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Joe and Kurt discuss the benefits of in-person podcasting over remote, emphasizing that remote lacks the crucial 'vibe' and connection between hosts, which is essential for good chemistry and conversation.
Joe Rogan shares his personal experience with quitting Oxycontin, revealing that he was prescribed Suboxone to help him get off the opioid. He discusses the medical approach to opioid withdrawal, contrasting it with cold turkey methods.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss how some comedians, like Artie Lange and Bill Burr, actually became even better and sharper after getting sober, challenging the stereotype that sobriety can make performers lose their edge. They recall Burr's 'Insomniac' show where he was often drunk.
Joe Rogan shares a personal story about how he smashed his nose at age five, leading to him being a 'mouth breather' until he was 40. He describes the profound positive impact of finally getting his nose fixed and relates it to common injuries among wrestlers, boxers, and MMA fighters.
The hosts discuss the controversial Schedule II classification of cocaine due to its historical medical uses for the throat, contrasting it with marijuana's Schedule I. Joe then shares a personal anecdote about Lidocaine, a 'cousin' of cocaine, and its unexpected effect on his appetite.
The hosts discuss how controversial figure Alex Jones is often dismissed, but many of his claims have a factual basis. They explain that his famous "frogs are turning gay" clip was based on real science about pollution affecting wildlife hormones. They then reveal that his claim about the polio vaccine causing polio in Africa was also rooted in truth, referencing an AP article about a pharmaceutical company accidentally putting live polio in an early vaccine, which sparked vaccine hesitancy. They argue that his sensational delivery makes it easy to dismiss his underlying, often important, information.
This clip speculates on the incredible sprinting speeds of early humans, theorizing they could reach up to 28 miles per hour, faster than modern Olympic sprinters like Usain Bolt, especially when driven by fear for their lives in ancient jungles.
Kurt Metzger shares an anecdote from the 90s about 'methadonians' who would come to a pool hall after getting their methadone fix, often 'slack-jawed.' He then reveals the dangerous practice they discovered of combining methadone with Xanax to achieve a feeling 'almost like heroin,' a topic explored in an HBO documentary.
This segment humorously and critically dissects the origin of airport shoe removal, tracing it back to a single 'shitty lighter' and a shoe bomber. It highlights how an isolated incident led to a widespread, seemingly 'idiotic' security measure, also touching on the questionable nature of government funding for such initiatives and FBI entrapment tactics.
Joe Rogan shares his personal experience with Suboxone withdrawal, revealing that even after tapering down to the 'tiniest bit,' the withdrawal symptoms were 'horrible,' and felt worse than if he had gone cold turkey off Oxycontin.
The hosts discuss the controversial aspect of Suboxone, questioning if it's possible to get high from it and if some rehab centers use it as a 'scam' to keep people 'hooked on their stuff.' They raise concerns about the ethics of keeping someone on a substance indefinitely if it's not getting them high but merely keeping them 'well.'
This clip argues that while cancel culture might not be 'killing comedy,' it is severely harming the ability to speak one's mind freely, especially in the workplace. It highlights how personal opinions are now scrutinized against company representation, leading to self-censorship and fear, exemplified by a student losing a scholarship over a rap song lyric.
Discussing the duration of opioid withdrawal, Joe Rogan explains that while the acute 'shitty feeling' from cold turkey Oxycontin might last a week or less, the lingering effects, where one doesn't feel 'right,' can last for 'a couple of months.' He describes this as a 'burning out' feeling and notes that benzodiazepine withdrawal is even worse.
This moment discusses how California's marijuana legalization framework creates a monopoly, making it difficult for legal growers and inadvertently fueling the illegal market due to overly complex regulations and high taxes.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss the profound impact of exercise on energy and mental well-being, especially during addiction recovery. They delve into why there's a 'deep anger' and 'resistance towards exercise,' attributing it not just to its difficulty, but also to its connection with negative stereotypes like 'jocks' and 'douchey male behavior,' emphasizing that exercise encompasses much more, like yoga.
