(upbeat music) - Hey everybody, welcome to Church and Other Drugs and welcome to part two of the episode 300 extravaganza. So this is not episode 301, this is episode 300, part two. And as promised, this is the conversation with Dave from Dopey, he, man, they were in the first 10 episodes, I believe, maybe before that, but we released it in the first 10 episodes. So they have been with us since the beginning, we have been with them since the beginning and it's been an interesting relationship that has blossomed, this is where I talk about Comanches for a good long time, it's pretty interesting though. And if you're interested in more, read Empire of the Summer Moon, that book is crazy. I just put out the Emojellicles episode three with Josh Patterson, that was super fun, we talk about the last years of Jesus and like the conspiracies and if he's based on like other ancient myths and all that, it was a good time. And Josh goes to his first day to remember show in years, so that was also fun, he didn't go on the pit, he sissy'd out. And I recorded an episode with Nate from Blurry Creatures that will be out next week. So good stuff, good stuff on the horizon, but for now, enjoy this conversation with Dave. And if you wanna hear the Emojellicles, go to patreon.com/churchandotherdrugs and send me an email, churchandotherdrugs@gmail.com. (upbeat music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) - Wait, you wanna do my Patreon special on your Patreon too? - That's a Dave move, I learned from the best, dude. - I don't, that's very good. The student has become the teacher. - Absolutely, absolutely, how you been, man? - I've been okay, most, my answer to everybody is always mostly good. - If I ever say anything besides mostly good, I could be in serious trouble. - You look a little slimmer, you look good, either that or it's stress. - I don't think it's, I think it's an illusion of camera. - I think it's my new slimming filter. - It is very-- - But I'm not feeling, I'm not feeling, I'm feeling not, you know what's the opposite of slimmer? I'm feeling more robust, I'm not feeling slimmer. - Round bodied, I guess it's called. - Plump, I'm feeling plumber, but I am very tan. - Oh, that might be it, did you go to the beach? - I have a tanning bed in the basement, I go to the tanning bed. - No, you don't. - Nobody believes me when I say that. - Do you really? - No, okay. - I walk, I never stop walking. If I'm not doing this, I'm just walking. Like just walking the streets. - Like an autistic person. - Really? - Out and about. - Do you listen to stuff? - I listen, I talk, I have the dog, I do all those things. I listen, I talk and I have the dog. - Like talk to people or talk to yourself or a guy? - I don't, I don't talk to myself and I don't talk to God out loud when I walk. I talk to people on the phone, I listen to things and I walk the dog, but I'm mostly listening or talking. I rarely walk without listening or talking. - What are you, what are you listening to? Not church and other jokes, ever. - You know what I listen to today? - I have no idea. - It's so pathetic. I listen to the House of the Dragon podcast. - Did you watch it last night? - I did. - Dude, that ending though was savage. - It's rough. - I had to tell Georgia to look away. She can't handle that kind of stuff right now. - Well, you have a baby, it's like-- - I know, that was brutal, dude. Is the podcast good? - No, it's not very good. It's, I mean, it's not very good. It's okay. - Is it official? Like the, it's the official House of the Dragon. - I don't, if it is official, they've got a fucking problem on their hands. - Do you-- - If it's official, I think we should throw our hat into the ring if that's the official one. - Do you know what I've been listening to? - Tell me. - Empire of the Summer Moon. - What is that? - It is the history of the Comanche nation. - That's cool. - It's, dude, they are, it's fucking insane. Like what they, like they are the craziest. It's like, so, I don't even know where to start. Like it's just, like, 'cause they kind of shatter the noble Native American myth. And like the Comanches were the Native Americans that all the other Native Americans just despised. Like they had a habit of like picking lice and crunching them in their teeth. Like they never bathed. They were all disgusting and like stout and short. And they had like, they said that they enjoyed men's screen. I guess trigger warning. I got in trouble with this before. They enjoy men's screams like the type of kid that would torture frogs. Like that's how they viewed it. Like if they catch someone, you torture them to death. That's just what you do. And if you get caught, you get tortured to death. And that's just what they did. Like babies, it didn't matter. Like they are. And they were the first, so like when I didn't even, so horses got introduced by the Spanish in like the 1600s. And when the Spanish got driven out, the Mustangs were like incredibly suited for the West. So they flourished. So there's all these horses, but nobody knew what to do with them. So most of the Indian tribes just ate them. They're just like, ah, cool, a bunch of food. And the Comanches threw the Mestizos, which were like the Mexican servants of the Spanish. So they were like the people that like they were their