Pauly On The Pod
Pauly On The Pod
Father Son Stories And Second Chances
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The clearest way to understand an adult is to meet the people who made them. For Episode 50, we bring on my dad, Pop Walnuts, and the result is equal parts heartfelt, hilarious, and unexpectedly deep.
We start with his South Florida origin story: born in Vero Beach in 1960, family ties stretching from Miami Beach to the Northeast, and the kind of childhood freedom that feels impossible now. Pop takes us onto the boat with the whole crew, out to empty little islands and Keys weekends, then straight into the soundtrack of his life. We talk Frank Sinatra Sundays, the Beatles changing the world, learning guitar by ear, classic rock on vinyl, and why a single song can time-travel you back to being 13 years old in an instant.
Then we get to the stories people always ask for the “where did you learn this?” moments. Getting hit in the head with an arrow right before First Communion. Setting a neighborhood garbage-can jump record until gravity checks the ego. A streaking dare that ends with friends stealing the clothes and a brutal walk home. Even skipping school for a stack of discounted records and getting caught in the most ridiculous way possible.
We also zoom out into bigger questions about American politics, media bias, term limits, negative campaign ads, and how schools can teach honest history while keeping conversations age-appropriate and inclusive. If you love funny family storytelling, classic rock talk, and real-life perspectives on culture and politics, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
Welcome And Episode 50 Hype
SPEAKER_01This is Pop Walnut, um Polly on the pod, with Polly Walnut, the Dr. Jelly.
SPEAKER_03Hey everybody, it's your boy Polly.
SPEAKER_05Polly wants your mama's sweet ass.
SPEAKER_03You know it all day, every day, and I got my boy, the Doctor Jones, on the line. Oh, what's up, Doc?
SPEAKER_01What's up, Doc?
SPEAKER_00What's up, Doc?
SPEAKER_01Watch up, Doc. What's up, Doc?
SPEAKER_05Watch up, Doc. Watch up, doc. What's up, Doc? Seth Jones.
SPEAKER_03What is good, my dude? What's up, buddy? Chillin', man. Fucking stoked. Uh we got to knock out episode 50, but before we tell you about that, why don't you do what the homie Joey Diaz says to do and uh like, comment, subscribe. We you know, greatly appreciate that. But as uh as we've as we've advertised, episode 50, we came through, we got the one and only pop walnuts to come through and sit down with his oldest son and talk some shit with him and his friend. How'd you feel about it, my guy?
SPEAKER_05Oh, I felt good, dude. A lot of funny stories, a lot of a lot of radness.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, man. He was uh fucking radness. Yeah, he he was that's where I get all of my uh my bad decision making from.
SPEAKER_05Oh, as people are about to hear here, yeah, they're gonna they're gonna figure out where why that you are the way you are.
SPEAKER_03Exactly, exactly. But um, yeah, man, it's uh beautiful Saturday. We got bangers for bucks on the barricade out at Cone Skate Park tonight. This episode will drop tomorrow or Monday, so uh that'll already be uh in in the bag, but uh looking forward to it. We got rained out last night, but man, you're just gorgeous out there right now. I think I'm gonna uh head up there a little early, try to get some runs in. What you got going on for the rest of the day? You coming up?
SPEAKER_05Uh one, two. I don't know yet. I might. Just depends. Last time it's been really bothering me.
SPEAKER_03No, well, sorry to hear that. I know uh Joey Diaz is coming to try to get some money. So hopefully he throws down. But uh once again, thanks for everybody for listening. Thanks uh to my father. Definitely the dude that I've looked up to the most in my life and the man that uh inspires me the most. So couldn't be more stoked to have him on the uh the podcast. So without uh without further ado, as I like to say, episode 50 with one only pop walnuts. Pop walnuts let's fucking go. This should be played at high volume on the pop.
SPEAKER_02Fucking item people. Get the fuck out of here.
SPEAKER_03It is your boy, Paulie. That's right. That's right. Let it ring in there. That's right, and I got the one and only Dr. Jones. Hey. What you how you doing, my dude?
SPEAKER_05What's up, dude? Jill, man. I fucking I got Starburst. I got a bag of popcorn in the microwave. I'm ready for this one.
SPEAKER_03Hey, man, this is uh beginning of a beautiful Saturday here in North Florida for you. Living the disabled life. But uh my man is well on the mend. For those that don't know, a couple weeks ago he finally got that hip replacement surgery, and he is in uh rehab and recovery mode. But uh stoked for that. Even more stoked for the man that we got uh sitting down with us today. Uh where it all began. Where it all began. Yeah, no, we've we we've had the pleasure of sitting down with many, many guys and and and gals lately who uh who have inspired me and and and I've admired and looked up to. But today we
Introducing Pop Walnuts
SPEAKER_03get to sit down with the man that I have looked up to the most and inspires me the most in my life, my father. Pop, well, welcome to the show. Thank you for dying people. Yeah, pleasure to have you on, man. Um we talked well where there we go. Okay, we talked about doing a uh you know, sit down for Father's Day last year, but weren't we weren't able to make it happen. So now that we're on episode 50, here we go. Can't believe I'm 50 down and finally got you sitting here with us and uh yeah, stoked. So that for those that don't know, I've talked a lot about my life on this uh this platform. So some are familiar, but for those that don't know, tell them a little bit about yourself. When were you born? When? When and where?
SPEAKER_01I was born in Vero Beach, July 20th, 1960. Vero Beach, South Florida, East Coast.
SPEAKER_03Yes, all right, and uh what you know 1960. Right. Okay, so who was the president back then? Kennedy was just elected. Just elected, all right. What was it like growing up South Florida in the 60s?
SPEAKER_01Um I mean it was great. It's a probably like everybody else, just a normal childhood, you know. Um in the early 60s. Yeah, I was so young, you know, obviously don't remember too much. Um then when I uh probably from 1970 on is what I really remember the most. Right on.
SPEAKER_03Um, and we had a a good bit of uh family down there. I remember growing up, that kind of seemed like the hub, even though. So for those that don't know, I was born in Atlanta. We lived in South Florida for a brief time, then we eventually moved up north. Pittsburgh is what I call home. Jacksonville is second home. So even though growing up in Pittsburgh, we would always go down and visit. It seemed like the main hub of our family on your side was located down in South Florida. Correct. Um, with grandpa's your father's side coming from like the Philly, New Jersey area. Correct. And then Nona's family coming from the Bronx. Correct. Okay. Um and we still do we have any family up in New York still?
SPEAKER_01We have Uncle Tim up there, but he passed away a few years later. We well, my cousin Lori. Lori's up there still. Which is um Aunt Terry, my father's sister's daughter. We're the same age. So matter of fact, I just talked to her today, as a matter of fact.
SPEAKER_03Nice, nice, nice. So yeah, so um it kind of seems like uh the in in in South Florida is where Nona and Grandpa met. Correct. Correct? Yes. What time was that, do you know?
SPEAKER_01Uh I bel let's see, I think that was 1955, 56. Okay. And did they meet in Vero Beach or was that? No, um, they actually met in Miami Beach. Okay, that's what I thought. Um I I think it was a blind date. I I'm not 100% sure on that.
SPEAKER_03Um but you know Grandpop showed up just like steezed out in a nice suit. Like he's always been dressed ill.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you know, if you look at the if you look at the old pictures of him and his friends, uh it's it's the typical Northeastern Italian American guy, and just you look at all these pictures and you're going to be.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Nice. Chris, you ever been down uh south down there?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, um, yeah, I've been all the way down there. Um the mother of my children was actually born in Vero Beach as well. Oh wow, nice.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Isn't that also referred to as Hollywood, Florida?
SPEAKER_01Well, Hollywood is predominantly where I grew up. Um Vero Beach I is south of Daytona. Yes. So um so Hollywood is further south than that, correct? Right oh yeah. Uh Hollywood is in between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Okay, yeah. I I believe, believe it or not, I think it's actually 13 miles exactly each way. Nice.
