August 23, 2025 • 21 mins
It’s Friday, and that means one thing: the week may be over, but the madness is still rolling downhill. A World Gone Mad is back with the Friday Edition — the mix of hard news, sharp commentary, and a trip to News from the Edge of Sanity to lighten the weight before the weekend hits.
This episode kicks off with the kind of headline you can’t ignore — the powerful using power to settle scores. I dig into the latest raid making waves in Washington and why the story isn’t about documents, but about something pettier and more dangerous.
From there, I head south — where a detention facility in the swamp has become a national flashpoint. What it represents goes way beyond barbed wire, and it raises a bigger question about how far politicians will go when they’re chasing headlines and trying to look “tough.”
Then I turn my focus to the economy. Markets are rattling, leaders are talking, and your wallet is caught in the middle. I look at the signals coming out of Jackson Hole and what they could mean for everything from mortgages to grocery bills — and why the spectacle isn’t just about Wall Street.
After that, it’s time for the Friday tradition: News from the Edge of Sanity. The headlines may be heavy, but the sidelines are downright unhinged. Strange cargo spills, bizarre traditions that refuse to die, and public meltdowns that belong more in a comedy sketch than real life.
As always, the absurd lives right next door to the serious — and if you can’t laugh at it, you’ll go mad from it. That’s the balance I bring: news with teeth, and satire with purpose.
The madness isn’t slowing down — and neither am I.
Send your comments to:
MadWorldTalk@gmail.com
AWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a World Gone Mad.
This is a World Gone Mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
This is a World Gone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
Welcome to the Friday edition,the part of the week where I
bring you news from the edge ofsanity and try to lighten the
(00:20):
load a little before you headinto your weekend.
If you're listening to mypodcast, welcome to the club
nobody signed up for.
Let me see if I can describewhat you're feeling.
You've crawled through anotherweek in America where our
country is a gorilla-gluedbargain bin pinata on wobbly
(00:42):
legs staggering its way into abirthday party that's packed
with sugar, crazed children whoare swinging aluminum bats
wildly like it's the HungerGames.
But hey, maybe that's just mescreaming from inside the pinata
.
America is not divided.
(01:02):
It's a family reunion foodfight where half the relatives
brought potato salad, the otherhalf brought Molotov cocktails
and the tablecloth is already onfire.
The politicians stillauctioning off democracy on
(01:32):
Craigslist with the wordsheavily bruised, no returns
written in the description andthe national mood hovering
somewhere between bad Wi-Fi rageand a hangover.
You didn't earn Coasting onfumes, pretending the smoke
alarm going off is just part ofthe vibe.
You might be streaming this onyour commute, catching it at the
gym or hiding out in Targetpretending you're still looking
(01:55):
for the toothpaste, doesn'tmatter where you showed up, and
that's half the battle.
These days.
What you're getting here isn'tshrink-wrapped or sanitized,
it's just me a microphone, ahead stuffed with too many
headlines and a golden retrieverconvinced I'm running a very
(02:16):
loud, very unsuccessful talkshow from the kitchen table.
So first things first, let'sdive into some real news,
because while the headlines keepbouncing around like squirrels
on espresso, somebody's got tograb the mic and say what
everyone else is thinking.
(02:37):
That somebody is me.
Here we go.
My first story is the FBI raidon former National Security
Advisor John Bolton's home andoffice in a classified documents
probe.
You know, the first thing thatstruck me about the FBI raid on
(02:59):
John Bolton's home wasn't aboutnational security, it wasn't
about the documents, it was pureretribution.
This is Trump saying you put methrough hell when I got raided,
now it's your turn.
That's how his mind works.
Not through the lens of justiceor law, but payback To him.
(03:23):
Bolton isn't a former nationalsecurity advisor.
He's a former ally turnedcritic who betrayed Trump, and
betrayal in Trump's world alwaysdemands revenge.
Now let's be clear John Boltonisn't some street-level criminal
(03:44):
with a stash of stolen secretsunder his mattress.
He's a career hawk, yes, acontroversial figure, absolutely
.
But the idea that Boltonsuddenly poses a threat big
enough to send federal agents tohis front door, that stretches
the imagination.
This looks less like protectingclassified documents and more
(04:09):
like weaponizing the process tosettle scores.
And that's the danger here.
When law enforcement is used asa political hit squad, it stops
being about the documents andstarts being about the message
If you cross me, I'll send thegovernment after you.
