KawFee Haus: Recent Episodes
Jack Shafer
What sort of future do you want? This book empowers you to join what may be the most important conversation of our time. It doesn’t shy away from the full range of viewpoints or from the most controversial issues—from superintelligence to meaning, consciousness and the ultimate physical limits on life in the cosmos.
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A Wall Street cartel has quietly seized control of the American economy, and they are forcing governments and businesses to bow down to their political agenda—using your money to do it.
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The American Founders believed that a republic depends on certain masculine virtues. Senator Josh Hawley thinks they were right. In a bold new book, he calls on American men to stand up and embrace their God-given responsibility as husbands, fathers, and citizens.
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We take a look at Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie.
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Salman Rushdie holds the literary world in awe with a jaw-dropping catalog of critically acclaimed novels that have made him one of the world’s most celebrated authors. Winner of the prestigious Booker of Bookers, Midnight’s Children tells the story of Saleem Sinai, born on the stroke of India’s independence.
Artificial “machine” intelligence is playing an ever-greater role in our society. We are already using cruise control in our cars, automatic checkout at the drugstore, and are unable to live without our smartphones. The discussion around AI is polarized; people think either machines will solve all problems for everyone, or they will lead us down a dark, dystopian path into total human irrelevance. Regardless of what you believe, the idea that we might bring forth intelligent creation can be intrinsically frightening. But what if our greatest role as humans so far is that of creators?
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A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel’s hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions—a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time.
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The Bed of Procrustes, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, takes its title from Greek mythology: the story of a man who made his visitors fit his bed to perfection by either stretching them or cutting their limbs. It represents Taleb’s view of modern civilization’s hubristic side effects—modifying humans to satisfy technology, blaming reality for not fitting economic models, inventing diseases to sell drugs, defining intelligence as what can be tested in a classroom, and convincing people that employment is not slavery.
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Ecce Homo is an autobiography like no other. Deliberately provocative, Nietzsche subverts the conventions of the genre and pushes his philosophical positions to combative extremes, constructing a genius-hero whose life is a chronicle of incessant self-overcoming. Written in 1888, a few weeks before his descent into madness, the book passes under review all of Nietzsche’s previous works so that we, his “posthumous”readers, can finally understand him, on his own terms. He reaches final reckonings with his many enemies, including Richard Wagner, German nationalism, “modern men” in general, and above all Christianity, proclaiming himself the Antichrist. Ecce Homo is the summation of an extraordinary philosophical career, a last great testament to Nietzsche’s will.
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We take a look at the first book of The Bible, The Book of Genesis, covering creation of the world and promises to the Israelites.
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We take a look at Please Stop Helping Us by Jason L. Riley.
In Please Stop Helping Us, Jason L. Riley examines how well-intentioned welfare programs are in fact holding Black Americans back. Minimum-wage laws may lift earnings for people who are already employed, but they price a disproportionate number of Blacks out of the labor force. Affirmative action in higher education is intended to address past discrimination, but the result is fewer Black college graduates than would otherwise exist. And so it goes with everything from soft-on-crime laws, which make Black neighborhoods more dangerous, to policies that limit school choice out of a mistaken belief that charter schools and voucher programs harm the traditional public schools that most low-income students attend.
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Dave Chappelle invited titan Elon Musk up on stage in San Francisco and the reaction was unexpected anywhere except San Francisco. The Notorious SBF is finally arrested to ensure he can evade Congressional questioning. And the Cambridge Dictionary changes the definition of the word woman.
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We take a look at Emma by Jane Austen.
Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively comedy of manners among her characters.Before she began the novel, Austen wrote, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” In the first sentence she introduces the title character as “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich.” Emma is spoiled, headstrong, and self-satisfied; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people’s lives; and her imagination and perceptions often lead her astray.
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Covering the news for the week of December 6, 2022. Canada has a perverse incentive to kill its citizens, Elon Musk releases the Twitter Files, and ChatGPT is the next step in conversational AI.
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This is the second part of our look at The Tyranny of Big Tech by Josh Hawley.
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Covering the news for the week of November 22, 2022. Balenciaga debuts a new questionable advertisement, Elon Musk cleans house at Twitter, and a lady storms a Mayan Temple.
There are several important stories for this week including the collapse of FTX, protests in Iran, and Dave Chappelle on Saturday Night Live.
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We take a look at The Tyranny of Big Tech by Josh Hawley. This is Part 1.
Decades of unchecked data collection have given Big Tech more targeted control over Americans’ daily lives than any company or government in the world. In The Tyranny of Big Tech, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri argues that these mega-corporations—controlled by the robber barons of the modern era—are the gravest threat to American liberty in decades.
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We take a look at the infamous Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky.
First published in 1971 and written in the midst of radical political developments whose direction Alinsky was one of the first to question, this volume exhibits his style at its best. Like Thomas Paine before him, Alinsky was able to combine, both in his person and his writing, the intensity of political engagement with an absolute insistence on rational political discourse and adherence to the American democratic tradition.
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We take a look at the new horror/thriller False Positive and the Guillermo Del Toro show Cabinet of Curiosities.
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Kanye West made some discriminatory remarks on Twitter and has been roundly condemned.
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We take a look at A Conflict of Visions by Thomas Sowell.
Controversies in politics arise from many sources, but the conflicts that endure for generations or centuries show a remarkably consistent pattern. In this classic work, Thomas Sowell analyzes this pattern. He describes the two competing visions that shape our debates about the nature of reason, justice, equality, and power: the "constrained" vision, which sees human nature as unchanging and selfish, and the "unconstrained" vision, in which human nature is malleable and perfectible. A Conflict of Visions offers a convincing case that ethical and policy disputes circle around the disparity between both outlooks.
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We take a look at the article by Louise Perry, "I'm 30. The Sexual Revolution Shackled My Generation."
Read the article Here
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We take a look at Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson and the new drama on Hulu The Bear.
The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
Carmen Berzatto, a brilliant young chef from the fine-dining world is forced to return home to run his family sandwich shop - the Original Beef of Chicagoland - after a heartbreaking death in his family.
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We take a look at Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.
