] about it, academic research on it.

[1551] And the academic research on neuropsychology, my understanding is that it's like, we know so little about the brain.

[1552] We're very early in trying to understand it.

[1553] So these medications, like right now, dealing with like my career transition and thinking about running for Congress, dealing with my dad, that to me is not a reason to take an antidepressant.

[1554] That's, no, you work.

[1555] Now you just hit it hard and you do what you do, and you don't make, excuses and you just work my friend Jordan Peterson um had an issue where his wife was uh she had developed liver cancer was very serious yeah very scary I did not know that about him I know him and his work but I did not know that she was very very sick and um he you know they've been together since high school oh he loves her dearly and he started freaking out so he got on something what was it called Kalanapin is that what yeah yeah I'm familiar with it and um I've heard of it no A lot of people.

[1556] She had a miraculous recovery.

[1557] Everybody's happy about that.

[1558] But then he had a really, really, yeah.

[1559] That's amazing.

[1560] She had surgery.

[1561] Oh, wow.

[1562] But he had a transplant.

[1563] I don't know.

[1564] But he had a really difficult issue with the clonopin, really bad.

[1565] Oh, he used it to deal with that situation.

[1566] And what was the issue?

[1567] Well, he was going through severe withdrawals.

[1568] And he had to check himself into a rehab site.

[1569] Yeah, that's, I hear that's a very, I have a family member who did everything.

[1570] including heroin, and it's so great to hear Artie on the show.

[1571] Because I called up Artie when he was doing heroin to ask him how serious it was.

[1572] He goes, let me ask you two questions.

[1573] All right, and he goes, is he have like a good life, either a job or kids or anything?

[1574] I was like, no, he's just a single guy.

[1575] And he goes, is he shooting it or snorting it?

[1576] He goes, I can't help you.

[1577] Like, that was the worst.

[1578] That's true, though.

[1579] I have so many Artie stories on the road with him for so long.

[1580] But it's so nice to see him doing well.

[1581] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[1582] He's doing great.

[1583] I mean, he really is.

[1584] He certainly seems so.

[1585] Artie called me. He's crackling, man. He's one of my closest friends.

[1586] My wife and I spent a lot of time with him, and I love him to death.

[1587] And his story is the most remarkable stories, one of the most remarkable stories in comedy.

[1588] He's one of the funniest.

[1589] He's one of the kings of comedy.

[1590] And he's a close brother of mine for a long time.

[1591] So watching him with you, I can't wait to see him.

[1592] Yeah.

[1593] I got 17 numbers for him.

[1594] I'll give you the real one if he lets me No greater storyteller alive He's up there He's no greater Yogi Berra was good His fucking stories are incredible He's pretty good He's got this thing he does with his fingers too Like we already tells you stories He does a lot of like movement with his fingers Like he's like he's got a little show he's doing There's a lot happening He is a performer He gets it He gets it all Oh yeah He was waiting in the wings He's going out I open for him I come back They play The Who, which song that he came out to.

[1595] And he just, at his heaviest, just falls back into me. And I had a brace, you know, I'm a tiny muscular guy.

[1596] And I, like, push him back up and literally push him on stage.

[1597] He's like zoning off.

[1598] That's hilarious.

[1599] Like falling asleep out there.

[1600] That's hilarious.

[1601] I mean, there's just so much to see him in his recovery.

[1602] She'd give everybody hope.

[1603] It should give everybody hope.

[1604] It's interesting, too, because I don't think he's ever been funnier.

[1605] Yeah.

[1606] But Artie is at top of his game And I'm really excited to see him And one of the funniest guys And one of the most generous guys, man He helped everybody To the, it was too much I would tell him like, you can't He was, dude, that guy supported so many comics In ways that were like beyond generous The way that you do, by the way By the way that you do I want to see his stand -up I want to see it I want to know where he's at Because I know he's doing only gigs Around the New York area but I'm thinking about if I have to go to the East Coast I'm thinking about taking a trip I just want to see you there Yeah because like see him now It's like all the years that I've known him He was always fucked up Yeah I was on the road with him A lot of that time I witnessed a lot of stuff We would just be hanging out He'd be gone all day Like where were you Like I'm The hooker all day We're in Vegas by the pool At his cabana And he wasn't with us Like where's the king man Is he ever gonna come down Did you see the hooker Maybe I mean Yeah I wouldn't have hung out With us either Don't get me wrong But it was a nice day We wanted to hang out with him He's got through on the other side I just hope he could stay on this side Yeah but the point is Artie is not He is an aberration He is an exception For any number of reasons He happens to be one of the most Talentedly funny people That he just can't fail Because everybody wants to be around And be with him But And see him perform But drugs in this country Whether they be anti -depressants Or the opiates Like that's something We should come together around as well.

[1607] And we're medicating, you know, I think far too much.

[1608] I'd love for you to talk to my friend, Dr. Aaron Carroll, who's written so many, he writes from The New York Times, he's got an amazing YouTube channel, beg you to have him on the show because he talks, he's a research expert, and there's so much to talk with him about in terms of all this stuff, supplements, fasting, and nutrition, and you absolutely love him.

[1609] want everybody to know about his work.

[1610] Is he a doctor?

[1611] Yeah, he's a pediatrician at Indiana University School of Medicine.

[1612] He contributes to New York Times.

[1613] He's got this YouTube channel with like, it's called Healthcare Triage.

[1614] He's really smart guy, and he does all, he's just really graded explaining research.

[1615] Is his thought that people are over -medicating?

[1616] I'm not sure.

[1617] I don't want to speak for him.

[1618] Yeah, that's a tricky one, right?

[1619] I think it's those words, no, I mean, people get very resentful about that, number one.

[1620] Don't tell me I'm a bad parent or a bad person.

[1621] This works for me. Yeah, no, I mean, we've got to be careful.

[1622] We've got to be very easy on the judgment with all that.

[1623] Whatever, I kind of feel whatever gets you through the day.

[1624] Well, I don't know how your brain works.

[1625] Like, to pretend that your brain works like my brain and that I know for sure that if I was inside your head, I would be thinking the way I think out here, it's impossible.

[1626] Amen.

[1627] I don't know what it feels like.

[1628] Like, I know I have a baseline, right?

[1629] I have a, when I'm healthy, when I'm, I know who I am.

[1630] I'm that guy, right?

[1631] But could you imagine being someone else other than what you know and what you're comfortable with?

[1632] You can't.

[1633] Imagine the chemical makeup of a different person.

[1634] You can't know what anybody's going through in their day.

[1635] Imagine if you were a woman and you were on your period.

[1636] I have.

[1637] Often.

[1638] I've thought about that.

[1639] I've thought about it all.

[1640] I never thought about until just now.

[1641] Don't you have daughters?

[1642] Yes.

[1643] I never thought about myself having a period or having premenstrual syndrome.

[1644] Yeah, that sounds like very little fun.

[1645] PMS sounds like a real bummer.

[1646] Once a month, you're going to become a cunt.

[1647] The whole situation.

[1648] Let everybody know in advance.

[1649] I'm going to take calcium tablets.

[1650] I'm going to do my best.

[1651] But when the storm comes, imagine?

[1652] I try to just be aware of that, but my wife and I are usually at the same baseline regardless of what's going on.

[1653] It doesn't affect everyone.

[1654] I don't know if it does.

[1655] Maybe it does, but it's something to be sensitive about because it's something that we don't have to deal with.

[1656] You know what I hate, dude, is I got a vasectomy and this idea that any guy would ever not do that is bizarre to me. It's the greatest thing.

[1657] I highly recommend it.

[1658] Population control and no more condoms and your wife should never have to put a drug in her body or cut, you know, tire tube that's horrific unless I guess she's just given birth maybe.

[1659] But I'm very pro vasectomy.

[1660] Do you think that we're going to come a time, there's going to come a time in America where there's too many people when we have like a Delhi India type situation?

[1661] I think that is the case in too many communities right now impoverished communities that there's too many people for the resources that's how you measure it it's not i mean how do you measure too many people congestion over abundance of traffic like right now in l .a um when i come home from the 405 or get home from the airport i'm driving home on the 405 i'm like why yeah this is my first experience on it there's it's 10 o 'clock and it's bumper to bumper that's rough for miles and miles and miles like where is everybody going i that's another way to to find poverty.

[1662] Well, unless you're listening to a great conversation like ours.

[1663] But even then, it's not worth it.

[1664] How dare you?

[1665] It's not worth it being stuck in that.

[1666] Well, see, one thing is being stuck in it every day.

[1667] I mean, it's horrible for your body.

[1668] It's horrible for your body to sit there.

[1669] Dude, when I stopped commuting, I had this driving neck pain every day, 43.

[1670] And like a knife every day, I stopped commuting.

[1671] Gone.

[1672] Gone.

[1673] Gone.

[1674] Absolutely.

[1675] You're sitting in a car.

[1676] You got to try to offset that if that's something you have to deal with because it's really hard.

[1677] But I think that having right now, in America, in many communities, there are not enough resources for the people that are living there in terms of healthy food and access to education and health care.

[1678] That's, Joe, that's how I define like morality of a society, how we take care of each other.

[1679] Sure.

[1680] And we all don't have the same access in this country.

[1681] I urge people to study poverty and not get caught up in the tribalism of the argument of why people are in poverty.

[1682] No, there's a long, really interesting and important field of study, and there's a whole bunch of anti -poverty people that I love talking to.

[1683] And what do you mean by anti -poverty people?

[1684] Like just working to, you know, decrease poverty on using private, public, any number of different resources, you know, solving the problem.

[1685] Yeah, that's one thing that I think morally we we fucked up with, with not having health care available to everybody readily, easily.

[1686] If you're going to pay for things, we're going to decide that we're a community, right?

[1687] We're basically a community of 300 whatever million people.

[1688] We've got to two things.

[1689] You've got to educate people and you've got to take care of the sick.

[1690] And you should have food figured out, right?

[1691] But we don't have two of those things.

[1692] No, no. is terrible.

[1693] The education system in inner cities is often terrible, right?

[1694] The food thing is a fucking mess.

[1695] Food stamps is a mess, right?

[1696] The education system and rural, you know, in tribal communities.

[1697] Nobody ever talks about tribal communities.

[1698] I've done a lot of work with them.

[1699] And I keep saying that, by the way.

[1700] I'm no noble, like, just like advocating, you know, the type of stuff that I know that you do.

[1701] And just trying to understand what they do and, and advocate for the solutions.

[1702] And tribal communities and impoverished communities are all over this country in rural areas and obviously in urban areas we have a lot of it and we can solve those problems but being divided the way we are on not understanding the root of poverty michelle alexander's the new jim crow takes on racial injustice and mass incarceration you just read that book you'll be a completely different person understanding history well the things that we need to to have an order to establish yeah drug over for sure i mean that's when is that going to have an order where are we our generation has an agreement about that end that shit legalize all of it all of it legalize it regulated anything anybody wants to do what we have been doing what's going on in mexico right now is nuts it's crazy and that's because of our demand for it we're directly connected to their problems that's just basic economics and commerce legalize it it's not going to solve it's not going to end the drug cartels they're always going to be there yeah but don't simplify this problem and don't demonize it.

