CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:13
Revisiting the “whiskey episode” and Tom’s van-life during early COVID
Joe and Tom open by joking about the last time Tom was on the podcast, when they drank heavily and Tom woke up the next day in his van. They reminisce about the strange early-COVID era—testing, uncertainty, and how Tom was traveling and filming while living out of his van.
- •Last podcast appearance got “off the rails” with whiskey
- •Early-COVID social weirdness: testing and caution
- •Tom’s travel setup: living and filming out of a van
- •Waking up in the parking lot with no memory of the end of the show
- 2:13 – 3:21
Sleeping in remote desert spots, weird nights alone, and a fighter jet flyover
Tom explains that most of his van nights weren’t in parking lots, but in remote desert areas on Bureau of Land Management land. They talk about how eerie isolation can be—and Tom shares a vivid moment when a fighter jet buzzed his van in the California desert.
- •BLM land camping vs. truck stops
- •Feeling exposed and alone in open desert
- •The “aliens come when you’re alone” riff
- •Fighter jet flyover near Trona Pinnacles
- 3:21 – 6:21
Rogan’s Blue Angels flight: G-forces, blackouts, and what jet pilots endure
Joe recounts flying with the Blue Angels and how shocking high-G maneuvers feel in the body. He explains the “hooking” technique to stay conscious and why fighter pilots train like athletes.
- •Flying in an F/A-18 with the Blue Angels
- •Experiencing 6+ Gs and momentary blackout
- •“Hooking”/straining technique to keep blood in the brain
- •Why fighter pilots are physically strong and highly trained
- 6:21 – 8:02
Helicopters, USO tours, and performing in Iraq/Afghanistan
The conversation shifts to Tom’s military-related experiences, including stand-up on USO tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tom describes flying in Black Hawks and Chinooks and how timing mattered—he was there before IEDs became a constant threat.
- •Tom’s USO stand-up tour in Iraq (2003)
- •Flying through Baghdad in a Black Hawk
- •Afghanistan trip and Chinook helicopters
- •How the war environment escalated after his visit
- 8:02 – 11:59
Joe credits Tom as a podcast pioneer—and Tom’s tech-driven origin story
Joe praises Tom as an early inspiration for the modern podcast format, referencing Tom’s 2007 talk show/podcast-style setup. Tom connects his career to fascination with technology—starting with making beats and sampling in Ottawa before the internet.
- •Joe calls Tom the “granddaddy” influence on his podcast path
- •Tom’s love of Letterman and talk-show formats
- •Early music tech: sampler, Atari computer, beat-making in Ottawa
- •Organized Rhyme and pre-internet creative discovery
- 11:59 – 15:11
Ottawa comedy scene, seeing young Norm Macdonald, and what made him different
Tom remembers learning comedy through clubs and word-of-mouth, highlighting how unusual Norm Macdonald felt in that era. Joe adds his own stories about Norm’s constant humor, quirks, and addictive tendencies.
- •Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa as a formative comedy hub
- •Norm Macdonald as an early “curveball” comic
- •Story: Norm wanted to quit after a set; club owner convinced him to return
- •Joe’s airplane story: Norm “quit smoking” then immediately bought cigarettes
- •Discussion of gambling impulses and addiction
- 15:11 – 22:24
From math hate to smartphone dependency: attention, tracking, and endless scrolling
They riff on how phones replaced memory, attention, and even basic skills like mental math. The talk expands into surveillance, social tracking, and the addictive design of short-form video feeds.
- •Gambling avoidance as “I hate math” protection
- •No one memorizes phone numbers anymore
- •Pay phones/answering machines felt like the future
- •Snap Map and modern tracking vs. disappearing all day as a kid
- •TikTok/Instagram Reels as attention traps
- 22:24 – 26:42
Charlie the dog: rescue story, stage companion, and leaving Los Angeles for Canada
Tom introduces Charlie—his rescued “potcake” dog—named after Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. He explains how his life changed: selling the long-time LA house where he did Webovision, and relocating to a Canadian farm while planning a new barn-based podcast studio.
