Bald, Blind, and Buddies

John and Tim give their book recommendations to each other, and we share books recommended by our listeners. John offers his trivia answers and we both share new questions. To provide context, we review the trend of rollbacks of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at universities and companies. Then, we dissect the goals of DEI and some of the tactics which are commonly employed. We addre...

We begin by touching on Notre Dame football’s convincing win. Then, we segue into net neutrality and congestion taxes. We review predictions and worries about the Trump presidency including its impact on international affairs, immigration, the weaponization of government agencies, and the Department of Governmental Efficiency. Along the way, we visit questions like whether government can do things...

We fondly remember President Jimmy Carter, and we share events from our own holidays. We address the critical question of whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie and we find more common ground than expected. We debate our favorite holiday movies and songs. Tim calls out a college football coach who cannot seem to win or play fair. John praises heroes who open their hearts to rescue dogs. We end by t...

We touch on school violence and discuss where the focus should be in seeking solutions. We listen to feedback from a friend-of-the-show on his ideas for healthcare and the role of profit. We compare the U.S. to other countries and use those differences to suggest changes including what Tim would do in his fictional healthcare company. We highlight some of our favorite charities. For his whack-job,...

We review how the Affordable Care Act changed the healthcare landscape in the United States. We wonder if health insurance is fundamentally different from other types of insurance. John asserts that healthcare should not be “for profit,” and Tim contends that external interference with the doctor-patient relationship is part of the problem. Thus, we approach the classic question, what can the gove...

We start with Notre Dame football and then discuss the assassination of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Health Care. We welcome, Graham, from Gen Z into the Western branch of BBAB studios for a discussion of the challenges facing America. We hit on social media, lock down drills, and what democrats need to do in future elections. John’s Dispatch from America highlights the power and surprises th...

We begin with podcast highlights, an update on Australia’s social media ban for youth, and our thoughts on gratitude. We tackle our favorite holidays and Thanksgiving dishes. We answer the question, “How good is Kamala Harris’s stuffing recipe anyway?” John offers a new trivia question. We revisit coaching blunders with John’s whack-job of the week. Tim shares the story of a pilot who aims to help...

After reflecting on Daniel Jone’s departure from the New York Football Giants and Tim proposing a theory on quarterback development, we launch into Trump’s picks. Are they all serious or are they political Three Card Monty? Can you even be qualified to wrangle the federal bureaucracy? We share our thoughts on Dr. Oz, Tulsi Gabbard, and RFK Junior. John offers his trivia question. In this week’s Di...

After a brief sojourn into Seasonal Affective Disorder, we discuss laws or amendments that we would like to see enacted to improve America. Candidates include addressing gerrymandering, term limits, campaign finance, internet companies, and well-regulated militias. We agree that everyone should register for Selective Service. Vote here for your favorite proposal from the podcast. Our dispatch from...

Was the Presidential election won or lost? John posits that kitchen table issues, a frustrated working class, and democratic unpopularity sunk Vice-president Harris. Tim calls out the democrats’ condescension towards the average American.  We review the impact of abortion on the election and consider demographic shifts among voters. Tim offers an immigrant’s story for his Dispatch from America. We...

We take a break from the election hype to address the down ballot matters of import to us all. We review kitchen table issues like preferences of breakfast cereal, snacks, and meal of choice. We also hear from experts on the topic—children. A non-listener correctly answers John’s last trivia question and John offers another. We share another Dispatch from America. John shares his republican whack-...

We begin with corrections and respond to a listener comment on the difference between losing and conceding in life and elections. We then share news of interest to us in the past week and get each other’s fresh takes. Stories involve Kamala Harris, the Pope, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos as well as wars and culture wars. We share a Dispatch from America. Jerry Seinfeld is our whack-job for backtrackin...

This is a brief clip from our podcast episode View from the other side where I share why I have hope for America after this election or any election. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

As an intellectual exercise, we each offer our case to vote for the presidential candidate most opposed to our views. We talk about what gives us hope for America, regardless of the election outcome. A listener answers John’s trivia question and John offers another. Tim’s whack-job is a bad sport about sports and John praises foster parents as his heroes of the week. Referred to in this podcast: W...

We address skepticism about institutions ranging from the betting markets to FEMA. John worries that a case is being built to undermine the election results. We briefly review the history of the death penalty. We address its costs, discuss how it may impact victims’ families, and muse on whether a state should sanction the taking of citizens’ lives. We answer last week’s sporting trivia question a...

If people from the 2024 campaign spoke coherently and substantively, would it matter. We discuss our impressions of the candidates, try to deconvolute a quote from Tim Walz, and review J.D. Vance’s failure in a litmus test. We look back fondly to debates moderated by single individuals and remark on the media trying to do “fact checking.” We remember Pete Rose and mull over whether union endorseme...

Our first guest, Ben Siders provides insights into what machine intelligence is. We wonder how to use it effectively and ponder what it may be doing to us. We consider related issues of copyright and liability. We consider lawfare in the cases of Eric Adams and Donald Trump. We discuss Notre Dame football and Ben uses his computer model to predict the game. John offers a trivia question. We hear a...

We explore the appeal of tariffs which are a featured part of the Trump campaign and element of Biden administration policies, using the Chicken Tax as a case study. We review cases where tariffs might be helpful, and the danger when government tries to influence prices with tariffs and subsidies. John gives a history lesson on The Economist . A listener chimes in to answer our trivia question and...

We review the presidential debate from last Tuesday. Tim and John use football, boxing, and used car analogies to try to capture what we’ve learned. Tim tries to intuit the policies of a Harris administration from her debate content. Meanwhile, John expounds on the wisdom of picking fights with Swifties. We hear from Left, a new force in childcare. Dr. Robin DiAngelo is our whack-job of the week,...

We begin with a quick impression of the Reagan movie and biopics. Then, we review our lessons from the first 20 podcasts including three things we’ve learned from each other. This would be a great place for new listeners to start. We hear from our long-time sponsor Pro-Taste. We gush over giving homes to aging shelter dogs, and Tim is finally fed up with J.D. Vance. “Learn from yesterday. Live for...

We take a break from current events to share lists of our top three modern presidents finding more common ground than expected. Tim finds solace in the unlikely success of Harry Truman. We muse on which president we’d like to have dinner with and why. John offers another presidential trivia question and gives the answer to last week’s query. We explore the nuances of wearing a blindfold. We call o...

We discuss the democratic convention and compare it to a superhero movie. We review what VP Harris may have said and did not say. John and Tim use bus driver analogies to capture aspects of the direction of the country. John shares a new presidential trivia question for our listeners. We offer a public service announcement on the outdated practice of blindfolding. We review the whack-jobbery of pr...

First, we provide a podcast update. We are now heard in 13 countries on 3 continents. We discuss the electric car as it relates to oil production, government intervention in the market, nuclear power, and issues of practicality. Is an EV an absolute good?   Our sponsor tries to help campaigns who need a clue. John reveals his whack-job who’s done more for promoting electric vehicles than the entir...

We discuss the Governor Walz pick, review who was not chosen, and speculate on why. Was it political calculus or something worse? We discuss concerns raised about the timing of Governor Walz’s retirement from the military. Tim addresses the Kamala Harris, “I’m wearing a blue suit” YouTube clip and the associated inclusive behavior. John reaches out to the White House and reveals his answers to las...

We discuss college student debt, the universities complicity in the problem, and the return on investment of a liberal arts degree. We consider whether student debt relief is acceptable pandering or unfair wealth redistribution. This is a podcast of firsts for us. We address our first listener question, John offers a listener trivia challenge, and we introduce a new, real, sponsor. As always, we c...