[1703] Name it and solve it.

[1704] There's just been so much loss and pain.

[1705] It's got to end.

[1706] Yeah.

[1707] It's a...

[1708] And whoever gets elected as president has to stop with this punitive justice bullshit where you punish people for their behavior.

[1709] I just heard about this kid who got caught with weed in this car in high school and his principal threw him off the golf team.

[1710] And his dad was like, why would you do that?

[1711] Why would you not let him do the thing that he loves?

[1712] That's not...

[1713] You know, he's just going to get sit around all day.

[1714] He's doing a great thing.

[1715] this idea of punishment is changing your behavior like we can get beyond that i think we can get beyond with that we certainly can especially weed for a kid no but anything for kids like consequences for kids like spanking your kids is is is prehistoric it's prehistoric but i mean what you're talking about when it comes to this kid with weed is it's completely absurd do you think he would have kicked off he got caught having a shot of jack daniels would have gotten kicked off a team for life if you know something happened at a party and he wound up having a shot of vodka with his friends.

[1716] Well, you also, I should say, he had a bucket of grenades in the passenger seat as well, Joe, and a bag of cash.

[1717] What kind of grenades?

[1718] Love grenades?

[1719] No, that's what it was.

[1720] You're absolutely right.

[1721] That's all it was.

[1722] Whoever made that decision is an asshole.

[1723] Well, yes, of course.

[1724] Well, hold on.

[1725] Their judgment is clearly wrong.

[1726] Yes.

[1727] But minimizing them as an asshole.

[1728] It is an asshole move.

[1729] It's an asshole move.

[1730] It's an asshole.

[1731] And you're taking a kid and you're ruining his life.

[1732] Whether or not you want to be an asshole or not.

[1733] Try to understand why that person made that decision in administration why the system has that kind of punitive component to it.

[1734] I mean, that's our whole incarceration.

[1735] The capital punishment, only in America.

[1736] If all the civilized, that's so horrific and stupid and expensive.

[1737] And now, even, you know, most conservatives now agree that that is the case, and hopefully we're drumming it out.

[1738] Well, what about the death penalty for mass murderers?

[1739] What do you do for someone like...

[1740] It doesn't matter what they did, Joe, because you can't prove if you...

[1741] One percent, The numbers are like 4 % of people who are killed were innocent.

[1742] That percentage, everybody agrees, is way too high.

[1743] Some people, like, if it was only 1 % in the community that debates these issues.

[1744] But as long as it's 4 % of people are innocent, you can't have that system for that reason, regardless of the penalty A and B, no one's thinking when they're murdering someone about what the penalty for murder is going to be.

[1745] That's not why they're doing it.

[1746] It does not work as a deterrent.

[1747] There's a ton of research on that.

[1748] It's silly.

[1749] It's silly that you think, well, if I'm not going to murder this person because I'm going to go to jail for life.

[1750] That's not why you don't murder somebody.

[1751] Nobody wants to murder another person.

[1752] But what do you do with that person?

[1753] Do you just put him in a cage for the rest of their life?

[1754] No, you rehabilitate them.

[1755] You rehabilitate John Wayne Gacy?

[1756] Yes.

[1757] Or you take a guy who fucks kids and kills him.

[1758] No, if you can't.

[1759] There's a hole in his basement and leaves the kids there.

[1760] If you can't rehabilitate him, you put him in a humane place cage.

[1761] You don't kill him.

[1762] But you're killing him.

[1763] You're just killing him real slow with life.

[1764] You're separating him from freedom and you're locking him up in a cage.

[1765] You have to separate him from freedom if he's raping kids.

[1766] I agree with that.

[1767] Right.

[1768] Yeah.

[1769] But if you know for a fact that you did it.

[1770] But hold on, you're killing him either way.

[1771] You're either killing him with nature and time or you're going to kill him.

[1772] So if you're going to leave him in this cage and he's innocent, that's almost worse than killing him.

[1773] If you kill him, it's quick.

[1774] If you're going to leave him in that cage and he's actually one of the 4 % that's innocent.

[1775] letting him kill himself.

[1776] Okay.

[1777] You're not going to let him kill himself.

[1778] Yeah, give him a, give him, just feel like, listen, here's a rope.

[1779] Here's a rope.

[1780] You can make a rope swing, and I'll give you a swing, and you can swing on it if you want.

[1781] That's what I give to it.

[1782] I mean, I don't...

[1783] The problem is you're trying to find a binary answer to a messy question.

[1784] No, I don't think it's a messy question.

[1785] My answer is, no, I don't believe in the state, by the way.

[1786] If your kid...

[1787] That's the state executing people.

[1788] Yeah.

[1789] By John Wayne Gacey, and they found your kid in the basement of John Wayne Gasey's house.

[1790] You wouldn't want them dead?

[1791] I can't deal with that hypothetical.

[1792] I can't either.

[1793] I'm not doing that.

[1794] But I'll think for someone else and I'll say yes.

[1795] John Wayne Gacy definitely killed a bunch of kids.

[1796] Well, a lot of people who's kids, I don't think the people...

[1797] This is worst case in error, right?

[1798] We're playing a thought experience.

[1799] Yeah, yeah, no, no, yeah, absolutely.

[1800] It's a great part...

[1801] It's a thought experiment.

[1802] It's a hypothetical.

[1803] And I just wouldn't, if someone was in that situation, if, you know, they're a parent in Newtown.

[1804] I think a lot of those parents...

[1805] I mean, this guy who was killed in the Charleston Church shooting, I don't say these maniacs names into microphones, but the Charleston should, the white supremacists, wanted to start the civil war, shot all those black people, Obama went down there and sang Amazing Grace.

[1806] It's lovely.

[1807] Remember that when we were to recover from horrible disasters with the president singing Amazing Grace?

[1808] Yeah.

[1809] Well, you remember 9 -11.

[1810] But those people forgave that shooter.

[1811] They forgave him for killing.

[1812] All those black people forgave that white man and were, you know, the greatest role models of actual, you know, Christians behaving Christian, by the way.

[1813] And I think that you can forgive.

[1814] I think that that doesn't have to be a religious tenant.

[1815] I think that you can forgive and you can rehabilitate.

[1816] But I won't buy, you know, the hypothetical situation.

[1817] Obviously, I would, by the way, I would defend my, I would kill anybody who ever threatened my family.

[1818] I would have no problem with that.

[1819] I'm not morally against that.

[1820] Yeah, it's a different thing than killing someone that you've got detained when deciding that their life is over.

[1821] Yeah, I don't think the state should be responsible for.

[1822] of that and the idea that we would give the state the trust the most horrific shit is when you find out that the DA withheld information that would lead to the exoneration of someone or that they're unjustly incarcerated than one of the cops knew about it all the time that's one of the most horrific injustices in this country and obviously it's got a racial component to it and it's horrible yeah and the justice system is obviously that's a really interesting thing to talk about and constitutional law is a fascinating thing for people studying this idea that we argue about the Second Amendment, like, let's let constitutional lawyers, I think, discuss a lot of those things, and we should all understand that and be curious about it.

[1823] But I would – our Constitution is also silly.

[1824] Like, let's remake everything.

[1825] Like, let's have that conversation.

[1826] This is so much better that we can do.

[1827] Have a serious conversation about what kind of guns and bullets people can have.

[1828] Not that they can have them or that they can't have.

[1829] Like, that's the conversation.

[1830] That's where we should be right now.

[1831] everything gets regulated, everything.

[1832] There are tradeoffs in health care.

[1833] There are tradeoffs in everything.

[1834] But Americans now are so divided.

[1835] They want everything that they want, that compromise is something that we don't do as Americans, much less in government.

[1836] That's preposterous.

[1837] The Democrats that demand purity or anybody that is doing that.

[1838] You don't agree with me. You're wrong.

[1839] Hold on.

[1840] That's not, no, you don't have any relationships with people in your real life like that.

[1841] Like my wife and I don't agree on a lot of stuff But I love her I adore her Well it's what we talked about before They're on teams And you want your team to win So you state Why do you want your team to win?

[1842] It's a natural thing with human beings All right I agree that What I'm saying about the gun thing The most fucked up part about The messiness of the gun thing Is that even if you made guns Illegal Even if you said you can't have any bullets You'll all go to jail There's so many guns You're not getting them all It's not possible There's more guns and there are people Which means there's more than 300 and what 30 million guns?

[1843] There are In this country alone It's absolutely the most important point in the discussion That's a nutty number man You really stop and think about that number You're like, what?

[1844] Is that real?

[1845] But you don't really stop the behavior By necessarily creating certain laws about why Someone might behave a certain way and shoot people That's not going to necessarily change what you do is you do limit the access to certain types of weapons and rounds of ammunition, right?

[1846] The real question is why would someone do that, right?

[1847] That's the number one question.

[1848] It's a harder question.

[1849] It's a harder question to answer.

[1850] The easier question to answer is make them less accessible.

[1851] Yes.

[1852] To people who have problems that we can't figure out or solve.

[1853] If you could make them less accessible to people to have problems.

[1854] But the president will blame like, I don't mean to get political, but like there's no data on video game argument that there's no data on that well the video game argument is interesting because i've had soldiers bring it up to me including dakota mire yeah i heard that conversation i'm willing to have it i mean i don't i don't think it necessarily makes sense that people would act out in a certain way that's horrific because of video game but if they were already inclined to violence to begin with maybe they already had a fucking short circuit and then they get desensitized to violence in movies and violence and video games, does that have an impact on them?

[1855] I'm not the guy to answer that question.

[1856] Whether or not has an impact on this.

[1857] It's a variable.

[1858] It is.

[1859] It is.

[1860] It's a variable that I think merits discussion.

[1861] I don't know if it's true or not.

[1862] Here's why I don't think it is.

[1863] Because...

[1864] Don't think it merits discussion?

[1865] Well, let me make this point, and then you decide if you think it merits discussion.

[1866] Okay.

[1867] The violent video games have played at far higher rates in Japan and they don't have the gun violence we have.

[1868] It's a good point.

[1869] They have a very different culture, though.

[1870] the way they don't have access to guns that's true that's it that they don't also have a lot of they've had a few mass stabbings the it's the access i dude i've shot guns i shoot guns i get the i i have nothing but respect for hunters i grew up in a hunting community uh but i mean i don't know i don't think that there's much past the conversation about access accessibility to guns that can fire that many rounds that quickly killing that many people i don't think we have to get rid of those somehow but i agree how do you do it yeah that's the question you're that's the most important point there's already 330 there's more guns than there are people so what do you do so by the way i think you buy as many as you can back for sure you spend a whole bunch of taxpayer money just help by the way there's a ton of people in a bind right now that have a rifle like oh my god i'm not going to be able to afford my insulin let me get rid of this uh k -47 to live another month you buy some guns back it's a good expenditure for money and then melt them down and turned them into furniture for people.

[1871] So if you wanted to do that without changing the Second Amendment, like you just have a buyback where you just offer people the opportunity to make some money by giving their guns up.

