The Gracious Two - LIVE Show 022 - Don Ryan

The Gracious Two, Chad Gracey & John Rotolo ( JRo or Mr. GoodTimes ) had a varied discussion. They covered a range of topics, from the severe weather in CA, to the issue of shoplifting and the impact of sanctuary city policies on immigrants. They also touched on the concerns about increasing censorship, particularly on platforms like YouTube. Towards the end, they announced this week’s guest, Don Ryan, a friend and musician.

JRo and Chad Gracey engaged in a discussion covering topics from conspiracy theories, US politics, and AI. They discussed Hunter Biden's conduct and the lies about possibility of Russian disinformation. The conversation then shifted to AI, with John sharing his AI-generated art and discussing potential benefits and risks, including job replacement and scams. The discussion concluded with a story about a + LiVe's + experience in Jamaica, writing Secret Samadhi, highlighting the local culture, food, and economic disparity.

John and Chad discussed the idea of people threatening to move out of the country if a particular candidate wins an upcoming election. They dismissed these threats as empty and mocked the idea of celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg following through on them. They expressed their concerns about political and societal issues in America, particularly the perceived manipulation of immigration policies and the neglect of inner cities. They criticized the alleged practice of flooding the nation with illegal immigrants to gain votes and the perceived neglect of American citizens who are struggling.

Later, a guest named Don Ryan joined the conversation. The group also briefly touched upon the topic of globalism and the actions of certain sovereign nations.

Don Ryan, JRo, Chad Gracey and Robert Hayes engaged in a conversation about politics and the state of the world. They lamented the lack of willingness to listen to other viewpoints and the tendency to form echo chambers on social media. Don and John shared their experiences of moving from the left to the center due to the extreme views they observed on both sides. They also criticized the hypocrisy of university officials who failed to condemn anti-Semitic speech. Chad revealed that he had shifted from being more liberal in his youth to a more conservative stance now.

Chad, John and Don discussed their disillusionment with mainstream news outlets, particularly CNN and MSNBC, which they felt had become propaganda machines. They criticized these outlets for telling lies and omitting key information, leading them to seek alternative sources of news. Don mentioned that he now gets his news primarily from Twitter and the New York Times. The group also touched on the issue of journalism becoming increasingly narrative-driven, rather than fact-driven, and lamented the lack of real journalism.

Don, John and Chad discussed their concerns about the implications of gender transitions, particularly for minors. They expressed apprehension about the potential long-term effects of such decisions and feared that children might be influenced to transition without fully understanding the implications. The conversation concluded with a call for compassion and a focus on acceptance, rather than on pronouns.

John, Don and Chad expressed apprehension about transgender individuals using bathrooms of their identified gender, fearing potential harm and discomfort to biological born gender because perverts and psychos could abuse the laws. They criticized the lack of clear guidelines and practical ways to measure fairness in such situations, and voiced frustration over what they perceived as an erosion of traditional gender norms.

The discussion focused on the politicization of human rights and sexuality issues, with Don expressing concern over the division created by political parties. Don and John emphasized the importance of free and open discussions, without censorship, and not blindly following political parties. Additionally, a business dispute involving LiVe and a shady business partner was discussed, which caused further alienation between band members. The main issue within the band was a dispute over songwriting credits, which led to the band's breakup in 2009.

Chad Gracey discussed his band's journey, including a breakup, a record deal, and a lawsuit against a band member. He also revealed that they started a successful fiber optic company with Bill Hynes, but tensions escalated when Hynes' girlfriend filed charges against him. Chad is currently involved in a lawsuit against Chad Taylor for not providing financial statements for a company they co-owned. He also discussed a business deal where Chad Taylor negotiated with Ed Kowalczyk to bring him back into the band and change percentages, which was not agreed upon by the rest of the band. Chad also revealed that he discovered this was not Ed's idea but Chad's, and he felt misled by this arrangement.

chadgracey, Don, and John Rotolo discussed the ongoing conflict within LiVe, which was disrupted by the pandemic. They recounted a dispute in which band member Ed wanted to kick out Chad Taylor. CG suggested the need for "band therapy" to resolve their issues. The conversation also revolved around a strained relationship and disagreements with a mutual acquaintance, Chad Taylor, which led to feelings of hurt, betrayal, and frustration.

Towards the end of the meeting, there was a casual conversation about personal experiences and upcoming plans.