Ben's Emergency Surgery, Important Male Skills, & Our Largest Subscriber Meetup

Summary

Podcast Summary: Life Wide Open with CboysTV - "Ben's Emergency Surgery, Important Male Skills, & Our Largest Subscriber Meetup"
Date: September 19, 2023

---

Episode Overview

In this lively and humorous episode, the CboysTV crew—CJ, Ben, Mike, Ryan, Ken, and Evan—gather to discuss a range of topics from Ben’s recent emergency surgery and the male rite-of-passage skills, to behind-the-scenes stories from their growing fanbase and viral events. They touch on social observations, medical emergencies, practical skills, viral internet moments, and even touch on controversial conspiracy theories, all while maintaining their unique blend of camaraderie, self-deprecating humor, and relatable banter.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Male Skills, Pride, and the Boat Ramp Anxiety (00:00–08:00)

• The crew kick off by discussing CJ’s anxiety while backing up his boat at the ramp, fearing a viral fail moment. The conversation evolves into the general pressure men feel to be competent at tasks like reversing trailers.
• Quote: "There's few things that are more insulting to a man than being called a bad backer upper..." - CJ (03:31)
• They reminisce about times when demonstrating (or failing at) these traditionally “male” skills turned into either points of pride or embarrassment.
• CJ recounts a popular YouTube video where they cheered at a public boat ramp. The bit went viral, resonating due to its highly relatable content nature (01:13–01:48).

2. CboysTV Celebrity in Their Small Town (07:11–10:13)

• The team reflects on their notoriety in their local area, feeling like local myths—rarely seen, often talked about.
• Ryan relates an encounter of a fan trespassing to photograph the iconic Hummer—their legendary vehicle, now seen as a local landmark (08:36).
• Quote: "I feel like we're almost like a myth. Like, you hear about us, but you never really see us..." - Mike (07:11)

3. Behind the "Subscriber Meetup" and Event Fantasies (09:31–11:47)

• They discuss the huge fan turnout at their Heydays booth, noting the ever-increasing line for meet-and-greets—some waiting up to three hours (11:03).
• They fantasize about hosting a massive fan event on their own property, including “lighting the Hummer on fire” as a centerpiece in a sort of “Burning Man”-esque gathering.

4. On Directness and Friend Etiquette (12:14–17:07)

• The group debates telling friends about embarrassing things (e.g., food on the face, open zippers). They conclude that it's always better to speak up, as it's the sign of a true friend.
• Extended stories from Heydays reveal how repetitive and sometimes awkward fan comments can be (“Evan, you are so short!”).
• Quote: "Would be like, man, you are overweight, you know, or like, man, you are super skinny... it's kind of the same." - Mike (17:01)

5. The Appendix Emergency – CJ’s Surgery Story (21:41–31:42)

• In-depth segment: CJ recounts his emergency appendectomy, from the debilitating pain (“the most painful thing I’ve ever endured”—21:47) to navigating the ER, and the anxiety of waiting for a diagnosis.
• He discusses the stress of maintaining the busy CboysTV filming and editing schedule, along with poor diet and lack of sleep, which he feels may have contributed to his health crisis, despite doctors claiming “it’s just luck of the draw.”
• Discussion extends to medical cost, insurance confusion, and the grueling nature of being a healthcare worker—along with mutual respect for their resilience.
• Quote: "Grinded it out on Thursday, though." - CJ on returning to editing days after surgery (29:24)

6. The Gross Truth About Meetups (31:42–33:32)

• They joke/groan about the hygiene implications of shaking hands with thousands of fans and the importance of building immunity.
• Anecdotes about the healthcare system, parents working in pediatrics, and the “hardcore” reality of the medical profession.

7. Economics of Hospitals and Doctors (35:00–41:29)

• Insightful and humorous critique on why hospital bills are so high and who actually benefits financially.
• Quote: “A lot of it goes to the hospital.” - Ken (36:09)
• Discussion about surgeon salaries, debt, and comparing professions as investments.

8. Virality, Dirty Money, and OxyContin (41:33–44:06)

• CJ shares impressions from watching "Painkiller" on Netflix, reflecting on legacies built via “dirty money.”
• Ties it back to branding and the drive for namesake immortality, using the Sackler family and Nobel as examples.

9. Fargo Building Demolition – Local Spectacle (44:37–48:38)

• Ben details witnessing the implosion of a high-rise in Fargo—turned local event of the year—crowded with spectators.
• They discuss rumors of Mr. Beast trying to buy the “honor” of pressing the button ("allegedly" for $100,000), and the comedic behind-the-scenes logistics.

10. Conspiracy Theories – 9/11 and Ongoing Debates (49:05–52:07)

• The group candidly discusses suspicions about 9/11, referencing each other’s beliefs and bits of “fishy” evidence (insurance policies, lack of transparency, etc.), but assert they lack any special insider info.

11. Culture Shifts – TSA, Security, and Shoplifting (53:41–58:08)

• Reflections on airport security, the drudgery of TSA, and hypothesizing a future where even Walmart has TSA-style lines due to rampant theft—especially in places like California where shoplifters reportedly can't be stopped by employees.

12. Viral Songs and Patriotism – "Rich Men North of Richmond" (59:19–64:38)

• The crew discusses the viral success of Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond”—its authenticity, boots-on-the-ground origin, and impact across the U.S., noting a particularly powerful moment hearing it sung at a race event in Virginia.
• Quote: “That song has gone so viral... it really connects to just the average person, especially in middle America.” – Mike (60:30)
• They praise Oliver Anthony for cancelling his tour when ticket prices soared, refusing to "switch up on his people".

13. Eagles, Neighbors, and Local Legends (64:38–68:20)

• The final segment loops back to American symbolism. The group riffs on the sight of a bald eagle soaring above a stadium, what it takes to get a license to train an eagle, and the ongoing saga of baffling their small-town neighbors.
• Quote: "I love confusing the neighbors. Like, quite literally, the. Never let them know your next move." - Ben (67:38)

---

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• CJ on viral boat ramp anxiety: "I was just waiting for somebody to be standing there with a phone and be like, 'We're putting this guy on the hoos.'" (00:22)
• On friend etiquette: “You should always tell someone if they have something on their face… even if it’s awkward.” - Ben (12:24)
• CJ’s ER story: "Literally the most painful thing I've ever endured. Like, really hands down." (21:47)
• On the legendary Hummer: "The Hummer's been on land, water, now air. It just needs to be lit on fire..." - Mike (09:06)
• About Oliver Anthony’s viral hit: “That song has some serious impact… never seen anything like it.” - Mike (60:42)
• On CboysTV’s local reputation: “I feel like we're almost like a myth. Like, you hear about us, but you never really see us…” - Mike (07:11)

---

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• Male skills & boat ramps – 00:00–08:00
• Small-town fame & Hummer as landmark – 07:11–10:13
• Heydays subscriber meetup & event dreams – 09:31–11:47
• Appendicitis & CJ’s hospital ordeal – 21:41–31:42
• Medical costs & hospital economy – 35:00–41:29
• Virality of "Rich Men North of Richmond" – 59:19–64:38
• Eagle as a symbol & confusing the neighbors – 64:38–68:20

---

Podcast Tone & Style

The episode maintains CboysTV’s signature buddy-comedy energy: quick-witted, irreverent, self-mocking, yet sincere when addressing health and community. Discussions weave seamlessly between personal stories, practical advice, and comedic tangents. The hosts’ natural banter and willingness to tease one another (and themselves) makes for a relatable, light-hearted listen, but doesn’t shy away from deeper moments of vulnerability.

---

Summary Takeaway

This episode covers a lot of ground—from the pressure of male competency, risking viral embarrassment, and standing in line for hours at fan events, to navigating a medical emergency and reflecting on America’s changing social landscape. Listeners gain not only a behind-the-scenes look at the CboysTV crew’s antics and philosophy, but also a dose of sincerity as they address resilience, friendship, and the value of a strong community—online and off.

Transcript

[Mike]

I started feeling bad for Evan a little bit when people would just come up and be like, man, Evan, you are so short.

[Ben]

If you saw someone, like, fiddling around with an eagle, you'd probably be like, I don't know what this guy's doing, but, like, he's got a bald eagle.

[CJ]

I think my neighbors are so confused by me already.

[Ryan]

One day you pull up in a Lambo, the next, the ambulance is taking you out, man.

[CJ]

So I was taking my boat out of the water today, and I asked my parents to help me. So my dad pulls the trailer over, and he backs it in. I pull it in. I was having so much anxiety getting it out of the water because I was just waiting for somebody to be standing there with a phone and be like, we're putting this guy on the hoos.

[Mike]

It'd be rightful.

[CJ]

And next thing I know, like. Like, I'm like, dad, dad. Hey, to the left, to the left. The trailer sitting sideways. I'm yelling, and I'm trying to crank, and I can't. I can't crank some leaning over the boat, and I'm not supposed to be, like, cranking. And next thing you know, like, there's a little bit of confrontation. I'm getting hot just looking around. Oh, I'm like. I'm like, just pull it out. Just pull it out. And he's. He's like, what? I'm like, dude, all we need is just one person to just catch this on video and be like, viral. Yeah.

[Ben]

These.

[CJ]

These guys that put other people on the news just be funnier, are getting put on the news for sucking at backing up, taking your boat out and backing up in the water. But, yeah, I guess for the listeners, we did this bit in a video going to the boat ramp with a bunch of our friends. There's 10 of us there, basically cheered people on coming in and out of the water. And then if people were doing a bad job, backing up, you know, encourage them to do a better job. And people love the YouTube video. And then we recut it up, put it on Instagram, and it went viral on Instagram. It's got, like, almost 500,000 shares on Instagram.

[Mike]

Wow, that's people sharing to another person. Like, isn't that crazy?

[CJ]

Well, it's just so relatable.

[Ryan]

I feel like everybody who's been at a boat ramp is at the same thing.

[CJ]

Oh, 100%. I saw another video on Instagram the other day of, like, just a dad standing outside the window, or like, the hotel was next to it, and there's like 10 different clips of him, like, watching the boat ramp throughout the weekend. And I was. I commented, we need to get this guy in our next boat ramp video.