This segment explores the financial benefits of legal marijuana in California, revealing the state collected over $800 million in taxes, but questions the true cost-benefit as high taxes are driving a booming illegal market.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss Artie Lange's famously broken nose and his enduring, lovable personality. They highlight how Artie's stories became even sharper and better after he sobered up, challenging the notion that sobriety can make some comedians 'boring.'
Kurt Metzger shares his experience managing a Funko Land (later GameStop), revealing how corporate sales quotas, like selling console cleaners and warranties, led to systemic 'fraud in every store.' He explains the perverse incentive structure where meeting arbitrary sales numbers was equated with 'great service,' forcing managers and employees to engage in dishonest practices.
Joe Rogan shares how his Oxycontin use started from a workout injury, compounded by inactivity during the pandemic. He describes the universal feeling of becoming 'super crazy' and 'gross' when the body isn't active, likening it to stagnant engine oil. He emphasizes that the body 'wants to do things' and inactivity goes against its fundamental requirements.
This clip explains the phenomenon of 'Island Dwarfism,' where species evolve to be smaller on islands, discussing the existence of tiny elephants and imagining how three-foot-tall 'Hobbit' people would have hunted them with tools and weapons, engaging in 'chibi animal' combat.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss the reality that even dedicated exercisers often don't *want* to work out but do it out of compulsion. Joe describes how his 'addictive personality' applies to exercise, leading to obsessions and past injuries from overdoing it, but now he feels an 'urge' to exercise if a few days pass, suggesting it helps stabilize his mood.
Joe and Kurt argue that while exercise improves mind, hormones, mood, and cognitive function, it's often resisted due to its association with 'douchery' and the 'Eternal High School' mentality. They describe gym culture with its 'flexi dudes' and 'lunch table' dynamics, making it an uninviting environment for many.
This clip explores the disturbing ethical implications of medical experimentation on prisoners, humorously noting how it's a common premise for horror movies and questioning the quality of tests conducted on 'state property' compared to non-prisoners.
Joe and Kurt humorously recount the frustrating experience of joining a gym and dealing with aggressive upsells for trainers and additional services. Kurt shares his explicit goal during the sales pitch: 'My goal was never to listen to your upsells ever,' highlighting the common consumer annoyance with high-pressure sales tactics in the fitness industry.
This clip delves into the disturbing and controversial nature of Chuck Palahniuk's writing, specifically mentioning a horror story about a 13-year-old girl turning into a werewolf on a plane, and discussing the importance of creative freedom to explore unsettling themes.
Joe and Kurt discuss the legal status of police ticket quotas, noting that while they are officially illegal in many states like California and Texas, ex-police officers and lawsuits suggest an 'unspoken' system persists. They conclude that like many industries, there's 'always a way' to incentivize numbers, even if it means bending or circumventing formal rules.
Learn about the horntail or wood wasp, a fascinating insect that uses its long 'ovipositor' to drill deep into weakened trees, laying up to 200 eggs and squirting a fungus to aid its larva's development, a truly alien reproductive strategy.
The hosts humorously describe the nightmare of producing a show like 'Insomniac' while sober, likening it to waterboarding. Joe Rogan then shares his personal experience of not drinking for five years and how he found being around drunk people 'annoying' because everyone isn't 'on the same speed.'
This humorous moment imagines the chilling experience of parasitic wasp larva bursting out of a host, made even more horrifying by the calm, serious narration of David Attenborough, highlighting the 'most horrifying part of being those caterpillars.'
Joe Rogan clarifies that while he enjoys alcohol in moderation, his past decision to stop drinking for a period was not due to an alcohol problem, but rather a past struggle with Oxycontin addiction. This reveals a personal history with opioid use.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss how Elon Musk almost lost his NASA top clearance for smoking weed on the show due to marijuana's federal Schedule I classification, highlighting the conflict between state and federal laws and the humorous irony that it's deemed to have 'no medical benefits.'
