Episodes
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“We don’t do what we know we should with money, we do what we’ve practiced,” explains today’s guest Heather Wagenhals, TV host, author, speaker, financial wizard and race car driver, who can spot a poser from a mile away. She joins the Bart Baggett show to explain that becoming wealthy starts with telling yourself a different story about money. Our upbringing, she says, shapes the way we view wealth and success, and only when we see a different example modeled for us, do we dare to think and act differently.
As part of her Keys to Riches Financial Philosophy, Heather offers the Three Five Financial Strategy, in which clients address three questions and five areas of concern to determine their own vision of financial freedom—and everyone will have a different answer. Heather and Bart discuss getting rich both quickly and slowly, striking a balance between safety and risk, and between following your passions and taking a job that pays the bills.
Finding that passion and purpose is key to motivating us to change as the brain is lazy, risk averse and designed to keep us safe. Heather explains the power of our hearts and our desire as humans to connect with each other. She talks about choosing a positive mindset, emotional regulation, and changing our reality by telling ourselves a different story.
In an episode full of surprising revelations, Heather will reveal what truly separates billionaires from the average person and the essential benefits of the oft-maligned cortisol hormone, while Bart reveals the simple handwriting technique to help you become immune to other peoples’ opinions.
Quotes
“Yeah, go start a podcast. Go be a comedian. Go do the things that you wouldn't do. If that's all you had to do, and it was success or failure, you have the foundation. That's such good advice, because these days it's all get rich quick, or it's really boring advice to live below your means and invest. And for anyone under 35 that feels like an eternity.” (4:15 | Heather Wagenhals and Bart Baggett) “If people just take baby steps. Thirty grand to somebody who’s never made 30 grand in a year, it’s a huge risk. They can’t connect to it. Incremental wealth has to happen because we have to raise our financial thermostats.” (7:11| Heather Wagenhals) “So many people, especially new money, are so motivated by social proof. They want other people to respect them at the cost of their future. When I see these 25-year-olds with Ferraris and stuff, and I think, ‘Oh man, that guy's heading for a crash. Do you feel that way? Well, absolutely, because acceptance, we crave it at a cellular level. In my women's development programs and personal empowerment programs, we talk about how we crave connection at a cellular level. If you've ever–and I remember this from fourth grade health class–if you look at heart cells, have you ever seen live heart cells?” (12:13 | Bart Baggett and Heather Wagenhals) “I don't know many people that own a $300,000 race car, and who's smart and funny and I've never seen you in a bad mood, those are life skills that people want to learn. Forget the race car, just getting up early and having all these great friends. How do you do that consistently?” (25:59 | Bart Baggett)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Connect with Heather Wagenhals
https://heatherwagenhals.com/
https://unlockyourwealth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/makingsuccesssimple/
https://www.tiktok.com/@unlockyourwealth
http://makingsuccesssimple.com/
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
https://x.com/bartbaggett
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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"One thing you learn: the world does not stay the same," says Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Magazine. He joins The Bart Baggett Show to explore what sets billionaires—like those on the annual Forbes 400 list—apart from the rest of us, beyond just their wealth. The answer is both practical and refreshing. This same practical mindset has enabled Forbes Magazine to thrive in the digital age, even as many of its peers have faltered. Steve discusses the necessity of adapting to change, the importance of staying focused on your goals, and the surprising reason why so few people read books.
As the author of the new book, “Inflation: What It Is, Why It's Bad, and How to Fix It,” Steve draws a comparison between how politicians and economists handle inflation and how doctors used to treat patients—by addressing symptoms rather than the root cause. In a discussion that touches on health and longevity, Steve and Bart Baggett also delve into thriving well into old age, even beyond 120 years.
With AI now driving a fresh wave of changes in the media and publishing industries, Steve is likely to approach these developments with the same curiosity and creativity that have guided him throughout his career.
Quotes
“Well, one of the things you learn is that the world does not stay the same. Peter Drucker, the late great management guru, liked to say, ‘Every organization should ask itself, what is your purpose? What is your mission? What is it you are trying to achieve?’ And if you ask that question, if the means to achieve it change, you get less hung up on it. But too often we get hung up on the means and forget the goal. So when the internet came along, blew away everything we had learned, we had to…there's no no book about how you cope with the Internet. You have to do it yourself. So you make mistakes, but you try to come up with new ways of doing it.” (2:44 | Steve Forbes) “Again, trying to provide that service, trying to come up with products that meet the needs of people. And one of the things the internet did was relentlessly commoditize. You just couldn't have a name, you had to provide something and so that's what we continue to try to do. Who knows what AI is going to do? But we’re trying to remember what our goal is: to enable people to move ahead in life.” (3:57 | Steve Forbes) “Well, we have a book out called “Inflation: What It Is, Why It's Bad, and How to Fix It. It first came out three years ago when this thing was just beginning. We saw…the disaster coming. So in a week, we have the paperback version coming out, updated, new figures and also a great new foreword preface. So that comes out on July 16. And so yes, I'm still out there pitching, still out there agitating.” (5:01 | Steve Forbes)“It’s amazing, after 4000 years, politicians, policymakers, economists still treat inflation like doctors used to treat patients 200 years ago— the symptoms, not the cause. Yes, and so they bled the patient and so got rid of the patient’s suffering because they got rid of the patient.” (5:08 | Steve Forbes and Bart Baggett)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Steve Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/
https://www.facebook.com/SteveForbesCEO/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveforbesceo/
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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Episodes manquant?
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“America’s moving, in my opinion, in a bad direction,” says today’s guest, Roman Balmakov, director of the new documentary “No Farmers, No Food: Will You Eat Bugs?” As a reporter with the Epoch Times, founded by Chinese immigrants to counter the narrative of the Chinese Communist Party-controlled media, he joins the Bart Baggett show to discuss media bias and the current state of American journalism.
Roman describes a new era where many journalists see themselves not as impartial purveyors of information but as “gladiators in the arena.” This shift began with omitting suicides from the news to protect readers and has evolved into journalists suppressing information they deem harmful. When media outlets encounter content they disagree with, they often ostracize it using the same accusations and language, regardless of its relevance.
How will the media respond to Roman’s own movie, produced by EpochTV, which Bart calls “Netflix for thinking people”? The film explores the U.N.’s war on small farmers under the guise of fighting climate change.
Tune in to today’s episode as Roman and Bart discuss immigrant success, the role of entertainers in truth-telling, and whether we might all be subsisting on bugs in the near future.