In a Pulitzer Prize-winning book, the author dismantles racially based theories of human history by revealing the environmental factors he feels are responsible for history's broadest patterns. Reissue.
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We take a look at For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.
In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from “the good fight” and one of the foremost classics of war literature.
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This is the second part of our look at San Fransicko by Michael Shellenberger.
Michael Shellenberger has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for thirty years. During that time, he advocated for the decriminalization of drugs, affordable housing, and alternatives to jail and prison. But as homeless encampments spread, and overdose deaths skyrocketed, Shellenberger decided to take a closer look at the problem.
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We take a look at San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities by Michael Shellenberger
Progressives claimed they knew how to solve homelessness, inequality, and crime. But in cities they control, progressives made those problems worse.
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A new Biden policy seeks to forgive thousands in student loans for many borrowers, and do nothing for borrowers who paid theirs off. This will have long term economic and other consequences.
Steve Jobs on Education
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Sam Harris has been a prominent public intellectual since the days of New Atheism. In the Trump Era, however, he has struggled to maintain any semblance of objectivity or intellectual rigor. Harris recently appeared on the Triggernometry podcast.
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We take a look at Red Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win. That the Chinese government seeks to infiltrate American institutions is hardly surprising. What is wholly new, however, are the number of American elites who are eager to help the Chinese dictatorship in its quest for global hegemony. Once Upon a Vampire
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Twitter has announced a new Civic Integrity policy in time for the upcoming midterm elections.
This is the final part of our look at Hostages No More by Betsy DeVos.
Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.
Once Upon a Vampire
Or Aspiring Authors Volume 1
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We take a look at Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This is number 70 in the top 100 greatest works of literature.
The story of Victor Frankenstein's terrible creation and the havoc it caused has enthralled generations of readers and inspired countless writers of horror and suspense. Considering the gothic novel's enduring success, it is remarkable that it began merely as a whim of Lord Byron's.
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The second part of our look at Hostages No More by Betsy DeVos.
Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.
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This is our discussion of Hostages No More by Betsy DeVos (Part 1).
Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.
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We take a look at Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child by Betsy DeVos.
Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.
Once Upon a Vampire
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We take a look at topics in the declining quality of education.
Next Five Books: San Fransicko - Pol Frankenstein - Fiction Churchill: A Life - Bio Genesis - Arch A Conflict of Visions - Acad
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We take a look at The Archaeology of Mind by Jaak Panksepp. This is Part 4.
What makes us happy? What makes us sad? How do we come to feel a sense of enthusiasm? What fills us with lust, anger, fear, or tenderness? Traditional behavioral and cognitive neuroscience have yet to provide satisfactory answers. The Archaeology of Mind presents an affective neuroscience approach - which takes into consideration basic mental processes, brain functions, and emotional behaviors that all mammals share - to locate the neural mechanisms of emotional expression. It reveals - for the first time - the deep neural sources of our values and basic emotional feelings.
Once Upon a Vampire
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Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were seminal works of an activist Supreme Court that have impacted American culture for nearly five decades. In a recent decision, the Supreme Court has voted to overturn both.
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We take a look at The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche.
One of Nietzsche’s earliest works, The Birth of Tragedy (1872) is a remarkable source of inspiration. It is here that the philosopher expresses his frustration with the contemporary world and urges man to embrace Dionysian energy once more. He refutes European culture since the time of Socrates, arguing that it is one-sidedly Apollonian and prevents man from living in optimistic harmony with the sufferings of life.
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We discuss the new Top Gun: Maverick movie.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
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We take a look at Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline. This is #71 on our 100 Greatest Works of Literature of all time list.
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This is our discussion of War on the West by Douglas Murray.
In The War on the West, Douglas Murray shows how many well-meaning people have been fooled by hypocritical and inconsistent anti-West rhetoric. After all, if we must discard the ideas of Kant, Hume, and Mill for their opinions on race, shouldn’t we discard Marx, whose work is peppered with racial slurs and anti-Semitism? Embers of racism remain to be stamped out in America, but what about the raging racist inferno in the Middle East and Asia?
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We take a look at War on the West by Douglas Murray.
It is now in vogue to celebrate non-Western cultures and disparage Western ones. Some of this is a much-needed reckoning, but much of it fatally undermines the very things that created the greatest, most humane civilization in the world.
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We take a look at The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
From British illustrator, artist, and author Charlie Mackesy comes a journey for all ages that explores life’s universal lessons, featuring 100 color and black-and-white drawings.
Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf.
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We take a look at Amazon Unbound by Brad Stone.
Almost 10 years ago, Bloomberg journalist Brad Stone captured the rise of Amazon in his best seller The Everything Store. Since then, Amazon has expanded exponentially, inventing novel products like Alexa and disrupting countless industries, while its workforce has quintupled in size and its valuation has soared to nearly two trillion dollars. It’s almost impossible to go a day without encountering the impact of Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, between services like Whole Foods, Prime Video, and Amazon’s cloud computing unit, AWS, plus Bezos’ ownership of The Washington Post. We live in a world run, supplied, and controlled by Amazon and its iconoclast founder.
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A draft opinion by the Supreme Court has been leaked that will overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
We discuss the leak, the decision, and the civilization altering implications.
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We do a review of the books and other episodes of the podcast from the early days.
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There has been a significant shift in how Disney and Pixar movies tell stories. Special thanks to the Youtube channel that helped to crystallize a number of these ideas. I will shout out explicitly once I remember what it was. Once Upon a Vampire kawfeehaus@protonmail.com
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This is the Comments episode for April 2022.
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We discuss the first part of The Archaeology of Mind by Jaak Panksepp.
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We take a look at the new Pixar movie "Turning Red".
Meet Mei Lee, a teenager who poofs into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.
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We take a look at The Archaeology of Mind: The Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions by Jaak Panksepp.
What makes us happy? What makes us sad? How do we come to feel a sense of enthusiasm? What fills us with lust, anger, fear, or tenderness? Traditional behavioral and cognitive neuroscience have yet to provide satisfactory answers. The Archaeology of Mind presents an affective neuroscience approach―which takes into consideration basic mental processes, brain functions, and emotional behaviors that all mammals share―to locate the neural mechanisms of emotional expression. It reveals―for the first time―the deep neural sources of our values and basic emotional feelings.