[Ryan]

I feel like it's just a standard male pastime. Going to the lake, yelling at your wife for doing a bad job, backing up the boat trailer.

[Ben]

The other times you've been there. Plus that day, no, there was a lot of, like, husband to wife, like.

[CJ]

All right, I'll make sure you do.

[Ben]

This, this, and that.

[Ryan]

I'm sure the kid with the megaphone did not. Frustrating.

[CJ]

It's a high, tense situation.

[Ryan]

It really is.

[CJ]

So anyway, Yeah, I was laughing, though. I was. I was pretty nervous that somebody was gonna get it. I'm gonna catch you.

[Mike]

I should have been there.

[Ben]

Evan was just making fun of me for, like, how I back up because I'm. I was backing up a trailer, and I don't use the mirrors. I mean, of course I, like, use them a little bit.

[Ryan]

I don't use them.

[Ben]

I use the backup camera about as much as I use the mirrors. I go like this, like, you know, obviously.

[CJ]

Yeah. Throw it over.

[Ben]

Yeah. I'm just like, really? I'm like an owl, like, fully turned around. And he's like, why do you do that? Like, it's just unnecessary. I'm like, totally agree. So unnecessary.

[CJ]

Yeah, but it feels better. It feels like you have more control.

[Ben]

The. The, like, the scaredness. Like, if I'm at the boat ramp, I'm not scared because I'm like. I can see, like, I'm like, fully turned around, but if I'm depending on the mirror, my brain might short circuit.

[CJ]

And then I feel like all you.

[Mike]

Got to do is just look at one side and know, like, I gotta hold it to here.

[Ben]

And that actually is. That's the best advice. It's like, yeah, if it's a high stakes situation, you gotta look at everything, but if it's a normal backup, just.

[Mike]

Watch at one side.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[CJ]

There's few things that are more insulting to a man than being called a bad backer. Upper with it. Yeah. That seems to just hit a soft spot on really any guy that considers himself a man.

[Ryan]

I. I think just being a good driver in general is important for a guy.

[Ben]

Sure. You could chalk it up to that. Like, if you're. You're a bad driver and you say that to a male.

[Ryan]

Remember that one time in Afton, we were on a snowmobile trip and I went down the wrong road and then I just backed the trailer up. Like, we were at like a T and, or not a T, whatever one of these intersections are, you know, full blown four way stop. And then I just backed up in front of that car that was driving down the icy road and we almost caused that pile up.

[CJ]

Oh yeah.

[Ryan]

That was like probably my latest almost big mistake.

[CJ]

That was pretty good though. You backed up like three miles.

[Ben]

Yeah, yeah.

[CJ]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You backed that thing up like three miles. I've never seen anything like it. It was, it was really impressive.

[Ryan]

Or when we took the RV and we went. When we were doing the ebay motor shoot, we went in that neighborhood and I was like, oh there's an airport back here. I'll be able to turn around there. And then there wasn't. And we had to back the whole rig up.

[Ben]

Ryan spent a lot of time in reverse.

[Mike]

What are you doing here right now, Ryan? Just trying to talk about all your times that you.

[Ryan]

Yes.

[Mike]

Pretty much backed up out of a.

[CJ]

Yeah, man, you're good at back.

[Mike]

Hey, you remember that time I, I did that whole mile long drag strip backing up and I beat that other car that was going forward.

[Ryan]

Remember when I beat you in a backup race and then you had to get a nipple piercing?

[CJ]

I do remember that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

But yeah, just the other day we're filming rollers and CJ is in Cormorant. I saw you in the, the Cormorant Community center parking lot. Like you could have turned around kind of chat with Ben a little bit. Look back up, CJ's in reverse.

[Mike]

And I was racing that other car.

[Ben]

Racing a car. And then that car was trying to.

[CJ]

Not sure if he knew he was racing.

[Mike]

It was hilarious. Cuz I was in, you know, obviously the correct lane if I would have been going forward. But then I was like, you know what? We live in the middle of a tiny little town. No one's coming this way. I'm going to just throw it in reverse, drive half a mile down this way and say what's up to the guys? So I'm going reverse. And then another car comes up and when I punched in reverse, they were just. And we were just even and like I would just be. I was like going. I was using my mirror and every time I'd look over at him with. We just look at each other, he's just like this.

[Ryan]

He's wondering what the heck is.

[CJ]

This lunatic guy just started smiling.

[Mike]

I was just cracking up.

[CJ]

And he did not.

[Mike]

He was just like confused.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[CJ]

He didn't even imagine as most people would be.

[Mike]

I was waiting for him to be like, this is funny. We're, like, kind of racing, but I had that thing to the floor, and.

[Ben]

Man, there's so many instances, like, we're. I'll say it. We're respectful most of the time. Like, in our small community, I would say, like, literally most of the time. But sometimes. Sometimes we just. Like, we just. C.J. was having fun there, and the guy was having fun with you, but people are, you know, from the outside, I.

[CJ]

Don'T think the guy was having fun with.

[Ben]

Maybe he was waiting for you to.

[Ryan]

Pull an accidental J turn. I think about.

[CJ]

I think that guy was just driving through the store and got caught up in a race he didn't know he was a part of.

[Mike]

Imagine someone beating you in reverse in a race.

[Ryan]

It'd be embarrassing style, dude.

[Ben]

A lot of.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Mike]

You look over at his.

[CJ]

Dom Toretto.

[Mike]

Shave my head, dude.

[Ben]

You would look like Dom if you shaved your head.

[Mike]

I'd have to get more jacked, man.

[CJ]

There's.

[Ben]

There's so many instances where, like, we just have to make it happen when it comes to making a video and cormorant and the surrounding area is an extension of that. Sometimes, like, we just kind of make it happen. So I'm sure sometimes people are just like, dude, these guys, they're always in the way, even though we're not.

[CJ]

I mean, do you think that.

[Ryan]

I hope not.

[CJ]

I don't think that.

[Mike]

I think we're.

[Ben]

I think, yes. Sometimes people have to be like, cheese. Like, I'm not even saying mad. They're just like. This particular day, they're just like, geez. These guys are like. They've been back and forth on the road, like, 16 times.

[Mike]

I feel like we're almost like a myth. Like, you hear about us, but you don't even. You never really see us, and you never really know when we're operating. You never really know what's gonna. So, like, it's like, we do something that just happened so quick is like, right. You missed it.

[Ben]

So when you do see us, maybe they're like, you know, whoa.

[Mike]

The guests supposedly where they're at, but no one ever knows what they're gonna do next. And it's just like, you don't even know what happened.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Until it's done.

[CJ]

I looked out my window, and I saw this big water truck, this old water truck driving down the road, and a man standing on top, spraying water.

[Mike]

And he looked an awful lot like the decal on the side.

[Ben]

Yeah. And then I love that. And they're probably like. And then I. I think that was the only time that whole year I saw the water truck driving.

[CJ]

Yeah. Apparently it's a business in the area. Mike's watering service. He flooded the. Out of the community center flowers, but I haven't seen him come back.

[Ben]

That is the case too, though. Think, like, with the water truck, me standing on top of it. A bunch of other. Let's say we're running tiny through town. Like, that might be if someone sees us out. Like, that's probably the only time they'll ever see that vehicle out and about.

[CJ]

Yeah. I would like to think that people look at it as a. Like a. Like a myth.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Because most of the time, no one's ever really around when we're doing stuff, so you never would.

[Ryan]

Yeah, my buddy who knows them just says they're always editing. You know, they're at the computer. I always ask them what they're up to today, and they always go, nothing. You know, just hanging around. Nothing.

[Mike]

Just hanging around. Just like Beetlejuice.

[Ryan]

And then all of a sudden, they just appear. But people have been loving the Hummer. I was just driving with a laundry this morning, 10:30am on a Sunday, and there was a woman with a minivan that was. Had driven out into our field and was taking a picture really, like this of the Hummer in there.

[CJ]

Did you go and tell her to get her ass Private property?

[Ryan]

No, I just. I let her have her moment, you know, I didn't want to disturb. It's kind of like a peaceful thing.

[CJ]

Well, it's like a historic landmark.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's gonna be there for forever, dude.

[Ben]

No, that was hundreds.

[Mike]

Hundreds of years. I saw one comment. It said, the Hummer's been on land, water, now air. It just needs to be lit on fire, and it would have a fire underneath it.

[CJ]

I think that's called Burning Man.

[Ryan]

Yeah, it was like we could do.

[Mike]

Our own little burn man. And it's like neighbors look out their window next week, and it's just like this crowd of people and the Hummers, like, there's flames going up the pole.

[CJ]

Yo, that would be a.

[Mike]

That tribal meeting.

[CJ]

Oh, that'd be an amazing event.

[Mike]

It would be.

[Ben]

We could bring a.

[Mike]

That's what we need to do, is we need to do an event. Yeah, we just think we could have an awesome event out in that field. We get the track dialed in. We maybe get some music, and I.

[Ben]

Could live out my dream of being a dj.

[Mike]

We.

[CJ]

We could literally. I'm having you, Mike, for subscribers to.

[Mike]

Come out and have a good Time. And there'd be stuff to do because, I mean, just think about it. We like the crowd we draw for heydays and like they're paying to get into heydays just to see us for, you know, sign and whatever. But we could actually have a good, good, good time. Like a real good time with stuff to see besides stuff for them to do. Yeah, obviously there's a lot of liability that we'd need a lawyer to probably. There'd be waivers and whatnot.

[Ryan]

But our insurance guy just had a heart attack. He's not sure why.

[CJ]

Well, our insurance guy also thinks that we're just editing.

[Ben]

Yeah, right.

[CJ]

That's true. What do you do? What kind of work are you in? Just an editor, you know, video editor. No, I think that's a great idea though.

[Mike]

Cj, Think about that. I guarantee you people are going nuts in the comments right now. They're like, I will come to that.

[CJ]

That'd be great.

[Mike]

I don't know where everyone stay. Maybe it's like RV parking, but it'd.

[CJ]

Probably fill up another hotel.

[Mike]

Now we're talking pretty cool.

[Ben]

Like, like a lot of liability. But having like RV parking, that'd be pretty cool.

[CJ]

No, I. I think we actually should shout out to everyone that came to our heydays booth.

