Lot to cover this week--are the wheels coming off finally? Again? Tarence and Tom talk ICE in Minnesota, Polymarket, Inverted Food Pyramids, and read from the Washington Post's report on internal ICE chats and the marriage of spectacle and horror (among other topics). Thank you for your continued support!
2026-01-12 22:55:55 +0000 UTC View Post
Eagles don't waste time hunting flies.
2026-01-05 23:52:36 +0000 UTC View Post
Are we running the future's software on the past's hardware? It took an Ant-A-Ant in Montreal to get at the heart of the matter. Happy New Year!
Today's Source Material: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/01/human-ancestors-emotion-history/684959/
2025-12-30 23:48:37 +0000 UTC View Post
We discuss AI's four futures using John Lanchester's latest for The London Review of Books. We share some anecdotes and japes along the way.
The article:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v47/n23/john-lanchester/king-of-cannibal-island
2025-12-22 14:55:14 +0000 UTC View Post
Tarence pops back in to discuss something called bifurcation, authenticity, and people converting to Orthodox Christianity; Aaron feeds the hogs.
2025-12-08 23:15:52 +0000 UTC View Post
Friend of the show Josh Hicks drops by to discuss the shooting of national guard members in DC, policing, military adventurism, the inner workings of running for office as a DNC candidate, and how the nerdy shit you did online 30 years ago can follow you.
2025-12-01 22:48:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Aaron and Tom discuss guys that collect things, Charlotte ICE raids, and the Trump/Mamdani tete-a-tete.
2025-11-24 22:19:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Tom broke his brain with a Salo/Gummo double feature so he and Aaron discuss the utility of depictions of graphic violence and horror both real and make believe--does it help to have a non-abstract view of the horrors visited upon people? Or does that just lead to desensitization? Also: a continuing discussion of being subject to the rentier class in America using Corbin Trent's "How To Rig A Whole Ass Economy" (link below) as the subject matter.
2025-11-17 23:19:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Tarence & Tom take the temperature on America's many organizations and consider who among them could field the strongest teams in a March Madness style sporting contest between them. We also discuss the future of the Democratic Party, whether or not AI is achieving something more remarkable than intelligence, and of course the metaphysical origins of Saint Louis University's mascot, the Billiken.
2025-11-10 22:40:17 +0000 UTC View Post
Professor Alexander Aviña sits in for Tarence today to discuss the latest round of Trump's aggressive posturing toward Venezuela. We also read and discuss Aída Chavez's latest piece from her new substack Capital & Empire (link below), and whether or not this is the first conversation ever to include mentions of both legendary Florida State Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden and Tren de Aragua.
Full Halloween Special Unlocked!
Cast & Crew (In Alphabetical Order): Dusty Clark, Dawson Combs, Cooper Gibson, David Goff, Kristyn Goff, Chris Hopkins, Joey Howard, Frank Hurricane, Alex S. Jones, Khaotic Kaylee, Mackenzie Kirker-Head, Jesse Montgomery, Joni Napier, Dorothy Page, Tarence Ray, Kris Ruderer, Tom Sexton, Raihana Utomo, Sanford Weakley, Perry Wesley, Bryan McGovern Wilson
2025-10-31 15:50:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe Full Special is now live in our Patreon shop!
2025-10-28 16:11:31 +0000 UTC View Post
Early Access to the Halloween '25 Special
Cast & Crew (In Alphabetical Order): Dusty Clark, Dawson Combs, Cooper Gibson, David Goff, Kristyn Goff, Chris Hopkins, Joey Howard, Frank Hurricane, Alex S. Jones, Khaotic Kaylee, Mackenzie Kirker-Head, Jesse Montgomery, Joni Napier, Dorothy Page, Tarence Ray, Kris Ruderer, Tom Sexton, Raihana Utomo Sanford Weakley, Perry Wesley, Bryan McGovern Wilson
2025-10-27 20:07:23 +0000 UTC View Post
Tarence is on baby watch so friend of the show Bryan Quinby of The Guys Podcast fills in with Tom to talk about the gambling apps, Taylor Sheridan, and having politicians on your show among other topics.
