Yo.
I'd like to welcome everybody back
to a brand new episode of the Cognitive Collage podcast.
I'm your host, Quinn Goldin.
We're friends and family.
They called me QG for short.
And if you feel like we're friends and family,
you can do the same.
Yeah, today is a little bit different than my normal thing
because I'm usually in here like solo,
but I actually got my homeboy here right now.
My nephew is here.
My nephew, Mark, I call him M.Dub.
So your Mark, introduce yourself, bro.
Hey, y'all, what's going on?
My name is Mark.
You know, I'm on this podcast with my uncle.
I'm excited.
I just got back from college like a little yesterday.
Nice.
I'm just happy to be here.
Yo, how does it feel?
Because we just going to get right into it.
Yo, how does it feel to be back home from college?
Man, it feels good.
Like, I don't know.
There's a saying that, like, you know, there's no place like home.
Yeah.
Like, I never believed it till now.
Like, I go outside.
The air feel different.
Like, yo, I can relate to that because, like, you know,
being born and raised in Baltimore and shit,
like, I never experienced anything outside of Baltimore
until I moved to California.
And it was like culture shock.
And then when I got back home, I was like, holy shit,
I can recognize the differences, you know what I mean?
Like, I don't know.
So what would you say, you know, I mean, granted,
you just got back home, but what would you say is the biggest
difference from where you went to school in South Carolina
than from back home?
Like, what you think the biggest difference is?
Well, one, I'm used to just having my own room.
Thanks.
And now, I mean, I have, sure, I live in a dorm.
Yeah, before, but it's like, I can't, it's different because now
I can hear my mom's more clearly and all that.
And I was like, dang, there's really people here.
But there's also people there.
But I don't know, the people at my house,
that has a lot more weight to it.
Which, what you mean?
You know, I don't know because I'm used to just hearing them
all the time.
Right.
So now all of a sudden when you go like a few months not
hearing like anything else like that, because normally in my
suite, it would just be me in there for the most part.
Gotcha.
So I was mostly like just basically on my own, except for
when my suite mate came in like every now and again.
Gotcha.
Now, all right, let me ask you this.
Like, what do you think you're going to miss the most about
college and what you think you're going to miss the least
about college?
Um, you know, honestly, this could technically go for both
with people.
Yeah, that's a good answer. And that makes a ton of sense to me.
Because like, it's really a coin toss because when I went to
school down in South Carolina, you know, I met a lot of good
friends that like, I've really messed with, you know, and now
that I'm back here, it's like, I'm really going to see them
every day.
Like I used to, the semester's basically over now.
Yeah.
And on the other hand, and there's some people, you know, I just,
well, I didn't like, we may have fell out over something done
and I still have to see them like every single day.
But now that I'm home, I don't got to worry about it.
So that's real.
Yo, um, Dan, what's up, brother?
Oh, uh, what's something in South Carolina that you could get
that you can't get up here?
Let's see.
Let me say, because there's the South Carolina, they got on the
South in general, they got a couple of, you know, places where
you can get food at, like this one place.
I'm trying to think of what it's called because I ain't been there
in a minute.
Yeah.
Because that's kind of how it was.
Like, when I got there in like California and shit, they had
like in and out burger, which is really, really good.
And then they had this place called like Jack in the Box and we
don't really had it on the East Coast and they had this shit
called like zagbys that was like really good, like just chicken
ton of spot, but we don't really got shit like that.
Yeah.
All right.
Random question, but what is your top three movies at all times?
Top three movies.
Yeah.
I'm not much for a movie person.
I'll give you some like, uh, my favorite movie, um, that's
fireman like beyond the spider verse.
Oh, yeah.
That's your fire.
I messed with that heavy, like, maybe cause it's kind of
relatable in a sense.
How so?
I wanna, you know how like when Miles was in the, um, the
place of all the other spider men, and it's like, and all he
was ever told is like, he's different.
He's anomaly.
Yeah.
And I kind of like resonate with that because like throwing
up, I kind of struggled to like find the people wherever they
like fit in with.
Yeah.
So I'm used to just being like an outcast, but like Miles
learns just embrace it.
Yeah.
Just keep on going.
Yo, that's, that's some real shit because like, uh, you
know, everybody got this like foul, the leader, sheep,
kind of mentality type of shit.