[Ryan]

So fun.

[Ben]

Crazier and crazier. Like blows our mind every year.

[CJ]

Yeah, it was amazing. And so we do like a meet and greet and we do a meet and gre because we try and meet as many people as possible. And every year it gets a little bit longer of a line. People were waiting in long in line.

[Ben]

For like three hours.

[Mike]

Long time.

[CJ]

So shout out to those people. We try and give everyone a, you know, great experience without making the line four hours for like the next people.

[Mike]

Tough balance, man.

[CJ]

It is a tough balance, but it would be cool to do our own event put together. Like a full day experience, I guess. Yeah, I would love to see that Hummer on fire, man. I can't get that out of my head.

[Mike]

Like 10 o' clock we're lighting the Hummer on fire for like a ceremonial.

[CJ]

I wish it at that point, then we would have to finally pay.

[Ben]

Ryan, the thing doesn't suck. I love the Hummer. And then once we turn into a boat, like I really love, well then I started loving it a lot. So if it was on fire, it'd make me sad, but sacrifices to be made. Yeah.

[Mike]

In the complete circle. Yeah, complete the circle.

[Ben]

What if some crazy happened after it started on fire? Like, like Avatar comes out.

[Mike]

Dude, Fucking aliens come down to Earth. Like, we just, like, unlock some.

[Ben]

Oh, dude. Yeah, yeah. And it wouldn't.

[CJ]

It wouldn't be like that.

[Ben]

It would be cool, but, like, I heard they, like, just discovered another alien, but then it turns out it was just case.

[CJ]

Oh, yeah, I saw that.

[Ben]

So. Which is still funny. I got a good laugh out of that.

[Ryan]

Hey, Mike, I just. I just want to be a good friend and let you know that you have a piece of black stuff.

[CJ]

Thank you.

[Ben]

Right in your tooth. Thank you. You know who's the best at telling you of? In your teeth or your nose or your face? Evan.

[Mike]

Really?

[Ben]

You wouldn't believe it, but I just will put that as a psa. I think no matter how rude it might come across or how awkward it is, like, you should always tell something.

[Mike]

Yeah, I'd appreciate if you tell me I have food on my face, even.

[Ben]

If it's, like, super awkward when you tell them.

[Ryan]

I had a. I had that in heydays, it was a guy I'd only met just a few times, pretty popular fellow, you know, Second time meeting him, and he just had a big old booger in his nose. And I go, I could let him continue on with his night, or I could just be the guy who tells him. And I just go, hey, man, you gotta. You got a booger in your nose. He goes, got it. And he goes, I get it. I'm like, yeah. He goes, thank you. He goes, I've talked to 15 people and that no one said anything. He shows. That's a real friend right there.

[Ben]

And then you start to, like, resent. You start to resent the other people you talk to that didn't tell you.

[CJ]

Exactly.

[Ben]

Some friends they are.

[CJ]

You know what I have to help you out on? It seems like at least once a week is your zipper being down. As sus as that is.

[Ben]

I know.

[CJ]

I hate to even say that, but no.

[Ben]

And I'm bad.

[Mike]

Versus when a wiener falls out, he's walking around.

[CJ]

We were in Walmart.

[Mike]

Wieners hanging out. He'd go, mike, your wieners out.

[CJ]

It's amazing how long he can go through his day without the guy greeting.

[Mike]

Him at the door. That was pretty rude of him. Not to mention that Mike's wiener.

[Ben]

No, I think the worst part is, is if you, like, maybe notice it at one point in the day, you might notice it later in the day, too. And that's actually a second offense. I left it down again. And I'm gonna blame the damn Hollister pants with just buttons up the front. That's all I had for, like, a stint, you know, when I was like, yeah. When I was like, no, they didn't come undone. I just, like, it just had buttons. So I never used a zipper. I shouldn't say never, but a zipper wasn't really. It was foreign to me. So, like, I just said, because, you.

[Ryan]

Know, one of the simplest devices.

[Mike]

Not used to regular pants, not how to use it.

[Ben]

Like, I know how to use a zipper. I just, like, I just. The buttons, you either button them or you don't. But what zipper is like, you button and you zipper.

[CJ]

But I think it was the first guy in line. Yeah. At haydays.

[Mike]

Yeah, I. I saw a guy with this.

[Ryan]

Really?

[CJ]

It was the first guy in line at haydays. Mike goes, hey, your zippers down. And imagine this dude's. I. I then lasted how long you been standing here? And he goes, 6:30. And it was nine, so I was two and a half hours. Been standing there waiting. And the first thing. First thing one of his favorite people in the world says is your zippers. To be fair. To be fair, to come back, I'm pretty sure the first, like, 15 people told Mike how. How bad he looked. Really?

[Ryan]

No.

[CJ]

Right away, people were being kind of.

[Mike]

They're like, damn. Yeah, you look a lot rougher in person.

[Ben]

And then at first, you're looking rough.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Like, I'm hungover.

[Mike]

And you'.

[Ben]

To hear it more, I'm just like, oh, man. Just. I get it.

[CJ]

These guys are coming.

[Ryan]

It was like, everybody with Evan. God, Evan probably got told how short he was 75 times.

[CJ]

Every other. Every other person was, and he took it well.

[Ben]

But he did.

[CJ]

I think, to be fair, it's like, to be fair. To be fair, it's like the icebreaker.

[Ryan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Mike]

Of.

[CJ]

Of like, kind of the icebreaker. What do I say? Or what's the first thing?

[Mike]

Yeah, you're trying to come up with something other than just high.

[CJ]

Yeah. Honestly, the dude is so small. If I met him in person after watching every video, I'd be like, oh, my God, this dude is.

[Mike]

He's like, what, probably like, 4 foot 9.

[CJ]

He's in the fours. He's 411.

[Ben]

Yeah, we'll go on. And then we'll go on to segue to, like, short people being kind of like, rippers. So you got him. You got like, we got to meet Levi Laval. Yeah.

[Mike]

Ronnie Renner was short, too.

[CJ]

All those guys were tiny, dude.

[Ben]

Like, you meet them and you're, like, around, and you say, well, why?

[CJ]

Whoa.

[Ben]

You know like, how do you do what you do and be that size? And it just seems to be.

[Ryan]

Yeah, but isn't Travis Pastrana tall?

[CJ]

Yeah, well, that's why. That's why he told Levi Lavalley. He goes, dude, I'm so jealous of your size. You're built like a bowling ball. You must be able to crash and tumble so well.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[CJ]

Because he was like, when I crash, I'm all flailing all over the place. I'm a safety hazard.

[Ben]

But you.

[CJ]

It's just like. Which is so true. Evan is just like a little meatball.

[Mike]

Honestly, though, like, a little. I started feeling bad for Evan a little bit when people would just come up like, man, Evan, you are so short. Like, 14. They're like, I'm taller than you and I'm 14.

[CJ]

Like, they just.

[Mike]

They, like, just keep going. It's almost the same as, like, walking up to someone be like, man, you are ugly. You know, like, it's kind of like, on the same.

[CJ]

It's pretty rude. It's like something you can't control.

[Mike]

Something you can't control. And it's just like, obviously it's light or it seems like it's easier to say, but it seems, you know, it's.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Would be like, man, you are overweight, you know, or like, man, you are super skinny. Like, you have, like, no muscle at all. Like, you know, it's like, man, you smell. I feel like the smell like one is valid because, like, you can fix that.

[CJ]

That's true.

[Mike]

You can fix that.

[CJ]

I used to get it before Evan was a part of the group. I used to get the short comments, and I don't think that I'm that short. Yeah.

[Mike]

Ben's, like, maybe half an inch shorter.

[Ben]

Yeah, you're like, average height.

[CJ]

I'm five nine. Yeah.

[Mike]

Oh, you are. Well.

[Ben]

Ken, can you look up? Average height of a US it's male. He just knows it off the top of his head.

[CJ]

Alex, can you grab a tape measure from downstairs? I've actually. I haven't measured myself in probably five years.

[Ken]

Average male height in the US is 5 9.

[Ben]

Nice.

[Mike]

Right now. Average.

[CJ]

And I'm just a little above average on the smartness.

[Mike]

And. And that's in the U.S. i'm assuming. What's the average height of a male in China?

[CJ]

Judging by the size of our Chinese trucks just triggered everyone in our park.

[Mike]

Japanese.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ken]

Actually, in China, the average male Height is 5, 8.

[CJ]

I don't know if I believe that.

[Ryan]

But you'd be stupider than all of them. But you would be A little taller. That might help out. That's like. So you. We. You obviously found Evan. You know, you're like, we got to find another short guy. So I don't have be looked at as so short. I'm trying to find a new stupidest member.

[CJ]

That won't be. That won't be hard. There's one right there.

[Ryan]

No, but that's what I'm saying. I'm sick of having all the pressure.

[Mike]

We're gonna have to search for a while stupider.

[Ben]

And you, dude, I don't think it'd be hard at all.

[Ken]

Ben, take. Really take your shoes off before you do this. Don't want to give you any. Going to be exact.

[Ryan]

Got a half an inch of hair there.

[Ben]

Are you sure you want to do this, Ben?

[CJ]

I don't even. Actually, that's a good question.

[Mike]

We're doing it on the record. Ben's height. We're gonna get this figured out. Mike, you take the phone.

[Ryan]

All right, you're good? Yeah. Don't move that phone up at all. Oh, my gosh.

[CJ]

69 inches.

[Mike]

Alex, what's the ideal height? Like, I feel like women always say they want a tall man. Like, what's considered tall?

[Ben]

Six foot.

[Mike]

Like, you have to be six foot up. Some girls really make it a thing.

[Ben]

I feel like. Yeah, I'd say, like starting it.

[CJ]

Do guys want or do girls. Tall guys.

[Mike]

You just have to be taller than the girl.

[Ben]

Yeah, I mean, I feel that some girls really care about, like, really tall guys.

[Ryan]

Alondra's always on me because she has. I have a long torso and she has long legs. So when we take a picture, I'll.

[CJ]

Pop it up and show you guys.

[Ryan]

She also wears high waisted jeans, and I wear low waisted jeans, but look how funky we look because her legs are so much longer.

[CJ]

Yeah, yeah. Well, is that wide angled, though?