2025-10-27 19:51:53 +0000 UTC View Post
This week our good pal Frank Hurricane rolls in from parts unknown to deliver his hard earned wisdom on Elvis, roller coasters, the Saw franchise, and demonic possession
Please go check out Frank's music at your local record/CD store, but also go stream him on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and wherever else fine records are sold
2025-10-20 19:15:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Discussing what appears to be a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and how it might be an indication of what's going on with US politics
2025-10-13 22:38:14 +0000 UTC View Post
A long one covering a wide range of topics, everything from Taylor Swift to the U.S. bailing out Argentina, from Bari Weiss taking over CBS to the Global Sumud Flotilla, from ICE and troop invasions of U.S. cities to the government shutdown. Then we discuss a Ross Douthat op-ed in the New York Times about "postliberalism" and how the left and right just really need to understand each other better.
2025-10-06 20:51:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Revisiting Sally Denton's 1990 book "Bluegrass Conspiracy" by way of Erin Chandler's recent memoir, "Bluegrass Sons". Also discussing a number of other issues pertinent to the day.
2025-09-29 20:34:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Louisville Tenants Union reps Haley O'Shaughnessy and Josh Poe drop back in to update us on their latest efforts both locally and nationally and the challenges and opportunities with tenant organizing in the era of ICE proliferation, as well as the use of Charlie Kirk's murder as pretense to go after the left
Please consider supporting the Louisville Tenants Union here: 2025-09-22 19:14:15 +0000 UTC View Post
We'll see you all again...in Valhalla 🤓
2025-09-14 23:30:02 +0000 UTC View Post
After some lighthearted preamble, we dig into the phenomenon of RFK Jr. and the MAHA movement. Spoiler: it all comes back to the drug war
2025-09-08 20:39:22 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy Labor Day 2025
2025-09-01 19:44:29 +0000 UTC View Post
Misophonia warning for first ~5 minutes or so
Cracker Barrel, the Tallow restaurant, urban legends about soldiers and whiskey, Tennessee healthcare executives, deep south Walter White
2025-08-25 21:15:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Today we're joined by our old pal Alexander Aviña to talk about Trump's recent executive order directing the military to target foreign drug cartels. We use this to talk about the history of the drug war in Latin America and across the globe, how Trump's approach might differ from his predecessors, and how this all fits into Trump's domestic policies of taking over DC and sending $170 billion to ICE
2025-08-18 20:33:26 +0000 UTC View Post
First 23:15 minutes of this episode is heavier on banter that ventures into a non-PC territory, and it's also just irrelevant to the proceedings at hand. So skip to 23:15 if you want to get to us talking about the serious stuff, like: AI's effects on energy consumption, the latest news on Trump's tariffs, Trump deploying the National Guard to/unofficial federal takeover of Washington D.C., and the assassination of Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif
2025-08-11 21:42:29 +0000 UTC View Post
Tracing the origins of the scientific revolution. Also features Hand Maid's Tale Town. Finally a short conversation about the current state of things.
2025-08-04 20:55:44 +0000 UTC View Post
We begin this week's show with a discussion about recent geo-engineering projects, as well as Trump, South Park, and other items currently circulating in the zeitgeist. Then we pivot to an extended discussion about what's going on in Gaza and how the media and political class have begun to digest and process that. Finally, as a palette cleanser we read an article in The Atlantic from David Frum about how Trump is making socialism great (sort of)
2025-07-28 20:02:40 +0000 UTC View Post
A little low energy on this one. Sorry folks. We mostly talk about the ancient world and the origins of life.
Rest In Peace to our dear friend and comrade Lill Prosperino, who was with us all the way back at the very beginning of this show
2025-07-21 19:15:35 +0000 UTC View Post
This week we're joined by our old pal Mina Shedd to discuss weather manipulation, right-wing militias targeting weather radars, more fallout from Trump's Epstein cover-up, recent ICE and deportation news, Elmo and Grok going sicko mode, and much more. Then we read perhaps one of the best articles we've ever read on this show, about how United Healthcare needs a "rebrand" after the murder of CEO Brian Thompson. Finally, a short announcement.
Order some handmade books from Mina here: 2025-07-14 20:34:42 +0000 UTC View Post