slaves, but they tended the horses. So they learned on the slick. And the Comanches were like the first tribe, the Apaches and the Comanches, not the Apaches, the Comanches were the first tribe to figure out how to ride horses and then how to use them to fight. So they basically had the first like tanks in the Americas. And so they just like wiped the field. And like, you know, is this interesting at all? Is this incredibly boring? - No, it is interesting. So like all the other Indians, and they call them Indians in the book. So I don't know, whatever, that's just easier. The Spanish would be like, hey, can we put up and some other settlers would be like, hey, can we put up churches? And people like the Apaches and the Yutes and the Caddo Indians would be like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, totally, totally. Go set it up over there though. And they'd be like, oh, cool, thanks. And they absolutely just fed them to the Comanches. So they sent them to Comanche territory and the Comanches would come and absolutely decimate the Spanish missions so that they would get the Spanish to go to war with the Comanches for them. Like they were that hated and despised. And there was- - Is it a book? Is it a book or a pocket? - It's a book, it's a book. I'll do one, so one last. The chapter I'm on is a journal from this woman that got captured, her name's Rachel. She had one son killed in front of her and the other son was taken captive. Husband was tortured and killed, drunk behind a horse. genitals removed, shoved in his mouth. Like that was their favorite torture and stuff, scalping, all that good stuff. And so she became property of one of the commanders and one of the Comanches and the women in the society. They would be passed around to family members usually for like, you know, that sort of thing. And then they were just like house servants, they did all the hard work. So she'd been with them for a while and she's journaling this and she's like, I can't commit suicide because of her faith. She's like, but I'm gonna get them to kill me. So her master's wife who was like in charge of her one day was like, hey, come go fetch water. And Rachel was like, fuck no, dude. And just like stood her ground. And the wife was like, okay then. And screamed at her and Rachel grabbed a bison bone and just started beating the hell out of this woman. Excuse me. And she wrote down, she's like, if I'm gonna die, she's at least gonna, I'm gonna leave this world with her crippled. And so she's on top of her just beating the hell out of her. And she's like, I expected a spear in my side at any moment. But instead, all the men just gathered around and just like watched like arms crossed until the woman she was beating up cried out for mercy. And that was it. And afterwards they were like, the woman was nicer to Rachel. She was like, okay, nice, you're a stand up girl. Until that girl's mom was like, not fuck that dude. Like I got to beat your ass and Rachel fought her in front of a fire, rolled her onto a fire, like burned half of her body. And once again, everybody just gathered around and watched it go down. And then they gathered them all in front of a tribunal and her punishment, her sentence, was she had to replace a pole in a teepee that she broke by throwing the woman into it. That was all and they were like, yeah. Reminds me of like, reminds me of like prison politics. Absolutely. They were like, cool, man, you stood up for yourself. You're cool. Yeah, did you ever have to stand up for yourself in jail? I did. I did. What was the situation? So I, it's, I guess it's, it's, it's whatever. It goes to show how like confidence and punking people out can really go far. So the first time I at least had tattoos, right? And this was, this was really kind of right when UFC was catching on. And I don't remember how it started, but I realized, I realized there's a certain principle that people in jail do not want to get beaten in a fight with a kick, right? They're like, that's, that's some, that's some voodoo. We use fists, but you white boys kick and they just don't want to go down with a kick. And some dude looked at me and goes, man, that dude probably like kick his shit, know that UFC shit. And I just raised both my hands and I said, fuck around and find out. And that was enough. Like that was enough in the second time. So that time I was like a hundred, that was right when I got in. I was like 135 pounds terrible. By the time I was almost out, I was 220. I gained so much weight so quickly that I got hypertension, like permanently. - How did you gain that much weight so fast? - Well, number one, I came in there on a two year bender. And so I, and number two, they serve you potatoes on top of rice, on top of bread, you know, with sugar. And I worked in the kitchen. So I just ate, dude, I ate and I worked out. And this like skinny kid, I say kid, he was probably older than me, but he called me big brother. And we were just fixing trays and it was like, you gotta be quick. Once you get in a routine, dude, anybody messing with your routine is just irritating as hell at that point. And I was really done with being there at that point too. And we're in a assembly line, we're fixing trays and he is running late. And so I'm like grabbing his tray and moving it to me. And