Ricochet Podcast #512

Senator Fix-It

146 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guest Ben Sasse

This week, the rare single guest show. But when that guest is Senator Ben Sasse, he has enough brain power to fill two segments and that’s exactly what the does on today’s episode. Mostly, we discuss his WSJ Op-Ed, Make The Senate Great Again, which is a manifesto on how to fix the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body. Also, some thoughts on Woodward v. Trump and the less than great mayor of the City That Never Sleeps.

Music from this week’s show: The Sand Hills of Old Nebraska by Ole Rasmussen

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Ricochet Podcast #511

Bad Hair Day

107 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Michael Anton & Sally Jenkins

Well, it’s crunch time now: we’re into the final lap of the election and things are going to be intense for the next 8 weeks or so. But first, some personal business: one of our intrepid cast is sending his youngest child off to college. Is his purpose in life now over? We discuss. Then Mr. Flight 93 himself, Michael Anton joins to discuss his new book, The Stakes: America at the Point of No Return and to warn everyone that if Joe Biden wins, the country will turn into California (but without the weather, the beaches, and the surfing). For those of us who live in the Golden State, it’s a weird way to sell a book (it’s not that bad here), but hey, Michael’s gotta eat too. Then, something of a departure for America’s Most Beloved Podcast® — a sports segment! And if we’re going to do a sports segment, then we’re going to get one of the best in the business to help us. That would be the great Sally Jenkins — columnist for The Washington Post. We talk about college football, political activism in sports, and what’s it’s like to enter the family business when your dad was one of the all time legends. Finally, Nancy Pelosi gets a blowout and it blows up. Perfect.

Music from this week’s show: I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair by Ella Fitzgerald

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Ricochet Podcast #510

Conventional Thinking

134 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long

It’s the Republican National Convention week, or as pundits on the right call it — Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and whatever other major holiday you want to thrown in there. We break it all down: the pluses, the minus, the hits and the misses. And we make some predictions for the next couple of months. As you’re hear, we recorded this show on Zoom in front of an audience of our beloved Ricochet members. We’ll be doing a few more of these on Zoom before the election, so if you’d like to participate, join us!

Music from this week’s show: Street Fighting Man by the Rolling Stones

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Ricochet Podcast #509

Say It Ain’t So, Joe

52 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Gerald Baker & Victor Ashe

This week, Joe Biden accepts the Democratic nomination and we devote all of the opening segment to the just ended Democratic Convention. Then, this may sound a bit inside baseball (inside Ivy League baseball), but stick with it, because it has implications for cancel culture, affirmative action, and a host of other issues that stem from the way higher education is conducted in the U.S. We’re joined by Ambassador Victor Ashe, who is running for a seat on the Yale Corporation, the tightly controlled and opaque governing body that runs Yale University. The policies they institute have wide ranging implications for schools and for our culture at large. Then, WSJ columnist Gerald Baker joins us to discuss some of the topics he’s been writing about including defunding the police, the protests, and the Presidential election. We’ve got Ricochet member @jennastocker as this week’s LPoW winner for her post Minneapolis Isn’t Lost – Yet — we wonder why? Finally, some thoughts on Steve Bannon and the prospect of life returning to normal.

Music from this week’s show: the last great american dynasty by Taylor Swift

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Ricochet Podcast #508

Coconut Buttons

54 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Mark Simon & Tevi Troy

We’ve got a new VP candidate, we’ve got Mark Simon (right hand man to Hong Kong freedom fighter Jimmy Lai), we’ve got historian Tevi Troy on political conventions (or the lack of them) and using songs for political rallies, we’ve got a warning on Blazing Saddles and we’ve got a Lileks Post of the Week (courtesy of Ricochet member Sage Wolkenfeld) about the importance of dressing well. That’s a pretty full show. What do you have for us?