[1872] Well, the Second Amendment has been interpreted wrong by the Supreme Court, in my opinion.

[1873] I mean, it doesn't say that people should have until 2008.

[1874] It didn't say that.

[1875] Nobody thought that.

[1876] That people should have a personal right to guns until the Heller case.

[1877] But so I don't think you even know.

[1878] need to talk about the second amendment i think just people just need to agree that these guns shouldn't be sold the ammunition to talk about the second amendment i mean it's it's a big conversation no because people can have guns you can have guns the brick has a right to have guns you just can't have these guns anymore no more of those ones you can have all these guns regional restrictions anywhere right and they work city you can't have a handgun yeah they work you can't even i don't think you can't have a uh you can't have a switch plate in new york city yeah cyrus uh vance the the d a there is like terrified that they're changed that they're changing the federal government has changed in law because he knows that those gun laws in New York work really well and by the way people always make the argument well they have those gun laws in Chicago and there's a ton of violence that's because Chicago's on the board of Indiana it doesn't have them guns go across the border just fine that's the gun laws work they work well Chicago is also in the middle of a bitter drug war well yeah I mean that's where the violence is coming from but we should people should have less accessibility to those types of guns like every other civil society in the world come on this is But it goes back to what you were talking about before, like that drugs, if they were legal, you wouldn't have that sort of a drug war.

[1879] Right.

[1880] For sure, it's the root of most of the violence in the inner cities.

[1881] And obviously in Mexico.

[1882] Yeah, it's the, it's black markets.

[1883] It's the illicit drug.

[1884] Yeah, they're making tons of money on that.

[1885] What is the Second Amendment exactly as it's written?

[1886] The right to bear arms shall not be infringed.

[1887] So how do you think that the Supreme Court misinterpreted that?

[1888] that in the 2008 case everybody should just I would plug the work of Eric Siegel The well -regulated militia Being necessary to the security of a free state The right of the people to keep and bear arms Shall not be infringed Yeah those commas get argued by Constitutional scholars For days Yeah but the Supreme Court didn't decide Until 2008 That Americans had a right to have their own weapon.

[1889] That's such a crazy statement.

[1890] Like when you read it, it's so interesting because we're going back in time, trying to figure out how people in 1776 thought about guns and whether or not that applies to us.

[1891] Because if it doesn't apply to us, we have to think on 1789.

[1892] If it doesn't apply to us, we have to think, well, then who gets to decide?

[1893] Like, one of the reasons why...

[1894] We get to decide as a society on any of these things.

[1895] One of the reasons why it's so interesting, is what I want to believe.

[1896] One of the reasons why it's so interesting to read these things is like we have, for whatever reason, when things get written into stone or carved into a stone or written onto a document, like the First Amendment, like the freedom of expression, that is, we have it.

[1897] So we all agree on it.

[1898] Freedom of speech.

[1899] We don't want to change it.

[1900] Yeah, freedom of speech.

[1901] Freedom of expression, whatever.

[1902] We want to hold on to that.

[1903] We want to keep it.

[1904] This is our law.

[1905] All humans do.

[1906] And the Second Amendment, the right to have a gun.

[1907] That's our law.

[1908] We got it written down.

[1909] Look, look, look, it's written there.

[1910] So they'll study these ancient words, like scrolls, like to go over these scrolls and look at the commas and look at the words, shall not be infringed upon.

[1911] What did they mean?

[1912] That's fascinating to me. It is fascinating, but I think that they didn't mean this, Joe.

[1913] I think that.

[1914] How could they?

[1915] They didn't know what this is.

[1916] They didn't.

[1917] And the whole gun thing is a racket to make money.

[1918] That's what that is.

[1919] It's a way you self -fear.

[1920] Like, are you, I mean, home invasion.

[1921] is any family's worst fear but it doesn't happen very much nor does kidnapping nor do a lot of these crimes that all my helicopter our generation of parents is helicopter parents terrified of everything not that's true not letting their kids go outside you're right come on thinking that your kid's going to get kidnapped you don't know anybody who had their kid kidnapped but you're generalizing because home invasions do happen sometimes right but that's not how we should make laws but we don't have to exist like everybody's going to kid or everyone's going to break into your home.

[1922] But I'm saying those kind of...

[1923] The balance is that sometimes it's real.

[1924] That's why people want to be able to have guns because sometimes someone can break in your house and people have defended their house and their property with guns.

[1925] Sure, but it's, is it a way, is it a realistic threat or is it something that the gun industry creates these amazing ads and scares the shit out of people?

[1926] Oh, come on, man. Crime is real.

[1927] Whether they make ads or not.

[1928] It's certainly real.

[1929] I think the clear point is the reason why we have so many guns in America is because there's so much money to be made off of them.

[1930] I think we could absolutely limit them and regulate them and have a thoughtful conversation.

[1931] I think that's where most people are at, although I hate that generalization.

[1932] There's something to that, but there's also something to the reason why we have so many cars.

[1933] People like them.

[1934] I'll have that conversation.

[1935] We should get rid of all the cars.

[1936] Okay.

[1937] Well, I mean, we're not.

[1938] that seems ridiculous why should we get rid of all the cars do you not like freedom or do you want you have a better solution are you going to transport places but if there there there should be one or i think that we are killing ourselves with all the cars the pollution is okay but you can make them electric yeah then that's fine i think i would be fine if they're i have a Chevy Volt since 2012 I have solar panels I'm trying to be the change I want to see in the world if I'm coming off as uh I'm a complete hypocrite in all of it I eat meat and I do all kinds of things I think have a thawful conversation about guns and why they're a huge part of our culture and not another culture, the way that other cultures and countries regulate their weapons, the problems that they have.

[1939] Our problem, sure, we should talk about mental health.

[1940] But the problem with that conversation that people don't want to have is everything costs money.

[1941] That's why you have to pay taxes.

[1942] Paying taxes is the price of civilization.

[1943] What does it have to do with mental health?

[1944] You have to pay for people to help people.

[1945] You can't advocate in government, Republican or Democrat, for the, this is what, unfortunately, Trump and Republicans have advocated, let's get mental health solutions to the violence.

[1946] Let's do that.

[1947] And everybody's behind that, except they cut the Obamacare programs that funded mental health.

[1948] It's just you can't do, you have to spend the money providing mental health.

[1949] It is a problem.

[1950] It should be addressed.

[1951] But it's not, the main issue is definitely the guns and the bullets in them.

[1952] Well, the main issue is the person that's capable of shooting people.

[1953] with the guns of the bullets.

[1954] No, it's the guns and the bullets.

[1955] The guns and the bullet are inanimate objects without a person pulling the trigger.

[1956] We're talking nonsense here.

[1957] They're not going to just shoot themselves.

[1958] The main problem is someone who's willing.

[1959] The main problem is someone who's willing to grab the gun and shoot people, right?

[1960] We both agree there's problems with having guns.

[1961] But don't you think the main problem is the person who actually shoots people?

[1962] I think that in every other country in the world they don't have this problem because they don't have the gun.

[1963] That's where I start and end on the argument.

[1964] Why is that wrong?

[1965] They might, they might, that might be the case that they don't have the guns.

[1966] But there are places that do have guns and they don't have a lot of mass shootings.

[1967] Canada is one of them, right?

[1968] They don't know.

[1969] They don't have the type of guns we have up there.

[1970] They have a lot of guns.

[1971] They do.

[1972] But they don't have AK -47s with unlimited rounds.

[1973] They don't have the, that's crazy.

[1974] Well, do you think they have more or less limitations?

[1975] They're awesome.

[1976] I get it.

[1977] Do you think they have more or less limitations to what firearms are allowed to have in Canada?

[1978] I believe the Canadian gun laws are.

[1979] far stronger, more regulated.

[1980] I think they just tried passing something, some really recently Trudeau announced something that was going to severely limit, this is very recent, severely limit the type of firearms you could have, including things that can have multiple rounds and chambers and certain types of guns that are used right now as hunting rifles, and so there was a big pushback about that.

[1981] This was really recently.

[1982] There's always, see you can find that?

[1983] The conversation about like, like, the.

[1984] the freedom, like the Second Amendment to me is it's just your interpretation.

[1985] Fine.

[1986] Whatever your interpretation is is fine.

[1987] That's what's interesting about it is.

[1988] But there's a human impact.

[1989] It's a health care issue.

[1990] And they, and they, it's so extreme.

[1991] It's really, if you want to know the answer to health care is you should talk to public health experts.

[1992] They have those answers.

[1993] They have the research.

[1994] They have the research.

[1995] On what?

[1996] On what?

[1997] Well, they don't have enough research on, they don't have enough research on gun violence, unfortunately.

[1998] I'm talking about then.

[1999] I'm talking about if you want to know the solutions for what is impacting and creating death, by any measure, accidental death.

[2000] Right, but we're talking about gun violence, right?

[2001] What health care professionals have the solutions to gun violence?

[2002] I think a lot of health care solutions.

[2003] I think certainly surgeons have argued for why certain ammunition has destroying the inside of the body and unsurvivable.

[2004] I think public health officials have argued, certainly pediatricians all argued this idea that you can't ask a parent if they have a gun in the house because the gun lobby is against that because they're building this conspiracy that the government is going to track your gun.

[2005] That's terrible.

[2006] Your pediatrician has to ask you, do you have a pool?

[2007] Where do you keep the poison?

[2008] Where are the guns?

[2009] Because God forbid, you're not responsible enough for educated enough to know that that kid might accidentally get that gun and it happens all the time.

[2010] There's a rule against that.

[2011] Yeah, public health officials and doctors and physicians are pretty much on the same case with this issue.

[2012] These guns and mental health, I think experts too.

[2013] I don't know.

[2014] Maybe there's a large disagreement.

[2015] And if there is, I'm happy to be wrong about this or any dumb.

[2016] shit I've said.

[2017] What you're saying is that these public health officials would be able to make these guns less lethal by banning certain types of ammunition because it's destroying people and checking to see if the parents know if they have a gun or where the gun is or how it's treated, how it's locked up, like they should, I mean, how do you feel like public officials, public health officials?

[2018] Yeah.

[2019] Could have any impact on that.

[2020] Well, public health experts are, you know, their entire responsibilities to keep people safe from sickness and death.

[2021] If you have any bullets at all, they're lethal, right?

[2022] So do you want to have bullets that are less lethal?

[2023] I think that could be a law, for sure.

[2024] Why not?

[2025] Less lethal.

[2026] Yeah, to human bodies?

[2027] Yeah, we shouldn't be killing each other with bullets all the time.

[2028] A bullet will stop anybody, a blunter, whatever it is.

[2029] I don't understand the argument's about ammunition.

[2030] But the point about public health.

[2031] You brought it up.

[2032] That's why I brought it up.

[2033] Fine.

[2034] Public health experts will look at what is creating sickness and death.

[2035] Okay.

[2036] Car accidents.

[2037] What I'm saying to you is that I think it's disingenuous to say that public health officials have an answer to why we're having so much mass violence.

[2038] I don't think anybody has an answer.

[2039] I think we're terrified.

