Chuck Shute Podcast

Year End Summit 2022 (with special guests)

December 30, 2022 Arno Michaelis, Sidney Smith, Knocko Nolan, Season 4 Episode 309
Chuck Shute Podcast
Year End Summit 2022 (with special guests)
Show Notes Transcript

Join us for the final episode of 2022, with comedian Sidney Smith, author/activist Arno Michaelis and police officer/podcaster Knocko Nolan.  We will be breaking down some of the biggest news stories of the year and giving our own opinions.  Some serious deep philosophical stuff and also a ton of laughs!

0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:51 - Guest Introductions
0:04:07 - Kanye West
0:13:45 - Johnny Depp & Amber Heard
0:22:30 - Tom Brady & Gisele
0:30:55 - Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck
0:37:05 - Will Smith Slaps Chris Rock
0:52:33 - Elon Musk Buys Twitter
1:03:48 - The Economy, Money & Happiness
1:14:37 - Helping the Less Fortunate & Life Purpose
1:33:25 - Social Systems & Problems
1:43:44 - Guest Charities
1:46:35 - Outro

Sidney Smith website:
https://www.sidneysmithcre8tiv.com/

Parents 4 Peace website:
https://www.parents4peace.org/

America's Mighty Warriors website:
https://americasmightywarriors.org/_1/

Chuck Shute website:
http://chuckshute.com/

Support the show

Thanks for Listening & Shute for the Moon!

Chuck Shute:

All right, well, this is my second urine show of 2022. We did the music one last week. And this one is going to be more about pop culture and other big news stories. I have three guests on the program. And they all have different views and opinions. And I think it's a great group of guys. And it's a really fascinating discussion on a variety of topics. We don't actually cover a lot of topics, but we go in depth so much, I really enjoyed this. And I hope you guys do too. It's some serious stuff. But we also joke around and laugh a lot. It's a roller coaster. So buckle up and get ready for one of the best podcast episodes of the year for me, maybe ever. So it's coming right up Welcome to the show, I picked you three because I went back I've had like, I don't know, 300 episodes of this podcast. And I was thinking of the people that I really enjoyed talking with. And like, I thought you guys had really good opinions. And you're all relatively sane. And I think there's a lot of craziness as we're going to talk about in the world right now. So it'll be nice to get some sane opinions and I will let you guys introduce yourselves. Knockout Do you want to start?

Knocko Nolan:

Sure. Hey, John. feel really blessed to be here. Chuck, thank you so much for the invite. My name is Naco, I'm a protective supervisor in Los Angeles was on a documentary that people might have seen on Netflix called a vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, and I'm an avid music fan. So thank you very much. Thank you for so much. I love the guests that you've had on the last year including these guys. I'm getting to know some of my heroes like Doug from King's X. And Doyle from the misfits. I mean, Greg from Bad Religion you've had some awesome guests so keep up the great work brother appreciate glad to be here. Thanks, Arno.

Arno Michaelis:

John, good to see ya. I don't I'm not gonna make any guarantees about delivering on this whole same thing. Okay, Annabelle, whatever, I got something to say. My name is Arnaud Mikayla, I'm a storyteller. I tell stories mainly through speaking engagements. But also I've written a couple books. I have a fake it till you make it filmmaker. And all of my storytelling is really done with the intention to help get people to see themselves and others and to see others in themselves.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, yeah, you'll have to tell me later, but you have another or you could say now is there a movie coming out? Is that is that have a date end for it?

Arno Michaelis:

Well, actually, my latest film I've been involved with is a documentary called refuge. And people can find out more about that at refuge. movie.com and refuge is about a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and a Kurdish Muslim refugee and the friendship and brotherhood that developed together. And I was very honored to introduce those two guys. And the reason I really liked the film is is I'm only in it for about five minutes.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, all right. Awesome. And last, but certainly not least one of the first guests ever had Canadian Sidney Smith. How's it going? Welcome back.

Sidney Smith:

It's not too bad, man. Appreciate you having me on. Chuck was quite surprised to get an invite back because it's been a while. So I'm glad that everybody out there know that I was one of the first ones because you said 300 guests and I finally get fucking ass back. I like to think about was that great Chuck, I'd have been invited like 200 Fucking guests.

Chuck Shute:

I don't do like the group thing very often. But I'm going to try to do this more often. And try to do like one a month because people love the one I did on music last week. It was like the year and rock and people that you should do stuff like this once a month. So maybe I'll you know, think of different topics or something. Feel free to pitch me some ideas. I'm always open. So yeah, so this one, we're just going to talk about the year because it's been a crazy year. In new stories. I just want to get your guys's take on some of these things. The first thing that I had on my list, Kanye West. He may made a lot of headlines this year was very interesting. I think all the stuff that he did did some anti semitic statements. And he got lost these deals and then he was kicked off Twitter. And then he went on the Alex Jones Show and he was praising Hitler and denying the Holocaust. To me I just see I was a counselor for 17 years I look at the guy and I just see mental health issues mental illness. He says he's not bipolar to me It screams bipolar. It may be something else but it to me it seems more mental health. Rather than that he actually believes some of these things that he's saying. What are what are your guys's take so I guess we'll start with you again. nako

Knocko Nolan:

you know, you know what, I don't know how much is It is stick and how much of it is possible mental illness? I mean, I've seen a lot of mentally ill people through the years. But I mean, Kanye, he seems really sharp and some things and then I just think he's one of those guys who just loves pushing people's buttons, getting publicity, getting attention. And as part of being an artist has been wild and crazy. You have to have that jeans want to put yourself out there and say, Hey, look at me. And I mean, it's interesting guy. I mean, him going on Alex Jones, I mean, hysterical. I mean, when when Dave Mustaine from Megadeth went on air, then Trump went on air. I mean, if you're willing to go in and throw it all out there, you know, hats off, but it seems like he loves the scorched earth thing, getting down with the Kardashians. I mean, hey, do what you got to do. It sucks to see the anti semitic thing when it pushes the wrong buttons and pushes, influences people maybe to do the wrong thing. I'm not down with that. But I get his whole creative thing of trying to stretch it out working in a gray. I mean, in living in such a controlled setting that we nursed and made everything super safe, it's good to see things being pushed, and it gets people out of their comfort zone. But as long as it doesn't go into the violence, so you noticed that push and pull of of creativity. So hey, you know, do you think Kanye as long as no one gets hurt? I'm down.

Arno Michaelis:

Or no? Well, I first of all, you you gotta hand it to him to make Alex Jones look like borderline insane. Holy shit, I never thought I'd ever see that happen. Um, I my take on Kanye as as a former neo Nazi is is. I think Naco nailed it in that I see a lot of the same vibe when I was 16 years old. And I thought it was funny to run around with swastikas and get a rise out of people. Like it's the same. The problem is like when I was 16, I wasn't like a mega platformed entertainer who has a lot of influence over a shit ton of people. And I it's it's really sad that Kanye was right is now like a mantra of present day Neo Nazis, which it is they hung a banner over the 405 in LA shortly after his first anti semitic rant. With that said Kanye was right about the Jews. And the oh, that's you'll hear that throughout the whole white nationalist spectrum. They love that shit. And by all means they think that an enemy of my enemy is my friend. And I think the real world consequences of this are that Jewish people are being targeted more than they have been in a long time. And this is like the oldest hatred on the planet Earth for going 5000 years running. And it's waxed and waned over the years. But Kanye has single handedly added a big log to the fire and there are Jewish people suffering the consequences for it all over the world. And it's in that respect, it really turns my stomach. There's a lot of ways you can push buttons. That and I agree, Doc, I'm all about freedom of speech. I'm all about creativity, I'm all about a Bible. The reason I got became a neo Nazi, you know, as 16 is I like to piss people off. So like I get pissed people off like as much as anybody and I still love to piss people off. But I doubt it. I want to do it to get people out of their comfort zone and maybe think about things in a way that they hadn't before. And nowadays, I'm really committed to do it in a way that that brings peace and brings understanding to the world rather than strife and hatred and I when it boils down to it that that's really all Kanye accomplished.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, well said, Sydney, what do you think?

Sidney Smith:

First and foremost? I want to let everyone who's listening No, I don't want to come to gentlemen I'm on no check did not let the black guy on the show no at all that he was going to be on with a neo Nazi I'm sorry, former guard is important. Yes, you're absolutely

Chuck Shute:

correct. No, he's I wouldn't I wouldn't set you up.

Sidney Smith:

But at the same at the same token you did not say former Neo or Nazi that was not included anywhere when I asked it was gonna go to show with me. But But television. chuck, chuck, you and I have better television when I see you in person. Good TV. All right. No. Kudos to you, sir. For being a former neo Nazi. So that's awesome. I love to hear that. And who knows? Maybe I should have you on my podcast to hear more about the shirt. He's great. I'm talking to him now. Chuck. All right. Yeah. they'll be a host and getting the background but but but to the point of Kanye West, I think Kanye is a perfect example of an artist who has no no people around him. He got to a point where he doesn't have any guests so much, so much fame and so much money. He's making so much money for others that everyone wants to just say yes, when you whether you'd be black, white, green, or red could sit in a meeting with with with directors and managers and VPs from Adidas, and say how Hitler and no one blinks an eye at it until they don't need you anymore, then that is a great point to show you that you were only around for the dollars that you could bring in. The one thing that people do not talk about is that adidas has backdoored Kanye, and taken all of the designs and the designers and brought them under the house of Adidas. So essentially, they don't need him anymore at all. Whether or not they can sell the shoes without him or how many there'll be able to sell we will see I don't know if it's so much mental illness again as it is this is a genius of a of a an artist and all forms of design as well as music, and there was no one around him to put the guardrails around him since his mother passed away. I put kinda in the same vein as I put our Kelly though they are two very, very different things if you want to look at people who are stars, and people who are making money off of you once there's no more money or they don't need you to to make that money and you're on your own. Have our Kelly has still been writing hits, he's still be out sexually abusing a lot of girls to this day, but he wasn't so he isn't Kanye if he was still making the music that people wanted to hear. Because if you look at Kanye, and you look at our Kelly, both the one thing that has not and will not go away is the music for all of the desist the this thing that society says they have for them, whether it be our Kelly, again for what he did, or Kanye for what he was doing, saying things about the Jews, so on and so forth. Alex Jones, that music has not left Spotify, that music has not left Apple Music, none of that. So you are as only as good as the last thing that you created and the last thing that people can make money off of. And once you have that, and you've put that out, and you don't have control of that. And when I say control what you can decide who's who's going to make what dollars off of you, then you kind of out there and you're going to be lost and those people will leave they leave you out there. I don't think it's so much of a mental illness as it is just a guy who was just a genius of an artist and just never ever had any guardrails put around him outside of his mother. This guy, I don't know if anyone has seen it has a Netflix documentary, and which I have Netflix to heads up. I hadn't went back, I saw when they first dropped. And I'm not sure if it's even that but if it is you have to watch it. Before this guy was even known. He was already paying a cameraman to follow him a round for a number of years and document his life and his music of producing because he knew where he would be as a superstar. The type of arrogance and belief you have to have in oneself to do that is bananas. We all do it now with a podcast because everyone has a podcast, we were told, that's how you make it famous. This guy was doing this essentially before anyone was doing anything like this. So the amount of belief in yourself, you have to be off to the other side of them mentally. And when I say off to the underside mentally I don't mean as a mental illness where they need to put you in a straitjacket put you in a row put you on meds. I mean you are off tilt kilter in your mind where no one could pull you back at all. You get to fall out of that edge.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, no, definitely. Well said. We'll speak in the next story I want to talk about was an industry this has we have to agree on this, that it is mental illness here. And people probably forget about this because there's been so much crazy stuff that's happened since but one of the biggest stories of the year was Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial. I mean, there was there was every day a new story about something that coming out between these two people, six grueling months it says in the courthouse, and I didn't even know if I realized that the true outcome of it was that because I thought Johnny Depp won but I think they both kind of one they found DEP liable and Amber Heard liable but I think DEP gets more money he gets 10 million and Amber Heard gets 2 million so I guess technically DEP just gets 8 million I don't know how that works but