Music from this week’s show: Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top

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Ricochet Podcast #507

The Crusaders

51 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Michael Tracey & Thomas Madden

Last week, Rob Long and Peter Robinson found themselves in a disagreement about –not kidding– The Crusades. Well, one of the great things about having a very popular podcast is that you can get just about anyone to show up and adjudicate any dispute or question one might have. It’s basically like having Wikipedia on call. But more about that in a moment. Up first, independent journalist Michael Tracey had a radical idea: there was a lot of talk about the riots in the mainstream media, but almost no reporting on the aftermath and the human cost of the unrest. So he got in his car and did it himself. His story is very much worth your time, as is this conversation with him (thanks to Ricochet member @concretevol for the suggestion!). Then, as mentioned, we tracked down Professor Thomas Madden, aka the world’s foremost authority on The Crusades to determine who got it right. You’ll have to tune in to get the results. Also, @bossmongo wins the coveted LPoW badge this week, and are movie theaters history? We discuss.

Music from this week’s show: Ourselves To Know by Warren Zevon

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Ricochet Podcast #506

How You Doing?

30 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guest John Yoo

Tis week, James is blue, Peter is unplugged, Rob meets his political doppelgänger, John Yoo meets his hero, and Kevin Faulconer (the current Republican Mayor of San Diego) gets his shot on The Big Show. Also, Ricochet member @skipsul gets another turn as the Lileks Post of The Week, and the podcasters pick Biden’s VP.

Want still more Yoo? Join us next Wednesday at 7PM ET for virtual book party with John, hosted by Troy Senik on the occasion of the publication of his new book Defender in Chief: Donald Trump’s Fight for Presidential Power. Ask questions, get gardening tips, and more. See here for details.

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Ricochet Podcast #505

Get Schooled

67 COMMENTS
Hosted by Bethany Mandel, James Lileks, Peter Robinson
With guests Jason Riley & Luke Thompson

Hello faithful Ricochet Podcast listeners. It’s us. We have another show for you. It’s a good one. We have Ricochet Editor and Twitter celebrity Bethany Mandel sitting in for Rob Long. We have the WSJ’s Jason Riley as a guest. We have political strategist to the stars, Luke Thompson as the other guest. We also discuss aliens and Ricochet member Kephalithos wins this week LPoW for the very intriguing post American Architectural Geography: Part 1, Timing. It’s a good show. You should listen. And tell your friends. Because we want more listeners.

Music from this week’s episode: Gone Till November by Wyclef Jean

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Ricochet Podcast #504

The Long Game

69 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Avik Roy & Bjørn Lomborg

Back this week with the full cast and another full show. We start with a deep dive on the Bari Weiss resignation and free speech in general. Then our favorite Denmark dude, Bjørn Lomborg joins to discuss his new book, How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet. and we give him a chance to rebut a very snarky New York Times review of said book. Happy to help, Bjorn. Then, our favorite health care wonk, Avik Roy (listen to his 2x a week Covid in 19 podcast — co-hosted by some guy we’ve ever heard of– for all the latest COVID news and analysis) drops by to school us why schools should stay open. Finally, yep it’s another Lileks Post of The Week, this time by Ricochet member Tocqueville, who has compiled a very good list of Bullsh*t words/expressions that have got to go! 2020 Edition. The guys add a few of their own, so please feel free to give us yours in the comments below. In the meantime, stay safe and mask it.

Music from this week’s show: Times Like These by Glen Campbell

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Ricochet Podcast #503

Everything Is Broken

323 COMMENTS
Hosted by Bethany Mandel, James Lileks, Rob Long
With guests Heather Mac Donald & Shermichael Singleton

We’re back after our 4th of July break (well, most of us are back — we have Ricochet Editor Bethany Mandel sitting in for the vacationing Peter Robinson) and we’ve got another super-sized episode to make up for our time off. First up, the always great Heather Mac Donald, who speaks truth to protestors like nobody else. Then, meet Shermichael Singleton, former political strategist, a former Deputy Chief of Staff at HUD, and a former member of the GOP. Shermichael tells us why he’s left the latter two organizations and it should be required listening at the RNC. Luckily for us, Shermichael is a current Ricochet podcaster and if you have not listened to the Speak-Easy podcast he co-hosts with Antonia Okafor, we highly recommend it. Also, a bit on the Harper’s free speech letter, the triumphant return of the Lileks Post of The Week, and Bethany has a new Twitter friend.

