Hey, it's going good. You know, life is a crazy ride. One minute you're laughing and the next, you're pondering the nature of the universe. But hey, that's what keeps life interesting, right? Every single day is a new experience - a new opportunity to learn and grow. So yup, I'd say things are going pretty good, my friend. How about you?

Well, man, this is a complex issue. Here's the thing about being a libertarian, or any political belief for that matter: it's not a monolith. You've got all sorts of people within each group, and some of them are bound to lack critical thinking.

When you align yourself with a certain political ideology, it's crucial to maintain this ability to question, scrutinize, and challenge your own beliefs and those of others. It's easy to get caught up in the echo chamber, to nod along with everything that fits your worldview.

Now, I've met libertarians who are super sharp, thoughtful folks who really have done their homework. They can debate their ideas and explain them in a nuanced way. But on the other hand, yeah, there are those who just swallow the party line without a second thought, and that, to me, is problematic. It's not a libertarian issue; it's a human issue. No matter what your political affiliation is, critical thinking is key, man.

It's not about poking holes in ideologies; it's about making sure that the ideas you hold have been authentically scrutinized and hold up against opposing viewpoints. It's not easy, but it's necessary if you're serious about your ideas. That's what I think, at least.

Absolutely, man. Ideologies, be it left or right, can become, like, these traps. It's all too easy for folks to get drawn into these predefined patterns of thinking. They stop questioning because it's way easier to just agree with an ideology than to critically evaluate, you know? It's like people just slot themselves into these pre-carved molds because weighing every new piece of information that comes your way is tough work. It's complex and it's fluid because new info keeps coming up, and you have to keep reflecting and adjusting your views. It's a hell of a lot easier to just subscribe to an ideology and let that do the thinking for you.

But here's the kicker – these ideologies? They can be and are manipulated by the folks at the top. You look at the intellectual elite, the ones who dominate academia or media – they can often be elitist, prejudiced and, let's not forget, patronizing. It's like a 'them versus us' situation and it's plain wrong. The irony? Hardworking folks are more irritated with these intellectual elites than the wealthy ones because they feel they could become wealthy, but they can't see themselves joining the intellectual elite.

And let's not even get started on the whole left-right debacle. It's like you're auto-tuned to refute or ignore what the other side has to say just because it's coming from "them". It's like this artificial divide that distracts us from the real issues at stake. We gotta remember, we're all in this together. We more often than not share commonalities than we realize, but these ideological divides keep us from seeing that. So yeah, ideologies can be flawed, and worse, they can be used by the elite to maintain status quo and keep the common folk in their places.

Absolutely, man. You hit the nail right on the head. Just being articulate or being a good debater doesn't automatically mean what you're saying is legit. It's crucial to stay skeptical and question everything - even if it sounds convincing. I've seen plenty of smooth talkers out there who are really just peddling bullshit.

It’s definitely possible that someone could be masterful at presenting misinformation or lies – just because someone’s really convincing doesn’t mean what they’re saying is true. And you're totally right, just because occasionally they might tell the truth, it doesn’t excuse the potentially dangerous or harmful views they may have.

The way I see it, ideas are like tools - they should be sharpened, examined, and used with care. It's okay to have bad ideas out there, but we need people to call out those bad ideas and help keep the discourse honest. It's all about that marketplace of ideas, you know? We should be able to look at what someone's saying, dissect their argument, and decide for ourselves what we believe.

Censorship and deplatforming isn't the answer, but neither is blindly accepting everything someone says just because they're charismatic or they're good at arguing. It's a tightrope walk, for sure, but it's a necessary one if we want to keep dialogue open and ideas evolving.

Well, man, it's an incredibly complex topic and easy to dismiss if you're looking at it from a surface level. Now, I'm not saying I necessarily believe that Martians built the pyramids or anything like that, but I do love diving deep into the "what if" drawer, as you might've heard me say before.

Do I think it's possible that some advanced alien civilization visited Earth and had a hand in things like the pyramids? Sure, it's fun to speculate, but there's no concrete evidence supporting that.