[2040] And I think we could say it's, if they didn't have guns, they wouldn't be able to do it, and you're right.

[2041] And I could say if we, these people weren't mentally handicapped or filled with, I shouldn't say handicapped, mentally compromised, filled with all kinds of demons.

[2042] All kinds of demons.

[2043] All sorts of different medications that are fucking with their judgment.

[2044] Maybe, yeah.

[2045] Abuse, all sorts of trauma, the experience in childhood.

[2046] There's a lot of factors.

[2047] Sure.

[2048] No one has any idea why someone who is abused and who's fucked up is capable of making that leap.

[2049] We have some thoughts on it.

[2050] That's all.

[2051] We have some thoughts on it.

[2052] And we talk about it endlessly.

[2053] And you're right.

[2054] If no one had a gun, there would be no issue with that.

[2055] You wouldn't be able to mass shoot people.

[2056] But would we still have fucked up people that are lashing out trying to hurt people.

[2057] Of course, we always will.

[2058] But we have to fund nonetheless.

[2059] mental health.

[2060] We have to fund research.

[2061] Yeah, a lot of people are.

[2062] I'm not.

[2063] I think you should.

[2064] I think we should not only should we come.

[2065] People don't want government to spend money.

[2066] Mental health.

[2067] It should be a top priority.

[2068] Yeah.

[2069] I think we should think about having four -hour work days being mandatory.

[2070] Done.

[2071] I think we should help people.

[2072] I think, you know, they just didn't experiment what Microsoft did in Japan, in fact.

[2073] And they found that a four -hour, a four -day work week, rather, increased productivity by 40%.

[2074] Yeah.

[2075] I think a lot of people, I don't know, and maybe this is their culture, or maybe this is a specific instance, the type of people that would get a job at Microsoft.

[2076] But, you know, what you're dealing with for most people is beaten down shells that are tired.

[2077] But tie all that together.

[2078] Go back to the gun argument, argue for the four -hour work week and any other type of benefits that civilized nations around the world, especially in Scandinavia, have.

[2079] Studying that culture is really interesting and what they do.

[2080] Yeah.

[2081] And you realize that there's any number of things that you can do to help people.

[2082] and how do you have to be able to fund those solutions and people don't want to do it right people don't want to pay more taxes but they also have a distrust in the way the government spends their money so it becomes a catch 22 I'm sorry even if they wanted things to be better they don't trust the government to spend their money like if you work hard and you make X amount of dollars and the government wants 45 % of it but there's not a bet necessarily a better way fine I give you that argument but that we have to come together as a siding agree this is how we're going spend money on the fire apartment, on schools, and so on.

[2083] Yeah, well, no one's arguing.

[2084] Yeah, but the rest of the world, why is so many other places, Scandinavia, happier than us?

[2085] One of the reasons is we have to worry about getting shot.

[2086] We should not have to worry about that.

[2087] We have to worry about health insurance.

[2088] We should not have to worry about that.

[2089] We have to worry about getting paying for education.

[2090] Those are things that other people in other countries don't have to be as concerned about that.

[2091] They're happier.

[2092] They're more relaxed.

[2093] Well, they're also way smaller.

[2094] It's like Idaho versus the entire United States of America.

[2095] You're right.

[2096] But that's not how you study, you know, socioeconomics says something different about the size of the country matters, but.

[2097] It's a huge factor.

[2098] It's a factor in the way people behave.

[2099] I mean, they've done studies where they've taken cameras, and they put them on opposite ends of the street, and they can tell by how fast people walk, and they can tell by how many syllables they say in a minute, exactly the number of people that are in that city.

[2100] There's a direct correlation between large groups of people and hostile behavior, fast thinking, moving quickly, talking quickly, being impatient.

[2101] All those things contribute to a less healthy society.

[2102] When you deal with a small country that has less people, you have less of that.

[2103] But it still doesn't change the idea, even if we disagreed on that, that looking at how other nations' societies, neighborhoods, by the way, forget about that.

[2104] Don't make it about America.

[2105] What's this city over here doing?

[2106] What's this community doing over here?

[2107] Mayors are working together really effectively to solve problems in cities.

[2108] They have these unions all the time, these coming together.

[2109] And they're doing a lot of good work.

[2110] Communities can copy other communities.

[2111] But if you look at, we so often talk about our national system, and that's generally what we're talking about with many of these issues here, you look at Scandinavia.

[2112] People are happier there.

[2113] Why?

[2114] I don't know if that's true.

[2115] Why is that true?

[2116] There's so much research in it.

[2117] But why is that true that they're happier?

[2118] What does that mean?

[2119] Because if you don't have to worry.

[2120] It's a big giant generalization.

[2121] There's got to be some depressed people in Scandinavia.

[2122] Of course there are.

[2123] Don't get me wrong, dude.

[2124] They're horror.

[2125] They're suicidal.

[2126] They have all kinds of problems.

[2127] There's places in the United States.

[2128] States that are happier than other places.

[2129] Of course.

[2130] Yeah, it's access to education and health care.

[2131] You can't be...

[2132] It's also environment.

[2133] It's also the beauty of their surroundings.

[2134] It's also whether or not it's a small town or a large city.

[2135] Yeah, I mean, there's places like Boulder, Colorado, super healthy, happy places.

[2136] Yeah.

[2137] But there's only 100 ,000 people there.

[2138] Right.

[2139] That's how we...

[2140] And it's gorgeous.

[2141] We need, I think that's, we have to radically change the way that we live in our communities.

[2142] And I think there's so much interesting conversation we had about sharing everything.

[2143] You know, the car, the car comes to pick you up whenever you need it and all that.

[2144] You can still have your own car, whatever, but just the idea of ride sharing, home sharing, Home sharing?

[2145] You're going to share your house with somebody?

[2146] You could have, you could, through technology, you could just have, no, you're not going to share your house with somebody.

[2147] But in a community, like a kibbutz of the future, surrounded by, there's a place called Serenby down south.

[2148] It's got biophilic design and everything is like renewable.

[2149] The way they live, everybody is just how you described.

[2150] It's like a small, everybody is always on foot walking, communicating.

[2151] Surrounded by nature, exercising.

[2152] It's definitely better when you can get that, if you can get that.

[2153] It's just hard to sustain large groups.

[2154] I mean, there's no getting away from the number of people we have here, you know?

[2155] And then also like, the smaller the group, the less minds you have that you interact with.

[2156] You were talking with somebody that's a scientist who lives in the van.

[2157] It was a fascinating conversation.

[2158] And I feel like you made the point about, he's great.

[2159] It was great.

[2160] I was sealing my parents' basement listening to that show.

[2161] and he talked about or you did maybe Moore's Law Is that what I think he talked about it as well That was pretty interesting I never heard anything like that But about It's only you have to have a certain amount of people Before kind of chaos No no Or corruption No no What is it That was Dunbar's number Dunbar's number is 150 people Moore's law is the law that pertains To technological Oh technological Improvement Yeah the Dunbar's number The rate of improvement Of how technology And that's going straight up and that's fascinating and Andrew Yang understands that and Joe Biden doesn't that's a huge issue.

[2162] Dunbar's number is the amount of people that you can keep semi -intimate relationships with and it seems to have a direct correlation between ancient tribal structures.

[2163] I'm fascinated about that.

[2164] They think it's about 150 people and more or less.

[2165] I'm sure people vary like they vary in everything else.

[2166] Intelligence height.

[2167] People vary in everything.

[2168] But this number seems to be fairly consistent that you can't really have more than 150 people in your life.

[2169] Don't you think Thanos was right?

[2170] in a way with them.

[2171] Yeah, yeah, no, that's the problem with that movie.

[2172] Thanos had a point.

[2173] Right.

[2174] Yeah, I mean, he's a piece of shit, but he had a point.

[2175] The way he went about it was wrong.

[2176] Yeah, he was a dick, he killed a lot of people.

[2177] He snapped that everybody died.

[2178] And then he wanted to live on his own island like an asshole.

[2179] He gives a whole planet where he lives on it.

[2180] And the son would always set on his face.

[2181] Yeah, fuck him.

[2182] And James Brolin.

[2183] I was glad when Thor fucked him up.

[2184] Spoiler alert.

[2185] My daughter got to interview the co -directors as part of my old shows, my favorite memory.

[2186] It's Josh Brolin, by the way.

[2187] What did I say?

[2188] They're both handsome.

[2189] They are.

[2190] But yeah, Thanos.

[2191] But the idea, that's the idea of balance.

[2192] Do you think about that?

[2193] Like, all this stuff that we use and we consume and the way that we live, I think about that a lot.

[2194] Yeah.

[2195] I do.

[2196] And I'm happy when someone like Boyon's slot comes around that has like a real legitimate solution that could be implemented at large scale and could eventually be a gigantic solution.

[2197] Not only that, but a source of resources.

[2198] But what about just sustained?

[2199] And this plastic instead of.

[2200] Instead of being a detriment, can be used to work at certain things.

[2201] Maybe the money could be used from the sale of that plastic, and it would go to charitable causes.

[2202] Maybe it could actually be a positive net benefit to the earth.

[2203] If someone comes along with some technology, they could do that.

[2204] Why do we have in this country an argument about the future of energy in the way that we live and how to create a better renewable future?

[2205] Like, I have no idea why we're arguing everybody wins.

[2206] We're going to make a shitload of money.

[2207] the argument is that if you invest in a green new deal that that is a socialist idea that's a bad idea in any way no everybody will get rich or we're all going to die I don't think that's what the problem is what do you think of that binary well everybody it's not I don't think we're going to die either I think fear mongery is not helping anybody either I think you're right about that things are going to get shittier I mean I think that's probably why Trump wanted to buy Greenland is like I got an idea let's get up there such a move it would have amazing if you pulled it off However much time got spent It was brilliant because He came out of nowhere too Well because he really knows how to play the media He's like having a bad day He's like I buy Greenland how does that sound Okay And then we talk about it all day On the radio and on TV And it's like well we just lost Everything that you and I just discussed All these really important issues Not really I think we're gonna People are gonna solve a lot of the problems It's gonna be thoughtful people that are geniuses They're gonna figure out A lot of our problems They're gonna solve them Doesn't mean we should give up I think there's going to be a way that they're going to be able to extract carbon from the atmosphere.

[2208] They have many different prototypes and many different theories that they're working on right now.

[2209] Yeah, yeah, I don't mean to sound negative.

[2210] I'm on board with solving the problem.

[2211] I just don't want to argue about the problem.

[2212] I want to have really thoughtful discussions about the solutions and how we can do it.

[2213] But, you know, fossil fuels have to go rapidly.

[2214] The problem is also that...

[2215] I don't know how you do that, but they have to go rapidly.

[2216] It's hard.

[2217] The problem is also that the conversation has become...

[2218] ideologically driven.

[2219] Right?

[2220] If you're on the left, you think climate change is of the utmost importance.

[2221] If you're on the right, you're supposed to at least slightly dismiss it as high -polling.

[2222] I think that's a bizarre binary course.

[2223] It's the most important thing.

[2224] But it's what we do with everything.