Sidney Smith:

it sounds a woman takes you to court and she doesn't win wholeheartedly. That is not a tie the male

Chuck Shute:

I mean there was so many weird things with that one though. Like what was like the thing she shit in the bed he said that everyone started calling her Amber turd. It just interesting how people automat I feel like a lot of women too. Took his side and said she's crazy justice for Johnny and I was like, and I'm watching some of this triad and watch the whole thing but from what I can see they're both a little nutty and they both were in the wrong I don't think either one was the innocent victim in this they both were a little nutty. But did you You see it Sidney Did you agree with that

Sidney Smith:

you're talking about they're both victims. There was only one victim and it was that it was that one woman with all of the with all the scars and eyeliner on Johnny Depp that that woman that was the one What are you talking about? You got this psycho chick who wants to come after your money come after your reputation. Why? Because she has some other data on the site. And she didn't want you to upset that other big so I'm taking you to court and I'm gonna say all these things. If I have to get onto my little iPhone and create blemishes and you know, she watched too many episodes of SVU and she listened episode here they're so we're Livia actually catches the criminal for committing the crime. This baby without a remind. Remind this was a whole you would have thought she set this up but to 12 year old girls in between third and fourth period that this is what I'm gonna do to get away with this. This This was bananas. absolutely bananas. I've never felt sorry for a rich guy like Johnny Depp. That dude hasn't had a hit since the pirate movie, either. But this dude, no, this chick tried to take him to the cleaners. And if he hadn't been Johnny Depp, he got screwed over really good. And none of these other white women on the planet would have gave two shits about to do in eyeliner.

Chuck Shute:

Well said nako. I mean, as a law enforcement officer, did you see because Wasn't there some domestic disputes? Didn't he hit her or Did I did I hear that wrong?

Knocko Nolan:

Yeah, supposedly there was some domestic things but I don't know what was the biggest tragedy, us being bombarded with the coverage or us at me as a music fan, being subjugated to him clean with Jeff Beck, who's a legendary guitarist, and a member of the Yardbirds, who you had Jim McCarty on your podcast, who's the drummer for the Yardbirds? It's like how is Johnny Depp cosplaying doing his cosplay thing and actually recorded with a legitimate artist and why is Jeff Beck watering down his brand to have this Faker on stage with him? I was like this is mind boggling.

Chuck Shute:

What it was Alice Cooper too and some other he's played with some high profile musicians. Yeah, but

Knocko Nolan:

I think they have his amp on one and he just puts his makeup on and like Sidney said is his bracelets and is his hairpiece and all that and his dressed and they just have them on there for show but as I come on now he's actually recording as a legitimate artists with a Hall of Famer, like come on. Come on, Jeff, come on, Johnny. That just shows where the music industry is nowadays. Anyone could jump in on it so watered down. But yeah, as far as the domestic violence stuff, like whenever these big news, things pop off, I try to distance myself. And then once it settles down, then I'll I'll drive into and see what what the details are and see what's real, what's fake and all that. So, I mean, bottom line is if you gotten in a relationship with Johnny, I mean, you're asking for it. He's a wild and crazy guy. I remember going to the Viper Room when he he owned it. And seen I think it was a flogging Molly band. I saw her come from the bottom up. And he was just doing some wild stuff back then. And so I can imagine as you as you say, as you get more and more money and you have like Sidney said before you have you're surrounded by yes men, and there's no guard rails, you're doing everything you're gonna get away with anything. You can pay people off. The sky's the limit of debauchery so I mean, when you settling down with someone like that, you know, come on, it doesn't make it right. Like cocaine or something like that. Was that all it was just a bowl? I mean, it figured we'd have a closet, you know?

Sidney Smith:

The, it'd be has two or three bowls. Who cares? We're talking about this chick who was sucking another man's dig. And we'll try to take this to the cleaners because she wasn't even smart enough not to be in the elevator. All right. She

Chuck Shute:

told the story more than I didn't know all this stuff about the other guy told Johnny

Sidney Smith:

she didn't want to be with them and she changed the locks and stuff what's happening in the same night? She's coming up in the elevator with another dude, I gave him the guy's name. He's another actor. No, no, no, no, no. And flogging Molly. I love that band especially around St. Pat's. They used to listen a lot back in Detroit. Oh yeah. Big big flogging Molly fan but he's right man. Yeah, one bow two three bowls. Who cares do Detroit what's its chick and the made up bullshit she was knowing now Kate be schooling you when y'all

Chuck Shute:

are no did you follow the story at all?

Arno Michaelis:

I sure did. And I really was not like I quit all social media that too long ago except for Instagram. And the whole Amber Gianni thing like flooded with my Octopus videos and my cat videos on Instagram videos and my girly pictures once in a while and I just kind of irritated by it. Beyond that. I just I was in hoons low a suburb of London in the UK. And I had a friend who does a Bhangra dancing class like a Bollywood dance class and I'm a huge Bollywood. I can't dance my way out of a wet paper bag with a weed whacker. So I figured it'd be fun to go through this boundary class. And I was literally wiping out in my own sweat. Trying to do these moves that shit. And in the midst of all that, some teenage girl was like, Are you kidding Johnny or team hammer? And I'm like, I'm Johnny. I'm deep, Johnny. All right. I just love fear Loathing in Las Vegas. Team jati sounds good to me. But beyond that, like that, that was all by all it meant to be in my life this year. It was it was a distraction from wiping out my own sweat at the binder class.

Chuck Shute:

All right now I was definitely I'm sure there'll be a made for TV movie you can all watch or something but

Sidney Smith:

I would say check before you go to the next one. I'll say this about Amber Heard she she wasn't hanging around with with the right rich people. Because the right rich people would have told her you never sacrifice yourself. You're gonna do want to make money. You stay quiet. I don't give a shit. What happens? She want to sacrifice her own money, her own career to try to take this man down. And it just didn't work out rich people the right she had been hanging out with the right rich people. We have the right kind of money. She had never ever, ever, ever sacrifice herself for such a stupid, stupid, stupid cause.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, well, I think again, it goes back to mental health. I think she I think they say histrionic. I mean, you could diagnose or whatever it is, but I think she was acting on emotion. She wasn't acting on logic or thought or strategy. And yeah, backfired for for sure.

Knocko Nolan:

So anyone that touches a woman, no matter what they do, or say to you, is a punk as best friend. It's like, suck it up, walk away, hit the door and take a walk. Yeah. Hi, I would agree with

Sidney Smith:

that go. But I don't believe that that was a situation that actually happened. That's why I wrote out that she had went and doctored the photos that she did have. And that stuff started to flow out. I'm with you. Yeah. Just in general, just in general. Yeah. In general. I'm with you. But I think

Chuck Shute:

you're right. I think she did definitely Doctor those photos. I think that's evidence of it.

Sidney Smith:

And that's an even bigger thing. I you may get to it. I won't I don't want to say anything about it. Because there may be another story in my mind, you may touch on, but anyone who was that who fakes a being a victim of anything like that, whether it be black, Jewish, a female or anything, you just you, you just take all the power from anyone who actually is a victim of those things. So right there, which is not going that

Chuck Shute:

well said, Well, this was another interesting relationship story, the Tom Brady and Giselle. So Tom Brady decides he retires and everything's like, okay, he's retired. And then he says, No, I'm going back. And then he ends up getting divorced from his wife. This is really interesting to me. Because on the one hand, I see people like this, I mean, I interview him on the podcast every day that are just so driven. They just they can't quit, they just want to win. They want to compete, whether it's sports, or acting, or music, or business or whatever, they don't want to give it up. And then Tom clearly couldn't give it up. But now he's gonna lose his family. I don't know, what are your guys's thoughts on that? Like, it's he's not having that great of a year. I think the Bucs are like seventh and eighth or something. Was it really worth it to stay in the game? Or could he have coached or been an announcer and still been competitive in some regard to do something amazing, but still have his family? What do you think? nako

Knocko Nolan:

you know, what seems like with these, you know, tier one, athletes, it's so hard for them to give it up and to do something else after that when their whole identity is poured into that. And everything from, you know, from the early childhood was pushing them toward that level. And their families kind of just an accoutrement, just an accessory, and they don't really know their family. So when you pull that, the edge of that void of being 24/7, around the people, they're supposed to love, they're like, who are you? Who is this person, you know, that rally around them, and you get that kick in the face, and it's a reality check. And then when you're, you know, excommunicated from your team and the daily regimen and that discipline you put into it. A lot of these guys crumble, I mean, so few guys, that could step away graciously early. And I mean, like, you know, look at Ali, and I mean, that the list goes on and on. They just keep on trying to hold on to that. That peak. And one of the few guys that did it right recently, I think was Derek Jeter, you know, he left at the perfect time, and didn't get married until afterwards. So he now we could really appreciate his family, it gets to know them. You can have kids now and really raise them, wherever you for them. People are just going through the motions and faking the funk. So, man, I mean, I feel for him, it's got to be it's a tough scenario with someone that's that driven in life. And what a performer I mean, on the fields that no one knows about a greatest quarterback in our generation. But, you know, hopefully he's having a hell of a personal life right now. Now he got rid of his old ad, since his is his skills on its own on the field aren't going so well. So maybe it's a little lopsided this time. Maybe he's joined a little life too much. So Go for it, Tom.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, what do you think are now your football fan?

