CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:21
Show kickoff: lockdown glow-up and settling into the new studio vibe
The episode opens with quick greetings and a light check-in about how both guys are doing during COVID-era life. Joe frames the conversation around how the lockdown has changed routines and energy levels.
- •Cold open and greetings
- •Joe comments on Ron looking well-rested
- •Sets the tone: casual hang with humor and lifestyle talk
- 0:21 – 3:22
"Dial It Back" drinking plan, cigarillos, and Texas’ CBD/weed gray area
Ron jokes about inventing a moderation program—like AA, but with fewer steps and no requirement to fully quit. They move into cigar talk and the confusing legality of CBD products versus marijuana in Texas.
- •Ron’s “Dial It Back A Little Bit” program and how much he was drinking
- •Joe and Ron compare cigarillo sizes, cost, and tobacco quality
- •Austin/Texas cannabis enforcement realities and the CBD loophole
- •Confusion as an accidental “feature” of enforcement
- 3:22 – 6:15
Ron’s first Austin trips: 6th Street in the ’70s and how cities ‘used to be better’
Ron tells vivid stories of coming to Austin as a teenager and seeing a psychedelic, music-soaked 6th Street scene. They riff on the timeless complaint that every era was better “before you got here,” and touch on Austin’s political identity in Texas.
- •Teenage trips to Austin and sneaking away from parents
- •Austin in the early ’70s: street characters, music, Stevie Ray Vaughan
- •The ‘you missed it’ phenomenon and nostalgia bias
- •Austin as a liberal hub inside a conservative state; demographic shifts
- 6:15 – 10:21
Riots, law-and-order, and why civilization needs guardrails
The conversation pivots to protests, unrest, and how quickly social order can unravel. Joe argues that once uncivil tactics are normalized, they can be turned on anyone, and Ron shares his own security precautions during unrest in Beverly Hills.
- •Texas’ reputation for strict consequences and deterrence
- •CHAZ/Seattle as an example of rapid deterioration in governance
- •Founders’ checks and balances as an attempt to contain human nature
- •Ron hiring armed security; fears around mob spillover
- 10:21 – 11:49
Comedian identity, road life, and the price of success (divorce and money math)
Joe and Ron talk about what makes someone “a comic,” the grind of touring, and the feeling of being built for standup. Ron opens up about expensive divorces, the realities of after-tax income, and how fame complicated life.
- •What counts as being a comedian; Ron’s “five years” benchmark
- •Early-road hardship vs later comfort; loving stage life
- •Ron’s divorce costs and the hidden math of touring income
- •Blue Collar Comedy explosion and the whiplash of sudden wealth
- 11:49 – 23:17
COVID kills the tour: canceled shows, partial reopenings, and the risk of spreading it
Ron recounts the abrupt moment the government shut down his tour date while he was already on the bus. They discuss scattered reopenings, the D.L. Hughley collapse incident, and Joe’s worry about unknowingly infecting vulnerable people.
- •Tour canceled mid-run; realizing the shutdown wasn’t temporary
- •Clubs reopening unevenly across cities/states
- •D.L. Hughley incident and onstage medical scares
- •Ethical fear: performers transmitting COVID to at-risk audience members
- 23:17 – 29:24
Road trip diary: Vegas, Sedona ‘energy,’ and protecting Ron’s mom
Ron describes traveling during the pandemic—staying isolated, testing, and avoiding exposing his mother. They talk about Sedona’s beauty and its reputation for spiritual ‘vibes,’ plus the tension of seeing people ignore masks around the elderly.
- •Vegas casinos restarting and how fragile operations felt
- •Sedona’s natural beauty vs ‘crystals and healers’ culture
- •COVID testing before visiting family; fear of infecting mom
- •Anger at masklessness and wanting society to cooperate
- 29:24 – 32:47
Vitamin D, supplements, sleep, and the tequila clock finally runs out
Joe emphasizes vitamin D and general supplementation as key health basics, especially during COVID. Ron admits he needs a regimen, then they pivot into energy, sleep, and Ron breaking his “don’t drink for the first hour” pact with a tequila toast.