(04:29):
That chills dissent, thatintimidates critics and that
erodes faith in institutionsthat are supposed to be blind to
politics.
Because, remember, bolton'sraid didn't happen in a vacuum.
It happened after years ofTrump raging about the FBI
(04:51):
search of Mar-a-Lago, aboutwitch hunts, about enemies
coming for him, and in Trump'swarp logic, the only way to
balance the scales is to put hisenemies through the same
spectacle.
So here we are anotherhigh-profile raid, not because
(05:13):
John Bolton is dangerous, butbecause Donald Trump is vengeful
.
And if this becomes thestandard, then every political
grudge becomes a criminal probe,every opponent becomes a target
and the justice system becomesjust another weapon in Trump's
arsenal.
(05:33):
And while Trump's busy turningraids into revenge fantasies.
Down in Florida, a federal judgejust ordered the shutdown of a
detention center so notoriousthey call it Alligator Alcatraz.
My second story is about thisprison.
And let's just be honest, onlyin a Florida could a detention
(05:58):
center sound like a theme parkattraction.
You half expect Mickey Mouse atthe front gate selling fast
passes.
Instead, what you've got is aslapdash prison plopped in the
middle of the Everglades and afederal judge finally saying
tear it down, pack it up, get itout.
(06:19):
This wasn't rule bending, thiswas rule shredding.
No environmental review, notribal consultation, no public
process, just boom.
A detention center, a camp in aswamp full of endangered
species, because nothing saysland of the free like sticking
(06:44):
barbed wire in a wildfirepreserve.
And when they got sued, thestate basically shrugged and
went yeah, we did that.
But here's the part thatmatters.
It's not just about alligatorsand wetlands, it's about people,
human beings, locked up in aplace that never should have
existed.
(07:04):
And now they'll get shuffled toanother facility with another
nickname, because America hassomehow turned mass detention
into a branding exercise.
The judge shut it down, andthat's good.
But let's not kid ourselves.
The playbook hasn't changed.
Politicians chasing headlinesand flexing tough-on-immigration
(07:28):
credentials will cut cornersevery chance they get, and when
that happens, the law, theenvironment and the people
trapped in the middle are thefirst things thrown out the
window From a prison in theswamp to a prison of another
kind, the financial system we'reall trapped in.
(07:52):
And while Trump keeps screamingat the Fed to slash rates like
it's his personal jukebox,jerome Powell, the chairman of
the Federal Reserve the guy whodecides what borrowing money
costs in this country is the oneadult in the room trying to
keep the whole thing fromblowing up.
Powell gave a speech in JacksonHole, wyoming, and the markets
(08:16):
lost their minds.
He didn't cut rates.
He didn't even promise to cutrates.
All he did was hint that maybe,possibly, if the numbers keep
moving the right way, the Fedmight cut interest rates in
September.
That's it A whisper.
(08:36):
And Wall Street acted like hehad just declared Christmas
twice a year.
The Dow jumped up almost 900points, the S&P jumped, the
Nasdaq nearly hit 2%, bondyields fell, the dollar dipped.
Even small cap stocks thelittle guys who actually need to
(08:57):
borrow cash went flying Low.
Home builders and travelcompanies surged because
suddenly everyone thinks cheaperloans mean people will start
buying houses and bookingflights again.
Here's what this means for youlistener.
Here's what this means for youlistener.
If the Fed really does cutrates, your mortgage, your car
(09:20):
loan, even your credit cardinterest, could get a little
cheaper.
It's about the only kind oftrickle down that actually
reaches people.
But it's a gamble.
Lower rates can also juiceinflation, and nobody wants to
go back to paying $7 for acarton of eggs again.
(09:42):
And here's the politicalundertow.
Trump has been pounding Powellfor months, demanding rate cuts
like it's his favorite song onthe jukebox.
So when Powell leans dovish,even slightly, the markets hear
it as more than economics.
They hear politics, andbillionaires start popping
(10:04):
champagnes, while the rest of usare still staring at grocery
receipts wondering how to makeit to payday.
So, yes, powell's speech sentthe market soaring, but it's not
salvation, it's not stability.
It's a tightrope, and Powelland the Fed are the ones inching
(10:26):
across.
While Trump shakes thattightrope, the markets cheer
every wobble, but the rest of usare standing underneath,
knowing if they fall, we're theones who get crushed.
