James Lileks | Ricochet

Another busy week with much to talk about and to help out we’ve got (along with @jongabriel sitting in for Rob Long) the great Yuval Levin and Adam Carolla. Yuval schools us on the rumors that the President will fire Robert Mueller and the black box that is the Congressional Budget Office, and Adam stops by to talk about his upcoming film the Dennis Prager (they’re raising money to underwrite it — donate here). Also, 30 years ago this week, Peter Robinson jotted down a few words for Ronald Reagan. We get some of the backstory in this very podcast. You don’t want to miss that.

Music from this week’s podcast: Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads

We’re all over the globe physically and all over the map topically this week as we cover the British elections with our guests Toby Young from The Spectator (read his take on the election here) and we’ve got the great Andrew McCarthy on Comey, the NSA, and Trump’s legal conundrums. Also, Rob is in a park in London. Yes, in a park. Now, that’s devotion.

Music from this week’s podcast: Werewolves Of London by Warren Zevon

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The hard thing about producing a weekly podcast is coming up with relevant topics to talk about. Nothing ever happens in this boring administration we’ve elected. Yawn. This week, we’ve got Pat Buchanan (you must buy his new book Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever) who weighs in on those endless Nixon/Trump comparisons, and gives us his take on how the President is doing so far. Then, our old pal Dennis Prager made some waves this week with a column titled Why Conservatives Still Attack Trump. We delve into that and his new project with Adam Corrolla (he’ll be on in a few weeks too), No Safe Spaces, a film on the decay of free speech/thought on college campuses and what this means for our country. Also, join us on July 23rd for a special taping of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson at the Reagan Library, hosted by Pat Sajak. Details here.

Music from this week’s podcast: Fixing A Hole by The Beatles

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You might not be watching the new Twin Peaks, or care that it ever existed. But it changed TV, and one of the reasons that made it so unique was the music. Let’s go beyond the theme and explore the compositions of Angelo Badalamenti.

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Bodyslamming, Trump in Europe, the great Mollie Hemingway (you are hereby ordered to buy her new Encounter Broadside Trump vs. The Media right now), the lies we tell ourselves about terrorism (thanks John Kluge), and Peter Robinson once hung out with Roger Moore. No, we didn’t know that either. Happy summer, everyone.

Music from this week’s podcast: Nobody Does It Better (The Spy Who Loved Me) by Carly Simon

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Another slow news week…yawn. Uh, no. With so much to talk about, we present another super-sized Ricochet Podcast clocking in at just under 90 minutes. We’ve got our pal David French, who wants us to Stop Making Terrible Arguments for Blind Loyalty. That’s followed by two Ricochet members (that’d be Robert McReynolds and Max Ledoux) who wants us to give the President the benefit of the doubt at least some of the time. Seems reasonable, but you won’t want to miss the debate that ensues. Who won? Tell us in the comments. Also, RIP Roger Ailes, the whip smart, innovative, and yes, controversial, creator of Fox News (the Michael Wolff piece Rob refers to about Ailes is here).

Music from this week’s podcast: Happy Family by The Ramones

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It’s never a dull moment with the Trump administration and to parse everything that happened this week, we call on our good friend, former podcaster, and the newly minted host of Washington Week In Review Bob Costa. After that, we take a look back at the 2016 race with Jonathan Allen, co-author of Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign. Also, taping, vaping, and narrative shaping. Yeah, we went there.

Music from this week’s podcast: Shattered by The Rolling Stones

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What do you do in Reno? Yes, yes, besides that. But here’s the more pressing issue for modern times: what does Reno do with Reno?

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Never let it be said that the Ricochet Podcast does not scour the world looking for the best guests and conversation to elucidate the issues of the day and make you muy contento. This week, we’ve got Senator Ben Sasse direct from the backroads of Nebraska talking about his new must-read book The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis–and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance. We talk parenting and yes, some politics. And then, live on a scratchy phone line from Havana, it’s TV’s Rob Long with a sickles loafers-on-the-ground report from the Worker’s Paradise.

Music from this week’s podcast: Chan Chan by The Buena Vista Social Club

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We’ve got Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance here to talk about investing in startups in the midwest. We’ve got The Factor on permanent hiatus. We’ve got terrorists in France trying their best to influence an election. And we’ve got some unlikely dinner guests in the White House. What have you got?

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Another Saturday edition of the Ricochet Podcast with a super-sized running time and a legendary guest: The Podfather himself, Norman Podhoretz, whose seminal book Making It has just been re-released to mark its 50th anniversary. We talk about the book, and about the world, both past and present. Also, in-fighting at the White House, North Korea saber rattling, and what was your first concert? Well, we bet it wasn’t who Peter Robinson saw.

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We’re all over the globe for this show: Mexico, North Korea, the Middle East, the well of the Senate, and more. That’s in part due to the news cycle but mostly due to our great guests, the WSJ’s Bret Stephens, and the EPCC’s and National Review’s Ed Whalen. We talk military action, diplomacy, nukes (both parliamentary and real), filibusters, and more. Also, what was the deal with that Pepsi ad?

