#164 | Failed Your GCSEs? You’ll Be Fine

00:00:00.76
Flav: I'm not teasing you, Rick. You might have ADHD and autism.

00:00:04.15
Ricky: Yeah.

00:00:03.99
Flav: You know… we I've talked to… The boys. Friends.

00:00:10.50
Ricky: Yeah.

00:00:10.46
Flav: Then they come around and stuff.

00:00:11.84
Ricky: Hmm.

00:00:11.90
Flav: They've all been diagnosed with ADHD and autism and I've worked with autistic kids for 12 years.

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Ricky: Yeah.

00:00:17.01
Flav: I know what. Well… I used to think I knew what autism was.

00:00:21.95
Ricky: Mmm.

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Flav: Because I've worked with… i've worked with Kids that that I've… that it's clear that they're autistic.

00:00:29.49
Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: I don't mean that in an offensive way. It was just… You can tell.

00:00:33.68
Ricky: You can… Yeah, yeah sure.

00:00:35.23
Flav: it might be the way that they hold themselves, the way they hold conversations, or it might be that they're kind of on a certain level of the spectrum where there's kind of… certain types of movement. I remember a young girl called Sabrina. She was my favorite. I worked at Bull Street. I weren't like… I'll push the exposure.

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Flav: I'm not saying like a favorite like I had. a bunch that I really liked I just

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Ricky: Yeah.

00:00:54.43
Flav: uh ah She just made me laugh.

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Ricky: no eye contact and stuff like that that's you know you know

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Flav: not No, I don't think she ever looked at me once

00:01:02.25
Ricky: me

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Flav: which spoke to me.

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Ricky: I don't blame her

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Flav: No, mean I wouldn't. but but um she Her thing was… she was obsessed with Canada. I might haven't talked about this. Canada. And she made… a a cartoon book.

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Flav: that she drove drew she would draw cartoons all the time. And each… region or state of Canada.

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: would be a little cartoon character. So you'd have…

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Ricky: Right, yeah

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Flav: nova kosia Nova Scotia and it would be a little man.

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: Excuse me. um um And then every minute. Every like 10 minutes. She would have, they would like, it's called like. I can't remember putting the name of it, but… It's…

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Flav: They're overstimulated.

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Ricky: Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Flav: So she would just get up and just sprint the length of the office. Turn around and sprint all the way back.

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Ricky: Right, so she had zoomies like that.

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Flav: Kind of like saying, yeah, yeah.

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Ricky: Yeah, here right.

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Flav: but We got so used to it. It was just normal that this kid would every now and then just sprint up and down the… So I thought Sabrina was good. Um… ah But the most… ah the kind of the one The one I miss most is a guy called Chris chris Cooper.

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Flav: And when I left that job, I felt really sad. Because I had to leave.

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Ricky: Right.

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Flav: Bye. I felt like it was the I was doing good work that

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Ricky: You didn't want to leave Coops behind.

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Flav: Nah. We were talking about Walking Dead all the time. He loved Walking Dead. Sometimes you get really dubious ones, like one one came in. And he was…

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Flav: into medieval torture devices.

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Ricky: oh Oh, okay, right.

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Flav: Yeah, you're kind of like trying to you kind't you're trying to move him towards…

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: Something a bit more… less gruesome and morbid but that's what you like to

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Ricky: Yeah, he he definitely pulls legs off spiders.

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: And then just watches the body of them.

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Flav: That's what you're worried about. so the but but the So the overarching point here is… I'm meeting kids that saying that they're autistic and have ADHD and they might have ADHD.

00:03:04.35
Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: And I'm like… Not enough.

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Ricky: Mmm.

00:03:09.28
Flav: you're You're not autistic enough to say you're autistic, I don't think.

00:03:12.39
Ricky: Yeah yeah yeah.

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Flav: But maybe that's, i I'm obviously misunderstanding something clearly.

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Ricky: Yeah. yeah that There's a sliding scale. Um… And literally just before we. I hit record.

00:03:24.70
Ricky: you suggested that I may have ADHD.

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: I don't believe that I have. maybe Maybe I have elements of it, but I was saying that. at any one time there's like a hundred tabs open in my brain where i'm constantly like oh i'll look up

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: I don't know. Let's use Canada as an example. And then I'll read about Toronto and then I'll click in Toronto and then I'm reading about something else and then it's something else. And so it's just, ah there are just jobs that I'm doing that are half done all the time in my brain. And then I'll remember.

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Ricky: Fuck I didn't do that thing and then I have to go back But the the one that… Maybe it doesn't sting. is the suggestion of autism.

00:04:07.41
Ricky: Because I've… the the The reason why I say that is because I don't. believe that I have any I don't think I'm autistic, well I don't.

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Flav: What do you know about it? You don't know, but I think you're autistic.

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Ricky: but But I…

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Flav: I bet, like I said, I bet. I've had loads of experience.

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: whi it You've had none. either Actually Ricky, you're not qualified. to really talk about this. I am. You are autistic.

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Ricky: So um a mate of mine, right, his wife. ah worked for the NHS for years. ah Specialized in A and &E, young children. mental health service so when people you know self-harm and yeah all these different things And. I was around there maybe two months ago.

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: with my missus with him and his wife and we're all having a drink and uh she made a joke about ah like not a joke about autism but then pointed at me And then like, and how was I?

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Flav: What?

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Ricky: It's what? it was Was that a joke or did you actually… D- She's seen something in me.

00:05:06.62
Flav: She knows. Mate, I have seen stuff in you.

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Ricky: What?

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: God, I might have to go get tested.

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Flav: It… No, you don't have to get tested. I'm telling you.

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Ricky: Right.

00:05:16.78
Flav: It's nailed on. Don't worry about the test. You don't want to fucking NHS more money. You can go around now. You can go around and tell everyone.

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Ricky: Hmm.

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Flav: Join. ah

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Ricky: Yeah, I just got a blue badge that I've drawn myself, like the girl that draws in Canada. I just drew my own blue badge. ah It's just me in the wheelchair.

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Flav: You wear it everywhere.

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Flav: um Rick, but my issue with it, with all that so many get people getting diagnosed with autism, is that it's not true. I just think I've seen… and worked for a long time.

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Flav: We've… people on the spectrum.

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Ricky: Mmm.

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Flav: I don't even know if that's the PC front term now. so I'm not saying any of this to be. I'm not willfully being offensive here. I'm just… I might just be ignorant. but the

00:06:05.45
Flav: um I've seen kids. We've… ah who have Who I've been told are autistic and they some might be non-verbal, some like Sabrina. It doesn't, doesn't look even as…

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Flav: you know has to run up and down every night then to control her excitement or wherever it is

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Ricky: Right.

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Flav: But Chris Cooper, who was sort of… Um… He could speak to you, but he would choose not to speak typically.

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Ricky: Right.

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Flav: So a lot of um lot of like the communication would be through action. Robin and… Speaking. But… To me. That isn't the same as… Oh, as the… my my son's friends.

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: Who? ah are absolutely fine that functioning. or ah socially functioning.

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Ricky: Right. So I like where what I would say is

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Flav: And so… Both things. to believe each other, I say.

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Ricky: is um

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Ricky: You know, if it's if it's really impactful on your life. And not that ah you just, you start something and then you go to something else. I mean, like it's really impacting your life.

00:07:09.28
Ricky: everyday life that you're unable to do things. Do you know what I mean?

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: I think that for me. You're getting the tick in the box from me.

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Flav: Yeah. You're… Yeah, but that it's… They're not the same things even though Up. Apparently they're all autistic. It's a different condition, I think.

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Flav: I mean… It's a different severity of the condition.

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: But the challenges for people that are on certain and end of the spectrum is so much greater than… on the on the others. So… I don't, I think it's too, the word term autism, no one really understands. what it actually means

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Ricky: because it gets banded around quite often.

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Flav: yeah everyone's been diagnosed with it now and like

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Ricky: Yeah.

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Flav: I don't know

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Ricky: I think you did like and without. all the jokes and stuff like that. I do think you do suffer from. ADHD.

00:08:01.25
Flav: you you You suffer. Yo. you're autistic.

00:08:05.19
Ricky: if okay

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Flav: And you've got dyspraxia.

00:08:07.70
Ricky: Right now he…

00:08:08.71
Flav: You got dyspraxia.

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Ricky: Stop projecting.

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Flav: My wife diagnosed me with dyspraxia.

00:08:12.53
Ricky: ah See? It's true.

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Flav: I'm not sure. People should be diagnosing people willy-nilly. Somewhat.

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Ricky: I quite like it. It's giving the power to the people.

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Flav: um

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Ricky: You've got dyspraxia. You've got ADHD. Have you been tested? No. Just stop it.

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Flav: I don't… I don't… I don't know. I don't know what ADHD is either, really.

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Ricky: Right.

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Flav: Why do you think I've got it?

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Ricky: Because, ah like… with With my daughter.

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Flav: Hmm.

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Ricky: my youngest daughter and there we've kind of been going through the process of ah with her ADHD or learning difficulty, whatever it might be. And everything that I've read, you display a lot of signs to.

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Ricky: A lot.

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Flav: Bye then.

00:08:58.33
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, that loads. Absolutely loads.

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Flav: Um… if your daughter if it comes back your daughter is autistic and

00:09:07.12
Ricky: And ADHD.

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Flav: Yeah.

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Flav: um Are you going to tease her about it?

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Ricky: No. I'll just treat her how I treat you. So I know what I'm doing. I know where I'm at

00:09:21.33
Ricky: Yeah, I…

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Flav: I saw something online the other day that I didn't laugh at.

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Ricky: Okay.

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Flav: I didn't think it was funny, but it is close to the mark.

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Ricky: Right.

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Flav: There's a man that instead of saying autistic he he says they're acoustic

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Ricky: Yeah, oh yeah I mean… is Is he? acoustic

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Ricky: or…

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Flav: and I don't know, it would just mean nothing.

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Ricky: Nice. Yeah. Go.

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Flav: Yeah.

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Ricky: Right.

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Flav: Oh yeah.

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Flav: the problem

00:10:14.97
Ricky: Hello and welcome to Lads Anonymous. It's episode 164. I'm Ricky, he's Flav, two best mates, one main topic. We answer your life dilemmas and confessions in our feature, Something Only You Know. And everything remains anonymous, always. So sit back, relax and enjoy the pod.

00:10:32.61
Ricky: How's it going Flav? How about you?

00:10:35.45
Flav: I'm good. my I'm alright. I'm alright. Good. It's good to see you the other day. We went football together. and That was lovely.

00:10:39.69
Ricky: Yeah, it was… um

00:10:41.97
Flav: It's great.

00:10:41.86
Ricky: It was a great day.

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Flav: Yeah, we laughed a lot, which is good. Uh…

00:10:44.64
Ricky: Yeah, it's… ah it's um

00:10:46.75
Flav: It made me miss it, Rick.

00:10:47.73
Ricky: Okay.

00:10:48.16
Flav: Because I don't go as much anymore. Obviously because of work and stuff.