Like, yo, it's cool to be a standout.
Like it's cool to have like individualism is cool to like,
you know, not foul societal norms and shit.
Like, you know what I mean?
Like we not a monoblique.
Like it ain't one size fit all.
Like, and I think that's the shit that make life interesting is
that everybody is different because if everybody was the same
or did the same shit, like we'll be born and shit.
And like the fact that, you know, you can go, they got me.
It ain't nobody walking around like me.
You know what I mean?
Like, yo, take pride in that shit.
Like that's, that's important.
I take heavy pride in like who I am as a person, what I stand
for, what I believe in.
I feel like that's what gives you power.
That allows you to be like far greater than you would be
normally than if you always like, like, you know, forsaken
yourself for others people's sake.
Yeah.
Now, all right, let me ask you this, like, never ran a question,
but yo, top five NBA, if you had to make it top five starting
NBA lineup, like who's your top five?
See, I have some great elite ball knowledge as they know back
in the day.
So, you know, all right, but now I'll say this, no, let's see
at my point guard.
Let's see, it's either step or magic because you can't go wrong
with either one.
Right, Steph has crazy gravity and then magic, but you know,
generational, traditional point guard, well, not really just
because the man's like six foot nine, but you know what I'm
saying.
Yeah.
I mean, I feel like that applies to stuff too.
Like he's like generational, like it ain't going to never be
another stuff.
All for sure.
But the thing about Steph game is that with enough hard work,
you can be like replicated, like you can't replicate size.
So, you know what I mean?
So, if you had to come down to it, is it magic or stuff?
See, right now, that's tough.
I mean, I guess right now, I go magic.
All right, magic.
All right, who your two guard?
Two guard.
Let's see.
I guess, well, if they were going all time, you know, God go
on the goats, like with Jordan.
I respect that.
Because like, be so serious, not many, there really ain't many
people really put on him to stop him if at all.
Right.
So you got magic as one, you got Jordan, you got three.
I see.
Well, well, my little goat LeBron, you know, go goat.
Yeah.
He's handed down to me.
Like for me, it's not even, I don't even, I tried not to debate
with Nick.
It's nothing.
Anybody can say that could like waiving me from that, from my
stance on LeBron.
Like he's just, yo, this nigga's an alien.
All right.
So, yeah.
Oh, definitely.
That man still put on MVP stat lines, then he like 40.
Yo, this nigga had four straight games with a triple double.
This nigga has never scored less than double digits in any time
he laced up the step on the court, not once.
That's crazy.
You got niggas like Clay Thompson, who won, who scored
zero points in the game that he started.
Like that's just crazy.
All right.
So you got magic, Jordan, bro.
Who's your four and your five?
Okay.
So my four, let's see.
This team going to Eastern space and I'm not going to.
So there's two choices here.
Like, well, if I need spacing, I'd go Katie.
Okay.
I'm not mad at that.
So Katie at the four and who, who's your five?
Five.
Hmm.
Let me think.
Um, my five.
There's two choices.
Well, I either go on team or check.
I came a check.
You don't want those two.
Um, I'm not mad at that.
I guess.
I guess for me, it would depend on what style of game like we
want to play.
Cause like what a Jordan, he going to get to the rack or hit
a midi.
LeBron want to get to the rack.
Katie gives you spacing.
Magic is not.
Yeah, that's not much offensive.
So like he would like more or less set everybody up.
But I feel like magic and LeBron have like a skim.
A similar skill set.
So I think I would go check, but is he going to crowd the
paint?
Hmm.
And is he a liability when it comes to like the free throw
line?
Yes.
I'm saying like every this, I guess that you can say it just
depends on like what's the situation here.
Sure.
But the upside to it is that no nigga physically can stop
check.
So even if you put them at the free throw line, we going to
get your center, your four and like fail trouble because they
can't do shit with this nigga.
Hmm.
So yeah.
So if you come down to a Hakeem and check.
I guess check most cause who'd be so serious who stop and
check?
Like, yeah, I respect that.
Like, yo, my son five.
I'm going at point guard.
I'm going stuff at the two guard.
I'm going Kobe.
Cause I think he's the stronger version of Mike LeBron is
three.
I'm going dunking at my four.
See, I was thinking about dunking.
If I didn't go dunking, I might go KG.
Okay.