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It’s a special Saturday edition of the Ricochet Podcast, and it’s special not only because of the day (April Fool’s Day!), but because we get to welcome back our regulate host, TV’s Rob Long. We cover the all the news of the past six months, Peter’s quest to buy a new TV, what it’s like to take over a network TV show in mid-season, take some questions from the chat room and from the Member Feed (thanks V The K), and just have some fun. Hey, it’s Saturday.

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Yep, it’s another super busy week (and day), but as tempted as we were to cover the breaking news as it happens, we decided to take a step back and invite our good friend Rod Dreher on to discuss his new book The Benedict Option. Along with regular guest host Larry Kudlow, we get into the weeds on the the future of Christianity, faith, and the authority of Scripture and the wisdom of the ancient church. But don’t worry, we also cover all the news, the votes, and yes, the passing of the King of Rock and Roll.

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Another week of interchangeable hosts as Law Talk co-host John Yoo sits in for Rob Long and Ricochet Editor-In-Chief Jon Gabriel subs for the ailing Peter Robinson. Nonetheless, it’s full show with Avik Roy on the Republican’s take on affordable health care and National Review’s Andrew McCarthy on FISA courts, wiretapping, and those pesky Russians. Also, what makes a truly great Philly cheese steak? Our wiz on topic, Professor Yoo, spreads it on thick.

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Another busy week with plenty to talk about so we’ve enlisted one of the best talkers we know to sit in the Rob Long Chair® for this week’s show: Commentary Magazine Editor (and GLoP podcast co-host) John Podhoretz. Our guest is Nicholas Eberstadt, who piece “Our Miserable 21st Century” in the latest issue of Commentary is a must read. Also, a critique of Trump’s first State of The Union address from two former White House speechwriters, John opines about the latest rash of anti-Semitic incidents, and was La La Land robbed? A Ricochet Podcast investigation.

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This week, we mix up the line-up with Conservatarian guest hosts Jon Gabriel and Stephen Miller. They’re joined by author Tom Nichols (his new book The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters is a must read) and our old pal James Delingpole who lets loose about Milo and CPAC in the way only he can. Also, weird goings on in North Korea and next stop, Trappist-1.

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This week, our pal and former colleague Mollie Hemingway sits in and fortuitously, there’s a ton of media stories to discuss, starting with the President’s epic press conference. Later, NewsMax CEO and Presidential BFF Chris Ruddy joins to give us his insider POV of the machinations of White House staff. Then another old colleague, author and musician James Poulos stops by to discuss why he’s intent on making Tocqueville great again with his new book The Art of Being Free: How Alexis de Tocqueville Can Save Us from Ourselves. Also, some thoughts on the Deep State, a phrase that has suddenly come back into the zeitgeist.

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The hard part about producing a podcast these days is finding topics to discuss. In the era of Trump, not much happens. Well, we struggle to carry on with our guests John Yoo on the trials and tribulations of Trump’s executive order and Judge Gorsuch, and El Rush Bro himself, David Limbaugh on the President’s first two weeks (wait — it’s only been two weeks?) Also, Elizabeth Warren gets sent to her room and a hearty Ricochet Podcast Mazel Tov to Ricochet members @1967mustangman and @VicrylContessa on the occasion of their engagement. We wish them a smart and civil marriage with little or no need for moderators.

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When we want measured, calm commentary on the current political climate on the right, we always turn to the weirdest Democrat we know — our old pal Mickey Kaus. He helps us navigate Trump’s phone calls, the mysterious Steve Bannon, the wall, and assorted other unique aspects of the first weeks of the Trump administration. Then, Hoover’s Adam J. White joins to help us analyze Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s SCOTUS nominee. Finally, a few thoughts on 1934-ism and yes, Super Bowl picks!

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We’re down two men this week (Rob Long is still making TV great again and Peter Robinson is on sick leave), but the show must go on with our extremely capable guests hosts Larry Kudlow and Jon Gabriel. We talk media freakout, trade wars, walls, and with our guest Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent James Rosen, covering the Trump Administration, Tweeting Presidents, and his fantastic book, A Torch Kept Lit by William F. Buckley, Jr. Also, we remember Mary Tyler Moore and Mike Connors.

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To mark this historical day, we’ve assembled a panel that we think reflects all sides of the new Trump administration — a mashup of the Ricochet Podcast and Need To Know with Charen and Nordlinger with a dash of Victor Davis Hanson thrown in for flavoring. It’s a bracing conversation that really gets into the weeds on the election and what may lie ahead.

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Light news week, not much to talk about. Let’s see, we’ve got Troy Senik sitting in for Rob Long. We’ve got The Washington Examiner’s Byron York guiding guys through the confirmation hearings, Trump’s battles with the media. We’ve got some marriage advice for Ricochet member @Josh. And we’ve got Lileks on sentient machines and Apple’s descent into irrelevancy. Ho hum.

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First show of 2017, people. This week, we’ve got Powerline’s Steve Hayward sitting in for the TV-making Rob Long, we’ve got Russians hacking, we’ve got Republicans repealing, we’ve got Lileks segueing, and we’ve got Avik Roy ACA-plaining. Really, what more could you want? OPhm, right — yep, we’ve got some Ricochet Member Feed posts too, and a little tribute to Carrie and Debbie. Thanks for everything, ladies.

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