Once Upon a Vampire
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We take a look at two books about the financial apocalypse. The first book is 13 Bankers by Simon Johnson and James Kwak. The second book is Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis. 13 Bankers In spite of its key role in creating the ruinous financial crisis of 2008, the American banking industry has grown bigger, more profitable, and more resistant to regulation than ever. Anchored by six megabanks whose assets amount to more than 60 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, this oligarchy proved it could first hold the global economy hostage and then use its political muscle to fight off meaningful reform. 13 Bankers brilliantly charts the rise to power of the financial sector and forcefully argues that we must break up the big banks if we want to avoid future financial catastrophes. Liar's Poker The time was the 1980s. The place was Wall Street. The game was called Liar’s Poker. Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street’s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. Once Upon a Vampire kawfeehaus@protonmail.com
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We take a look at a couple of movies in the horror genre.
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We take a look at The Oresteia by Aeschylus.
In the Oresteia Aeschylus addressed the bloody chain of murder and revenge within the royal family of Argos. As they move from darkness to light, from rage to self-governance, from primitive ritual to civilized institution, their spirit of struggle and regeneration becomes an everlasting song of celebration. In Agamemnon, a king's decision to sacrifice his daughter and turn the tide of war inflicts lasting damage on his family, culminating in a terrible act of retribution; The Libation Bearers deals with the aftermath of Clytemnestra's regicide, as her son Orestes sets out to avenge his father's death; and in The Eumenides, Orestes is tormented by supernatural powers that can never be appeased. Forming an elegant and subtle discourse on the emergence of Athenian democracy out of a period of chaos and destruction, The Oresteia is a compelling tragedy of the tensions between our obligations to our families and the laws that bind us together as a society.
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This is our second part of the series on The Archaeology of Mind by Jaak Panksepp.
What makes us happy? What makes us sad? How do we come to feel a sense of enthusiasm? What fills us with lust, anger, fear, or tenderness? Traditional behavioral and cognitive neuroscience have yet to provide satisfactory answers. The Archaeology of Mind presents an affective neuroscience approach―which takes into consideration basic mental processes, brain functions, and emotional behaviors that all mammals share―to locate the neural mechanisms of emotional expression. It reveals―for the first time―the deep neural sources of our values and basic emotional feelings.
Once Upon a Vampire
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We discuss The Batman, the most recent version of The Dark Knight, and Encanto, a recent Disney production.
When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city's hidden corruption and question his family's involvement.
Once Upon a Vampire
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We take a look at The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
Sun-tzu's Art of War is almost certainly the most famous study of strategy ever written. This treatise has been credited with influencing some of the most legendary military operations. Beyond the battlefield, people far and wide have long turned to Art of War for advice on how to succeed in various competitive situations, and companies around the world now make this book required reading for their executives.
Once Upon a Vampire
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We take a look at The Archaeology of Mind by Jaak Panksepp as part of the Jordan Peterson Reading List.
What makes us happy? What makes us sad? How do we come to feel a sense of enthusiasm? What fills us with lust, anger, fear, or tenderness? Traditional behavioral and cognitive neuroscience have yet to provide satisfactory answers. The Archaeology of Mind presents an affective neuroscience approach―which takes into consideration basic mental processes, brain functions, and emotional behaviors that all mammals share―to locate the neural mechanisms of emotional expression. It reveals―for the first time―the deep neural sources of our values and basic emotional feelings.
Once Upon A Vampire
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We take a look at the new Apple + movie The Tragedy of Macbeth by Joel Coen. The Tragedy of Macbeth is a 2021 American historical thriller film written and directed by Joel Coen and based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. It is the first film directed by one of the Coen brothers without the other's involvement. The film stars Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand (who also produced the film), Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Kathryn Hunter, and Brendan Gleeson. kawfeehaus@protonmail.com
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This is the first book being released as part of KawFee Haus Presents. It is a deep dive into the cold and scary world of amateur novels and their attendant psyches.
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We take a look at The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
This powerful book is Didion’ s attempt to make sense of the “weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had about death, about illness ... about marriage and children and memory ... about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself.
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This is our discussion episode of Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson.
Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Isaacson’s portrait touched millions of readers.
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This is the second part of our look at Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson.
Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Isaacson’s portrait touched millions of readers.
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We take a look at Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson.
Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Isaacson’s portrait touched millions of readers.
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This is our follow up discussion episode about Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.
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We take a look at the biography Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance.
In the spirit of Steve Jobs and Moneyball, Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley's most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs--a real-life Tony Stark--and a fascinating exploration of the renewal of American invention and its new "makers."
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We read a lot of books this year. Some were definitive, some indispensable, some detrimental to our advancement as a species. In this episode we take a look at the 5 best books we read in 2021.
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We take a look at Hate Inc. by Matt Taibbi.
In this characteristically turbocharged new book, celebrated Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi provides an insider's guide to the variety of ways today's mainstream media tells us lies. Part tirade, part confessional, it reveals that what most people think of as "the news" is, in fact, a twisted wing of the entertainment business.
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We take a look at The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas are Killing Common Sense by Gad Saad. There's a war against truth... and if we don't win it, intellectual freedom will be a casualty. The West’s commitment to freedom, reason, and true liberalism has never been more seriously threatened than it is today by the stifling forces of political correctness. Dr. Gad Saad, the host of the enormously popular YouTube show THE SAAD TRUTH, exposes the bad ideas—what he calls “idea pathogens”—that are killing common sense and rational debate. Incubated in our universities and spread through the tyranny of political correctness, these ideas are endangering our most basic freedoms—including freedom of thought and speech.
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We take a look at Denis Villeneuve's new movie, Dune, based on the book by Frank Herbert. Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.
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We take a look at My Intentions by Nikola Tesla.
The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla.
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We take a look at And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks by Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs.
In the summer of 1944, a shocking murder rocked the fledgling Beats. William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, both still unknown, we inspired by the crime to collaborate on a novel, a hard-boiled tale of bohemian New York during World War II, full of drugs and art, obsession and brutality, with scenes and characters drawn from their own lives. Finally published after more than sixty years, this is a captivating read, and incomparable literary artifact, and a window into the lives and art of two of the twentieth century’s most influential writers.