Arno Michaelis:

I am and as a Packer fan I always delighted in the rare moments to see in Tom Brady suffer. And I thought I'd enjoy it more this year that I am I I've been. I've always loved football I played as a kid and always been a Packer fan. But during the pandemic, I started watching like every football game. And now I'm just in the habit of it. And it's like, I watch every game every week. And seeing the box suck and seeing Tom Brady suck at first like Yeah, fuck Tom Brady. But the last game I watched which they actually won in overtime, I was like, this is kind of sad. And you're right I go He is love over hate on you can't argue that he is the goat of quarterbacks like nobody in NFL history has accomplished the way he has. And that's why I think it's just such a dramatic thing and also a point of interest to see him just kind of crumble. And you never know that they're still in a playoff spot this year. And you know, there's nothing, I'd never count him out. And I sort of don't want to see him pull another super bowl out of his ass again. But if he did, like, yeah, that would be the time to retire. You should have retired after the last one. But you're right, I get knocked off, like great athletes, the greater the athlete, the greater the drive to compete. And I think it is a common story. You know, Brady's not the first one to maybe go a little bit fast as prime. I'm a huge hockey fan. And I watched Chris Chelios, you know, trying to play into his 50s and Jaromir Yaga is like crashing into the Czech league right now, at age 51. There's, that's just a fact. Gordy Hall played, you know, to the point where he was able to play with his son on the same ice. So it's just the thing with with the great athletes is that you don't want to quit competing. And that's like you said, you're that's how they're wired. That's how they've been wired since birth. As far as the relationship goes, it was always like, you know, the supermodel and the Uber quarterback like, what how could they really be me? They didn't really click who knows? You know, these completely out of the norm, roles in society. But at the same time, like I you know, you wonder if they just if they ever talked if they ever had any kind of relationship and what what had to happen to have it goes off? I probably watch that made for Netflix movie as long as it had. Giselle, you know, showing some pink bits and whatnot.

Chuck Shute:

Oh, God, we're getting canceled on here.

Arno Michaelis:

Whoever plays her Of course. Yeah. I don't think she would be the one getting her kid. Said Sidney, you want to respond to that?

Sidney Smith:

As a diehard Sparty and hater of all things Michigan, including Tom Brady.

Arno Michaelis:

Oh, the two Yeah.

Sidney Smith:

Go. Go Green baby go green. The smartest thing he did was keep playing football. That woman was leaving him anyway. Right. There's a few things I believe in to my core and one of them is a woman never leaves you until she's replaced you. All right. So Tom Brady had already been replaced. Whether it be because his dig didn't get hard anymore, or he played football too long. Whenever it was already moved. This would have been a war story. Had he retired and then get fucking dumped. All right, this is this was already set in stone and in place. That's why he came back because he figured it out to the bitches. Anyway. So why is it? Why should I stop doing what I love to come home to someone who's gonna be packing up and leaving anyway, he would have been better off having married some ugly girl from Ann Arbor. From off that campus when he graduated and made her into somebody who just birthed his kids, then that this doesn't feel like she's got anyplace else to go I made it. Where do I go from you? Know, you'd have to be the star quarterback who's the star cheerleader and then you go off and get married and try to figure out how to live life that doesn't work did never work to Taipei's together doesn't work two beautiful people. Uber Uber beautiful people like that don't work because never ever does one feel like they is underneath the other one. So smartest thing he did was keep planning. I don't give a shit how his season ends. I don't care if he goes out there and loses. I don't care if both arms fall off and his legs it was much worse had that happen and be dumped at the same bucket time this bitch was already fucking around. And the smartest thing he was getting was figuring that shit out. We're saying this again for all your listeners. Men understand me unless You are being a complete dick and doing what not go and I and every other man on this podcast disagrees with and putting your hands on your woman. When she leaves you, she's already left you. All right? So don't cry and get milk. Don't cry and get beer don't get, you get to ask that you keep moving that bitch refuse six months ago if she left you today,

Chuck Shute:

huh? Okay, well, what about here we have a happy story.

Sidney Smith:

Just for a second check. You know, my favorite thing about you is after we all get done sending opinions, you have these terrible transitions.

Chuck Shute:

This is a great transition. I'm

Sidney Smith:

telling you, sir, I want you to work on this for 20 transitions is your homework. I did thank you segue. When I come on here, and after the 600 show, I want to hear better segues. Alright.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so this segue. This is a good one, though, because we're talking about relationships. We've talked about some that have ended not done so. Well. This is a happy story. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. What do you got back together? That was a big story. This is one of the biggest stories of the year. They were engaged like 20 years ago or something. And then they finally eloped and they got married. This was a blow.

Sidney Smith:

Huh? Jay blow nicknamed him J blow. J blow.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, yeah. So what's your take on this one then? Do you think that how long do you think this is gonna last? And is this because these are two Taipei's also. So it is interesting because you think Ben Affleck rich movie star could get any girl he wants? Hey, JLo rich movie star of singer actress can get whoever she wants. Why do they pick each other? It seems like an accident waiting to happen. Are you asking me Are you gonna go back and we'll go right back the other way.

Sidney Smith:

Okay, smartest thing I did when I got married was I married a beautiful woman who's not in my industry or anywhere close to it at all. All right, if you are and I don't know if the gentleman will agree with me or not. But if you are anywhere close to being in the public spotlight at all the smartest thing you can do is marry someone or Booba with someone if you're not into marriage, someone who is not. You cannot have two people trying to have the spotlight. You can't have two beautiful people trying to get ready at the same time in the fucking bathroom mirror. It does not work. This will not work. First of all J lo vas has been around the world to me damn. I don't know why you'd want to put your dick anywhere close to that. You must be fucking a bowl of water. And not even not even a bowl of hot water or getting canceled. canceled by who? Is this the podcast?

Chuck Shute:

YouTube I don't know. monetized

Sidney Smith:

Well, hey, well, I don't know you got a lot of beef and you got to do my fucking Alright, so. But yeah, you brought me Oh, I didn't I think yeah, and Ben Affleck. Who cares about his Bridezilla brothers a better actor than he is? All right. So he had to do something just for people to care about him. He's made two good movies his entire life. And he wouldn't be the best actor. Neither one of them. So who cares? But what were the two? What was the one he was the one who did Gong Gong Gong girl the chick who plays his wife she's a much better actor. Thing is I can't think of her name Jennifer Garner. No one No no wasn't Jennifer Garner anything about his other piece as he had back in the day?

Chuck Shute:

No good. Hunting was good. And then the one would that was

Sidney Smith:

that was the other one Goodwill Hunting with met with Matt Damon. So the bank got gone. Girl. Gone, Baby Gone.

Unknown:

What's so great is the bank robber. And they were the nuns. That's the town. That's the town. He was he made movie. He was

Sidney Smith:

the second best actor and that went to

Chuck Shute:

a true. Yeah, I liked

Arno Michaelis:

the accountant. I thought that was that was a good yeah. Yeah, I and I love dogma. Dogma was fantastic. Which I handed right

Sidney Smith:

every dog was an excellent movie loved the right and I'm a big I'm a big fan of good writing. So that's more of what I meant to so I'm with you there. But again, every movie sees in at Where's Ben Affleck and he's down here on the bottom. But yeah, yeah, yeah. Who? Yeah, J blow gun blow.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, or no? Do you have an opinion on this one?

Arno Michaelis:

I agree with Cindy. I think it's a relevance thing. Like I think that's probably like the biggest motivator of like two people in that position to be like, Oh, well, you know, they're going to inquire is going to go nuts if we go traipsing around together again. I don't know. As an F list celebrity myself, like I I abhor any kind of paparazzi. So I don't know why people would want that. But again, it's like the Brady thing. It's your that's how you're wired. You need to have that public attention. You're very conditioned to it. And if you don't have it, like something's missing in your life, that's just my hot take on it. I mean, I think that's probably what's the

Sidney Smith:

point? That's a great point. That's a great point. I think that's, that's, that's an underrated point as well. Great point. Yeah. If you're out here, you say you don't want it you say don't care about it. But the minute people stop talking about you as a boy, you are looking for like a crackhead. So a great, great point right?

Chuck Shute:

Now have any opinions on that one.

Knocko Nolan:

I mean, you just can't go against basic fundamentals. Red Sox fan, Yankees fan, oil and water, avoid it at all costs. We'll start there. And then secondary guys or girls that go back to their exes. After time has gone on, it's like you left for a reason in the first place.

Chuck Shute:

Right? him didn't didn't Is that what happened?

Knocko Nolan:

I mean, it's happened how many times now? So it's like who can remember, but either either way, you left for a reason. And as time goes on you we kind of block things out and only think about the good times

Chuck Shute:

and the bad things. Yeah,

Knocko Nolan:

independently. But I've seen a lot of guys in my job as they get separated from things they just talk about the old times and they think I'd love to go back you guys have a great and it's like, know what the fuck you left this place for a reason. You ate it. You despise it. You talked about you couldn't leave. You couldn't leave fast enough. And same thing with a bad relationship. Don't go back left for a reason. Very few people can make it happen again. Once they get back together. It sounds like a good idea. But it's not you know, it's like trying to eat a shit sandwich and convince yourself it tastes like filet mignon. It's still a shit sandwich move on guys.

Sidney Smith:

That's a that's a great point. years ago, years and years ago, I was told something similar that the further you get away in a relationship, the better looks you because you forget about and not gonna make a great point you forget about all the bullshit that you had to go through with that woman or with that man, or you remember that was good time that Christmas? That that that whatever it is. And then once you're back together, like, Oh, I remember why I hate this motherfucker.

Chuck Shute:

Now it could be the same thing. Like I remember I had a buddy that lived in Phoenix here from Seattle, and he he moved back to Seattle. And I was like, I don't think you're gonna last very long. You moved to Phoenix for a reason. Sure enough, like six months later, he's like, I'm coming back. I hate the weather here.

Sidney Smith:

You know what, that's a good point. Dude. I hate going home for that exact reason. And not that different. You just need a

Chuck Shute:

reminder sometimes. So this was another crazy story. It was one of the weirdest things I've been watched. I usually don't even watch the Oscars, actually. But this year, I just I think my brother texted me and said and I thought this was a fake story at first, but Will Smith slaps Chris Rock, and people thought it was a there was a conspiracy theory. It was rigged. It was staged. I mean, the way that Chris Rock responded looks so real to me if if he was acting that was a greatest performance. He should have got an Oscar because he looked stunned. Like what the fuck just happened? Why did I get slapped? Sydney we'll start with you that for this one. What do you think about that one? You went to see Chris Rock with Dave Chappelle Did you did you not?

Sidney Smith:

Yeah, once tell Chris they talked that he talked about that. You have to I saw him when he came in town with Wilson two months ago when he came by himself. Before I answer your question. I have a question for you real quick if I can ask I know it's your podcast you know I love that it's your podcast. I don't want to disrespect my ask you sir. Chuck, though a question.