- •Charlie’s rescue background and name origin (Steinbeck)
- •Charlie calmly joining Tom on stage
- •Tom sells his LA house after 18 years (Webovision era)
- •Building a podcast studio in an unheated century barn
- •Cold-weather living and resilience
- 26:42 – 29:44
Farm life reboot: mules, donkeys, hay bales, and learning animal responsibility fast
Tom describes embracing full rural life: a mule, a donkey, chickens, and the daily reality of feeding and maintaining a farm. He and Joe dig into why mules are prized—strength, intelligence, and efficiency—plus the practical grind of harvesting and moving hay.
- •Tom commits to farm life “for the rest of my life”
- •Buying/raising a large mule and a donkey; caring for chickens
- •Mule history in America and why pioneers valued them
- •Farming hay (hundreds of bales) for animal feed
- •Grass-fed mass vs. human nutrition comparisons
- 29:44 – 49:36
Mule intelligence and the psychology of leadership: training, testing, and nonverbal cues
This section becomes a deep dive into how mules think and how they respond to uncertainty. Tom explains how his mule “Fanny” tested him, how subtle body language matters, and why mules are safer than horses in dangerous terrain.
- •Mules as smart, self-preserving animals (not simply “stubborn”)
- •Falling off the mule while distracted by streaming
- •Respect/space dynamics when saddling and handling on the ground
- •The ‘ATV test’ example: mule reacts to rider’s expectation
- •Why mules don’t spook off cliffs like horses might
- 49:36 – 53:21
Predators on the property: wolves, bears, trail cams, and learning to live alert
Tom and Joe discuss wildlife realities on Tom’s land: wolves caught on trail cams and frequent black bear sightings. They explore real risk versus statistics, defensive habits, and how living near predators heightens awareness and presence.
- •Timber wolves vs. larger gray wolves; DNA testing for ‘coy-wolf’ mix
- •Trail-cam footage and pack behavior jokes
- •Black bears near the house; multiple distinct bears captured on camera
- •Bear spray, rifles, and being “on alert” in nature
- •Predator behavior: when black bears attack, it can be predation
- 53:21 – 1:31:00
Canada vs. U.S. politics: Trudeau, Poilievre, firearm rules, truckers, and free speech fears
They compare political division in Canada and the U.S., arguing it’s the same cultural split wearing different labels. The discussion covers handgun restrictions, the trucker protest and bank account freezes, and broader anxieties about government power and speech regulation.
- •Poilievre as a ‘common sense’ alternative (Joe’s view)
- •Tom’s ‘Canada is the same division as the U.S.’ argument
- •Handgun ban mechanics: can’t sell; different gun culture vs. U.S.
- •Trucker protest, emergency powers, and freezing donations/accounts
- •Debate over comparisons to Jan 6; role of provocation and policing
- •Concerns about internet regulation, hate speech laws, and free expression
- 1:31:00 – 1:52:45
Escaping Hollywood’s anxiety machine, building comedy community, and writing without drinking
Joe argues LA’s entertainment culture enforces ideological conformity and creates constant status anxiety. Tom describes how leaving reset his sense of home, while both praise the organic comedian network and discuss craft details: writing after shows, recording sets, and avoiding alcohol to improve performance and memory.
- •Hollywood as an ‘insulated’ culture with career-enforced conformity
- •Tom’s return-home feeling: sounds/smells of childhood in the woods
- •Comedy Mothership green-room culture: supportive vs. competitive
- •Writing process: post-set ‘two-hour window’ and recording sets
- •Tom cutting back drinking to avoid hungover shows and retain crowd-work moments
- •IV drips as Rogan/Chappelle’s hangover ‘solution’
- 1:52:45 – 3:08:03
Costa Rica bonfire accident: third-degree burns, skin grafts, recovery—and gratitude + cold exposure
Tom shares a harrowing story: stepping barefoot into buried hot coals on a beach and suffering severe burns on both feet. He details surgeries, skin grafts, medevac, months of wound care, and how near-catastrophe reshapes perspective—leading into gratitude, voluntary discomfort, saunas, cold plunges, and ice hazards.
- •Bonfire buried in sand; stepping into hot coals barefoot
- •Third-degree burns, nerves burned off, minimal pain but severe damage
- •Skin grafts, staples, multiple surgeries, medevac to Toronto burn center
- •Six months of bandage changes and infection/amputation fear
- •Parallels to surviving testicular cancer and practicing gratitude
- •Rogan’s ‘voluntary discomfort’ (cold plunge/sauna) framework
- •Ice safety fears: videos of people trapped under ice and river currents