[2225] What we do with abortion?

[2226] What we do with murder?

[2227] Yeah, but the planet, it's the planet.

[2228] I understand.

[2229] That's how I always put it like, people will be sensitive about sexism or racism.

[2230] Oh, easy for you to say white guy.

[2231] No, I'm not dismissing what's most important directly to you.

[2232] I'm looking at it in the aggregate of our species.

[2233] It's the planet.

[2234] The emergency bells are ringing.

[2235] We have to stop burning fossil fuels.

[2236] We have to.

[2237] Dude, it burns here every couple months.

[2238] Like, crazy burns.

[2239] It's like what we think of a hellscape should look like on film.

[2240] You guys are living through it.

[2241] Dude, I've been here for 20 plus years, 25, I think, 25 years.

[2242] It's never been like this, where every four or five months a fire erupts.

[2243] And there's a feeling that you have when a fire erupts.

[2244] It's real weird, man. Explain it because I think it's important to people.

[2245] I've been evacuated three different times and there's a feeling that comes over you.

[2246] Like first of all, there's, in my case, I can only speak for myself, there's a releasing of any, like you don't, no importance is attached to anything other than your kids and your wife and you're, and you know, just get the fuck out of there.

[2247] The dog, whatever you got to do, get the fuck out of there and realize, look, you're a human.

[2248] who's doing well living in the United States of America, you already got four aces.

[2249] Just get the fuck out of there.

[2250] Stay alive.

[2251] Don't worry about your house.

[2252] Don't worry about your car.

[2253] Just get out.

[2254] Go.

[2255] That's number one.

[2256] And two is the intense fury of nature.

[2257] And when I saw the last ones when I got evacuated last year, our fucking neighbors, three of the house is burnt down right across the street from my house.

[2258] So here's my house.

[2259] This house, this house, this house are gone.

[2260] And there's hundreds of houses all throughout malibu there was like 600 houses burnt to the ground man and it's a fucking terrifying scene there was a woman we played a video there's a woman who was trying to drive to go get her horses and she was driving through driving through a firestorm screaming and filming it at the same time and the fucking embers are flying i think she had one of those dash cam things on well i mean well i mean but you're talking about a community one community out here and you're talking about really affluent people so they should care.

[2261] They're home to their property.

[2262] Yeah, but I'm talking about Katrina.

[2263] Like, it's hurricanes, it's wildfires.

[2264] And the impoverished nations are suffering the most because they're burning the most fossil fuels and they have the least resources.

[2265] And we, meanwhile, are having everything we want.

[2266] And I think that that's like also kind of just a holistic experience.

[2267] We should have, we should use less.

[2268] It's a philosophical debate for sure.

[2269] But we should have it.

[2270] We can use less and be happier even.

[2271] in so many different ways.

[2272] I'm not sure people...

[2273] I don't think that's going to stop the fires, though.

[2274] I don't know what you're saying.

[2275] Fires are coming because it's getting warmer.

[2276] No, it's climate change is the issue I'm talking about.

[2277] And it's people living...

[2278] It's like maybe.

[2279] Sustainability or reusing.

[2280] The problem is gigantic.

[2281] The problem needs to be addressed on a global scale.

[2282] Green New Deal.

[2283] It's the whole thing.

[2284] It's not addressed on a global scale.

[2285] China and India and all these other countries that are still polluting at a fucking rapid rate.

[2286] They're not contributing to this.

[2287] Every one of those countries is in the Paris climate.

[2288] Every one of them.

[2289] Only we aren't.

[2290] And we just made it official.

[2291] And it's a dagger to the planet.

[2292] But do not give up and fight every day to create solutions and care about it.

[2293] That's what we should be in the streets for.

[2294] Read Bill McKibbon.

[2295] Oh, I don't know if we need to be in the streets for this, but I think you're right.

[2296] You don't think that we should be out in the streets?

[2297] Do you think that's really going to stop people from burning coal?

[2298] Do you think that's going to stop people from...

[2299] Yeah, I think it's working.

[2300] I think the divestment movement has worked really, really effectively.

[2301] 350 .org is a very effective organization to get defa...

[2302] But you're talking like I'm arguing with you.

[2303] I'm sorry.

[2304] I mean, I'm not.

[2305] Dude, I think we're all on this together.

[2306] Joe, that's my tone.

[2307] I'm sorry.

[2308] No, it's okay.

[2309] But it's like whenever I say something, you're talking about here is there's a bunch of different solutions.

[2310] But no one's arguing with you saying don't do that one or don't do this one.

[2311] What I'm saying is we got a real gigantic problem globally.

[2312] globally and to just do less is not going to stop these fires do less we're already in it it's already happening like we have to figure out a way to protect ourselves you absolutely right that's actually probably the smartest thing that either of us has said in this conversation it's my issue obviously yeah we have to adapt we have to find solutions to adapt and a ways to live and that's what I'm talking about in terms of sustainability and biophilic design and architecture and just infrastructure in general like we have to to do that I feel We feel like that's our responsibility of our kids.

[2313] We have to be mobile.

[2314] You know, one of the things that always freaks me out.

[2315] Like, nomads.

[2316] Well, I study a lot of ancient history.

[2317] And I'm really interested in these civilizations that they find, like when, you know, like, for some reason, like a storm takes away some water and moves to a different place.

[2318] They find some structure underneath the water they didn't know existed before.

[2319] And you realize, like, oh, Jesus, there was a city here at one point in time.

[2320] Right.

[2321] Right.

[2322] This happened several times through our history.

[2323] Yeah, I mean, that's a good one.

[2324] That's a volcano one.

[2325] But there's a bunch of these places that used to be, like, during the time of the Bering Land Bridge, right?

[2326] There was the water was much lower.

[2327] And that was only like, what was that?

[2328] I don't know.

[2329] A thousand years ago, I think.

[2330] There was a whole country.

[2331] Like, people don't know that.

[2332] That was a goddamn country.

[2333] There was a country that, the way we describe it today.

[2334] Wait, there's a nation of people living?

[2335] No, they called it the Bering Land Bridge was a place called Beringa.

[2336] Like, I didn't even know this.

[2337] I was listening to this book on 10.

[2338] tape by my friend Steve Ronella about um it's called the american buffalo i think it's called american buffalo sounds awesome it is it's an amazing book but it's about the history of um wildlife and native americans and what changed and like that these people who migrated here from siberia how long it took them to do it and that it wasn't even migration we think of it as migration but it wasn't they were just following food and it was a slow process over thousands of years but we think of it as like they're going across a bridge.

[2339] It wasn't a bridge, man. It was a fucking country.

[2340] Well, that's what's happening.

[2341] There was so little, look how big it was.

[2342] There was so little water because of the Ice Age.

[2343] Right.

[2344] That you could walk through this Beringja area.

[2345] It was fucking thousands of miles wide.

[2346] So it was huge.

[2347] One of the issues in Central America is just what you're describing.

[2348] It's climate change.

[2349] Right now in Central America, the coffee growers can't grow their coffee.

[2350] Can't grow drugs, by the way.

[2351] And they can't grow their coffee.

[2352] So what are they doing what you just described they're walking up through mexico and they're being demonized the only thing they're guilty of is they can't grow their crop well we have this thing that we're doing now but that's because of climate change forgive me that that's because the soil down there is drying up that's what it's going to happen and it's forced migration and talking about adoption to me that's the most interesting thing about what your point was about how do we adapt to people migrated away from these areas that are and how do we live in america on the coasts and in California like that's really you're gonna have to move all those assholes that have houses upstate New York baby in those those pokey things that stick into the ground distilts the giant yeah hilarious yeah what is what is buying that house those houses are like 10 million bucks I feel that way by to some extent by even going up in like a sky rise at serious six I worked on the 37th floor I'm like this is a silliness silliness why am I am I all the way up in the sky I don't want to work that brought me a sense of of unhappiness and in common I don't want to live I don't want to work or live in the sky these people live way up I don't like that It's a great view though That view is sick Yeah but I can really give you a little brain tingle And make you excited about writing Look at that Like all those people Like I'm so high up here Ants everywhere There's ideas Yeah yeah yeah I feel like anytime You get some sort of surge of ideas It can be translated Into some sort of a push of creativity Always It's lovely when it happens A great view is a kicker It kicks you in the balls I've had you in the balls I've had you on I think Like what's your best one Views I'm like where you've had one of those I'm a mountain person I love mountains I fucking love it man Fuck paintings Paintings can suck a dick Oh is that right I like looking at mountains Is that right you won't I mean paintings are cool I like paintings It's filled with artwork Yeah What I'm saying is that to me There's no comparison Like a mountain view With a lake in the background That to me is like Whatever it is about my DNA That to me just Just Where's the best Where's the place you were In nature That you felt the most Just happy connected I've felt it A lot of different places Great answer, first of all.

[2353] But I'm a big fan of Colorado's mountains.

[2354] I'm a big fan of the mountains of Utah.

[2355] I just, I love mountains.

[2356] That a park in Vancouver was for me. Park in Vancouver.

[2357] Have you ever been in that big park?

[2358] It's like part city, shame.

[2359] Could you look up that?

[2360] I'm so embarrassed.

[2361] So is that bigger than like Central Park?

[2362] Yeah, I think it's bigger.

[2363] I think the same guy might have designed it.

[2364] But it's got beach, mountains, lakes.

[2365] That's one of the best moves about New York City.

[2366] They've got a giant park in the middle of it.

[2367] That was a brilliant.

[2368] The guy who designed is a fascinating guy.

[2369] Oh, that's so smart.

[2370] It changes everything.

[2371] Yeah.

[2372] When you're in that park, you're like, I know this is bullshit and it's not really nature.

[2373] I found myself.

[2374] It's like nature trapped, but it's good enough.

[2375] It's good enough.

[2376] By the way, that was so well described.

[2377] Nature trapped.

[2378] I feel that way.

[2379] It's not all I feel in resorts.

[2380] When I go to resorts, I'm like, this isn't it.

[2381] Yeah.

[2382] This is not Turks and Caicos right now where I'm at.

[2383] Nature is only nature when it's connected to bears and shit.

[2384] Like, if you just keep going in the woods, something can eat.

[2385] eat you.

[2386] If it's not, then it's nonsense.

[2387] Yeah.

[2388] And what you're in in, well there's one thing though, they do have coyotes now in Central Park, which is really amazing.

[2389] What is the concern about them?

[2390] Well, they've got coyotes.

[2391] Yeah, but what are they doing?

[2392] And people are like, we get like coyote alerts.

[2393] They'll bite your kids.

[2394] Where they really, forgive my ignorance, folks, if you just lost your dog to a coyote, now I feel like a douche.

[2395] Well, people's kids do get bitten.

[2396] Well, and I mean, they will take people out upon occasion.

[2397] A moment who was 19 years old, in Vancouver, in fact, was killed by a...

[2398] Stanley Park.

[2399] A pack of coyotes.

[2400] Shit happens.

[2401] I know, but that's why you worry about them in your city.

[2402] You don't want them eating your kids.

[2403] Fair enough.