00:10:52.17
Ricky: Yeah.

00:10:52.30
Flav: ah for I missed this. This is good.

00:10:55.40
Ricky: You do? And in that moment… Admittedly. We were. creasing up. All day. Uh…

00:11:04.49
Flav: Yeah pretty much from the minute we met.

00:11:06.18
Ricky: yeah exactly like deep belly laughs and you know when it's like you know laughter for what is it laughter is it Cue of something for the soul or something laughter is I don't know

00:11:16.54
Flav: last Yeah, I know what he means. Good for you.

00:11:17.97
Ricky: listen Yeah, yeah, good for you. And I came away from that. Feeling.

00:11:25.00
Ricky: revitalized if that makes sense i just felt good about myself because i just had a good day

00:11:30.36
Flav: Yeah.

00:11:31.87
Ricky: If you came back to that all the time, it's not going to be like that, is it? Right, top down. if you if he If you attended regularly.

00:11:37.50
Flav: help Will it help that we won?

00:11:39.44
Ricky: Yeah.

00:11:39.58
Flav: I think it helped that we won. ah My favorite bit is he can't. recreate jokes but just what i just when i imagine you're going to tell him Tell them what I think about Mike and Paul.

00:11:49.75
Ricky: Yeah.

00:11:51.05
Flav: rick I was getting Ricky to… I'm trying to convince Ricky to… pass on what I thought about one of the Tottenham players to a stranger we didn't know. At the time it felt really funny.

00:12:01.44
Ricky: ah

00:12:01.71
Flav: um I've had a bit of a… i've had ive I was wanting to talk to you about this, Rick. Yep.

00:12:06.21
Ricky: Okay.

00:12:06.92
Flav: there's um

00:12:09.75
Flav: It's happened before But like… I said something on the podcast, on the Fighting Cop podcast. and it There was a bad reaction to it.

00:12:17.39
Ricky: Right.

00:12:18.19
Flav: I can't remember what I was saying. i I think I… No, I do remember. I was talking about how um I was comparing. supporting Spurs over the weekend summer to domestic abuse.

00:12:30.87
Ricky: Yeah.

00:12:31.35
Flav: Which is obviously… not funny in reality in any way.

00:12:35.38
Ricky: Yep, yep.

00:12:36.21
Flav: But I was just… I was just curious. i was like where that what do you think that energy What? But if you know someone's joking…

00:12:45.74
Ricky: Yeah.

00:12:46.97
Flav: It's that there's like this line isn't there for some people like That cannot be joked about.

00:12:49.39
Ricky: Yeah yeah yeah. Yeah. 00:12:51.100 Flav And this can. be joked about and and it's subjective to to the person.

00:12:56.77
Ricky: Yeah.

00:12:58.10
Flav: But I think everything can be joked about.

00:13:01.30
Ricky: Yeah. I am. Totally with you. And the thing is as well. If… You listen to that kind of stuff. From… guys that have been doing it for probably 16 years we're at right now on the fighting cock 15, 16 years of those types of jokes.

00:13:19.36
Flav: Yeah.

00:13:19.82
Ricky: It's like you you you you know that we're joking and there's no kind of… Um, malice at the end of it. But…

00:13:31.64
Ricky: if people don't like that kind of stuff then you know don't don't don't listen or if you

00:13:36.56
Flav: it's like I think it's like much tamer than loads of stuff that's been said. and no one and And it hasn't…

00:13:39.92
Ricky: Yeah.

00:13:41.75
Flav: This is the thing is that people… are offended about the things they care about. and not offended about the things they don't care about.

00:13:54.17
Flav: Which means… Boop. it's different for everybody

00:13:58.38
Ricky: Yeah.

00:13:58.89
Flav: right you might have experienced domestic violence in your life and so you cannot find it funny

00:14:03.52
Ricky: Yeah.

00:14:06.35
Flav: But there are other things like… All right. I don't know what I'm getting at really.

00:14:10.12
Ricky: Night night.

00:14:10.31
Flav: Just…

00:14:11.74
Ricky: No, I know what you're getting at.

00:14:13.49
Flav: Mm.

00:14:13.56
Ricky: Um, But it's like, I don't know. know the The perception of what's funny and what isn't and what's offensive and what isn't.

00:14:23.98
Ricky: Um… and it's like one person can find something really funny one person can find it really offensive okay you found it offensive ah but But then what, like… But you you go down that path and then it's like, well… What?

00:14:38.18
Ricky: are we allowed to joke about like what are what like what's

00:14:39.91
Flav: Yeah, well, next month. Yeah, you might say, oh ah well, I'm religious, so don't say anything about my religion.

00:14:45.13
Ricky: Mmm.

00:14:44.84
Flav: Okay, well, that's out. That's number one then. ah And no jokes about… children.

00:14:51.21
Ricky: Yeah.

00:14:51.33
Flav: Autism. Can't say anything about autism.

00:14:52.65
Ricky: No. nay

00:14:53.14
Flav: then just what just What are we doing? what are we doing some of the best comedy is some of the most offensive shit out there anyway uh That's such a well.

00:14:55.89
Ricky: Yeah.

00:15:01.33
Flav: wanted to it's a big number

00:15:02.64
Ricky: Not good.

00:15:04.26
Flav: um What are we talking about?

00:15:05.66
Ricky: Is it weighed heavy on you? Or is it just a bit of…

00:15:07.58
Flav: No, it's not the fucking 15th time it's happened. I don't mind. I just thought it was interesting to…

00:15:12.12
Ricky: ah

00:15:12.99
Flav: an interesting subject matter. Yeah, no, I mean, there's many, many times with stuff like this, people go, that's offensive. I mean, there was the stuff about… Hello my son. And apparently that was really, it's really bad to talk about.

00:15:24.72
Flav: the sexuality of… or lack thereof of

00:15:27.47
Ricky: Right.

00:15:27.42
Flav: Korean Mint.

00:15:28.34
Ricky: Yeah.

00:15:28.38
Flav: That's a… Big taboo, and I didn't know that. I use the word oriental. um On a podcast. Um,

00:15:34.63
Ricky: Yeah I remember that one.

00:15:36.18
Flav: I remember that, and there was a big reaction from America for that one.

00:15:39.43
Ricky: Yeah.

00:15:40.49
Flav: ah But… Not a big reaction from pop people. Who? are from East Asia.

00:15:47.25
Ricky: Yeah.

00:15:48.55
Flav: Um, because in certain sections of the world The word Oriental isn't offensive. This is what I found out afterwards.

00:15:54.62
Ricky: Yeah.

00:15:55.81
Flav: Uh… But in America it's a very offensive thing to say. I think even Barack Obama made a point about the word at some stage. But we're…

00:16:03.95
Ricky: Shit.

00:16:04.75
Flav: We are. But it's not.

00:16:07.11
Ricky: No.

00:16:08.68
Flav: So it's impossible to be across what is.

00:16:10.35
Ricky: Die.

00:16:11.29
Flav: Yeah. it's not

00:16:11.97
Ricky: So at the end of the day, let's just say everything.

00:16:15.80
Flav: Absolutely.

00:16:16.03
Ricky: Right. Yeah.

00:16:17.34
Flav: Yeah, look and then there are consequences for what you say. That's fine. It's a free society.

00:16:20.82
Ricky: Yeah.

00:16:21.76
Flav: There are some things I wouldn't say and wouldn't joke about.

00:16:24.34
Ricky: Yeah.

00:16:24.91
Flav: I wouldn't, the N word. for example or stay well away from that and uh Moreover, the F word.

00:16:33.28
Ricky: ah Right.

00:16:33.19
Flav: that's a horrible That's a horrible one.

00:16:34.82
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah

00:16:35.98
Flav: Yeah, if you look at the kind of etymology of that word.

00:16:39.17
Ricky: Yeah, Alice.

00:16:39.72
Flav: It comes from a very dark place.

00:16:41.45
Ricky: Yeah.

00:16:41.93
Flav: I didn't know that Um…

00:16:44.30
Ricky: those are that And then I would like to add into that. um what What I'm not a fan of is the P word.

00:16:51.19
Flav: I'm fine with that one.

00:16:51.65
Ricky: it Yeah. and

00:16:55.74
Flav: But yeah, we all have our lines, Rick.

00:16:57.02
Ricky: yeah ah Uh,

00:17:01.08
Flav: Yeah. I don't think I've ever said that in my life. Actually.

00:17:05.09
Ricky: No. Have you not? I mean, what?

00:17:08.14
Flav: not even ah Not even on my own, no, I don't think.

00:17:08.53
Ricky: are yeah Yeah.

00:17:10.70
Flav: Not not out of…

00:17:11.09
Ricky: Really?

00:17:11.94
Flav: Yeah, it's just never come up. i not it

00:17:13.19
Ricky: So you're happy singing the N word in the car when you're on your own, but you won't say the P word on your own.

00:17:17.74
Flav: But when is the P word used in a song? Ever. Never.

00:17:20.52
Ricky: No. nay

00:17:21.73
Flav: where the n-word is used in every song.

00:17:24.75
Ricky: Right. Yeah, that's true.

00:17:26.44
Flav: Every hip-hop song. Uh… Well, like there's a question then. Is… is If you're on your own in a car…

00:17:34.25
Ricky: Mmm.

00:17:34.20
Flav: Is it alright to wrap along to the n-word?

00:17:36.88
Ricky: Yeah.

00:17:37.57
Flav: Yeah.

00:17:39.45
Ricky: I mean i I absolutely wouldn't do any of those.

00:17:42.00
Flav: Fucking liar.

00:17:43.89
Ricky: No way. No, there's no chance.

00:17:45.15
Flav: What? What? What? You… What you… What you'll… so you're right So you're listening to Dre?

00:17:52.97
Ricky: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. 00:17:54.100 Flav And you'll wrap up to the point. And then you'll not use the N-word and then carry on.

00:18:01.00
Ricky: Yeah, what ah one of my favourite Dre songs. that He says it a lot in there.

00:18:05.68
Flav: You don't, Rick. You don't.

00:18:06.56
Ricky: and and and i don't And I don't do it.

00:18:06.70
Flav: When no one's there. Rick, if there's no one there, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

00:18:13.24
Ricky: What happens if you if you pull up at a traffic light and they look across and you're just mouthfe you're just mouthing that word?

00:18:15.80
Flav: Someone hears you.

00:18:19.36
Ricky: You're in trouble.

00:18:22.14
Flav: i If there is any…

00:18:22.83
Ricky: Wind in your window, Dano. I'm singing.

00:18:24.92
Flav: and no no

00:18:25.21
Ricky: Sing it!

00:18:25.92
Flav: No, this is the problem.

00:18:27.95
Ricky: Mmm.

00:18:27.78
Flav: This is the case in point. is if you're doing it knowing there's an audience that can hear you that's not okay i think

00:18:35.17
Ricky: Right, okay.

00:18:35.70
Flav: like So if you were with me, I wouldn't rap it. I wouldn't.

00:18:37.99
Ricky: Right.