Chuck Shute:

Oh God, what is what now? You're putting me on the spot? Yes.

Sidney Smith:

Are you using Botox? Am I using it has never looked so smooth. Now I think it's just the lighting you get the cheekbones of a young Indian Are you are you know, it's

Chuck Shute:

just the lighting I had a guy come up and set it up like professionally I'll take it as a compliment. I guess

Arno Michaelis:

I don't I swear to God, I've never

Chuck Shute:

I'm not opposed to using Botox but I actually here's this that's a good interesting story. What's the guy from American Idol? what's that guy's name? The Simon

Unknown:

deserves to go. Yeah,

Chuck Shute:

I saw some pictures of him. Oh my god, too. He even MIDI he's like I think I'm getting addicted to Botox. I mean, he looked like really strange looking. It was very bizarre, so I don't really want to go down that route.

Sidney Smith:

Be careful, young fella. You'll be careful. They're young. And yeah,

Chuck Shute:

I thought you know, I thought maybe I might need that someday, but I think I'm too young for Botox and then I thought you know, I think for a man, I don't know that it's ever okay. I think it's better to just age. I don't know, maybe that question.

Sidney Smith:

The question. Just a question.

Chuck Shute:

Are you hitting on me? Is that Is that what's going on? I wasn't a compliment, or was it?

Sidney Smith:

I gotta tell you Chuck. If I didn't like dudes, I think I could do better than you Botox.

Unknown:

Okay, well,

Sidney Smith:

I can't eat no, you jerk.

Chuck Shute:

My segway so anyways. Slept Chris Rock. Can we go back to that? Or do you want to talk about my forehead more?

Sidney Smith:

Hey, you let me ask the question and you want people to be entertained by this podcast?

Chuck Shute:

Yes, that was very that was very good stuff. Okay, now I'm trying to see why do you think that

Sidney Smith:

to your question now back to that. Yeah. Will Smith is not allowed in my home since I remember. Not allowed. I I remember going to bed that night because I'm not a big fan of the Oscars anymore. I'm not in the listener, rich people just drone on and on and on about something that they figured they were going to win anyway because they paid for it or studio paid for it. But someone sent me a video from YouTube and I said, this cannot be real. And then I called my buddy who sent it to me. And he said, that's absolutely real. And so I've been off with Smith ever since. And he's talking to a guy who was one of the largest whistling fans out there, since his parents don't understand. So he was doing that rap song way that many years ago. So no more movies, I have not seen King Richard won't watch anything else that he's ever done before or after I have not seen a massive patient. I did sit down don't only thing I did watch most recently, and I'm pissed off with Trevor Noah was when Trevor Noah brought him onto the Daily Show, and allowed him to come on to do that bullshit apology. Only because Will Smith wanted to make sure people watched the master page on Apple TV. So I'm out on it. I know for a fact that it was not rigged, either. Chris Rock does go into it a little bit. I'm not gonna try to do another communities material. But he does go into it a little bit in his set. He is dropping the special on Netflix in March of next year. So you get to hear whatever he has to say at that point. That's completely out. Chris Rock is my guy. That's who I've modeled my career after. He's my favorite living. I think he's the greatest living comic right now. On The Planet next to myself. And so anything that's done anything that's done to him like that, I'm not for Will Smith is less than a man to me. You for me. Your wife sat on in front of the entire world and told you she was fucking another dude. And you sat there like a bitch. He looks so hurt. When Jada. My wife couldn't sit at a red table in Arby's and tell me she was fucking another dude. And it's not horseradish sauce all over this motherfucker. I'm saying so you need to get out Don't let a man if you can't control your household because you a bitch you don't get to come out here and public and act like you that my fucking and so that is my other problem. Another problem Will Smith this you can't have two black men who are on top of their professions all the money in the world and you show on your ass like that in front of white people? Absolutely not. Because that there for people out there and and you guys may have to speak to a better than I can. But those who already dislike us the only allowed them to sit back and say see you can give them all the money all the fame. Look at him still animals. So that is another level for me. So there's so many different levels to this. And at the end of the day, A man's got to be a man. Chris did not see that coming that was not. And I have it from from from from from good friends of mine. And within that circle, it was not planned. It was not staged. He had no idea that it was going to happen. He thought we was just going to come up, they were going to go back and forth and joke because they've been friends for 20 plus years. So this you know, they're not strangers. So he was completely caught off guard by it as well. I commend Chris for not reacting as I would have because they would have come back from to commercial breaks and I still would have been stomping with some assassin that stage. But I commend Chris Rock for not doing it and continuing on with his job as he could a lot of men would not. I will say one thing Chris said. Oh, and I'm not going to do the bit but he made a good point. He said 50 was talking shit about him. I can use that so anyway, there was a little cover I got I got a little convoluted there a little bit but um, I get very even to this day I get very very emotional very very upset. With what happened with Will Smith. And now there are no movies there are no music. There's no nothing in my house with Will Smith. Nothing. Wow.

Arno Michaelis:

Okay. And never will be. I don't know. What do you think? Well Brusilov I most underrated Chris Rock project is top five. Boom. So good. is the best. I don't know that I almost piss my pants watching that movie. It was so important. He's so good. And yeah, you gotta come in Chris. And the joke was funny that he made about Jada. It was kind of uses doing his job. And as it has been pointed out many many times, like Will's laughing too. Until he gets that look for her. For the fucker ha What are you laughing at Donald? All right now he's gonna come up there and use up about it. The whole thing? I know, let me preface this by saying like, I'm a feminist. I think that this our society is very out of whack with like balance between masculine and feminine energies. It's his way all fucking you know, testosterone and and I had other feminists really angry at me when I say I prefer my feminism without all the testosterone because a lot of people you listen to and claim to be feminists, this patriarchy and I'm like, Well, if you want to own a girl the patriarchy or it's fighting an uphill battle, but all that being said, I couldn't think of a better term for well in that situation than just push the whip. Like he's got to do he's got to get up and do something about this very Deft and well timed joke that Chris Rock had. I thought the whole thing was ridiculous. I that was one thing I didn't scroll past i by answer MZ couldn't really was every other post of every person on the entire platform. And I, I was for a while like, that's not real, it that didn't really happen I thought it was set up to and the more you, you know, delve into it, then you're just kind of like, it's like a car crash, you're like, holy shit, you can't stop watching it and you can't stop, you know, getting into it. All that being said, I am the last person on Earth to deny someone else's second chance after doing some dumb shit. So just with my personal history, like I'm here talking with you guys now, I'm loving every day of my life now, because people gave me a second chance when I absolutely did not deserve it. And I hear everything you're saying Sydney, and I get it as well as I can. But like other than this one fucked up incident. You know, Will Smith is a is a brilliant actor. He was a great rapper, or he was he's a I think he's really super talented. And he shined the light on the world that the world is better because of. And so for like one catastrophic fuckup like this, I can't turn my back on him. And I still follow him on Instagram. And I do want to see emancipation. I am not banning him. But then again, lawyers that I can't ban anybody. So

Sidney Smith:

check a check. Can I say something? Yeah, yeah, I will say to you, even though, again, kudos to you for changing your life the way you have. I would say to you, though, you have to show I'm sure a proper amount of contrition for people truly accepted that blue whale has yet to do that. And so that is you know, he's had all the time in the world to do it. Initially, right after it. You know, he's out there partying with his kids and his wife, and the kids are tweeting and posting. That's how we do it in this family. And it took them days to put together a response and that seemed half assed, like he didn't want to do it. And then you watch the interview with Trevor Noah, that came, I'm a huge person. This would be the same way as if, if I hit up all three of you. And we hadn't talked in a while. And I hit you up to say, hey, hey, man, I want to see how you're doing. By the way, can I borrow 20 bucks? I mean, you would get off that phone call. No. And he didn't give two shits about how I was doing. He wanted to borrow 20 bucks. And that's how I took the Trevor Noah interview. You don't give two shits about being contract, or anything with these fake tears on The Daily Show. You just want people to come out and see a massive patient that was getting ready to drop. So why I'm with you, we should give off people second chances if you find it in your heart. I'm a Christian. So I believe that to be the case, I was raised that way. I need you to show the amount of respect for the person that you harmed. And then we can kind of move forward from there. And I don't think Will Smith has done it. And I don't think he cares about it.

Chuck Shute:

Wow. Good points by both. Yeah, I love it. Naco Do you have anything to add? Yeah,

Knocko Nolan:

amen to both of those statements. thing I have to say is Chris Rock and George Carlin and my two my favorite comedians, I think they were both the greatest at that craft. And goes along saying with putting hands on a woman is like kind of putting your hands on Chris Rock is like beating up your little brothers. Like, you're not getting any points from they're not cool. And but on an insert Christmas thing kind of bummed me out. It's like, man, you know, I'm a Queens Brooklyn guy. It's like a you saw this guy come in, like, come on.

Arno Michaelis:

You know, give me a little little, you know, a little, little power.

Knocko Nolan:

Come on. He put his chin out there leaving it out for the world's like, come on. You could do better than that. Chris. He's been living in Jersey too long. But really, honestly, on a serious note, though, the thing that's really a bummer to see is the after effect the blowback that it has on the fan and performer experience, even though you know wills you as an audience member. I see spillage continually happening where people are breaking that fourth wall and going after performers in violent fashions. I think we see that with ship Hell and anything where if someone doesn't agree with someone they want to go hands on, and you're paying money, or you got an invite to go to events, and you don't have to live with the same, but you have to go along with it to go into sage, I see that as an alarming trend. And it's getting worse and worse. And I have a lot of friends at a performance and it provided invokes a lot of anxiety for me because the world is wild. And these guys are out there performing an art and you have an acceptance, you know, it's like being in a front row of a, of a comedy gig, you're gonna get lit up know that walking in. So I don't like that trend. And I think that's set a huge precedent for people to feel like, Hey, this is you know, you don't agree, I'm going to step up and do something about it. Not Not in my house. I'm not down with that. So I think Will Smith deserves a timeout. And if he does take proper ownership, which hopefully he will one day, you know, five years down the road, hey, we're gonna say we're a Christian based society redemption is one of man's greatest qualities. Hey, where you can come back and do it come back, we'll receive your open arms if you take proper ownership and make those amends. And

Chuck Shute:

did he ever apologize to Chris Rock directly? Because I feel like he needs to give him a call, or sit down on Oprah or something, you know, face to face man to man and say, You know what I and also I want to hear him say that he feels guilty. Because I think that's what your point is Sydney is that it doesn't seem like he feels any guilt. Like he listened to Paris maybe a little bit and he feels regretful because he doesn't like the reaction that he got from it. But does he actually feel bad about doing that?