[2404] You actually answer my question.

[2405] Look at that fucking park, man. That park is where I had an experience.

[2406] I mean, I agree with you, the mountains and the Rockies in general, Colorado has got to be...

[2407] Yeah, parks are close.

[2408] That's close because it's kind of like attached to the water.

[2409] You know, the ocean's there and you've got all the trees and shit.

[2410] Oh, man. What a beautiful place.

[2411] For me, though, is like when you're out in real wilderness and you run into real wild animals.

[2412] No human creations is my, is my, my, I want to see no, and nothing that's created by a human, that's my full heaven.

[2413] Yeah.

[2414] That's where I'm most at peace.

[2415] Just something about like a campfire and, you know, you're staring up at the night sky and you're cooking dinner with your friends and just, no one around for miles, man, it's just, just peace.

[2416] Rolling down the allegation and a Rowland Thurlow canvas kayak, fly fishing away, not catching anything.

[2417] You just see stars.

[2418] Why would you not want to catch anything?

[2419] No, that's what happened.

[2420] me. I was the place that I went in Maine that we're describing way out and we went on a fly fishing trip where I learned how to fly fish and caught zero.

[2421] Maine's tricky.

[2422] There's a reason why Stephen King's from Maine and every one of his books is horrific.

[2423] What is it?

[2424] It's horror.

[2425] What is it?

[2426] I got this scar of Maine.

[2427] I split my finger there.

[2428] There's no people man. There's no people.

[2429] Right.

[2430] Like a bunch of comedians, me included, had a joke.

[2431] We would do bits about how you drive from Boston.

[2432] and there's this one stretch before you get to Bangor, where Stephen King lived.

[2433] I did a gig there.

[2434] Husson College.

[2435] Yeah.

[2436] No radio.

[2437] There was no radio.

[2438] Yeah.

[2439] You would hit the scan button and it would never find a signal.

[2440] You're like, what?

[2441] And there was a full hour.

[2442] I think it was 60 miles or so, 55 miles or so where there was no gas stations.

[2443] So you'd get gas and then you're on your fucking own for an hour of driving.

[2444] Love it.

[2445] And it was weird, man. But there was something about the people.

[2446] that you would run into along the way.

[2447] It was disturbing.

[2448] They didn't have enough contact with people.

[2449] You know how people get rickets and they get scurvy when they don't get vitamin C?

[2450] Well, people get some weird shit when they don't meet enough people.

[2451] When you're just out there in the woods with your uncle and your cousin and that's it for your whole life and then all said you're 24, listen to me. That ain't a good combination either.

[2452] That's weird.

[2453] That is a really great idea for a bit.

[2454] I mean, that guy, his social problems when he comes into Fifth Avenue, he's got some weird interactive or lack of social.

[2455] Yeah.

[2456] He didn't get the right diet.

[2457] But that being said, now the measurement isn't, can you get a radio connection?

[2458] Does your phone still work?

[2459] And I think everybody should, I mean, it's very dangerous, so not everybody should, but if you can go with a guide, like that's real, to me, that's real human connection.

[2460] That's where we're supposed to be.

[2461] And you should have that experience.

[2462] We're so connected to our screens.

[2463] I feel like that's got to be bad, but the research is not that we're connected to our screens it's gonna be bad it's an interesting conversation no the research is pretty solid it's bad from yeah you've read Jonathan Heights work about it I've read the coddling of the American mind you should read it because it's really twangy it's really interesting because yeah I've read okay but it shows the consequences of these young kids they're getting involved in these screens you think that's any different with us as adults to be indoctrinated into this world of social media and constantly on our screens there's showing a direct correlation particularly with young girls are very vulnerable because of the pressures of social media people talking shit about each other.

[2464] I've seen it.

[2465] I got a 14 and 12 year old.

[2466] Bullying.

[2467] And you're seeing a big uptick and self -harm, big uptick and suicide.

[2468] These are measurable statistics.

[2469] I think the data is pretty good on it.

[2470] I'm not quite sure you mentioned the data is better than climate change.

[2471] It's as good as it gets.

[2472] The data shows a clear line.

[2473] I don't know about that.

[2474] I think it's a different type.

[2475] Dude, it shows a clear line from the invention of the iPhone to massive...

[2476] But that could just be a correlation.

[2477] something else What a coincidence that smartphones who every fucking kid who's 11 years old and up now has a smartphone and every kid that you're looking at from before had a giant decrease and a giant decrease.

[2478] It may be right I would push back on that it's stronger than climate science It's pretty fucking strong Okay yeah I think you're probably right I certainly want to do something about it and I think it's a really important issue that's why the you know connecting to nature is the answer to that and I mean my kids have their phones in their faces all the time.

[2479] I think it's terrible for so many different reasons, but I'm just not sure exactly, number one, our generation of parents really struggling with how to solve that.

[2480] I mean, what do you do?

[2481] Well, now we're admitting it's real, okay?

[2482] So admitting it's a problem.

[2483] So there is real data.

[2484] I completely admit it's a problem, and I do think there's a lot of data, just not sure about it.

[2485] I don't know if going to the woods is going to help it.

[2486] It's going to make you feel a little bit better while you're in the woods.

[2487] But I don't think it's going to overall.

[2488] You're not right.

[2489] There's a problem.

[2490] having these goddamn devices where you're constantly addicted and checking it and you're getting this little dopamine hits.

[2491] Yep, Jonathan Haight wrote that with, I think, or he wrote a book about that with Lenore Schenesey, who also advocate that this is the problem with, you know, parents being worried about their kids too much.

[2492] Sure, helicopter parenting.

[2493] Yeah, Jonathan Haidt talks about that too, letting kids, you know, he's talked about his own fear of letting his own kid walk his way home.

[2494] Yeah, yeah, it's real.

[2495] His kid was real young, and he got lost, and it was terrifying for a short amount of time for them.

[2496] But he built a life scale probably.

[2497] Yeah, he didn't die.

[2498] You know, it's all an interesting conversation about who we are now versus who we used to be, and is it better?

[2499] I think our, yeah, I don't know.

[2500] It's a fascinating conversation.

[2501] I do think that our generation, like our kids, have, we have more of a disconnection to what their experience is than any generation before us.

[2502] That's my argument.

[2503] I don't know if that's true.

[2504] But, like, what did our parents have?

[2505] TVs?

[2506] What do we have?

[2507] Upgraded TVs?

[2508] More channels.

[2509] You know, microwaves.

[2510] But, you know, nothing, it was a gradual change.

[2511] Telecommunications gradually changed.

[2512] from beepers to phones, but then, bam, back to Moore's law, and it's just, and how do we react all this?

[2513] How do we parent in this?

[2514] People are dying, looking at their phones and their cars.

[2515] A lot of really serious consequences about them.

[2516] I kind of like wish we didn't have them in a way.

[2517] I don't know.

[2518] But there's no going back.

[2519] Morris law specifically deals with processors, honestly, I think.

[2520] I don't think it's specifically deals with, I don't think it can, no, no, no, no, no. But the argument is that, I think it, I think it only connects to processors because I don't think they could really, they could really measure, uh, innovation that well, because things come along like splitting the atom, like, you know, there's things that come along to just fucking throw a monkey wrench.

[2521] It's a great.

[2522] Yeah.

[2523] Great point.

[2524] I don't, I just, I don't know if there's a benefit that we're not quite aware of.

[2525] Because I think one of the things is happening is people are way more aware of virtually everything.

[2526] We can complain all day that we have less freedom in terms of our ability to joke around about things and people are more restrictive with language.

[2527] And all these things are true.

[2528] But isn't it interesting that this is something that's happening, right?

[2529] So there's a pushback.

[2530] So we're feeling this rejection of certain types of words that we always like to use.

[2531] We're feeling this rejection with certain behaviors that a lot of specifically men took advantage of.

[2532] We're seeing this giant chain.

[2533] Well, why are we seeing this thing?

[2534] This giant shift is because of social media and these technologies that we're talking about the create problems.

[2535] So the question is, will this ship right itself?

[2536] Like, are these corrections eventually going to lead to a better society?

[2537] Are we going to be more understanding of each other once we get over these initial growing pains, which is what we're going through right now, as a culture, as a society, getting accustomed to these devices and these devices and the connectivity that they have?

[2538] Are we going to get more responsible with them?

[2539] Are we going to be nicer to each other through it?

[2540] We're going to recognize as we get older that, hey, you know, being shitty to someone on social media is just like being shitty to someone in person.

[2541] And we shouldn't support either thing.

[2542] And then we develop this sort of ethic.

[2543] Yeah, it's a really important set of questions.

[2544] You just ask about social media's effect on us.

[2545] I would pinpoint one just for people to watch this Intelligence Square debate that you would love.

[2546] Because given your conversation that you have with people, is I think it was, the motion was, is Twitter specifically good for democracy?

[2547] or does it create democracy?

[2548] And I was on the side of, yeah, it does.

[2549] And I would set examples like Egypt and even China in different places where people in Iran where people use Twitter to rise up.

[2550] But the argument was it's worse because on Twitter a lie travels so fast, so rapidly, and it's so believable that it creates more damage about things that didn't happen and conspiracy theory than it also, you know, it's a little of both, obviously, in terms of it creating democracy.

[2551] You would think more speech on Twitter, it's equal, creates more democracy.

[2552] How could you argue with that until you hear the other argument, which is fascinating about how much disinformation travels and how effective it is?

[2553] Well, my answer I think would be the same as my answer about technology, that I'm not necessarily sure it's all bad.

[2554] And I think we're going through some growing pains, but I think we go through some growing pains with virtually every new changing thing.

[2555] That's the argument that economists make.

[2556] You're talking about how it affects But the economic argument is interesting in terms of, is it Andrew Yang's argument?

[2557] Is it, is the rapid technological transformation in this, in the planet, going to lead a jobless society?

[2558] Right.

[2559] I don't know about that.

[2560] A jobless society.

[2561] And economists have always argued what you're saying.

[2562] Did the cotton gin put the farmer out?

[2563] Right.

[2564] The horse put the car, all that.

[2565] But the new argument that I hear from a lot of people who are a billion times, I'm not smart.

[2566] All these people are, you know, experts, they study this stuff, is mostly, yeah, this is, is way different.

[2567] The rapid change and it's absolutely automation is going to kill economies around the world.

[2568] Well, the numbers are crazy.

[2569] Now, stop and think about you, right?

[2570] You're a smart guy who's gotten, had a successful radio show.

[2571] You do stand -up.

[2572] This is going to hurt in the end.

[2573] No, you now are in this position where you have to adjust because you've been released from your job, right?

[2574] But you have options.