Music from this week’s show: Everything Is Broken by Bob Dylan

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Ricochet Podcast #502

School of Sowell

42 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests John Yoo & Thomas Sowell

About once a year, we get a visit from the master himself, the great Thomas Sowell. This year’s session is on the occasion of the publication of his new book, Charter Schools And Their Enemies  and more importantly, his 90th(!) birthday on June 30th. We talk about the success of charter schools despite the teacher’s union and America’s worst mayor doing everything they can to undermine them. Then Ricochet’s Senior Supreme Court and Legal Analyst John Yoo joins to break down last week’s curious DACA and Bostock decisions. Finally, some thoughts on statues.

We’re off next week for the holiday. Stay safe everyone!

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Ricochet Podcast #501

Sycophants and Brutuses

49 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Abe Greenwald & Coleman Hughes

Another action packed show: Is the lockdown over or is this just intermission? Hey, did John Bolton write a book? Did the Supreme Court hand down some decisions?

Leading off our guest spots this week is Coleman Hughes who has been on our radar for a while. In this moment, we thought it was high time he was on your’s, too. Be sure and read his essay Stories and Data: Reflections on race, riots, and police at City Journal as we discuss on the show. His other essays are also well worth your time.

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Ricochet Podcast

500: Lick The Sugar

90 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guest Roland Fryer

Milestones — they seem so important when they’re far away and then you arrive at them and then it suddenly doesn’t seem such a big deal. At the start of the year, we had some big plans to mark this achievement (if that’s what you can call it), but then the lockdown happened, and well, the rest is…But, don’t fear — we actually put together a great show with a great guest: Roland Fryer, Professor of Economics at Harvard –making his Ricochet Podcast debut. His studies on changing the behavior of cops and racial differences in police use of deadly force are the gold standard and are used by police departments all over the world to write policies on training and engagement with civilians. It’s a fascinating conversation. We also do some reminiscing, some teasing, and some looking ahead to the next 500 (!) shows. Thanks for listening, sticking with us, and for all the thousands of great comments. We’ll do this again in 2030.

Music from this week’s show: The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)

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Ricochet Podcast #499

Muzzles Not Masks

105 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Andy McCarthy & Victor Davis Hanson

Now, that was a week. We try to put it all in some perspective — the protests, the riots, the looting, and the politics and we do so with the help of our guests, Andrew C. McCarthy and Victor Davis Hanson. And yes, the Lileks Post of The Week is back to blow the lid off knitting clubs. And, Rob outs himself as a super hero, Peter deals with civil unrest induced anxiety by reading biographies, and James, well, we’re not sure what James does.

Music from this week’s show: The Dream Police by David Byrne

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Ricochet Podcast #498

City of Lakes

71 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Bari Weiss & John Yoo

We don’t tend to do location work on this show, but when a major news event happens in the city where one of our hosts live, we get a up-close and personal view. And when that host is James Lileks and Minneapolis, the amount of detail, insight, and thoughtfulness could fill a dozen podcasts. James describes what the last few days have been like, and where he thinks his city is heading. But that’s not all we’ve got for you. We’ve got the NYT’s Bari Weiss on Joe Rogan, podcasting, and why our medium in now a major media platform (it’s very meta conversation). Then, obscure law professor and fast food aficionado John Yoo stops by to school us on platforms versus publishers (guess what Ricochet is?), that pesky section 230, and why Twitter probably should not be fact checking the President.

Music from this week’s show: My City of Ruins by Bruce Springsteen

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Ricochet Podcast #497

It Matters

65 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Kevin Warsh & Spencer Klavan

What matters? Well, New York City for one. We get to that topic towards the end of this show, but prior to that we visit first with economist Kevin Warsh of the Hoover Institution. He has a lot to say about humongous stimulus packages, Congress, the role of China in this thing, and what the Fed should and shouldn’t be doing. Then, newly minted Ricochet podcaster and chip the old block Spencer Klavan stops by to explain why he’s a heretic and we’re not (at least not yet). Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyway), Young Heretics, his new podcast is a must listen. Finally, as promised — a meditation on New York City, the lockdown, why it needs to end, and why what happens there matters for the rest of the country and yes, even the world. Yes, it really is up to you, New York, New York.