[Ryan]

I don't know.

[Ben]

I honestly never noticed. But now that you pointed out, Ryan, you should start wearing high waisted.

[CJ]

So you guys, you don't think it's gonna work out? I.

[Ryan]

God, I hope so.

[CJ]

But she's like, look, one of us needs to change, and it's not gonna.

[Mike]

Be me.

[Ryan]

Not making these legs any shorter. It's tough out here, man. Like, I. I just. I guess I'm not a runner, you know?

[Mike]

I don't know if running would make your legs longer, Ryan.

[Ryan]

No, but it would be like, I.

[CJ]

Would be so dumb.

[Ryan]

Well, it's a good thing you're all the way over there.

[Mike]

Typical stupid behavior. Tries to fight when he Says something dumb. He's a hothead too. Doesn't know how to control his emotions.

[CJ]

Not only does this guy have a long torso, just a. Just an awkwardly long torso. He's got a short fuse.

[Ben]

Long torso, short fuse.

[CJ]

This should be the caption of your next picture. Ride. I'm 5 10.

[Mike]

So really, you're an inch and a half shorter than me, are you? Yeah, five, ten and a half.

[Ben]

People that are below six feet don't. They don't add halves. So people that.

[CJ]

I'm saying like people above six feet.

[Ben]

Sorry, sorry. That's what I meant. That is what I meant to say. But that's because, like, I. I'm like five, nine and a half.

[Mike]

Well, do I round up?

[CJ]

Am I?

[Mike]

Because I'm literally five, ten and half. So do I round up to 511 and be lying?

[CJ]

Or do I round down and be.

[Mike]

Humble and sell myself short?

[CJ]

When you, when you say how long.

[Mike]

Your dick is, do you say it's five inches or do you round up to six? Or do you use half?

[Ben]

That one's totally fair to use decimal.

[CJ]

It depends who you're telling.

[Ryan]

Three and three quarter.

[CJ]

So got my appendix taken out this week. O. Yeah, that sucks.

[Ben]

Let's talk about it.

[CJ]

Literally the most painful thing I've ever endured. Like, really hands down.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Like, if they're like, hey, what's your pain on a scale of 1 to 10, you're like 9, 10.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

What was the deal? Like, you went to bed, felt fine, woke up and it hurt or you couldn't sleep? Like, what?

[Mike]

No.

[CJ]

So Monday this week, got done filming, ate dinner and then was just chilling, watching TV and was like, damn. I kind of got to like, would you go up or go to the bathroom? Just like a noodle dish or something?

[Mike]

Normal food?

[CJ]

Yeah, I go home, tried throwing up. Really? Yeah, Because I was like, I. I don't feel good. I feel like I need to just get this out of the way.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[CJ]

It was like 9 o' clock on Monday night and I couldn't throw up, couldn't go to the bathroom. Next thing I know, I'm like laid out on my bathroom floor all night long. Three finger tickling the back of my throat, trying to like.

[Mike]

You couldn't throw up?

[CJ]

Make myself throw up.

[Ben]

Because at this point you thought you were.

[CJ]

I thought I had food point.

[Ben]

Yeah. Yeah.

[CJ]

And I would drink a bunch of water and then I would just throw up the water.

[Ben]

Oh, so you were okay.

[CJ]

I didn't get any sleep all night and the whole time I was Just thinking about the story that you told me, Ryan, when your appendix, or when you thought that you were having an appendicitis, and then you were calling me in the middle of the night, Do I have health insurance? Should I go in?

[Ryan]

And I did.

[CJ]

But you didn't end up like, you woke up the next morning, you felt fine, right?

[Ryan]

No, I still hurt. But basically, throughout the entire night, Alondra called me a baby for having a belly ache.

[CJ]

Okay, I guess I have a belly ache then. But it was. Quit being a little baby. Let's go put.

[Ben]

Too much crab. Was it?

[Ryan]

Yeah, it was. It was too much butter, apparently. Like, didn't dump. Didn't do any. Like, I literally couldn't even drink water because, like, my whole body hurt. And I felt the same way. Like, I needed to throw up, but couldn't. So anyway, continue on.

[Mike]

So I was thinking.

[CJ]

I was thinking about that and I was like, well, Ryan, you know, kind of had similar symptoms and he didn't end up having it. And then our friend Justin got engaged, got a dog and an appendicitis, all within, like, three hours of each other.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[CJ]

And. And we were just talking about that the other day, and I was like, maybe it could be that I'm, like, going back and forth. I skipped all these steps, and all night long, I'm just debating, like, oh, man, maybe I am just being a pussy, going back and forth. And finally, at like, 10am Called Greta, and I was like, can you bring me to the er? This is not normal. Like, something's going on. I couldn't drive. I couldn't even move, dude. I, like, tried walking to my fridge, and I'm, like, hunchback over, like. Like, shuffling my feet trying to get to my fridge. And so they bring me in and they were like, you know, trying to diagnose it without giving me a CT scan. The CT scans, they try and avoid them. And then, like, this car crash happened, and a bunch of people came into the er and a bunch of sirens were going off. Like, everyone get to the emergency room right now.

[Mike]

Boom, boom, boom.

[Ryan]

Code red.

[CJ]

Yeah, code red. So I'm laying there, like. Like, crippling pain, like, CT scan done with. Because they were like, we'll get you in there any minute. Next thing I know, I'm waiting four hours for the CT scan.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Because God forbid people were dying.

[Ben]

But that's what I mean at this.

[CJ]

Well, now you make me feel like an asshole. Right.

[Ben]

You had to lay there and you still didn't know that as appendicitis yeah.

[CJ]

Because, like, usually an appendicitis is, like, lower, and, like, my whole stomach hurt. And so that's why they didn't really.

[Mike]

Know then just I had to poop real bad.

[CJ]

That's why I was like, I hate.

[Mike]

To go in bran muffins.

[CJ]

I hate to go into the er. And they're just like, look, buddy, here's a bunch of laxatives. You can't use our toilet. Go to the holiday across the street.

[Ben]

They hit you with the. And use the walk in clinic next time.

[CJ]

Yeah. So I end up getting a CT scan. They. The nurse, like, runs in and was like, you have an acute appendicitis. Thankfully, it hasn't burst, but, like, we have to get you into surgery immediately. And then, like, 45 minutes later, I was put under anesthesia and they chopped it out of me.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[CJ]

Yeah, it was pretty. It was like, pretty fast moving, but they were like, if it were to burst. Your appendix holds so much toxins. It's like kind of a filter for your body. And if it were to burst into your. Into your bloodstream.

[Ryan]

Real bad.

[CJ]

Real bad. Real, real bad.

[Ben]

All right, I guess, like, that happens, though, right? As in, like, not like. Like life threatening, right?

[CJ]

Well, you don't have to say like, that.

[Mike]

Cj, what's gonna filter that now? Wait, but, yeah, obviously you're fine.

[Ben]

What happens if it bursts? Like, it's not life threatening, right?

[CJ]

Yeah, it's life.

[Ben]

Oh, yeah. Like Justin's.

[Ryan]

Nobody's first. You want it like, you were here right now, and it bursts and you're like, I'm not going to the doctor. I'm gonna be in rough shape.

[CJ]

Yeah, you maybe. I don't.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Ken]

I mean, I've gone 15 years out in appendix, and I'm fine.

[CJ]

Well, debatably. Oh, do you have your tonsils? Tonsils do kind of similar.

[Ken]

I got those taken out, too.

[CJ]

Really susceptible.

[Ben]

You got your wisdom teeth.

[Ken]

Unimportant organs out.

[Ben]

Ken, you got your wisdom teeth.

[Ken]

No, I do have tonsils. I don't have wisdom teeth.

[Ben]

Oh.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah. Same thing, though. Easily confused. One, a dentist does, and the other one is surgery.

[Ben]

Oh, really? I honestly thought a dentist took your tonsils out.

[Ken]

I thought they were the same for a second, but I. I must take them.

[Ryan]

What is a tooth?

[Ben]

What are wisdom teeth anyway?

[CJ]

Anyway, that sucked. That sucked real bad.

[Ben]

Yeah, and. And still feeling it, really. But also, like.

[CJ]

Yeah, I mean, they.

[Ben]

They.

[CJ]

So it was like a laparoscopic surgery. So it's like three small incisions, and then they like, go in there and they still put me under anesthesia. I, I, the last thing I remember is, yeah.

[Ryan]

Did you try to fight it?

[CJ]

One, One nurse going, my son's a big fan, and I think I would take a picture.

[Ben]

What a great thing to drift off to. Yeah.

[CJ]

And then I woke up. I woke up. Hell, yeah. In the start, I woke up, you know, like, in the hospital room, and I just remember going, all right, we doing the surgery or what? They were like, oh, it's done. The amount of confusion I had, I was done. What just happened to the last two hours of my life? It's crazy how it's just man sleep. Nothing. Wow. Yeah. So do you feel different? I feel like I was, like, cut open and like, part of my body was taken out of me.

[Mike]

Do you really feel that way?

[CJ]

Well, I feel like shit. Yeah. Like. Like I've had really bad brain fog, like, the past couple days, mostly from getting put to sleep. Have a hard time, the way that is. Articulating words. You guys made fun of me, so that helps.

[Mike]

Oh, of course. True.

[Ben]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike]

You were singing your. The, you know that song Richmond, north of Richmond or whatever it is. Ben's just like, Northman, Rich Northman, dude.

[Ben]

And we just took that and ran all day. We're like, uncle Rich is going to Northman.

[Mike]

He just gets singing all the words wrong.

[CJ]

No, I felt like a.

[Ryan]

But that's.

[CJ]

I felt like an old tractor starting up.

[Mike]

It's just crazy trying to get going.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

We didn't really talk about it in the video other than a quick thing, but it is crazy. You went to work, then you had.

[Ben]

A full day, filmed all day.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Well, then you had a Tuesday of being sick and in the hospital all day, and then Wednesday, all day in bed. You must add your computer propped up somehow. Edited Thursday all day.

[CJ]

Edited. I didn't edit at all on Wednesday. I lied to you guys.

[Ryan]

Oh, really?