he's like, don't fucking do that. And I'm like, well, hurry the fuck up then. And I grabbed his tray and he yanked it from me. And I grabbed, I grabbed my tray and he's like, what you gonna do about it? And I just like reared back. And I said, I'm about to beat the motherfucking shit out of you, bro. And he just like, calm down big brother, big brother. We cool, big brother. Big brother, we good, we good. Now that was my flashing up moment. - No, you didn't smash him with the tray. - No, I did not. What about you? - No, are you kidding me? Nothing. Nothing, I've never spent more than a night in a county, whatever you call it, in New York City, the tombs. I spent two nights in the tombs and a night in a jail in Ithaca and a night in a jail in Illinois. But nothing like, no time, no politics. - You never got involved in any violence in your years of using and partying and just being in the life? - Never, no. - Even adjacent, like you never were around. - There was not a beating, no. I mean, okay, one of the times I went to the tombs, I got arrested, I had these two guys staying on my floor and they paid me in heroin in Manhattan. And I ran out of heroin and they were coming back to my apartment, but I was feeling antsy. So I decided to go meet them to get it. And I went to get it at Starba, no, at Barnes & Nobles and Union Square. And I don't know, I picked up some heroin from them and I had a bunch of Xanax and a prescription bottle and a blank prescription bottle. And I went to pick up the heroin and I got arrested. And we all got arrested. Me and the two guys who were living with me, none of it had to happen. You know what I mean? And they marches out of Barnes & Nobles and they put us in a police car and they take us to the precinct, which is not the tombs. - How did you get arrested in Barnes & Noble? - The cops came, I was so high, I don't even remember. - Oh, okay, so you were probably making a... - Yeah, I mean, I think we were all high and... - In the kids section, just... - No, I mean this is how high I was, right? In my recollection, we were in the cafeteria in Barnes & Nobles, but Barnes & Nobles doesn't have a cafeteria. I don't know where we were. We were sitting at some table, some cops came in, took us out and then put us in a cell in the village on like 10th Street and maybe it was actually 5th Street and he went into my bag and he takes... He went to my pocket, he finds the Xanax and he goes, "You're not gonna be able to keep these." And we're in like an old timey jail cell with like bars, no one else is in there, me and the guy that was staying with me. And the guy I was wearing, I think I was wearing like a paint-spattered t-shirt that looked like a galaxy. And the dude was wearing a lifestyle's condoms t-shirt that I gave him that sponsored some TV show I was working on at the time, or a few years earlier. And he throws my fucking shit in a garbage can right outside the cell and then he walks away. And it was so old timey that I could reach through the bars. I reached through the bars and I pull out the Xanax and I like took three and I gave the dude, the homey guy one. And the homey guy was like some weird upstate dude. He wore a furry kangle hat and had like gold teeth. He was a white guy, but there, it's just a sweet weird fucking hillbilly type guy. And then they take us to the tombs and the Xanax starts to kick in and they put us in this huge cell and we're the only two people in the cell. And we both fall asleep, probably cuddled together in the middle of this giant cell. But we fall asleep and nobody's in there. I wake up probably 10 hours later, the room is packed to the gills. Me and the guy, I don't remember his name. We're like snuggling. And then the next thing you know, a dude from across the way starts screaming at us. And he's like, yo, lifestyle. You really like cosmos. They were calling me cosmos, either because my hair looked like Cosmo Kramer or I was wearing the galaxy t-shirt. - Totally. - And I'm like, you know, and homey's like, fuck you. He's like, come tell me that and I'm gonna be scraping your teeth off my shoes. And then nobody fucked with us. And that was it. And then, and I think he would have. I think this guy would have killed everybody, my homey. - Yeah. - Very sweet. - Yeah. - And then like one time I remember, there's no violence, no real violence. But I remember like one time I almost got busted and there was like a fight on, it was in Manhattan and it was like by a methadone clinic and a homeless shelter. That's where I used to cop. Those were the real glory days. I would go by the methadone clinic slash homeless shelter. That was right next to the crazy luxury hotel. And there was like a drug deal and the kid was trying to get money or drugs out of the drug dealer. And I had just gotten heroin. And then all of a sudden, the police pull up, right? And I'm like, I'm sure I'm arrested, but they grabbed the two of them and I just keep walking. And I was like, I still feel the fear from that moment in me right now. It was such a moment that it felt like I was gonna get arrested and I didn't. But no, no, I have escaped violence my whole life. I mean, once I'm in summer camp, some kid punched me in the face. That's about it. - I did until, and it was like my innocence got shattered when I got the