But I think I'm gonna stick with Duncan and then for my
file, I'm a go shot.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yo, true.
I might go.
Yo, but I think it's too early to put your kids all time like
that.
But I might go.
I mean, so Duncan, your kids LeBron, Kobe stuff.
That's tough.
No, let's talk about the color.
Yo, kids then because he's different.
I never see you just such a clear cut MVP player.
Like, why would you think?
Cause like this off season, the Nuggets, they lost KCP.
Yeah.
He was the one, right?
Yeah.
He a good three.
He a good three and D guy for real.
Then the season before they lost Bruce Brown after winning
the championship.
Yeah.
So you're thinking, okay, the Nuggets going to slow down a
bit.
Lo and behold, this man just goes crazy.
He going crazy.
Like every time he plays, you should see some wacky stack
line.
Answer like, how is that possible?
Like in Jamal Murray, right?
I mean, I was Jamal Murray back.
I think he's back.
We ain't been playing that well from what I've seen.
Every time Yoki's plays is like anything is possible.
Like, without them and, uh, you know, rest was a great
addition to that team.
Oh, I was thinking about that.
He a good energy guy.
Like, yo, Russ is tough.
He get a bad rap because he takes some bonehead ass shots.
I know how you felt about that in the league.
Yeah.
But you know what?
The Lakers Russell Westbrook experiment, I think it falls
more on coaching.
Like they didn't utilize Russ the way they should.
They try to make him a spot up shooter.
And that's never been his game.
You know what I mean?
I feel like having Russ on the team, they should have took the
ball out of LeBron's hands.
Because LeBron has a broader skill set than Russ.
So the shit they was asking Russ to do that he couldn't do,
LeBron could, but you know, they had the system that
a formula that worked at one point.
So they just like, fuck it, we're going to keep running
the formula.
But if I'm cooking a dish and I add new ingredients, it's
going to taste different.
So you got to adjust to, you know what I mean?
The new ingredients.
Mm-hmm.
You know what I mean?
You can have a cheeseburger and then like substitute the fucking
hamburger for chicken sandwich and then expect it to taste
like a hamburger.
It's just like, you change the recipe.
And what do you think?
Well, since you're a Lakers fan, what do you think about JJ
Wright being your new head coach?
Love it.
And I'm going to tell you why I love it because he's passionate.
Like he's kids.
Like, yo, with Darvin' Ham, like I wouldn't say he was afraid
of LeBron, but he just, he pretty much just let the players
do what they want.
Like, I think prior to JJ being hired, with him and LeBron
doing that podcast, the governs, shit, people thought,
oh, they're going to be too buddy-buddy.
Like, I like the fact that like he called out D-Lo, which made
D-Lo step his game up.
I like that.
Like, what a, like, all right, perv is that with Darvin' Ham,
like if a call didn't go the Lakers way, I'm not fucking
just standing there with his hands in his pocket like,
all right, well, next play.
JJ got a technical already, barking at the rep, like,
yo, he has a passion, but he had that same passion as a player.
Like, he has a level of arrogance to him, but like he really
knows basketball.
And like, that shit shines through like in the coaching
and the press cover.
And I like the fact that like he hates the lose.
Like, I heard like Doc Rivers, you know, the buck started
off kind of slow this year.
And he goes, I ain't worried about it.
We're still going to make the playoff.
Like JJ Redick, like after that first Lakers loss
of the second loss of the season, he was in the press
conference holding himself back from cursing.
He was fucking, he was pissed.
I was like, oh yeah, I like that.
I like to see that.
Yo, do you think Donovan Mitchell finished his career
with the Cavs?
Or do you think he goes somewhere else?
And if he goes somewhere else, where would you want to see
Donovan Mitchell go?
Oh, that's the, you know, Donovan Mitchell, that's my favorite
player.
Like I haven't fallen since he was in Utah.
Let's see.
That's an interesting question though, because, you know,
you know how back in Utah, everyone was like, oh, he's going
to be a New York Nick.
Like, I mean, I could see that because he born and raised
there.
Like I think if they don't get jail on Brunson, he definitely
becomes a Nick.
Yeah, for sure.
Shit, fuck jail on Brunson.
Not fuck jail on Brunson.
I respect.
Okay.
But I take spite over jailing.
Oh yeah, I would too.