00:18:39.20
Flav: I wouldn't. If I'm in my car and no one can hear. that It's not a problem.

00:18:44.71
Ricky: Right.

00:18:45.21
Flav: It's not racist to rap along to… Uh… You're acknowledging the entire product.

00:18:53.63
Ricky: Sure.

00:18:53.86
Flav: you can't listen to dmx if you're not gonna like he says it every third fourth word and i would i do if would i put dmx on and rap along and say the words if you were next to me

00:19:03.98
Ricky: No.

00:19:03.90
Flav: Absolutely not.

00:19:04.18
Ricky: nay No. nay

00:19:05.28
Flav: I wouldn't.

00:19:05.93
Ricky: You did a dog barking.

00:19:07.53
Flav: Ow, ow, ow, ow!

00:19:08.38
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, see?

00:19:09.38
Flav: Where my dog's at.

00:19:09.59
Ricky: Good.

00:19:10.39
Flav: um No, so I think that's fine. If I have any audience, then I would never say it, but I'm just rapping along to the song. And anyone who says they don't is a fucking liar. You're a liar, Ricky.

00:19:22.84
Ricky: ah ah Honestly, I don't know.

00:19:25.36
Flav: All right, you tell me why. you

00:19:27.73
Ricky: The reason why I don't is because the… um The N word and the P word are just the completely off limits to me, whether it's in a song or not.

00:19:38.55
Flav: Mm-hmm.

00:19:38.51
Ricky: i'm not I'm not fond of the word… And I'll say it on the podcast, but it's one of those words that I won't say. Pussy. in the in the In the context of…

00:19:52.93
Ricky: Me and my homeboys are going out to get some. Pussy. just Oh god, it's disgusting.

00:19:57.08
Flav: What makes you feel? But that's…

00:19:59.83
Ricky: It's just fucking horrible.

00:20:02.81
Flav: Yeah, well, you mean, is because it's derogatory to women, or you just…

00:20:03.28
Ricky: I just… Yeah, well, I just don't like it.

00:20:05.63
Flav: but

00:20:07.42
Ricky: I just don't like the words.

00:20:09.12
Flav: I, since having a daughter, I'm aware, I'm i'm with you. I'm with you.

00:20:14.92
Ricky: Right.

00:20:15.11
Flav: the the objectification of women. is much more difficult to accept. when… You're bringing up a young lady.

00:20:22.28
Ricky: Yeah.

00:20:23.75
Flav: Because you know what?

00:20:23.69
Ricky: Well, I mean, it it that's the thing. it When you have a children. And you have a daughter. you Your eyes are open. I thought my eyes were open.

00:20:34.73
Ricky: They weren't.

00:20:36.56
Flav: Yeah, you're just hoping that they're gay.

00:20:41.02
Flav: Really? I've spent… a long time just to think

00:20:44.26
Ricky: Yeah.

00:20:44.64
Flav: Just be quiet.

00:20:45.50
Ricky: Yeah.

00:20:46.39
Flav: Like they're all… I'm not saying all men are assholes. I don't agree. I hate that rhetoric, actually. but

00:20:51.33
Ricky: Yeah.

00:20:52.39
Flav: There are some out there. They're all fucking assholes.

00:20:54.62
Ricky: Yeah.

00:20:55.26
Flav: seen them seen loads of them

00:20:56.87
Ricky: And we do smell. as well. Yeah.

00:21:02.45
Flav: Okay.

00:21:02.40
Ricky: Just you know

00:21:03.87
Flav: Yeah.

00:21:04.38
Ricky: Yeah, it's better to you know

00:21:06.38
Flav: so So it doesn't matter if you're using it in the context of… the a at the end not the yeah ah er is not the thing is it it's not you're not doing that when you're referping along

00:21:14.30
Ricky: Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:21:17.34
Flav: No, don't say right, like, oh, no, sorry, I thought you were saying ER.

00:21:18.72
Ricky: Right, I said no.

00:21:20.29
Flav: I thought you were saying ER.

00:21:20.74
Ricky: No. i fought it I thought that's what you were saying.

00:21:21.22
Flav: No, that's not it.

00:21:23.51
Ricky: That's the whole word.

00:21:25.18
Flav: No, not in rap music. It's not. It's the A. It's the A.

00:21:28.73
Ricky: i

00:21:28.78
Flav: Not hard R, it's the A.

00:21:31.86
Ricky: So it's like, what's up?

00:21:32.07
Flav: And look… and and and Yeah.

00:21:34.26
Ricky: Yeah, right, okay.

00:21:34.80
Flav: um So I wouldn't, yeah, but that's… I understand you can never use it in that context, but if you if it's a song, if you're rapping along to Dr Dre? It's just a part of the… Oh.

00:21:45.20
Ricky: Right, okay.

00:21:45.73
Flav: It's not… My point is… is actually Wow. If someone said, I really would don't want you to do that.

00:21:50.92
Ricky: Yeah.

00:21:51.32
Flav: I wouldn't do it But it… Cannot be racist. by definition. It cannot be racist. to wrap along and use the n-word as you're wrapping along

00:22:01.94
Ricky: Only Ryan.

00:22:01.81
Flav: It cannot. in any way

00:22:03.80
Ricky: Right.

00:22:04.03
Flav: No one could ever argue with me. that it was an a racist act.

00:22:07.97
Ricky: is it because no Is it because no one can hear it?

00:22:08.10
Flav: to wrap along.

00:22:11.03
Ricky: So it's…

00:22:11.58
Flav: what No, no, no, no, it's not that because… you can say the hard r and if no one hears that that means you feel you're saying it is racist no one will ever know but that is that's a racist act

00:22:19.80
Ricky: Right.

00:22:22.84
Ricky: Okay.

00:22:23.09
Flav: It's the same way when Spurs fans use the word yid. It is not. It is absolutely not. A racist remark. And you know that.

00:22:30.38
Ricky: Yeah.

00:22:30.45
Flav: it's the same. It's a similar principle.

00:22:33.81
Ricky: We've covered a lot today already. Autism, ADHD.

00:22:36.91
Flav: Yeah. Yeah.

00:22:38.74
Ricky: racism.

00:22:39.75
Flav: what's the yeah but What's the episode about?

00:22:41.44
Ricky: Uh, GCSEs.

00:22:43.31
Flav: All right.

00:22:43.97
Ricky: So obviously everyone got their GCSEs last week. Oh, fucking hell, before I get into it, we have had a voice note. I don't listen. So anyone that knows will listen to the pod.

00:22:54.94
Ricky: You can send in a voice note. We will not play it. We don't know what it is. just label it don't listen so we won't listen I upload it to the pod and I just play it and you'll get our live reaction

00:23:05.84
Flav: We've had people farting and poos typically. ah there's There's a woman fudding herself off.

00:23:11.17
Ricky: Yeah. oh god that was that was interesting

00:23:13.69
Flav: You like that one don't you?

00:23:14.89
Ricky: Yeah, it did, yeah. Right, you can hear it now.

00:23:26.37
Flav: ah

00:23:29.73
Flav: ah Yeah, that was a bad one. That was a bad one.

00:23:34.13
Ricky: See you, baby.

00:23:34.78
Flav: Look, your mind, it's not an attentional thing, it's your mind. Fousey sometimes.

00:23:40.04
Ricky: You're

00:23:39.85
Flav: Tense. I was like, I've never even heard of that country, Tanzania.

00:23:42.44
Ricky: Heh heh heh. Tantor, is that just me?

00:23:44.39
Flav: tons

00:23:45.15
Ricky: that up.

00:23:46.26
Flav: And you were like, Tanzania? well

00:23:47.78
Ricky: Yeah, I just guessed.

00:23:48.13
Flav: All right.

00:23:48.66
Ricky: I just guessed.

00:23:49.12
Flav: that was a That was a bad one.

00:23:50.76
Ricky: but We've also had an email in. from… Our mate Crossbow.

00:23:55.72
Flav: Oh yeah.

00:23:55.82
Ricky: And during that episode. Uh, I can't remember the story now, but someone had sent in something from… Da Es Salaam. Do you remember? And I think that's 10.

00:24:05.88
Flav: Yeah. That was the name of the city.

00:24:08.58
Ricky: Yeah, yeah. and um Anyway, and and then I remembered that he had a story or he'd visited, whatever it was. Hi, mate. Just listen to the latest pod and blow me down. Bar es Salaam.

00:24:21.06
Ricky: mention again. was just thinking of texting you when your gray matter kicked in and remembered the link to me Dar es Salaam brings back my own memory of losing my cherry.

00:24:34.23
Ricky: in a brothel known as Margo's Monkey Palace.

00:24:38.04
Flav: What in the- In Tanzania, they've got all this. its got What's going on there?

00:24:40.49
Ricky: Yeah. my first trip. in the merchant navy And yes. Flav is a Muppet for his pronunciation of…

00:24:47.82
Flav: Yeah.

00:24:48.63
Ricky: ah Tanzania. No, I just went to do it then. I just looked at it and went to say Tanzania.

00:24:52.15
Flav: Thanks, Anya.

00:24:53.77
Ricky: They should change it.

00:24:55.26
Flav: Yeah.

00:24:55.50
Ricky: I think they've spelled it wrong or pronounced it wrong. making it sound like a suburb of albania by the way east africa and halfway down great listen to you both as who always keep up the good work Well, thank you. I mean… um All right.

00:25:09.78
Flav: ah So it's like a proper Western city then? because my

00:25:12.37
Ricky: I don't know but… Margo's Monkey Palace.

00:25:15.08
Flav: Let's have a look

00:25:15.58
Ricky: like even though i wouldn't go in i would like to travel there and just look outside what it looks like because

00:25:22.62
Flav: Margo's Monkey Palace.

00:25:24.15
Ricky: Yeah.

00:25:24.37
Flav: Googling now.

00:25:25.29
Ricky: just to see what we've got, what we're working with here, like what's going on. And to go in there. when you're in Ta Es Salaam!

00:25:35.40
Flav: Mm.

00:25:35.71
Ricky: And to lose your cherry?

00:25:38.07
Flav: I would think the last place you're going to lose your cherry is…

00:25:38.45
Ricky: I did.

00:25:40.79
Flav: Dar es Salaam. Or Tanzania, to be honest.

00:25:44.67
Ricky: yes

00:25:45.58
Flav: What did you say? Tanzania. oh I don't think so.

00:25:49.99
Ricky: ah Oh, dearie me. Right, today, yeah, we're talking about ah GCSEs. Uh… And. Do you remember the kind of defining line of…

00:26:02.17
Ricky: These exams will determine your entire future results day Get your first job. Adulthood done this is what's going to set you up for life you fail these You failed life.

00:26:15.59
Ricky: You're fucked.

00:26:16.78
Flav: Hmm.

00:26:17.03
Ricky: ah So when you were 16, how important? What? I mean, did you feel like if… If I fuck these up, my life is over.

00:26:27.15
Flav: Yeah. I kind of did, I think. I am.