Sidney Smith:

No, I watched him on The Daily Show. Throw his father under the bus. You know? He's you know, he, he's, uh, yeah, I don't I don't know what happened. You know, my, my father used to abuse my mother. Well, that has nothing to do with nothing you are in your 50s everybody in their mother knows that your father was not the greatest dad and husband. Just say you were wrong. Just say I'm a jackass. I shouldn't have done that. That was out of place. And you know, what would you ask him you can add in? I'm an arrogant asshole. Because what made me think that I could walk up on stage in front of the entire world and slap anybody. Like that is the dude is so upset. I told you guys, I get fired up every time this topic is brought up. I cannot stand this man. I cannot stand this. Okay, well, I can't stand any man. He can't be a man. Okay, wait. So

Chuck Shute:

how's this transition? Speaking of arrogant assholes. All right, let's get Elon Musk, by Twitter, one of the biggest stories of the year. Now, this is interesting, because I have conservative friends. I have liberal friends, my conservative friends like they will like they love musk. They're like, Oh, this guy. He's like, amazing. He's so great. My liberal friends hate him. And I'm kind of trying to figure out I don't know that he's even political. But for whatever reason, people politicize everything now, so people on the right love, and people on the left hate him. And it is interesting that a guy who is you know, into designing spaceships and electric cars wants to buy a social media thing. And at first I thought, well, this is kind of good, because he's kind of peeling back the curtain. And he did these Twitter files are really fascinating that they were shadow banning all these people and all these things were going on that we didn't know about, that may have interfered with elections and things and that's part was interesting, but the part that was annoying is just how he has to have an opinion on everything. And he's got to say this and that and it's like, Dude, I know you're a billionaire and you're on Twitter, but geez, can like you take it down a few notches, because I was just getting I'm getting sick of it. I think our society is getting sick of narcissist. I think that's a huge thing that's going on the last few years. Whether it's Kanye or whoever you want to call a narcissist, but must definitely seems to fit that category. But I don't know, what do you guys think? nako we'll start with you. We'll go around the circle the other way.

Knocko Nolan:

You know, it's funny when you say the, you know, your conservative friends and and liberal friends. You know, he he's like that dichotomy that the liberals, you know, hate what's going on right now. But then conservatives when you bring up Tesla and electric cars, they hate that aspect. So it's like, he has a lot of crossover, that, that you don't really see in society. But you know, it's one of those things. It's like he's doing some, some great things like you say we've as far as censorship and unmasking things of that have gone down in this country that we're wrong. And then he's doing some asinine things. So, you know, no one's perfect, but we're putting so much stock in one person and so much emotional value. It's like, Hey, he's just a guy like anyone else. He's very talented individual, but when people like super talented in one area, they're gonna be mega lacking in another area. So that's what we're seeing. Now that you know, all eyes are on him. We're seeing all those mistakes and weirdo things that he does that we just people just glossed over before really weren't aware of it, but he's just a guy, and he's gonna He's gonna he's gonna talk shit like guys do. It's just out in a public forum, and it makes for an interesting space and social media. You And Well, we'll see where he goes with this Twitter thing. It definitely brought some light to Twitter. And we'll see where he pushes that. So, again, you know, I don't agree with a lot of what he does. But, you know, as long as it's legal, you know, you know, move forward, and let's go, let's see it.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah, well, it's interesting, because I think a lot of people don't know that he has autism or mild form of autism. And so that may explains why he's some of these socially, I think he's awkward if you've ever seen him, like in an interview with Joe Rogan, he's kind of awkward. And I think that's, I mean, he's brilliant in terms of business, and, you know, science and those kinds of things. But socially, I mean, he's, he's had failed relationships, and obviously, with his things that he says on Twitter, to me, it's kind of like inappropriate and just kind of like annoying, but again, some people love him. What do you what do you think are no, are you a fan of Elon are?

Arno Michaelis:

My grandma passed away in 2009, my mom inherited her stock portfolio. And she inherited the manager with it. And he's like, don't worry about it at all. You know, I'll run everything. You don't have to make any decisions. And my mom's like, I want to buy some of this Tesla at $19 a share. And there's managers like, No, you don't want to do that. That's a shit stock. I'm not gonna let you do that. But my mom, they actually like took her controller portfolio specifically to buy 300 shares of Tesla at $90 a share. Wow. So right now, I'm not really fucking too happy with Elon, because it's all taken, because it has dubbed bullshit. And it's like, it really is. You have to ask yourself, like, are we talking about a grown ass man here? Or are we talking about someone who just like doesn't, again, no guard rails, like someone who doesn't have thinks that no one can limit him? I can see the parallels between him and Trump. Like they both think they could just go run in their mouth. And they like securities law is is a ridiculously complicated thing. But if you're a CEO of a publicly traded company, like you know, you can't go around saying like, Oh, should I take the company private? What do you think Twitter, like, you can't look and do that. It's against the law. It's against. My dad got his securities license, he had to study for years to pass the test. Like it's a very complicated thing. And Elon just like floats all of that. Like, he can do whatever the fuck he wants, and no one can touch him. And I think that's a disgusting attitude in any human being, but especially one that has as much power as he does. It's, it's coming back to bite. I'm watching Tesla stock tank every single day. And it does suck because he he did some amazing things to start that company, and to get it to where it was at its peak. But like, No, it's all tumbling down. And there are a lot of people who are thinking they're they're real slick. And they're by and low. And I hope they're right for the sake of my inheritance. But the bottom line is like he's running a big, not a big but what was out for a moment, like the biggest company on the planet. He's running it squared to the ground and it's all just from hubris. Like I don't think he's I don't think he gives a shit about free speech. I don't think he's that's really a big priority to him. I think, like Kanye, like all these other guys were talking about he just likes pushing people's buttons. And he I get a kick out a wet He's, um, I don't like Republicans or Democrats. I think they're both completely full of shit. I think that the two political polls are reflections of each other. They're mirror images as far as I'm concerned. But I still I thought it was funny when Ilan paid $11 billion in taxes. This despite Elizabeth Warren like that. That was funny. All right. Good job. He lied like that. But but then when I think the rest of the show he's like, yeah, so I used to be a Democrat and all but conservative because you know, Wolf sucks and blah, blah, blah. He's doing the same shit Donald Trump was doing with the you know, Donald Trump has been on every side of every issue. You can imagine he was anti abortion and he was pro abortion. God's anti gun pro gun. He's just like, floating in the breeze and saying whatever the fuck he wants to say in Trump's case is very much pandering. I don't think Elon is pandering, but I think he gets a kick out of pissing off liberals. And he doesn't care that liberals are the number one demographic who buy Tesla's and that he's willing to run the company into the ground just to thumb his nose that people Bull and it's not an appealing trait and I get he's on the spectrum and, you know, I'm sure it's not easy sometimes and I'm sure that's a factor in his success as well. It is, you know, ability to focus and make things happen. But yeah, overall I thought he was funny a couple years ago and obviously or it's not funny anymore like just fucking like

Chuck Shute:

a couple quips and I was like, Oh, this this guy's gonna, you know, bring it up free speech and he had a couple of funny things. And now I'm like, another fucking tweet from this guy. Can you just shut the fuck up while he's turning? Trump? You're right, exactly. Sydney, what do you think?

Sidney Smith:

I think Elon Musk has made the mistake that every man in this age group has made. The first one was getting those hair plugs

Chuck Shute:

he might have done something.

Sidney Smith:

Sure. I ensure he's done Botox as well. But it was first one was those hair plugs. The second one was buying Twitter. Twitter for him was the equivalent to a regular guy going out buying a Corvette he doesn't.

Chuck Shute:

That's a great analogy. That is a great midlife crisis.

Arno Michaelis:

Tesla plan that plan.

Sidney Smith:

Ilan, get that Corvette home and realized I can't take this bitch off road and I can't really drive it every day. I got to keep this big Washington clean. What kind of gas does it take? I don't know if I wouldn't really deal with any of this. You saw him trying to take the Corvette back to the dealership and the dealership said no. You've already signed the paperwork. Your fucking car is yours. We all remember him trying to

Arno Michaelis:

get on Yes. But I remember very clearly,

Sidney Smith:

to get out that deal. This guy wants so badly to not have Twitter, he allowed the people on Twitter. He knew what the vote was going to be. on that. Right, right. Should I step down? You knew everybody, even if they love you was gonna say yeah, good chance about it.

Arno Michaelis:

Because they all got Tesla stock too. That's they don't give a fuck about free speech. They give him fuck about their portfolio.

Sidney Smith:

And well, well, you know what he makes art. It makes a great point here. And I talk about this all the time. I have a friend of mine, I do a podcast with and we talked about this, we go back and forth. I myself am a conservative, a real conservative, my friend, my good friend is a socialist and proud to be socialist. And we go back and forth. And we talk about race. We talked about money, and he swears and he'll if he was here right now, he would tell you, if Oprah Winfrey was in the same room with Jeff Bezos, Jeff Bezos wouldn't give two fucks about Oprah Winfrey at all because, and I'm of a different flavor. I'm with Arnold. People care about their money. If I'm a billionaire, you're a billionaire. If we helped me make some more, I hope you make some more. That's what it's about. At the end of the day. All this liberal shit and conservative shit is all pure nonsense, pure nonsense. None of these people you can sit down and ask them anything from the Bill of Rights, anything else about the history of this country? And they couldn't sit down and answer five questions and get at least an 80% Millions of them. I don't believe these idiots should be allowed to vote unless they can pass a high school civics exam. I'm so sick of it. Elon Musk can shut the hell up to or he can keep talking. When I do enjoy it. And I'm sorry, I don't know because I know a certain your, your your your inheritance. I know you have with that money, but I am enjoying this motherfucker buying this Corvette and wishing he had not bought it. Things he bought he wishes he added them earplugs and that motherfucking

Chuck Shute:

That is hilarious. Well, it's for the rest of us who aren't billionaires. That's another big story of the year is just the economy, right? Like the gas prices have gone up. The inflation is through the roof. I mean, I got it's funny because the people I feel like the people that complain about the inflation the most are my friends who have more money than the average person. The NF T's and the crypto all that shit is crashed. Right? That stuff is like seems to be almost done. I love it. Yeah. So what are your thoughts on on the whole economy? I mean, we're going to bounce back from this or is this is this the end? Is this like a sign of the times the Roman Empire is coming to an end?

Sidney Smith:

We thought that at first,

Chuck Shute:

NACA will go up we'll go circle again.