So, after all that Trump'srevenge raids, florida's swamp
(10:48):
prison and Wall Street doingcartwheels, you, dear listener,
deserve a break.
Deserve a break.
So it's time for news from theedge of sanity, where the
stories are still insane, but atleast you don't need a stiff
drink to get through them.
All right.
So picture this, everyone rightin your mind.
(11:08):
Picture this You're on yourmorning commute in Pennsylvania,
coffee in hand, trafficcrawling, and suddenly the road
ahead looks like the aftermathof a Nathan's hot dog eating
contest gone nuclear.
(11:33):
That's because a tractor trailertipped over an I-83 near
Shrewsbury and dumped thousandsof hot dogs across the highway.
Lanes closed, traffic snarledand four people were injured,
thankfully not seriously.
All because the worst possiblecargo decided to scatter itself
across the interstate.
And yes, I said that.
And let's just pause on that.
Visual.
Fire crews and tow operatorsout there, boots on asphalt,
(11:58):
trying to scrape frankfootersoff the pavement like they're
squeegeeing a giant GeorgeForeman grill.
Meanwhile, commuters are stuckin a traffic jam and calling in
to work to explain to their boss.
Sorry, I'll be late, I'm stuckbehind a lot of weenies.
You can almost hear the GPSgiving directions.
(12:20):
In two miles, prepare to mergeinto the condiments.
This is what America does best.
We can't fix infrastructure, wecan't agree on a budget, but we
will turn an interstate into agiant charcuterie board.
Now accidents happen, cargospills, but tell me there isn't
(12:45):
something perfectly on brandabout a truckload of hot dogs
painting a highway in America.
Not silicon chips, not fineFrench wine, hot dogs the most
4th of July food we've got andan I-83, it became a full scale
(13:06):
traffic hazard.
So, yes, everyone's safe, theroads clear and life goes on,
but for a few surreal hours,pennsylvania drivers got a new
definition of rush hour Bumperto bumper, the kind nobody
relishes unless it's on a hotdog.
(13:28):
All right, let's head toScotland, listeners, where the
annual Merry Mass Festival inIrvine has revived a tradition
so absurd it feels like it wasinvented on a drunken dare and
then kept going for sixcenturies.
It's called the Greasy Pole.
So here's the game Take a25-foot pole, slather it in
(13:52):
grease, stick it up in themiddle of town and then dare
grown adults to climb it.
The prize A ham, not just anyham, a ham wrapped in barbed
wire.
This is peak medieval energy.
600 years ago somebody said outloud we need entertainment, and
(14:15):
apparently nobody had invented,j says, community spirit, like
watching neighbors slide down apole of shame.
Seriously, is this where theinsult go?
(14:42):
Shove a pole up your assstarted.
Because, if so, scotland's beenworkshopping this since the
1300s, nobody actually got theham.
This year Nobody ever reallydoes.
That's the point.
The whole town gathers to watchpeople humiliate themselves
trying.
It's the world's oldestslapstick routine.
(15:04):
Imagine explaining this to analien who just landed on the
planet Earth.
Yes, this is our culture.
We grease poles and worshipmeat.
And honestly, in a world ofcorporate festivals and soulless
parades, there's somethingalmost pure about it no
(15:26):
fireworks, no DJs, no TikTokinfluencers, just grease,
gravity and the dream of pork.
So cheers to Irvin, may thehams stay barbed, may the poles
stay greasy, and may we alladmit this is the most honest
(15:51):
sport humanity ever invented.
And finally we land in Boston,literally where the jet blue
gate at Logan turned intoamateur night at the airport, a
passenger waiting to board, likethe rest of us poor souls,
decided TSA wasn't enoughhumiliation for one day and he
stripped right there in theterminal.
(16:12):
That's right.
He started in bright redunderwear, stretching, posing
like he was warming up for aone-man Cirque du Soleil, and
then, just to complete the show,he went full birthday suit.
So picture the scene.
Everyone Families are clutchingtheir Dunkin', business
(16:34):
travelers trying to send onelast email, and here's this guy
treating Gate C like it's hispersonal runway, mooning
passengers, muttering nonsenseand finally giving the full
reveal before state troopersrushed in to haul him off
Somewhere.
There's a poor JetBlue internwho had to make an announcement
(16:58):
over the speakers.
No one wanted to hear.