absolute dog piss beat out of me by, and I got maced by this crack. It actually just popped up on my Facebook memories two days ago is the anniversary. Did I tell you that one already? - No. - So I was, dude, I was so, so dumb in retrospect. Just so naive. So, I mean, I came from Columbia, South Carolina, which like, it had its rough patches, but I'm now in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. And I'm thinking that, you know, this is the same kind of hood or whatever. So I am, you know, just casually smoking crack every now and then, right? And I had like a prescription to Xanax or something, Suboxone. And so I had my fricking backpack on with a laptop, an iPad, my prescriptions, and I'm just riding my girlfriend's yellow beach cruiser down the street to my boy's house, and he's not home. And I'm like, fuck, dude. And there's this other dude standing outside. And he goes, hey, man, like, oh, you know, he's not home, but you can come chill with me till he comes home. And I'm like, oh, thanks, kind stranger. And so, so I go into this, I go into this trap house, completely empty, no power on. And he starts rolling up, what do they call him these days, where you sprinkle Coke on a joint or whatever. - In my day, they call him-- - Primo, they call them Woolies in my day. - Woolies, is it Primo? - I don't know. - Anyway, yeah, whatever, everybody calls him. He's got like a little bit of rock, a little bit of something. And he's like, yeah, just wait here. And so, we're smoking, and I sit in the corner of the house, he's in the other corner. And I, this, it just astounds me, how dumb I am. I put my headphones in, I'm looking at my iPod, and my phone back back on, crouched in a corner, right? High, getting very, very high. And I kind of glance up and I see a truck pull up, and I'm like, oh, hell yeah, dude, it's go time. And then I look back down, and then the next time I look up, that dude is running at, and it was right as I had clicked a lighter to take a hit. He runs at me, and empties a can of mace on my face, and it hits the lighter, ignites. So, blows fire on me, and dude, he dumps mace on me, and then just starts kicking me, kicking me, kicking me, rips my backpack off, grabs me, drags me out of the house, throws me on the street, kicks me some more, and then just runs off, okay? And so, I am-- - Don't you get out of it. - Oh, dude, he got a laptop and an iPod, full prescription bottle. Maybe my wallet's you, I don't remember a cell phone. Yeah, he got a good little lick. And he stole my bike, my girlfriend's bike. But so, I'm standing there blind, dude, and I am screaming. I'm in the, dude, just picture this. It's like 2 p.m. on like a Tuesday on a street in the hood, little 18, 19-year-old Jed blinded, high on crack, screaming. - I'm lying. - Yeah, dude, I was like, "Help me, help me, help me." And my dealer pulls back up and he goes, "What the fuck happened?" And I was like, "I can't see, I can't see." So, he drags me in his family, drags me into their house, puts, "Dude, I'm like writhing and screaming." And he like, "I'm like caught an ambulance." And so, they call the people, the ambulance, they pour milk on my face, dude. So, the cops show up and they did not like that they had to do that, but the cops show up. I'm sitting on the porch and the story was like, I was riding my bike and this dude asked me for a lighter and then the assault happened. And the cop, dude, he's just, I'm sitting on the porch and he's like, "So, you were just riding your bike here." And he just, for no reason, did that. I was like, "Yeah." And he kept being like, "Boy, look at me when I'm talking to you." And I'm like, "I can't see." And he's obviously just like, "You stupid drug addict, dude." And then the worst part to this day, the worst part, was I drove home and dude, nary a single person believed me. Like, 'cause they just all thought I sold my shit to get drugs. Like, dirty Mike, believe me, a few people, but like my girlfriend, everybody. So, dude, like, dude, it, I mean, it was mad traumatic. And that was just the first one. So, this huge traumatic experience and nobody believes you. So, they're just like, "Yeah, okay." 'Cause it's a ridiculous thing that the worst part is, but you lost all your shit and you didn't have any drugs. Absolutely. That's the worst part. It's like, you hope the dealer's family is like, "Oh, Jed, we're so sorry to happen." I'll break you off. No. Here's another bottle of pill. Yeah. And some more crack to get in your way. Yeah, dude. Nope. No, it's rare to find a very, very, very generous drug dealer. I can't think of any. I had, dude, I had, it's the relationship I had with my Baton Rouge coke dealers. There's three of them. They were all, like, oddly big brothery or like, it's like a weird, I guess it's because you're high and so you're like, there's a lot of chemical association with these people. But, you know-- There's also just a ton of using together. Yeah. Just using together. There's the fact that we give them so much money. Oh my god. I mean, like, I had a guy, I mean, like, the deals, I got deals, but, you know, in reality, they weren't good enough. But, like, using together, traveling to see each other, getting out of bad situations together. I mean, it might be, I mean, you know more about this. Trauma