SPEAKER_03That's kind of crazy though, because it's like you could go 13 miles one way in Duval County and still not even leave the county. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Um
South Florida Roots And Family Ties
SPEAKER_03but anyway, so uh, you know, 60s, you were a young child. I remember you telling me stories of going out um on the boat with like Babu and my grandfather, right? My great-grandparents. Right. And uh you you I remember uh telling me stories about finding little islands down there and little keys and like setting up and having like lunch, but it was like a full ordeal. There was like pasta sauce and everything.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so um he he would go out and he had this it was a fairly big boat because obviously it fit, I don't know, 15 of us on there. So hell yeah.
SPEAKER_07Send it.
SPEAKER_01But um yeah, he would just cruise out and go, and then you know, we would find this this island that there's nobody on it at all. Yeah. And he would drop anchor and goes, Okay, this is our island. So it got to the point and it always blew me away how with no maps or anything, he could always find it every time. And every time we go out, we we'd we'd bring something, like we'd bring long chairs, and we'd just leave them there. So they were there when you came back. Yeah, and we came back, they were there. So, you know, it got to the point where now it was like lunch, you know, was like, okay, we're gonna bring lunch. So um my grandmother would um make sauce and pasta and meatballs, and you know, bring the bread and the salad and all that, and then we go to this island and then make a little fire just to like warm up the sauce. Hell yeah. Put it on a I mean, it was just like our own little It's a Guido Beach Day, baby.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's exactly that's awesome. That's awesome. So um, I was telling Chris a little bit about um you kind of growing up down there. I remember you telling me stories of like going down to the keys and like going, you know, snorkeling.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that wasn't that was when I was in in high school, you know, I was driving and um me and my best friend would, you know. Uncle Steve? Yep, uh would go down maybe for a weekend. We would sleep in the bed of a pickup truck, you know. That's living the Florida man life.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was it was fun for sure. So much different, obviously, nowadays with how populated everything is. Like, what was Miami like back then in even South Florida? Because it's always nice going down there now, man. But God, I could not live down there.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, it I mean, obviously it's grown so incredibly much, and um I don't I mean, I go down there to see my family, yeah, but um it just it is so populated and so crowded, and just but you know, I guess that's like every major city, so yeah, here in Jacksonville, we are we are growing rapidly. Yeah, and and and I do remember uh I was a very young age, um, and Miami Beach had the all the hotels on the beach. Right. Well it was it was a huge entertainment capital for a while because I mean Frank Sinatra would play at at these hotels and Sammy Davis and Dean Martin and you know, all these all these entertainers. The rat pack. Yeah, um and comedians and uh and such, and I think you know, after maybe early mid-70s, it just kind of all went away.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, there was a uh actually a New York rapper that had a uh a bar is what they call it, like one line in a rhyme, Dad. And uh yeah, he said uh gangsters don't die, they just get fat and move to Miami. Exactly. Um so uh music, you have always been like a key, you know, you and both mom, you know, when people ask me about music and like or I'll hear a song like an old song or or just a genre people don't expect me to listen to. I've always, you know, just kind of shattered their expectations of my taste in music. Right. And I always uh attribute that to yours and mom's record collection, my inheritance. Which I still have. Yes, yes, yes. And still play. Oh yeah. Um and I mean it just you've always been into just a vast, broad array of different like genres of music, artists, and stuff like that. Um when did you start getting into music? I know that during the time when you were born, I mean, that was the whole UK rock thing. I know you're a massive Beatles fan, and like Led Zeppelin, was that your first kind of taste in music that you got into?
SPEAKER_01No, actually, um when I was young, um I any some sometime between six and eight years old, my father would play Frank Sinatra on Sundays all day long. Hey, the chairman of the board. Exactly. And so I grew up listening to Frank and his music, and um I know a lot of a lot of his stuff, you know, his his music. So that was my first uh experience to to listening to music and all the different instruments and vocals and stuff, and then obviously the Beatles came and that rocked my world. So Hell yeah. And you you played guitar when you were younger.
SPEAKER_03I did. When did you start playing guitar?
SPEAKER_01Uh like teenagers. Yeah, oh yeah, I think I was thirteen or fourteen. Nice. Um, just picked it up, taught myself to play, watched people. You know, the bad thing is I can't read music, but I can hear something and and and pick it up. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So hey, Chris, I remember being a kid, like I listen, like hearing stories about, oh yeah, my dad, you know, played in a band and he played guitar. I remember seeing pictures that my Nona showed me of you. I think you played some event or show. It looked like an outdoor thing. But oh yeah, we um you know, you'd have county fairs and stuff. Yeah, I think I think you guys weren't all white in the picture, if I remember. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about? Oh god, we had like bell bottoms?
SPEAKER_01No, they were these uh god-awful jumpsuits.
SPEAKER_03Jumpsuits I did not want those, but hey. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, so anyway, I mean that was the style at the time. Um yeah, no, so Chris, I'd heard all these stories about my dad playing guitar and everything, but I'd never seen him. And I remember we were over, I cannot, his name escapes
Boat Days And Hidden Islands
SPEAKER_03me right now. My dad worked for the airline industry, and we went over to his friend's house he worked with when we were up in Pittsburgh, and he played guitar and he had a couple of guitars. Joe Marcella. Joe Marcella, yeah. There you go. Um, yeah, and he ended up gifting me. I remember you playing picking around, and I was actually watching, I was like, holy shit, he really can play the guitar. Like, these aren't just stories, you know. And and then uh his friend was so dope that you know he saw how awestruck I was. He he gifted me a bass guitar, um, a fender, and and a uh wasn't it a Les Paul uh replica? I think so. I I I'm not quite sure. I'm pretty yeah, but anyway, like I got gifted, those were my two guitars growing up, and I didn't do anything with them for ten years, but when I finally got lessons, uh we played on them a little bit. Do you ever uh play any instruments, Chris? I don't think I know that about you.
SPEAKER_05No, no, I've uh never really played instruments or anything.
SPEAKER_03No, you're always around.
SPEAKER_05I just mostly use my voice.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yeah, Dad, if you know uh Chris actually does stand-up comedy. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah, he goes to like the open mic night stuff, and yeah, he's been out to like the comedy zone and done some open mic night stuff. Oh, I'd love to check you out. Yeah, he's uh he he he's out there, but man, he he gets a laugh.
SPEAKER_05Um we all out there.
SPEAKER_03Oh, we're all out there, and that's another thing I've talked about is my taste in comedy. Comedy. Um my parents had a VHS tape that I remember watching through like my adolescence, kind of like 11, 12, 13, 14 years, and it had like Dom Herrera. It was uh it was a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. It was it was Rodney Dangerfield's young comedians, and it had Dom Herrera, it had um uh Dice Clay on there. Right. Um what was his name? Oh my gosh. Um Sam Kinison. Sam Kinison, yeah, and what was it? Uh uh was it Barry? It was like you'll not run DMC. Oh, it had Bill Hicks. Yep, Bill Hicks. Oh, dude, legends. Um, that was my introduction to comedy. And then not only that, back to the record collection. Uh I mean, George Carlin. My dad has like George Carlin original presses on vinyl and stuff, Chris. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah, like uh the seven bad words and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_01The seven dirty words you can't say on television. It's classic. Uh it's so funny because I remember I you might have been 13, maybe. I'm not quite sure. But uh your mom and I were talking about the record, and we just broke it out and played it for you guys. Of course, your brother's younger, so I'm like, I was like three and a half years younger than me, so it hit much different for him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But I remember you guys just losing your religion over it.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah. And uh Dom, I follow him on Instagram and and uh Andrew Dice Clay. Actually, uh you you would you would crack it, crack up, Dad. Uh Dice Clay goes around on Instagram, you know, there's all these influencers. So he he does this little play on like he'll go up to random people and he'll is recording himself and he'll be like, he's got like his big glasses on everything. He's like, Oh, they said you're the one that wanted the picture. And they're looking at him, they're like confused, they're like, What? And he's like, Yeah, no, the people said that you saw me and you knew I was the guy and that you wanted the picture. Elizabeth, you want a picture? And the people are just and it's so funny because the different some people are like, uh, no, go fuck yourself. And then other people are like, uh, what is happening? You know, it's just uh really, really funny. Um but anyway, so back to kind of growing up. Um all of my close friends know that uh I'm the king of dumb decisions and second chances. And I guess uh some of them uh were wondering where I got that from. And uh I've jokingly, I've I've told Chris a little bit um in passing, but when we had friends and family over, one of our favorite pastimes was like after mom and dad might have had a couple of glasses of wine or maybe a couple of beers and it was kind of winding down and everybody was around the table and we were tired of listening to them talk about politics or current events or sports or whatever. We'd be like, hey dad, tell us the stories about when you made dumb decisions and got hurt or in trouble when you were a kid. And uh they go they go as far back as one crazy story, which actually this wasn't your fault. But when you were in second grade, correct, you whole your whole block got into archery.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah. Yeah. Um so I was the youngest kid in my neighborhood, and um a lot of these kids were quite quite older than me, but they were all getting into archery, and so I asked my parents, hey, can I get an archery? So your grandfather um we had a fence in the backyard, you know, a six-foot wooden fence, and he got old mattresses and put them up against the fence and got targets. So the kids would come over to my house, because it was like a you know, shooting range, if you will. Um so there was uh one day we were all over there and there was this one one kid in the neighborhood. Um you know, he had some I I think he had some mental issues, you know. I'm not quite 100% sure, but it was a different time.
