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 fraud accountable. Tim reminds us how much the fear of legal action drags on healthcare providers and indirectly raises costs.

Lauren reviews warning signs for people who need to engage legal help after an accident.

Lauren’s hero is Governor Brian Kemp who signed a lawsuit reform bill in Georgia.

Referred to:

Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT)

2025-2026 Executive Summary - Judicial Hellholes

New U.S. Chamber Study: Lawsuit System Costs Reach Over $4,200 Per Household - ILR

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs off on sweeping new limits on lawsuits | AP News

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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 common myths like serial killers are typically intelligent and shares ideas on whether rehabilitation is possible.

We discuss the challenges in trying to study this topic and consider whether people need to fear serial killers in their daily lives.

Dr. Schlesinger shares his hero, Dr. Eugene Revitch, a pioneer in understanding criminal behavior.

Referred to:

“He’s not the murderer” scene from “Seinfeld” The Masseuse (TV Episode 1993)

Psychiatric Aspects of Criminal Behavior: Collected Papers of Eugene Revitch on Amazon

Sexual Murder: Catathymic and Compulsive Homicides: Amazon

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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 Nancy Guthrie case to illustrate how somehow video doorbells retained images from a device that was supposedly “off.” Tim applauds people who are thinking about these privacy-related decisions and making their own choices about whether they can just answer the door.

John’s whack-jobs are two Supreme Court justices guilty of partisanship.

Tim highlights Sweden as his hero, for putting books back in students’ hands after realizing the catastrophe of screens in classrooms.

Referred to:

Ring’s Super Bowl ad for dog-tracking cameras stirs controversy

Ring’s privacy failures led to spying and harassment through home security cameras | Consumer Advice

Security Companies Could Give Video to Police Without Consent - Consumer Reports

Ring’s smart doorbell is a cautionary tale for China sourcing | Global Sources

Swedish schools said they didn’t need books. Pupils proved them wrong

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr | Goodreads

OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago | Tumbler Ridge school shooting | The Guardian

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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 public advocacy matters for her appointment to lead this department and whether it relates to her intellectual expertise.

Both question whether a modern university can truly be Catholic. They reflect on President Obama’s controversial visit to campus.

John’s whack-job is Pam Bondi for demonstrating “defining deviancy down” in front of Congress.

Tim’s heroes are the indispensable puppy raisers who lay the foundations for young dogs to go on to become Seeing Eye dogs.

Referred to:

Notre Dame Abortion Controversy: Catholic Bishops Speak Out Against Pro-Abortion Appointee | National Review

Tamara Kay and Susan Ostermann: How do we regain abortion rights? Take a page out of MADD’s playbook. – Chicago Tribune

Data reveal scale of China abortions

Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL into a Cultural & Economic Juggernaut

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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 give.

They consider whether some giving is better than others, if a truly selfless act exists, and if that matters.

Meanwhile, they touch on the Met Gala, electoral reform, Congress, and the University of Notre Dame.

Give this episode a listen.

Referred to:

Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision-Making: Koshy, Cherian: Amazon.com:

The Anxious Generation | Jonathan Haidt

Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing: Irwin, William: Amazon.com: Books

24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series): Amazon.com

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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 the NFL’s international aspirations.

They muse on commercials and Superbowl memories.

John’s hero is Ed Davis, former Police Commissioner of Boston. Tim’s hero is a young man who acted quickly to resolve a dangerous situation.

Along the way, John gives a lesson on Roman Numerals and The Buddies digress into the Origins of conventions around driving, salutes, and boarding a plane.

Referred to:

How Bad Bunny was chosen as the Super Bowl 60 halftime show performer - The Athletic

NFL Hoping To Win Back Conservatives With Super Bowl Performance By Spanish-Speaking Man In Dress | Babylon Bee

From Sport to Spectacle: The Evolution of the Super Bowl | Britannica

12-year-old saves mom’s life after she passed out while driving - WTMJ

Interview with Edward Davis former Police Commissioner of Boston on Apple Podcasts

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Send your predictions for how long Jennifer Mnookin will last as president of Columbia University to [email protected].

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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.

Ed Davis teaches us about the nature of policing and law enforcement and explains that “What you’re seeing on the street with ICE is not law enforcement.”

Former Commissioner Davis offers his hero, Brian O’Hara, the police chief of Minneapolis.

Referred to:

Sir Robert Peel’s Policing Principles - Law Enforcement Action Partnership

Patriots Day (2016) - IMDb

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Thanks for reading Ideas first! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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 Greenland’s strategic importance and acknowledge the damage to NATO that could result from direct military action. Tim asserts that there are distinct types of force and other ways to pursue U.S. interests in Greenland. The Buddies struggle to identify the eight wars that President Trump claims to have ended.

Tim’s whack-job, the ACT, is colluding to hide students’ poor math skills and worsening attention.

John’s hero has donated gallons of blood.

We close with the words of Dr. Martin Luthur King Jr.

Referred to:

MLK’s Nobel Acceptance Speech

The “Enhanced” ACT

new American College Test (ACT) compensates for children’s waning abilities

Donate Blood | Find a Local Blood Drive | American Red Cross

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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 Maduro was a terrible leader who helped destroy his nation’s prosperity among other things. John wonders whether the U.S. should only involve itself in actions to support its strategic interests. Tim draws contrasts between the action in Venezuela with George H.W. Bush’s intervention in Panama which involved legal charges first, collaboration with Congress and bipartisanship.

John’s whack-job rushes to defend the indefensible while Tim’s hero has organized regular people to help strangers in need.

Referred to:

Post on Code Angel and truckers

Correction: Gary Bolyer is the author of the Substack describing the truckers mentioned in the podcast, not the trucker as stated in the podcast.

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John and Tim talk with Dalia Al-Aqidi who is challenging Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s Fifth congressional district. Dalia talks about her appreciation for America, illegal immigration, and terrorism. Dalia discusses her opponent, and we demonstrate the power of civil discussion when she and John discuss the Iraq war. Dalia chimes in with her whack-job and heroes of the week.

Related to this podcast:

Dalia Al-Aqidi for Congress | Standing Together

From the humor files:

Sad: Ilhan Omar Tells Brother It is Time They Start Seeing Other Siblings | Babylon Bee

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