bonding. Trauma bonding. Dude, I saved my dealer's life one time. I went, he wasn't answering. This was my, my meth dealer, my meth dealer, who had, by my behest, I had, I had encouraged him to start selling opiates, which he did. And then, of course, he started doing-- You can make a killing. Let me tell you what he did. Let me tell you, bro. And he wasn't answering, so I drove to his house. I'm banging on the door. I don't see him, and I peek in the door, and I can't see shit, and it's like cloudy. So, I kick the door in. Dude, it is smoked out, dude. There's a fire in the kitchen, and I see him on his recliner, passed out, dude. And so, I run over, put the fire out on the stove, run over to him, and just start slapping him, slapping him. And he wakes up like, "What the fuck?" He had started cooking deer jerky, and went to his recliner, nodded out, and, dude, that shit. Like, he was close to dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. - It's funny, 'cause the same thing happened to me the last time I tried to make deer jerky. It just, everything's smoked out, and I was fucking in the house. - Shut up, shut up, dude. - Every Sunday we tan in the basement, and then we make deer jerky. - That's our regimen up here. - We call it tan jerky. - Yeah, tan jerky Sunday. - Deer tan. - They do Jim Tan laundry on a Jersey Shore. We do jerky and tan, just jerky and tanning. That's what we do. - Oh, man. Dude, 300 episodes. That's fucking fantastic, Jed. - It's wild. - How do you feel? - Surprised, I think? - Listen, it's like it takes a tough man to make a tender chicken. It takes a certain type of person to fucking keep going. You know what I'm saying? And it's like, you didn't have to keep going, but you did, and I salute you, my friend. - Thank you. - I salute you. - I do. - There was definitely a period where I am surprised that I kept going. I don't know how it is with you. I mean, yours is a little different, but mine, I think at this point, it's almost like a superstitious tick where like, I don't know what I would do if I suddenly stopped it. I think, you know, I don't know. It's become, dude, seven years. It's become such a thing that I do that I can't imagine not doing it. I know what you mean. It's an interesting thought. Because seven years is a long time. You know, it's a space that we take. You know, it's a thing that we put out, and then you just kind of wonder what's going to happen with it. And then you're like, okay, what's next? You know, it's a crazy process. - Well, and especially, so this is what I was talking to Georgia about. And this is, I may have talked to you about this before. I mean, your mind will understand it, but so there was probably a time where if I pivoted full tilt and really pushed the show, I could have chopped it to the next level, right? But I just couldn't the way, or I chose not to. And it's, I don't, it always seems like I am wild success adjacent where like, so with you, and then with this other show, Blurry Creatures where seeing your peers kind of become your, I mean, not superiors, but like you see-- - We're still peers. - Yeah, yeah, of course, of course. It's like I see alternate life paths, right? And it's like, I wonder, I'm sure there is a reason. I don't know, it's so hard to put it. Well, where basically, 'cause I don't want it to sound like any kind of way, but, 'cause it's in no way like jealousy or envy or resentment or anything like that. It's more like an interesting observation where it's like, it's, I guess some people may have stopped seeing like, if you're not, like I guess I'm not aiming for like a crazy level of success, or even if I, the idea that if I got that, then X, Y, or Z would happen. That suddenly things would be, if I talk to this-- - Absolutely. - It doesn't happen. - I know. - You think, I mean, like speaking from my own personal experience, I thought things would be different and things are not different. You know what I mean? Things are the same. But, I mean, to really lay it down in a way that you'll understand is it's like, if I find, 'cause you've known me for a long time, I mean, I guess seven years, eight years, I feel like we've known each other eight years. - Yeah. - I feel like you started right around when you're saying that. - Eight, yeah, 16. - You know, and if I'm not putting spirituality first, it's all shot, you know what I'm saying? 'Cause there is nothing. I mean, like I've had fantasy episodes and fantasy guests and shit, and nothing fucking changes. It's like less than like a cookie or something. You just want the next one. You just want more. And you're like, why wasn't that more substantial? Why didn't that do something? I mean, there's a few things that in our little in the dopey's history that were like nice moments, robust moments, but they all came on the back of like Chris's death. So like, that's not such a nice moment. You know what I mean? So like all of it is, it's, I remember in those first years after Chris died and we started getting, dopey started getting big guests, you know, like that year. And it was because I didn't know what else to do. You know, I did not know what else to do. Chris didn't give a shit about having guests. He hated having guests. Chris hated having guests on the show. I wanted to have guests, but if he hated it, it was