Tom Rhodes Radio Smart Camp

My mom is visiting me this week and I took her to Yosemite National Park to recreate one of the best mother and son memories we have together. In this episode my mom Sara Rhodes sits in with us and tells the story of watching Bugs Bunny cartoons right before I was born. The best advice she has ever given me and how we were once chased by a bear. We review the Netflix original Cable Girls and for book time I talk about one of my all time favorites: Hagakure - The book of the Samurai and how this book can improve your life. Tupac was grateful ti his mother even though she was a crack fiend. In this episode I am grateful to my mom for teaching me how to smack the shit out of the big ones!

How should you react when hate is shot in your direction? In this episode we talk how Ashna received a hate filled Facebook from an old white coward telling her to move back to the Netherlands. My reaction was to start searching flights to Houston so that I could go punch this old fooling the face but Ashna reminds me that it is always best to remain stylish like Seneca. We talk about our wedding anniversary date that included popping into an open mic night in our neighborhood where an untalented comedian started verbally attacking the crowd, me included because his poorly written jokes weren't being appreciated. Seneca style counseling is recommended to me again for how to conduct yourself in the face of hate filled white men. From there we popped into the Kibitz room where we delighted in our neighborhood watering hole where hate was nowhere to be found. For brain candy morsels we talk about the book 'A Flame Of Pure Fire' Jack Dempsey And The Roaring Twenties' The movie 'Moon' and the new Ray Davies album

What kind of music does Tom like? On this episode a selection of his vinyl > My amazing wife Ashna has booked an acting job portraying the historic powerhouse and badass woman Sojourner Truth. She is in the next room running her lines and I am left alone with my vinyl record collection to play some of my favorite cosmic slices. Ashna is kind enough to share her speech in front of the microphone at one point for the scene she will film tomorrow. For anyone keeping track of what I played on this episode, the running order of the artists appearing here are: AC/DC Velvet Underground The Animals Rodney Dangerfield David Bowie George Carlin Warren Zevon Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Bill Hicks Prince James Brown Ashna Rodjan Terrence Trent D'Arby Aretha Franklin Ray Charles Lightning' Hopkins Gil Scott-Heron

What's the most annoying sound to wake up to?

Will hate and violence be the new marketing trend? 

What drug can make you genuinely happy? Why does Tom have an unhealthy relation with AA?  How does Ashna overcome her biggest fears? This episode is all about addiction. Learn how Tom gets a big insight not yet revealed to him. We end with a happy plane story with an interesting family from Australia. Exclusive photos and videos on Patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp. 

Find out how Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen changed our lives. Ashna and I talk about our latest obsession watching interracial movies on Netflix and the Black Mirror episodes by Charlie Brooker. Tom reads the greatest opening paragraph of any book ever written (Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts) and he closes with a quite disturbing story for Ashna about one of her favorite musicians Chuck Berry.   

Hear about the one time Tom swam naked where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood in Greece, Tom being called a racist in Calgary, Rotterdam riots, Kurt Vonnegut's speech that is still relevant today, childhood innocence in the movie Mustang and Tom trying to save the world with every punchline.

Learn about the funny situations we get in being an interracial couple and we experience deep levels of fear after watching the movie Get Out.

Should artist be defined by their personal mistakes? We talk Oscar blunders, Russia manipulating the masses, Tom continues talking about his book "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" & documentaries! 

Ashna and I talk about me turning 50, Putin's chess match with the world, the gullibility of the masses, best movies, the upcoming Academy Awards and the happy news out of London.

Ramy Youssef is one of the bright young stars burning it up in the comedy world right now. I worked with him last year and he is one of my favorite young comedians right now. If you are looking for a lovable young Muslim to build a television show around you need look no further than today's guest and that is why it is my pleasure to present to you now the one and only Ramy Youssef!

Jimmy Tingle is a political comedy beast! One of the finest examples of the quality comedy that has come out of Boston and he is also a recent Harvard University graduate. I remember seeing Jimmy busting heads on comedy shows when I was a youngster studying all things comedy and that is why it is my pleasure to present to you now the one and only Jimmy Tingle!

James Thiep was a former child soldier in Sudan, Africa. Now he is a standup comedian in the United States. Learn about his epic journey.

Not since Gutenberg's printing press has one human being's inventions improved the quality of life for people as much as Apple co-founder and principle creator Steve Wozniak.    I met Steve last month when he came to my show in Lake Tahoe. Fortunately for me the Woz loves jokes, humor and comedy in general so after sending him several heart felt e-mails requesting to chat with him he agreed, so last week while I was performing in San Francisco I drove down to Cupertino to record this conversation while him. This conversation was recorded at the Mandarin Oriental restaurant where Steve asked me to meet him. There is pleasant violin based classic music playing in the background because the owner politely delinked my request to turn off the music.    Steve Wozniak is not only a creative genius who has improved human life more than any other human being in the last 300 years, he also loves and cherishes humor and the story tellers who create the jokes.    He is exciting to talk to because he thinks so fast a

Kim Dotcom is a German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur, currently residing in New Zealand. He is the founder of Megaupload and its associated websites, as well as Megaupload's successor site, Mega.  What makes Kim controversial is the fact that the American government is actively trying to extradite him from New Zealand to the US.  American comedian Tom Rhodes wanted to meet this enigmatic maverick of modern technology and show the human side of this public figure who is so often demonized in the mass media.  Recorded on the last day that Tom was in the country for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. Kim & Tom are instantly united by their humor and a very honest open conversation about everything of relevance pertaining to Kim Dotcom is raised and discussed openly. Sources of news clips can be found on YouTube. Steve Wozniak, co founder of Apple, gives an interview where he defends Kim's actions and ways of doing business. Source of the interview clip with Tom Rhodes is from the program Nine to

Truth seeking Freedom fighter comedy legend Barry Crimmins explains all you need to know about making the world a better place on TRRSC!

Joey Diaz & I bring head crunching thunder to this week's Tom Rhodes Radio Smart Camp!

Me and Ralphie May talk about the currents events of the day.

In this episode Ashna and I talk about the fan letters we have received from around the world recently, the improv class we have been taking at the Groundlings, the benefit that I put on for the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting victims which included my friends Bill Burr, Hannibal Buress and Anthony Jeselnik. The benefit also took place because Dave Chappelle encouraged me to do it. We also talk about the murders of five police officers in Dallas this week and the state of crisis currently griping the United States at the moment. To end this episode I have included the recording I made last year as I drove along with my cousin Officer Ron Ryan as he patrolled the streets of Boynton Beach, Florida. If there was ever a good cop to remind you that not all cops are bad and that most of them are committed to doing good for the community it is my cousin Ron. United We Stand Indeed People!