This clip recounts the chaotic early days of paleontology, featuring 'dinosaur bone wars,' instances of people faking dinosaur bones, skeletons being incorrectly assembled, and the tragic loss of a valuable Spinosaurus skeleton during World War II.
After Jackie Gleason's alleged encounter with alien bodies, his wife, Beverly, broke her vow of secrecy and revealed the story to Esquire magazine in 1974 as a teaser for a book. The betrayal humiliated Gleason, but he later confided in UFO evangelist Larry Warren, who spread the tale. With the advent of the internet, the story 'spread like wildfire,' solidifying the belief that the government hides alien knowledge, before the hosts introduce a debunking perspective.
This clip challenges common misconceptions about dinosaur appearance, arguing that popular depictions are 'too tight on the skeleton' and lack sufficient 'meat,' and emphasizes the rarity and specific conditions required for fossilization, meaning we've only seen a fraction of ancient species.
Joe and Kurt share anecdotes about the legendary Rodney Dangerfield, including his rumored 'giant dick' and habit of performing stand-up in just a bathrobe. Joe recalls seeing him live and then emphasizes the immense historical impact of Dangerfield's stand-up specials, which launched the careers of iconic comedians like Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison, and Dice Clay, making them crucial milestones in comedy history.
Joe Rogan expresses his frustration with traditional news, stating that he has to 'run everything through a filter' due to pervasive pharmaceutical commercials. He then transitions to his personal experience with drugs, claiming he 'knew it was heroin' when he first tried it, contrasting with others who might have been 'tricked.'
Following the Dave Smith/Dave Chappelle mix-up, the hosts describe how they got comedian 'Soda' to call the Fox News producer, impersonating Dave Chappelle. The prank involved Soda trying to use Luis J. Gomez's name in every sentence.
Joe and Kurt reflect on the changing perception of heroin, recalling how in their youth, it was associated with rock stars like Kurt Cobain. Kurt then shares a surprising personal revelation about his high school in Toms River, where 'pure heroin was coming in' via 'The Pizza Connection,' leading to many students, especially from 'richer kids' at High School North, being addicted, a fact he was oblivious to due to his focus on martial arts.
Kurt Metzger shares a surprising anecdote from his boxing coach about a longshoreman who was a functional heroin addict. The man would shoot up daily during his lunch break, then return to work, maintaining his job and appearing 'fine' as long as he got his daily dose. This challenges common perceptions of addiction and functionality.
The hosts discuss Bob Lazar's credibility, noting that many people remember him working at Los Alamos and that official records contradict government denials. They question why the government would lie about a man they claim is making things up, suggesting Lazar feared for his life and "spilled the beans."
The hosts discuss how the opioid crisis has shifted societal perception, making pill addiction less stigmatized than heroin, especially when prescribed by doctors. They share the story of Brendan Schaub, who got hooked on Oxycontin after shattering his nose in a fight, highlighting how his friends had to intervene to help him.
The hosts highlight a striking shift in mainstream media coverage of Ukraine. They recall how in 2018, outlets like the New York Times openly reported on Ukraine's "Nazi problem" and deep corruption, but now celebrate groups like the Azov Battalion, omitting any mention of their past associations. They also reference the controversial photo of Jon Stewart with a Ukrainian "hero" wearing a covered-up Nazi symbol.
Joe and Kurt recount a hilarious prank where a Fox News producer for Tucker Carlson mistakenly believed Dave Smith was Dave Chappelle. The mix-up originated from a flubbed text by Luis J. Gomez, leading to the producer sending overly enthusiastic texts to Dave Smith.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss the origins of the opioid crisis, specifically the marketing term 'breakthrough pain' used by pharmaceutical companies. They reveal how this term was not medical but a marketing tactic, ultimately tricking many Americans into opioid addiction, which Joe equates to heroin.