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We take a look at Divided We Fall by David French.
"An engaging mix of cutting edge research and fair-minded analysis, Divided We Fall is an unblinking look at the true dimensions and dangers of this widening ideological gap, and what could happen if we don't take steps toward bridging it. French reveals chilling, plausible scenarios of how the United States could fracture into regions that will not only weaken the country but destabilize the world."
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We take a look at Based on a True Story by Norm Macdonald.
As this book's title suggests, Norm Macdonald tells the story of his life - more or less - from his origins on a farm in the-back-of-beyond Canada and an epically disastrous appearance on Star Search to his account of auditioning for Lorne Michaels and his memorable run as the anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live - until he was fired because a corporate executive didn't think he was funny.
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We take a look at American Marxism by Mark Levin.
In American Marxism, Levin explains how the core elements of Marxist ideology are now pervasive in American society and culture—from our schools, the press, and corporations, to Hollywood, the Democratic Party, and the Biden presidency—and how it is often cloaked in deceptive labels like “progressivism,” “democratic socialism,” “social activism,” and more. With his characteristic trenchant analysis, Levin digs into the psychology and tactics of these movements, the widespread brainwashing of students, the anti-American purposes of Critical Race Theory and the Green New Deal, and the escalation of repression and censorship to silence opposing voices and enforce conformity. Levin exposes many of the institutions, intellectuals, scholars, and activists who are leading this revolution, and provides us with some answers and ideas on how to confront them.
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This is our discussion of Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield.
At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.
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We take a look at Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield.
Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces. Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history—one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale. . . .
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You had some things to say on the YouTube channel and I respond.
We are currently reading Gates of Fire and will follow that with American Marxism by Mark Levin.
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We take a look at books we’ve discussed from the beginning of the podcast.
This episode:
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Metamorphoses by Ovid
DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Strassman
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
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We take a look at Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki―son of a giant―blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
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We take a look at Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki―son of a giant―blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
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This is our discussion about Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds by Michael Knowles.
You can no longer keep your social media account—or your job—and acknowledge truths such as: Washington, Jefferson, and Columbus were great men. Schools and libraries should not coach children in sexual deviance. Men don’t have uteruses.
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We take a look at Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds by Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire.
You can no longer keep your social media account—or your job—and acknowledge truths such as: Washington, Jefferson, and Columbus were great men. Schools and libraries should not coach children in sexual deviance. Men don’t have uteruses.
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We take a look at The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal -- a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.
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We discuss the new Pixar movie "Luca".
On the Italian Riviera, an unlikely but strong friendship grows between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human.
We take a look at an essay called "It is Obscene" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
"In certain young people today like these two from my writing workshop, I notice what I find increasingly troubling: a cold-blooded grasping, a hunger to take and take and take, but never give; a massive sense of entitlement; an inability to show gratitude; an ease with dishonesty and pretension and selfishness that is couched in the language of self-care; an expectation always to be helped and rewarded no matter whether deserving or not; language that is slick and sleek but with little emotional intelligence; an astonishing level of self-absorption; an unrealistic expectation of puritanism from others; an over-inflated sense of ability, or of talent where there is any at all; an inability to apologize, truly and fully, without justifications; a passionate performance of virtue that is well executed in the public space of Twitter but not in the intimate space of friendship."
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We take a look at The Big Short by Michael Lewis.
The real story of the crash began in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn't shine and the SEC doesn't dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can't pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren't talking.
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We take a look at Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray. This is #74 on the 100 Best Books of All Time List.
On this memorial day, we are reflecting on the one Just War in world history and a less discussed but important event.
After a consequential turn in the African Theatre the Allies turn their sights to mainland Europe while the Germans try to juggle sometime allies and waning enthusiasm in Italy.
Thank you to everyone who listened to this episode and those who served and truly serve this country.
We have our discussion about Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell.
Discrimination and Disparities gathers a wide array of empirical evidence to challenge the idea that different economic outcomes can be explained by any one factor, be it discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. This revised and enlarged edition also analyzes the human consequences of the prevailing social vision of these disparities and the policies based on that vision--from educational disasters to widespread crime and violence.
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We take a look at Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell.
Discrimination and Disparities gathers a wide array of empirical evidence to challenge the idea that different economic outcomes can be explained by any one factor, be it discrimination, exploitation, or genetics. This revised and enlarged edition also analyzes the human consequences of the prevailing social vision of these disparities and the policies based on that vision--from educational disasters to widespread crime and violence.
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We have our discussion about Poetics and Rhetoric by Aristotle.
In the Poetics, his near-contemporary account of classical Greek tragedy, Aristotle examine the dramatic elements of plot, character, language and spectacle that combine to produce pity and fear in the audience, and asks why we derive pleasure from this apparently painful process. Taking examples from the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, the Poetics introduced into literary criticism such central concepts as mimesis ('imitation'), hamartia ('error') and katharsis, which have informed serious thinking about drama ever since. Aristotle explains how the most effective tragedies rely on complication and resolution, recognition and reversals, while centring on chaaracerts of heroic stature, idealised yet true to life. One of the most perceptive and influential works of criticism in Western literary history, the Poetics has informed serious thinking about drama ever since.
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We take a look at Poetics and Rhetoric by Aristotle.
In the Poetics, his near-contemporary account of classical Greek tragedy, Aristotle examine the dramatic elements of plot, character, language and spectacle that combine to produce pity and fear in the audience, and asks why we derive pleasure from this apparently painful process. Taking examples from the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, the Poetics introduced into literary criticism such central concepts as mimesis ('imitation'), hamartia ('error') and katharsis, which have informed serious thinking about drama ever since. Aristotle explains how the most effective tragedies rely on complication and resolution, recognition and reversals, while centring on chaaracerts of heroic stature, idealised yet true to life. One of the most perceptive and influential works of criticism in Western literary history, the Poetics has informed serious thinking about drama ever since.