Quotes
“Yeah, one of my close friends was born in Ukraine, just a few miles from Chernobyl. And he said, if the winds were different, he would not be here. You know, and luckily his family got out and they came here to America and he loves it. He's rich...very rich. Isn't it great to come to this country and to be rich?” (1:14 | Bart Baggett)“OK, so let's go back to the worst-case scenario. If you're in a dictatorship country and/or Poland in the 60s…this whole Communist thing. It's going to make you unmotivated. Because if you do, do well, even in the socialist countries in Sweden in the 70s, if you did really, really well, they taxed you at 90%, if I’m not incorrect in my math. I get that. When all of a sudden you're free, and there's not a gun pointed at your head, and you can start a business, you can start a carwash, you can start anything you want, that's like coming out of prison.” (2:43 | Bart Baggett)“I think the media here is biased. And only in the past few years have we seen that the media has been a little bit bought and paid for in some segments.” (6:10 | Bart Baggett) “If you saw the movie, well, the movie is kind of its own thing. This is a story that actually happened. But then you look at all these media outlets, one after the other, putting out these stories. And you're and you just kind of left to wonder, ‘Why all of a sudden, are they all, in unison, framing the story this way?” (11:11 | Roman Balkamov)Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Roman Balmakov:
https://www.instagram.com/facts.matter.roman
https://www.tiktok.com/@.epoch.times.roman
https://www.youtube.com/@FactsMatterRoman
https://www.facebook.com/FactsMatterRoman/
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
https://x.com/bartbaggett
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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“Everyone knows a sex worker,” says Ariela Moscowitz, but due to shame, stigma, and the associated risks, “nobody wants to talk about it.” As the director of communications at Decriminalize Sex Work, Ariela advocates for the removal of all criminal and civil penalties for consensual adult sex work. Additionally, the organization opposes a regulatory model gaining traction in the United States.
The ‘demand equality model,’ despite its name, decriminalizes the selling of sex but not the buying of it, in an attempt to reduce demand. This creates a power imbalance between workers and clients and exposes workers to significant rights and privacy violations. Supported by feminists who otherwise champion bodily autonomy, this model is based on the belief that all sex work is inherently exploitative and that sex workers need to be “saved.”
Ariela points out that human trafficking, a popular issue for politicians seeking voter approval, occurs predominantly outside the sex work industry.
In this episode, Ariela shares her journey in advocating for sex workers’ rights and recounts a woman’s story that highlights the devastating consequences of criminalizing sex work and the varied, often surprising reasons people enter the industry.
Quotes
“We don't want to see people saddled with criminal records for something they choose to do of their own volition with another adult in the privacy of their own home. And also, we know that decriminalizing consensual sex work is the best way to combat trafficking and exploitation in the sex industry.” (2:19 | Ariela Moscowitz)“But they're still existing in a criminalized arena. And when you're dependent on somebody who is nervous about getting arrested, they hold all the cards. So, where I started was, we have two goals: we want to decriminalize consensual adult sex work, and we want to fight this, I’ll call it “the equality model,” even though that drives me wild because there's nothing equal about the equality model…a lot of second wave feminists, the same folks who fight for bodily autonomy as it relates to abortion, but not as it relates to sex work, have decided that all sex work is inherently exploitative. We know that it's not. So, they want to ‘save’ these women who they also want to have autonomy. It's all inherently contradictory.” (6:18 | Ariela Moscowitz) “You know, it's generous to say they're well intentioned, but are hastily written, slapped together laws that are really solutions in search of a problem. So, they can say, ‘Hey, guys. Look what I did about trafficking,’ while they did nothing for trafficking, and everything to hurt consensual adult sex workers. In 2018,...SESTA/FOSTA basically fundamentally changed the way the internet works…platforms can't be held liable for what folks post on them. That's what shut down Backpage.” (14:26 | Ariela Moscowitz)“A lot of the structures we have in place in this society, really leave a lot of people out in the cold…you think laws are really written to keep you safe…and they actually make things more dangerous for people, which is what the criminalization of sex work does.” (17:38 | Ariela Moscovitz)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Connect with Ariela Moscowitz:
https://www.decriminalizesex.work
https://www.instagram.com/decrimsexwork
https://www.tiktok.com/decrimsex
Connect with Bart Baggett
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https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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“We always want to put people in categories,” says Mark Skousen, “if we believe in individualism, let’s treat everyone as an individual.” Mark, the founder of Freedomfest, clarifies that the event is not just a political conference for Libertarians but a “renaissance gathering” for people from all backgrounds who value thinking and living freely. On today’s episode of The Bart Baggett Show, Mark explains libertarianism beyond political affiliation and why freedom is the cornerstone of all societal systems.
Mark, a world-renowned economist, author, and professor, asserts that money and freedom are interconnected. He cites examples like Benjamin Franklin and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who built wealth and invested wisely to live life on their own terms.
Mark will discuss what makes a nation economically prosperous, draw parallels between a parent’s relationship with a child and a government’s relationship with its citizens, and argue why the U.S. should move away from the two-party system.
Despite societal challenges, Mark is optimistic about the upcoming generation’s willingness to learn and engage. Tune in to learn more about this year’s Freedomfest and how you can get discounted tickets with Bart’s help for a limited time. Coupon code “BART50” https://www.freedomfest.com
Quotes
“When children are young, they’re dependent on their parents for their livelihood, for their education and so forth. Unfortunately, that’s been translated too often to the government saying, ‘You’re all children and therefore we have to take care of you, your food, your medical expenses, your retirement and so forth.’ And that’s a danger.” (2:32 | Mark Skousen)“It’s not so much a political seminar. I first thought, ‘It’s a Libertarian conference,’ but that’s not my impression now, Mark. I feel like it’s people who love freedom, who want to experience—they have different social issues, some have very specific agendas, and some like me are just going, ‘Wow, maybe I can learn something.’...Well, that’s the problem—I don’t think you can pinpoint at ‘average’—everybody is so different. We always want to put people in categories and really I think, if we believe in individualism, let’s treat everybody as an individual.” (14:22 | Bart Baggett and Mark Skousen) “I see the Libertarians as those who favor maximum liberty within the rule of law and within a robust competitive economy or model, if you will, maximum liberty.” (19:22 | Mark Skousen)“I’m really worried about our legal system and what is being taught in law schools. And we’re starting to see that now and this thing against Trump…we’ve had criminal justice reform, which I think overall has been good, but I do think if you become a target, they can use the law to go after you and you can’t get representation and you can’t get a judge that’s really fair.” (29:37 | Mark Skousen)“How do you personally become wealthy, how does a nation become prosperous: it’s all the same thing. You live within your means, you save regularly, you invest the savings productively in a business or in the stock market which is other people’s businesses. And a nation’s the same thing.” (38:05 | Mark Skousen)Links
Save $50 on attending Freedomfest in Las Vegas in 2024.
Coupon code “BART50” https://www.freedomfest.com
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Mark Skousen:
https://www.mskousen.com
https://www.freedomfest.com
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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“Moral of the story: be so good at what you do that not even attempted murder will hold you back.” Comedian Brittany Hunter is very good at the many things she does, including creating the content for a major nonprofit law firm which hired her despite genuinely believing that she had tried to stab her ex-husband.
She never actually did—though she admits to lying to avoiding getting into trouble, so perhaps we’ll never know. This was just one of many persistent rumors that arose from a live-Tweet tirade she went on throughout her messy divorce.
Brittany’s approach to revenge is much more psychological than physical. She explains how she undermines the dreams and careers of her ex-boyfriends—several DJs and even a professional magician— in retaliation for their cheating on her and ignoring her. She tells the story of setting the precedent for text harassment laws in her native Utah while still in high school.