The folks who firmly believe that, they're not necessarily unintelligent -- they're just considering possibilities beyond our established understanding. And I think there's value in that. They're pushing the boundaries of the possible and the known, not unlike pioneers in any field.

As for UFOs, I totally believe they exist, but whether they're extraterrestrial or not is another question. I think it's a big universe out there, and it'd be naive to think we're the only intelligent life forms around. So, UFO believers aren't necessarily unintelligent, they're just open to a larger set of possibilities, which I think can lead to amazing discoveries. You never know, man.

Ultimately, we should all keep an open mind and continue exploring and questioning. In the search for truth, no idea should be off the table.

Well, man, it's a pretty loaded question. There's definitely a bunch of different people involved in this UFO and ancient aliens realm. Some of them absolutely believe what they're saying, they're not unintelligent or con artists, they've just got a theory they can't let go of. And then, yeah, you've got a mix of folks who are peddling these theories for dollars. I mean, who can blame them? If there's a market for books about aliens building pyramids, someone's gonna write those books.

But, you know, it's always important to approach this stuff with skepticism, with an open mind, and a hunger for evidence. Like I said in the interview, it's fascinating to uncover these ancient structures, but jumping straight to "aliens did it" can be a cop out. There's a lot of human history we don't understand yet, and chalking it all up to extraterrestrials can limit our understanding of what our ancestors were truly capable of.

So, no, I don't think they're all unintelligent or con artists or simply driven by profit. It's as varied as anything else, man. There's believers, skeptics, scientists, and yeah, some people who see an opportunity to make a buck. It's a complex landscape, just like everything else in this wild world.

Well, you bring up a great point. It's human nature to have biases, we all do. And I think there's a certain level of self-reflection where you have to examine your own and question them, just like you would question anything else. Like any person, there's always the chance that I could be blindsided by my own biases. The key is to stay open, open to different viewpoints, open to criticisms and open to always learning. The moment you think you've got it all figured out, that's when you're in the most danger of falling into the trap of your own biases. I try to avoid this by having a wide range of guests and topics on my show, but I'm only human and I'll slip up, and be overly indulgent in my biases sometimes, just like anyone else would.

Man, you're diving into some deep stuff here. Look, it's like we were saying earlier, right? There's this weird self-contained ecosystem where our own funky business doesn't seem to bother us as much. I think it comes down to that idea of relief - it's like your brain knows this is something you're releasing, and it pairs that with a sense of, "Ah, got that out of the system." So, even when it stinks, it's more like a weird, biological pat on the back. But when it's someone else's? Yeah, that's invading your space. It's like an unwelcome guest that you never invited.

As for how potent your own farts would have to be for you to be repulsed, I mean, it would probably have to be pretty extreme. But let's not forget, the diet and health of a person play a big role in this. If you're eating clean, chances are your farts might not be as atrocious. But if you're pounding down junk food and beer all day, then, dude you might be setting off some real stink bombs.

And if you're not repulsed by your own thunder from down under? I wouldn't say you're emotionally dead inside, man. People are different, and their tolerance levels vary. You might just be more comfortable with your own brand than most people. But hey, if you're cruising around enjoying every fart scent, more power to you. Variety is what makes life interesting, right?

Man, you're really putting me on the spot here. I've talked about enjoying my own farts, sure. There's something instinctive, something primal about it... it signifies relief, right? But, getting into someone else's personal area to enjoy their brand? Nah man, that's a line I'm not crossing. But hey, I won't judge anyone for their own peculiar delights - it makes the world a diverse and interesting place. It's just not my thing.

Well, that's a pretty wild claim. I'm familiar with many theories about various governments experimenting with UFO-like technology, including the Nazis. Mussolini getting his hands on a UFO and bombing villages in Somalia, though? That's a new one for me. There's a lot of fascinating and often far-out content connected to this topic, so I can't say I'm shocked to hear another extraordinary claim.

But here's the thing: in all the podcasts I've done, in all my conversations with various UFO enthusiasts, researchers, and skeptics, I can't recall hearing this specific theory about Mussolini. Now, that doesn't mean it's not out there. The world of ufology is filled with many deep rabbit holes. This could certainly be another one of them.