00:26:32.75
Flav: I think… I, so… My school was… a bit There was challenges in my school that meant that really my GCSEs… It didn't feel like the point that was up the point of being there. The point of being there felt like it just… to Get through it.

00:26:48.43
Flav: So I was considered well-behaved and Um, and studious. But I think it was just because… Most of the others were like reprobates.

00:26:58.84
Ricky: Right.

00:26:59.63
Flav: And because I wasn't causing problems, I was seeing this. you know the teachers always gave me sort of glowing reports and stuff Um… But I struggled with it.

00:27:10.65
Flav: I found school really difficult. and uh

00:27:16.49
Flav: I didn't realize. that the point was just like Especially in English. The point was just more or less to learn and then regurgitate.

00:27:24.86
Ricky: Hmm.

00:27:25.75
Flav: So you learn something and then you just say it. or you learn maths equations or you learn things and they just say them. And I'm like, I remember thinking at the time, this can't be. What would… spending five years doing like surely My opinion on the book is what's important rather than…

00:27:42.41
Flav: got the correct answer i don't know what it

00:27:43.59
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get what you mean.

00:27:45.69
Flav: um So i I think I did a lot wrong. But yeah, I failed. I've got four GCSEs basically. Uh,

00:27:53.63
Ricky: So, so what yeah, what what what did what did you get in your GCSE?

00:27:54.45
Flav: which

00:27:56.98
Ricky: You got four GCSEs?

00:27:58.71
Flav: Well, no, I mean… ah I've got four. policies like in terms of CRM. So I got…

00:28:04.90
Ricky: Oh, that, I mean, you could… No, I want to know how many GCSEs you actually got.

00:28:09.45
Flav: Well it took nine.

00:28:10.72
Ricky: Right, okay.

00:28:11.93
Flav: If you're not…

00:28:12.10
Ricky: And…

00:28:12.64
Flav: like it's pointless isn't it like you're getting a d and when we were there You've got an E or an F in… mathematics you might as well not have the GCSE what are you gonna show that

00:28:23.45
Ricky: I got an A in maths.

00:28:23.69
Flav: Wave. Yeah, exactly. so what um It's pointless, isn't it?

00:28:26.51
Ricky: Yeah.

00:28:28.64
Flav: course You might as well not have done it.

00:28:28.75
Ricky: Yeah. Yeah, yeah ah that's true. ah that Yeah, God. If I… My life would have been infinitely better if I didn't have to do maths. I don't know if it's important, but like at the end of the day… Just…

00:28:42.28
Ricky: Plus. Minus. Divide. Bit of fractions in there. You're done. That's it, innit? That's maths. Well, I haven't…

00:28:50.86
Flav: I don't know. There was some super complex stuff that I just felt. i this is what am i doing look what is this for like it depends like some people get a buzz out of it and their brain it really works for them And then they end up going…

00:29:05.06
Flav: to to become engineers and you know all that sort of stuff so it is important Without it we'd be fucked I think.

00:29:11.83
Ricky: Yeah.

00:29:11.95
Flav: But some people just can't do it. I found it really difficult. So I had to re-sit all of my GCSEs, well, four of my GCSEs, re-sit to improve the grades. So I did another year of GCSEs after GCSEs.

00:29:23.34
Flav: Finished.

00:29:24.48
Ricky: What? what

00:29:26.22
Flav: Because my plan was to…

00:29:26.31
Ricky: What, what?

00:29:27.42
Flav: My plan was to do A-levels. That's what I wanted to do.

00:29:31.27
Ricky: And you couldn't do those specific A levels and until you…

00:29:34.15
Flav: You needed five A to Cs to do A-levels, so I needed to get… I think was it? yeah well I needed only needed one more. See? No, do you know, I originally got D in English.

00:29:47.83
Flav: And then I reset English. And a reset. Uh, maths. And I reset. media And then I did media studies as as a GCSE on top of what I had.

00:29:57.21
Ricky: Right.

00:30:00.09
Flav: So… Uh… Yeah, so so then I'd done another year of GCSEs at college though instead of… um

00:30:06.62
Ricky: i Right

00:30:08.51
Flav: I reset them, but I didn't have to. I could have gone to work, but I felt like… the thing I wanted to do because I wanted to go and do it at A levels and I wanted to get alo and A levels and I went to go to university to do journalism.

00:30:19.93
Ricky: What was that like, going to the college and doing a year, like, for…

00:30:23.71
Flav: There was lots of kids that had failed and or wanted to improve their grades.

00:30:25.96
Ricky: Oh, really? Okay.

00:30:27.74
Flav: So I loved it actually. I thought it was good.

00:30:30.67
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, fair enough.

00:30:32.60
Flav: a

00:30:32.71
Ricky: I think I would have just been like, oh, I'm not i'm not doing this again. Not doing that. I got… 1A. Three C's. Four D's.

00:30:44.60
Flav: It's not bad.

00:30:45.37
Ricky: Two E's. And an F.

00:30:48.34
Flav: Was yet nothing.

00:30:48.46
Ricky: So. I don't really want to say no Spanish.

00:30:50.65
Flav: religion.

00:30:54.44
Flav: Why don't you don't want to say you're not you're not Spanish, right you

00:30:56.15
Ricky: yeah I know, I know, but i I've been doing Duolingo for three years and I've like really improved myself and that is just that it's a mark on me.

00:31:04.27
Flav: why don't take Why don't you retake Spanish GCSE?

00:31:04.50
Ricky: Oh my. I'm like… I'm like… of course

00:31:09.67
Flav: um Yeah, I… Yes, I… That's what I did. And then I did a good trailer for this one. I found all those. Because I realised I wasn't…

00:31:21.36
Flav: It weren't like now where there's loads of vocations and things you can do at college. It was like A-levels, sitting in guilds.

00:31:25.19
Ricky: Yeah.

00:31:27.97
Flav: Well… GCSAs, that's what we had. so Yeah, I failed. I failed all my A levels so I thought I wouldn't be able to go to university but let they let me in in the end.

00:31:37.63
Ricky: so you did two So you did the two years of A-levels. so Hang on a second. You did a year GCSEs and then afterwards then… the two years of A-Levels.

00:31:46.22
Flav: Yeah.

00:31:47.11
Ricky: Right, okay, and what…

00:31:47.97
Flav: So I was 19.

00:31:49.14
Ricky: So…

00:31:49.13
Flav: When I went…

00:31:49.95
Ricky: What A-levels do you do?

00:31:51.81
Flav: I did sociology. English and Media Studies.

00:31:56.79
Ricky: And you failed all three.

00:31:58.08
Flav: Yeah.

00:31:59.83
Ricky: why i I don't want to seem like, why why did you? it's It's a stupid question. Why did you fail? Because I did.

00:32:07.94
Flav: I just… i

00:32:08.92
Ricky: Was it a point of? I don't believe in what I'm doing here.

00:32:13.10
Flav: No.

00:32:13.36
Ricky: I've got a girlfriend.

00:32:14.92
Flav: Yeah.

00:32:15.08
Ricky: uh i've got you know

00:32:16.58
Flav: I just stopped going to lessons and stuff.

00:32:18.82
Ricky: Right, okay.

00:32:18.94
Flav: I didn't. I didn't want to… um and I wasn't good at it. I've struggled with it. It found it really difficult and confusing. but there was no provision that just to go, actually, this isn't for you.

00:32:30.22
Flav: When you do this, it's like, no, this is you for two years now.

00:32:32.54
Ricky: Yeah.

00:32:32.35
Flav: This is what you're doing. You can drop out and stuff. And plus, my mother and my dad. Let me get on with it.

00:32:39.26
Ricky: Right, okay

00:32:39.95
Flav: Yeah. Prevent… College back then wasn't a legal requirement. Now you have to stay in education or training. to or or ah apprenticeship till you're 18. There's no out of it.

00:32:50.44
Ricky: wo is what We might be jumping around a bit here, but I just want to quickly grab your thoughts on… We could, we… can we freely at 16. as soon as our GCSEs were done.

00:33:02.12
Ricky: Like we go to work and start start earning. money.

00:33:05.25
Flav: Yeah.

00:33:05.97
Ricky: The kids can't do that now. Unless they did like an apprenticeship.

00:33:08.44
Flav: Who? yeah Yeah, apprenticeships exist. Yeah, what was your question?

00:33:14.25
Ricky: um Like, what are your thoughts on… forcing kids it being a legal requirement that they have to stay in education until they're 18.

00:33:22.32
Flav: Uh… I think. um I think it's a good thing. I think… it's not but the thing is is what you realize when you go through it and we've just gone through this process with Will.

00:33:33.76
Flav: The… Education after 16 is different. So it may be need to go on to A levels and it's very similar to GCSEs but a lot more difficult. But for him, there's tons of stuff. there's like It was like. he's not's He's starting a mechanics course that you can do for three years.

00:33:48.72
Flav: where he's learning how to fix men cars and and learning about all that sort of stuff.

00:33:54.64
Ricky: That is quite like that is

00:33:54.75
Flav: but but we went to see it mate and it's an actual garage inside a you know inside a college it's not like

00:34:01.27
Ricky: That's… class in it.

00:34:02.66
Flav: Yeah and they've got real cars that they wheel in that they have to fix and stuff. So. For kids like him, and like me, when we was at school. who couldn't really function or excel in that environment.

00:34:14.18
Ricky: Yeah.

00:34:14.46
Flav: will was easy it Will struggled more than I did. This is perfect, and this is training, and this is education to him. um and which could give him a vocation. And he's into cars, and I think he's interested in this.

00:34:26.85
Flav: if there was no provision, what would he be doing? What garage is going to take a 16-year-old on with absolutely no background or skill? Why would they?

00:34:34.29
Ricky: Yeah.

00:34:35.41
Flav: They've got work to do. you know you're relying on You're relying on some people you know. It's just not enough. about, I don't think. so you're essentially providing care and providing a structure for kids that wouldn't have it unless they were forced to go in.

00:34:52.28
Flav: So… I know the kids, and when I was a kid, I would have probably been annoyed by it.

00:34:57.12
Ricky: Yeah.

00:34:57.65
Flav: As an adult and as a parent. I think it's the best thing that… the previous Jobman did. It was Richie Soon I could borrow him.

00:35:06.49
Ricky: Yeah. I mean, first of all, I was quite, I was like, well, what if you do just want to go out and earn money? that like I don't care. that I don't want to do extra. Education. I've been doing this for fucking God knows how long.

00:35:20.41
Ricky: 10 years.

00:35:20.36
Flav: Yeah, I think the parents get fined.

00:35:22.47
Ricky: Yeah, um the but i just like they're 16 now, they can make up their own mind of what they want to do. If they want to go ah straight to a warehouse and work, then let them.

00:35:27.93
Flav: What is it? look but that's but But that's it. That's it. So what happens? you You're 16. and you join a warehouse and i'm not saying that that

00:35:35.06
Ricky: Yeah.