The hosts share a critical piece of knowledge about Suboxone: it contains naloxone, which immediately triggers withdrawal if taken while other opioids are still in your system. To avoid severe sickness, one *must* wait until already in withdrawal before taking Suboxone.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger discuss the profound importance of Vitamin D, especially for those in northern climates. They highlight that it's crucial for mood stabilization and the immune system, citing Rhonda Patrick's view that it's more of a hormone than a vitamin. They reference studies linking higher Vitamin D levels to a 'four times higher survival rate' from COVID-19 and its deficiency in ICU patients.
Joe and Kurt discuss historical allegations of the CIA selling cocaine to fund the Contras, highlighting how government agencies use 'outsourcing' and deniability to engage in illegal activities like 'gain of function' research or torture programs, ensuring plausible deniability while achieving their goals.
Joe and Kurt discuss Michael Ruppert, a former police officer who famously exposed the CIA's alleged involvement in selling crack in South Central Los Angeles to fund wars. They recall his public courtroom testimony and the tragic end to his life, believing he took his own life due to depression after years of fighting against powerful institutions.
Joe Rogan and Kurt Metzger introduce the documentary 'Collapse' featuring Michael Ruppert, the former cop who exposed CIA drug dealing. The clip features excerpts from the film's trailer, where Ruppert asserts he deals in 'conspiracy fact,' not theory, predicting the imminent collapse of industrial civilization due to spiking oil prices and finite resources, culminating in the stark choice to 'evolve or perish.'
This clip features Michael Ruppert's actual C-SPAN testimony from 1996, where he, as a former LAPD narcotics detective, directly confronts Director Deutsch, stating, 'The agency has dealt drugs throughout this country for a long time.' This is a raw, impactful moment of a whistleblower publicly accusing the CIA.
This clip captures the evasive and non-committal response from Director Deutsch following Michael Ruppert's explosive testimony. Instead of directly addressing the allegations of CIA drug dealing and classified criminal activity, Deutsch vaguely suggests Ruppert take his information to the LAPD, the Inspector General, or Congresspersons, drawing laughter from the audience. He then offers a generic promise of accountability if wrongdoing is found.
Reflecting on Michael Ruppert's testimony, Joe and Kurt discuss the audience's reaction ('I knew it') and the lack of internet for instant debunking or suppression back then. They then transition to Rick Ross, 'the real Rick Ross,' who was allegedly in charge of selling drugs in South Central, funding the Contras against the Sandinistas, further reinforcing the allegations of government involvement in drug trafficking.
Joe and Kurt explore the cynical idea that government agencies might fund covert programs, like UFO research, with drug money, creating deniability and arguing it's 'for a good cause.' This leads to a discussion of Bob Lazar and the bizarre story of President Nixon allegedly showing Jackie Gleason alien technology, inspiring Gleason to build a UFO-shaped house.
Joe and Kurt recount the full, bizarre story of Jackie Gleason's alleged encounter with UFOs. The rumor claims that a drunk Gleason was taken by President Nixon to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where he was shown 'the wreckage of a flying saucer' and, more chillingly, 'six or eight glass top Coke freezers' containing the 'mangled remains of what I took to be children.'
Joe and Kurt read from a Skeptoid blog post, systematically debunking the Jackie Gleason UFO story. Key points include: Nixon's diary contradicting the timeline for a secret trip, and the crucial 'Esquire interview' by Beverly Gleason not existing. Instead, an article appeared in The National Enquirer, highlighting the difference in journalistic 'thresholds for veracity' and suggesting the story was based on hearsay or imagination.
Despite the debunking of the Jackie Gleason UFO story, Joe and Kurt offer counter-arguments. They suggest Jackie could have bought his ex-wife's book to suppress it, and highlight that Nixon, a wild character, wouldn't necessarily document such an event in his diary. To illustrate, they humorously recall Lyndon B. Johnson's bizarre habit of taking a 'dump in front of reporters with the door open' to show off, implying that presidential diaries don't capture all the wild realities.