"It is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences." ARISTOTLE'S RHETORIC is an ancient Greek treatise on the art of persuasion, dating from the 4th century BC. Aristotle is generally credited with developing the basics of the system of rhetoric that "thereafter served as its touchstone", influencing the development of rhetorical theory from ancient through modern times. The Rhetoric is regarded by most rhetoricians as "the most important single work on persuasion ever written."
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We have a follow up discussion about Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Fooled by Randomness is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are The Black Swan, Antifragile, Skin in the Game, and The Bed of Procrustes.
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We take a look at Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Fooled by Randomness is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are The Black Swan, Antifragile, Skin in the Game, and The Bed of Procrustes.
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We have a discussion about When Harry Became Sally by Ryan T. Anderson.
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We take a look at When Harry Became Sally by Ryan T. Anderson.
When Harry Became Sally provides thoughtful answers to questions arising from our transgender moment. Drawing on the best insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy, Ryan Anderson offers a nuanced view of human embodiment, a balanced approach to public policy on gender identity, and a sober assessment of the human costs of getting human nature wrong.
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We take a look at Propaganda by Edward Bernays.
Next up: When Harry Became Sally
“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”—Edward Bernays
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We take a look at Propaganda by Edward Bernays.
His 1928 bombshell Propaganda lays out his eerily prescient vision for using propaganda to regiment the collective mind in a variety of areas, including government, politics, art, science and education. To read this book today is to frightfully comprehend what our contemporary institutions of government and business have become in regards to organized manipulation of the masses.
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This is the second part of our discussion of 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.
What does the nervous system of the lowly lobster have to tell us about standing up straight (with our shoulders back) and about success in life? Why did ancient Egyptians worship the capacity to pay careful attention as the highest of gods? What dreadful paths do people tread when they become resentful, arrogant and vengeful? Dr. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world's wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 Rules for Life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers.
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We take a look at 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.
Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.
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Glenn Greenwald wrote an article on Substack about establishment media trying to censor independent journalists.
Link to the Article
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This is our discussion about the first six rules in 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson.
What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.
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We take a look at 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson.
Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.
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We take a look at The Thirty Tyrants, an article by Lee Smith that was published on February 3, 2021. The article discusses the unsettling alliance between China and American elites decades in the making.
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We discuss The Anti-Mary Exposed by Carrie Gress PhD.
In the late ’60s, a small group of elite American women convinced an overwhelming majority of the country that destroying the most fundamental of relationships—that of mother and child—was necessary for women to have productive and happy lives.
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In this episode we take a look at The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture from Toxic Femininity by Carrie Gress.
In the late ’60s, a small group of elite American women convinced an overwhelming majority of the country that destroying the most fundamental of relationships—that of mother and child—was necessary for women to have productive and happy lives.
From the spoiling of this relationship followed the decay of the entire family, and almost overnight, our once pro-life culture became pro-lifestyle, embracing everything that felt good. Sixty million abortions later, women aren’t showing signs of health, happiness, and fulfillment. Increased numbers of divorce, depression, anxiety, sexually transmitted disease, and drug abuse all point to the reality that women aren’t happier, just more medicated.
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This is our discussion about Apocalypse Never by Michael Shellenberger.
Despite decades of news media attention, many remain ignorant of basic facts. Carbon emissions peaked and have been declining in most developed nations for over a decade. Deaths from extreme weather, even in poor nations, declined 80 percent over the last four decades. And the risk of Earth warming to very high temperatures is increasingly unlikely thanks to slowing population growth and abundant natural gas.
NASA on climate consensus
Forbes article challenging consensus statistics
COMING UP NEXT: MODERN TIMES BY PAUL JOHNSON
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We take a look at Apocalypse Never by Michael Shellenberger.
Michael Shellenberger has been fighting for a greener planet for decades. He helped save the world’s last unprotected redwoods. He co-created the predecessor to today’s Green New Deal. And he led a successful effort by climate scientists and activists to keep nuclear plants operating, preventing a spike of emissions.
But in 2019, as some claimed “billions of people are going to die,” contributing to rising anxiety, including among adolescents, Shellenberger decided that, as a lifelong environmental activist, leading energy expert, and father of a teenage daughter, he needed to speak out to separate science from fiction.
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We have our discussion about Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks.
The New York Times bestselling author says America is being ripped apart by bitterness and contempt, fomented by public bullies and self-interested leaders--but following the plan in this book, we can fight back to reunite the nation around principles of respect, kindness, and dignity.
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We take a look at Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks.
In Love Your Enemies, the New York Times bestselling author and social scientist Arthur C. Brooks shows that abuse and outrage are not the right formula for lasting success. Brooks blends cutting-edge behavioral research, ancient wisdom, and a decade of experience of experience leading one of America’s top policy think tanks in a work that offers a better way to lead based on bridging divides and mending relationships.
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We read the book and now we're discussing A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
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We take a look at A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, the first book in A Song of Ice and Fire.
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
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We watch eight Christmas episodes and judge based on five categories:
- Gifts 2. Santa 3. Decorations 4. Food 5. Song
Music Credits:
Silent Night - E's Jammy Jams
Away In A Manger - Audionautix
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies - Kevin MacLeod
Christmas Village - Aaron Kenny
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This is our discussion of Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. The previous episode covers the contents of the book.
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Link to the Review in The Guardian
We take a look at Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. This is the Ben Shapiro Reading List.
From a former marine and Yale Law School graduate, a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class.
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In this episode we have a discussion about the book we just read, Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
New York Times Article
Wall Street Journal Article
Scientific American Article
Blog about Antifragile
We take a look at Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Just as human bones get stronger when subjected to stress and tension, and rumors or riots intensify when someone tries to repress them, many things in life benefit from stress, disorder, volatility, and turmoil. What Taleb has identified and calls “antifragile” is that category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it in order to survive and flourish.
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Read my amateur fiction analysis
We watched the new Netflix movie Hillbilly Elegy with Glenn Close and Amy Adams.
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Podcast Link
Lockdowns. Quarantines. Muzzles. Thanksgiving Cancelled. Election interference. A battered populace.
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We take a look at The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang. This is the Jordan Peterson Reading List.