It all contributes to her personal brand of “trauma-dy,” a taste of which she serves up on today’s episode of The Bart Baggett Show. Tune in to learn what her sloppy cursive reveals about her and how she sets herself apart in a sea full of ‘Brittanys.” It is pronounced BRIT-TI-NEY… but she will answer to any version as long as you call.
Quotes
“I work at a nonprofit law firm. We have like 17 Supreme Court wins. I am not a lawyer. I'm a college dropout, not a lawyer. I do content. I’m a writer, first and foremost, so I storytell about the clients whom we represent, so I get to interview them, do all that. And surprisingly, all my coworkers and the general counsel of our firm are coming to see me tomorrow. I have done comedy in front of them. They hired me thinking I killed– or tried to kill–my ex husband.” (3:11 | Brittany Hunter) “I've never tried to stab anyone. First of all I’m a good shot, so if I would have tried to stab him, I would have stabbed him. You’re calling me a bad stabber. I follow things through. I follow through. If I wanted to murder him, he’d be dead. I’m a finisher.” (5:16 | Brittany Hunter and Bart Baggett)“My first criminal record started when I was 18 years old. I was the precedent in Utah for text messaging harassment. Text messaging had been out one year. I texted my high school ex-boyfriend, who cheated on me, 200 times a day, every day, for two months until the police came. That is some persistence. It was persistence. It was hard work.” (11:52 | Brittany Hunter)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Brittany Hunter:
https://www.instagram.com/brit_the_wit
https://www.tiktok.com/brittanyehunt
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4RwOhjX68nb7iYCFCAbtOA
https://www.instagram.com/britt_the_wit/
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
https://x.com/bartbaggett
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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“Community is everything,” says today’s guest Larry Sharpe, a business consultant, entrepreneur and Libertarian political activist. Growing up with a single mother who was an addict and a felon, Larry learned first-hand that the government is not here to help you. In fact, it might be working to keep you down once you fall. On today’s episode of The Bart Baggett Show, he explains the importance of what he calls “ownership mindset” as the only way to truly build wealth and why community is its centerpiece.
After graduating from the Marine Corps, he went into sales with the intent of making money, only to realize that he was the only one not profiting from his success. He explains why immigrant families who come to the U.S. are intent on owning something, and how they build community around it. He explains the root of capitalism, responsibility, and even why devoutly religious people make the best employees. Larry even covers how to support nonprofits while keeping your money safe from the government’s greedy hands.
Larry learned a lot by losing it all and building it back from scratch. He dispels the difference between guilt-based social conditioning in the West and shame-based conditioning in the East. This episode is a delicious blend of psychology, politics, and capitalism.
Join today’s episode of the Bart Baggett show the powerful and business savvy Larry Sharpe. Larry ran for governor in 2022 and continues to be dedicated to libertarian free ideas through community, business, and politics.
Quotes
“Well, you can if you look at one important thing, the number one thing to consider in your life in general. And this is where most of the poor communities fail. Ownership. Ownership of your life, ownership of your business, ownership of your family, ownership of your job. Ownership mindset. And the ownership mindset doesn't say, ‘What kind of job can I get? How can I pay my bills today?’ It says what kind of value can I bring that people will want?” (4:45 | Larry Sharpe)“When I got to the Marine Corps, my mother had an even worse problem. She actually became an addict. And she was a felon. And I pulled her out of jail. And I tried to get her life set up again. And that was my first real understanding of how the system is not meant for someone who falls down. It is meant to keep you down.” (9:01 | Larry Sharpe)“Government is very good at servicing, not at helping. They will service you all day long. They will make sure you don’t die and stay in that terrible spot forever. And they’re good at that, that’s a skill set the government has: keeping you in a bad spot. But actually helping you? Oh, they’re terrible. Community is everything and I learned that from my mother.” (9:39 | Larry Sharpe)“This goes back to our ownership mindset. When you find immigrant families coming, most of them want to own something, immediately, immediately, they want to own something or they want to do business around a house, they own something because they know that where they were from, they own nothing. That's why they left when it comes to own something. That Ownership mindset, which is also an entrepreneur mindset, but isn't always entrepreneurial, but it is ownership based.” (10:55 | Larry Sharpe) “The problem with so many nonprofits is they’re all getting government grants, which means you have government strings. So, basically, it’s a government agency that’s not unionized, that’s why the government loves it.” (12:52 | Larry Sharpe)Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett’s Show The World’s Most Interesting People Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Larry Sharpe
https://www.larrysharpe.com
https://www.facebook.com/sharpe4gov
https://www.instagram.com/larrysharpe
https://www.youtube.com/larrysharpeforoffice
https://www.tiktok.com/larrysharpe
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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Lou will still tell the joke that isn’t allowed in some circles. His audience doesn’t want “woke comedy” or watered down dirty jokes. It just has to be funny. Today’s guest standup comedian Lou Perez feels comfortable making the jokes that other comedians feel too scared to make.
In Lou’s new book, “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: The Death and Rebirth of Comedy” he reflects about the days when not only were you allowed to experiment, but encouraged to fail, and audiences were down for the ride. The World’s Most Interesting People Podcast host Bart Baggett digs into the the last 20 years of Lou’s comedy career and the state of comedy in general.
Lou was surprised with the election of Donald Trump to the American presidency, and more surprised at the short reign of woke comedy. You could start to see the punchlines from a mile away. Lou and Bart discuss the politics behind late night talk shows and how they found themselves unlikely defenders of free speech.
They also discuss some surprising findings in their respective DNA lineage, having each taken a 23andMe test. They consider how life would be different if they were more invested in identitarian politics, and the lasting influence of the greatest murderer in history, Genghis Khan.
If you’re looking for politically correct comedy, today’s conversation is not for you. Instead, Lou and Bart discuss the state of woke culture, why Twitter was once the best place for writing jokes, and why Joe hates to owe anyone anything.
Quotes
“The book is a really great opportunity to look back at how lucky I was to start out doing comedy when I was doing it where you were expected to try stuff, experiment and make mistakes, to fail, to bomb, and to learn from that and come back and hopefully be funnier.” (3:54 | Lou Perez)“Suddenly, you had this huge population of comedians that were just aiming their weapons at the President, and you couldn’t stray from that, for a lot of people, you couldn’t stray from that. You couldn’t let this guy get an inch. You couldn’t even make jokes about your own party if you were a Democrat.” (5:43 | Lou Perez)"The TV writers all live in Los Angeles or New York. There's a heavy liberal element to it. Trump is a Republican president. So it's very easy for them to write those jokes. But if you're from another country, he just looks like a weird clown with orange makeup on. He's easy to make fun of.” (7:08 | Bart Baggett)“Yeah, that is one of the gifts and one of the gifts of 23andme is I found out I'm 4.8% indigenous American. It's funny, because does that really change anything about me like my day to day, it's kind of like, ‘Oh, that's kind of a cool thing. And then just sort of like taking that like, ‘Man, what if I leaned into that?’ Now what that now that just, if I leaned–if I was the type of person who really took identitarian politics seriously, and my bloodline really seriously, where can I go with that?” (12:52 | Lou Perez)“I’m glad they’re giving back, we raped and pillaged their land. OK, give them five percent of the oil money. Makes sense to me. Yeah, my body’s 4.8%; the rest of it’s been raped and pillaged. I would be a lot more if it weren’t for the conquistadors, or whatever, coming over and doing their thing.” (14:36 | Bart Baggett and Lou Perez)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Show Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Connect with Lou Perez:
https://www.facebook.com/thelouperez.com
https://www.youtube.com/thelouperez
https://www.tiktok.com/thelouperez
https://www.thelouperez.com
https://www.instagram.com/thelouperez
Connect with Bart Baggett
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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“We’re a conspiracy-loving people,” says Elizabeth Nolan Brown, senior editor at Reason, a magazine which prides itself on debunking myth and emotion-based arguments from both the Left and the Right. On today’s episode of The Bart Baggett Show, she debunks a number of popular myths, including that the media was only ever a stalwart bastion of truth and integrity. In fact, she argues, with so many citizens acting as fact-checkers, the media is held to account more than ever.