SPEAKER_03There wasn't all the spectrums and labels that we have today. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01You know, nobody knew what HDHD was, you know, back then. Anyway, so we'd all finished our arrows, and this one kid had one left, and we're like, go ahead and shoot. And he's like, No, I'm done, you know, I'll wait. And so we all go and we're pulling our arrows out, and as I pull out my last arrow and I turn, I get this whack in the head, and you know, I'm seeing stars and everything, and I'm like, holy cow, you know, what just happened? And then I reach up and I feel this stick in my head. From your head. Yeah. I'm like, okay, what is this? And you know, you're saying to yourself, what is this? So you you pull. And when I did that, it was lights out because the blood just poured
Sinatra To Beatles Music Awakening
SPEAKER_01and I couldn't see, and my other friends are freaking out yelling at the back door to get my mom, and my mom comes out and she's like, Oh my god, you know, and she's freaking out, and um, she's trying to wipe away because she's she's thinking I'm blind because she can't see my eyes, you know. So um you know. Long story short, I I ended up going to the hospital. The bad thing about this was this was the day before my holy communion. Yes.
SPEAKER_03So for those that aren't Catholic, this is like one of like the important first sacraments you do when you're a young kid. You got to get dressed up in a suit. It's a big ordeal. There's pictures, there's a lunch usually after the Mass.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So so I get out of the hospital and I get this huge bandage on my head. I mean, um Wrapped like a mummy. Yeah, it looks like this huge helmet, if you will, on top of my head. You looked like you were wearing a turban in a Catholic church. Exactly. And I remember saying, I'm not going to mark. I'm not doing this. And my mother's like, What are you talking about? Of course, of course you are. No, not like this. I'm not. Yeah. And it was such a battle that finally, um the next morning, I got up, I took the bandage off, and there was this huge like gauze bandage on my head. And I said to my mother, we got to do something about this. You know, my um I'm in second grade now. Right. And so she gets a couple of band-aids and puts it on. And I go, so as I'm walking down the aisle and my head is down, what is what's the first thing you think that you see in the picture? It's the band-aid. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So which, you know, I can honestly say that maybe that getting shot in the head with an arrow, maybe that explains a lot of things these days. Maybe it does.
SPEAKER_03Oh man, yeah, that was always uh kind of one of my favorites. Another one of my favorites uh would probably be um the jumping the was 11 trash cans. Oh, the garbage cans? The setting the neighborhood record. This is during the the time of evil canival. I was just gonna bring that up.
SPEAKER_01He was he was getting ready to jump the Snake River Canyon. And that was when he did it with the rocket? Yeah, yeah, okay. So um there was this write-up in the paper about some kid, it was a local, you know, paper, um, jumping over garbage cans. And I it was like eight or nine, you know. And so the next day, it's summertime on you, so my parents are working, you know, and back then it was like there was one or two stay-at-home moms, and they would just keep kids. Everybody would just look out for one another, and everybody knew everybody, and you know, there was no, you know, having to worry about your kids because we were all just in the neighborhood. Right. So I get out one day and I I can't remember where I found these two cinder blocks and a piece of plywood, but I did. And so I get my garbage can and I jump over and I'm going, okay, that was really nothing. And then I get another one, and finally my friends are coming out, and I'm like, hey, go get your garbage cans. So next thing you know, we're we're building, we're building, we're building. And next thing you know, it's like, okay, there's nine. And I jump over it and clear it, and my other buddy goes, let's get another one, you know. So by the time it was all done, I got up to like 14 or 15. Now all my neighbors, the the parents that are not working, they're all home now, they're all outside watching me. And so I'm getting ready to make this this jump, and my my buddy comes out with this football helmet. He goes, I think you should wear this. I'm like, I'm not wearing that. He's like, No, no, really, I I think you should. And this was back before bicycle helmets, too, right? Exactly. Yeah, there were no bike helmets. So so I put this football helmet on and I come chugging along and I go over the ramp and I clear the last garbage can, the the back wheel hits down, and then the front hits, and it's um, it's wobbly. And uh, and I'm trying to gain control. And next thing you know, I go over the handlebars onto the street and I'm bouncing a few times, and I'm just laying there, and I'm like, oh, my whole body hurts. You know, it's um so I I'm taking the I'm trying to get the football helmet off me and I I get it off and I cried, it was cracked. Oh shit. Yeah. So um Thank God for the football helmet, otherwise traumatic brain injury. Yeah, but I tipped a bone in my elbow, broke some ribs, you know.
SPEAKER_03But yeah, I mean And and then there was a football coach that wanted you to jump the ravine until Grandpa intervened.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so so there was this um and this was after the Snake River Canyon now, because football season had had come up, and um one of my friends, uh you know, in our neighborhood, there was there was a couple of canals throughout the neighborhood, and and his house was on a canal. So, you know, one day we're just like brainstorming it's like, you know, how fast do you think you'd have to go to clear that? Because it's like, I don't know, maybe 20 feet wide, maybe 30 at the most. Did you guys even think about using the car to tow you?
SPEAKER_03Well, that yeah. So so um because that's pretty common these days. So they they use jet skis to tow surfers into big waves, right? They'll they'll use motorcycles to tow skateboarders to a massive gap. Like, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so there was this uh other kid in the neighborhood older than us who could drive. So we're like, okay, you know, maybe if he pulls you, you know, you hold on to a rope and he'll pull you, and you just let go when you get ready to hit the ramp. And so we're getting all this done. So, you know, we have football practice and this and that. And one of my buddies had mentioned to the coach, and he's like, Are you thinking about doing this? And I'm like, Yeah, he goes, I'll tell you what, if you do this, I'll I'll any bike that you want, I'll buy you. That's what it was, a bike.
SPEAKER_03I was like, I thought he offered you a couple hundred bucks.
SPEAKER_01No, so I'll you know, the mind is turning. I'm sitting here going, Oh man, that that that Schwin would be really cool to have, you know. And and I'm like, okay, but my father cannot find out. Oh no. So all of a sudden, um yeah, it was it was a game. The game was going on, and all of a sudden, I'm um I was on the field and I happen to look over and I see my father coming out of the stands, and he's charging towards the football coach. I mean, you know, walking pretty fast towards a football coach, and he's yelling. And I looked over and I looked at my buddy and said, Oh, this isn't good. He knows he just found I'm dead. I'm this is not good. This is not good at all. And next thing I know, I'm looking at my father and he's you know pointing at him and this and that, and I'm just sitting here going, this is not good. So game is over, and I'm trying to, you know, hey, that was a great game. Don't you think, Dad? You know, this and that, and there's like, you know, no talking. We get in the car, and I'm thinking to myself, okay, any minute now. It's just it's any minute. Not a word was said on the way home, and as we get out of the car, he says, Oh, by the way, you aren't making that jump. Nice. I went, Okay. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. Uh, my grandfather definitely uh did not take no shit. No, for sure. Yeah, uh fast forward many, many moons from this point in time. He came up when we were in Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh, Miami game. Right. And uh he went to the bathroom.