Knocko Nolan:

Oh, man. I'm like the least money orientated guy here. I'm sure I don't give a crap about money. I got into one of the toughest professions and it wasn't for the money even though we get paid pretty decent. I mean, it goes back to I think just how I live my life I live my life is trying to live a minimalist lifestyle. It doesn't I don't need a whole lot to make myself happy. You know, a couple good group of friends that you can count on one hand, a decent companion, my girlfriend's and a roof over my head and some clean drinking water. I think all this other stuff that that gets obscured with stuff oxen, this net, we're obsessed with obtaining wealth, instead of obsessed with doing the right thing, and focusing on the basics, and being a good person, being charitable, and just, you know, being being in control of your own emotions, as we see all these people that have all these all this money, but still, they can't control their emotions. So I think I would, I would hope that the pandemic would, would have shown people, Hey, you don't need all these extra things to make your life happy. And if you do, you have to do some soul searching on that, not to get too deep and philosophical on that. Yeah, it means it's very disheartening, I see people in my professionist, working, working working overtime, and EMS, this, you know, big amount of money. And then they think that's going to solve their unhappiness. And it doesn't take much, at least for me, I say, go go to the beach cost nothing. And that'll produce some of the greatest joy in your life, of just playing in the sand and swimming, and just having a throwing a football around with your buddies, or going on a hike. There's so many things that that are good for you and it causes zero. So don't rely on money for happiness. Yeah, you know, having some extra toys and all that it's kind of cool. But don't focus on that focus on good friends and being a good person. That's my two cents on that.

Chuck Shute:

Love it. Well, Arno, if you I mean, if you didn't have the Tesla stock, you might not care as much.

Arno Michaelis:

I'll get over it. And ultimately, like, that was totally right. The whole the essence of happiness. And this has been proven by neuroscientists like examining how our brains work, and what like actually makes us happy. Happiness is composed of kindness, gratitude, and forgiveness. And the more familiar you are with those three things, the happier you're going to be, and it doesn't cost a dime, to practice those three qualities. To be frank, it's a lot easier to sit around contemplating kindness, gratitude and forgiveness when you're not worrying about how you're going to pay your bills. Or when if you don't have like, a bank coming to reprocess your house, or, you know, yeah, but money makes makes it easier to have that kind of leisure. But as we're talking about all these other, you know, the Elon Musk's of the world and the Kanye is that everybody else like they got a shit ton of money and there's a miserable motherfuckers so I think if we're learning anything in this economic downturn, it is the importance of really what makes being a human beings such a great experience. And again of all totally with daco like getting outside getting the water get out in nature, like there's all kinds of shit that doesn't cost a dime that really can can create a foundation of have a genuine happiness as far as like what's going to happen now. It's hard to say it money is really reached the point it's been like this for a long time now you know that I can't go take a paper dollar and exchange it for $1 is worth a gold anywhere that it's probably been almost 100 years since he could do that for a very long time. Money is has been a story it as long as we all believe the story then the economy works I think with the biggest like most ominous prospect of what's happening right now is is that people like quit believing in the story of money as the whole crypto bubble evidence like oh, we're gonna have a whole new kind of economy we're gonna have a money based on you know, how many equations a computer console I've actually I have a new crypto I'm developing it's called a wank coin and so and you mine it by actually waking and so I've got a huge cache of that that I've been stashing away and you know, I'm getting into the next version of it and that's something I'm gonna push as an alternative form of currency but the bottom line is if as long as we believe and how this economy works, it'll continue to work but if enough people fail or get to the point where like I don't believe this shit anymore I'm gonna start doomsday prepping and but my currency is how many rounds of ammunition I have that's that's

Chuck Shute:

a knock off that happens because he's he's got all the guns.

Arno Michaelis:

I know by where all the firearm and I got a little bit myself but it's it's Yeah, I think it's important that to bring it back to a serious note, I think it's important to not lose your faith in humanity. And understand that like, as fucked up as humanity has sunk over the past, you know, 50,000 years or so, time and time again, we've come back with a greater compassion and understanding that we are a a social creature that requires like other humans in order to function properly. We humans came to be about 200,000 years ago at the time of biological epoch called the time of the megafauna when there was like 20 foot tall cave bears and saber toothed tigers and big giant flightless birds that can just snap your ass in half. And we were these relatively weak puny creatures. But it was not only our intelligence, but our ability to work together. That brought us to a point where we not only dominate this planet, but we threaten the, the function of this planet, for better or worse, and it'll be interesting. I have faith in humanity. And I think we will find a way out of this. How exactly I can't say, but I am certainly an optimist. And I think as long as we maintain that, that faith is as difficult as it can be at times that we're going to be okay.

Chuck Shute:

Awesome. Very well said Sydney. Do you have an opinion on this?

Sidney Smith:

Yeah, okay, I got one. And it's, I'm very serious about this to give me all the money. Give me all the money. I mean that with my heart, and so and not only money, give me all the power because not only we see that with this cycle with the economy is money and power baby, my wife and I are talking about maybe having a child and we are if we decided to or blessed to have one, I will teach him and her your job on this planet is to get this the largest slice of pie that you can. Because at the end of the day, that's all any body cares about. It's great that you guys especially you not go you feel the way you feel. And I don't. I'm not saying I disagree with you. And because that's how you feel. But this world money and power, get it all consume it all get as much as you can, at the end of the day. That's all any one cares about that will set you up the government. That's what they care about. Other people investment they care about. You want to be at the top of the heap, you got to have it, you got to have it. Give it all to me. I have one house already on a private golf course. I'm trying to get another one that I want another house over here. I want to consume it all wealth, wealth, wealth, all of the heart Our heartfelt feelings and man love man. And all of that is great. That shit went by the wayside. During the pandemic, people would have cut your throat for a role at all. Understand me, everybody who had guns like you, sir brother, not not Naco was trying to get more guns good. They thought this was last days. This was it. All right. So all of that peace be with you. That's great when we're all getting along, and there's no pandemic, and everybody can go get a roll of toilet paper, if you need an article, or go get your apples or whatever the minute. People feel like they can't get their fair share. All that should go that's that's what I don't get. And what I don't understand is how people go back to the same. And I guess I do kind of get it because people, everything, every part of their existence is based off habit. But they go back to the same habits after what we've seen. If you've lived through the crash of the early 2000s. And you've lived through what people thought was getting ready to be a crash, you should have already made some substantial changes. If you're able to find your way into buying a home, that should be the first thing that you do. Come 2023 If you are able to do it, that is your first and best way to build wealth as a regular old Joe walking around the street. And then after that you can stockpile stock bonds, stocks, like bow, because if you have that asset, there's so many other doors that can open for you. But give me all the money. And if you don't want it, go ahead and push your share money over to this side of the table. All the money all the power you've already been you've already seen the way they've shown you the way all you got to do on top of that is keep some no people around you. So you won't be out there saying how Hitler and buy shit like a Corvette. You don't need to wear earplugs. Give me all the money.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, so then what about let's just I didn't have this on my list, but I think it's makes sense to talk about what about the people who are down and out on their luck because I know Sydney. I mean, you live we both live in Phoenix area and I mean, I'm sure nako you've seen it and in LA the homeless stuff is I mean it seems to be getting out of control and we have the border here. So we have a To fentanyl, that's, you know, they're finding giant things of fentanyl coming over the border. And then you've got the immigrants that are that are just showing up. There's like 1000s of them just showing up at the at the border. They're down on their luck as well. So what do we do about all these people who are are struggling? I mean, we have so much wealth in this country. It seems like no one has an answer for this though. There's still giant homeless encampments in every major city. There's still the fentanyl is all over the place. They're still the immigrants are. I don't know what the solution is. They're sending them to Kamala Harris's house, I don't think that really solves the problem. So what is the solution for people who are down and out down on their luck? Or maybe trying to start a new life? What can we do NACA, I'll start with you. Because you've worked Skid Row in LA, right. I mean, that's one of the biggest homeless areas in the country.

Knocko Nolan:

Yeah, that's probably ground zero for you, the United States, which is, you know, we deem ourselves number one in a nation. And we have situations like that you don't see another country. So we really would number one, or just fooling ourselves. But that said, some of the people down in Skid Row and Venice Beach, are pretty much every area, I've worked in the city where I encountered homeless people, some of the happiest, nicest people I've ever encountered. were homeless, and some of the most miserable rotten despicable people. People I know, personally, are millionaires. And, you know, you know, it's a, it's, it's very interesting to see it. That's what's great about my job, I get to, you know, cross all spectrums of society and socio economics. And how do we solve it? I think we, it's an open book test, it's, we already know it, but politicians don't want to pull the trigger on that. They don't want to do the ugly things. And they don't want to, you know, you don't want to see how the sausage is made really, the solutions of all these problems. It's happened in the past. And like I said, it's an open book test, and they don't have the gumption to do what needs to be done. And I'm trying to think of the end last part of your question, oh, you know, what, I just wanted to bring it back to you, you know, the whole thing, money and power, you know, we're supposedly number one. And I asked a group of buddies of mine, I said, you know, all these empires fall by the wayside, little by little, it's like the UK, France, Spain, all these countries are number one at one time, like, so what if we slipped to number two is that the worst thing in the world? It's not like the US is going to go from number one, and we're going to hit rock bottom, we're going to be number 10. You know, it'd be a gradual slide. And, you know, so if China takes takes the reigns for wild or India or whatever, like, so much gonna change, you know, life now, come on, get serious here, you know, the, it's like us. And he says, it's, it's the rich and the poor, it's not black or white or anything else. It's either you're in a club or you're not. And, you know, it's just I think it's America's obsession with being being number one. And we really have to examine what that is. And are we really still that. And as far as, like I said, the solutions that are just say, when we're ready for it on on my side of the fence, so,

Chuck Shute:

okay, do you agree with that, or no?

Arno Michaelis:

Yeah, I agree with the groups across the board. It makes me think I've spent a lot of time in Scandinavia, primarily Denmark, but also Norway. I've been to Sweden and Finland. And when you get there, you're just like, holy shit, this is all grown ups have a society. Like everybody looks after one another. They look after the planet. Everybody is taken care of. There's still venture, there's still capitalism, there's still business, some of the biggest businesses on the planet are based in Scandinavia. At the same time, it's it's one thing to do that in Denmark, we're five and a half million people live. And they all have like a very common culture. And it's another thing to do in the United States. And we have 320 million people or whatever it is now. And our whole jam from the get go is that we're a nation of immigrants from from and people who are involuntarily brought here. So it's a different demographic we're working with much different scale we're working with, but I think we can take lessons from Scandinavia and from other and I agree with daco. Totally like we have an arrogance in the United States. We're like, well, we don't need to look at what Germany is doing. Like what the fuck does Germany know? And we're the fucking United States. But the fact is, is like per capita and pound per pound Germany's level of successful economies in the planet. And they do things like if a kid is geared to be a scientist they get they can get multiple PhDs on the on the government whereas if a kid's not geared to be a scientist and like, well, maybe you'd be better off in bed, it'll be an electrician, or a machinist or whatever. And they set up a trade school, they get out at school with the job that can support a family. And it's it's Europe, so they get three months off a year, and they only work 30 hours a week. But it is a pretty successful society. And I think we got a lot to learn from there. At the same time, there's nothing that's foolproof, that as the whole Ukraine situation has demonstrated, like, one wrench in the works can throw things off in Germany and other places were things seem to be routed smoothly before. So I think what it boils down to is resilience. And can we be resilient as a society, as an in order to do that we need to first be resilient as individuals. I'm a Buddhist, I work on my inner peace every day to varying degrees of success. But I do that, because I know that without my own sense of inner peace, I don't have a prayer and hell to create peace in the world around me. And so I think we all need to look inward as as human beings and challenge ourselves as though what our role in the world is and what our impact on the world around us is going to be. And go from there. That's really all we could do.