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In December 1937, one of the most horrific atrocities in the long annals of wartime barbarity occurred. The Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking (what was then the capital of China), and within weeks, more than 300,000 Chinese civilians and soldiers were systematically raped, tortured, and murdered.
We take a look at The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell. This is the Ben Shapiro Reading List.
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This is not a comforting book -- it is a book about disturbing issues that are urgently important today and enduringly critical for the future. It rejects both "merit" and historical redress as principles for guiding public policy. It shows how "peace" movements have led to war and to needless casualties in those wars. It argues that "equality" is neither right nor wrong, but meaningless. (Description)
We take a look at The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud. This is the Jordan Peterson Reading List.
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Final counts for the 2020 Election are underway and there is a tremendous amount of information and misinformation. What exactly is "evidence"?
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A Modest Proposal
Technical analysis of vulnerabilities
Antrim County, MI
Oakland County, MI
PA, MI, WI, GA Glitches
Switched and Lost Votes by State
We take a look at The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor, the first book I didn't actually finish.
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The article I reference in the episode
It is Election Day 2020 and a good time to discuss where America should be going.
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Steven Pinker wants you to know that identity politics might be bad, but voting for Trump is worse because of reasons.
View the source article here.
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We watched all of The Nightmare on Elm Street movies (almost).
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We take a look at The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker. This is the Jordan Peterson Reading List.
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Discussing Hunter and Joe Biden, emails, hiking and Apple Cider Donuts.
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Episode Notes:
I broadly discussed the implications of the emails but there are distinctions between emails reflecting alleged meetings involving representatives of Burisma, Chinese oligarchs and Russian financiers.
While the Biden campaign has not openly denied the validity of the emails, Biden could deny any meeting took place notwithstanding whatever is implied in the emails.
Apple Cider Donuts are delicious.
We take a look at Ordinary Men by Christopher R. Browning about Nazi Battalion 101 operating in Poland.
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The book on Amazon
Off the cuff ramblings about the Vice Presidential debate, the state of the Media, movies, and Donuts.
Episode Clarifications:
Regal has indicated they are closing all theaters, not AMC.
The evidence of Hillary Clinton's involvement is still relatively ambiguous. While her campaign is alleged to have financed the discredited Steele Dossier and new evidence suggests she might have been involved in furthering the Russiagate attack on the incoming Trump Administration, this is in no way a settled question and requires more evidence. Allegations that Clinton "orchestrated" the Russia Narrative are currently overblown.
A Black Lives Matter cofounder openly admitted in an interview to be a "trained Marxist," i.e., trained in disruption and agitation for political purposes.
Nicolas Winding Refn is apparently working in television.
Abigail Shrier wrote Irreversible Damage.
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We take a look at Who Stole Feminism? by Christina Hoff Sommers. Who Stole Feminism? explores the rise of a vindictive strain of feminism in the late 80s and 90s.
Presidential Debates, Prescription Drug Prices, Proud Boys, and Mario 64
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We take a look at Gulag by Anne Applebaum. This is the Sam Harris Reading List.
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We take a look at the 2020 book Blackout by Candace Owens. This is part of the Ben Shapiro Reading List.
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This is the second part of our look at Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell.
This is the second part of our look at The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.
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We take a look at The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.
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Thank you!
FIXED UPLOAD SORRY We watched a couple of movies over the week so I thought we'd talk about them. This episode of Movie Monday on Tuesday includes Schindler's List and Twilight.
We take a look at the seminal work on Nazi Germany, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer.
We take a look at Ben Shapiro's new book How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps. This is part of the Ben Shapiro Reading List.
We take a look at Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier.
We take a look at Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais. This is #77 on the Best of Literature list.
David Dorn. Dave Patrick Underwood.
George Floyd and Tony Timpa died while in police custody.
Former DNC vice chair and chairperson, Donna Brazile, challenges the First Amendment after Twitter "fact checks" Trump's tweet.
David Lynch has a new YouTube channel and it is what you would expect from David Lynch.
We take a look Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche to begin building the bridge to Superman.
We take a look at Going Red by Ed Morrissey about Republican strategies for the 2016 Presidential election.
It's Movie Monday on Thursday. Today we are discussing the anime classic Akira and the new Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
We take a look at Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart is #80 on our 100 Best Books List.
We take a look at Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom. Superintelligence explores the dangers of the impending AI Singularity.
A couple of sci-fi or supernatural thrillers for your quarantine. In the Tall Grass and The Endless are available on Netflix.
We take a look at The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. It is #83 on the Best of Literature reading list.
Parasite is Oscar's movie of the year. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood should have a say.
We have a look at Brainwashed by Ben Shapiro. This is the first book in the Ben Shapiro Reading List.
We start the new Jordan Peterson Reading List with Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell.
We continue the Sam Harris Reading List with Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens.
John Shade Reads Aspiring Authors Volume 1
We take a look at The Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
If you love talking about literature check out John Shade Reads Aspiring Authors Vol. 1: https://www.amazon.com/John-Shade-Reads-Aspiring-Authors-ebook/dp/B07VPGGS7Q/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=john+shade+reads+aspiring+authors&qid=1579204026&sr=8-1
We revisit the books we read in 2019. Books spanned fiction, nonfiction, politics and many others.
We have a look at Good to Great by Jim Collins. Good to Great analyzes the characteristics that make companies exceptional.
We look at Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. Sapiens is a short exploration of the history of humankind.
I recorded then deleted an impeachment episode because it is a boring topic. Then I accidentally recorded another one. As always, legitimately call me out for over generalizations.
We discuss On the Road by Jack Kerouac. On the Road is #88 on the Greatest Works of Literature list.
Has Disney been a renaissance or apocalypse for the long beloved sci fi franchise? There is one correct answer.
We respond to the viral Australian Parliament video that attempted to address the "wage gap."
We are just chatting about the recent Making Sense podcast episode featuring Andrew Marantz. Sam and Andrew discuss dogwhistles and other political topics.
We take a look at Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations by Amy Chua.
We are looking at the 100 best works of literature of all time. This episode is The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
We are looking at the 100 best works of literature. This episode is The Castle by Franz Kafka. Fixed the upload.