Attention, passengers on flight237 to Orlando your boarding has
been delayed due to anunscheduled nudist aerobics
demonstration at Gate C.
We apologize for theinconvenience.
And here's the thing.
(17:19):
We've all seen airportmeltdowns, right, people
screaming about baggage fees,flights or fights over reclining
seats, and the occasional guytrying to board with three
buckets of fried chicken.
But this, this, is a whole newlevel.
You want chaos, forgetturbulence.
Nothing rattles passengers likehaving to avert your eyes while
(17:43):
a stranger does a strip shownext to the boarding queue,
except maybe the 93-year-oldgrandmother who got a thrill.
So, yes, he was escorted out,charges pending, and flights
eventually resumed.
But if you were there, how doyou ever fly again without
wondering will seat 22C keep hispants on this time?
(18:09):
That was your news from the Edgeof Sanity, now a regular
segment on Fridays, a friendlyreminder that while the
headlines are terrifying, thesidelines are completely
unhinged.
I'm not saying the world'sunwell, but it just walked into
a glass door, apologized to thedoor and then walked into it
(18:29):
again and again and yet again.
Wolfpack listeners, if you'vegot thoughts, unload them.
Maybe it's a rant about whyshoelaces only untie themselves
in public, or why your smokedetector only dies at 3 am.
I want to hear them.
Or skip the rant and just tellme the last time you
(18:53):
accidentally waved at someonewho wasn't waving at you, but
you committed to the wave anyway, because that's who we are now.
Either way, this is your space.
Send me your weird, your petty,your overffeinated brain dumps
because, trust me, they'll fitright in here.
Email me anytime madworldtalkat gmailcom.
(19:17):
M-a-d-w-o-r-l-d-t-a-l-k atgmail.
Email me your thoughts.
Email me the one thing youwould do that would get you
escorted out of Costco.
Email me the one thing you'donly blurt out in a doctor's
office right after they ask you.
So what brings you in today?
Or call my 24-7 voicemail line833-399-9653.
(19:43):
It's toll free.
When you call, don't just leavea message, leave craziness.
Read me your grocery list, likeyou're auditioning for
America's Got Talent and SimonCowell just gave you an X
because you didn't remember eggs.
Or give me your bestplay-by-play of two squirrels
(20:03):
fighting over a Cheeto in theWalmart parking lot.
And please leave a review onApple or Spotify, because
without your stars, I'll end upstanding in the Home Depot
parking lot showing peoplepretty flowers and begging them
for money while they're loadingmulch into their trucks.
Who am I kidding?
(20:25):
I already do that on weekends.
This has been A World Gone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolf.
I'll be back Monday becausesomeone has to say the shit that
no one else will, andapparently that job's mine.
Until then, wolfpack listeners,stay skeptical, stay focused
(20:46):
and, most of all, stay hopeful.
There is chaos in the world,can't you see?
And we need to stand up andpreserve our democracy.
This is a world gone mad.
This is a world on red.
This is a World Gone Mad.
This is a World Gone Mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
This is a World Gone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
Welcome to the Friday edition,the part of the week where I
bring you news from the edge ofsanity and try to lighten the
(00:20):
load a little before you headinto your weekend.
If you're listening to mypodcast, welcome to the club
nobody signed up for.
Let me see if I can describewhat you're feeling.
You've crawled through anotherweek in America where our
country is a gorilla-gluedbargain bin pinata on wobbly
(00:42):
legs staggering its way into abirthday party that's packed
with sugar, crazed children whoare swinging aluminum bats
wildly like it's the HungerGames.
But hey, maybe that's just mescreaming from inside the pinata
.
America is not divided.
(01:02):
It's a family reunion foodfight where half the relatives
brought potato salad, the otherhalf brought Molotov cocktails
and the tablecloth is already onfire.
The politicians stillauctioning off democracy on
(01:32):
Craigslist with the wordsheavily bruised, no returns
written in the description andthe national mood hovering
somewhere between bad Wi-Fi rageand a hangover.
You didn't earn Coasting onfumes, pretending the smoke
alarm going off is just part ofthe vibe.
You might be streaming this onyour commute, catching it at the
gym or hiding out in Targetpretending you're still looking
(01:55):
for the toothpaste, doesn'tmatter where you showed up, and
that's half the battle.
These days.
