Normal Men

Prof. Liz Sepper joins us to talk state of play on reproductive rights (remember those?), we do the needful on Graham Platner, and the Trump Administration prepares to Thanos SNAP. add'l reading:   Hospital system outcomes in Texas: https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-rates-dallas-houston George's coffee table: https://bittersoutherner.com/magazine

The incomparable Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social) joins us to talk administrative burden, No Kings gets people in the streets, and there are hijinks in Argentina. Chapters: 0:00 Intro & College Athletics System 7:22 Podcast Welcome & Admin Burden 25:02 Psychological Costs & Policy Intent 34:51 Medicaid Work Requirements Impact 46:39 AI in Government Services: Promise & Peril 1:0...

On the joys of travel, Chinese tariffs and mineral access, and appropriate appropriations. Chapters: 0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends 10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact 16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading 31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals 42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs 59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts 1:09:30 Tech: Immor...

A Normal Man returns to take us through the unpleasantness in Portland, we break down the shutdown, and sans George the video game freaks get digital. Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Portlandia Ad 2:59 Portland Occupation & Absurdity 13:43 Legal Status of Portland Occupation 22:39 Fox News & Media Critique 25:38 Oregon Political Unity & ICE 32:47 Government Shutdown in DC 41:44 Shutdown Imp...

With special guest Eva Cantor (@machete.gay on Bluesky).  George talks us through some real economic growth, Propter breaks down pre-snap federal shutdown reads, Eva talks us through a whole lot of violent extremism, and the gun touchers geek out. Chapters: 0:00 Intro, Eric Adams, and Podcast Setup 12:24 Economic Growth and Tariffs 25:58 Government Shutdown and Politics 45:36 Cheer Wine and Glonzo...

Lowtax gives us a report on South Florida and the Very Specific Type of Guy (hint: Jeremy Shockey jersey) that lives there now (0:00-3:15). This week’s main event is Jimmy Kimmel, and the Men review MAGA’s effort to bring everyone who doesn’t salute Charlie Kirk at every opportunity to heel (3:15-32:45). Tom Homan secures the (Cava) bag before a check in on Trump Administration approvals and energ...

Chapters: 0:00 Cheerwine & Boston Baked Beans 9:34 Normal Men Intro & News Preview 11:34 Charlie Kirk Assassination Discussion 22:09 Federal Reserve: Lisa Cook Update 32:13 Hyundai Workers & Korea Diplomacy 41:17 Ed Becomes a Cyborg: Eye Surgery 53:22 George's MLS Team Sets Record 1:03:56 The Joys of Sports Fandom Chapters: 0:00 Cheerwine & Boston Baked Beans 9:34 Normal Men Intro...

The Normal Men are back and covering it all this week. To start (0:00-17:30) we check in on the fighting game community before Soda Chat and learnings about the weird stuff they’re drinking up in Maine. George and Propter reminisce about A&W and the gang laughs at grocery stores. Next up, Elon’s unhealthy obsession with fertility and race, as well as some discussion of the very real shifts in...

Join the Normal Men for a break in the midst of Labor Day weekend for some college football chat and a victory lap celebrating Lowtax’s beloved Florida State University Seminoles (0:00-12:00). Next we talk Senate primaries and Senior Maine Correspondent Ed explains why Maine is actually a very large state, George commemorates one of our strongest Representatives, and the Men talk through the doome...

Kick back with your heavily caffeinated beverage of choice as the boys dive into the world of canned stimulants (0:00 to 20:00). This week we’ve got Musicology Duck on to share some of her experiences from the streets of DC amidst a federal occupation of the nation’s capital (20:00 to 1:03:00). We also dive into President Trump’s efforts to take control of interest rates by an attempt to remove Go...

The Men start this week talking about our fears, including heights, creepy-crawlies, and amoebas (from 0:00-5:40). Then: we’re going to Swift School this week as the Normal Men get up to speed on Taylor Swift and why we should pay more attention to her career (from 6:00-43:00). Then it’s time to chat about the large number of federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops who have desc...

This week your Normal Men are taking a trip to the UK for a garden party, which gives us the opportunity to discuss one of the most important - and impotent - thinkers on the Silicon Valley right. We’re also putting a Danish spin on things this week with an unfortunate story about what they’re doing in zoos over there. Finally, we chat at length about GLP-1s and the peptide revolution, including o...

The Normal Men are thrilled to welcome Layla al-Sheikh, a Palestinian scholar and activist, to help us understand the political roots of the genocide in Gaza and the path forward towards a Palestinian state. Then we get to talk about the nitty-gritty of the US labor market’s statistical system after some significant developments. Also on the menu: Disco Elysium, a defense of Oracle, and discussion...

