Bald, Blind, and Buddies

John Boland and Timothy Cordes are joined by Peter Cordes this week to discuss America’s Semiquincentennial. The Buddies consider America as a meta-political idea, grounded in equality and liberty which transcends factions like political parties. Peter shares his thoughts on the First Amendment and the primary goal of the framers while Tim and John consider how successful they were. John also shar...

Ramesh Ponnuru the Editor of the National Review joins John Boland and Tim Cordes to address democrats and socialism, to the race to the moral bottom, and January 6. Ramesh and the Buddies review issues raised by vice-presidents, namely J.D. Vance’s change of heart and Dick Cheney’s inability to relinquish his principled stance. They touch on healthcare and affordability, and Ramesh Ponnuru offers...

After highlighting the importance of fathers, John Boland and Timothy Cordes discuss the framework for ending the Iran conflict. Tim looks back to Prime Minister Neville chamberlain and the history of appeasement. He wonders about negotiating as if your adversary is a rational actor. John reviews the recent history of Iran and President Obama’s agreement to try to contain Iran’s nuclear program. J...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes dive into an article by Bret Stevens on what the Graham Platner story can tell us about morality and politics. John asserts that a politician’s efficacy is what matters most. Tim offers that a history of moral action improves one’s ability to predict future behavior. The Buddies draw distinctions between past behavior and ongoing concerns and highlight the hypocrisy...

Timothy Cordes and John Boland review the recent social media controversy over, @McJuggernuggets,  Jesse Ridgway’s announcement of a pregnancy termination because of a Down syndrome diagnosis mere weeks before fetal viability.   Tim, who is blind, and a parent of a child with Down syndrome, responds. Tim and John assert that a diagnosis does not define one’s value and we should be judged on how we...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes dive into the commencement season. The Buddies reflect on their own graduation from the University of Notre Dame. The Buddies review the Heckler’s veto, a university’s choice of speakers, and student resistance. Tim highlights Jonathan Haidt’s address to NYU that students with no self-awareness or sense of irony challenged. John highlights memorable speeches from Dav...

After discussing Brat Fest in Madison, Wisconsin, John Boland and Timothy Cordes consider mandatory national service in the military or elsewhere. Tim offers benefits from the plan. John gives statistics on how many countries have some form of compulsory national service. The Buddies debate the value of service for its own sake. Tim values the idea of building a service culture but chafes at anoth...

John Boland and Timothy (Timmy) Cordes review themes and key guests from the last season. They range from technology and artificial intelligence to insights into policing and politics. The Buddies brainstorm options for next season including ideas like multi-part series, upcoming guests, possibly more mental health topics, and other themes. ***Contest*** Submit your theme song for next season for...

Rob Rosen joins John Boland and Timothy Cordes to talk about his new book Crimes of Omission: Distorted Justice: The Media’s War on Truth. Rob uses a recent example from NPR to show how what is said is as important as what is left out and explains how his book explores this theme with critical stories over the past 2 decades. We discuss the reasons for media’s focus on something other than truth....

Timothy Cordes and John Boland discuss the concept of “right to repair.” Tim explains how the Digital Millenium Copyright Act allows companies to lock consumers into exclusive arrangements where they are beholding to the company for repairs. Consumers become licensees instead of owners. The Buddies discuss how John Deere recently settled a $99 million class action suit from farmers over this issue...

Timothy Cordes and John Boland dive into the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini story. John asserts that people’s business that does not impact their work should be theirs alone, and John bemoans our Victorian culture. The Buddies agree that Dianna Russini’s relationship could have compromised her journalistic independence, and they note the currently abysmal trust in the media. Tim offers a set of an...

After a week in which J.D. Vance told Pope Leo XIV to be “careful” with his theology, Timothy Cordes and John Boland spend time on the Vice-president.   John acknowledges that evil happens when others enable it and is frustrated with otherwise highly capable people like Vance who perform that role.   Tim notes that Vance has been committed to his ambition throughout and swapping ideologies in serv...