[CJ]

Yeah, I, I thought I could, but I, I mean, it's a good thing that I didn't. It's a good thing that I didn't, because you guys would have. I was like, so just lost. You guys think that my brain isn't working now. You guys should see Wednesday.

[Ryan]

But, I mean, that is some serious freaking dedication.

[CJ]

Grinded it out on Thursday, though.

[Ben]

Yeah. That is a little bit on Thursday, too.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Out in the field around the pit bike track. I mean, I would assume most people would at least take a couple days off of work.

[Mike]

Why?

[CJ]

I would have liked to. It would have been nice.

[Ryan]

Are you Going to like do any lifestyle changes now that your appendix is gone?

[CJ]

Dude.

[Mike]

Okay.

[CJ]

I was thinking about this though, and they were like telling me that the reason that my appendix was so inflamed and was about to burst had nothing to do with my lifestyle or like anything. It just is the luck of the draw. And I was like, bullshit. There's no fucking way.

[Ben]

I have heard that though. They say that it's just like at random.

[CJ]

Yeah, maybe for some cases. But I was like thinking of like the last eight years of my life. But let's just say the last eight days, film a video all week, edit it, hop on a plane, go to Bristol, Tennessee, bang out another video, no sleep, hop on a plane, come back, hit a video, edit it, hop in the car, go to heydays, no sleep, do the meet and greet all day party heydays night, get no sleep again, eat like shit, like fair food and then come home, start stressing and planning the next week. And then a bunch of things happen on Monday, super stressed. And then boom, it all just like came crashing down at once. And it was like between like stress, poor diet and then just lack of sleep. I was like, I'm not that surprised.

[Ryan]

Yeah, you know, so what, what in your appendix is bacteria?

[CJ]

I don't, I. They say it's like a filter for your body.

[Ryan]

See, that's why I only drank a lot of Mountain Dew because my body is such an uninhabitable place that no sickness can take over me because sickness can't survive inside of me.

[CJ]

It is funny how I try to be as like health conscious as possible. And it's tough with the lifestyle that we live, how fast paced it is. And I would consider myself a relic, Relatively healthy human compared to my surrounding comrades. You guys, I would, I would agree.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I would agree.

[CJ]

And then that happens. And I'm like, I'm like, now I'm second guessing everything. Like, damn. Maybe I just need to think less.

[Ben]

So something that like, I mean, we talked about it before where like, you know, the more you expose yourself. Drink the well water. What? Hose water, whatever. Something that blows my mind and is definitely going to gross you out. But gross me out, gross me out bad. So we're at heydays. I probably shook and knoxed and whatever. High five. Literally 2500 people in a day.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

And then, I mean, I try to stay away from the finger food and stuff, but like, I'm just saying it had to be at least one point where like I got some food or something on my finger and I go, yep, that's effed up.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ben]

I just, like, I thought about it and I let it get to me. And then of course, I'm like, well, I've done that my whole life. So that. That calmed me down. Well, it's just like. Yeah. I mean, no. Exchange germs with 2500 people and then lick your finger.

[CJ]

Yeah, it's great.

[Mike]

Comes down just having a strong immune system. But even at that rate, in that amount of people, it's like, how strong can you possibly have? That's why I was trying to do knocks. But if someone went for the handshake, you have to do a handshake. That's like disrespectful, I guess.

[Ben]

And just being more conscious of, like, washing your hands and that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Wasn't super available there, but I'm like, I can go through a whole day without washing my hands. Try not to let that happen anymore. But like, it's just, just. It's just kind of gross.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Part of being a boy.

[CJ]

Yeah. There is something about building up, like, the immune system for that. Like not being afraid of germs.

[Mike]

Yeah, for sure. But there's a line, though, you know, it's like.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Or protecting yourself versus my mom works in a hospital and is constantly around sick people never get sick.

[CJ]

Really?

[Ryan]

It's pretty impressive, actually. And of course they have tons of things. They're washing their hands 75 times a day and doing all the different things. But it's impressive. She never gets sick.

[Mike]

She has a strong immune system. Being around it. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Built up. Never got Covid. All that shit. Never got.

[Ben]

She really does it. That's crazy.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Not knock on wood, but I mean. Yeah, it's pretty impressive. So there is maybe something to be said about little doses of sickness.

[CJ]

Dude, I have so much respect for the health care workers that live in that environment.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah.

[CJ]

Day in and day out. Just the. That they see and experience in. Like in your mom's case with pediatric. Being young.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[CJ]

You know, like, that's.

[Mike]

That's heavy.

[CJ]

Dude.

[Ryan]

I have no idea how she does it. I couldn't.

[CJ]

Certain people can do it. Certain. I like, I could not do that. I could not do that. That'd be too tough for me.

[Ryan]

What's the hospital like now? Like, if they upgraded from those, like, old shitty tube TVs? Do they have basic cable? Are you still watching, like, static?

[Ben]

This guy really never does get sick. I wasn't.

[CJ]

I wasn't. Turn it on the tv.

[Ryan]

You couldn't even turn on the tv.

[CJ]

Well, I could have, but I didn't. Like, I was just literally just sitting there in agonizing pain. I didn't have my phone. Oh, wow. I was just straight up just like staring at the ceiling thinking about how bad this sucked.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that makes for a long day.

[CJ]

Yeah, but I mean. Yeah, I don't know. There's technology and shit in there. There is, yeah.

[Ryan]

Okay, well, that's good to hear. At least. Like, I mean, they just set like an old transmitter radio next to your bed and like put on AM radio and just let you suffer.

[CJ]

I don't know what the surgery bill is. I've health insurance, thankfully. You know, it's probably like a twenty thousand dollar surgery or something like that, so I'd hope that they'd have not tube TVs.

[Ryan]

Yeah, exactly.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And hopefully insurance covers it. I mean, like Alondra has insurance and then still got a bill for 3.

[Ken]

Bill is still at least 6, but probably closer to 8.

[CJ]

Brand.

[Ben]

I thought there's a. I thought we had like a $2,000 deductible.

[Ryan]

The is insurance for then. Dude, it's my language.

[Ken]

My, my, my. For my neck last year I paid like 6 or 7,000 out of pocket.

[Ben]

And what was it total?

[Ken]

Like 20. And I didn't even have surgery.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ben]

That's actually wild.

[Mike]

Geez.

[CJ]

When I was crepes, when I was in the. Just about to be wheeled into the operating room, I look over at Greta and I go, I don't think that my insurance covers this. And she goes, why do you say that? And I was like, I think it's for like a different hospital because it's like, like there was like, there's like certain, certain plans and. And I was just like, it. Yeah, yeah. She goes, well, nothing you can do now. And I was just like, all right, whatever. It's so much pain. I was like, I don't even care right now. Like, imagine they're about to wheel in and you're like, stop. Stop all operations.

[Mike]

I wonder who gets all that money.

[Ben]

I say like the worst, best part is like the, the doctors, they go to school eight, nine years to.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

But they, they get that. I'm saying, like a lot of.

[Ken]

A lot of it goes to the hospital.

[Mike]

Yeah, I think they're paid a salary. I think they're paid a salary. Unless you're a private practice.

[CJ]

I didn't know.

[Mike]

I'm pretty sure you get salaried out.

[CJ]

If you're a. I always just figured.

[Ben]

Like some doctors, you know how some Some doctors are like operators, like surgeons, they're super gung ho and they're like, yeah, you know, I, I don't do many extracurricular activities. Like I, I like to do like five surgeries a week. And some are like, I usually do one. And obviously there's different extensions to the surgeries, but interesting. You know, some doctors seem like gung ho and they're like ripping through surgeries and trying to make that dough. I guess.

[CJ]

Man, surgeons deserve the salaries that they're paid.

[Ben]

I agree.

[Ryan]

Yeah. And they can't have a bad day.

[CJ]

In that can look up like average surgeon salaries in Fargo vary.

[Ken]

So like our local town, it varies from 280 to 550.

[CJ]

They come out with obviously a shitload of debt.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[CJ]

Like an insane. I've heard like they come out of school with like a million bucks worth of debt. That is so I'm sure. But also like a million bucks worth of debt is nothing. You could go and start a business, a plumbing business, and it could be a million bucks worth of debt to start a plumbing business like that. People are so afraid of debt. That doesn't mean anything. If you're working towards something.

[Ryan]

Yeah, it's an investment in yourself. But if you decide, you go to school for nine years to be a surgeon and then decide you want to like, yeah, I save the trees in Alabama.

[Ben]

Yeah. Because you can't, you can sell a plumbing business, but you can't sell like your knowledge, obviously. But it is that time spent.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[CJ]

But I know like some, some doctors coming out of school, granted, they've been in school for like, like 12 years with everything piled up and like their base salary is like 1, 2, like 1.2 million or something. Something like they made a bunch of dough, but they deserve it.

[Ben]

Yes.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Because you don't want the cut rate guy in there today. He's like, yeah. So the guy that cost a million a year, he's busy. So we've got Freddie.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

We pay him 75. And he also sweeps the floors. And you're just like, no, give me.

[Ben]

The guy to what you said. Yeah, you can't have a bad day. Like you.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ben]

I mean there's such a thing as like canceling, postpone, people dying on your can't come in. Even if you were like, yeah, like I, I smacked my elbow really hard last night. Even that could, you know, mess your whole mess.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Mike]

You have a bad night's sleep. Just think about that. Like you gotta, you gotta the best.

[Ben]

Bed in the world if you're a surgeon.

[Mike]

When what I was saying though, about like the hospital surgeons, they'd their salaried versus like let's say you're a breast implant surgeon, you have your own practice. Like those guys are making a lot.

[Ben]

Maybe that's what I'm thinking of.

[Mike]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Like, I'm sure those guys are getting probably 280 and the, the titty surgeons are probably getting 500 or mil. You know, like those are like, you know, or whatever else. Kind of like, obviously brain surgeon is probably the most difficult. What, what do I know? But you know, I think there's different.

[Ken]

I think a lot of those, like, like private practice people, like the customer bill is less, but their take home pay is.

[Mike]

I'm sure. Yeah, because that's what I was saying though. Like, I wonder how much the hospital gets that if it was 30 grand for that, like it didn't go to the surgeon because he's probably getting a salary.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ken]

Anesthesiologist, you have all the support staff. You have the.