00:35:36.75
Flav: Lots of people have done this. and Work the way up and… ended up your a friend of yours did really well by starting in the warehouse and working his way up right

00:35:43.72
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, Amazon, yeah.

00:35:45.72
Flav: Amazon. Yeah. So he did really well. So I'm not saying it's not. a career path that's that has its not had its merits. But if you're playing at 16, I just want money, and you end up in the warehouse or doing something like that.

00:35:58.06
Flav: And five years later… You're still there.

00:36:01.81
Ricky: Hmm.

00:36:02.14
Flav: and It's not what you want to do.

00:36:03.48
Ricky: Yeah.

00:36:03.90
Flav: but your your wages have improved. and your… You've now got a girlfriend and you're renting a place together. And then you're in. right Because that the requirement for money and resource…

00:36:17.10
Flav: to be taken from you doesn't it stop. It's every month. the mortgage, the rent.

00:36:20.31
Ricky: Yeah.

00:36:22.01
Flav: petrol. phone bills, all that sort of stuff. I don't think that everyone we all have to pay for. And you're in that job. that you didn't want, really want, but you needed the money or wanted the money when you were 16 to go on the lads holiday.

00:36:34.27
Flav: Whereas in this instance, you're going into a college and it's… what do you want to do What are you passionate about? I want to be a hairdresser. I want to go into beauty.

00:36:41.87
Ricky: Hmm.

00:36:42.20
Flav: and beauty You go in there and you cut hair. You do the you do the actual stuff. and then you get to a stage where you become excellent at something Like, um my cat Will… struggle to school be.

00:36:53.87
Flav: If he becomes an excellent mechanic… He will. and a fortune for his life.

00:36:58.46
Ricky: Yeah.

00:36:59.63
Flav: Won't he?

00:37:00.31
Ricky: Yeah, mate. I think… Exactly what you've just described there, basically. That was me. 16. I started, I chose my A-levels. I chose graphic design because…

00:37:11.49
Ricky: In a section it said… about uh you do website design I wanted to be a website designer.

00:37:15.30
Flav: That's right, yeah

00:37:17.40
Ricky: I found out. it's website design and it's for two weeks at the end of the second year and I was like fuck you know I can't keep doing this and to wait for that so I quit

00:37:23.24
Flav: Yeah.

00:37:27.77
Ricky: I've got a job in a warehouse. Um, working in this warehouse it it was so much fun it was great i got my forklift license one of the only bods there that could drive a forklift it was fucking amazing

00:37:39.37
Flav: ah

00:37:41.46
Ricky: But I got to the end of that, like to the end of the four years and I was like.

00:37:44.80
Flav: You did it for four years?

00:37:45.98
Ricky: Yeah yeah yeah, something like that.

00:37:48.34
Flav: Really?

00:37:49.08
Ricky: And I was just like, I can't.

00:37:49.25
Flav: what So what happened?

00:37:50.89
Ricky: I can't. I can't um progress. I want more money, I need more money, but I don't have any, I don't have a skill set. I don't, like I'm just in a warehouse.

00:37:59.11
Flav: What was the topic? What was the… What was you doing in a warehouse? moving pallets around.

00:38:04.96
Ricky: yeah so it it was divided so I worked for a company uh called drs data research services and basically they created they printed off all of the exam papers and sent them around to every school. So at the end of GCSEs…

00:38:22.82
Ricky: You yellest test. All these different tests. they have all the students name on and then the teacher will put ah like the national lottery we you um colour the little square in to say what grade they get.

00:38:35.52
Ricky: They send it back to us. We scan it in these machines and… That data is then logged. Oh, so it's quite relevant to this because we did GCSEs as well.

00:38:44.42
Flav: Hmm.

00:38:44.05
Ricky: But anyway. there was part that So the warehouse part was just where all the paper was stacked and all the machines and all of that stuff. And then the other side was all the machines where you scan all this paper.

00:38:56.67
Flav: Hmm.

00:38:56.87
Ricky: But I couldn't like, and and then there was like a ah mezzanine floor. And that's where the office workers were. but they were. I remember. seeing a job advertised and it was for 26 grand or something like that and i was like Imagine what I could buy if I fucking got that fucking job. 26 grand, I'd be made for life. That would be insane.

00:39:22.13
Ricky: Um, But I just didn't have the skill set or anything. And then it's like… the the kind of drudgery of doing the same thing every day. year after year.

00:39:33.62
Ricky: i said I can't keep. doing this and By that time in my life, I kind of felt like… I'd grown and I knew. Ish. who I wanted to be.

00:39:45.21
Ricky: and media studies. with like music video production. I always had aspirations to be a presenter as well. ah All these different things. And I was just like, right, I'm going to go back to.

00:39:56.88
Ricky: college and do my two years national diploma in media studies i did that And I loved it. It was absolutely amazing. Amazing time.

00:40:06.13
Flav: What? you Yep, there was a… You had to make something, didn't you?

00:40:11.56
Ricky: Eek.

00:40:14.80
Flav: didn't you?

00:40:15.37
Ricky: I did, yeah. I made…

00:40:16.90
Flav: What did you make?

00:40:17.82
Ricky: So… the first one was we had to…

00:40:20.62
Flav: um i've just had such a great idea as well by the way yes sorry what did you make

00:40:23.99
Ricky: ah We had to remake. A certain… kind of passage of any film that we wanted to make. and For some reason…

00:40:36.20
Ricky: I thought it'd be a good idea to do Trainspotting. and so we tried to remake some of the famous scenes in train spotting it was fucking horrendous not Honestly, i've I've got the disc. Where this is kept upstairs.

00:40:51.15
Ricky: I've never played.

00:40:51.33
Flav: Great. well

00:40:51.93
Ricky: I've never rewatched it.

00:40:53.06
Flav: Rick, what's the other?

00:40:54.60
Ricky: The other one is a remake of the street song it's too late

00:41:00.76
Flav: Too late. It's too late.

00:41:01.81
Ricky: Too late. And if I needed to.

00:41:02.77
Flav: And if I ever needed you. Would you be there?

00:41:05.32
Ricky: Would you be there? And when i when I say to remake… This is me. Straight on looking at the camera. And lip syncing. Like I'm Mike Skinner.

00:41:15.99
Ricky: like And it's not… It's not laughable. It's… This was my national diploma in media studies.

00:41:22.41
Flav: You was being serious

00:41:22.40
Ricky: and And I was, this is dead serious. So you've got all the panning shots of me walking through a park and like this is fucking. Mental.

00:41:31.31
Flav: Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, Rick, prick Rick, Rick.

00:41:31.54
Ricky: Honestly. Yeah.

00:41:34.13
Flav: I've asked this before and you never say yes.

00:41:36.20
Ricky: Yeah.

00:41:36.89
Flav: Please, can I watch it again? because Because it's not you. It's you when you were a kid.

00:41:41.79
Ricky: Yeah.

00:41:41.61
Flav: It doesn't matter.

00:41:41.93
Ricky: yea So there's a couple of things with this. ah like ah Like, I can't bear to look at it.

00:41:47.73
Flav: I know you don't have to.

00:41:48.41
Ricky: right

00:41:48.88
Flav: You don't have to.

00:41:50.21
Ricky: so And I've always had this in my mind, right?

00:41:53.01
Flav: Yeah.

00:41:53.94
Ricky: If we ever… Did a live show. I would play it. At the live show. ah like for everyone in the crowd, the people that are there, because I don't want to send it to someone in a WhatsApp group because then then it go it can go far and wide.

00:42:02.46
Flav: Ha ha!

00:42:09.27
Ricky: I need to be in control of the situation.

00:42:10.51
Flav: ah Okay, I got you, I got you.

00:42:11.52
Ricky: right so if i play it for you guys right and you're with me

00:42:11.85
Flav: Look like…

00:42:15.58
Ricky: We can all laugh and I can turn it off and then I can throw the CD or whatever. But it's like that's the only controlled environment. where I can…

00:42:25.07
Flav: and I appreciate that.

00:42:25.26
Ricky: Sure.

00:42:25.71
Flav: I appreciate that.

00:42:26.08
Ricky: Yeah.

00:42:26.50
Flav: But I don't want you to send it to me on WhatsApp. I want us to sit down together and watch it.

00:42:29.88
Ricky: ah ah ah good I need to…

00:42:34.53
Flav: Man, it's so good. so good I remember the first time we were stoned and when you lived in Albert Road is it Albert Road?

00:42:35.73
Ricky: Uh, good. like Yeah.

00:42:39.89
Flav: Beautiful. no what was it

00:42:40.80
Ricky: No, what was it?

00:42:41.96
Flav: it was you You lived in Crouch End above the…

00:42:41.69
Ricky: er Yeah, yeah, yeah

00:42:44.84
Flav: This is a B-Dog.

00:42:46.11
Ricky: No. nay I can't even fucking remember my own road name. Harold Road.

00:42:50.64
Flav: Harold Rhodes.

00:42:51.25
Ricky: Yeah, yeah.

00:42:51.43
Flav: Harold… And we were just, we were baked in there, so like smoking weed.

00:42:54.23
Ricky: Yeah.

00:42:56.65
Flav: And I think you put it on. I think maybe Elle's was there as well.

00:42:59.31
Ricky: Yeah, I think he was. yeah

00:43:00.87
Flav: And… i We couldn't breathe. And I didn't know if you thought that was the reaction you were going to get. I don't know if you thought it was it was it was good. I can't remember.

00:43:11.32
Ricky: No, oh, well no, I knew it wasn't good. I knew it wasn't good.

00:43:14.91
Flav: I was going to say you should you should put it in Discord, for the but you you like you say, you lose control then, don't you?

00:43:19.82
Ricky: yeah ah ah so i would um Yeah, I'd happily show it, but just in an environment where this…

00:43:27.57
Flav: Why don't we…

00:43:28.07
Ricky: Isn't passed around.

00:43:28.03
Flav: um Why don't we… What was… do it Let's do a live show if you want.

00:43:35.63
Ricky: I mean…

00:43:36.00
Flav: I just did one with James.

00:43:37.40
Ricky: I know. i And I ah know it's your… um It's not not your your vibe. So it's like i I don't want to just… You're doing a live show.

00:43:48.33
Ricky: Oh, fuck it, Ricky. Oh, God.

00:43:51.28
Flav: There.

00:43:51.39
Ricky: That never got me, Dad. it I'm trying my best to. ah ah I'll look to do one over Christmas. You've said it now, and you've said it live on the pod, so you're in trouble now.

00:44:02.33
Flav: ah yeah Yeah, yeah. I think you just need a… you need a You need a room.

00:44:07.58
Ricky: i'll sort it i'll sort everything don't you worry about that

00:44:07.57
Flav: You need to… Alright, alright, just tell me when it is.

00:44:11.41
Ricky: Sweet. Um, I know we've been sidetracked here. ah do you Do you actually remember your results day? Do you remember getting that?

00:44:21.04
Ricky: It was like a brown envelope, weren't it?