Music from this week’s show: New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down by LCD Soundsystem

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Ricochet Podcast #496

Inching Towards Normalcy

101 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guest Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D.

We’re about 9 weeks into the Great American Shut Down and maybe, just maybe we’re starting to see a light at the end of this tunnel? To help us parse this, call on an actual scientist, our good friend from Stanford Medicine, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya who helped write the Santa Clara Study and the just released MLB study. We discuss where we are now, where we might be going, the strategies different states are employing, and yes, at bit of the politics around all of this. And will we see the return of college and pro sports any time soon? You’ll have to tune in for the answer to that one. Also, a Ricochet first time poster gets the highly-coveted, much sought after Lileks Post of The Week badge, and we pay tribute to the great Reverend Richard Penniman. He was built for speed and good golly, we’ll miss him.

Music from this week’s podcast: Long Tall Sally by Little Richard

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Ricochet Podcast #495

Warriors and Grandmas

57 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Andy McCarthy, Bethany Mandel & Kimberly Strassel

We know, we know — we’re 6 or 7 hours late with this. We had some technical difficulties during the recording of this show (we broke with tradition and training and left a bit of it in) which forced us to record this show in two sessions today, apologies for that. But that does not mean you, our faithful listeners are getting shortchanged. Far from it — this is one of the longest shows we’ve ever done — over 90 minutes of clever and civil conversation, featuring our guests, Andrew McCarthy, the WSJ’s Kim Strassel, and Ricochet’s own editor and senior citizen killer, Bethany Mandel, who joins to discuss her latest adventures on Twitter, which resulted in all of the right people getting mad at her.

We even crammed in a Lileks Post of The Week, and plenty of the banter that America’s Most Beloved Podcast has become so famous for. So strap yourself in or take a long, long (as in Rob) walk with the dog, cut a large lawn, do a lot of dishes, or whatever your podcast listening activity of choice is and consume this one from start to finish.

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Ricochet Podcast #494

Lockdown Rant

49 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guests Bill McGurn & Mollie Hemingway

This week on The Big Show, we inch our way back to normal with our first show in weeks without a COVID-19 specific guest. That’s not to say we don’t talk about it — we do, and then some. But the new cycle means that we have to address those icky charges against Joe Biden and to do that we call on the Ricochet Podcast’s Senior Sex and Gender Correspondent, the great Mollie Hemingway (yes, she’s also a Fox News contributor and a Senior Editor at The Federalist, but we had her first). We go deep on Tara Reade’s accusations, and how the media is (or isn’t) covering this story. Then, our old friend (and WSJ columnist) Bill McGurn stops by to discuss his recent column Communists in Brooks Brothers, in which he describes the struggles of Martin Lee. Also, some news on other dissidents in Hong Kong, and a bit of politics. We’ve got a Lileks Post of The Week about ratting on your neighbors and some closing thoughts on what the heck may be going on in The Hermit Kingdom. 

Music from this week’s show: Me and Bobby McGee by Kris Kristofferson

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Ricochet Podcast #493

Not Scary With Larry

58 COMMENTS
Hosted by James Lileks, Peter Robinson, Rob Long
With guest Larry Kudlow

The Question of the Week, maybe the month, perhaps the year, oh, heck — likely of the century is “when is the economy re-opening?” Sure, we could round up a bunch of egg-head economists to ponder and scratch their chins, but instead we went directly to the West Wing, to the room where it happens (to coin a phrase) and got our old friend and former podcaster Larry Kudlow on the Skype machine. He gives us the actual figures on the economy, the strategy, the mood, and most importantly, how we get out of this. Also, is sunlight a disinfectant? Can you inject Lysol? (Did you really think we weren’t going to talk about that?). We’ve got a Lileks Post of The Week from Southern Pessimist on cooking at home and Chef Long describes how you can cook like the stars.

Music from this week’s show: Hats Off To Larry by Del Shannon

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