Of course, transparency has its drawbacks. She and host Bart Baggett discuss the intrusion of constant surveillance and the importance of end-to-end encryption to keep our communication private from an intrusive government. The excuse that encryption will allow bad people to hide their bad deeds is another way in which the government exaggerates danger and instills fear so that we’ll forfeit our civil liberties for a false sense of safety.
What’s really behind the widespread conspiracy of a major sex trafficking circuit operating throughout the U.S.? Are aliens real? Are we really in a population decline? Elizabeth Nolan Brown, who also writes for libertarian feminist nonprofit Feminists for Liberty, answers these questions and more on today’s episode.
Quotes
“It’s a little bit of a myth, actually. I do think that standards are somewhat different today; there’s a lot more opinion in certain news outlets today than there used to be. But this idea that we used to have this objective press that was infallible is really wrong and it’s just that we didn’t have people to correct them.” (2:56 | Elizabeth Nolan Brown) “And the other thing is that like a lot like with the war on drugs...they use this as an excuse to invade everyone's civil liberties. There have been a lot of laws passed over the past decade and a half that allow more surveillance by police, allow more monitoring of social media, allow all sorts of things that we wouldn’t stand for except that people say, ‘Oh, it’s to stop human trafficking,’ ad they they use it as sort of a backdoor way to invade civil liberties of everybody. (8:03 | Elizabeth Nolan Brown) “Free speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom of assembly. Freedom to avoid government surveillance, either in your physical space or in your digital life. That’s a big thing now, is that we’re fighting the same battles we fought in physical space now so much when it comes to your internet activity, your emails, your text messages.” (10:58 | Elizabeth Nolan Brown)“Criminals are going to use everything. You have to find a way to stop criminals without invading everyone’s privacy.” (12:24 | Elizabeth Nolan Brown)“There are a couple countries that have a "Yeah, go have sex go make babies" day. Which is actually one of the more benign things though. You also have government's paying people, trying to bribe people into having babies. You have Nordic countries doing a lot of free childcare and free mandatory parental leave and all these types of social welfare state things happening. There is no evidence that any of it is really working.” (13:49 | Elizabeth Nolan Brown)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Baggett Show Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Elizabeth Nolan Brown:
https://www.reason.com
https://www.instagram.com/enbrown
https://www.facebook.com/elizabethnolanbrown
https://www.youtube.com/feministsforliberty
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
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“Even if Congress were the most intelligent and incorruptible people… they should not choose for you. They are often idiots” —Spike Cohen discusses the problems with Democracy.
“We have to show people that liberty works, it’s something that makes sense, it’s not just a theory,” says Spike Cohen, founder of the organization “You Are the Power'', which works to see justice for community members who’ve been wronged by their local governments.
In this episode of The Bart Baggett Show, Spike Cohen tells the story of one pastor who sheltered and fed the local homeless population in his church, and the local government responded by seizing the church. Why are local community leaders not allowed to feed the homeless? The answer will surprise you.
Politics is a dirty game, as Spike saw firsthand as vice presidential candidate for the Libertarian party in 2020. He and Bart talk about the real story behind the two World Wars and what he sees as the problem with handing power to a handful of power-hungry people like those who govern the US.
If Spike had any aspirations toward power or status, a diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis in 2016 gave him a new perspective. He explains how, far from being an obstacle, this served as a catalyst for many great changes in his life.
Join today’s discussion as Spike Cohen and host Bart Baggett discuss imposter syndrome, dress swapping, and how Spike got his name (and why he had to steal it back from a dead dog).
Quotes
“I want to kill the narrative that libertarians can't win and change it to not only can libertarians win, but when we win, the people win for a change, too.” (4:47 | Spike Cohen) “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And the thing is, the more that you centralize that power into one person, or even a relatively small group of people. In DC we’re basically ruled over by 546 people, 435 in Congress, 100 in the Senate, nine in the Supreme Court and one in the White House. 546 people are making day to day life and death decisions for over 350 million Americans across a gigantic landmass and multiple islands and so forth. And even if these were the most intelligent and incorruptible people they still couldn't possibly know as well as you do what you need. And of course, they aren't the most intelligent people. They're often idiots, and they're certainly not incorruptible.” (10:42 | Spike Cohen) “A lot of people who are successful have status, but their self esteem is actually pretty low. So the more successful they are the more they feel validated. And then temporarily, they feel good enough, but it's a never ending drug of validation.” (18:21 | Bart Baggett) “In 2016, I was diagnosed with MS. It forced me to rethink every aspect of my life down from what I ate, to how I operated, to what I thought about myself and everything else. And now, I'm living on purpose. And that has completely changed my mindset on everything. I'm not chasing status anymore. I'm chasing a vision that I have for what I'm trying to do and that now when I go to bed at night, I am excited to wake up the next morning to do the next thing.” (18:55 | Spike Cohen)Links
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Links
Connect with Spike Cohen:
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Meet Bart Baggett and Spike Cohen at FreedomFest this year.
https://freedomfest.com/ coupon code for $50 discount “bart50’
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“Liberty is my North Star. Without it…you are just a slave.” Lily Tang Williams understands and appreciates freedom in a way that only someone who grew up without it truly can. Lily is running for Congress and she intends to win.
A U.S. citizen for many years now, she’s watched the country grow to resemble more and more the Communist China from which she originally fled. To help turn things around before it’s too late, she is running for U.S. Congress. She joins The Bart Show to discuss the warning signs of Communism and Marxism. Why is free market Capitalism under attack? There is a danger of trading security for freedom.
As propaganda and revisionist history continue to blur the line between fact and fiction, Lily and Bart explain the importance of broadening and diversifying where we get our news. They discuss what governments do to people who speak up and Lily’s plans for Congress. Bart even announces her in good mental health when Lily’s handwriting reveals she’s a perfect fit for politics.
In a playful yet informative conversation, they discuss important questions like… Is healthcare a human right? What distinguishes fairness from justice, equity from equality? Join today’s discussion to learn from a woman who has been on either side of freedom and knows exactly where she wants to be.