What you're getting here isn'tshrink-wrapped or sanitized,
it's just me a microphone, ahead stuffed with too many
headlines and a golden retrieverconvinced I'm running a very
(02:16):
loud, very unsuccessful talkshow from the kitchen table.
So first things first, let'sdive into some real news,
because while the headlines keepbouncing around like squirrels
on espresso, somebody's got tograb the mic and say what
everyone else is thinking.
(02:37):
That somebody is me.
Here we go.
My first story is the FBI raidon former National Security
Advisor John Bolton's home andoffice in a classified documents
probe.
You know, the first thing thatstruck me about the FBI raid on
(02:59):
John Bolton's home wasn't aboutnational security, it wasn't
about the documents, it was pureretribution.
This is Trump saying you put methrough hell when I got raided,
now it's your turn.
That's how his mind works.
Not through the lens of justiceor law, but payback To him.
(03:23):
Bolton isn't a former nationalsecurity advisor.
He's a former ally turnedcritic who betrayed Trump, and
betrayal in Trump's world alwaysdemands revenge.
Now let's be clear John Boltonisn't some street-level criminal
(03:44):
with a stash of stolen secretsunder his mattress.
He's a career hawk, yes, acontroversial figure, absolutely
.
But the idea that Boltonsuddenly poses a threat big
enough to send federal agents tohis front door, that stretches
the imagination.
This looks less like protectingclassified documents and more
(04:09):
like weaponizing the process tosettle scores.
And that's the danger here.
When law enforcement is used asa political hit squad, it stops
being about the documents andstarts being about the message
If you cross me, I'll send thegovernment after you.
(04:29):
That chills dissent, thatintimidates critics and that
erodes faith in institutionsthat are supposed to be blind to
politics.
Because, remember, bolton'sraid didn't happen in a vacuum.
It happened after years ofTrump raging about the FBI
(04:51):
search of Mar-a-Lago, aboutwitch hunts, about enemies
coming for him, and in Trump'swarp logic, the only way to
balance the scales is to put hisenemies through the same
spectacle.
So here we are anotherhigh-profile raid, not because
(05:13):
John Bolton is dangerous, butbecause Donald Trump is vengeful
.
And if this becomes thestandard, then every political
grudge becomes a criminal probe,every opponent becomes a target
and the justice system becomesjust another weapon in Trump's
arsenal.
(05:33):
And while Trump's busy turningraids into revenge fantasies.
Down in Florida, a federal judgejust ordered the shutdown of a
detention center so notoriousthey call it Alligator Alcatraz.
My second story is about thisprison.
And let's just be honest, onlyin a Florida could a detention
(05:58):
center sound like a theme parkattraction.
You half expect Mickey Mouse atthe front gate selling fast
passes.
Instead, what you've got is aslapdash prison plopped in the
middle of the Everglades and afederal judge finally saying
tear it down, pack it up, get itout.
(06:19):
This wasn't rule bending, thiswas rule shredding.
No environmental review, notribal consultation, no public
process, just boom.
A detention center, a camp in aswamp full of endangered
species, because nothing saysland of the free like sticking
(06:44):
barbed wire in a wildfirepreserve.
And when they got sued, thestate basically shrugged and
went yeah, we did that.
But here's the part thatmatters.
It's not just about alligatorsand wetlands, it's about people,
human beings, locked up in aplace that never should have
existed.
(07:04):
And now they'll get shuffled toanother facility with another
nickname, because America hassomehow turned mass detention
into a branding exercise.
The judge shut it down, andthat's good.
But let's not kid ourselves.
The playbook hasn't changed.
Politicians chasing headlinesand flexing tough-on-immigration
(07:28):
credentials will cut cornersevery chance they get, and when
that happens, the law, theenvironment and the people
trapped in the middle are thefirst things thrown out the
window From a prison in theswamp to a prison of another
kind, the financial system we'reall trapped in.
(07:52):
And while Trump keeps screamingat the Fed to slash rates like
it's his personal jukebox,jerome Powell, the chairman of
the Federal Reserve the guy whodecides what borrowing money
costs in this country is the oneadult in the room trying to
keep the whole thing fromblowing up.
Powell gave a speech in JacksonHole, wyoming, and the markets
(08:16):
lost their minds.
He didn't cut rates.
He didn't even promise to cutrates.
All he did was hint that maybe,possibly, if the numbers keep
moving the right way, the Fedmight cut interest rates in
September.
That's it A whisper.
(08:36):
And Wall Street acted like hehad just declared Christmas
twice a year.