SPEAKER_01Oh, well, actually, it was Pittsburgh, West Virginia. That's what it was. Okay. So we were in Morgantown. Okay.
SPEAKER_03For
Comedy Records And Learning Humor
SPEAKER_03And you were with um uh Jeff Minton. Correct. Okay, another one of my dad's friends from other.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So um my father says, Hey, you know, I'm gonna go use the restroom. So Jeff and I are sitting there, and I look at, you know, time's gone by. I'm looking at Jeff, I go, my father's been gone a you know, and let me ask you this.
SPEAKER_03Oh, and let me tell everybody. My grandfather being, you know, moved from you know, Philly Jersey or Jersey Jersey down to uh Miami, South Florida, he is a massive University of Miami Hurricane fan with seasoned ticket holders, massive supporter of their athletic programs. I'm sure he's from from the 60s.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, he's been a he's been a fan. Yeah, and the only reason he went to South Florida was because one of his closest friends got a scholarship to play for to play football at Miami, so he went with him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and that's how he became a fan. And he's it I mean, if he isn't you know dressed for dinner for church, he is pretty much in University of Miami attire. So I'm assuming at this game, even though it was Pitt West Virginia, he was probably Miami, West Virginia. It was Miami, West Virginia. Okay, all right. So obviously he's gonna be a good idea. Yeah, I was gonna say, even if it was a Pitt West Virginia guy, he would have been in his Miami. Of course he would have. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So um I look up, I look at Jeff, I said, my phone has been gone for a long time. I I, you know, let me let me go up there. So I go up and I get to the uh the top because of the uh the way they stay their stadium was you walk down to the field, you know, in with in the stands. Um you come in from the top and go down. Yeah, go down. Yeah, yeah. So I go up to to the mezzanine level and I see a bunch of people in a circle, and I'm walking up, and I I hear my dad's voice, and I'm looking around, and I don't see anything. And lo and behold, my father's in the middle with I don't know, maybe six to ten guys around them, and they're there, and they're just like going back and forth. I went, You gotta be kidding me. Can't take him anywhere. Yeah, exactly. So I I go up to him, I go, What are you doing? I said you were going to the restroom. He goes, I was. And then they started this conversation. So I thought, okay, let's talk.
SPEAKER_03I'm like, and and Chris, this is where I get it from. I came from this l line of balls, okay?
SPEAKER_01So I go, but you're not talking. You guys are like arguing. I'm like, come on. So I grab him and get him out of there, and we get to the seats, and it's it's almost like you know, that one moment where now you've become the parent. Right. And I look over at my father and I went, Good God, I'm I can't I can't take you, I can't let you out of my sight for one minute.
SPEAKER_03That's great, that's awesome. Um now going back to your your childhood, one of my other favorite ones, because I had a streaking story of my own in high school, was the one when you went streaking. Oh, yeah. Um only where my friends, I was able to run out of the Walmart, which is now a church off a beach in San Pablo, and get my clothes and get in a car and flee. Uh, you were not. Yeah. You had a walk of shame.
SPEAKER_01Right. So, so the the you know, in the 70s, streaking was a a a popular thing and like, hey, look at my dick.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, exactly. Go blame it, pony.
SPEAKER_01So we're sitting in my front yard, and my friends come up with this, you know. Hey, if we scrap all our money together, would you go streaking? There was a local grocery store. If I remember correctly, I think it was called Grand Union. I'm not 100% sure. But they said you just streak through the store and you come out. And I'm like, well, how much money are we talking about? And you know, I think they scraped together, I don't know, maybe 10, 12 bucks. You know, back then, 12 bucks is like, oh, that's a lot of money. So I'm like, yeah, I said, but do I have to like run through the whole store? Like, can I go in the door, the entrance, and then make that U-turn and come out of the exit? They're like, Yeah, you can do that. I'm like, okay. So we walk up there, we're on the side of the building, I strip all my clothes off, I take off running. Go in the door, come out the door, come to the side of the building, nobody's there. Everybody's
The Archery Accident Story
SPEAKER_01gone, my clothes are gone, nobody. Nobody. So now I gotta walk home.
SPEAKER_07Oh far?
SPEAKER_01I don't know, maybe a mile, mile and a half tops. Oh, far enough. So as I'm walking home on the sidewalk, on the other side of the sidewalk, there's a retirement, it's a like a retirement community. So as I'm walking down the sidewalk, lo and behold, here comes a couple walking my way. And I'm thinking to myself, oh god, it just gets worse. So they're walking up, they're walking up. I got my hands over my crotch, and I'm walking up, and I just go, hello, nice day, isn't it? And they're looking at me like, what in God's? I get home and there's all my buddies in the front yard rolling around hysterical. I was so mad. I just said, just give me my money and get out of my yard.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so I actually uh learned from your story because when I got dared, there was no money offered. It was strictly a dare because I think I told them about it. Well, that was stupid. It was stupid, but at the time, it gets kind of even funnier. So it happened to be that Walmart because the guys I did it with were living over off San Pablo, and I went in in my clothes and I took them off in the back of the store, because Walmarts were pretty big. And I took them off in the back of the store, and then I just ran through the store to the front so that I had my clothes in my hand to if they left me, look at you, you're a good learner. Yes, I learned from you. So the years of hearing that story, I said, Ah, this is the technique. You do not trust your boys with your clothes. Um yeah, only I walked, I don't know why, but in hindsight, I realized this is I went to the toy aisle because it was the furthest back corner of the store at the time. Nice, and it is like the most severe place you could get in trouble for exposing yourself in public, is the child section. So, yeah, thank God I didn't get in trouble for that one. But uh another story that uh the parallels um are are pretty comical between your adolescence and mine is I was caught skipping school because my mom, um, who was a substitute teacher, and my sister was a very good straight A student. She was a captain of the cheerleading squad. She was known in school for all the right reasons. So my mom was known for her where mom was kind of not known for the right reasons with me, in the sense that she came up to knowing I was in wood shop at this period of time, knew my wood shop teacher, and wanted to bring in donuts for the class. Only I was not in that wood shop class. I was at Treaty Park in St. Augustine skating because it had just been built. So you had a similar one in the sense that a record store was going out of business. It was a department store. Okay, a department, but you were going there for records. Correct. Okay. So this explains why Nona was there because it was a department store.
SPEAKER_01Right. So so what had happened was the the store is closing, everything was reduced, and I'm sitting here thinking, oh my god, I can get these albums for like 10 cents quarter, you know. So I skip school, I go there, go to the where the vinyl albums are, and I'm loading up. I think I've got maybe 20 albums in my hand. Sweet. And how much were albums going for back then? Oh, they were like $3.99. Nice. Four, you know, a double album was $5.99. Ooh, breaking the bank. Yeah. So um, you know, the place is packed, and and I have it, and I'm trying to get through to the checkout line, and I'm going through the crowd, I'm saying, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, and you know, check out, go home. I start listening to these these great albums, and uh, you know, I pick up a Hendrix album and the Who, and I I've got you know a bunch of bunch of stuff on. So my mother gets home from from work and she says to me, How was your day? I'm like, Oh, great, ma, it was great, had a great day, you know. Anything special, anything exciting happened today? I'm like, no, same old, same old, you know. And the conversation is going on for a couple of minutes, and she goes, So how many albums did you get? And I went, Well, I started to go right into it. And I'm sitting here, and she could tell that I had this you know look on my face, and she said, Well, I will say one thing. I she said, You bumped right into me. And I went, You're kidding me. And she goes, No. She said, but I will say one thing. You were very polite. You kept saying, excuse me, I'm sorry, excuse me. She said, So I I was glad about that. I'm like, oh, okay, great, that's great. At least you made mama proud. Yeah. I'm thinking, okay, it's smooth sailing now. And then she said, Hey, uh, do me a favor. I'm like, sure. Go get the albums. Like, what it what do you mean? She goes, go bring me the albums that you bought. No, no. So I go get the albums and I bring it to her. And she said, I'm gonna hang on to these for a while. I mean, she held on to them for a week, but it might as well have been a year because that was torturous. I and every day I'm trying, hey, can I wash your car for you? Can I do this ground?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And thinking, okay, you know, maybe she'll let up on on the week, but she didn't.