[2575] Now, imagine you're a truck driver, and imagine that's all you've ever been and you're 60 years old, and all of a sudden, they come along and say, hey, man, we have these self -driving luxury trucks that never crashed into anything we don't need you anymore and you don't have any skills well i would have any other way to make a living you the angst that you feel right now imagine that squared i could not agree more with you my perspective is mine alone we see things as we are not as they are and and and and thinking about and as i always talked to this about my daughter's good expression yeah my wife painted that it's good expression put it up on our and our wall and so my experience it's only relative to me but you have to widen your perspective to understand uh some people are struggling to just get toilet paper and understanding that and your point though about the the truck driver his skill set is narrow and maybe his education his a grit maybe does not a network he's not to use the internet but he did a valuable job and if he's going to lose his job at 63 i don't want to live in a society that worked hard guy worked hard his whole life and by the way he's paying more as a percentage of his taxes as a truck driver than most these guys in financial industry which is a complete injustice right you know tax on your work how much work you're doing but this guy should not have to go struggle and learn a new job.

[2576] He's 63.

[2577] Let him ride into the sunset.

[2578] Give him a life right now.

[2579] I'd pay for that.

[2580] That sounds romantic.

[2581] If you get screwed out of your job with technology, credit system, government where we take care of those people.

[2582] It sounds romantic?

[2583] Yeah.

[2584] It sounds wonderful.

[2585] But here's the problem with that.

[2586] It doesn't make people feel good to just get a check.

[2587] People feel like shit.

[2588] Absolutely.

[2589] You want to have absolutely.

[2590] They get depressed.

[2591] By see you saying, right off in the sunset, there's a use of euphemism for death.

[2592] You're going to die.

[2593] I mean, you're being cute.

[2594] For me, it's let me go be in my end of on golden pumpkin.

[2595] But it's not.

[2596] That guy's going to shit himself and die.

[2597] No, no. Let him go fishing and hunt.

[2598] That's great, but he's not going to be able to do that.

[2599] He's going to be scratching and clawing to get through life.

[2600] If you're getting $1 ,000 a month, that's not enough to exist.

[2601] How do you feel about it, by the way?

[2602] How do you feel about it?

[2603] I like it.

[2604] I like the idea because I'm open -minded.

[2605] I don't know.

[2606] I don't know what's going to happen.

[2607] But I think we should have all possible options on the table because what's happened in our lifetime from 1994 with you know give or take a few years which is the invention of the the commercial version of the internet right with all those aOL and all those things that people used it basically all started sort of blossoming around 1994 with mass use but we here we are in 2019 so that's not that long that's 25 fucking years in the world is a unrecognizable place people have devices in their pockets all the time you're recording everything Think about all the shit that Snowden figured out That they're recording every goddamn phone call you make Every photo you take every email you send Everything's being recorded in a database To use against you someday in the future We have no idea what 25 years from now It's gonna look like If we really believe that we don't need universal income And then it turns out we do We fucked up Oh no, we have to do it I think we should look at all options on the table I don't know if it's the right option And I think humanists People that understand human nature They need a sense of purpose people need some great argument i completely agree well made and by the way when you say you know i'm open -minded about it like that's the conversation that's it has to keep being the conversation you and i've gotten into a couple of like arguments about little things and that's it was awesome i learned like your point of view that's the conversation and the idea that somehow you know there's got to be a beat down and one person has to win and it has to be a competition yeah it's dunk on each other yeah it's i mean it's entertaining but that's the problem but it's it's collects and likes and it's valuable but what do you think about the idea that the automation is the main driving force putting people out of work, not this idea of immigration?

[2608] I think some of it is true, and some of that mindless work is also soul -sucking, so you're saving someone from some assembly line job that makes them want to fucking shoot themselves.

[2609] I think both those things are true.

[2610] I mean, I think we're looking, again, for a binary answer here, when it's a very nuanced issue filled with complexities and a lot of issues.

[2611] And people like to have something to do But the problem is sometimes people get beaten down by life And again, they're 60X whatever it is years old And they don't know what to do And then they can't live the same lifestyle that they had When they had a job Because when they had a job They were making $1 ,000 a week Yeah You know, they're making $50 grand a year And now all of a sudden they're making $1 ,000 a month So you can kind of live But how do you live?

[2612] That's why I got to plug my podcast What?

[2613] You mean you got to get to work From riding off into the sunset Yeah, I mean, like, so I can work.

[2614] You know, you want to work.

[2615] You want to do work.

[2616] I'd completely agree with that argument.

[2617] I don't have three jobs because it's healthy.

[2618] I have three jobs because I'm crazy and because I need to stay busy and also because I don't trust any one of these things to stick around.

[2619] Do you really not?

[2620] No, never have.

[2621] Never have, never will.

[2622] Now, come on, that's irrational.

[2623] Never have, never will.

[2624] No, never have, never will.

[2625] What do you need?

[2626] I don't need anything.

[2627] I don't think that way.

[2628] I think now I'm doing it.

[2629] While I can do it, do it, do it and do the best you can.

[2630] It's going to vary.

[2631] Some days I suck.

[2632] Some days I'm better, it's going to vary.

[2633] But do the best I can, keep doing it.

[2634] But don't think it's going to last forever.

[2635] And don't think it's going to go away either.

[2636] Don't think about it at all.

[2637] But it could go away.

[2638] What are you doing?

[2639] The internet could go away.

[2640] Everything can go away.

[2641] People get pulled off of YouTube all the time.

[2642] You get banned from things.

[2643] Things happen.

[2644] Weird shifts take place.

[2645] Some of them are illogical.

[2646] You know, people get banned for saying the most ridiculous things.

[2647] What weird shifts are that are illogical?

[2648] I'm not following you.

[2649] What weird shifts?

[2650] Yeah.

[2651] Yeah.

[2652] Sure.

[2653] Do you know who Megan, what is her name?

[2654] Megan Murphy.

[2655] She's a woman who's a turf.

[2656] I've talked about her too many times this week.

[2657] Trans exclusionary, radical feminist.

[2658] And she doesn't think that trans women are women, and they should, I hope I'm not paraphrasing here, she doesn't think that they should vote and speak on women's issues and that women are women who are biologically women.

[2659] And then you have a trans woman who dominates women's issues, she thinks it's fucked up And this is her perspective.

[2660] She wrote on Twitter, a man is never a woman.

[2661] They told her you have to take it down.

[2662] So she took a photo of it.

[2663] They told her she has to take it down.

[2664] So she took a photo of it and reposted that photo.

[2665] She took a screenshot, reposted the screenshot.

[2666] Then they banned her for life.

[2667] So that to me. I have no patience for that.

[2668] And I had not heard about it.

[2669] But that's crazy.

[2670] That's crazy.

[2671] Yeah, that's not known.

[2672] How's that creating thought?

[2673] Talk about it.

[2674] Progressive nonsense ideology.

[2675] That's what it is.

[2676] That's what it is.

[2677] That's what it is.

[2678] It's ideology.

[2679] Yeah, but I think everybody has these, I don't want to hear that, I want to shut down speech, I don't like things.

[2680] Right, but only...

[2681] There are some people that are really consistent about it.

[2682] I like to think I am.

[2683] But only social media companies have the power to decide whether or not gets to express, whether or not a person gets to express themselves to an unlimited amount of people like that.

[2684] Well, it's an interesting...

[2685] And if you tell them that based on your ideology, with most people don't agree with, based on your ideology, they have said enough that something that merits you taking away their ability to express themselves, then I think you open up a real discussion.

[2686] much like the Second Amendment discussion about the First Amendment, to what are we doing here?

[2687] What is this and what is free speech and is this a town hall?

[2688] And Jack Dorsey from Twitter believes it's a town hall.

[2689] He thinks everyone should have the ability to express themselves.

[2690] But that, like everything, is fucking complicated and mess.

[2691] It certainly is.

[2692] Nadine Strausson, who I think used to be something at the ACLU, wrote a book about speech and about how in Germany you're not allowed to fly the swastika, and they have censorship on speech.

[2693] And that it's not effective for any of the outcomes that it's, intended for they also make a lot of shit porn is that right germany the germans do yeah they like that could you use any one in the plug or um i don't think i know any names but for whatever reason a lot of shit that's a thing shit porn it's not a thing i uh i try to be very open -minded but i don't i don't understand i don't you don't have to understand it you know i don't somebody but you allow people to do it right i would never allow people to think about of course yeah that's a weird one right a weird it's yeah people want shit in people's mouths and oh and smothered the themselves and shit and have sex with each other.

[2694] My instant reaction is what went on?

[2695] What's that about?

[2696] Oh, hell, yeah.

[2697] Where's that?

[2698] I want that story.

[2699] I want that script.

[2700] How do you get to that?

[2701] That sounds very abusive and it sounds like it's a tough thing.

[2702] But no, the idea of censoring speech, it backfires.

[2703] It's just not healthy.

[2704] But I think people should be generally sensitive and not assholes at the same time.

[2705] But it's also the thing about someone saying something in print that you read on Twitter.

[2706] It's like you can't even say anything back to them.

[2707] You make your own comment, but you're like, fuck, this is such a shitty way to talk.

[2708] Poison.

[2709] Yeah, it's a shitty way you communicate.

[2710] I don't engage in it anymore.

[2711] I'll post things up that I think are interesting.

[2712] How did you evolve on it?

[2713] Just decided it's not these arguments are not, they make you riled up, they're not healthy, they're not, they don't, they're not.

[2714] I told my daughter, hold on, I'm arguing with someone on Twitter, said it out loud.

[2715] And I was like, oh, I'm the shittiest.

[2716] That's the shittiest thing that I could be doing right now It's also It's unmanageable when you get to a certain number of followers You just can't There's no way you can And it's also people just like They're fucking in their cubicle They're just trying to get a rise out of people They're angry, they're shit They're bored You can't expect that everybody's existing In the same vibration that you are I woke up to a tweet and said You're a pitiful person I was like oh Don't read that Good morning Bro you're not The guy's a liar No no I'm not I know you.

[2717] That's the thing.

[2718] It doesn't phase me at all, but it's just, it doesn't.

[2719] It is fascinating that someone would write such a thing.

[2720] It is, but I'll click on him and be like, I wonder what his deal is.

[2721] Clearly, he's projecting.

[2722] And I'm worried about, I wonder what to happen to that guy.

[2723] And then you look at their, well, you look at their picture and then you decide everything about their life.

[2724] Do you ever look, like, this is another reason I can't run for Congress, I think.

[2725] Like, I want to keep doing stand -up and I want to talk about things like, you ever look at a guy, like the guy I ran in the car from yesterday at LAX, I thought about how much she jerks off for a little while I never think about that I will sometimes look like like I bet that guy is in good for him and whatever but that kind of I don't know why I brought that up I'll think about that now every person I hate shitting in the mouth but dude I watched a video once this lady no don't describe it was really into he's gonna do it guys shitting in her mouth and she was speaking in German and they was translating it to English and she was talking about all of her experiences and when the first time a guy did it and what kind of diet she likes a guy to follow when he shits in her mouth and I'm like okay this is not pleasant I'm not enjoying this but honestly and this is like it's kind of a dumb thing to talk about right but here's why it's not human psychology that yeah that's a person that was a baby yes you have daughters yes yes that was a baby try not to fuck him up all of a sudden this baby is 50 and she likes guys shit in her mouth and she wears like The bar for parenting should be somewhere, you know, around no shitting on other people.

[2726] Like, then you know you've succeeded.