Chuck Shute:

I love it. Well said, Sydney, can you top that?

Sidney Smith:

I gotta tell you, you know, you keep saying well said after their responses, and I don't feel like I'm getting the same equal.

Chuck Shute:

You're getting a I'm a great audience for you. Am I not?

Sidney Smith:

I'm just kidding with you, Chuck. You're saying too, I love it. All. You guys are on here too late, though. In all seriousness enough, though, to go back to something that Naco said are we still number one? Absolutely. And that the rest of the world shows us everyday. They definitely showed us during the six years. And I'm including the two years prior to him getting the office that Trump was running around and running his mouth, the world outside of China, maybe Japan as well was worried about if we were slipping, because they all do look at what is happening over in Ukraine and Russia. We were the first ones that everyone wanted to come run into. Are you going to get involved? Are you going to help those who didn't want to get involved in and help? We had to pull them in with our leadership? Again, back to Japan, and Russia. I'll throw them in as well. They wanted to see this country crumble and they thought Trump would be the way so to answer that question. I believe we are still number one, I believe the rest of the world, friends and foes witnesses are worried about us being in that position for their own reasons. As far as immigrants and the homeless, and Skid Row, my heart goes out to immigrants. I'll start there first. I often in conversations, I would say because I have friends who are called them because they call themselves conservatives, I probably wouldn't call them that, because we have these discussions. And I don't think they quite get the gist of what being a conservative is. But they are staunchly against immigrants coming into this country. And the question I always throw to them is, let's go ahead and throw the role reversal. And would you sneak into Mexico, if you've meant the life of your family, if you'd be able to go there and have a better life? And I have yet to have anyone admit that they would. But the room goes silence. And that lets me know, you know, God damn, well, you'd sneak ass over to another country if it meant taking care of your family. As far as Skid Row and Phoenix and you know this chuck Phoenix is getting pretty bad here. The city kids keeps moving them around and she was much like LA when they were ready to go ahead and develop another area of the city. Okay, let's find another place for you. And all your all your tents to go until we're ready to develop that part of city. And we're getting we're gaining more and more homeless here. I I don't think we will ever seen a real solution that either because going back to what Naco said, this is all politics, baby. This is it. This is a great talking point for us when Republicans have something they want to say against Biden, even though it has nothing to do with Biden. What did they do? They started talking about all of these, these immigrants that were coming from South America coming right across the border that came out of nowhere, no one even gave to flex about it until you decided you wanted to put it on the on the front page of a newspaper. So it's a great talking point for these guys to get involved with every two years or every four years depending depending on the election. I love something that Arnold said bringing in some of the things that he's seen. The only problem with that is what we saw before. What did some of the Democrats talk about Elizabeth Warren? Well, I'm not a big fan of Bernie Sanders, who can go off to old folks home fast enough for me I'm not a fan of his either. But the first problem that these two people People always have and they'll never get around to it. And I don't see us getting around in our lifetime is the word socialism. And when you start talking about some of these things that other countries are doing, and you start talking about bringing that here, that is the death nail, to your conversation to that debate for on your side, right away, right away, because I myself am a capitalist, I do not believe firmly in socialism, either. But I do believe as NACA was putting it, there is a solution somewhere in the middle. But the problem is, again, we have people who can't pass a high school civics exam, being allowed to vote and decide things in this country. And we saw a lot of them trying to attack the Capitol, we see a lot of them walking around, going out to vote, they will never vote before into that do with the hair that does not stay on his head, started speaking to them. So this is the huge problem. Do I see us ever finding a solution? No. Which takes me back to my point I made before go out. And if your piece is going to the beach during the football and things like that, then that is your piece. If you are somewhere on the opposite, such as I am, then you go out and you get the biggest slice of this fucking pie. Because at the end of the day, that's all that matters. The rest of it is all bullshit, whether it be racism, or anything else, you look at Fox News, you look at CNN, you look at MSNBC, you look at me and you anyone else on here, we may have a podcast, forgive me, if you have one that you're trying to sell. Time for commercials, we're all trying to get more views, we're all trying to gain more eyeballs, we're all trying to gain more ears, we're not doing it just because we have a message to deliver. We're also doing it because there's money to be made. And whatever and minus the four of us, the rest of these people will do and say whatever they have to do and say even it means saying that Sandy Hook was absolutely faked. These people will sue and say whatever they got to do, and that goes for these networks as well that allow that these people allowed to lead them around by the nose. There's a there's an answer, but nobody wants it. Because so many people are making money off of not answering it gets the biggest slice of the pie.

Chuck Shute:

No, that that is actually gonna give you a call that was well said, especially the part about it. I think the solution is in the middle. I don't think it's socialism. I don't think it's like, hey, sink or swim, you're on your own. Good luck, motherfucker. I think it's something like helping some of these people get back on their feet, find a path, you guys have all found your path. I mean, you're a great comedian. You're a great speaker, you're a great cop. And you've all found a purpose in your life. And I think there's a lot of people out there right now that are just lost, especially this younger generation that does not know, they just think I'm going to be a tick tock star. I mean, I used to work in schools. And that was like the number one thing that kids said, Oh, I'm going to be a YouTuber, I'm going to be a tick talker. I mean, we can't have 98% of the population being tick talkers. Like somebody's got to, you know, be a doctor or a nurse or, you know, take care of be a cop, build the buildings, build the roads, and do all this other stuff.

Sidney Smith:

Chuck, here's the thing. And this is what's not, first of all, the Tick Tock are that's a great way to put it. I would also say every generation has their thing. You know, when I was coming up, and people I'm gonna be I'm gonna play in the NBA. You know, everybody can't play in the NBA. So you better learn how to read and write. You got to that's what you're going to need to do. But I'm a firm believer and especially in my profession. I tell comics this and writers and actors or whatnot. podcast is whatever I tell them this all the time. Everybody was not meant I know your parents told you I know your mom told you you should have played Romeo in the fourth grade. No, your teacher knew better she cast you as a fucking tree sometimes you need to figure out you're just a tree. Everyone doesn't get to be Romeo everybody doesn't get to be Juliet. That's not what and be a tree and be okay with being a tree. And that's what people are not okay with the whole thing I want to be a tick tock tick tock Are you again going back to my own example an NBA star, that's not what you were put on this earth to do? The greatest gift one can give oneself is self awareness. That is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Not going out to buy a new car not going to buy new clothes, not falling in love none of that. self aware if you are self aware, the rest of your life is blocking ease. But if you really believe you were meant to play Romeo and you think that into your 30s you are constantly chasing Juliet when you should have been chasing tree number two, who was standing next to you over here out of the spotlight. Because that's where you're supposed to be bigger out where you supposed to be, you know better to him, you know better than her. Some of these people you talk to all of us we talk to you know better than the immigrant coming across the border. And God help us all if they didn't come across the border and do the shit we didn't want to do. If I had to go out here and manicured my own backyard or clean my own house. God helped me and my wife. Alright, so these people have a purpose as you have a The purpose, but my Father, you've meant to play tree number two, you've got to live with it.

Chuck Shute:

Or maybe their purpose is not being in a play. Maybe it's doing something totally different. Maybe they're going to be the next CEO of Twitter. I mean, something Oh,

Sidney Smith:

no, no, you are missing the point. The next CEO of Twitter was Romeo in the fucking play.

Chuck Shute:

So you're saying, yeah, no, I understand. Not everybody is going to be at the top of the game. Like for basketball players. There's only so many that can go professional. But I do think that people you know, if they have a dream, they should try to follow it. But yeah, you're right. After a certain time there, there comes a point where maybe it's time to give it up.

Sidney Smith:

What? No, no, you're dreaming. It's for high school, college. All right, halfway through your 20s. All right. Well, you puke on your shoes outside the bar, because you didn't know that shot night wasn't for you. You learned the lesson. You don't go back into shot night again, Saturday after Saturday. No, you find something else to do. Chuck, you are the problem. You are the problem.

Chuck Shute:

No, I'm telling you. Here's this is my only point. My only point is, sometimes you got to grind a little bit. It takes time because I've had 300 of these episodes. And I've interviewed some of the biggest musicians around and for a lot of those stories. It's like they started out and they were, you know, as a comedian, I'm sure your first time did not go super well. Everybody bombs as a comedian, and you keep going, and then you get better. Now, if you're not if there's no clues, nobody's telling you to keep going, then yeah, then you're delusional.

Sidney Smith:

Thank you. Definitely. There's there's some work to get to where you want to be. No, you don't just graduate from college and you're a CEO, you have to have some sort of talent. Absolutely. Whether you believe in God, Buddha, the universe, whatever you believe in, it will open or shut doors. You need to know all right, people mistake. Hard work for I'm just going down the wrong road. No, am I forget, if you keep every step you take you hit a hurdle. You weren't supposed to run the hurdles. Maybe you're just supposed to run a straight 100 meters. That's what she was supposed to do. So no, I'm with you. Yes. There's got to be? Absolutely we are,

Chuck Shute:

I think, but I'm just saying the other side of the problem is people that like I said, they're, they're 16 they're like, I'm gonna be a tick tock, or they think they're gonna go out and post one tick tock, it's gonna go viral. And then that's it. And that's what they're gonna do. It doesn't work that way. Like the people that are professional tick talkers. They had to grind, they had to put a lot of time usually, unless they're just a really hot chick, then they just put a bikini tick tock, and they're good. But for a lot of people, it takes a lot of hard work. And but yeah, you got to have the talent to if you're if you're meant to be a tree, you can't be roaming. I definitely agree to that, too. Although you can have a long career as a tree as a supporting cast member in and you can act in movies and TV is

Sidney Smith:

a treat. absolutely can. But if you're standing there looking to your sides, and all you see is branches look like I need you to get over there stand up to the side I've spotlight.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, well said well said. All right. Is there anything else? I mean, we cover a lot. Was there anything else? Any stories that I missed from the year? I mean, there was so many big news stories than anybody else have one that that I missed that you want to talk about? Crickets