Bigger body, more physical, more athletic.
He can hit the outside, jump it like, yeah, I take spite
of Mitchell over Brunson, 10 out of 10.
Brunson nice, but.
Donovan Mitchell turns it up in the playoff.
Nigga, what?
Like even last season, like, he really won them a game
against the Celtics.
You know how stacked they was?
Yeah.
Yo, speaking of, yo, I was talking to my, I want to say,
oh, I was talking to my homeboy, Ty, about it.
And he think the Celtics might repeat.
I don't think so.
Honestly, I don't think they should have won that first one.
Well, you mean, why not?
I mean, the reason why they won it is because of holiday.
Because like, they still the same squad.
And the issue used to be jailing Brown was there first.
So he feel like it's his team.
But you can tell, like the coach in the city, the league,
they want to make JT, like the face.
So they got that awkward relationship with the Batman
Robin shit.
So these things will be up by like seven points in the fourth
quarter, like three minutes left.
And they chucking threes like, bro, you're up seven,
attack the rack because you're both going to hit the free throw.
So now you bring in holiday who at the end of the game,
the balls in his hand, he just telling you, like, you'll find
your spot.
I can't find your spot.
I got the ability to go get a bucket myself.
And he's a nigga.
How they can defend everything from the one to the three.
But at the same time, last year, Yonah's hurt and B hurt,
like all the Titans, they would have to go through the East,
potentially going to be here this year.
So like, you know what I mean?
Like, I don't know.
I feel, but you know, I can't live on an if and then shit because
if Kyrie and love don't get hurt, I don't think Stefan them get
that first championship in 2015.
See, but the Celtics, I thought they had in the bags and lonely.
They got for Zengis, to be honest.
Yo, I mean, yeah, posting is like the year in the corner.
He is solid five.
But at the same time, he didn't really plan the phones because he was hurt.
Yeah.
But posing is tough.
Yeah.
But when they all play, they was unbeatable.
Like the Mavericks had no chance in the world.
I agree.
You know what it was for me?
I think the Mavericks was undecided.
And Luca don't play a fucking ounce of defense.
If Luca don't play defense, you're not going to get a ring like that.
Like, because they was literally the Celtics.
The whole game plan was just attack.
Yeah.
Yo, Niggas, Niggas do like high picking role and they keep doing switches
until they get Luca and then you just have Tatum attack them and you can't do shit.
It literally because I think he let that whole series and I just blow by us.
Yeah.
They would just blow by them in this, giving up easy points.
Yo, all right.
We're going to switch gears.
What do you think is, hmm, actually, how do you, how do you feel like you're young?
Like what you like 20?
19.
19?
That look at me not knowing your age and shit.
Yo, you'd be 20 in February.
Correct.
All right.
Look at me.
I redeem myself as own.
But that's funny as shit.
What do you think about this election?
This election.
Yeah.
Like, all right.
Cause you're a young dude during college.
You about the more or less in the next year and a half or two years, like you're going
to be in a workforce and all that type of shit.
So by the time you're getting a workforce, Trump would be like halfway through like his
second term.
Like, do you think him being in the office is going to affect, you know, your ability
to get a job?
Do you think the country is going to be so fucked up or do you think it won't make a
difference?
So it's an office.
Well, I was worried about the election already because you know, about project 2025.
Yeah.
That should, that should just terrifying.
They want to take away financial aid.
So it's like making it even hard to go to college.
So they're trying to get rid of the, you know, I heard this nigga say, uh, he want to give
reparations to students, white students who didn't make it to college or the college they
wanted to because of affirmative action.
Like these niggas get reparations before the people who built the country.
Like that should as, it's just dog whistle shit.
Like that's shit.
It's anyways, but yeah, that project 25 shit is, I was really worried about like, I'm
gonna keep going to school if, you know, the main source of.
But it's just gone.
Yeah.
But look, I feel like even with your situation, because like you more or less already grandfathered
then I think anybody who's trying to, you know, make their way into college within the
next year to might be like, yeah, cause like, what about other people who want to like go
to college and they, without that financial aid, they might not be able to at all.
Bro, I couldn't go to trade school without financial aid, let alone college.
So like, you know, my trade school, I want to say my tuition was only like fucking 15,000
or some shit.
And I want to say the financial aid brought it down to like 10 or 11 or some shit.