The Dow jumped up almost 900points, the S&P jumped, the
Nasdaq nearly hit 2%, bondyields fell, the dollar dipped.
Even small cap stocks thelittle guys who actually need to
(08:57):
borrow cash went flying Low.
Home builders and travelcompanies surged because
suddenly everyone thinks cheaperloans mean people will start
buying houses and bookingflights again.
Here's what this means for youlistener.
Here's what this means for youlistener.
If the Fed really does cutrates, your mortgage, your car
(09:20):
loan, even your credit cardinterest, could get a little
cheaper.
It's about the only kind oftrickle down that actually
reaches people.
But it's a gamble.
Lower rates can also juiceinflation, and nobody wants to
go back to paying $7 for acarton of eggs again.
(09:42):
And here's the politicalundertow.
Trump has been pounding Powellfor months, demanding rate cuts
like it's his favorite song onthe jukebox.
So when Powell leans dovish,even slightly, the markets hear
it as more than economics.
They hear politics, andbillionaires start popping
(10:04):
champagnes, while the rest of usare still staring at grocery
receipts wondering how to makeit to payday.
So, yes, powell's speech sentthe market soaring, but it's not
salvation, it's not stability.
It's a tightrope, and Powelland the Fed are the ones inching
(10:26):
across.
While Trump shakes thattightrope, the markets cheer
every wobble, but the rest of usare standing underneath,
knowing if they fall, we're theones who get crushed.
So, after all that Trump'srevenge raids, florida's swamp
(10:48):
prison and Wall Street doingcartwheels, you, dear listener,
deserve a break.
Deserve a break.
So it's time for news from theedge of sanity, where the
stories are still insane, but atleast you don't need a stiff
drink to get through them.
All right.
So picture this, everyone rightin your mind.
(11:08):
Picture this You're on yourmorning commute in Pennsylvania,
coffee in hand, trafficcrawling, and suddenly the road
ahead looks like the aftermathof a Nathan's hot dog eating
contest gone nuclear.
(11:33):
That's because a tractor trailertipped over an I-83 near
Shrewsbury and dumped thousandsof hot dogs across the highway.
Lanes closed, traffic snarledand four people were injured,
thankfully not seriously.
All because the worst possiblecargo decided to scatter itself
across the interstate.
And yes, I said that.
And let's just pause on that.
Visual.
Fire crews and tow operatorsout there, boots on asphalt,
(11:58):
trying to scrape frankfootersoff the pavement like they're
squeegeeing a giant GeorgeForeman grill.
Meanwhile, commuters are stuckin a traffic jam and calling in
to work to explain to their boss.
Sorry, I'll be late, I'm stuckbehind a lot of weenies.
You can almost hear the GPSgiving directions.
(12:20):
In two miles, prepare to mergeinto the condiments.
This is what America does best.
We can't fix infrastructure, wecan't agree on a budget, but we
will turn an interstate into agiant charcuterie board.
Now accidents happen, cargospills, but tell me there isn't
(12:45):
something perfectly on brandabout a truckload of hot dogs
painting a highway in America.
Not silicon chips, not fineFrench wine, hot dogs the most
4th of July food we've got andan I-83, it became a full scale
(13:06):
traffic hazard.
So, yes, everyone's safe, theroads clear and life goes on,
but for a few surreal hours,pennsylvania drivers got a new
definition of rush hour Bumperto bumper, the kind nobody
relishes unless it's on a hotdog.
(13:28):
All right, let's head toScotland, listeners, where the
annual Merry Mass Festival inIrvine has revived a tradition
so absurd it feels like it wasinvented on a drunken dare and
then kept going for sixcenturies.
It's called the Greasy Pole.
So here's the game Take a25-foot pole, slather it in
(13:52):
grease, stick it up in themiddle of town and then dare
grown adults to climb it.
The prize A ham, not just anyham, a ham wrapped in barbed
wire.
This is peak medieval energy.
600 years ago somebody said outloud we need entertainment, and
(14:15):
apparently nobody had invented,j says, community spirit, like
watching neighbors slide down apole of shame.
Seriously, is this where theinsult go?
(14:42):
Shove a pole up your assstarted.
Because, if so, scotland's beenworkshopping this since the
1300s, nobody actually got theham.
This year Nobody ever reallydoes.
That's the point.
The whole town gathers to watchpeople humiliate themselves
trying.