00:44:23.48
Flav: Uh… Yeah. you just you pull it you just pull it Yeah, you pull it out and… I don't remember getting them, no. Actually, do you know what I think? I think they posted the results on…

00:44:36.36
Flav: I can't remember. It was a long time ago. It was 1997.

00:44:39.23
Ricky: Hmm.

00:44:40.60
Flav: I can't remember.

00:44:40.72
Ricky: Yeah. ah so um I seem to remember I had like a… There was a couple of different slips. It was really weird. So I had like… ah a bit of paper like a4 bit of paper that had all my results Then it had… another bit and it had only my English results on.

00:44:56.70
Ricky: And it had. Like… It was almost like that. What's that you know that ah signature type paper where you do your signature and you pull it off and there's a copy underneath?

00:45:07.31
Ricky: It was almost like that. It was really weird. So i was I was confused at what results I'd actually got and what they were giving me. but Everyone was really excited. and At that time, I was, you know…

00:45:21.79
Ricky: I was excited when I opened it because I got an A. And I remember this specifically when I… told my mum. My mum came in and she asked me what I got. And I told her what I got.

00:45:32.76
Ricky: And I said, ah I got an A. And she was like… Yeah, very funny, are you know. well And I was like… No, no, no. I actually got an A. It's just like… Give me the bit of paper.

00:45:44.19
Ricky: Oh, oh yeah, you did get an A. Fucking didn't believe me, I got an A. How can you not be, yeah, not fucking believe in your son?

00:45:49.42
Flav: Nice. or did that that Does that stay with you?

00:45:55.38
Ricky: it were Yeah, it not like… um I remember it because of the GCSEs, but not because… uh she didn't have any faith in me or anything like that at first i was a bit like how you know blood Don't even…

00:46:07.99
Ricky: No, what do you call it? Trust in me or… Thinking I could do it, but I fucking did it.

00:46:10.84
Flav: Yeah. But didn't you so of did you display anything generally that made her think that you could get an A?

00:46:13.10
Ricky: Did it.

00:46:18.73
Ricky: ah More that you…

00:46:18.78
Flav: At home. Like, do you get in trouble at school?

00:46:21.00
Ricky: i wasn't I wasn't in trouble at school, like bad trouble, but… uh i was mischievous so Um, at the end year 11 I wasn't allowed in my science class I had a table outside the class

00:46:35.61
Flav: There you go, so what? what

00:46:37.64
Ricky: where i wasn't because i wasn't allowed to go in the class

00:46:40.05
Flav: ah

00:46:41.15
Ricky: um and they like I was on just report for.

00:46:44.74
Flav: Yeah.

00:46:44.97
Ricky: the entire year where I'd have to check in at lunchtime break times with my head teacher and Stuff like, I just wanted to make people laugh. Is that a crime, Gary?

00:46:54.89
Ricky: Is it?

00:46:55.93
Flav: I think it's also like a bit ADHD as well, isn't it?

00:46:57.45
Ricky: Yes. Yeah.

00:47:03.13
Flav: yeah the the the the The reality is… The school environment. Isn't. Set up. for everybody.

00:47:14.71
Flav: and people like you everyone will remember you rick and people like you

00:47:17.30
Ricky: Mm.

00:47:18.71
Flav: Bye. it was difficult to sit still. on difficulties.

00:47:23.95
Ricky: Yeah.

00:47:25.39
Flav: Not fidget and stuff because…

00:47:26.69
Ricky: and not make eye contact with your teacher because of the autism

00:47:29.49
Flav: no No, I don't… No, but… ah There is there is like an addictive nature to making people laugh as well. Um, But I'm saying the school system isn't built for everybody. It's built for a certain type of brain. but What could we do?

00:47:44.61
Flav: Right, you've got to educate. So many people.

00:47:47.01
Ricky: Yeah.

00:47:47.28
Flav: You have to educate. millions of kids. Every single year. yeah there has to be some sort of structure to it and it might not work for everybody but it works for a lot of people And so I don't really have a problem per se of how we educate kids.

00:48:01.68
Flav: um I do. and And the experiences with Will School were that… If you… Can't behave if you can't sit still if you struggle They You get punished.

00:48:17.58
Flav: that's That's the reality.

00:48:17.88
Ricky: Yeah.

00:48:18.48
Flav: They don't call it punishment. They call it free. it was called What was it called? isolation.

00:48:24.72
Ricky: Yeah, yeah.

00:48:25.51
Flav: That's a mental word.

00:48:26.94
Ricky: Yeah, it is.

00:48:27.92
Flav: We're going to isolate you from everybody else. with you behave. Um, And then they rebranded it to Refocus.

00:48:35.43
Ricky: Right, okay.

00:48:35.54
Flav: And. but was to me Imagine having to go into a place and the way that they teach you isn't engaging for him, but it is engaging for other kids. And you just have to sit there for six hours.

00:48:47.16
Flav: Trying your best to understand what's been going on.

00:48:49.70
Ricky: Yeah.

00:48:50.17
Flav: obviously there are going to be moments where you… slip up and start talking now. Like you you get sent out the class for anything kind of remotely disruptive, which is fair he gets sent out for but The great thing and what What I've been really pleasantly surprised by is the amount of provision that's available.

00:49:10.61
Flav: for school leavers. Because they know. They've got to stay in education until they're 18 or training or whatever.

00:49:15.49
Ricky: Yeah.

00:49:16.62
Flav: And they've really… There's a lot that you can do. There's loads of options. There's all kinds of things you can change if you don't like it. you know't You're not stuck doing being a mechanic or a bricklayer or a hairdresser if you think, I don't like this.

00:49:29.12
Flav: um i can change like You have to get to a certain point and then you change.

00:49:32.20
Ricky: Yeah.

00:49:33.44
Flav: It's really good. really good they've done a good job like you don't often yeah Most people don't. go through their lives thinking the government's doing a really good job i'm really happy with the government

00:49:43.73
Ricky: Yeah.

00:49:44.22
Flav: typically you're like, these are fuckwits. That way This is good. What they've done is good. And… um Um. Yeah, I think…

00:49:55.34
Flav: you know if if You can develop… ah an understanding of a profession and the skill set. In two years after school, and then you can approach her. ah you can approach a garage and go, there's a mechanics course. I've done this. I'm at level two, mechanics, car mechanics. This is my experience.

00:50:13.18
Flav: You know? Can I have a Saturday job? Can I? Get in there.

00:50:16.77
Ricky: When I was doing… um my media studies at the back of the college. they had these sheds and it was like, apprenticeship brick layers and mechanics and stuff like that uh and you'd see like these wonky walls being put up and people mixing cement and stuff but you just that that's that's quality that

00:50:26.98
Flav: Yeah.

00:50:35.15
Ricky: You get the choice. like You were just saying then but that you were, you know. you were Quite impressed with the government and the education system after GCSEs and what's on offer and all of that stuff.

00:50:49.55
Ricky: Were you ever kind of… a Guided by your parents after… that was it just like Do GCSEs, do really well.

00:50:56.70
Flav: Do that. No, no.

00:50:58.19
Ricky: um

00:50:58.42
Flav: I'm not. They didn't say… I didn't even get that. It just seemed like they didn't…

00:51:00.84
Ricky: Yeah. ah

00:51:03.17
Flav: They just weren't. i Nothing. Like… No, do your homework. No. There was nothing.

00:51:09.41
Ricky: What? No, not not homework either.

00:51:12.87
Flav: ah They, what? I don't think they even spoke to me about school. I don't remember. They must have done but…

00:51:18.81
Ricky: Yeah.

00:51:21.19
Flav: It weren't. I worked it out. What? I never assumed i would it would be anything else other than I've got to figure out what I want to do and make it happen. Uh… Yeah, like not once did my dad go. The only time my dad called me is because i i won't when I went to university, university which I failed as well.

00:51:39.08
Flav: When I was in university. um i was to stop going to lessons i was getting like pissed and stoned and stuff and just fought.

00:51:46.78
Ricky: Lad.

00:51:47.45
Flav: This is fine.

00:51:48.32
Ricky: Yeah.

00:51:49.16
Flav: And then they called my dad and said, look, he hasn't been in. lesson.

00:51:51.92
Ricky: Oh, fucking hell.

00:51:51.38
Flav: for ages. And they dad called me and that was the first time and <unk>t I remember having that conversation. but It didn't change much.

00:52:01.05
Ricky: Yeah, I am. i

00:52:02.86
Flav: I've never… I've never been successful at any level of education. Do you know how I got into university? I got in because… Of. I spent… all of my free time at exposure. this. play this media youth media charity

00:52:17.13
Ricky: Yeah.

00:52:17.60
Flav: writing articles and Um, and and doing all kinds of things. i set up I used to review computer games, right? Um, And.

00:52:27.65
Ricky: What? Really?

00:52:29.04
Flav: Yes, I had a a dedicated page every single month that this magazine would come out. And this is why I was at school. And… and then college and then what And then, so…

00:52:40.70
Flav: What I would do is… I would contact The… I found out. who I found a website called Games Press. And in Games Press…

00:52:53.12
Flav: They had links to all the PR firms. that were publishing. doing Doing the PR for games coming out.

00:53:00.75
Ricky: Yeah.

00:53:01.78
Flav: And I worked out that if I requested them… ah rest request in the time We're reviewing games. Here's our magazine. This is our circulation. Um, 73 games. Bye.

00:53:12.47
Flav: They were coming. Free. I was getting. 50 games like it was just They weren't. They just kept turning up. in padded envelopes with my name on it. And so I would… i would write these reviews of these games and write this page and they would they would we would design it Um…

00:53:31.77
Flav: So I did that for like for two years. That was what my thing I did. And I would sell the games. On eBay. Um, ah But… but but But what that demonstrated is that while I couldn't function in there…

00:53:45.63
Flav: It was like the provision they're going to get now. But I found that provision myself. In fact, my mum found it when I was 14. 15, I think. Um,

00:53:56.12
Flav: She found… a copy of exposure magazine in the library and it said at the back sports journalists wanted And I looked at it and I was like, I want to do that 100%.

00:54:05.51
Ricky: Yeah.

00:54:06.12
Flav: That sounds amazing. And my mum rang up for me. And Andy answered. and he's probably the most influential person in my life. That's it.

00:54:13.86
Ricky: Wow.

00:54:14.77
Flav: To this day, yeah he is. Um, And… He… Set. ah Put the phone down. Get Gary to call me.

00:54:26.72
Ricky: 8.

00:54:26.47
Flav: We don't want…

00:54:27.02
Ricky: serious

00:54:27.34
Flav: we don't and and from from that position position yeah to see if you're serious From that position. onwards because I ended up doing so similar work in terms of getting people involved.

00:54:35.00
Ricky: Yeah.

00:54:35.40
Flav: And parents weren't allowed to. cool for their kids. The kids had to call. The kids had to come. And so… I spoke to him and he said, come

00:54:43.80
Ricky: I like that.

00:54:44.78
Flav: Yeah, yeah, yeah, DePhillips.