We first review the University of Wisconsin Board of Regent’s recent firing of their president and John explains the fundamental nature of academia We launch into understanding why we like sports and the sports we like hitting on growth, excellence, violence, and group cohesion. , John shares why he likes Baseball as a simultaneously individual and group effort. They both muse on the draw of golf....

After trivia where Tim gets a sports question right, John Boland and Timothy Cordes launch into quick hits from the news. The Buddies review the Idaho bill limiting bathroom access to one’s biological gender. John comments on the Supreme Court’s recent trend of carving out religious exemptions while the Buddies address the recent SCOTUS decision on Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy.” Tim conne...

After trivia, the buddies begin with a re-imagining of A Few Good Men with a tech executive on the stand. They review two key adverse rulings against social media companies in New Mexico and Los Angeles. John asserts the primacy of individual choice and responsibility. Tim points out that there should be a higher standard for children. Tim reviews what addiction is and whether people can be addict...

We welcome University of Notre Dame football players Frank Stams and Wes Pritchett, members of the 1988 National Championship team, to the show to reminisce and share their thoughts on Coach Lou Holtz. The two expand on Lou’s leadership, vision, attention to detail, and consistency. Wes explains how he came to appreciate Lou more as he grew into a man with his own family. He recounts Lou’s Three R...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes welcome Lauren Zelt of Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT) to Bald, Blind, and Buddies. Lauren expands on the hidden costs of lawsuit abuse highlighting staged accidents and unnecessary medical procedures as examples. She reviews state successes in beginning to address these problems. Tim and John wonder if there are ways to hold the lawyers who perpetrate...

This episode has mature topics including sexual violence. Dr. Schlesinger, a forensic psychologist and expert in criminal behavior, explains what we know, don’t know, and how we know what we do about serial killers. He reviews the role the Silence of the Lambs played in sparking interest in the topic and who is drawn to media on true crime. We speculate on why that may be. Dr. Schlesinger dispels...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes address the Ring Doorbell Super Bowl ad, privacy controversy, and fallout. The Buddies begin with NFL trivia and Tim take prides in his “dumb” home. John and Tim discussed how the Ring Doorbell ad was supposed to warm hearts, but it had a chilling effect. Tim reviews history of Ring’s troubles. John explores tradeoffs between convenience and privacy. John uses the Na...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes reflect on Valentine’s Day, lessons from Cherion Koshy, our last guest, and ease into trivia. The Buddies review Professor Susan Ostermann’s appointment to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and the objections of Catholic bishops because of her pro-abortion advocacy. The buddies discuss whether Professor Ostermann’s pub...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes welcome Cherian Koshy, author of Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making to the Bald, Blind and Buddies podcast. Cherian Koshy describes the benefits of generosity considering that “generosity is the new green juice.” The Buddies and Cherian examine the gaps between the how and why of giving and how strategies can make giving easier for those predisposed to...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes first review news from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin finally flees the fly-over fields for Columbia University. Next, The Buddies dive into College Associated Minor League (CAML) sports trivia. John and Tim reflect on the appeal of sports and the Superbowl. They examine the choice of Bad Bunny for the half-time show considering th...

This is a timely, must-listen-to episode. John Boland and Tim Cordes interview Edward Davis who was the Boston Police Commissioner during the Boston Marathon bombing and manhunt. Edward Davis describes how he saw federal and local agencies worked together towards common goals. He shares what it was like contributing to the movie Patriot’s Day and how a certain scene connects with the real events....

After touching on the College Associated Minor League (CAML) football championship, John Boland and Timothy Cordes launch into CAML football trivia. We preview upcoming guests including Ed Davis, the former Boston Police Commissioner. John marvels at the absurdity of the Buddies needing to talk about the U.S. seeking to acquire Greenland, and they compare it to a bad Hollywood plot. They review Gr...

John Boland and Timothy Cordes address the fatal shooting in Minnesota. John describes the powerful video, and they consider what threat a driver poses. The Buddies review RFK Junior’s new dietary guidelines, finding much to agree with in it. John poses a trivia question about the worst college football team of all time. John and Tim review the U.S. action in Venezuela highlighting that Nicolas Ma...