[Mike]

Yeah, the surgery. There's a, there's got to be a profit going out there.

[CJ]

Oh yeah, that's right.

[Ryan]

And I'm.

[Mike]

That's what I was wondering. Who got that money?

[CJ]

Well, I. Yeah, I mean it's a business like, you know, Sanford. Is that a public.

[Mike]

But who owns that?

[CJ]

Denny Sanford?

[Ken]

No, it's a public entity.

[Mike]

So that guy's getting the money.

[Ryan]

It's a non profit.

[Ken]

Yeah.

[Mike]

So it's nonprofit.

[Ryan]

Real.

[Mike]

Where's that money go then? Why does it cost so much?

[Ken]

Yeah, it's a non profit integrated health care delivery system.

[Ryan]

Okay, sounds like.

[Ken]

I don't know how that works, but.

[Ryan]

Could you see their annual revenues?

[Ken]

$5.2 billion in 21.

[Ryan]

No, it's a pretty big nonprofit if you ask me.

[CJ]

What's like the nonprofit side of the business?

[Ryan]

Well, they just get to build sports arenas and. Oh yeah, different stuff like that. Like they build family wellness, which is Sanford sponsored, but it's technically not. So then he can make money. They're charging 100 bucks a month. There's a whole good system to it, dude.

[CJ]

Okay, so I watched Painkillers on Netflix. Have you guys watched it? It's a. It's about the Sackler family and oxycontins.

[Ryan]

Crazy.

[CJ]

Crazy. Just like how bad oxycontins were and the amount of people that got addicted.

[Ben]

To it because the abuse.

[CJ]

Because they said that they were non addictive or believed to be non addictive. Just a blatant Lie. It's insane to think about how much money that made the Sackler family. And, like, they didn't even care about the money at a point. They wanted the name to be, like, outlive, you know, generations to generations. Be like a Rockefeller really kind of name, you know, like these uber rich. Like, it gets to the point where, like, 5 million bucks donated to have your name on a football stadium or whatever for your local college. And it's like the Roth Stadium or something like that. Like, that gets them off so much more than, like, making money. And, like, that's, like, what the Sackler family was doing, donating a bunch of money to, like, art museums and stuff like that. So their name was, like, all over and it would outlive because they wanted it to be, like, remembered for an art museum. The art. The Sackler Art Museum versus, oh, the family that created oxycontin.

[Ryan]

Yeah. The drug epidemic.

[CJ]

But. But it's crazy to think about how many things have a name connected to it that, you know, could be connected to, like, dirty money. Like that.

[Mike]

I'm sure.

[CJ]

And I think. Yeah, I'm sure. Like, it's, you know, probably getting aired out, you know, things like that more and more now, too. Yeah, that was a crazy. If you guys haven't watched I Got to watch Painkiller, Watch it. It's extremely eye opening.

[Mike]

Yeah, it is interesting how, like, I don't know, just like, the tumultuous lifestyle of always wanting more. Initially, they were probably after money and they had money, but then they're like, I want, like, fame or, you know, I want recognition by other people. So then they're trying to, you know, do this whole getting their name everywhere, you know, Isn't that weird how you just always want more, even when you got. Yep.

[CJ]

And what actually started, it kind of.

[Mike]

Ends up, like, screwing a lot of people. Always wanting more.

[CJ]

So it's basically like the guy that created OxyContin's uncle, that started the company, and then his. His uncle built it into this empire and, like, created a name for the Sackler family and was, like, donating all this money and trying to, like, make it into. Become, like, a generational thing. And then he died, and basically, like, the brother and the nephew and, like, the whole family gets this guy's empire and was like, oh, shit. We have, like, a very short Runway unless we change something. Because they were living, like, this rich, extravagant lifestyle. And then the uncle died, and, like, somebody had to step up to the plate, otherwise, like, you know, it would have carried on so that's when this guy created OxyContin to try and make the family name continue on and then like, you know, continue to be successful in it. They talk about how the guy that founded TNT was something Nobel.

[Ryan]

Wait, tnt?

[Mike]

What like, like explosion explosives?

[CJ]

Like tnt, like bombs. When he was getting older, there was this news article that was posted that said so and so Nobel passed away. The merchant of death, that's what they called him. That was like the article name. He realized being the creator of TNT explosives, that's how his name was going to be remembered. The Merchant of death and the amount of people that died from explosives. So he then started the Nobel Peace Prize.

[Ben]

Oh he did.

[CJ]

And now nobody remembers him. So the guy being the creator of, of tnt, when you think of Nobel, you think of the Nobel Peace Prize being like the most prestigious.

[Mike]

But does anyone really think of them? Because I don't think of him like I don't know.

[Ryan]

Ever.

[CJ]

Yeah, I guess.

[Ben]

You know, I hear the Nobel Peace Prize, I'm like, nice. Yeah, do everyone? However, when I think of, when I think of tnt, I actually, I don't think about killing.

[Mike]

You think of Minecraft?

[Ben]

Yeah, no, that's what I thought. I think of, I guess real life Minecraft. I think of them using it to blow up mountains and, and build highways and.

[Ryan]

Or that building that you saw.

[CJ]

Yeah. How was that?

[Mike]

Cool.

[Ben]

So you guys may know Fargo, North Dakota is just like 45 minutes from us and there's this huge building. I don't know how many stories it was, but the high rise, let's say it's 20, 25 stories. Pretty decent sized building for Fargo and it was full of asbestos. They couldn't re renovate it because it was old too.

[Mike]

I think it was asbestos or asbestos.

[Ben]

Evan calls it asbest though than I do.

[Ryan]

And it was like low income housing. Like it was just in general a shitty building.

[CJ]

I'm confused how they could blow that up. Is it, is there like extreme removal.

[Ben]

Process for asbestos, what Ken and I were just talking about? So like yeah, I'm sure they had a bunch of Evans in there removing the abestus.

[Mike]

Evan been in that building before.

[CJ]

Really?

[Ben]

Yeah, so. So they're just going crazy. But again I don't think you can get all of it. So like that explains. So they exploded the building. Seven o' clock on the dot. Can't believe I was up for it. But dude, you know, I can't believe I wasn't going to miss. Dude, it was so funny. Like it's difficult for Me to get up as usual, but that I'm just like, it's 6:50. We got to go. Yeah. And it was so worth it, really.

[CJ]

When you said you were going to that. I was like, no, you're not going to. You're not going, Mike.

[Ryan]

You're not going.

[Mike]

In my head, I said, yeah, right. Get up. On his own.

[Ben]

Sidney thought that we were going to be one of a small handful of people there. Like, half the city was there.

[CJ]

Oh, really?

[Ben]

It was a spectacle.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Traffic jam. And so, like. And it really was a spectacle. So, like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Thing falls down. We can put the video up, right?

[CJ]

Can we say what it was supposed to be?

[Mike]

Supposedly insider information. Mr. Beast was going to pay. You know, this is all hearsay. Allegedly that Mr. Beast was going to pay $100,000 to be able to like, blow that. Like, he'd blow the building up. I don't know what that would consist of.

[Ben]

He.

[Mike]

He presses the button and they get to make a video of it. But then I guess he pulled out, like. And then they asked if we want. Well, they didn't ask. The gal that was telling me was like, you guys should. Should come do it. I go, we're not paying a hundred thousand dollars to blow up a building.

[Ryan]

That'S already gonna get blown up. Yeah.

[Mike]

I said, I don't know. Cash grab. And then I was like, that'd be cool. And then just kind of fell through it. There was just no point. Like, what?

[CJ]

There was like a couple buildings surrounding it. And we're like, it'd be funny if we told Evan.

[Mike]

Yeah, that was my idea.

[CJ]

We get to blow up a building. And then we tell him it's the other point here.

[Mike]

And we go press the button.

[CJ]

And he presses it in the other building.

[Mike]

We all try and look at what the heck, or like, if there was two buttons on there. And we tell him, press the top one, do not press the bottom one. And he pressed the top. And we go, we told you to press the bottom one.

[Ben]

Dude. I'm pretty sure that's crazy that it's a. I didn't know about that. The hundred thousand dollar price tag, just to be the forefront of it. Keep in mind, basically the entire demolition to be cleaned off the face of the earth was 4.8 mil.

[Mike]

Wow.

[Ben]

Just to take the damn building down and again, clean it up. A hundred thousand dollars to be the forefront of it seems insane, but.

[CJ]

Dude, how loud was that? Like, it's gotta be insane. It was loud.

[Ben]

I mean, it was basically. Yeah, I mean it was like louder than any explosion we've ever done.

[CJ]

Like somebody a well built building, they.

[Mike]

Had to blow it up to get rid of it. Yeah, think about that.

[CJ]

Somebody had to put all those explosives in there. Think about that.

[Mike]

But come on, dude.

[CJ]

Yeah, think about the high stress of that. The bricks.

[Mike]

I mean I feel like. Would it be that high stress though? Because you're just like we're blowing this thing up.

[Ben]

I don't know.

[CJ]

It going doesn't blow prematurely.

[Mike]

Oh yeah.

[CJ]

I'm saying like, like placing those around the building.

[Mike]

I mean mess up. You're like, well it. Let's get some more explosives.

[Ben]

Yeah. Just.

[Ken]

And the fact buildings that completely.

[Mike]

That would be crazy.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Randy was telling me that you could hear the explosion on Big Cormorant. Someone was outside in the morning and heard it two minutes later, 50 miles away. 50 miles away.

[Ben]

That's what I was cracking up too. So apparently. So your mom actually went to the top of the downtown Sanford to watch the explosion but didn't make it there in time. And she's like, she's like, yeah, we were on our way up the stairs but I guess like we didn't even hear it. And I'm like, there's no way you didn't hear it. Yeah, I guess. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[CJ]

Fair.

[Ben]

But yeah, she's just. And then like shortly after that I read the text that someone heard it and I'm big karma. I'm like, that's what I would have assumed.

[Mike]

Could have just been. Yeah, the fireworks were travel shooting guns.

[Ryan]

I saw. There was a TikTok of it. And I was like, oh, I know, I know that. And then some guy commented, wow, they did it with no plane this time.