In this episode we discuss World Order by Henry Kissinger. World Order seeks to make sense of international politics from a historical perspective.
This is the second part of a series reviewing the work of Quentin Tarantino. This episode includes films 5 through 8, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight.
An opinion article in The Independent allegedly written by a lifetime Republican who switched to Democrat because of the conduct of one D. J. Trump. I think it's a disingenuous piece of propaganda.
A YouTube personality called The Critical Drinker hated Midsommar. Despite his unbridled alcoholism, I took his position seriously and made an unassailable response.
In celebration of Tarantino's new Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood we are discussing Tarantino's first four movies: Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2.
Having a look at Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman in the Sam Harris Reading List.
Does any given film, movie, song, or knitted sweater need to properly advertise your politics? Is art supposed to be a monolithic block of regurgitated wokeness? Richard Brody reviews Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood.
A book that doesn't waste time or precious resources trying to be objective, How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt looks at the fall of Democracies around the world and applies it to the American experiment.
A movie called "The Hunt" about liberals hunting Trump supporters has been pulled. Should controversial "art" be censored voluntarily or otherwise?
A discussion of Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac, #91 on the greatest works of literature list. It explores a trio of characters in France just after the fall of Napoleon and the Bourbon Restoration.
I'm aware of the '80s movie motif of the show, which contributes to the use of cliches that make sense in the context. They still undermine storytelling in general.
A review of An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, the absolutely terrible novel I read recently.
Continuing with the 186 books on the Sam Harris Reading List on Goodreads. This is #Republic by Cass Sunstein talking about the effect of social media on the political behavior of modern Americans.
The narrative shifted completely with the "crisis" rhetoric. Remember when there was an "emergency" because of the incessant stream of border breachers?
What is "evil"? Is it some impenetrable cancerous category of human behavior that we must excise? Or is it understandable and quantifiable? This is the question asked and answered by Simon Baron Cohen in The Science of Evil on the Sam Harris Reading List.
Talking about the second crop of X-Men movies from some X-Men movie to later X-Men movies.
A conservative journalist was assaulted by Antifa in the once Great Northwest. The lack of response and victim blaming on the left has been deafening.
In muted anticipation of the new, probably terrible X-Men: Dark Phoenix I rewatched the X-Men filmography. It has the good, the bad, the great, and the painfully horrendous.
Daisy Ridley is starring in a remix of a play called "Hamlet" by one William Shakespeare. Her movie is called "Ophelia." That alone seems like a pretty significant edit, but is this art or subsidized positive feelies?
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez cares about media coverage, not facts or internal consistency. And we taxpayers subsidize this to the tune of $174,000 per year.
President Trump wants to ship illegal immigrants en masse into "sanctuary cities." Many Democrats are none too pleased.
A YouTuber, Computing Forever, went from Christian to Atheist to Christian. He provides the "reasons" for said reconversion.
Discussing the next book on the Sam Harris Reading List, Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. It explores the patterns of irrationality to illuminate why we do what we do.
My French pronunciation is abhorrent. The Four Horsemen, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Daniel Dennett released a book version of a conversation they had and someone in The Guardian was none too happy.
Having a look at a new book by Timothy P. Carney called Alienated America trying to make sense of the Trump era and what is ailing American communities.
Against Empathy by Paul Bloom on the Sam Harris Reading List argues that Empathy is overrated as a guide to moral conclusions.
It has been too long and there are too many valid explanations for the earnings disparity between men and women in the United States. It is simply used as propaganda now, not a genuine search for redress of injustice.
William Lane Craig was on Ben Shapiro's show The Ben Shapiro Show. They talked about many things but a couple frustrated me to no end so I had to respond somewhere.
Breaking the Spell by Daniel Dennett sought to answer the question of whether something like religion was vulnerable to scientific inquiry.
Sorry, said Sir Jora, or Dora the Explora, but meant the other guy who wanted Dany and couldn't have it
I had a number of problems with the penultimate culmination of everything Game of Thrones is. Why can't people just be good writers?
The Stranger by Albert Camus is about fluffy stuffed animals and sunshine and other happy things.
Was the corporeal Jesus actually resurrected 2000 years ago? Can we trust the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible? Find out next on The Last Coffee House.
This study looks at the political divisions of Americans and tries to find more accurate ways to describe the tribes of America. I will be taking the quiz in the next episode to determine where I fit. The study is available online here: https://hiddentribes.us/download-report
The creator of minecraft and nouveau riche Notch has said some controversial things on social media (my gorge rises at that term now). In game references to him have been removed by Microsoft, purchasers of the rights to the game, and speculation is that it was because of those tweets.
The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt explores how good people are divided by politics and religion through a social psychology prism.
Quentin Tarantino hired a bunch of whites for his new movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Reading the 100 greatest works of literature of all time. This is ranked #92, The Complete Stories of Ernest Hemingway.
Thoroughly enjoyable short read, Leaf Storm by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It is a collection of short stories in the magical realism style and a precursor to his massively praised 100 Years of Solitude.
Not a super exciting year for the Oscars. I wish we could just celebrate quality filmmaking.
Jussie Smollett is an actor from the show Empire. He claimed that he suffered an attack on January 29, 2019, wherein some dedicated racist homophobe Empire fans tracked him down and perpetrated a hate crime.
We are reading the books on the Sam Harris Reading List on Goodreads. This is #9, The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston was criticized by Richard Wright and lauded by Oprah. It was published in 1937.
The Covington Catholic kids have made the rounds in the news as symbols of white supremacy, initially, then media dishonesty and ineptitude. An SNL Writer offers a solution.
An exploration and review of Dead Center by Jason Altmire, Congressman from Pennsylvania.
The best a man can get. Gillette just doesn't think men are the best. A new Ad has some suggestions.
The Good Book contains some curiously antiquated sentiments about women. Some French theologians believe this can often be attributed to a "patriarchal reading" of the word or diluted word of God. In service of modern theological feminism they are releasing their own translation.
Patreon recently deplatformed Sargon of Akkad (Carl Benjamin) for not violating Patreon Terms of Service.