SPEAKER_03No doubt. No doubt. Well, there you go. I mean, for those that have always wondered where I get it from, clearly I don't get it from my mama. No, you're your mother's the smart one. Yeah. Um, so I know that uh, you know, we we just talked about like kind of funny stories from when you were when you were younger. I know you did have it kind of you know pretty rough there for a while because you know, Grandpa and and Nona split up. Right. Um, and it really affected Nona pretty heavily. Um for a while there, I mean you were waking up going to work at the public's bakery, right? And local bakery? The local bakery. And then you were like going to football practice and then going to school, and then you would go to practice and then you go to work. Right. Damn, all through high school.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, I mean I worked all through high school, but um, you know, eventually I left the bakery and went to public. So Right on.
SPEAKER_03What was it kind of like during that time? I
Bike Jumps Streaking And Skipping School
SPEAKER_03mean, because now we live in a society where divorce is so common. I know growing up when you were that age, not so common. Did you ever have to deal with any shit from peers or anything like that? Oh no.
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, my best friend, um, Steve Morassia, he uh, you know, uh I'm very thankful and grateful he was he always there for me, you know. Um you know, there were times when you're sitting there going well, you know, what the hell's going on? And um so it was it was time, but yeah, um it was tough, but you know, you get you get through it the best way you can. And Uncle Steve is Cuban American. He is not, he's Italian American.
SPEAKER_03He is? Yes. Oh, I thought I always thought you said he was Cuban American. No. No, I thought I thought he was Italian American, but then I was like, I thought I heard hearing that he was Cuban. No. Okay. Did you have another Cuban friend when you I thought I remember hearing? I mean, in in high school I had and Well, probably you're living in South Florida, so I mean, yeah, and in high school I had uh, you know, um I had a lot of lot of friends, you know.
SPEAKER_01It's and it's still the same today. No.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01No, both his parents were Italian. Well, there you go. Yeah. So um, you know, in high school everybody has these little clicks, and it was the same back then, but I mean I was friends with everybody, you know. Uh you know, the Cuban Americans, the African Americans, uh, you know, jocks, it it just it didn't matter. I mean, I was just and this is during the civil rights movement, so that was you know, well, much later, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was much later. I mean, it was still kind of it's still happening today. It is, unfortunately. Unfortunately, yeah. But um so you grew up doing some surfing? A little bit. A little bit, never really got into skateboarding though, right? No. Did you have a skateboard as a kid or anything? I did. You did, but just Oh, it's the you know, the old wooden board with the with the metal metal wheels. You had the metal wheels, not even the clay wheels. No, oh wow, yeah. Dang, that is antique. Oh, thanks a lot. You're welcome. Appreciate it. You ever seen any of those, Chris? Yeah, I've seen them. Yeah, they got a couple of them hanging up on the wall at Kona. I just can't even imagine how how you would ride it, how how you would ride them with the metal wheels. I mean, I because I because I think about how smooth concrete is and and and everything now. Decades later, after technology and methods have been perfected, I'm like, how rough were the roads? Like, what were you riding on? Like, were you able to really even ride them?
SPEAKER_01Well, I was on the sidewalk, obviously, but you know, and then again, every you know, eight feet, there's a there's the the crack, the crack and the expansion crack. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So every time you hit that, you know, it's gonna you're dent in the wheel, and then you oh man, awful. Yeah, I probably would have been turned off to that as well. Um, you know, growing up, I uh you were mainly team sports. I was kind of team sports, you know, until we moved down here, and then I got way more into, you know, obviously skating in the individual sports. And I know for a while there, I mean it's kind of natural, I think, when you're a teenager to kind of butt heads with your parents, especially if you're a daughter with a mother or or a son with father. Um growing up, and and I've had several friends that have also kind of dealt with this growing up. I know at times it felt like you didn't accept skateboarding for a long time. What was your kind of perspective on it? Because I but I was also I was fucking up. I was skipping school, I wasn't making good grades, I was making bad decisions across the board.
SPEAKER_01me when when you decided to like you and your brother were were really good in baseball and um I really thought you know if you keep at it you could you could get a scholarship. I mean uh in Little League you guys were were really good.
SPEAKER_03Um and then when you decided pardon me when you said you know that's funny that you say baseball because growing up the the the sports I know I played baseball for a while especially young but hockey and basketball when I look at my two favorite sports that I've ever played games that I've ever like played team sports would be hockey and basketball oh yeah because of the fast pace when you were when you were older um yeah you were you you were one hell of a hockey player um and your brother too I mean you you both surprised me because I didn't I didn't think you know about hockey for you guys um initially and um but then but then like Pittsburgh and the Mighty Ducks happened. Exactly and then you know when when um Chris three greatest hockey movies of all time did I lose you oh we might have lost him all right go ahead no it's funny when we talked about hockey movies last episode and he and he was he he just said Mighty Ducks one D2 and Mighty Ducks three oh my god it was just a product of art of our childhood I was gonna say Mighty Ducks Slapshot Slapshot was yep was was was listed Slapshot's such a great handsome brothers oh yeah but um yeah when you when you said you weren't gonna play baseball anymore I thought well what's he doing you know and it was hard for me to accept and thank God your your mother helped me through it because I'm sitting here thinking to myself he doesn't want to play baseball anymore. He wants a skateboard and well what is that you know yeah and I tell a lot of people too that I was very fortunate that when we did move here and I got into skating and everything that mom met you know grandma Ramos Mrs. Ramos right um she was running Kona at the time and so her being a former guidance counselor and just the structure and just the uh um ability uh for her to see that kind of like I don't know there was at least some guidance um there if you will you know I think I think you know that kind of uh helped her understand that maybe we're not all punks and thugs. Chris you back do I hear you? Yeah yeah I'm good okay because no you're fine no we were just talking you know dad was talking about playing hockey and I was like Chris three greatest hockey movies of all time go yeah no I heard you I accidentally hit my uh face on the mute button oh well that sucks I was like because I was like what's happening why can't I talk? Yeah no worries man um but yeah so uh shoot let me see where we're at we've been talking for about 40 minutes now so we're gonna take a quick break and then we're gonna come back and uh we're gonna play a couple games and uh wrap this up sound like a plan works yes sir all right we'll be back with you in a minute hey everybody it's your boy Paulie and I'm still here with one and only Dr.
Music As Memory And Time Travel
SPEAKER_03Jones figure and my father Pop Walnuts what it is how you doing all right so we were actually talking uh in the break a little bit more about about music and just how powerful it is um and like how it really uh can really spark some emotional feelings or memories you know from from either times in your life or just feelings like sometimes I I'll hear a song that I just hear the the music and it like will give you goosebumps, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01Oh for sure. It's it's music is very powerful and you know uh depending on what's going on in your life happy times sad times whatever um I think music has a way of um helping you cope with whatever tribulations or trials and tribulations that you have and um it it's you can you can I was saying earlier you know I I could hear a song today that maybe I heard maybe when I was thirteen years old during the summertime and the minute I hear it I am a 13 year old back at summer and knew exactly what I was doing. Oh for sure.
SPEAKER_03Yep I definitely have that happen to me as well go ahead.
