Honest Offense

Tim Rosenberger is a JD/MBA student at Stanford University, where he is President of the Federalist Society. On March 9, Judge Kyle Duncan was invited to speak at Stanford Law by the Stanford Federalist Society. The title of his talk was "The Fifth Circuit in Conversation with the Supreme Court: Covid, Guns, and Twitter." Duncan was continuously interrupted and cut short by student protesters and the SLS Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In a statement, SLS Dean Jenny Martinez announced that all SLS students will take part in a mandatory half-day of training “on the topic of freedom of speech and the norms of the legal profession.”

Mo is the founder and CEO of Standard Notes, a privacy-focused note-taking app. Standard Notes features end-to-end encryption, advanced security, and unique privacy controls. Standard Notes' code is completely open-source and independently audited by leading security researchers. It is an ideal example of what an alternative to the corporate-controlled internet can be.

https://standardnotes.com

00:00 Introduction

01:00 What is Standard Notes?

9:00 How Mo got interest in privacy

22:00 What privacy means

28:00 What is encryption and why it matters

32:00 Responding to critics of encryption and privacy

39:00 Do people actually care about privacy?

45:00 Moving from privacy to security

50:00 How Standard Notes can compete with larger tech companies

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David Plastik is a photographer who worked with the biggest music acts of the 80s: Guns N Roses,  AC/DC, Aerosmith, and a ton more. David also worked closely with legendary comedian Sam Kinsion during the peak of Sam’s career.

David’ photograph site: https://erockphotos.photoshelter.com/gallery-list

David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidplastik22/?hl=en

Brother Sam: https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Sam-Short-Spectacular-Kinison/dp/0688126340/

Sam’s world hunger bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0q4o58pKwA

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Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone

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Between 1953-1987, people who lived and worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were exposed to contaminated water that’s caused death, illness, and life-altering health conditions. Senior military leaders allegedly knew of the risks and concealed knowledge of the problem. 

A recent report found that the VA  made errors on thousands of claims related to the exposure, wrongly denying veterans over $14 million in payments.

Ed Bell is the founder and senior partner of Bell Legal Group. Ed led the charge to pass the Camp Lejeune Justice Act in 2021, which allows veterans to sue the government for harm from exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Ed now works to ensure that Marines and others who were at Camp Lejeune are able to receive the compensation they are owed. 

Brian Amburgey is a retired Marine who trained at Camp Lejeune in the 1980s. He has worked with Ed to bring attention to the contaminated water issue, as is currently suing the government under the Camp Jejune Justice Act.

00:00 Introduction

1:30 How Ed got involved in the Camp Lejeune issue

7:50 How Brian got involved in advocating for Marines

13:20 How did nobody in Congress know about the issue 

18:30 The frustration of nobody listening 

21:00 Why Ed  & Brian stuck with the Camp Lejeune case despite years of no progress 

29:10 The betrayal Marines feel 

31:00 The support from Congress once they learned of the issue

38:30 Brian's medical issues and why he's suing

40:50 Problems with the VA and how to fix veteran medical care 

48:00 What steps Marines who were exposed to contaminated water should take 

50:50 Closing words  

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Bell Legal Group: https://www.belllegalgroup.com

VA information on Camp Lejeune water contamination health issues: https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/camp-lejeune-water-contamination

Camp Lejeune Justice Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2192/text 

Camp Lejeune water contamination claims total about 5,000 so far, U.S. Navy says: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/camp-lejeune-water-contamination-claims-total-about-5000-so-far-us-navy-says-2022-09-12

Veterans Were Denied $14 Million in Payments Because VA Mishandled Lejeune Water Claims: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/08/26/veterans-were-denied-14-million-payments-because-va-mishandled-lejeune-water-claims.html 

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at patreon.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone 

https://www.ericcervone.com

Stuart Brotman is a professor of Media Management and Law as well as a Professor of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee. He recently published "The First Amendment Lives On: Conversations Commemorating Hugh M. Hefner's Legacy of Enduring Free Speech and Free Press Values," which is filled with incredible discussions on the history and current state of free speech.

Professor Brotman's book: https://www.amazon.com/First-Amendment-Lives-Conversations-Commemorating/dp/0826222609/

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at patreon.com/ericcervone​​​​​​  

Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone

If you've listened to this podcast at all, you know how big a fan I am of FIRE. Until recently, FIRE stood for the "Foundation for Individual Rights in Education," but as of last week, they have expanded their mission and are now the "Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression." To me, FIRE is easily the premiere defender of free speech in America today. Nico Perrino serves as the Vice President of FIRE’s Communications department. He is also the creator and host of FIRE’s So to Speak Podcast, which takes an uncensored look at the world of free expression through personal stories and candid conversations. Nico also is Co-Director and Senior Producer of the excellent documentary “Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story,"  about the life and career of former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser. Ira led the ACLU through the aftermath of its famous Skokie case, in which the ACLU defended the Fist Amendment rights of neo-Nazis to hold a march on public streets.  

Check out FIRE's work and send them your support: https://www.thefire.org

Nico's So to Speak podcast: https://www.thefire.org/news-and-media/so-to-speak

Nico's Mighty Ira documentary: https://www.mightyira.com 

00:00 Introduction 

01:36 FIRE's rebranding and expansion beyond campus 

09:50 Gen Z's views on free speech/are Nico and I just angry old men? 

15:30 FIRE's future plans 

20:30 Defending free expression culturally as well as legally 

23:30 What it means to support speech unapologetically 

25:11 What can be done to protect free speech on social media? 