Quotes
“I'm an American. I want freedom. You know, 90% of people in New Hampshire are white people. I feel very welcome there. Most people have the traditional value of the New Hampshire motto ‘Live free or die’. They say that if she gets it, she will be a fierce fighter for freedom and challenge the socialists in Congress. I'm kind of new, they don't know me that well. But once they find out what I stand for, they respond very positively.” (3:37 | Lily Tang Williams) “This goes so deep, because I've spoken in Beijing. I have many, many fans across Europe. I've spoken in Poland, which was Communist just 20 years ago. And when I'm interacting with these amazing people, and they really, really want the idea of being an entrepreneur is very foreign. The idea of “No, I gotta make my business, I gotta make my paycheck. I have to hire employees.” And they're like, Well, what about you know, we just want to work for the government. We just, we expect security…trading your liberty for security for things like communism is such a disastrous road.” (4:44 | Bart Baggett)“It’s a form of limited free market Capitalism.. China took off economically. What do you know about today's China? People want to be entrepreneurs and want to become rich…When you have a bad system like Socialism or Communism, these individuals have no incentive because you don't get rewarded when you work hard. Remember, Obama said, ‘You did not build that. I took that as such an insulting attack on my free entrepreneurship.’” (10:38 | Lily Tang Williams)“To me, political freedom and economic freedom go together. In China today, it may be like in the 80s or 90s you could start a business pretty easily. But without the rule of law as private property owners, private corporation owners, you don't have the guarantee of the protection of your private property. Look at what happened to Jack Ma, the billionaire who disappeared for a few months in China. Well because he criticized Chinese regulators.” (14:50 Lily Tang Williams)Links
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Connect with Lily Tang Williams:
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Sponsored by Freedomfest. https://freedomfest.com coupon code “bart50”
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For anyone to write and publish a book is a remarkable achievement. Swedish comedian, writer and political satirist Aron Flam not only wrote a bestseller, but with his book he helped change Swedish law.
Before the release of “Det här är en svensk tiger” (“This is a Swedish Tiger”), Sweden had one of the weakest protections of parody, satire and comedy in the Western world. As a result of Aron’s more than two years of prosecution at the hands of the Swedish government for supposed copyright infringement, those protections are now some of the strongest, behind only the U.S. and the U.K.
An outspoken proponent of free speech and critic of woke-ism, or what’s known in Sweden as “consensus culture,” Aron explains the meaning of the book’s cover art, its dual commentary on Sweden’s collusion with the Nazis in World War II and its culture of silence and conformity, and the ironic manner in which the state reacted to his book.
Join this fascinating conversation as Aron and host Bart Baggett talk about the importance of ego, being the most intelligent person in the room and whether Swedes actually have a sense of humor.
Quotes
“So, we had one of the weakest protections of parody, satire and comedy in the world, in the Western world, at least. In America, it's been tried. And it's been through the courts, and now SNL can do whatever they want. Not so much. Well, you have the strongest protection, right? You have fair use and all that, because we've already had the lawsuits and everyone's already tried and failed. And now we know we can do this. Okay, so basically a trailblazer in comedy satire now. Yes, I've set a new precedent of, ‘Hey, it's okay to mock the government.” (10:06 | Aron Flam and Bart Baggett)“That was called “the so-called parody exception.” It was called not “the parody exception,” but the “so-called parody” exception, which means that anytime it went up and against real laws, like copyright, for instance, then you would lose, right? So, that promotes self censorship, right? Because you don't know exactly what you can do and what you can't do, until you've actually done it. So after I won the court case, now we have the iOS parody protection, together with the so-called parody exception, which gives us one of the strongest protections for comedy parody and satire in the western world apart except for you guys. And the Brits.” (10:42 | Aron Flam)“Judicially, I’m vindicated, but, culturally, I don’t think so.” (11:28 | Aron Flam)“I think everyone has something and it doesn't have to be intelligence. I mean, you can be a nice person, even though you're, maybe you're not the smartest person in the room, you still might be a good human being. And that's enough for me, basically. And you still might be interesting, even though you're maybe you know, have a lower IQs.” (17:06 | Aron Flam)Links
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Connect with Aron Flam:https://www.aronflam.com
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“Even when I tried to get serious, I’d mess up and the song would go goofy. I’d start off as Ice Cube and end up as Will Smith. I wanted to be a good rapping funny dude.”
For a guy who grew up questioning what he read in the Bible, Afroman’s trajectory to stardom, beginning with his worldwide breakout hit “Because I Got High” draws some pretty strong parallels–even parables.
Rapping since he was in elementary school, Afroman had worked for years trying to make it in the music business with little success. One night at a rave in New Orleans, he decided to test the idea that it is better to give than to receive. He gave away a box of his CDs to 500 of his fellow ravegoers and went back to his house in Mississippi. Within 72 hours, thanks to early streaming services like Napster, the song went viral around the world, even gaining attention from superstar radio DJ Howard Stern. Afroman would come to the conclusion, citing Jesus’ own story as an example, “the lowest low makes the highest high.”
These days he still smokes weed occasionally, but gets a real high from making himself and his audience laugh. Every time someone hears one of his songs for the first time, and it makes them laugh, Afroman laughs like it’s the first time, too. And when the jokes stop being funny, the sound keeps everybody dancing. As a lifelong fan of rap, he’s got the skills of more serious rappers, but ultimately wants to bring happiness, giving everyone a good time, and receiving a good time in return.
He also does unto others what he wishes others had done unto him. Having had his confidences betrayed and off-the-record remarks recorded without his consent, he now shares others secrets only with God. Join this hilarious discussion with Afroman to hear his thoughts on strong women, the difference between being an ethical non-monogamist and a player, and the internet thieves who stole his domain name–because he got high.
Quotes
“I’ve made studios in motel rooms. I had a dude set up his computer, take the mattress and make a soundbooth. My best record was done in my back room—we had a house in Mississippi set on bricks, so the water could go underneath when the frequent floods come—and I had a preacher mic with a dirty sock on it. I didn’t have a P popper, there was a sock laying over it in the corner. And I could tell when I was getting too close to the mic because I could smell the sock.” (0:43 | Afroman)“The lowest low makes the highest high. The thing about a movie, a movie always takes you low and then they give you that good ending. Jesus, they crucified him on the cross but he ascended to heaven, now there’s a building on every corner worshiping him because he had the lowest low and the highest high. Yeah, I scraped the bottom, but that only made the story sweeter. So, if you have bad luck in life, and you keep going, the victory’s going to be that much sweeter.” (3:17 | Afroman)“I am a rap fan. There are some good rappers. There’s a rapper who’s really good but he’s always serious…He’s always bad. Even though he’s a better rapper, I had more fun with the 2 Live Crew. They couldn’t rap worth a damn but, damn, I had a good time. So, what I wanted to be was a rapper who could rap but chose to have fun.” (8:12 | Afroman) “I don’t want to write another sad song. Every time I sing ‘Because I Got High,’ it reminds me of all those good occasions and I start laughing all over again. So, if I wrote a really sad song that really depressed me, every time I sing it it’s going to take me to that other place. ‘Afroman committed suicide in his hotel room today. An overdose of Fentanyl and heroin and everything else.’ If I keep singing and depressing myself then I get depressed. But when I sing ‘Because I Got High,’ not only do I make other people laugh, I make myself laugh and I’d rather be uplifted than depressed.” (10:55 | Afroman)“If you talk to me and you want that to be confidential, then that’s what it’ll be. I don’t like when I talk to people and if it’s not an interview I know about, they’ve got a microphone going, videotaping me and I don’t know it. Or I tell them something and I start hearing it everywhere, and I think, ‘That’s what I get for opening my heart to that guy, right there.’ So, of course because if I’ve had it done to me, I don’t want to be that guy. If you tell me something, if I feel some kind of way I’ll pray about it, but your business is between you and God. If you share it with me, it’s not going nowhere.” (20:18 | Afroman)Links
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Connect with Afroman
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“Gratitude is the gateway to positivity,” says Tom Corley, CPA, financial planner and author of seven books about wealth building, including the original “Rich Habits.” And positivity, as it turns out, is the gateway to wealth. If there’s one trait self-made millionaires share, Tom has found, it’s a positive mindset.