SPEAKER_05I was just gonna say like uh you grew up in a time where like music was really like being defined and then like cer different genres of it but it's like the most radous time in like music. You know like you said you got a Jimmy Jimi Hendrix album you got the Who and like all like all those bands are just like well you know legendary and then like a what was it like like growing up in that era and all that new music being floated at the same time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah especially because I was going to add this on to that like nowadays new music not saying that new music isn't creative or innovative it's just now that everything has become so digitized I feel like a lot of it sounds so similar because it's so perfectly tuned to the same frequency. A lot of uh like electronic or hip hop music is using the same drum beats or synthesizer sounds so it's like it sounds very uh just like duplicated duplicated and like overly perfect. Like when you listen to old Led Zeppelin and you can hear the imperfections of because they recorded some songs actually outside. Right. You know and it's it's it's just I don't know I it it I I agree like Chris that the the generation he grew up in was definitely probably the golden years of music.
SPEAKER_01Well to to answer the doctor's questions um the doctor you know I there was a bumper stickers bumper sticker I I saw um a few years back and it said I may be old. Yeah so it said you know I may be old but I got to hear and see all the cool bands and you know I thought about that and I went you know what I I really did I got to see and hear a lot of cool bands. I mean you know from Hendricks to the Who and of course you know um I never got to see the Beatles live but you know I got to see Paul McCartney live obviously you had backstage passes Paul McCartney right your mother and I yep um in Toronto um and you know Crosby Stills and Nash and young and and um you know bad company and there was just all these all these different bands coming up and power uh tower of power and um so it was you know at the time you you you you take it you take it for granted I mean you sit there and you're going wow these these these musicians are really talented and they're very good but you know as I look back on it I'm sitting here thinking to myself wow I mean the the music industry changed when the Beatles came songwriting changed production changed um the the packaging of of of an album and it just continues to to change. Now some of it may not be for the better just it whatever your opinion is but um you know I I like I said earlier I think music music is music is a very powerful thing.
SPEAKER_03Oh definitely is and um there's actually kind of been a cool resurgence in uh some some some rad rock bands that I've found um like Marcus King band is a is a rad one obviously you're a fan of Greta Van Vliet they're they're they're an awesome one um because it seemed like for a little while that almost that classic rock had kind of been that sound had kind of been lost and then Jet came around.
SPEAKER_01Right and then yeah which I find uh too is um the younger generation you know your your your children and and uh your sister's children and their their peers they're they're they're friends it it makes me laugh when they sit there and go hey do you have a David Bowie album? Oh yeah I I really like David Bowie or I like Queen or and name six songs. Exactly you know so it but but you know they're sitting there uh bringing this stuff up and I and I sit there and go wow you know it's I mean I I can tell you I mean obviously at a very young age listening to Frank Sinatra I knew who he was but um I I would never think about to ask my parents you know oh you know do you have this um you know this person this person yeah and I think it's so cool that the younger generation is really getting into these these artists that they probably never well that's one of that's one of the benefits of our internet oh for sure social media age you know is the fact that everything is archived like that.
SPEAKER_03It's actually kind of cool when I go on you should do this sometime. Go on YouTube and search a concert that you went to with the year in the stadium or the venue and you'll be surprised how many old shows I mean it won't be the best footage because of the camera, you know what I mean right at the time. But it's really, really wild when you pull up and you're like, oh I was right there in the crowd. Somewhere I was one of those little spec but I was at that show and it brings back the whole like another level of not only hearing the music, but you're like, oh I I was 16 years old raging at the you know what I mean just like having the time of my life at that show. And and that that's that's a pretty cool thing. But I definitely agree that you know music is massively beneficial on on many levels for for humankind. Absolutely especially with the tumultuous state of the world that we live in you know there's got to be some sort of escape and I guess with that we'll go ahead and segue into to politics.
Politics Media Bias And Term Limits
SPEAKER_00And so in my state of the my state of the union or state my speech to the nation whatever you want to call it what I say is what I say. We got an issue in America I did not have sexual relations with that woman. I don't wear it to I never told anybody to lie better like this service to America for the American people. What do you show I'm a gentleman hello listen what kind of country will it be but I want to say one thing to the American people I want to build a war.
SPEAKER_03I want to build a wall I want to build the wall and lead the war and Mexico will pay for the war I just have one thing to say as we uh move further into the year 2023 and as we approach what is going to be a very tumultuous uh 2024 as it being an election year um I tend to you know talk about my political views on here and express them some people that we have on you know vote others don't no judgment to you I've I've echoed many times that voting is is a right and a privilege not a responsibility and if uh I don't think anybody should feel overly pressured to vote especially when we have such a limited system of candidates that we can choose from so um anyway like I've said I've made my my political thoughts kind of known um over the episodes Docker as well um kind of want to get your thoughts uh pop I uh obviously I was born during the Reagan administration the first president that I truly like remember and being like oh that's the president of the United States was George Bush you know senior and um personally I think a lot of issues that we are currently having today can be traced back to the Reagan administration. That's my personal um opinion because I personally don't believe I'm not a socialist or a communist but I do not believe that trickle down economics works. So well you you do know that Kennedy made their money was through the mob and moonshine buddy we're Italian Americans over here you think we don't know that we wrote the book. How do you think Kennedy got elected it was the mob but how that's speculation guilty innocent until proven guilty right right right but no um just kind of wanted to get your thoughts you know like over the years I mean you've seen I mean many presidents so it was Kennedy then what LBJ and um Nixon Nixon and then Carter? Ford no Ford Carter Reagan Reagan Bush yeah Bush Clinton etc Bush Obama Trump Biden so um what are your thoughts kind of on the country in your lifetime like politically where we've been because it seems like obviously I can only speak for what I've seen in my lifetime but it seems like we are so damn divisive not just in politics but even in our our media the way that we share information it seems like we um the these bigger media outlets um and their in their political agendas that they back whether it's CNN and MSNBC or or or Fox News um it seems like back in the day like Walter Cronkite when he retired that was like the death of unbiased news.
SPEAKER_01Yeah and and when he retired he always said it is my job to report the facts. Not his opinion it is not my job to give you my opinion.
SPEAKER_03Yeah I give you the facts you form your own opinion and nowadays everybody gives their opinion and they and they chop in dice up the facts and you know serve them on a plate how they feel.
SPEAKER_01Right suits or agenda pick and choose you know sentences or statements and sound bites. And then come up with your own conclusion. But yeah the the decisiveness in this country I mean do we really want to go down this rabbit hole? But okay. Give me your thoughts. Um it's no okay in politics what I what I've noticed uh in the past I don't know twenty twenty-five years the parties don't want to listen to each other. Um if a Democrat has an idea the Republicans are shooting it down and you haven't even heard it and vice versa. Yeah you know you haven't even heard the idea but you're shooting it down. Why? Because the other party came up with it. I think that is so stupid.
SPEAKER_03Um yeah that's I've I've also said it it seems like moderate in in political media has become a bad word or label it's like if you lay or a politician is labeled a moderate it's like they're almost um uh excommunicated from their party because it's like oh they're willing to cooperate with the other party so we don't they're not radical enough for us.
SPEAKER_01But that's what you want. You want to to come together. You know each side is not going to get everything that that they they want. I mean it's it's impossible. Correct however you know just sit down, talk, compromise, you know, okay yeah we could do this but what about this and and or this plan or this agenda what you know whatever the case may be but the problem is nobody wants to sit down and listen.
SPEAKER_03Everybody just wants to yell over each other and I I I Which is why we've had government shutdowns multiple times in the past I I don't I don't get that and and and the other thing too is um the stuff that's printed or is said um it could be completely false and there's no consequences for it.
SPEAKER_01Whereas you know years ago when I was a teenager that you know you got arrested for stuff like that. That was slander. You know that was um uh you you you just can't say something that's untrue about somebody and air it on on the news or TV or in in a newspaper or you know a magazine, whatever the case may be because there would be ramifications from it. But now it's like you can just say whatever you want to common practice to spread misinformation. Exactly there's no consequences and I I don't necessarily agree with that. I think you know just state the facts let me form my own opinion and and go from there. I I think you know there's too many career politicians that um I think they have too many lobbyists in their pocket and they don't care about the average person.