so hard to schedule three people. I just hung out, whatever. So then he died and I was like, how do I make this fun and making money would be fun or getting big guests would be fun. So that's what I focused on. And then I would get a big guest, but it was like, first of all, it's, do you know what's begging? I did to get guests. Oh, I do. Fucking blow. It was fuck you, man. I do know. Blow it. And it impacts me in a, in a, and not the greatest way all the time. In fact, like I've kind of put the, I've put the breaks a bit on, on pursuit. And the pursuit has to change. What do you mean? It's one. What do you mean it puts you back? Like, like it reduces you in some way? Yes. Oh, okay. It makes me feel, it drains me. It drains the fuck out of me. It makes me feel like a beggar. It makes me feel super annoying. It makes me feel like, like in the beginning, we were new. And then after Chris died, it's like, oh, feel sorry for me, because my friend is dead. Yeah. And now it's like, I'm supposed to have something here. And I don't, I shouldn't need to be begging all the time. But I mean, all these celebrities, I'm sorry to say it, but they're all fucking cunts. They're cunts. I said it here. Yes. That's it. They're fucking cunts. They're bastards. They don't give a shit. I mean, on the other hand, they're busy. They have lives. They're very important people. People want to talk to them. But I'm dying here, Jad, trying to keep up with the Joneses. It's not the answer. The only answer is a spiritual solution. That's it. And I just, I wrote it down because I remember it. I just kind of remembered because I worked it out with Georgia because I was having, it was just a weird thought. It's something about, because it happens even with like, it's a bit of like, oh, not don't you know, like I've been here, like, you know, interacting with the people in the dope beanie. It's like new people find something. They make it their own. And the people that laid the foundation cease to matter. And so there's a, there, there, I think there's a bit this desire for significance and that, like, recognition that I matter. Yeah. Don't you know, don't you know who I am? Don't you know, it's, it's, it's rough. It's not, it's fucking, it's like, what was I going to say? I didn't interview today with this woman who was like a Facebook kind of influencer type. No. Like there's a whole sober world of Facebook. Like it's deep and dark. And like, and, and you think in this sober community of Facebook that dopey would have some significance. Mm-hmm. None. Yeah, none. And it's not like she's fucking Jamie Lee Curtis or, you know, somebody she's, she, and she was a great interview. She had a really interesting story, but she didn't know anything about dopey at all. And, and I like to pretend like dopey has some significance, at least in sober social media or whatever. And, and it doesn't. Well, in this, well, it does. So this is the thing and this is, so it's like I, I really, so I did a, we did a stepper treat weekend. And so I did another four step with my men's group. And so like this kind of stuff came up where it's like, I don't, I don't know. I have to understand that like I do do spiritual good. And I do, and I am like a conduit and I do help people. And it's like, it's, you would think because I literally do that for a living, but it's, I still have that nagging feeling of like, I'm not, you know, I'm insignificant. I'm not helping anyone. Nobody cares. It's, it's a big old, I guess it's a big old pity party is what it is, but it's, you, you also, but I need to like, understand and be grateful for the fact that, you know, we have helped people and it is a thing that is like eternally significant in some way, you know, even if it's, and then I even think like, so my, you know, our fathers and our mothers also kind of share in that because it's, they're the ones that raised us to do this and so on and so forth. And that's kind of how like the spiritual ripple thing works, I guess is that like, I don't know. That was a weird tangent that may not have made sense at all. Well, you're saying that there is significance to it. And I, and I think that I totally agree. I think it's like, it's also like something stupid is like, social media is such a weird, it's, it seems so, it seems so far reaching, but it's tiny. Like you're only in your own bubble. Like there's a billion things outside of your bubble that you don't know what they are. And then there's a million things outside of our, you know, our bubble that like has nothing to do with us. So it's like the things in our bubble were like, oh, everybody knows what this guy is doing, but they don't, we just do because they're in our bubble or whatever. Yeah, there's. And I mean, like, I think it all comes down to like, is it fun, is it something that, that makes you happy? Correct. I mean, like, I mean, for me, it's like, it's way more. Does it make me happy than, does it help anybody else? Because if it didn't make me happy, I wouldn't be able to do it, you know? So I still like it. I still like, I still like every aspect of it, even begging and then calling them all cunts for turning me into a beggar. I feel good about all of it at this moment, at this moment, because I love doing your show. I find doing your show to be very relaxing