Joe and Kurt discuss the controversial topic of police quotas for tickets, with Kurt citing personal accounts from officers despite public denials. They then delve into civil asset forfeiture, where police can seize large sums of cash from individuals, even if they're buying a car, under the suspicion that it's drug money, using it for police funds without immediate recourse for the owner.
The hosts delve into the "chemical imbalance" theory of depression, revealing that it's not based on scientific evidence and was largely a marketing construct by pharmaceutical companies. They cite a review concluding there's no link between measurable serotonin concentration and depression. They discuss how drug commercials used legally vague language ("thought to work," "may help") while public perception solidified it as a definitive cause, leading to widespread misunderstanding.
The hosts recount the story of a US drone strike killing an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, and his son, and reflect on the changing public perception from initial justification to later criticism. The main takeaway is a sobering warning about government power: "whatever they do over there they're gonna do to you when it's convenient." This moment serves as a powerful reminder of how precedents set in foreign policy can erode civil liberties at home.
This clip exposes shocking allegations of FBI involvement in inciting plots, specifically the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping attempt where 12 out of 14 people were informants, and speculation about Tamerlan Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon Bomber) being an FBI informant. It raises questions about government tactics and entrapment.
This clip discusses the infamous Rolling Stone magazine cover featuring the 'hot' Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and the public outcry it caused. It delves into the media's role in sensationalizing criminals and the ethical dilemmas faced when a perpetrator's appearance influences public perception and magazine sales.
This moment reflects on the aftermath of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, detailing how the incident seemingly 'reignited the beast' in Chris Rock's comedy, bringing him back to his 'Bigger and Blacker' level. It highlights the dramatic personal and professional impact of the event and the perceived hypocrisy of the industry's reaction.
This clip reveals how drug cartels are exploiting public forest land in California to grow marijuana, using dangerous pesticides and herbicides that contaminate water supplies, highlighting an overlooked environmental and public health crisis.
This clip highlights the frustrating reality in Los Angeles where former black prisoners, released from drug war sentences, were supposedly given first dibs on legal grow licenses, but systemic issues prevent them from actually obtaining them.
This clip explains a surprising loophole in California law: growing marijuana illegally on public land is only a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum of six months in jail, which incentivizes cartels to establish large-scale, environmentally damaging grow operations.
Hear the wild story of John Norris, a game warden who thought he'd be checking fishing licenses, but instead found himself leading a tactical unit, engaging in gunfights with drug cartels on public lands due to illegal marijuana grows.
This clip exposes the powerful lobbying efforts by pharmaceutical, alcohol, and private prison companies that actively work to keep marijuana illegal, despite its potential benefits and the public's demand for legalization.
This clip delves into the controversial aspect of the 13th Amendment, arguing that prisoners are considered 'state property' and essentially slaves, impacting wages through prison labor, even when it's not profitable, as seen in Texas cotton fields.
This clip exposes California's controversial Conservation Camp program, where inmates, including those mentioned by Kamala Harris and Tulsi Gabbard, are trained to fight wildfires for meager wages (as low as $2.90 a day), raising questions about forced labor and choice.
Danny Trejo shares a bizarre anecdote from prison about Charles Manson, describing how Manson could hypnotize inmates to feel the effects of heroin, a story that connects to the broader conspiracy theories around CIA's MKUltra experiments.
Hear about another absurd military invention idea: the 'fart bomb.' This segment humorously details the proposed weapon designed to simulate flatulence and distract enemy soldiers, and why it was quickly scrapped due to cultural differences in perceiving bad smells.
This clip reveals the gruesome and fascinating world of parasitic wasps, where females inject eggs and a virus into caterpillars, shutting down their defenses and turning them into living hosts for growing larva that 'snack on the caterpillar innards.'
This incredible clip reveals how parasitic wasps were strategically used in a massive science experiment, with air drops of cocoons, to control mealybug populations, ultimately saving 20 million human lives by protecting crops and agriculture.
This clip uncovers how early PBS documentaries covered up 'gay animals' in zoos and shares facts about bonobo chimpanzees, known for their frequent and diverse sexual behavior, including homosexual acts, as a means of social bonding.