- •Vitamin D deficiency claims and immune-system framing
- •Joe’s supplement stack and prioritizing quality sleep
- •Ron wanting ‘Rogan energy’ vs nap energy
- •Tequila opens; joking about willpower and trade-offs
- 32:47 – 40:19
Microdosing mushrooms: ‘sparkle’ days, vet PTSD claims, and a disastrous early trip
Ron and Joe revisit Ron’s enthusiasm for microdosing and why he stopped getting them (supplier went to prison). Joe discusses perceived cognitive/visual benefits, and Ron tells a story about early mushroom use leading to laughter, weird focus, and a minor car crash.
- •Microdosing vs ‘maxo-dosing’ for concerts
- •Claims about psychedelics helping PTSD (especially veterans)
- •Joe’s discussion of visual acuity studies
- •Ron’s first mushroom experience: laughing at tragedy, hyper-visual focus, fender bender
- 40:19 – 47:54
Texas freedom and the brutal history behind it: Comanches, Rangers, and revolvers
Joe frames Texas’ independent culture through its violent frontier history and conflict with the Comanches, citing Empire of the Summer Moon. They discuss the Texas Rangers adapting tactics and early revolver use, plus the lore of buffalo jumps and arrowhead hunting.
- •Texas as ‘do what you want’ culture (ranches, shooting ranges, few rules)
- •Texas flag sovereignty trivia and regional identity pride
- •Comanche power and why settlers struggled to survive
- •Texas Rangers, Colt revolvers, and adapting warfare tactics
- 47:54 – 1:00:40
Why Joe left LA: looting, homelessness, economic stress, and politician hypocrisy
Joe explains how unrest and the sense of LA becoming ungovernable accelerated his decision to move. They tie crime and disorder to economic collapse, criticize selective rule-enforcement by political leaders, and debate how intoxicating power becomes during lockdown governance.
- •LA ‘unmanageable’ feeling; tents and encampment growth
- •Mob mentality: once norms break, it spreads quickly
- •Economic despair as fuel for crime; small businesses collapsing
- •Pelosi salon incident and broader hypocrisy critiques
- •Joe’s fear of long-term emergency powers becoming normalized
- 1:00:40 – 1:14:15
UFO probability wars: Fravor, Bob Lazar, DeJoria’s certainty, and the Whitney pig detour
They switch to aliens and UFOs, with Joe citing military sightings and the ‘Tic Tac’ encounter, and Ron increasing his belief percentage as they talk. Ron brings up John Paul DeJoria’s conviction, Joe recommends the Bob Lazar documentary, and the conversation briefly derails into Whitney Cummings’ ‘mini pig’ reality check.
- •Belief percentages and why wanting to believe can distort judgment
- •Commander Fravor/Tic Tac details: speed, radar, lack of propulsion signature
- •Bob Lazar claims: reverse engineering, Element 115, gravity-bending propulsion
- •John Paul DeJoria as Ron’s mentor and his UFO certainty
- •Whitney’s ‘teacup pig’ becoming enormous; pig sanctuary story
- 1:14:15 – 1:25:59
Televangelists, Falwell scandal, and the hypocrisy of ‘pious’ power
The talk turns into comedic but pointed commentary on religious leaders and sex scandals. They connect moral posturing, fame, and power to hidden deviance, riffing on high-profile cases and the absurdity of the explanations people give when caught.
- •Falwell Jr. scandal and the ‘I wasn’t watching’ punchline
- •Throwbacks: Swaggart, Jim Bakker/Jessica Hahn, and celebrity scandal culture
- •Why power attracts opportunities—and temptation
- •Joe’s broader point: no one stays ‘pure’ while harvesting money and influence
- 1:25:59 – 2:53:42
Arena highs, Comedy Store magic, and plotting the Austin comedy hub (ranch vs city)
Joe and Ron reflect on the surreal rush of performing for tens of thousands and how that intensity can warp people (rockstar 27 mythos). They praise the Comedy Store as a true comedian-centered ecosystem and brainstorm how to rebuild that community in Austin—possibly with a club, amphitheater, or even a comedy ranch—plus a detour into a nearby ex-cult theater venue.
- •What arena crowds feel like and why it never fully seems real
- •How huge highs can lead to substance abuse and self-destruction
- •Why the Comedy Store worked: comics-first culture and a shared ‘hub’
- •Plans for Austin: club, ranch ideas, festivals/charity events
- •One World Theater origin story (cult-built venue) and whether it’s usable