for me because I don't have to worry about it. You have to worry about it. I don't have to worry about it. And I get so fucking uptight and crazy when it, when I have to do my show, like, oh, just what's happening? Yeah. And right now, I'm just like hanging out with, with Jed, and I appreciate doing that. It's, yeah, the, the endless, they have said that our generations were the last ones to have like real cultural shared nostalgia because everything now is so hyper. Is it niche? Yeah. I mean, I think it's supposed to be niche. But everything is niche. Okay. I say niche. Yeah, everything is so catered to the individual. And like there's like, it used to be if, if, if you said, hello, Newman, like everybody, every place knew what you were talking about. And it's so bizarre seeing the already the like, cultural gaps and like, I don't know, just in, just in like, yeah, there's just everything. There's, there's a flavor for every taste. And I think it's only gonna get, especially with, that's a scary kind of thing about AI entertainment is that like eventually it will just literally be Dave's solo infinite entertainment box of whatever you want. And do you do, do you handle your own social media? Uh, not some of it. Oh, okay. I've given, I've given the Facebook over to this lady who like grew it by, she was like, I don't know. I think we had 8,000 followers. And then she grew up to 54,000 followers this year. Goal. Yeah. So it's like, all right. I mean, no, like I, that's the whole, that's my whole thing. I'm like, I'm doing this with my, with my therapist of like, how much I'm better, that's good radio right there. Um, how much social media bothers me, but I need it right now for the podcast and for my art. Like it's that like, that's the only way I sell my art right now is through social media. And so I would love someone to just take the reins and do all that. 'Cause I, you know, I just, I cannot handle all that. And I get to, and it might just be me. I get to hung up on. I can't take it. Dude, you talk about that. Yeah, you can't. There's no way to be at the top constantly. You, you cannot rest ever. You, there's, and then you're, then it's like, what is it, what is it we're trying to do? It's just this endless, there. It's, it doesn't make any sense. I mean, like, I don't know. There's, there's a woman who lives in my town who, uh, she was the baker. And she was like, she was a hyper realistic baker, a fondant artist type of person. But then all of a sudden she reinvented herself as an AI person. And, uh, she came over the other day. Oh, it was very irritating actually. She, she came over to AI expert or something? Or what do you mean? She, she says she's an AI expert. Okay. And maybe she is. But she came over and she's like, I don't know. It's like, she's like, she opens up AI and she's like, I want you to be a podcast expert and give, set up a marketing strategy for this, this, this, and this. And then it like pumps out all this shit at you. And I mean, it reminds me of the way food at Costco tastes. Like not, not quite right. Robot pizza. Yeah. Yeah. But, but I'm telling you, on the other hand, I don't use AI very often, but I'm thinking I will. Oh yeah. I started, I started doing remote because also like, shit comes in waves, Jed. You know what I mean? Like I got into a good wave of not doing anything remote. I was like, I'm fucking done with remote. I don't want to do it. I'm done. And then like. As in in person interviews only. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And then I'm like, and then I'm like, I don't have people. I don't have what I want. I need to do remote interviews. And so I started using this app and then the app generates show notes and like clips and all this shit. Key words and all. And it might all just be a total fucking scam. You know what I mean? The whole thing might be a total scam, but whatever. You know, for now it's good. Yeah. Who cares? It's a big whatever. You know, I mean, it's like, I, I'm on the hunt. You know what I mean? Like I'm on the hunt and, but the hunt has gone. And I'm not saying this for any reason. I'm coming up, I'm fucking nine years of this stupid show. And I'm like, Adam, I fucking mind. You know what I mean? But I would never trade it. It's, it's, it's kind of great, a great time. And I've met so many people through it and like. Yeah. I mean, this, this, this right here is, is part of it. Yeah. Same here. The amount of real deal relationships with people that I've never met face-to-face is pretty incredible. And like the, yeah, it's changed. Yeah. It's changed the way I think. It's changed my beliefs. It's changed some of my faith a little bit because of the people I talk to. Yeah, because I use it strictly. Like I'm just going to talk to the people with stuff that I want to know about and people that I want to grill and ask some questions. And yeah, it's, it's, it's that weird double-edged sword of like, it's both the greatest thing that's ever, like the podcasting, social media, whatever. Internet connectivity is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. And then my phone is slowly destroying my life at the same time. Well, I mean, it's like, it's how do you find balance? And I think I'm so bad with it right now. I'm getting better. The answer is, is all spirituality. It's