SPEAKER_03Right. Oh yeah it's it's clearly evident yeah and and and it's it's crazy to me that m more people don't see it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah and so you know I I think there sh and me again this is you asked for my opinion right I think there should be term limits for Congress and Senate just like there is the president. I don't think somebody should be able to be in Congress for thirty for thirty years. I think you know let's let's listen to new ideas. Let's let's listen to the other person because you know you they just might have a a solution to a problem that you never thought of. And so I'm oh no I was just gonna say so so you know that's what I want to see. And the other thing too with with the you see all the campaigns especially here in Jacksonville now with the the the mayor election coming up I I'm I'm really tired of all the the negative ads. I I I don't all I want is tell me what you stand for and stop attacking the other people tell me what your what your ideas are and leave it at that.
SPEAKER_03But this negative campaign stuff that's constant and it's even at the national level no I know and I'm and I'm actually now that you're bringing this up it just I had the thought is like I wonder if we could break it down into like just a simple bar graph of their campaign money how much actually goes into positive ads talking about uh what they stand for and what they want to accomplish in office and how much Of that money goes towards negative ads attacking their can. I I would be willing to bet it's probably pretty overwhelmingly more in attack ads than ads actually getting their their message and their platform across. I would probably agree with you. I I think you're probably right. But I I would like to see if there's any investigative journalists out there listening uh that has extra time on their hand. Go ahead and dive into that one and uh email me, polyonthepod at gmail.com. Appreciate that. But uh go ahead, Chris. What were you gonna say?
SPEAKER_05I completely forgot now.
SPEAKER_03No, it's all good.
SPEAKER_05Uh no, no worries. That's probably gonna be something stupid.
SPEAKER_03So no, I uh I I know that um as we inch closer, I know DeSantis is is definitely gonna be putting his hat in the ring for the Republican Party. It appears that way. I know Trump is trying to uh position himself for another run, but he's got some legal issues on his hands that he'll have to overcome. Um the Democrats. I who I mean they can't they can't think Biden's gonna run for another term. Yeah, I I I don't know. You know, uh it's just so common that we have the same clowns that we have to keep you know like picking and choosing from.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, which is why I'm an independent. Yeah, me too. And and you know, I'm liberal on some things and I'm conservative on some things. And um I just I feel like it's to the point now where the two-party system is not working. No. Um why why is it that you have to have so much money in order to to run?
SPEAKER_03I mean, no, it's it's one of the only things that both parties can agree on is that when it comes to squashing a potential third party that is gaping, is is getting movement. And it's also aside from that, the only other thing that they can ever uh the only other time that they can ever say agree on anything or actually act like they like each other is when we're at war. Or or conflict major conflict with another country. Yeah. Then it's all peace, love, and unity, and we're all Americans, and you'll see, you know, the the the liberal elites with the conservative elites all you know standing in in unity. And then the minute that that passes, it's you know, we're going to bicker, argue, and divide and conquer. And that's what I was I always bring back. It's like, you know why it's a two-party system? Because they can it's easier to divide when you say you can choose this half and this half, and they don't want you unified because it's divide and conquer. You know, it's not it's not unify and conquer. Right. The only way that they can maintain control and power is to keep us bickering and arguing about things that in common people's eyes, the normal average American, we think these should be simple fixes, and they're mostly things that we all get along with. It's like it's it's these crazy disgust. Now they're trying to take books out of school and it's arguing over crit. No, we don't need critical race theory. We just need to include all of history. Well, all of American history. I was just gonna bring that up. You know, we don't need to censor our American history because we don't want to look at the bad shit we've done.
SPEAKER_01In order, in order for us to progress, you you have to learn from your mistakes. Now, granted, this is a great country. I can't even imagine living anywhere else, even though I I don't agree with a lot of things. But that being said, um I just lost my train of thought. No, you're fine.
SPEAKER_03Um No, I was gonna say this is this is another you know thing, just you know, thinking on this like been a hot topic, also, you know, about here here in Florida, it's the whole don't say gay thing. And so you have originally it was this proposed bill. This is how both sides do it. They'll propose a bill, super radical. The other side will basically chop some of it like no, and then they and then it gets slendered down to to an agreement. I think there's propaganda on both sides. Me as a as a as a parent, um I I I love my kids, whether they're gay, straight, whatever. I'm I'm all for it. Let your freak flag fly. You know, this is the land of the free. You should be able to be who you want as long as your decisions don't infringe on my freedoms. Okay. I'll give you the same freedoms that I'm allowed, you know, whatever. I don't think whether we're talking about heterose heterosexuality or homosexuality, none of that should be discussed in an elementary school. I agree. It should not be discussed till you're going to puberty. However, when you hit that level, when we would be going to sexual education, I think it is vital to include inclusive education for those that may be homosexual or struggling with their sexual orientation or identity and all that sort of thing. Because that's about the, you know. Um, but if, you know, in a lot of liberal groups, me just saying that, you know, they're they get all huffy and puffy. You know, it's like, oh, because I'm excluding from what about young kids? I can tell you, I've personally known a couple of people who have had young boys raised by single mothers. And when they were really young, kindergarten age and everything, these boys would dress up in their mama's dresses. They'd want to put their this is all they knew, their fathers weren't in their lives. So they were trying to emulate. So now, fast forward a couple years, these boys are like playing football, they're very boys, they get almost ashamed and embarrassed, which they shouldn't be of that time. Right. But when you're that young, you're like figuring things out. I think the that uh when I I don't I don't think it is uh exclusionary to
Schools History And Finding Middle Ground
SPEAKER_03uh have appropriate education at appropriate levels. Essentially is what I'm trying to say. Right. So um, you know, in Florida, there was this big thing about, you know, like I said, the whole don't stay gay, but it was like what they're saying is that you can't talk about that at this level. When it gets ties, and you you know, I know they made them take flags down and everything. I think that's overboard, you know. I think if you want to in each so growing up, when I you know in school, I had like a teacher I remember, she was a huge Tennessee volunteer fan. You know what I mean? Had Tennessee stuff all up. Ew. Right? Ew. But you know, that was her personality. You know what I mean? It's the same with if you have a gay teacher in high school, I think you that gay teacher should be allowed to put the rainbow flag up if they want, because this is representation of our society and the people that are contributing members to it.
SPEAKER_01Right. And what you just said was, you know, like in high school, and I I want to go back to what you said earlier, you know, in elementary school, the kids are too too young, they don't they don't comprehend what basically you're explaining. Correct.
SPEAKER_03You know, so I yeah, it's it's it's but but it's both sides are so radical, so it's like if you know if if you approach that to a radical re uh Democrat, okay, a lot of them will come at you with this, oh, you're an oppressor and you're exclusionary, and some kids just know from birth and this and that. It's like, okay, there might be an exception. I don't know. That's not me. I've never experienced that or seen anybody, you know, right from my own experiences and from what doctors are saying, we should probably, and it's the same, but then the Republicans, the radical left, they don't want it in schools at all. And it's like, well, no, you can't do that because we have homosexual people, like I some of my greatest friends are gay. You know what I mean? It's like it doesn't matter. So it's like, but both sides just can't come to a con it comes back to what we're talking about, cooperating. It's like we can't have an intelligent conversation about what is actually appropriate and adequate so that we can have proper education and inclusion for everybody. And this is using one one minute minute instance of the whole you know, school issue right now. This can kind of you know be, you know, uh spread across many of our political issues, if you will.
SPEAKER_01Right. And and for me, you know, I I don't judge a person by their race, their religion, whether they're straight or gay, what you know, whatever. I judge them by the content of their character. For sure. And that's how I think society should be.