When you take stock of what you have, rather than what you don’t have, you program your subconscious to deliver more abundance, including wealth. If it sounds “woo woo,” it’s actually a matter of neuroplasticity and part of the function of the brain’s reticular activating system.
Rich people engage in growth habits, Tom explains. Every day, consistently, they commit to an activity that moves them closer to their goals. Growth isn’t about breaking bad habits but rather forging one of the 10 “keystone habits.” Each keystone habit creates complementary habits which, in turn, vacuum up those bad habits, he says, like Pacman. You should also consider creating an idealized future self (Tom calls his JC Jobs, a character who appears in three of his books), and act as if you already are that person.
As Tom has figured in his years of research and interviewing people at both ends of the economic spectrum, there seem to be four paths leading up to wealth’s gateway: the saver/investor path, the big company/climber path, virtuoso path, and dreamer/entrepreneur path. He discusses which personalities are best suited to which path, and which tend to accumulate the most wealth and how quickly. He shares the minimum amount of money one would have to save to be able to retire based on standard of living and location.
The law of attraction is nothing without action. In this episode, you’ll learn how to create your own wealth mindset and atomic habits. Tom and Bart discuss what it was like growing up poor and in abject poverty (and the difference between the two), the common misconceptions that those outside of America have about its wealth, and who you should start hanging out with if you want to get rich.
Quotes
“Rich people engage in something called “growth habits.” I started out reading to learn from my research, about 20 minutes a day. I have to do a lot of reading as a CPA, a financial planner. But I used to bundle it and I would spend half a Saturday reading through everything. What I found out is that the wealthy people did this every day, for 30 minutes or more.” (3:57 | Tom Corley) “You don't need to break bad habits. You just need to forge Keystone Habits. And the Keystone Habits create complementary habits.” (6:33 | Tom Corley) “You can't break a habit. The only way to break a habit neurologically is if you don't engage in the habit for, they think, around 20 years. The glial cells in the brain start to tear apart or dismantle the habit synapse, the pathway, the neural pathway that’s sort of created.” (7:18 | Tom Corley)I've talked about how you program optimism and everything from music to emotional states, to getting rid of toxic people in your life, to the belief systems, to journaling every day, opening your day with appreciation. There are dozens of ways to do it. You created these 10 Keystones. Are any of those designed specifically to create more optimism and more hope? (12:20 | Bart Baggett)“Your reticular activating system. It's part of the thalamus system. The thalamus is the gatekeeper, gatekeeper to invite environmental, external stimuli. So when you set goals, or you have a dream that you're pursuing, it gets programmed into the subconscious, but more importantly, the subconscious and the thalamus and the reticular activating system, work in unison, behind the scenes, to try and seek out environmental stimuli that will help you reach your dreams and your goals.” (17:47 | Bart Baggett)Links:
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Show Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
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“Magic without humor is inhumane,” says Doc Dixon, a comedian magician, who luckily for his audience, delivers both in equal measure. He keeps the audience laughing so that they never see the magic trick coming, resulting in what he calls “mind seizures.” For Doc, it’s just as important to be fun as it is to be funny.
This cat-and-mouse dynamic of delivering the unexpected may be an extension of his thrill-seeking personality and his desire for the unexpected, according to his handwriting. Bart reveals that Doc has a very particular trait in common with the late broadcaster Larry King. Bart would know—he shares a wild story about appearing on Larry King’s show and how he made Larry laugh at the most inappropriate time.
There is such a diversity of venues for magicians to perform in that they will probably be the only survivors of the apocalypse—along with cockroaches. Doc explains the difference between performing at a corporate event versus a comedy club (besides the money) and the dreaded request that corporate hosts always make.
Before Doc was happily married, he made a request of his own to a former girlfriend, and her reaction was something of a mind seizure in itself. Join the fun (and funny) on this episode of The Bart Show to hear that story, as well as to learn the similarities and differences between magic setups, comic writing and comic structure, and why applause is like applesauce.
Quotes
“It's a good feeling. But you don't get addicted to applause. My job is to create a show that makes people want to clap and laugh a lot. So there's that kind of pride and craftsmanship. But do I have this kind of needy ego thing? Not really. I have that needy wife and kids who need to eat. (1:58 | Doc Dixon)“I think a lot of what I do in terms of not just being funny, but being fun. I want to have fun with people. Because I think, I don't want to say it's a level above funny, but it's a different thing that the interactive nature of magic can do that a strict monologist can't or doesn't do, because it's not a fun interactive thing. But knowledge is knowledge. It's the basis of a good stand-up comedian.” (4:40 | Doc Dixon) “A lot of magicians are great comedians, because that's what they go for. David Copperfield is the goat as far as magicians. Incredible. There's parts of his show that are funny. But I would not call him a great comedian. The parts of the show that are intended to be funny are indeed funny. Yeah. But the parts of the show where the wind is blowing through his hair. That's dramatic. It's dramatic. I don't do drama. But he's awesome.” (5:48 | Doc Dixon) “Building dramatic tension is key. One classic joke is, ‘I remember before I was married being on the road, the women constantly, constantly banging on my hotel room door. I finally had to let them out.” (20:33 | Doc Dixon)Links
Connect with Doc Dixon:
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Maj wants to make sure that no one is left out of the capitalist system. He shares business and marketing secrets he learned both from his time selling shoes at Foot Locker and from selling DVDs and weed on the train in his native Philadelphia. Anything you do, he says, turn it into a free market enterprise.
Maj cites 50 Cent and actor Ryan Reynolds as shrewd businessmen who knew how to negotiate the best deals, even when it meant taking financial hits up front. The music industry is full of “culture vultures,” who profit off of other peoples’ products. Hip hop, Maj says, is the most powerful form of expression in the world, which is why it was co-opted and used to make millions which bypassed the culture that created it.
Our own internal voices send us powerful messages as well, and Maj and Bart discuss healthy versus unhealthy self-talk. Learn why he compares America to the tower of Babel, the origins of “reality rap,” and why you have the power to earn millions of dollars right in the palm of your hand.
“I don’t want my friends to continue to get lost in a system,” explains Maj Toure, rapper, social activist and founder of Black Guns Matter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating Black Americans about gun culture and gun control in the U.S., as well as defending 2nd Amendment rights.