But yo, I need, without that shit, like I don't get to go to school.
I don't get certified in the field that I'm certified in.
So I don't make it to the point where like I am now if you know what I mean?
So like that's some spooky shit.
Like that's going to affect a lot of people.
Bro, word.
Like, I don't know.
Like I can, man, we kind of something about this like earlier off mic on some like how
common sense is so uncommon.
Like it's not like, all right, I can see if niggas was like, all right, let's give them
a chance because we don't know what they're going to do.
We have four years, probably four to worse years.
Like the plague shit.
The, you know, it was just terrible.
Like I'll fucking international like relationships with other countries.
That's important.
He just shit on and he was trying to start a fucking nuclear war with North Korea calling
Kim Jong-un rocket man or shit.
Like, yo, the North Korea, they do like public marches and that floats is fucking nuclear
missiles and shit.
So they not hiding.
It's not like with the George Bush shit when he was like, we got to invade them Iraq because
they might have weapons of mass destruction.
It ain't no might with North Korea.
They have them bitches.
They do parades with him.
He was trying to pick a fight with them niggas.
Like, bro, yeah, he's a.
Not to mention he's literally a felon like, yeah, that's even crazier, which is now like,
you know what?
And this is set the president of precedents that like, all right.
Yo, you can't not hire nobody because they are fellow man, because if he can hold the
highest office in the fucking country, being predatory, convicted, all this other shit,
and somebody might have a gun charge and they can't get a job at Walmart.
Fuck that.
Like, yo, we got to know.
That's crazy.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's, it's nuts, man.
Like, all right.
Let me ask you this.
Where do you see yourself and where would you like to see yourself and like the
next five years?
This question I've heard it's growing up in school.
And it gets worse every time.
Before I could just say, oh, five years, I see about something on high school, you know,
but now you're in college.
You know what you, what's your sophomore?
Yes, sir.
All right.
So then you got junior year seniors who got two years left or two and a half years left.
So you don't have to make it like it's a definite thing, but where would you like to be in the
next five years?
See, I have my own place, own car, you know, working as a management consultant as well.
Nice.
Because, you know, that's like my, that's my passion right there.
I've been in businesses, maybe like drafting up plans to found a business.
So that's kind of the game plan so far.
That's fine, bro.
I fucks with that.
I wish, I wish when I was your age, I had that level of foresight.
Like, I ain't going to lie.
When I was younger, I don't even really think I was living.
I was just existing.
Like I had no plans for shit.
I'm just floating through life.
And then I don't know, at some point something happened and I had a fucking epiphany and decided
to get my life together, which I'm glad I did.
And, you know, it was better late than because I didn't go to trade school.
I was like 25.
I was from like, I guess, preview blessings until 25.
I was just, I don't know.
I was just doing psychopath shit.
So, but now, you know,
Hey man, everything happens for a reason because now I can learn from you.
Yeah, that's a fact, bro.
And you know, you know the relationship we have like, bro, you can always call me.
You can always, and you know, you can always keep it real with me and shit.
Cause I'm like, I'm going to hear you out.
And I'm like, damn, no, I, no, I feel you on that one.
I wouldn't have done it.
But like, I like that we got that rapport, like that we can have those conversations.
Cause a lot of times like, I think that's what most of these young dudes out here is lacking is that they don't have anybody that they can
really go to.
Yeah, have a real conversation.
That's very true.
Cause I feel like, you know what, just in general, like when I've seen in college, people have, people have friends, you know, like y'all joke and hang out.
But like, when it comes to like, Hey man, I need to really talk to somebody.
They're not really like their feature like that, you know?
Yeah.
I mean, you know, it's like, I don't know, they both still trying to grow.
And like, I can't really put an age on that.
Cause shit, like I'm 39.
I'm still trying to grow.
So, but, you know, asking a person who's more or less in the same position that you went for advice is like, letting a horse, like babysitter dog.
It's just like, we basically the same thing.
Like we can't talk. All we know how to do is walk around eating shit.
Like, so, you know, you need, you need somebody with some experience and somebody who's not going to mislead you for like that benefit.
Like I would never tell you some shit just because, you know, I think man, this is what this is what you should do based on what I believe.
I'll hear you out and I go, All right, now what it sounds like to me is X, Y and Z.