Arno Michaelis:

last year. I really I the conversation is fantastic. I would just kind of tag on to what Cindy was saying. Also, I'm a capitalist as well. I don't think socialism has proved over and over again, that it's a failed system. And when you go back to it, like the irony of Karl Marx, kicking back on his buddy Frederick Engels money that his dad made and and cotton mills in the UK, for slave labor in the Americas, talking about the plight of the worker is pretty, pretty good. But you understand that the reason why every Marxist revolution happened is because there's some fucked up circumstances, but every single one led from nowhere, but from a frying pan into a fire. And I think it's important that we're forthright about that in society. And it brings to mind I was in Berlin, in November of 19, to speak at the 30th anniversary of the law coming down. And one of my co presenters, there was a guy who at a very young age was part of the East German secret police. And now like his entire mission is to like expose how fucked up that system was. And to remind people of all fucked up it was and he told me one of the his greatest concerns is that it's been a while and that young people think that communism and socialism is cool again, and he's very concerned about where it's going to lead and I think going Back to the, you know, my my fascination with Scandinavia. First of all they're not socialists they are capitalists with like very strong social safety nets. But But aside from Norway's oil industry, like none of them have state owned industry, none of them have like true Marxism. But the what was the reason it works is because like you're saying, Chuck, you kind of sift the pros and cons from either system and then apply it in a dynamic evolutionary way. And I think we need to remember history at the same time as we kind of face the current problems we have today. And it's, it reminds me of another quote I read recently, that was really powerful. I felt a big fan of Yuval Noah Harare, is the author of sapiens and Homo Deus and a bunch of other like real heavy books. He's an anthropologist, the books read, like an adventure novel, they're a lot of fun. But he said, You know, there's all this debate about history right now and how we should teach it. But? Or do we teach history to remember it? Or is it possible to teach history to liberate ourselves, ourselves being humanity from all the fucked up things that happened in the past? And obviously, we have to have a frank and honest discussion about the past, which is not history has always been written by the victors. And it will continue to be, but at the same time, we're looking at the past in an honest and kind of authentic way. You just have that idea saying, Hey, kid, rather than then say to our children, like I had to deal with this bullshit my whole life, now you deal with it? What if we said, like, Hey, I had to deal with this bullshit my whole life, you don't have to, like the whole crux of have you taken over this world is that you could find a better way to do things and the way things have been done for 200,000 years. And so I that kind of goes back to my sense of optimism is that I think we as human beings, can realize that and we can liberate ourselves from the past. Before we do that, we gotta be honest about it. But But I think once you're honest about it, we have to make a decision and say, Are we still going to like, identify each other by the color of our skin, going forward? Are we still going to, are we going to kill each other who people who don't worship the same way we do? Like it's, it's up to us whether we want to continue doing that or not. And I'm a big proponent of not continuing it.

Sidney Smith:

I think a bigger a bigger part of that is, is capitalism, again, going back to that is that two pieces already out of the two. And so you have too many people who are making too much money based off of someone who looks like me not liking someone who looks like you. And vice versa, there's too much money to be made by creating a network that only feeds whatever type of visual material to that to that particular group, because they know that's what that particular group is craving, because they don't feel like they're getting it someplace else. And it just keeps spinning that cycle. Just keep spinning, keep spinning, keep spinning, I think there was too much money to be made to go back and do something different. I think, I don't know if it was you or not go set it. At the end of the day. It's only it's about your own individual self, your own individual beliefs, and how you carry yourself when I leave here, am I going to show love to someone who doesn't look like me who may not be in the same economic system as I that's the only thing I can troll. I don't think we can ever get to a point where a large enough group of let's say, the four of us who believe likewise, can go out here and make that huge change. It is far far, far too late for that bar too late for that, in my humble opinion, to the point that you were making about Scandinavia, understand what you were saying that a point that I was making was you start speaking any part of that over here with the nice four walls? Oh, yeah. We saw happen over the last year, the Republican star scream of socialism, and people who have no idea what socialism is, starts what socialism wanted it and they don't know anything. No, with socialism. They have nothing. They've never read the books that you've read. And but they start screaming it from the mountaintops. So

Chuck Shute:

Right? There is that younger generation that, you know, it's like reminds me that mean? Were the girls at the Starbucks and she's got her Starbucks coffee, and she's got the $2,000 Apple computer with a sticker on it says smash capitalism. I think that's a lot of this younger generation is like they're like, Yeah, socialism, Bernie Sanders, but they don't really understand the history or what they're promoting. I don't know. Naco Do you have any you needed a chance to talk sorry.

Knocko Nolan:

Oh, no. Oh no, it's all good. I love listening. I like what I was saying about knowing yourself, you know to, to thine own self be true. Knowing yourself and taking care of yourself making yourself stronger, faster, smarter, kinder a better person. And then on the flip side of that, doing that for somebody else, and you know, and it doesn't, you could just move someone's needle just a little, a little bit by doing the smallest little things completely changes the trajectory in someone's in someone's day, just one kind act could make turn someone's frown upside down, be corny, but it's really true. And I think we get obsessed with these big global ideas of I can do this about this. And our nation can do that. It's like, start small, just think about your block, your house, your apartment, one person that you meet on the street, you can make that change. It's very little, it doesn't cost anything. So just start small, and everything else. If everyone just did one small thing every day, we can have that big, sweeping movement. And don't worry about that big picture. Just control what's in your immediate sphere, what's in your wingspan. You know, start with yourself and start with your family. Start with your neighbor, start with the block. And then it becomes a movement like anything else like the revolution that started this country. Started off with one person and it spread. So yeah,

Chuck Shute:

no, it reminds me that quote, is it the is it a Navy Seal or somebody that said like, if you want to change the world, start by making your bed start with your own shit clean up your own mess first and then you go out and help other people in the world and I love how you guys are. You all want to help people Sydney you say you're all just in it for yourself. I don't believe you. That's not

Unknown:

what I said at all. You know what? Get your power and get your money.

Sidney Smith:

I requested for NACA real quick because I see you trying to wind down do you have a question from NACA if I can, yeah. Not gonna tolerate you, sir. Six foot, six foot. Okay.

Chuck Shute:

That was a nicer question than are using Botox.

Sidney Smith:

Mike, it was a real question. Just like the Botox question that was designed to be made. It was a real question. Not go. I see Naco when you retire from the forest. I see Naco like up in the mountains with a major cloud mu and shirtless just preaching the gospel and just wrapped up just jujitsu that look I'm not saying the man is I don't know what it looks like underneath there he can be he could be rip. He could be flabby, but he's gonna be shirtless, and shoeless, walking around this commune and just preaching the gospel and I'm not and I'm not seeing it as a pure joke. I do. You know, whatever it is you have it comes through the screen. The dude has a pure of heart at least what I'm seeing here in this in this interview and I believe what he's saying that he believes in his heart, I can just I've just seen this this guy off leading a group of people this is the way let's try to make a difference in the world. And just and just being that type of leader I can see it after he retired from the forest and just kind of you know, what's his badge and his gun down and says let's go we're gonna go out here eat from the Earth. We're gonna throw the football around and we're gonna go out and we're just gonna you know, we just got to be trying to do good and be good and change the world. One piece at a time. Just something that just something that came to my mind when I listen to him speak so I'm not coming up there though because I don't think you're going to have room for all my Nikes in my

Knocko Nolan:

spot in the cave you look out let you live. I love it.

Sidney Smith:

Oh my god. You said cave. I'm not coming up there for sure.

Chuck Shute:

I love it. No. I think you guys are all great. I love all of you. Thank you for doing the show. You know like I said I do want to make a difference in the world. That's why part of the reason I do this podcast and they always end promoting a charity. You guys have all promoted charities on my show before Sydney. Are you still working with the AZ bike Charity

Sidney Smith:

Week I've not done as much this year with my with my good friend Kevin road and Arizona bike we charities but it is an awesome opportunity every single year for anyone out there he wants to do something during Bike Week they do some amazing things putting those in charitable events. I know that big thing that they are always looking for help for I know we did just pass but heck we all know the older we get the sooner it gets here. Chris will be back here real real soon. They're always looking for help for that to go and buy presents for needy kids or kids and orphans or I'm sorry kids in orphanages wrap them deliver them now that type of thing but great, great job that Kevin wrote does over there for Arizona bikeway charities

Chuck Shute:

okay and then are no you still do the parents for peace. Remind me

Arno Michaelis:

but my jam, people can find them at parents for peace.org with a number for parents for peace as a nationwide toll free helpline as well as digital contact venues. If anyone is concerned about a loved one getting mixed up in any kind of violent extremism, whether it's white nationalism, it's a religious extremists, the political extremists Antifa we got a triage that helps address those issues and get those people back on the healthy track. We help individuals as well, a lot of times people are calling themselves like looking for help. And that's what we do. So parents for peace.or.

Chuck Shute:

Cool. And then nako Are you still working with America's mighty warriors?

Knocko Nolan:

America's mighty warriors.org. It's organizations sorted by mama Lee, mother of Mark Lee, who you mentioned Navy SEAL. That was Admiral McRaven. Mark Lee was part of a Navy SEALs task unit bruiser and died in battle. And his mother took the is fighting the battle that for the veterans that are trying to get proper care, everyone knows the VA is an imperfect system. So it's the money that she generates via America's mighty warriors.org uses that money for alternative care for combat veterans who have psychological damage, or bodily damage or that type of thing that the VA won't approve. So check them out and throw down a few bucks. They'll make yourself feel good. And we'll make someone else feel good at the same time. So dual purpose.

Chuck Shute:

Okay, cool. We'll see we can make the world better. We don't need the government. We don't need all that show. We just do it ourselves. So thank you so much for doing this. I appreciate it. I'll get this episode out soon.

Arno Michaelis:

But awesome, guys. Great. nako city. Great to meet you. It's important to keep in touch. And Chuck, thanks for making it all happen.

Chuck Shute:

Yeah. Thanks for coming on.

Knocko Nolan:

Save your brothers. Great meeting. You keep up the good work. Everyone. Everyone has purpose. And looking forward to seeing the rest of your work that

Chuck Shute:

Chuck. Thanks. Appreciate your guys. nako are no thanks, guys. All right. All right. Well, there's a lot to unpack there. Some very heavy stuff a lot to think about. Hopefully, you learned something or were able to see things from a different perspective. Or at least you were able to laugh from some of that, as my always with my goal with these podcasts is to entertain, educate and inspire people. And I think this one also is going to make you think a little bit and shift your view of the world a little hopefully in a good way. I want to thank you Sydney, Naco and Arno for taking the time to come on the show. I really enjoyed their views and their opinions. And I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Again, make sure to support my guests by following them on social media, buying their books, going to their shows, listen to their podcast. And of course your likes, shares and comments with this episode can help us all out a lot so that more people will see it and hear it. I appreciate all your support. Have a great rest of your day. Shoot for the moon