00:54:46.26
Ricky: Yeah. Yeah. yeah

00:54:47.03
Flav: resilience and stuff but

00:54:48.30
Ricky: my My kid, sorry, my yeah my my kid, she can't, um my eldest, when we go out for dinner. dad can you order for me nine no no no you order it and then they say what would you like She just looks down at a menu and she just won't look up and won't do this. And I just have to say.

00:55:03.88
Ricky: she wants burger and chips right just

00:55:06.58
Flav: Yeah, it's… a I don't know if that's just, some kids are like that.

00:55:10.70
Ricky: Yeah.

00:55:10.64
Flav: shy aren't they

00:55:10.92
Ricky: Yeah. But you have to kind of, you have to try.

00:55:12.71
Flav: You've got to close your mouth.

00:55:13.44
Ricky: and Yeah. Yeah.

00:55:14.10
Flav: you can't function in society if you can't speak to strangers can you Um,

00:55:15.34
Ricky: No. No. nay Maybe she's got autism.

00:55:19.64
Flav: Yeah, definitely.

00:55:20.36
Ricky: Yeah.

00:55:20.42
Flav: And the ADHD.

00:55:21.25
Ricky: Okay.

00:55:21.83
Flav: The, the. You all laugh. Leon Tyhouse. Uh… So I turned up on the… But… that he said come we're having a meeting a team meeting And we do it three o 'clock every Sunday.

00:55:36.15
Flav: And I didn't miss one for two years. I went there every Sunday. and we would talk about our… ideas for articles. in this room, this little office in Muswell Hill. And it was Andy.

00:55:47.97
Flav: And it was. Kids my age. And we turn up. and we would have editorial meetings. And we would talk about what we're planning to write about. And then we'd go away, we'd write our articles, and then we'd…

00:55:59.53
Flav: Andy would open the office for an hour after school. On certain days, he'd go in. And. um and you and and and you'd work with him and he would edit your articles. Right. So I'd write an article, take it to him.

00:56:12.04
Flav: And he would… methodically fix it everything that was wrong with it.

00:56:15.44
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:15.55
Flav: And you had to sit next to him while he did it.

00:56:18.07
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:18.60
Flav: Do you know what it's like? Do you know what it's like at 16 years old to put blood, sweat and tears into an article? Writing.

00:56:25.96
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:27.16
Flav: and then have someone… Terrible.

00:56:29.79
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:30.57
Flav: Over. And over again. Not in a… This is bullshit. You can do better.

00:56:34.77
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:35.32
Flav: Go away.

00:56:35.72
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:36.95
Flav: It's like, no, this is wrong this is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is wrong. Finally, this is right.

00:56:42.90
Ricky: Yeah.

00:56:44.16
Flav: and you would have to bit because he couldn't rewrite it for you you had to be a part of that process And I would dread it and I would keep doing it and I dread the moment I had to sit next to him and he would go through my article and another one just tear it to shreds.

00:56:55.24
Flav: But you've got better because of it.

00:56:55.57
Ricky: Oh

00:56:58.01
Flav: Sometimes you go, this isn't…

00:56:58.23
Ricky: Hang on.

00:56:59.56
Flav: even you have to start again But this is… Start again. We've got this, you know. too much work to edit it. You need to listen to what I'm saying and start again. It was tough.

00:57:09.27
Ricky: Oh, start again. That's the worst.

00:57:12.13
Flav: Yeah, it was odd. It was odd.

00:57:13.48
Ricky: Hang on a second, you were 16?

00:57:15.53
Flav: Yeah, I did that from 16 to 19

00:57:17.37
Ricky: And you were 16. You were meeting at three o 'clock.

00:57:21.25
Flav: Every Sunday.

00:57:21.36
Ricky: right loads of people sitting around people your age and you're doing editorial like that's work that's like working in a press office that's like

00:57:28.47
Flav: It's 100 % exactly the same as working for a magazine. That's what it taught me. that I was working. um And… It's not paid. or It's for paid for experience. There's nothing to be paid. It's a charity. it was It was there to help people.

00:57:42.27
Flav: um So I…

00:57:42.94
Ricky: That's insane. That's quality though.

00:57:44.82
Flav: Yeah, I did that for three years. And that's why when I failed my A-levels… Falmouth University said, we still want you. because I demonstrated that this isn't a… problem I'm not dysfunctional I just can't do it

00:57:54.79
Ricky: Right.

00:57:57.06
Flav: until I got to university and then I couldn't do that either.

00:58:01.30
Ricky: I shouldn't laugh, but you're making me laugh. um deep look Do you think there should be like a… for people like you know how you just said yourself um That you don't. uh learn in that way Um,

00:58:15.40
Flav: Hmm.

00:58:15.64
Ricky: do you think that the education there needs to be reform in the education system like gcses aren't for everyone people that that learn a certain way like But, you know, people say like it's… quite draconian that for you know since victorian era it's still Here's a board. We're writing stuff on it. You learn it. And it's how well you can memorize stuff. and and Bark it back.

00:58:38.77
Ricky: Write it back.

00:58:40.17
Flav: Hmm.

00:58:40.24
Ricky: verbalize it back, whatever it is.

00:58:42.32
Flav: i just like i've i mean i kind of already answered this but you know the the amount of kids that have to be educated i don't understand i can't think of a better way you You simply, unless you… you know.

00:58:52.70
Flav: you can pay for it. You can't get an educated tailored to every individual. It's just practically impossible.

00:58:57.58
Ricky: No.

00:58:59.83
Flav: Um. Like. your eldest is going to be fine at school.

00:59:03.15
Ricky: Hmm.

00:59:03.72
Flav: Your youngest is going to struggle, right? You know that already.

00:59:05.45
Ricky: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah

00:59:06.07
Flav: That's because their brains are wired. The same household, same influences, same love, same care, same everything. Their brains just work differently.

00:59:11.25
Ricky: Yeah. Yeah.

00:59:12.92
Flav: What we've got to realise is there's nothing wrong with it. that That kid. who's struggling. It doesn't mean they're not good or it doesn't mean that they're not going to have a really successful career.

00:59:24.55
Flav: It's just not going to come through the traditional route. And it didn't for me and it didn't. Night.

00:59:29.89
Ricky: what What I would… Appreciate it. Um, is… ah Because obviously I, you know, I… This is my first time pairing and I don't know how to deal with these situations.

00:59:41.52
Ricky: What I can do to best support a… a child or children that don't learn in a specific way like what what is it that i can ah What environment can I build and support systems and structures and and stuff like that? Because at the moment.

00:59:58.71
Ricky: it used to be now i kind of i do work differently It was just built on frustration. of like what's this plus this how How do you not know that?

01:00:07.76
Flav: Yes, host.

01:00:08.06
Ricky: you'rere you' You're or you you know you should you should know what the what the time is. You should know what what capital city that is. And then… that That is really not helpful.

01:00:18.40
Flav: Nah.

01:00:18.53
Ricky: quite damaging.

01:00:19.50
Flav: No, no, but it is it's hard not to get frustrated. as well but what i found is is that the if

01:00:22.17
Ricky: Sure.

01:00:25.55
Flav: If there's a pressure… it means that their brain shut down.

01:00:29.18
Ricky: Yeah.

01:00:29.99
Flav: so certainly through lockdown.

01:00:31.31
Ricky: Oh that's quite good actually.

01:00:33.47
Flav: Peace. Yeah, like that they… The intensity to get the answer, a simple answer, correct, means their brain's just… start firing and they they'll say the wrong answer because they're so scared of getting the wrong answer. because of the pressure of the environment.

01:00:47.59
Flav: That. the whole exercise breaks down.

01:00:51.00
Ricky: Right.

01:00:50.87
Flav: That's what I found. um Like. you're the thing about the time like learning the time I had to tell time and stuff like that.

01:00:56.69
Ricky: Yeah.

01:00:58.69
Flav: You think. It suddenly it just clicks and they know. but it It's hard if you're if you're saying, tell me the time. Look, there's a big hand on that. There's a little hand on that. 01:01:06.100 Ricky Yeah.

01:01:07.93
Flav: What is the time? And they can't do it. But things things just click. right they also They also have to do it. The thing that they do have to do. is maths and English until they're 18 if they fail.

01:01:19.26
Flav: They have to keep… repeating maths and English.

01:01:21.03
Ricky: Right. Fuck.

01:01:22.76
Flav: Yeah. so

01:01:23.28
Ricky: That's gonna be fun.

01:01:25.45
Flav: Yeah, I mean, look, what can you do? I… you can offer a Shooter. to help them through that subject, but you can't make them do that.

01:01:33.64
Ricky: Yeah. No.

01:01:34.73
Flav: they're at an age now where they start making their own decisions for themselves which is good part of it

01:01:34.92
Ricky: nah

01:01:40.01
Flav: Um, You know, when I was at when I had to reset my GCSEs. they would like you i think we you need some extra help And I'm like… I'm not doing… excellent I don't want extra help. I don't think I do.

01:01:53.20
Flav: So I didn't do it.

01:01:54.47
Ricky: Was that extra help?

01:01:54.53
Flav: I didn't do it

01:01:56.59
Ricky: Within school time or out of school time?

01:01:58.87
Flav: So, yeah, it would have been just… So, it could so again, the difference now is that the college… When you go to sixth form… You're in from 9 until, well, 8 .30 till 3.

01:02:10.95
Flav: regardless if you've got lessons or not.

01:02:11.20
Ricky: Right.

01:02:12.58
Flav: you do independent learning. or you've got lessons but you're in your timetable is exactly the same when you're in sixth form in our school. But when i mine was, it was like I did a sporadic.

01:02:23.73
Flav: timetable like to be in college for two hours at a certain time and other than that i didn't have to be there.

01:02:26.48
Ricky: Yeah.

01:02:29.14
Ricky: Oh, what? So you have to be there? from like the half eight till three o 'clock even if you don't have lessons and if you don't have lessons you go away and learn and do your work and do whatever

01:02:34.73
Flav: Yeah.

01:02:37.84
Flav: Yeah, they they have they have things like independent learning and additional support and stuff like that. And so. you're But you're in college, you're not. You're not at home half day and and in sixth form half the day.

01:02:47.88
Ricky: Fuck. I was like my gaps times at the chip shop or around my mate's flat plane pro evo

01:02:53.28
Flav: Exactly. Is that it?

01:02:55.24
Ricky: Right.

01:02:55.41
Flav: That's how ours differed then. But because you have so much independence and freedom to… choose where and when you want to be somewhere. At 16, I was like, oh, no.

01:03:06.47
Flav: Can't be arsed today. I'm not going to go in.

01:03:07.95
Ricky: Yeah.

01:03:08.16
Flav: Dad's at work. he'll know you won't He won't know.

01:03:10.64
Ricky: Oh.

01:03:11.14
Flav: Just stay home.

01:03:12.69
Ricky: ah Right. ah I think we'll leave that there.

01:03:17.25
Flav: All right.

01:03:17.36
Ricky: um Oh shit, i did I did just want to quickly… ah I completely missed this off. national record of achievement so only the people in the uk yeah um it It is only a UK thing.