As Bart notes, humans are motivated to move toward pleasure and away from pain. Maj was motivated to found Black Guns Matter after losing friends to gun violence or seeing so many young Black men getting arrested for possessing a firearm. By educating Black citizens on gun ownership, he is not only putting a weapon in their hands that will help them protect their own communities, but putting the American dream–a dream many thought did not belong to them–back into their hands as well.
Quotes
“Society is targeted to a young person who says, ‘I should just buy weed and sell it.’ And I'm not mad that it's wrong. It's commerce; it's an exchange. But they won't say, ‘I want cannabis, and it should not be criminalized, and I should not have to pay licensing fees to the state to have a cannabis dispensary. I should be able to grow cannabis; that's a horticultural plant. I should be able to grow this, I should be able to cure it, I should be able to package it, and I should be able to sell it.’” (1:37 | Maj Toure) “My job is to make sure that my demographic recognizes it is wrong to sell products that give people myocarditis. I want them to recognize that there are other ways of bringing that type of commerce and free market enterprise to your demographic that can be highly profitable, without the same risk potentially, ‘I can go to jail,’ or ‘I can get robbed,’ you know?” (3:18 | Maj Toure)“You do what Barry Gordy did, a 60s/70s record label out of Detroit. Fast forward, you do what Master P did. You do what Phil Knight did with Nike. He worked for ASICs first, and then came up with this thing. And yes, Phil Knight sold Nikes out of the trunk of his car initially.” (9:34 | Maj Toure)“Ryan Reynolds is a great example of the ups and downs of any career. These are lessons that come with pain. The pain of being an actor. Not knowing when I'm going to get the next gig,’ then hitting the lotto with Deadpool, right? But no one talks about when he was also Green Lantern.” (15:49 | Maj Toure)“I’m a tyrant to myself. My inner voice is disgusting. My thoughts aren’t negative, they’re aggressive. That’s why I don’t smoke weed as much anymore. That inner voice will tell me things like, ‘Bro, you don’t have $10 million in cash or Bitcoin, yet? You’re a loser. You’re a loser.’ It can be motivating when I come down and have that moment of clarity, but I’m still calling myself a loser at that moment. It’s not a really healthy thing.” (17:53 | Maj Toure)“We’re taking these communities that do not feel like they are part of the American dream, and they’re saying, ‘Nah, this is for me, now. The American dream is mine as well.’” (21:46 | Maj Toure)Links
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“If you have blood, you’re allowed to have an opinion.” As a young multi-disciplinary artist who spent her early years on Tumblr, Salomé Sibonex witnessed firsthand the beginnings of the current wave of cancel culture where ideas that are deemed offensive are shut down and people are denied the right to speak based on their immutable characteristics. Now that this trend is firmly in the mainstream, Salomé uses her voice to push back against censorship and wokeness, question the status quo, and promote freedom of speech.
Freedom, after all, is integral to making great art and you can’t be free when you’re afraid. By fearlessly expressing herself and sharing ideas through her writing, she connects with readers who feel similarly but are afraid to speak for themselves for fear of being attacked or maligned.
Her search for the truth began at a young age. Growing up in Miami as a Cuban American, her family practiced a hybrid of Catholicism and Santeria, a folkloric religion similar to Voodoo, both of which inspired a good deal of skepticism and a lot of questions about what was real and what wasn’t. Initially, she took for granted the freedoms afforded to her as an American, freedoms that her Cuban grandmother escaped poverty to afford her. She eventually learned to appreciate her privilege without allowing anyone to use it as an excuse to dismiss her opinion.
This passionate young lady is boldly speaking for a generation whose worlds exist more online than they do in the real world and must learn how to navigate its pitfalls. On today’s episode, she and Bart discuss the consequences of free speech, the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, and whether women are truly interested in a seat at the table.
Quotes
“It guided my life at this point. I had to overcome a lot of self censorship when I was younger. And I think that it's something that young people have to navigate a lot. Now, this culture, that's really hypersensitive, hypercritical, a lot of bad faith attacks against people, we're not really trying to get to the truth of something, or understand the other person's perspective. We're trying to dunk on them. We're trying to dismiss them without ever giving any chance that they might have a reason for their perspective.” (2:23 | Salomé Sibonex) Because in my opinion, there is no percentage of blood that allows you to have an opinion on something. If you have blood, you're allowed to have an opinion.” (5:39 | Salomé Sibonex)Yeah, I mean, my family comes from Cuba. So it's like, my family came from nothing. My grandma didn't have running water. She wasn't allowed to learn how to read. Then, she came to this country. And so in comparison...yeah, I'm actually privileged.” (15:40 | Salomé Sibonex)“Play is freedom to me, because you can't be playful, if you're afraid.” (13:16 | Salomé Sibonex)“And I've had pushback for that. I've had push back for my criticism of the idea that we should rank people based on their immutable characteristics, rather than actually listening to the individual and then ranking them based on whether their ideas are actually good or not.” (16:54 | Salomé Sibonex)Links
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Connect with Salomé Sibonex
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Siam Pasarly is lucky to be alive. Siam saw firsthand people hanging off of the wings Military plane desperate to escape Afghanistan when the Taliban retook the country. For those on the wrong list, escape was the only way to avoid imminent torture and execution.
Siam eventually did escape through a series of desperate measures evacuated just after the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021. He. Before then, Siam took a major risk of his own publishing ideas that went directly against the Taliban’s policies of keeping the masses uneducated and isolated.
Before the evacuation, Siam published a simple book called “How to Use the Internet,” which sparked a nationwide debate in a country where the use of the internet, technology, and all forms of media were banned as sinful and heresy. Siam became a local hero, but also got his name on the Taliban’s most wanted list of enemies against the state.
While deeply disturbed by the current political state of Afghanistan, Siam argues that fanatics are the problem… not Islam itself. Many aspects of Islam are misunderstood. Divorce is okay, he says, while cruelty, aggression and fighting are not. Strict codes of dress and other confining rules placed are a cultural deviation which upon women are a matter of culture rather not the core beliefs of religion.
In this episode, Bart digs into Siam’s handwriting to better understand this man with a remarkable story. Siam has an unusual signature and is quite unique for either culture.
Join us to hear his fascinating story, as told in his latest book “Escape from the Taliban,” is one of courage in the face of unfathomable circumstances and an indomitable quest for freedom and truth. Rage in the face of unfathomable circumstances and an indomitable quest for freedom and truth.