But ultimately the choice is yours, but I would probably lean this way or lean, but because it's still up for you to decide.
But I like that you're intelligent enough to have those conversations with me and that, like, you know, you, you have your own individual mindset to where you go.
I hear you, like even with the callous thing when I was like, yo, I think you should go to the school of kids and you just like, yeah, but, yo, my mind is telling me to go there.
And I was like, I had to respect it.
And the beauty of it now is like, you got that experience.
So even like with transfer into like a school back home or whatever, you still got the experience of like, I got to actually say I did it.
You don't have to live with the damn I wonder if or damn I could like you actually know like you had that experience.
Yeah, happen doing that going out of state.
It had ups and downs.
Yeah, I'm kind of glad I saw it for what it was.
I don't really regret anything bad that may have happened in shortcomings.
I may have done, you know, yeah, it feels great to be home.
Oh, yeah, I finally remember getting South Carolina.
Yeah, there's a Bojangles everywhere.
I'm yet to see it up here.
Bro, I had Bojangles when I was I want to say I was in even Florida.
I was in Atlanta.
That shit was that shit was good as shit.
Like that biscuit was real good.
That's not the same.
They're chicken.
That's tight.
Yeah, it's right.
They just got like a raising canes up here.
I haven't had it yet, but everybody rave about it.
Oh, racing came in.
It's nice.
Yeah, they got one in like Tulsa and the something.
Like I haven't tried it yet because every time I try to go, it'd be like jam packed.
Or be nowhere to park because it's like right next to the mall.
And it's like, you had to fucking park in the garage, pay and then get out and then walk around.
Like I ain't doing that shit.
Yeah, how am I?
Yeah, so whenever they open up like a location closer to where I live, I'll do a dash of this and shit.
Are you going to get me some too?
100 percent, my boy.
Yeah, like, I don't know, man.
I'm excited for you.
Like, you know what I mean?
Like I'm glad to have you back home.
And I'm glad that like you happy to be back home.
You know what I mean?
Like I wouldn't want it to be a thing where like the family put pressure on you to like come back and like you did it reluctantly.
Like I'm glad that you like, I want to come on.
Yeah, I genuinely did.
You know what I'm saying?
Like being out there by yourself for so long, like I got no family out there.
This is me, myself and this is like all I got is the friends I make.
If I even make any, of course, because like again, I could just sit in my room all day, go to class, go to band practice, go back to my room.
Yeah.
So it's like if I don't go put myself out there, it's just going to be me.
So like, but you know, at the end of the day, still gets lonely.
Like no one got you like your family does.
And there's one thing I can definitely say.
No, that's a fact.
And like, I like the fact that even though you out there by yourself, you know what I mean?
You still got a full point on, you know what I mean?
Like that's that's ball of shit.
Like does.
Oh yeah, like I respect that.
Yeah, this semester I was like, okay, I'm going to do the absolute best I can now.
And like, oh my God, man, let's get straight A's.
Yeah.
Got that four point up.
It was not easy man.
Some of these classes.
I can imagine bro.
Honestly, I say this for college work.
It works down hard.
You know, if you like your major, it's going to be a cake work.
Sure.
Unless, wait, unless you like a STEM major, like y'all got that.
Yeah.
And you can get a major and find it ain't too bad for a guy like you, but got you.
You STEM people, science, biology.
I got it.
Yeah.
And with that being said, I want to thank you for, you know what I mean?
Come doing your podcast with your uncle and shit.
You know what I mean?
This won't be the last time y'all hear this nigga.
So, uh, yo, Mark, where can they find you?
Like on socials, like where can they find you at?
Um, on Instagram, you know, you can follow me at, um, what's my color?
Um, I'm not, I'm just going to try to get this right.
All right.
Yeah.
You can find me on Instagram at underscore Lord dot mark.
Got you Lord dot mark.
Yo, like I said, man, I mean, for a good time, not a long time.
So with that being said, man, I hope everybody have a productive week, whatever goal you chasing,
and hope you get one step closer, if not achieving it all together.
And if you want to reach out to challenge anything that you heard me or my nephew say today, man,
I can be found at Instagram at QG music.
That's QG M.U.S.I.C.
I almost forgot the spell music.
I'm tripping.
Yo, good mood.
Peace.
Thanks for watching.