[2727] And by the way - If you get a lot of money for it, like Robert, when was that dude's named Robert Redford, indecent proposal, do me more?

[2728] Oh, a million dollars?

[2729] I want to put myself out there right now.

[2730] Yeah, shit on your chest for a million bucks.

[2731] Please tweet me. It's not that long.

[2732] How long can a guy shit on you?

[2733] I've got a number.

[2734] What's your number?

[2735] That's a, what is your number?

[2736] Would you rather get shit on slowly every day as a clerk at Duncan, donuts or one giant load on your chest.

[2737] That is like a really rough afternoon.

[2738] Not even an afternoon.

[2739] It's like an hour.

[2740] Hit me with a giant load.

[2741] You shower up.

[2742] I think everybody says hit me. Rounds on me, boys.

[2743] It just became a millionaire.

[2744] Got you shit on your chest.

[2745] You're impending, Eric, it's like saying that it's solid.

[2746] What if it was like a diarrhea, Chipotle?

[2747] You do whatever you got to do.

[2748] A lot of variables.

[2749] Whatever, let them shit all over you.

[2750] Splatter.

[2751] All that salt water.

[2752] Just long as you have goggles on and you get to close your mouth.

[2753] There's a lot of things.

[2754] thing.

[2755] When those thought experiments come up, I'm always like you wouldn't, like you wouldn't kiss a guy never.

[2756] Tell my dad this.

[2757] For how much money?

[2758] I was like that, a million bucks.

[2759] He goes, no. I go, dad, that's preposterous.

[2760] That's ridiculous.

[2761] You got a problem.

[2762] And then he goes, no, I wouldn't do it.

[2763] He calls back and he goes he tells me who he names a guy in old Italian.

[2764] He's like, I do, who's a, he goes Paul Sorvino.

[2765] Okay, that's my Answer, million bucks.

[2766] You'd make out with Paul Sorvino?

[2767] Everybody would.

[2768] Because what would you do with that money?

[2769] You could save other people's lives.

[2770] You got to do it.

[2771] Or you could just buy a fur coat and start bawling.

[2772] Either way, it's a million bucks.

[2773] Yeah.

[2774] No matter what that thought it's flying private jets until the money runs out.

[2775] Just go everywhere.

[2776] I don't know if I'd do that.

[2777] Well, I wouldn't either.

[2778] Million bucks.

[2779] I wouldn't make out with Paul Sorvino.

[2780] We're living in this fantasy world.

[2781] Why does everything have to be ethical and moral?

[2782] Just have a good goddamn time.

[2783] White fur, like snow leopard or some shit.

[2784] Something exotic.

[2785] When you say that, like, what do you mean?

[2786] Why does everything you have to be ethical and moral?

[2787] Like, you have your moral code.

[2788] Yeah, man, but I'm talking about making out with Paul Sorvino for a million bucks.

[2789] That's free money.

[2790] Oh, yeah, don't get me wrong.

[2791] Oh, yeah.

[2792] Well, everybody should.

[2793] Whoever you want, of course.

[2794] Paul says, listen, you want to make it real shit right on your head.

[2795] Just take a big meaty meatball shit.

[2796] That's exactly how you imagine it would be.

[2797] Bastav Azul right in your fucking head.

[2798] Bang.

[2799] Extra two.

[2800] Three million bucks.

[2801] You had a bad memory of making out with Paul.

[2802] Sarvino and him shit on your head.

[2803] But at the end of the day, the guy kept his promise and now you're rich.

[2804] Did you put me in the best mood I've been in in four weeks, man?

[2805] Well, that's good.

[2806] Let's end it with this then.

[2807] When are you going to start your podcast?

[2808] Where are people going to be able to see it?

[2809] Like, what do you think is going to have?

[2810] It's up now.

[2811] I can't say it's great.

[2812] I hope you give me a chance.

[2813] I'm just figuring it out.

[2814] I put up one with that guest, Dr. Aaron Carroll.

[2815] I talked to Congressman Tim Ryan about running for Congress.

[2816] How many of you done so far?

[2817] I'm going to have a third one, hopefully, in the can tomorrow.

[2818] Excellent.

[2819] Emily Atkin, who writes the heated newsletter about climate change.

[2820] But I'm taping a special, if I'm going to plug anything.

[2821] My hometown, I'm taping a very special stand -up special.

[2822] Oh, very special?

[2823] Stand -up special?

[2824] Very special.

[2825] I'm going to do a very special thing.

[2826] What's it going to be for?

[2827] Do you have a buyer for it?

[2828] Do you do it on yourself?

[2829] No, no. I learned on this show what Andrew Schultz did, and I thought it was brilliant.

[2830] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[2831] He's nailed it.

[2832] I texted him and I was like, dude.

[2833] He's the master.

[2834] I admire what you did.

[2835] We don't agree on political, but that's the kind of thing.

[2836] I'm like, dude, you know, he knows we don't agree.

[2837] I'm like, I love, that's brilliant.

[2838] Good job.

[2839] What do you not agree with?

[2840] I don't know.

[2841] But, I mean, he was on the show and we just argue.

[2842] About politics?

[2843] I don't even remember.

[2844] Do you argue with everybody?

[2845] Yeah.

[2846] You're a little argumentative?

[2847] Yeah, it's not a good quality.

[2848] So, did I, was I agitating?

[2849] No. No, you didn't agitate me. I like you.

[2850] But you definitely were like, you have an argument mode that you fall into.

[2851] It's bad.

[2852] It's my flaw.

[2853] I hate it.

[2854] You can get out of that.

[2855] I'm working on it.

[2856] Yeah.

[2857] I think that you could see the change.

[2858] surmountable today but I mean it goes back it goes back before I you know I don't want to defend it I don't want to be defensive but I feel really I guess I'm very sensitive about a lot of things and so I get passionate and I get that tone and it's the worst thing in a relationship oh I mean like it's not you don't want to be annoying it's like what I said about podcasts you know that's a thing like people hearing your voice it's not just your thoughts right right you're the way you express your thoughts yeah it it changes if you you express them well in a nice way, it changes how people absorb those.

[2859] It sounds so simplistic, but it's true.

[2860] I think when you talk about how to communicate on your podcast, it's often one of the best things you do.

[2861] I've learned a lot from it.

[2862] I've been listening to you talk about trying to understand people and listen to people that you don't disagree with, and I'm just sitting there beating myself up.

[2863] I'm like, I got to be better at that.

[2864] And the idea that I would get, you know, that I was too argumentative today.

[2865] It's like, oh, man, I'm sorry.

[2866] I never want to communicate that way.

[2867] I don't think it's effective.

[2868] I completely agree with your thoughts on it.

[2869] It's completely ineffective.

[2870] Well, we get better at it.

[2871] I wonder how the pot affected me. Probably got your little jabber jaw.

[2872] What do you think?

[2873] That's when things changed, right?

[2874] Got a little jabba jaw on when the pot came out.

[2875] I started getting verbose.

[2876] I knew I shouldn't have touched it.

[2877] Yeah, maybe you shouldn't have the second hit.

[2878] That was, I only had one.

[2879] I knew.

[2880] I knew.

[2881] This one, you've got to stay on the surfboard.

[2882] Good role modeling.

[2883] No, dude, it's fine.

[2884] It's all good.

[2885] It's like, but I think that if I've learned anything from doing this podcast, it's how to be better at talking to people.

[2886] I've learned from listening in this podcast how to be better.

[2887] Yeah.

[2888] Yeah.

[2889] It's like, there's an art to it.

[2890] There's a dance.

[2891] I completely agree with you.

[2892] It's like dancing with someone.

[2893] You're dancing with someone in a conversation.

[2894] They do condition you to be argumentative in live radio.

[2895] All the people who think they know.

[2896] Oh, the producers and shit.

[2897] Oh, the program directors.

[2898] I'm lucky.

[2899] I never had a job.

[2900] Yeah, but I mean, it's, it's toxic.

[2901] I agree with it.

[2902] It's a toxic way to communicate.

[2903] It's not effective.

[2904] If you're trying to convince someone, don't do it like that.

[2905] I imagine.

[2906] I mean, imagine trying to go from being a cable news broadcaster on Fox TV, like Shepard Smith, and then have him try to do a podcast.

[2907] He's in that fake voice, no matter what, that fake voice is coming out.

[2908] I mean, they're all doing it.

[2909] It's like this is the climate.

[2910] You're absolutely right.

[2911] You're very right about that.

[2912] And that's why I think your podcast, by the way, is very, I think it's not the sexiest thing to talk about.

[2913] But it's a huge part of why this discussion is so popular because people like a thoughtful, open -minded discussion.

[2914] I mean, What do you agree?

[2915] What do you like to think?

[2916] Agreed.

[2917] Some people pretend they don't, but it's really because they're bored with what they have to do all day, so they don't want to think.

[2918] But if you have some time and you're a curious person, you like to hear other people thinking too, and you like to hear someone who's thinking either in a way, like, oh, I would think about that too, or in a way like you hadn't considered, like, oh, this guy's making me think.

[2919] Or this woman's got an idea that I never considered.

[2920] Or this guy's got a solution that I never thought was possible.

[2921] I try to measure I think measuring intelligence is one great definition I've heard is by how good the questions are like you're curious I've tried to instill and engender my daughter's a sense of curiosity about everything rather than saying you're going to do it because I'm your father and I said so like I'm going to explain to you why that's and try to you know create critical thinking skills and that's how I measure intelligence how good are your questions you're really curious you really I mean that's why the art of the interview learning something which is what I'm definitely trying to that's what I did for 12 years in series XM that's what I want to do with the podcast getting people who are a billion times smarter than me I don't know anything but anything I think it's definitely going to help you too to be free of people's influence some production people and executives I work with some talent to people that contribute to good things also wondering when the day's going to come like it did where they drop the fucking hatchet on you don't need that I was worried about that have it over your head yeah done Done.

[2922] So what's the name of your podcast?

[2923] Stand up with Pete Dominion.

[2924] Oh, it's the same as your show.

[2925] You fucking animal.

[2926] Do you own that?

[2927] Yeah, they let me have it.

[2928] Serious, can't sue you?

[2929] Just get it in writing?

[2930] Very gracious.

[2931] You're talking a lot of shit about them.

[2932] You get it in writing?

[2933] I did not talk any shit about them.

[2934] I did not.

[2935] I think what they did for me was really great.

[2936] But I think corporate media in general is the conversation.

[2937] They're all kind of in the same system.

[2938] I've worked and made money out of all of them.

[2939] I'm excited to be independent.

[2940] But I can't deny that they created a, a platform for a really thoughtful conversation for 12 years i can't it's it's you don't have to yeah so i'm i'm i'm in that you know i it was a good life for me beautiful and now it's on to you know the next thing now it's on like donkey con the syracuse funny bone november 29th and 30 oh shit pt dominic dot com right pt dominic dot com stand up with pt dominic dot com twitter instagram i love you i love you too buddy good luck i really admire you and what you've done here jamie thank you guys are awesome Shouldn't have taken a second hit.

[2941] No, it was good, man. You sure?

[2942] What's the matter, James?