This intense clip describes the brutal reality of the animal kingdom, recounting graphic scenes of baboons eating deer and hyenas tearing apart and eating antelope and wildebeest alive, pulling out guts and organs while the prey is still standing or paralyzed.
This clip explores the fascinating idea that myths like Sasquatch could originate from real ancient hominids like Gigantopithecus, and discusses the discovery of 'Hobbits' (three-foot-tall people) on Flores Island, suggesting many legends might be based on historical encounters.
This clip discusses the groundbreaking discovery of human footprints in North America, initially dated to 22,800-21,130 years ago, pushing back the timeline of human presence by thousands of years and challenging established assumptions in the field of archaeology.
This clip describes the rare and incredible discovery of a T-Rex and Triceratops fossilized 'locked in a battle,' weighing 14 tons. It contrasts this with the slow, meticulous reality of archaeological excavation, far from the 'Indiana Jones' portrayal.
This humorous clip debates the ultimate luxury item: owning a dinosaur skeleton versus an absurdly expensive $50,000 blunt. It playfully references Dave Chappelle's 'Cribs' sketch, where he claims Tyrannosaur eggs make his 'dookie twinkle.'
This shocking clip details the brutal assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in 2021, who was shot 12 times, had bullet wounds to his forehead and torso, and whose left eye was gouged out, highlighting the extreme violence of the event.
Uncover the bizarre and hilarious 1994 proposal by the US military to create a 'gay bomb' – a cloud of pheromone gas designed to make enemy soldiers irresistibly attractive to each other, thereby disrupting their units and winning wars through distraction.
This clip offers a critical perspective on the intervention in Libya, arguing that the country, once having the highest standard of living in Africa, became a failed state with open slave markets and destroyed infrastructure after the removal of Gaddafi.
Following the evasive response from the CIA Director, Congressman Julian Dixon attempts to get Michael Ruppert to share his information privately. Ruppert, however, publicly states his name for the record and defiantly declares that he brought this information out 18 years prior, and 'got shot at and forced out of LAPD because of this,' emphasizing his long-standing fight and personal sacrifice.
This clip reveals the shocking, little-known historical fact that Haiti, after its successful slave revolt, was forced to pay nearly $30 billion in reparations to France until the 1980s for rebelling against its enslavers, highlighting a profound injustice often overlooked in historical narratives.
This extended clip features Michael Ruppert's powerful 1996 C-SPAN testimony. As a former LAPD narcotics detective, he directly accuses the CIA of dealing drugs for decades, names specific operations (Amadeus, Pegasus, Watchtower), and reveals he was personally recruited by the CIA to protect drug operations. He then challenges Director Deutsch to state whether classified criminal activity would be hidden or revealed to the American people.
Kurt Metzger delivers a hilarious and provocative take on modern cinema, calling the movie 'Bros' a 'gay romantic comedy for straight men,' then asserting that 'Fight Club' is the original and better version of that genre, even discussing Chuck Palahniuk's (the author's) approval of the movie.
This clip explores the extensively researched links between Charles Manson and the CIA's MKUltra program, suggesting Manson was supplied with LSD, taught mind control techniques, and that the CIA conducted widespread drug experiments in the 1950s and 60s.
This fascinating clip describes a documentary called 'Sasquatch' that investigates murders of cartel members in California's Humboldt area, where the killings were blamed on Bigfoot, revealing how the region's illegal drug trade escalated into extreme violence and transformed its culture.
This clip uncovers allegations that a US-based security firm, CTU Security, recruited Colombian mercenaries involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, raising serious questions about foreign involvement and the lack of in-depth media reporting on the incident.
Discover the shocking truth about debt peonage in America, where individuals were legally enslaved until 1942, a system so entrenched that enslavers defended themselves in court by saying, 'no, we're not doing debt peonage, we're uh we have slaves.' This practice was only stopped due to Japanese WWII propaganda.