Much has been made of the phenomenon of "fake news" in recent election cycles. Is it the scourge of the modern social west or another loud wail of the infant state?
Rewatching movies from childhood to see how they hold up and likely deconstructing my personality in the process.
Criminally late Thanksgiving Special watching eight episodes of Thanksgiving themed shows. This is 1-4.
I really wish politicians would resist pouncing on every bit of information in any context to support an ideological position. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 29 year old topic du jour, believes that quantifying accounting errors in dollar terms is sufficient to claim that between 1998 and 2015 the Pentagon lost $21 Trillion, which is actually more than the total budget of the Pentagon for the entire history of the country.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/38941/ocasio-cortez-gets-roasted-after-strikingly-ryan-saavedra
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/12/3/18122947/pentagon-accounting-error-medicare-for-all
50 EPISODES! THANK YOU! In this episode I am reading articles about a writer leaving the GOP, Murakami's new book, some ancillary Sam Harris stuff, Stephen Hawking's last pronouncement, the dark root of everyday phrases, why Obama voters switched to Trump, and the Kavanaugh fit.
Reading the best works of literature of all time. Do they hold up? Worth reading? This episode is number 93 on the list, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
Criminally late Halloween Special watching all 8 Friday the 13th movies. This is Friday the 13th 1 to 4. Next will be 5 to 8. Math.
Categories (eventually):
Protagonist (most capable/likable)
Costumes (look good/make sense)
Moment (funny/awesome/stupid)
Kill Count (confirmed killer kills)
Kill (crazy/creative/memorable)
The 8th book in the Sam Harris Reading List. In Cold Blood is a "nonfiction novel" written by Truman Capote and one of the great American works of all time.
In the wake of the release of Eminem's Kamikaze, I read an article recommending some new rap/hip hop albums. Here are thoughts.
William Butler Yeats is one of the most widely lauded poets in history. His complete poems come in at #94 on the greatest works of all time.
Protesters flooded Washington, D.C. to air their grievances regarding the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh via pithy cardboard sign.
Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the highest court in the land and, just as the confirmation seemed all but certain, some serious and some strange allegations were levied against. I try to provide a level analysis of the claims.
Written by Paul Berman in 2003, Terror and Liberalism explores the place of liberalism in a post 9/11 world.
Eminem dropped Kamikaze this past week and the blogosphere is ripe with cries of heresy for daring to exhibit wrongthink and wrongspeech. Should this be the basis for all art criticism? Film has widely careened into that sphere, is music and the rest of competition to follow?
Article Referenced: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-eminem-s-surprise-album-kamikaze-is-an-epic-fail-1139101
The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu depicts the various social and romantic shenanigans presumably common in the Heian (peace) period of Japan. Ahead of its time in many ways; simultaneously of its time in many others.
This episode is a stuffed bear who doesn't like to wear pants versus a criminal syndicate.
Going through a full movie bracket to find the best Disney or Pixar movie of all time. This episode is an effete * versus an amphibian entrepreneur.
A major controversial work in its time, Hannah Arendt sought to record and understand the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Israel, notorious contributor and alleged architect of the Final Solution.
Canada attempted a trial run of basic income for citizens under a certain income threshold.
Some fun stuff: this episode is a puppy posse battling Joseph Gordon Levitt, a blob thing, and a crab spider pirate sailor thing.
Reading the best works of literature (including plays and poetry). This episode is Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles, number 97 of the best 100.
I totally misrepresented the idea of "skyhooks" and "cranes." Apologies to the peanut gallery.
This is Darwin's Dangerous Idea by Daniel Dennett in Dover with a Dolphin.
Spain has attempted to clear up the ambiguity in consent between adults by enacting a new law in the wake of protests related to an incident that occurred during Pamplona. The point here is less about this particular issue and more about deciding what we can know and not know.
Looking for the best Disney/Pixar movie of all time! This episode is Memento up against some vigilante superheroes.
Reading the best works of literature of all time. This episode is Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev.
Some minor editorial discussion about whether civility is preferable/necessary/optional in the Donald Trump era.
Sam Harris has a reading list on Goodreads. It is 186 books long and I wanted to read them all but also make something out of them. This is DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Rick Strassman.
Looking for the best Disney/Pixar movie of all time! This episode is a robot vs a dopey, ineffective non protagonist.
See the bracket here: http://thefurybegins.com/full-disney-bracket/ Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-last-coffee-house/id1368869944?mt=2 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeeChatLCH/ Email: thelastcoffeehouse@gmail.com
Reading the best works of literature of all time. This episode is Metamorphoses by Ovid.
Some lighter stuff: this is a full Disney and Pixar Bracket trying to find the best Disney/Pixar movie ever. This episode is a bunch of elitist nonsense that puts Tiffany to sleep and a ginger archer looking for a bear.
Exploring the controversy around the actress Kelly Marie Tran's reasons for leaving social media and the current status of Star Wars in the zeitgeist.
Examining the controversy surrounding the departure from Twitter of actress Kelly Marie Tran, who played Rose Tico in Star Wars Episode VIII.
Sorry for the rough audio in the beginning. Not sure what happened.
This is the 2nd book in the Sam Harris Reading List Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
Reading the best works of literature of all time based on a list that compiled 140 best of lists.
Some lighter stuff: this is a full Disney and Pixar Bracket trying to find the best Disney/Pixar movie ever. This episode is the story of some popsicles and a delusional puppy.
Sam Harris and Ezra Klein collided in podcast form on the topic of race and IQ and the work of Charles Murray. Chatting about it and applying a new epistemological methodology. *I stated the podcast title was "The Best Podcast Ever", which was wrong, it is actually "Identity & Honesty." Not sure how I mixed that one up.
Some lighter stuff: This is a full Disney and Pixar Bracket trying to find the best Disney/Pixar movie ever. This episode is the story of toys, Toy Story, going up against the multi-colored hat donning bow wielding vigilante Robin Hood.
Sam Harris has a reading list on Goodreads. It is 186 books long and I wanted to read them all but also make something out of them. The first book is "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins.
Discussing the merits of "March for Our Lives" in response to the Parkland school shooting.