[Ben]

Yeah, I got a. I got a lot of. I got a lot of 911 responses on my really Snapchat. And I was like, that was a tall building. I was like, just because maybe not.

[CJ]

Have been the best week to do that.

[Ben]

Did you guys see the rainbow of New York? It was like a double rainbow and it was like the most insane rainbow I've ever seen above New York on 9 11. Yeah, like on 911. It was insane. Like I couldn't. I couldn't believe my eyes. Of course I didn't see in person a bunch of tick tocks about it. People are just like, this is like the most insane rainbow I've ever seen over New York.

[Ryan]

Quick poll. Wild. Just yes or no. Do you think it was an inside job?

[CJ]

Yeah, I do. I feel like it was.

[Ben]

Yes, yes.

[Mike]

I Know.

[Ryan]

Okay. I think probably.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But let's tune back to our resident.

[Ken]

I think it was an inside job.

[Ryan]

There we go. Ken watches Fox News every day.

[Mike]

So if it himself is a little weird. You think George Bush did it.

[Ken]

The developer that owned the tower took out like some insane insurance policy like a few months before the.

[Ben]

And that's one of.

[Ken]

And it's just like fishy. Plus there's like a whole docu series of all the different little fishy things that don't quite add up.

[CJ]

It's like such a crazy thing to wrap your mind around if like the United States actually was behind doing that or like some. One person. Maybe it wasn't even like the government, but it was someone. Who else would have been. Yeah, who else would it have been? Like, who else would have had any incentive? Why would that guy, like, have that much power to be like, I'm gonna take an insane insurance policy out on it?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[CJ]

Now he's talking to like the most fear.

[Ben]

I don't think it was his idea. I think he. That let's say that guy was just filled in on it and he's like, sick. Like I'll be a part of it, of course, because I'm the like owner of the building.

[CJ]

Gosh, I don't know. It seems like there's like so many more like discreet ways to like cash on something than to like take an insane insurance policy out.

[Mike]

I don't know. On the building.

[Ben]

No, I'm saying he could have just been one. One piece of the moving cog.

[CJ]

No, I know. I'm just saying, like, there's like so many things that I'd like to just like believe in humanity not being that corrupt.

[Ben]

Yeah, same.

[CJ]

And I guess like certain things. Yeah, like certain arguments are hard to make as like, why would they would make sense. But it's also on the other end of it, like, like, man, how dark you gotta be. And then the fact that like really nothing's actually came out, like hard evidence wise.

[Ben]

No.

[CJ]

I don't know. You. Like, there is so many things that are fishy about it.

[Ben]

Ryan, you just had.

[CJ]

That's also like.

[Ben]

Well, I didn't.

[Ryan]

I actually. Yeah, you get into it because unfortunately so many people have delft. Delve into this topic. Is that a term? They've rung it out and we unfortunately do not have any insider information or higher powers discussion to add. But I just wanted to get a quick, quick insight.

[Mike]

Dude.

[CJ]

The Pentagon thing just seems weird though. Sorry to wrap back on that. That just seems so strange.

[Ryan]

I saw this tick tock of a guy. There was another plane hijacking either years before, year after, and he was on the plane and then he, while everybody else was hiding in the back corner of the plane, the guy's wearing like a bomb vest and said he's gonna blow a plane up. And this guy went, I think I'm gonna go take a picture with that guy. Because he basically calls bluff, right? He's like, well, one, I don't take the picture and then I only have my story to tell about being on the plane. Or two, I take the picture and we end up dying anyway. Yeah. So he went, wow. And took a picture with the guy.

[Ben]

And he was bluffing or no.

[Ryan]

Yeah, they ended up, everybody was fine. The guy didn't blow up the plane, stuff like that. But he's just got this picture of him smiling with a thumbs up or.

[Mike]

Big cheese and pop it up.

[Ryan]

And I thought that is exactly something one of you two would do do. You all hyped up on something. You'd just be like, I'm gonna go take a picture.

[Mike]

It we're gonna die. We might as well troll this guy.

[Ken]

Exactly.

[Ryan]

You're like, we might as well mess with him, man.

[Mike]

That guy had to be like, this guy's crazier than me.

[Ben]

Yeah. What a beautiful thought process. That's something like Dave would do.

[CJ]

Legit something Dave would do.

[Ryan]

Hi, Decker Photoman Ben Ennis explains Egyptar plane snap. But I mean, how classic is that? You're just like, well, I might die either way.

[Ben]

So like stood up to take the.

[Mike]

Picture, treating them all good like, oh, sir, sir, please let me get a picture with you. He's just like, what? Hold on. You're supposed to not like me.

[CJ]

I know. This is so boring in 1999 of me to say, I can't believe there wasn't TSA before 9 11.

[Ryan]

Wait, I know. It really is.

[Ben]

Was there? Non.

[Ryan]

No, no, dude, you just walk, right?

[CJ]

That's why put TSA in the airport.

[Ken]

You used to be able to like greet people when they got off the plane.

[Ben]

Dude, that's blowing my mind.

[Ryan]

Maybe it was all a long con just to make us miss a plane in the future.

[Ken]

You know, it's a long con to make you buy $100 a year every five years for pre check.

[CJ]

Yeah, Ken, I'm sure that's why.

[Ben]

My gosh. Okay, so I would have thought that it would have been, it would have started out really light and then like got more strict and then, you know, nothing crazy and then 9, 11. Then it got really strict where it is now. Like, it feels so strict now again, it's gotten a little easier. We can get in and out pretty fast. But like, like, you know, I'm like, I could deal with TSA every time. I'd prefer it if. If it was just fast and easy. And they weren't like.

[CJ]

I mean, it's all fun and games. I try flying with a avalanche airbag. Oh, they do not like that one bit. To be fair, it looks a little suspicious. Does. Yeah, it looks a little fishy. Man.

[Ryan]

What am I gonna do? Inflate a inflatable sack or blow the plane up?

[Ben]

Dude, the. The tsa. So like, when we were. I'll make this quick. When we were here last, my Evan's bag gets stopped. CJ's like, Haha, look at you. Of course, Evans.

[Mike]

Evan was tweaking.

[Ben]

My bag gets stopped.

[Mike]

I'm thinking, yeah. I'm like, oh, boy, these guys.

[Ben]

And then CJ's like, still like, damn. Of course it's you guys. Both your best.

[Mike]

I'm like, chocolate. I'm like. And Evan just like, thinking he's in trouble.

[Ben]

Terrified. He's just telling him it's just a Gatorade.

[Ryan]

I'm sure it's just a gator.

[Ben]

I'm like, evan, did they ask, bro? And then yours gets.

[Mike]

Then mine got stopped. And then I was like, okay. What the. Did you know they're just being strict because obviously I don't got to see.

[Ben]

So I was saying, like, if you're.

[Ryan]

Trying to be fast.

[Ben]

Yeah, they were just being strict. But like, anyway, mine, Evans, was my water bottle or his water bottle. Mine's water bottle. But anyway, the guy goes. He goes. He like pulls it out. He's like, the reason we pulled your bag is because we had a water.

[Mike]

Bottle in here and thought about bullying.

[Ben]

No. And then he's just like. I'm like, oh, yeah, sweet. You can toss it. And then he, like, didn't hear that. And he's just like. So we can do one of three things. We can either throw it away or. And I'm like, yeah, you can throw it. He's just like, are you sure? And I'm like, walking away at this point. And I'm just chuckling. Couldn't take them seriously, man.

[Mike]

They were taking their job seriously.

[Ben]

Yeah, they were.

[Mike]

And they were saving.

[CJ]

I mean, I don't mind jobs.

[Mike]

To be taken serious, I guess I don't mind it.

[Ben]

I. I'd prefer them to stop someone with a gun or A knife or something.

[Mike]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ryan]

It's just like when the cred card company calls you and they're like, hey, we blocked a suspicious charge. It's just you at the ATM in the casino late at night and you're just like, I'm mad that you're doing it. Like don't question what money I'm taking out. But also thank you for trying to stop someone from stealing all my money. You know dude, the way the world's.

[CJ]

Going, I wouldn't be surprised if one day like every Walmart had a TSA.

[Ben]

Or something of the sort.

[CJ]

Or like everything you go into has some sort of tsa.

[Ryan]

The like our kids will be sitting at some podcast table and they'll be talking about like back in my dad's day, it used to only be an 80 year old man who said thanks for coming in when you walked out.

[CJ]

Dude, the amount of stuff that gets stolen out of Walmarts every year is nuts. Like so much that like certain Walmarts are shutting down.

[Ryan]

A goddamn Walmart was stealing.

[Ken]

Well, dude, you guys billion dollars worth of products every year.

[Ben]

Did you guys hear like that new like California law.

[Ryan]

Oh, you can't.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Ben]

That you can't stop shoplifters.

[CJ]

Well, that might be the problem.

[Mike]

Those guys.

[CJ]

What is don't get. What is that?

[Mike]

What are they going for?

[CJ]

It is gonna be a free for all.

[Mike]

Everything's gonna get shutting down.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Dude, what are they doing down in California? They literally, I feel like they look at like a sane situation and then they're like how can we really this up?

[Ben]

I think they're like pushing everyone normal out, you know, because I'm not even talking like they're not even pushing like low income people out. They're just pushing like anyone who's not, not like part of let's say their cult, like they're just pushing all these people out and then California will just be like sanity like the woke.

[Mike]

You think eventually though, it's gonna kind of just like.

[Ben]

Yeah, ruin itself.

[Mike]

Like it's gonna take itself out with that kind of like if everyone's just stealing and there's no repercussions and.

[Ken]

Yeah, well then everyone's gonna move out and they're gonna move to like other places that don't have those laws.

[Ben]

Right.

[Ken]

And they're gonna vote those laws in.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[Mike]

And they're gonna ruin everything else is gonna go to.

[CJ]

I had a buddy that was arguing the fact that like Gavin Newsom is like doing a good job.

[Ben]

Really?

[CJ]

Really. Oh my gosh. I Don't want to say. I was like, you might be the only person in this. In this. This side of the country saying that.

[Mike]

You know, I couldn't believe the President, right?

[CJ]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I couldn't believe it.

[Ben]

You should have told him.

[CJ]

I literally couldn't believe it.

