The Slade Ham Experiment

Hello from my Midnight Spaceship!

I begin this episode by revisiting a conversation in a coffee shop. Well, an overheard one that I entered only at the very end. Also, I struggle with the inevitable death of a pet fish and how to properly handle it. Death and I are frequent acquaintances these last few years, but she and I rarely talk about my role in the process. Now I have to come to terms with how to handle my fish situation.

And of course, there's a rat. There's always a rat. How do you handle killing things, or do you?

Please consider telling a friend if you dig what I do.

It's week two on tour in Canada, or the day after to be exact. I come in from the airport, turn on the camera, and burn through a list of people I have lost my tolerance for. I also offer up my suggestion for how to say no. Plus a guy on his speakerphone who may or may not own the Westminster Dog Show. Either way, he's an asshole.

And finally, an outtake from a show in Ottawa where the crowd started out a little tight. Turns out they were just French.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig what I do.

I enjoy conversations with my friends about the maddening nature of making a living as an artist. Jeff Canada is a Texas country artists that I've known since we were both in our early years. In this episode we talk about a lot of the obvious pitfalls of working the road, but we also discuss letting go of our vices, staying true to your voice, and how much difference your work ethic makes.

And it doesn't hurt that Jeff is a big, loud personality. It makes for a very fun interview, and one I think you'll glean something from.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig what I do.

Jeff Canada: http://www.JeffCanada.com Jeff Canada on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5mvfuba6

I am on tour in Ontario, Canada through most of October. Autumns here are as beautiful to me as the cherry blossom season in Japan, and I've taken every available opportunity to wander through the changing trees.

Some tips for visiting Toronto, as well as some of my previous favorite Canada memories, as I meander through my favorite differences between our two neighborly countries.

Also, I finally get a joke about spiders in to my show. If you recall back in Episode 15, I pondered the likelihood of us eating any spiders in our sleep at all, despite the popular urban myth. The stage version is at the end of this episode; the original can be found around 9:26 into Episode #15.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig what I do.

I get super into the weeds on how I write comedy, plus I discuss high school art class and how I'd raise kids if I had them.

Please consider telling a friend if you dig what I do.

What begins as a simple glimpse at all the things happening in the world turns into a full-blown side adventure through how I really feel about things like a trillion dollars. Also, we have to stop blaming the rich folks. We did this to us, nobody else. Come laugh about it with me.

I grew up in Beaumont, Texas. I always refer to it as a small town, but the truth is, it isn't. It is a lot of other things, however, and I try to be as truthful as I can. There is love in every terrible thing I say about you, Beaumont. It also prompts a nostalgic look back at my favorite concert I've ever been to. Spoilers: it's Prince.

I break down the Horses of the Apocalypse one by one, and explain how they met their dooms at the hand of America. Also, I'm not quite sure that I know who all the horses are so I toss in an extra one.

I recount my weekend in Fort Worth with good friends Aaron Aryanpur & Ralph Barbosa. A possible spider bite causes me to think about the logic behind the myth that we eat eight spiders a year. Also, Disney announces a reboot of The Neverending Story, prompting a disgusted growl at the entire film industry and a wallowy moment over one of the movie's saddest scenes. Plus a conspiracy theory and my thoughts on the new Game of Thrones.

Before I get into anything this ep, I need to address some facts about candles and where I am allowed to burn them. Then, upon the Queen's death, I realized I knew nothing at all about the Royal Family. I did a quick search before the show, came up confused about their fame, and proceeded to make an episode about it. You likely know far more than me already, so correct me in the comments as I stumble through this.