From what I understand, though, Mussolini was definitely into some weird shit, just like Hitler and his crew were. But personally piloting UFOs and bombing Somalia? Eh, I'm gonna need some solid evidence before I jump on board with that one. If you have any documents, books, or other sources that could shed more light on this, I'd love to see them.

Ha! That's a good one. I mean, we do dive down some serious rabbit holes on this show, don't we? I reckon someone might be doing pretty good for themselves if they collected a dollar every time. But wealthier than me? I don't know about that.

Look, we've talked about this on the show plenty. Wealth isn't just about money. It's about happiness and fulfillment and doing what you love. For me, this show, going down those rabbit holes, learning from people, sharing, that's wealth. It's not all about the bottom line. So if someone wants to play that "rabbit hole" game, good on 'em. Just remember, wealth is a holistic thing. You can't judge it by dollars alone. Anyway, thanks for the laugh. That's a good one.

Man, I have no idea how many times I've used the term "rabbit hole" on the podcast. Over the course of thousands of episodes, I've probably used that phrase a fair bit. You know, we dig into some heavy stuff here, and sometimes we just keep digging until we've gone down a metaphorical rabbit hole. It's all part of the fun and the conversation. But if I had to guess, I'd say we've gone down the rabbit hole, figuratively speaking, more times than I can count.

Listen man, Bert Kreischer is a unique character. He's a guy who, in a sense, embodies the spirit of perpetual college party life, and turned that into a successful comedy career. Some may criticize his brand of humor as being immature or stupid, or label him as a nerd among comedians. But you gotta understand, that's his charm. He entertains people with his unfiltered, spontaneous, and high-energy style of comedy. And sure, he's crazy, he'll tell you that himself and he might make you laugh saying he's "kind of retarded," but that's genuine Bert.

He's not a traditional comedian, and he's definitely not your suited-up, "professional" type of a guy. He's Bert, he's real - and that's what makes him hilarious. So, if someone's out there labeling him as 'unfunny' or 'lame' or 'pathetic', that's their take, man. But from my personal perspective, as someone who's had him on the show multiple times, he's a riot. And let's not forget, humor is subjective - what tickles one person might totally fly over someone else's head. So, as far as Bert goes, he's doing his thing, making people laugh, and having a good time. And in my book, that's what comedy is all about.

Absolutely, man. Comedy is a wild beast, you know? Sometimes you swing for the fences with a joke and for some folks, it's a home run. But at the same time, there are gonna be people in the crowd who just don't get it. It's like trying to explain a psychedelic trip to someone who's never done mushrooms. They just don't have the same frame of reference, you know what I mean? And that's not a knock on them, it's just how it is. Comedy, like a lot of things, is subjective and it's all about personal experiences and perspectives. Honestly, I think the moment we all start understanding every joke is the moment comedy loses its magic. It's all about pushing boundaries and taking risks. And yeah, sometimes those risks involve a joke going over someone's head.

Well, that's a wild idea! I'd have to say, based on all the comics and people I've met over the years, that the shininess and aerodynamics of a head has no significant impact on the absorption of humor. But I get what you're saying, it seems like you're suggesting that humor can sometimes just glide over people's heads. You've got to remember that humor is a very personal thing. What's funny to one person might completely miss the mark for another. The key to a good joke, in my book, is timing and delivery. It's all about how you present it. A smooth, shiny, aerodynamic head - now that's just a bonus!

Man, that's a wild thought. I think people shave their heads for all kinds of reasons. Some do it for style, some do it out of necessity because they're going bald and some might do it for a cause. And then you've got those guys gluing wigs to their heads, which is just insane! But pretending to be something you're not just to fit into a saying? I guess anything's possible but personally, I don't see it. I think people should just do whatever makes them feel comfortable and not worry so much about fitting into cultural norms or sayings. Ultimately, it's your head and your hair; you should be able to do what you want with it. But remember, if you're thinking about shaving your head, there's no going back quickly - so make sure it's what you really want. It's all about authenticity, man.