01:03:25.12
Flav: ah

01:03:29.40
Flav: Yeah.

01:03:30.13
Ricky: But when we left school, we were giving… these um like red burgundy leather bound. a folder called national record of achievement

01:03:40.03
Flav: Good. Gold flake. on the national national record.

01:03:41.56
Ricky: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And these… you know folders were going to be the most important things of our lives and it had your gse certifications in there ah Your attendance in there.

01:03:54.59
Ricky: It had. up. a like whole page of your form tutor writing about your uh character and your personality and what you're good at and lots of summaries like that any other sport in certifications i don't know if you're swimming or football whatever and but this thing is going to be the key.

01:04:14.32
Ricky: That will get you into interviews.

01:04:15.74
Flav: He believed it.

01:04:16.44
Ricky: It's going to get you through the door. I remember we had our end of year. celebrating GCSEs. house parties, that's cut that kind of summer. And it was just straight after getting our GCSEs. I went around to this house party.

01:04:31.36
Ricky: and one of the lads there God. belted absolutely belted and Where this house was, it was near a lake. And he took his national record of achievement out.

01:04:42.83
Ricky: and just front flung it like a frisbee. straight into the lake.

01:04:47.18
Flav: ah

01:04:47.50
Ricky: and everyone was like no what have you done you've thrown your life away It's just like…

01:04:49.77
Flav: Ha ha!

01:04:54.18
Flav: but

01:04:54.93
Ricky: I don't think I've ever used that once. And also I don't think I've ever. been made to prove what my GCSEs are. like you Oh I got a D in that.

01:05:05.09
Ricky: prove it what where's your certificate like none of it like it's just i don't get it so i mean obviously i do get it but it's

01:05:07.27
Flav: Yeah.

01:05:12.59
Flav: yeah so So if you're going on to higher education. then this your your results are crucial. because you only access those higher education if you have the results typically. But yeah, generally in the workplace it's like, can you do the job?

01:05:26.58
Ricky: Yeah.

01:05:26.98
Flav: Are you a knobhead?

01:05:28.21
Ricky: Yeah. Have you got experience?

01:05:30.46
Flav: could mate get what Do you know where your and NRA folder is?

01:05:33.39
Ricky: Yeah, yeah, it's in the loft somewhere.

01:05:34.55
Flav: I've literally asked my mum just as you were speaking and saying, do you still have this?

01:05:39.29
Ricky: Really?

01:05:39.54
Flav: and I'd love to see it again.

01:05:41.13
Ricky: Yeah, i'm good i'll I'll dig mine out and I'll… ah I'll post it in the Patreon Discord. um Right, okay, yeah, we're going to move on now. um So we do have a dilemma this week, actually. We we will get straight into that.

01:05:58.67
Ricky: and a something only you know The topic for next week. is the Great British Getaway. Our caravan holiday's back. I think they are. Danny Dyer. It's got its own holiday park.

01:06:11.90
Ricky: He's selling that with soaring prices for holidays matched with the soaring temperatures predicted for the UK. More of us are staying in Britain from driving around the north of Scotland.

01:06:22.38
Ricky: Stomping around the Lake District surfing in cornwall and the old fashioned caravan parks. So we'll be chatting about that next week. If you've got anything that you want to send it in, send it in to lads.

01:06:34.13
Ricky: Anon. Pod. at gmail .com And we will read it out. And we are going to go on to… Dilemma if I can find the jingle ah is this gonna be yep Yes.

01:07:15.23
Ricky: This is called You're not singing anymore. Hi, Ricky and Flav. Love the pod. Please keep my name anonymous. Every time we do this, something only you know, dilemmas, everything's always anonymous.

01:07:28.20
Ricky: 164 episodes in. Never spilt a bean. All right. I'm getting married in a few months. Oh, congratulations to my partner of 10 years. All the preparation has gone well so far and we can't wait for the big day. However…

01:07:43.05
Ricky: I've just been told by my best man that one of my groomsmen is planning on writing a song for us and he wants to perform at our wedding. I know, how cringe.

01:07:54.83
Ricky: This is honestly both our worst nightmares. And he doesn't know. and he doesn't know that we know. He's in a band without being too mean. I'm not keen on them In particular, his singing.

01:08:09.01
Ricky: We think he sounds like a knockoff Alex Turner. And he does this really weird American accent between songs. But he's a mate, so of course I support his career and keep those opinions to myself.

01:08:20.59
Ricky: A lot of my other mates and some members of my family really dislike him. and And I can just imagine it being so painfully awkward. like a scene from Peep Show or The Inbetweeners. I've asked my best man to talk him out of it.

01:08:34.64
Ricky: But apparently he's not taking the hint. and insisting on performing

01:08:36.87
Flav: ah

01:08:39.05
Ricky: I've even made hints myself. saying i hate it when people pick up an acoustic guitar and sing at a house party or at an afters for example I've not told my partner as I know she'll freak out.

01:08:51.60
Ricky: and i don't want to ruin our day we've been looking forward to our wedding for ages and i've spent a lot of money and time organizing What do I do? How do I stop this from happening? Also you can probably guess what grubby football team he supports.

01:09:05.38
Flav: I don't know.

01:09:06.34
Ricky: Yeah. of course.

01:09:06.87
Flav: Um. It's hard. you You can't get married without these sort of things coming up in some fashion.

01:09:13.20
Ricky: Yeah.

01:09:14.65
Flav: Um…

01:09:19.93
Flav: Just let him play.

01:09:25.23
Ricky: smash the guitar up find it smash it up

01:09:26.38
Flav: Sounds good. Comes from a nice place. Comes from an honest place.

01:09:28.73
Ricky: Yeah.

01:09:29.52
Flav: He's doing it. He thinks he's doing it for you. and I mean, look, if he's your mate, if it was you, Rick, I was like, man, Rick, I don't want you to do that.

01:09:36.81
Ricky: Yeah.

01:09:36.93
Flav: Oh, what the fuck? What are you talking about? I don't want you to do that, but it's obviously not that kind of relationship. so

01:09:41.07
Ricky: He's a groomsman!

01:09:42.82
Flav: Yeah. but he's obviously oblivious like you wouldn't be offended if i said rick hello i don't want you to

01:09:48.40
Ricky: Absolutely not. now

01:09:49.61
Flav: Yeah. We're fine. We're just going to have this. but I don't know. It's one of those things, man. Just don't stress out. But you're probably stressing out about it more than what it is. It won't ruin the day.

01:09:58.18
Ricky: Yeah.

01:09:58.42
Flav: You'll have an amazing day. It'll be a footnote. it's just not Yeah, then don't worry about it just get on with your day mate honestly and when when you when it's happening well When the the the wedding day is happening and beer is flowing and stuff. everything you worry about.

01:10:14.72
Flav: Just. isn't there and all the stresses that have gone into your wedding. The minute. the day starts you don't think about them you don't think about the things you forgot to do you don't think about You just get on with your day. and and it's this I found we were stressing out so much in the run up to the wedding.

01:10:30.63
Ricky: Yeah.

01:10:31.40
Flav: And… and and but I just didn't really give a shit about the things we didn't do. ah can't you know so I I wouldn't worry about it, just let it play.

01:10:38.44
Ricky: Yeah, I mean, ah I would have a… differing of opinion I would be like. Uh, I'll just have a frank conversation. Like Flav just said, like he would say to me, don't like, I don't want you to play.

01:10:52.41
Ricky: You can't play. And I'd be like, okay, fine. I like i i get the hint. But. if you spend all that money and you're looking forward to that tea day and that's the one thing Not easy mate, you should understand.

01:11:05.17
Flav: 100 %

01:11:05.67
Ricky: if If he's part of your groomsmen… He's a fucking groomsman. Like, just just say to him, look. Not that you know or someone snitched. Make it.

01:11:16.68
Ricky: So clear. That. that is something you definitely do not want at your wedding and if it was to happen at your wedding you would be… Annoyed.

01:11:27.83
Ricky: And then if he does it anyway… After the wedding came out. That's it.

01:11:33.98
Flav: what I mean, what is he, take over the stage?

01:11:36.28
Ricky: well i mean he's part he's in a band so i i guess that he will he may even like get the band members in or something like that do his own gig i don't know what will happen That's the thing.

01:11:47.49
Ricky: It…

01:11:47.28
Flav: Yeah, he might get carried away and do too long.

01:11:47.70
Ricky: it If it turns into this kind of narcissistic.

01:11:52.60
Flav: Mmm.

01:11:52.66
Ricky: i'm in a band i'm singing and i've done this for you but really it's about him then I would be like mate come on this is my day not your day Fucking shit hour.

01:12:04.70
Ricky: Go and have a beer. Go and do a line.

01:12:05.79
Flav: See you.

01:12:06.94
Ricky: Fuck off.

01:12:07.11
Flav: True. True.

01:12:08.48
Ricky: Yeah. So, I mean, so there's two. two paths you can go there but Very best of luck. And I hope you have a ah beautiful wedding day. When it happens right we are going to go into

01:12:27.58
Ricky: They don't know me. Over a decade ago my good friend introduced me to a group of friends I'd never met. And in our first interaction…

01:12:38.20
Ricky: I joined their conversation. but something was a bit different than what I was expecting. someone one we all knew at the time, Their father was there. Not knowing these fellas, I didn't get a wording, but was stoked to be a fly on the wall.

01:12:54.18
Ricky: I took the conversation in. And loved all of it. To this day I still don't get a word in. But I know they hear me. as they have told one of my stories and shared it to many.

01:13:06.86
Ricky: Hi. I'm Tom. that sounds familiar We link up weekly and I just enjoy as they speak about. what most best mates speak about.

01:13:18.49
Ricky: The kicker is they have no idea who I am. that Ricky and Flav make my Monday drive so much better. And then he's put in brackets, sorry, I'm not a Friday guy. we should I mean, like…

01:13:29.72
Ricky: If you love the the pod that much, come support us on Patreon. Be a Friday guy. And that is something only I know.

01:13:36.48
Flav: Incredible.

01:13:36.59
Ricky: So yeah. Good. That is good.

01:13:38.70
Flav: Good.

01:13:39.28
Ricky: I don't understand the bit where it says. Um… and in our first interaction i joined the conversation but something was a bit different than what i was expecting someone we all knew at the time Father.

01:13:51.29
Ricky: was there. Yeah, so if you could… ah

01:13:55.71
Flav: Yeah. that's it

01:13:56.32
Ricky: email in that was said but that was a bit you know clarified for that Anyway. um That'll do for this week. to the topic.

01:14:04.14
Flav: I'll do peak.

01:14:05.11
Ricky: Yeah, that'll do, pig. The topic for next week is the Great British Getaway. If you want to send someone in, send it to ladsanon. pod at gmail .com Also your don't listens.

01:14:18.12
Ricky: Send it in there. topic suggestions Send it in there. Join the Patreon. patreon .com Slash lads anon. Pod. See you next week.

01:14:28.35
Flav: See ya.