all spirituality. If the answer is all of it, if you can put your recovery first, like it's annoying, if you, and if you could put your spiritual life first and I struggle with it and it's uncomfortable for me to talk about and it's uncomfortable for me to execute. But the more I focus on my spiritual life and if it's praying, if it's being of service, like to, to whoever I can be of service to, like my, my father-in-law is really sick. And I go over there like twice a day and I help them and I, I have sponsors and I like tried, I just try to do whatever anybody asks. And I only, I do it because I don't, like what am I gonna say? No, because what? Because I want to be sitting here watching House of the Dragon podcast. - Yeah. - It's like, what, how do you say no to anything? And then when you say yes, you're free from your fucking horror show of a brain. - Yeah. I am trying, doing my best to like let Ruth take me into the present too, which is great. She's, it demands, like she demands that you be right here right now, which is, which is very cool. - I find that really like high pressure though. Like with my kids, if like, if I'm not, because I can't always be present. - Well yeah, of course. - I can't always be present. Like I love my, I love my kids more than anything really. But sometimes I just want to be looking at Instagram. - Oh yeah. - Seeing what's happening in this horrible hell and I'm not present and it's like, it's, it's how do you find balance and the answer is you. I mean, this is church and other drugs for Christ's sake. You pray for it. God, give me some balance. Help me out with some balance, man. - Yeah. - I'll get up with some balance. - What's your, what's your high? What's your God? - I just, what? - Yahweh, Jehovah? - No, everything. - God is it, God is everything or God is nothing. So I think. - Oh, I'm not even joking. - I know, I know. I was gonna make a, some snarky remark about that. Yeah, man, that's all right. No, I don't know. I was just gonna say, that's a very interesting quote. Did you make that one up? - Oh, thank you. - God is God is all of us. - He is. - God is the universe. God is the ocean and the animals and the plants. And I love the idea of God being loved. Like, that's an nice idea. That's an easy idea for me. God is the next right thing. God is like, I mean, you heard that fucking Michelangelo quote, right? - Like the Ninja Turtle or the artist? - The artist. I'd like to hear the Ninja Turtle quote. But the artist quote, I was talking to, I was actually, I was talking to my famous friend, Hank Azaria. And Hank Azaria told me when I asked him about God, he said, you know, Hank Azaria was my sponsor for three glorious months. - That's, what was it? - Then he got too busy. - Oh, that's good. - He's fantastic. - That's awesome, man. - Fantastic. And I wasn't really doing the work. I was just like, I'm going over to Hank Azaria's house. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Has anybody done that with you? Have you gotten Dopey like? - No, maybe a couple. - Anyway, sorry. - Nobody stuck around. Nobody stuck around. You know what I mean? - I do, you're not a question. Yeah. Michelangelo. - This is the Hank Azaria Michelangelo quote, that Michelangelo, or maybe Stavinci, who sculpted the David? - Stavinci. Michelangelo. - Michelangelo. - Is it? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Well, one of these Italian guys sculpted this amazing, amazing, amazing statue. The marble, you know, gigantic, full-sized body of David and someone said to him, how did you make this statue? And Michelangelo says, I get it a block of marble and everything that's not a David I take out. - Yes. - And Hank Azaria did not put on the accent. That's my touch to his story. So what he's saying is, for him, what God is, is everything when you take away hate and envy and fear and lust and greed, and you take all those things away. Hold on, I'm sorry. And when you take all those things away, you're left with the good stuff, which is God. - Yeah, that is very good. The Ninja Turtle quote is forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza. - Yeah, that's pretty solid, yeah. - That's pretty solid. I don't think I've ever gotten a discount on a late pizza. - I don't. - Don't ever, never. - Me neither. Like that just, that seems like one of those urban legends that just only existed in film and TV. - One more thing before we move on. - Yeah. - Okay, say this. Who orders a pizza anyway? It takes forever to get a pizza. You just go there, you call it in and you go get it waiting for those fuckers to bring me a pizza, I kill myself. - Listen, listen, that has spoken like a true city dweller. Okay, you've never been in the country where the nearest pizza joint, right, but like how close is the nearest pizza joint? - There's like seven to the half of a mile. - Thank you. And there's one down the street from me too. I'm just saying though, not everyone is so fortunate, Dave. Let's switch on over to Patreon. How do we, that's it, we're done. - Yeah, we can. - I don't think we should do it. I think we should do Patreon next week. I already lost track. I have no idea what to do for Patreon. - Oh, I got, well, I have something. All right, I've got something. Okay. 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