Imagine being a 19 year old soldier and you get selected to guard Saddam Hussein during his final months of life.

The Army may have plucked this play right out of the Silence of the Lambs movie script: Was "Tucker" their Agent Starling?

8 hours a day sitting with, at the time, public enemy number one, a man who committed unspeakable acts, atrocities, and directed many others to do the same, sits in front of a 19 year old American soldier day in and day out for months. Eventually, the two talk.

For "Tucker" (Not even close to his real name) it was his reality. I knew this guy for a few years before I ever knew the stories he tells me on this episode.

Some may get mad hearing these stories, but remember, human beings build bonds when they are in close quarters. Jokes are shared. Stories of home life are told. Grandfatherly advice is given. Great manipulators groom the eager ear. Dictators contort stories into falsehoods. A caged man can seem less and less of a threat the more words he speaks.

"Tucker" opens up about all of it. Many of you will be surprised to learn what the trial and final moments of Saddam's life were like through the eyes of his favorite American guard.

Ego-free actor, Bailey Chase and I talk about his incredible acting career spanning two decades through television and the movie screen, his fleeing Los Angeles to a more grounded, easy living town in the South, his exposure to crack cocaine during his teen years, his path to earning a psychology degree while playing football for arguably one of the most overrated colleges in the country. (I'm kidding. I'm sure DUKE is an accurately ranked college.)

He and I follow the Art of War tenant that goes something like this: "The enemy of my enemy is UNC Tarheels."

Alright y'all, enjoy!

Bailey Chase @baileychase:

-HOMESTEAD

-Buffy, The Vampire Slayer

-Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

-Longmire

-Saving Grace

-Criminal Minds

-S.W.A.T.

-Chicago PD

-CSI

-Law and Order: SVU

and a lot more.

TAKING UP THE SWORD by Randall Bennett

What does Black Sabbath, Pantera, and MS-13 have in common?

Listen to this episode and find out!

"My music is violent so I don't have to be." -CJ Ortiz

CJ Ortiz jumps on the mic to tell stories of metal music, the power of motivation/action, his friendship with co-host "Pat Mac" (Pat McNamara- The University of Badassery Podcast) as well as the origin of Mara Salvatrucha 13 gang and their connection to the metal scene.

@metalmotivator

Ever heard of the Greek mob operating in the South?

Ever heard of them being tied to political corruption?

Ever heard of a mayor being arrested on federal charges for bribery?

What begins as buying drugs in an undercover operation slowly becomes a full blown infiltration of the Greek mob, the arrest of a metropolitan mayor, and the crimes in between.

Check out Matt Pitcher on IG @retdetmattpitcher

Jason and I met after he read about me in "Walk The Blue Line" by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann. It was the Bad Brains reference that caught his attention. We linked up through IG, and I knew I had to have him on the show.

Jason is a L.A. DJ for KCRW, an adjunct professor, music supervisor, photographer, and former first responder. We talk about his life living and working through the L.A. riots, his days working with Sublime and guerilla marketing for "40oz to Freedom" as well as seeing too many bodies during his shifts at the coroners office.

Instagram: @kcrwkramer

www.kcrw.com

"When 9/11 happened, I was 11 years old..."

Jason Essazay tells of growing up in Kabul under the oppression of the Taliban and dreaming of the day when he could dish out some payback.

In his early teenage years, he discovered Tom Clancy novels donated by American soldiers and lending groups. Fueled by his hatred for the Taliban and terrorists and his love of Tom Clancyesque adventure, Jason lied about his age in order to be an interpreter assisting the U.S. Military.

Through creative means, he's able to get hired and roll out on missions. Jason, an armed interpreter, tells of volunteering for mission after mission resulting in hundreds or firefights and surrounding explosions.

After his years of war, he makes it to America. Starting all over, he works several jobs chiseling away at his goals in this new land, this country he has learned so much about through Tom Clancy plots and stories from American soldiers. While living in America, Jason once again volunteered and joined the USMC as well as started his own company, MEYER DEFENSE.

Oh, he also coordinated the overseas efforts to extract his brother (a fellow interpreter) and family during the fall of Kabul. (Episode #65 Kabul extraction...Worth Parker)

Instagram @cardinalsog

In a time when propaganda is omnipresent, the anti-fascist have become the fascist, and cities are resembling a John Carpenter movie, music matters now more than ever.

Folk singer/songwriter, Bryan McPherson, shares his experiences growing up in Boston, moving to California, recording albums, and the bizarre era of lockdowns, mask mandates, friends turning on friends and the effects it is having on society.

bryanmcpherson.com

Instragram: @bryanmcp

"Cardinal SOG" and I first met on IG over a Social Distortion post in which Mike Ness was getting blasted by keyboard commandos for simply posting a picture of him standing with police officers. Since then, he and I have chatted a lot about the power of music, childhood troubles and trauma, finding purpose in life, and serving to help others.

On this episode, he opens up about witnessing the domestic violence his mother endured, her death, gunshots ripping into his trailer, being a latchkey kid, and overcoming hurdles to become a firefighter, EMS, and work search and rescue. Oh...and he was in a band.

Instagram: @cardinalsog