This week the boys dive deep into food delivery and the political, economic, and technological forces that drive it…and the discourse around it. We’re also lucky to be joined by Josie Riesman, the author of the definitive book on wrestling promoter Vince McMahon. She helps us understand the role that Hulk Hogan specifically and wrestling played in shaping our politics and culture. You can follow h...

The Normal Men discuss the toxic effects on democracy and growth of high income inequality and the means of maintaining it (including crypto). Also on the docket: more Epstein and Glonzo discussion and regretfully a review of why New York politicians are being so weird. Chapters: 0:00 Intro: Quebec Militia & Normalcy 3:00 Economic Equality and Growth 12:30 Concentrated Wealth and Political Pow...

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE is back with a new recurring segment! The Men are also joined by one of their Normal friends to talk about the unhinged world of Texas politics. Also up for discussion: MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and the world of immigration. Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Pepsi Debate 2:53 Mailbag: Politics, Football & Patriots 11:33 Mailbag: Rural Heartland Fascination 16:10 Mailbag: Barrica...

It was a pretty rough week as far as news goes so the boys focus on the lighter things in life: unhinged Twitter accounts transvestigating NFL running backs, the best mass transit system south of DC, the meaningful victories for Congressional staffs that kept bad stuff out of the Republican reconciliation bill, and the latest bonfire of Elon Musk’s vanity known as the America Party. We also have f...

The Normal Men welcome New York political observer and union activist Detective Pikajew to chat about the huge win for Zohran Mamdani in that city’s mayoral primary as well as some union business. Also: loaded words and their definitions, an extremely bad Supreme Court case, and Tillis taps out in the Old North State. Follow our guest Detective Pikajew on Bluesky @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social Chap...

We say good bye (for now) to one of the Men before welcoming a new Man in his stead. The updated quartet then gets down to business discussing the US attack on Iran, the information environment, and the best ways to use AI. For show notes, links to our socials, and a transcript of this episode, check out normalmenpodcast.com! The Normal Men are supporting Time Out Youth via a Prideraiser during Ju...

One of the Normal Men has to go on hiatus, but three soldier on to talk about a vegan on a rampage, Israel’s attack on Iran, No Kings Day protests, and the disconnect between national politics and local reaction. For every goal Charlotte FC (soccer team) scores in June, pledge a donation amount. At the end, you’ll donate the pledge amount multiplied by the goals scored. Chapters: 0:00 Vegan Tofu &...

This week, we welcome our first guest, Faine Greenwood, to talk about drones, Elon Musk and the purgatory party train that is Bluesky. Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Ukraine Drone Attack 1:55 Drone Tech & Covert Operations 5:40 Drone Terrorism & Reproducibility 11:30 Drone Costs & Cartel Use 15:50 Drone Limitations & China's Influence 20:00 Civilian Drone Uses & Protests 23:40 Musk...

This week, we talk about Elon Musk (again) and his drugs, what his missteps mean for DOGE, new news on tariffs, and the Trump Administration’s war on the legal system. Chapters: 0:00 Podcast Intro & Elon Musk's Downfall 5:00 Elon's White House Exit & Shiner 10:00 Elon's Health & Doge's Future 15:00 Joni Ernst's Impunity & Danger 20:00 Doge, Project 2025 & Bureaucracy 25:00 Doge...

This week, we talk about Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer’s limitless Jeep enthusiasm. We also get into a serious conversation about recent political violence in the United States (and why it’s bad), and discuss the finer points of the doomed-to-be-rewritten House Republican budget bill. Chapters: 0:00 Intro & Memorial Day Weekend 4:00 Wild Car Stories & Jeep Talk 21:00 The DC Shooting & Politi...

This week, we get into some of the details of the Moody’s US credit downgrade, and have updates on last week’s Supreme Court decision on the American Enemies Act. Finally, we talk about the world’s Chief Weeb for Boers, Elon Musk, and how his chatbot went floridly insane. Chapters: 0:00 Intro & US Credit Downgrade 4:50 Credit Rating: Blame & Impact 10:20 Tariffs and Trade Negotiations 20:0...

This week, George returns from Greece, Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer demands that the new Pope defend the honor of his people, we talk about some good news from North Carolina, bad news for Congressional Republicans, and discuss the newest dysfunctional alcoholic joining the second Trump Administration. Propter Malone and GOLIKEHELLMACHINE exhaust their weekly allotment of dad(bad) jokes. Chapters: 0:00...