SPEAKER_03And and honestly, I think 99% of people, okay, maybe 90, 90 percent, we'll just say that, of people, and even these like staunch Republicans, like it's I think most people, when you deal with people on a day-to-day basis, I don't think these people are trying, you know what I mean? But it's I don't think Ron I I think Ron DeSantis probably has some gay friends, you know what I'm saying? But he's in there, you know, trying to, you know, push this to be completely out of our school, if you will, is what I'm saying. Is it's like it's almost uh people excluding their personal experiences to suit their uh religious uh views, if you will. And it's like if you can coexist with this person in this country, then why do you have such a problem if their history is told in our school? If if you can coexist and work with these people and you'll hire these people in your business, then why is it such a problem if we have adequate education at the proper level, appropriate levels, so that they don't find themselves confused and, you know, maybe in the throes of depression and anxiety? I mean, I don't think that the mental health stuff is like a made-up phenomenon. I think that we were, you know, in your when you were younger, like you said, like doctors were ignorant to a lot of things. The technology has come around. But I also think a lot of the influx of autism and, you know, maybe Asperger's or bipolar disorder, ADHD. I mean, a lot of this I feel like is perpetrated by the foods that we're consistently putting in our bodies and the the preservatives and stuff like that, and then and then also just a general product of our society.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I was just gonna bring that up. And I obviously I don't have any scientific proof, it's just a hunch or an opinion. I think the highly processed foods is could be one of the reasons why the some of these issues that you just brought up um could be tied to it and evidence, you know. Um and I would just remember this, um, getting back to to history, you know our country, there's good history and bad history. But history is what it is. So whether it's good or bad, we can't only just tell it truth truthfully. Yeah. And and because it it happened. You can't say that, oh, this is bad, so we gotta pretend it didn't happen. Right. Okay, y you can't, in my opinion, you just can't pick and choose like that. History is what it is. So good, bad, you learn from it, you grow, you move on. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And hopefully, uh you know, moving forward, hopefully something gives, and uh we can we can all start coming back towards working together instead of feeling like our country is constantly at war with itself without being at war with with itself.
SPEAKER_01And each other. I mean, it seems like you know, there's so much hatred towards each other and not enough sympathy or empathy.
SPEAKER_03Well, this is one thing that I've that I've talked about a lot, is that everybody tries to play the victim these days. It's like, okay, even if someone does something to you and you react in a certain way, then the the person that might have initiated this conflict will turn around and try to be like, oh, well, you did this. You know what I mean? It's like everybody, I mean, I don't need to name a name, but we've had a couple people in my personal life that have tried to, you know, you know, I mean, it's like every time it's you did something to me, and then when I, you know, get angry or there's a response you don't like, now you're trying to play a victim. And I think a lot of that, you know, goes a long way, is where we don't we all love this country and we love the freedom and we love the rights we have until um you having those rights um and exercising those freedoms differs from my religious or personal beliefs. Then I only like those freedoms and those rights for me and people that think like me, and we need to come up with laws and stuff to where I don't have to deal with you as much. Right. And that's and it's really it's like, well, it's the land of hypocrisy.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and just because you know two people may not agree on on religious beliefs or political beliefs, it doesn't mean either one of those people are wrong. It just means they have different views, and there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, isn't that what this country is founded on?
SPEAKER_03That's what this yeah, that's what made made this country, you know, and makes this country great.
SPEAKER_01And I don't mean that in any sort of Donald Trump supporting way, but uh but you know, I just you know, I I keep I keep I keep hopeful and um you know I try to think about you know j John Lennon said all you need is love so there you go we just keep trying. Um Chris, you got any thoughts on this?
SPEAKER_05Uh John Lennon also said uh come together right now over me. Right on. You know, I don't I don't specifically understand what he might have been talking about in that moment, error of love. But um, you know, I yeah, I I I I honestly think that uh, you know Jim Morrison had good ideas, you know what I mean? Oh yeah. I don't know, I'm just fucking off.
SPEAKER_03Oh hell yeah, I love you. Well, uh enough of the serious talk.
Is It A Sport Game
SPEAKER_03We're gonna go ahead and uh we're gonna close it out um playing uh everybody's favorite game with everybody's favorite game show host. And uh the man for the inspiration of it um is it a sport, the voice on the uh the production for it is my father. I used to hear him heckle his friends, and and even my grandfather when he'd go play golf, and and he would always like come up with the with these excuses of why it wasn't a sport, and it just cracked me up when I was a kid.
SPEAKER_05So dude, I think the biggest thing with golf is if my mother and my grandmother are good enough shape to play that game, it is not a sport.
SPEAKER_03Amen, brother. God, take on to the pulpit, preacher. And on that note, we're gonna start. Is it a sport?
SPEAKER_02Is it a sport? Or is it a bubble? Is it a game?
SPEAKER_03Take him away, doc.
SPEAKER_05All right, it's time now for everybody's favorite game. With everybody's favorite game host, let me go ahead and introduce him, the doctor's well hi. Salutations, my friends. How's it going? All right, for first one up on uh Is it a sport today? Um, Boba Walnuts, uh, we'll we'll just start off with a basic one in golf.
SPEAKER_01Game.
SPEAKER_07You heard it here. It's a game.
SPEAKER_01I mean, come on. I like that. You know, you you've said it, Chris. Yeah, I know. You go to these golf courses, you hit the ball, you get in a cart, you drive to the ball, you hit the ball. I mean, you don't even break a sweat. No, and a lot of them are overweight when they do it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's why they wear collared shirts.
SPEAKER_05All right, what you got next? All right, next, um, this one's gonna be a little off-tune, but uh, you know, piloting a helicopter.
SPEAKER_01Dangerous, dangerous, but neither a game nor a sport.
SPEAKER_05You hear you heard it here first. That one is inconclusive. Inconclusive on that one. All right, okay. Uh Mr. Walnuts, do you uh do you know what roller derby is? I do. No, game or sport?
SPEAKER_03Sport. I was about to say, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01I think that's uh if you've if you've ever watched them hit each uh you know bouncing off each other and slamming each other into the yeah, you definitely are breaking a sweat going around the rink.
SPEAKER_03You could definitely break a bone, and I'm sure they're pulling a lot of muscles.
SPEAKER_05Pulling a lot of groins out there, pulling a lot of groins. No, dude, uh Paul, I think I sent you this video uh like a week or two ago. Yeah. And it was like this one dude that was roller derbying, but he was just beating the shit out of everybody.
SPEAKER_03Uh yeah, I did I did see that. You sent that to me. That was uh pretty funny. And I'm like, how did that even start?
SPEAKER_01Is it even around still? It is. As a matter of fact, it's it's making a huge comeback. I think it started in the 50s. How do you score a point? I don't know.
SPEAKER_03I think I don't know the I just would be good at skate. Well, I can't roller skate, I could roller blade. No, and I could knock some motherfuckers down.
SPEAKER_01I'm not 100% sure, but I think there's a there's a person on the team that you have to get through all the the other people and get them to cross the line. And your teammates will push the other team.
SPEAKER_03So it's like it's like the pawns kind of moving the rest of the chessboard out of the way. So yeah, okay. Yeah, fair enough.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so it's like practically rugby on wheels. Rugby on wheels.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's a good that's a good analogy. Got anything else for him?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, of course, dude. I I got a few more if you if y'all are okay with that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, let's run, let's run two more.
SPEAKER_05All right. So uh we're gonna do this one just because it's uh usual one that we always ask. Skateboarding, game or sport?
SPEAKER_01Skateboarding's a sport.
SPEAKER_05There we go. All right, you heard it. You heard it here. On on the pod, we're making dreams come true. That's right. Okay, and um now this uh final one. This is uh just to make Paul feel real uncomfortable. Sex, game or sport? Could be both.
SPEAKER_03Yes, that's inclusive, but we know what it means. That's the best answer yet for that one. I love it. Oh yeah, Pops. Yeah, we'll write on, man. Well, uh, super stoked, episode 50 in the wraps. Pops, thanks for uh taking the time to sit down with us. Well, thank you, Paulie, and thank you, Doctor, for having me. Yeah, stoked to have you on. Anytime, sir. Anytime. And Doc, man, uh, hope you have a restful rest of your day. Keep those feet up and keep the swelling down, and I'll holler at you later. And uh until next time, everybody, peace, love, and skateboarding.