[Ben]

I. He'd be like, one of the few people you just have to tell them to fuck their own face.

[CJ]

No, I was. It was, like, kind of refreshing to hear, like, someone say something so outlandish. Like, you could go five years without meeting somebody who says, yeah, I literally, literally say it. I literally heard him say it. I laughed and went, really?

[Ryan]

You were expecting.

[CJ]

Dude. Also start laughing, dude. I honestly have nothing to say. If you feel that way, I'm a legend. Let's just keep on moving.

[Ben]

I love that. See, that guy's got to be stupider than Ryan.

[Ryan]

We could hire something around here.

[Mike]

No, no, he's a good.

[CJ]

He's a good guy.

[Mike]

So speaking of that song that you couldn't sing correctly. North man, north of Richmond. Living in the North. Ben. Ben's just making up his own words to the song. He got the melody right, right. But that song has gone so, so viral. Like, mega viral. And he just recorded off his Android phone. It's amazing.

[Ryan]

Android?

[Mike]

Yeah, he did off an Android.

[Ryan]

He recorded. Ever heard of an iPhone?

[Mike]

Just record it and.

[CJ]

But it.

[Mike]

It's, like, has a nice touch to the song.

[Ryan]

Like, it.

[Ben]

It.

[Mike]

There's this, like, almost realness to it, and it's just him with his. But that song has gone so viral and, like, the way that it speaks, I think it really connects to just the average person, especially in middle America. And I kept hearing about how this song is this big deal and it's going so viral, and I was like, this is a good song. Like, I like this song. When we were at Cletus's for the race, we were in Bristol and there's, like, all these people in the stands and there's just. They're just sitting there for hours, waiting for stuff to get set up and they have, like, music going. When that song came on, people started cheering, like, cheering. I was like, holy. Like, that's. That's amazing.

[CJ]

That's, like, one of the most patriotic things.

[Mike]

It was beautiful. And all the people just sat there and sang along to it. And then when it got done, they all cheered again and clapped. And I looked at Mike, I think.

[Ben]

And I go, dude, never seen a song do that.

[Mike]

This song has some serious impact.

[CJ]

Yeah. I think it's been like, so refreshing. I think, for like the. The common man. It. It was really interesting to. To be in that environment and hear.

[Mike]

It because that was like, I feel like.

[CJ]

Yeah, that's where it was. It was Virginia. And we were in Virginia, or right on the edge of Virginia, and clearly hit close to home. That guy, Oliver Anthony, he's got a crazy story. I listened to him on Joe Rogan's podcast. Really interesting, like you said. Recorded the song on his phone.

[Ben]

Wow.

[CJ]

Yeah, man. He was in, like, such a dark place. He was releasing the music because he didn't know if he was gonna be here tomorrow. Like, he was like suicidal. Wanted to release the music before he. If he killed himself, wanted to leave it to the world, release that. And it went viral pretty much overnight.

[Ben]

Wow.

[CJ]

Yeah. I haven't seen a song go like that viral that fast or an artist really pop off, but it's like. Because people resonate with them and he's.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Mike]

You know, I think it's refreshing too, and it's also kind of the truth.

[CJ]

Yeah.

[Mike]

It is true.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[CJ]

People. People like to hear it.

[Mike]

And most people don't say that.

[CJ]

Most people, I guess.

[Ben]

Yeah. Dude. I remember coming across that tick tock. And then like watching it, like, over and over. Like, you know, you kind of like, sometimes music comes up. I set my phone. I like, listen to it over and over. I'm like, man, yeah.

[Mike]

Something about it, man. Yeah. I guess he's going. Going on tour now. And obviously. So he wasn't obviously like a wealthy man or anything. I think he might have been normal or maybe, I don't know, maybe a little bit below, but he's living in.

[CJ]

A trailer with a tarp over the roof.

[Mike]

Okay. He is.

[Ryan]

It's.

[Mike]

It's now going, you know, he's going on tour, but he canceled his tour because the ticket prices were like up to $90 a ticket or something.

[Ryan]

Bucks.

[Mike]

He said that was too much and he canceled his tour. And they need to rent, fix the prices. Because what he's doing is he's. He doesn't want to switch up on his people. And I don't know, I just think it's. It's just a great story.

[Ben]

I remember making some stuff about that too. People are like, where's your. We want more music. He's just like, listen, I don't care about fame. I don't care about money. I care about getting the exact message that I made in that song across. However it's possible.

[Ryan]

I don't know.

[Mike]

It seems like America is. And People are starting to turn back to that and.

[CJ]

Well, I think, like, a lot of, like, super conservatives were, like, trying to say, like, see this song? This song is where America's at. This is our anthem. And then he was like, no, no, no, no. I didn't make this song. I didn't make this song for the conservatives or the. The. The liberals. Like, this is. This is for, like, neither of you guys.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Which is great that he prefaced, because you're right, a lot of conservatives were, like, taking that and running.

[CJ]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

All the. The talking heads at news stations that are exactly who he was singing about.

[Ben]

One last crazy part on that was. So the last presidential debate, they played that. They played the music video, like, you know, him singing. But the music video and the song, they played it at the debate. And then that's kind of when it hit me. I'm like, this song's literally about those guys.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Ben]

You know, because when I first heard it, I'm like, north of Richmond. North and Northman. No. But, yeah, so, yeah, they played it.

[Mike]

He.

[Ben]

He got a kick out of that. He's like. Like, the fact that they played it for the.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ben]

The people I literally sang it about is crazy.

[Mike]

I don't know, man. All I gotta say is that was one of the. It was a beautiful moment. I just can't even. I wish we had it, like, on camera. The way, like, the people cheered. I was like, what are they cheering for? And then I realized they were cheering for the song. And then when it all wrapped up, they started chewing again. I was like, that is amazing. Like, this song has some serious weight to it. All the best. Hopefully for that guy and his new future.

[CJ]

Yeah, dude. I saw another video of a bald eagle taking off and flying around a stadium during the national anthem.

[Ben]

That was just Ronnie Mac, this dude.

[CJ]

The national anthem's going in a football stadium, and this bald eagle is just soaring around the crowd. And then at the end of it, lands on it.

[Mike]

Oh, no.

[CJ]

Lands on train.

[Mike]

I thought it was a random.

[Ryan]

Like, everything's fake.

[CJ]

No, but I was like, yeah, man, you can train bald eagles now. I didn't know that, but it was so American. Honestly, I shed a tear. I was like, this is the most American thing I've ever seen. Next Cletus event we go to. I hope that he's got this eagle.

[Ryan]

He does need an eagle.

[CJ]

Yeah, he does.

[Ryan]

Hell, yeah, brother.

[CJ]

Yeah, that'd be American.

[Ben]

I bet the list of, like, whatever you gotta sign in the applications. Yeah.

[Mike]

What if that thing did some that.

[Ryan]

Tactic Canadian or something?

[CJ]

Right?

[Ben]

I'm just saying. Just grabbed one. They're like, listen, we only give one of these licenses out to train a bald eagle. I'm sure it was a baby every 29 years.

[CJ]

Who.

[Ben]

You know who's giving the license?

[Ryan]

I don't committee, but that's eagles, coats.

[Ben]

You're saying this eagle was trained? Yeah, yeah, I'm sure the application process and whatever else goes with it to get up a eagle in your possession.

[CJ]

Oh, okay. I got you. Got you to, like, be able to have an eagle.

[Ryan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Ben]

They give one out every 30 years or something. You know, I'm making this up.

[CJ]

But, like, the country. You're saying, like, the president has got.

[Ryan]

A sign off, like, yeah, the national bird.

[CJ]

Oh, man, that's true. How do you. How does one acquire an eagle to begin training?

[Mike]

I'm sure it was a captive eagle and it was a baby. And then they raise it from a baby be.

[Ben]

Yeah, I'm not wondering how they trained it. I'm just saying, like, I feel like if you. If we were like, yeah, like, I bought an eagle. Even if you bought one for 20.

[Mike]

You'Re interested, aren't you, in buying an eagle?

[Ben]

Yeah, yeah, sure.

[Ryan]

And then, you know what, Mike?

[Ben]

If the neighbors saw me with an eagle, they'd probably be like, yo, this dude's, like, training an eagle, so you need to go. And I'd probably get arrested.

[CJ]

Really?

[Ben]

Yeah.

[CJ]

I mean, you got narcs for neighbors.

[Ben]

I don't know. I'm just saying if. If.

[Ryan]

If someone isn't buffing out, so obviously.

[Ben]

Like, killing an eagle. But if you, like. Yeah, no, if someone, like, fiddling around with an eagle, you'd probably be like, I don't know what this guy's doing, but, like, he's got a bald eagle.

[Ryan]

I'm just picturing you in your front yard wearing your overalls, playing a fiddle, and there's an eagle dancing.

[Ben]

That sounds epic.

[Ryan]

Fiddling around. Imagine your neighbors are like, oh, Micah, he's up to something today. And you're. You put a telephone pole in the ground with a big eagle's nest.

[CJ]

I think my neighbors are so confused by me already. They would.

[Ben]

Would.

[CJ]

Where would you spread. Yes, I guess Ben's got an eagle.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

One day you pull up in a Lambo, the next the ambulance is taken out. Man, this guy's always up to something.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's always something like that guy.

[Ben]

I love confusing the neighbors. Like, quite literally, the. Never let them know your next move. It's a great meme.

[Mike]

Well, they never do, you know.

[Ben]

No, it's like I pull up in the Ram, pull up in the Bronco, pull up in the BMW, pull up in the Subi, pull up in the mini truck.

[CJ]

Dude.

[Ryan]

That your neighbor comes up to you and goes, hey, man, just gotta let you know your girl's having different guys. And you're like, no, no. And you, like, break down. You're like, what was he driving?

[CJ]

He pulled up in a. A red Raptor.

[Mike]

Oh, Evan drives a red Raptor.

[Ben]

I. Oh, Evan does, too. I was thinking of Dave.

[Mike]

Jake's dad.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[CJ]

What?

[Ben]

All right, we gotta end it, bro.

[CJ]

Oh, well, thanks for making it to this point in the podcast. If you guys haven't subscribed, hit subscribe, and we'll see you guys next week. Peace.