Quotes
“I’m sure you might remember the scenario of the airplanes–when the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. There were people that were hanging off the back of the airplane and couldn’t get on. You saw the people there on the side of the airplane. You saw that for some of the people, there was no space on the airplane, and they hung on the airplane tires here and there. When the airplane took off, people fell. That really happened. I was there.” (1:33 | Siam Pasarly) “At that time, I was between two and eleven years old. We had been told that using technology was ‘haram’ in Islam–it’s illegal. You should not watch TV, you should not take pictures, you should not use the internet. It was banned.” (4:46 | Siam Pasarly) “Quran, Islam–is very different to the perception that people have. Quran and Islam are solid, very normal, in favor of development, science, it’s all about beauty, beauty of life, unity, using our natural resources, everything that you have.” (6:26 | Siam Pasarly)“Well, who needs an ID to vote and stuff? If you have IDs, you can vote. If you can vote, you can have a democracy. If you have democracy, then people would have an opinion, and then the old men in charge who want to have 17 wives who can’t read don’t get what they want.” (9:14 | Bart Baggett)“I love my religion and I believe in choice. You love someone, someone loves you, and you say ‘I want to marry you,’ and she says, ‘I want to marry you,’ go. If you don’t like that lady after ten years, after two years, after three years, ‘We cannot live together, baby, let’s leave, let’s divorce, you go find someone that you love, I will go find someone that I love,’ this is your right.” (12:57 | Siam Pasarly)“Don’t destroy your present for an unclear future, for tomorrow and for your dark past. Enjoy your present.” (18:47 | Siam Pasarly)Links
Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Show Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Siam Pasarly:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SiamPasarlyMotivationalSpeaker
https://www.linkedin.com/in/siampasarly
https://www.instagram.com/siam_pasarly/
https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Taliban-August-Violence-Unclear/dp/B0BQC146FB
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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“Violence is just very interesting, ya know?” says Yoshi Obayashi whose fascinating life story serves as the basis for his truly unique brand of dark comedy.
Yoshi’s interest in violence started early, when his father took him to visit the home of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Today, Yoshi continues to take “murder tours,” visiting sites related to terrorists and high profile murderers, and sitting in on the trials of infamous criminals such as Jeffrey Epstein and Elizabeth Holmes. Everyone is fascinated by violence, he says, though men for markedly different reasons than women.
Yoshi found himself on the receiving end of violence beginning at an early age. As an ethnically Korean kid living in Japan, he was physically and psychologically harassed by other children in an attempt to “normalize” him. A tip from a neighbor in the Japanese mafia ensured those kids never bothered Yoshi again. Later, after his mother kidnapped him and his brother and took them overseas, he found himself living in a navy town in Washington State where veterans took their lingering resentments against the Japanese out on him.
Even more than by our shared love of violence, people are united by shared love of sex and porn, and warring political groups may be surprised to learn how closely their secret fetishes overlap. Yoshi gained invaluable insight into human nature during his 25 years spent working in the sex industry for 25 years, including for the infamous production company Evil Angel. Some people turn to BDSM to find respect and dignity, while others who grew up in the segregated southern U.S. seek interracial porn to lament lost love. Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s lack of experience with women led him to seek out pleasure in the form of mass explosions.
You’re in for some real (serial) killer comedy on today’s episode. Join us as Yoshi reveals the common kink shared by the ultra wealthy, why standup is like Indian food, and what specific personality trait he shares with Ted Bundy.
Quotes
“I think you could almost talk about anything, if people know your intention.” (6:11 | Yoshi)“I just read the audience, I don't know if you know–you made the German porn reference–I've worked in sex business for 25 years." (19:59 | Yoshi)“I ended up working for a company called Evil Angel, one of the biggest porn production companies and I worked there for nine years. And then last 14 years, what I call “Perverts Without Borders” I've been whenever I'm working on a second documentary now but anytime–for television, in the movies–they need porn stars to contact me and I know them all.” (21:03 | Yoshi)“It's funny, sad and poignant, you know? And I think some of the unhappiness…because I think when I went to MAGA rallies, the predominant fetish for those men were large breasts. When I went to BLM, it was butts. When you talk to either one of these groups, they actually have more in common. It’s very sad.” (28:08 | Yoshi) “I'm not an expert on pornography, I just spend my money and time visiting those places and talking to people and I just want to know, because I think I met a lot of good people, most of the men who rent and bought pornography. They're really suffering from loneliness. Right. And I think when you work a porn shop, you meet a lot of sex workers. They told me about 20% of their clients do not have interest in sex. Just companionship.” (31:17 | Yoshi)Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Show Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Yoshi Obayashi:
https://www.instagram.com/yoshiobayashi
https://www.facebook.com/yoshiobayashi
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
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Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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Chris Trew is on a mission: to spread the word about the life-changing power of improv comedy. “Why learn improv?” if you’re not a comedian, actor, or have any intention of ever setting foot on stage? As the self-described “comedy person” and founder of Hell Yes Creative explains, “This stuff has real-life implications. No matter what you're doing, if you have a job or a passion that involves communication, you can benefit from an improv class.”
Improv’s guiding “yes, and” principle requires that you enter entirely into another person’s reality – no matter how absurd – and then add to it, thereby co-creating a progressive conversation and forging a connection. This requires active listening, as well as a sense of curiosity and playfulness that many people lose as they get older. These are all skills which make us better friends, employees and partners.
Unfortunately, many people still have outdated misconceptions about improv. Audiences dismiss it after seeing one bad performance, while many comedians would rather keep the focus of a performance solely on themselves.
According to his handwriting, Chris has the honesty, determination and lack of ego to make people change their minds. In today’s episode, Chris and Bart share some strange experiences they’ve had with organized religion. They reveal their thoughts on asexuality, people who call themselves foodies, and the worst thing you can say to a comedian.
Quotes
"Yeah, it's tough making a living with improv, but it's not impossible. But the first thing that has to happen is more people have to respect it as an art form and as a business. Because there is a structure for a stand up comedian to go on the road and host, feature, create your own show, et cetera, et cetera. But that doesn't really exist for improv." (3:35 | Chris Trew)"So the lesson for people that aren't in comedy: just use your words to keep rapport. You're agreeing with them, even if they're making a crazy statement – ”Donald Trump's the best president!” And here’s what I also think about this thing: So you're not breaking rapport with improv skills, and you're moving the conversation forward. Avoid the awkward silences that stop the energy." (8:38 | Bart Baggett)"You start trying to solve more problems, that becomes a bigger part of your life than being curious. So that's why you stop being playful. You stop being interesting. A lot of people stop being interesting in their 30s, 40s sometimes even earlier. And because these adults stop investing in their playful side. We get locked into relationships, the family, that job." (10:23 | Chris Trew) "So what if every adult in the world got into the habit of taking an improv class once a month? If you can get over the fear of public speaking, which I know is a big deal for a lot of people, if you can get over the part that thinks, ‘This is only what comedians do,’ if you can just give it a shot, you will learn pretty quickly that there is so much more to learning improv than just making jokes." (11:33 Chris Trew) “Isn't that true for everything in life? Again, a first date, a networking event, a job interview, a sales call, if you're trying too hard, that energy is exhausting. And it's unfun. So I don't think you're going to get a second date, get the sale, get the job. Improv teaches you how to detach from outcomes, and how to be more relaxed in any high pressure situation.” (16:56 | Chris Trew)Learn more and subscribe to the Bart Show Fan Weekly Newsletter at https://thebartshow.com
Links
Connect with Chris Trew
https://hellyescreative.com
https://www.instagram.com/christrew
https://www.facebook.com/christrew
Connect with Bart Baggett
https://instagram.com/bartbaggett
https://www.instagram.com/bartshowpodcast/
https://www.youtube.com/@bartshowpodcast
https://bartbaggett.com
https://www.tiktok.com/@bartbaggett
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
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