34:00 The making of Mighty Ira  

41:30 The Brooklyn Dodges and civil liberties 

44:30 Talking with a Holocaust survivor about the Skokie case 

47:00 How Ira Glasser dealt with the fallout of Skokie 

49:00 Favorite lighthearted moment in the documentary 

54:00 Ira Glasser's views on the modern ACLU  

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at patreon.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone 

https://www.ericcervone.com

In college, Patric Verrone was an editor of the renowned Harvard Lampoon. He graduated from Boston College Law School and briefly practiced law before becoming a TV writer. Early in his career, he was a monologue writer for The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He's written for Futurama (which is coming back next year!) since its first season and has served a producer and executive producer on the show. He also served a the president of the Writers Guild of America during the 2007-2008 writers strike. On top of all that he also sculpts, paints, and sells historical figurines. Patric has one of the most fascinating careers of anyone in entertainment—I could've talked to him for hours.  

Patric's figurines: verrone.com 

Watch Futurama on Hulu: hulu.com/series/futurama  

00:00 Introduction 

01:00 Funny as a kid? 

08:00 Writing for the Harvard Lampoon 

24:00 Leaving the law to work in Hollywood 

26:00 Writing for Joan Rivers 

34:30 Getting hired by Johnny Carson 

37:00 The beginning of Futurama and "the most overeducated cartoon writers in history" 

55:20 Leading the 2007 writers strike 

1:10:00 The 1960s Marx presidential figurines   

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at patreon.com/ericcervone​​​​​​

Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone

https://www.ericcervone.com

Wrestling fans know Mayor Glenn Jacobs as WWE Superstar Kane. Mayor Jacobs has been with the WWE since 1995, and since 2018 he has served as the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He is also the author of the excellent book, "Mayor Kane: My Life in Wrestling and Politics"—likely the only book in history to have chapters detailing both Austrian economics and Japanese shoot wrestling.

Mayor Kane's book: https://www.amazon.com/Mayor-Kane-Life-Wrestling-Liberty/dp/154608584X/  

Mayor Kane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Running for reelection

05:30 Fighting partisanship

08:00 Competing in Japanese shoot wrestling

11:30 The entrepreneurial genius of Vince McMahon

18:20 How Mayor Jacobs found libertarian philosophy

23:30 Philosophy vs. governing

26:30 Combating COVID mandates

29:00 DDP Yoga

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at https://honestoffense.locals.com

Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone  

https://www.ericcervone.com/

Wayne Federman is a standup comic, actor, producer, writer, comedy historian, and USC professor. He has been in about 90% of my favorite comedies: 40-Year-Old Virgin, Step Brothers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The League, Community, Always Sunny, Tough Crowd, 50 First Dates, Knocked Up, Crashing, Silicon Valley, Legally Blonde...among over one hundred other credits. And he is the author of the excellent book, "The History of Stand-Up: From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle." Wayne is also a producer on the upcoming HBO Documentary "George Carlin's American Dream," which premieres May 20.

The History of Stand-Up: https://www.amazon.com/History-Stand-Up-Mark-Twain-Chappelle/dp/B08YRP1R2G/ 

George Carlin's American Dream: https://www.hbo.com/george-carlins-american-dream

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Comedian Richard Nixon

04:00 How Wayne got into comedy

8:50 Freddie Prinze's Tonight Show appearance

15:30 Wayne's TV and movie career

17:00 How Judd Apatow found success 

18:00 The golden era of comedy movies 

22:00 When did standup start? 

26:30 Comedy's short shelf life

29:20 Friar's Club

34:15 Vaudeville's role in comedy history

45:00 Hugh Hefner's role in comedy history

48:50 Where did the classic brick wall and stool originate?

54:10 Saturday Night Live

59:00 Comedy Central's rise and (debatably) fall

1:04:00 Dane Cook and the rise of the internet

1:08:10 Louis CK and self-publishing

1:18:30 George Carlin's American Dream 

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at https://honestoffense.locals.com

Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone 

https://www.ericcervone.com/

It's easy to defend speech you agree with. But the fight for free speech truly begin when you support someone with whom you disagree. Which makes this conversation I had with professor Michael Phillips particularly significant.

Michael Phillips is a history professor at Collin College in McKinney, Texas. He spoke out about the College’s response to the pandemic on his personal social media. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), "In reference to the College’s decision to open for in-person learning in the fall of 2020, Phillips posted, '[T]hat feeling when your employer doesn’t value your health and safety.' Phillips also publicly shared a slide in which College faculty were told they could not request, require, or recommend wearing masks at the beginning of the fall 2021 term. Phillips later recommended masking in a history course covering the history of pandemics and preventative measures. Ultimately, Collin College terminated Phillips, citing his speech."

Professor Phillips is suing the college, with the help of FIRE, on the grounds that the college violated Professor Phillips' First Amendment right to free speech.  

Coverage by FIRE: https://www.thefire.org/cases/collin-community-college-district-history-professor-fired-for-talking-about-history-criticizing-the-colleges-covid-19-response/ 

Coverage in the Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/08/collin-college-free-speech-lawsuit/ 

Coverage in the Dallas Observer: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/fired-history-professor-michael-phillips-sues-collin-college-over-free-speech-violations-13560474

Support FIRE: https://thefire.org/

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Support the podcast and join the Honest Offense community at https://honestoffense.locals.com

Eric Cervone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericcervone

Eric Cervone on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericcervone 

https://www.ericcervone.com/