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We know you like it when the hosts get into it and we know you like it when one of them gets triggered by a certain Chief Executive. So –no spoilers!– we think you’ll enjoy the opening segment of today’s Big Show. But stick around, because we want to introduce you to two members of the media we think you ought to be aware of. First up: Alex Berenson, once a card carrying member of the elite media (the New York Times) and now a novelist who does some independent journalism on the side. His work on COVID over the past six months (available on Twitter and on his website is not to be missed. Then, meet Andrew Beaton, who covers sports for the Wall Street Journal. His no nonsense reporting on COVID and sports and the impact of the social justice movement is not to be missed. But that’s not all: we’ve got a new Lileks Post of The Week, courtesy of @DoctorRobert (it’s about oboes). Finally, we lost a great one this week. Well, those of us who were aware of him did. Guess which one of our podcasters is not really aware of the contributions to the culture Edward Van Halen left us?
Music from this week’s show: Dance The Night Away by Van Halen
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Quick, download it before @blueyeti fixes anything! :-)
They didn’t just use the “ditto” MACHINE in “Fast Times At Ridgemont High,” that one teacher’s nickname was actually “Ditto.” Because that was his whole class and method of teaching, apparently. The other teachers got upset because he would monopolize the machine.
And then he died in the middle of a class period, of heart attack or something, and nobody noticed maybe for hours…
I havent listened yet, but I know it was Rob Long who had no idea about Van Halen, as obviously Peter has all their records…
Editor Note:
How about waiting at least a few hours after the podcast is released before giving this away?Oh man, that was something. Since “Monty Python’s Life Of Brian” pretty much broke me for laughing at anything else less ridiculous ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slSb72vwaBc ), I can’t think of anything that actually made me laugh out loud (LOL) until [redacted for spoiler] guessed that Van Halen was ABBA!
“Do the work”???
I’m out
Rob screams at us rather than trying to persuade us. Physician, heal thyself.
Is that how James cuts Rob’s hair?
(Former congressman James Traficant said that he used a weed-whacker until it was later revealed to be a toupee.)
Come on, nobody is going to be surprised about THAT part.
First episode I’ve listened to in a long time that was hard to listen to.
That Tommy John segue was brilliant, @jameslileks.
This is not for elbow surgery?
@blueyeti Did you consider song of the week to be Jump?
Not that Tommy John. THAT Tommy John thought about suing but changed his mind because the underwear guy’s first and middle names are Tommy John.
As for the Oboe post: Get Woke, Go Baroque.
A René Girard reference? @kirkianwanderer, are you listening? (It’s about 70 minutes in.)
Like the music and the flub at the end.
He’s right, you know? I mean, if anyone were laying money on it, it would all go where it should have.
So bad. It’s an interesting subject, though.
I felt @jameslileks opening this morning when I went outside and breathed deeply the warm, fall, manure-hues like maple leaves covering my yard. Probably the closest I’ll get to the Cow Barn at the much-missed State Fair. Very good podcast, gentlemen.
Not impressed with Rob’s analysis. Too much reliance on “polls,” and as they say–garbage in, garbage out. Is Rob suggesting that we would be better off right now if Hillary Clinton had been elected president four years ago? I’m not sure on what his views are … and I suspect Rob isn’t clear on his own views either.
Luckily, he’ll be voting in a blue state.
I doubt he’ll vote at all. Lots of talk, little substance. Any time he is challenged on the substance, he raises his voice instead of making actual cogent arguments. Again, not impressed with Rob. Thought he (like many others) saw the light after 2016. Has been backsliding since July.
Rob’s argument seems to amount to “you have to make stupid people smart!” Yeah, good luck with that.
Either that or “you have to make arguments for smart things, that stupid people will understand, and that they’ll like better than the other side promising them rainbows and unicorns and everything is free!” Good luck with that, too.
What took you so long? Rob’s been saying this at least once a year since at least 2012. The normal state of the nation is 49-49* on most things, big or small. The requirement to get anything lasting done or undone is somewhere north of 60%. This gap problem’s solved in a liberal democracy by Rob’s suggested method (make the argument, choose candidates who can make the argument). Or…both sides can stamp their feet, fervently support honor-challenged imbeciles whose only real ability is to say they “fight” for them, and dream dreams of ramming a murky, incoherent, but preferred, course of action down everyone else’s throat. Ugly and pointless, but where we currently seem to be–in spades.
There’s a non-zero chance this is a Maynard G. Krebs misquote meant as a joke. If so pardon the sermon.
*Probably more like 29-29-39 (Leave me alone, I’m busy)-2 (I just don’t know, I just don’t know)-1 (say what now?). It’s arguable that the country was designed for the sensible 39% and that it’s a pretty good experimental design.
It was . . . pervasive, wasn’t it? ;) I love knowing that the ag economy can make its presence known with such ease. The Cities think we’re the be-all / end-all, and the farmland laughs and sticks its funk up our noses without even trying.
The now obligatory screen shot from today’s show:
Y’know, I think Rob was the only one with a fake background.
:-)
I haven’t listened yet but how horrible are Rob’s takes this week?
Never open up and look inside the bean burrito. Just eat it.
I nearly gave up when he said “do the work”. Gag me. I have no idea how this election will turn out, but like four years ago I wonder how Rob can be so hysterically sure.
But A Berenson was terrific.