It's the world's oldestslapstick routine.
(15:04):
Imagine explaining this to analien who just landed on the
planet Earth.
Yes, this is our culture.
We grease poles and worshipmeat.
And honestly, in a world ofcorporate festivals and soulless
parades, there's somethingalmost pure about it no
(15:26):
fireworks, no DJs, no TikTokinfluencers, just grease,
gravity and the dream of pork.
So cheers to Irvin, may thehams stay barbed, may the poles
stay greasy, and may we alladmit this is the most honest
(15:51):
sport humanity ever invented.
And finally we land in Boston,literally where the jet blue
gate at Logan turned intoamateur night at the airport, a
passenger waiting to board, likethe rest of us poor souls,
decided TSA wasn't enoughhumiliation for one day and he
stripped right there in theterminal.
(16:12):
That's right.
He started in bright redunderwear, stretching, posing
like he was warming up for aone-man Cirque du Soleil, and
then, just to complete the show,he went full birthday suit.
So picture the scene.
Everyone Families are clutchingtheir Dunkin', business
(16:34):
travelers trying to send onelast email, and here's this guy
treating Gate C like it's hispersonal runway, mooning
passengers, muttering nonsenseand finally giving the full
reveal before state troopersrushed in to haul him off
Somewhere.
There's a poor JetBlue internwho had to make an announcement
(16:58):
over the speakers.
No one wanted to hear.
Attention, passengers on flight237 to Orlando your boarding has
been delayed due to anunscheduled nudist aerobics
demonstration at Gate C.
We apologize for theinconvenience.
And here's the thing.
(17:19):
We've all seen airportmeltdowns, right, people
screaming about baggage fees,flights or fights over reclining
seats, and the occasional guytrying to board with three
buckets of fried chicken.
But this, this, is a whole newlevel.
You want chaos, forgetturbulence.
Nothing rattles passengers likehaving to avert your eyes while
(17:43):
a stranger does a strip shownext to the boarding queue,
except maybe the 93-year-oldgrandmother who got a thrill.
So, yes, he was escorted out,charges pending, and flights
eventually resumed.
But if you were there, how doyou ever fly again without
wondering will seat 22C keep hispants on this time?
(18:09):
That was your news from the Edgeof Sanity, now a regular
segment on Fridays, a friendlyreminder that while the
headlines are terrifying, thesidelines are completely
unhinged.
I'm not saying the world'sunwell, but it just walked into
a glass door, apologized to thedoor and then walked into it
(18:29):
again and again and yet again.
Wolfpack listeners, if you'vegot thoughts, unload them.
Maybe it's a rant about whyshoelaces only untie themselves
in public, or why your smokedetector only dies at 3 am.
I want to hear them.
Or skip the rant and just tellme the last time you
(18:53):
accidentally waved at someonewho wasn't waving at you, but
you committed to the wave anyway, because that's who we are now.
Either way, this is your space.
Send me your weird, your petty,your overffeinated brain dumps
because, trust me, they'll fitright in here.
Email me anytime madworldtalkat gmailcom.
(19:17):
M-a-d-w-o-r-l-d-t-a-l-k atgmail.
Email me your thoughts.
Email me the one thing youwould do that would get you
escorted out of Costco.
Email me the one thing you'donly blurt out in a doctor's
office right after they ask you.
So what brings you in today?
Or call my 24-7 voicemail line833-399-9653.
(19:43):
It's toll free.
When you call, don't just leavea message, leave craziness.
Read me your grocery list, likeyou're auditioning for
America's Got Talent and SimonCowell just gave you an X
because you didn't remember eggs.
Or give me your bestplay-by-play of two squirrels
(20:03):
fighting over a Cheeto in theWalmart parking lot.
And please leave a review onApple or Spotify, because
without your stars, I'll end upstanding in the Home Depot
parking lot showing peoplepretty flowers and begging them
for money while they're loadingmulch into their trucks.
Who am I kidding?
(20:25):
I already do that on weekends.
This has been A World Gone Mad.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolf.
I'll be back Monday becausesomeone has to say the shit that
no one else will, andapparently that job's mine.
Until then, wolfpack listeners,stay skeptical, stay focused
(20:46):
and, most of all, stay hopeful.
There is chaos in the world,can't you see?
And we need to stand up andpreserve our democracy.
This is a world gone mad.
This is a world on red.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.