John and Jim briefly review the shocking events of the day (placed in the context of the surprising events of the day before when the Democrats won effective control of the U.S. Senate.  They discuss the significance of the mob action against the Capitol as well as the short-term and long-term impacts of the threat to democracy.  They talk about the dangers posed by Trump and the virulent nationalism he represents while searching for any signs of hope.

After initiating Beth with a short quiz to see how well she understands the minds of her colleagues, the co-hosts look back at their predictions for 2020. (Who said Bernie Sanders would be the Democratic nominee for President?) They fearlessly promulgate new predictions for 2021. (Who believes the new Ambassador to the U.N. will be Time’s Person Of The Year in 2021?)  During the episode they are joined intermittently by Tom McGrath, Bill Granzo, Janine Grohar, Richard Tobin, Alex Berger, Joanna Zeiger, Nicole Wanzer-Serrano, Richard Young, Eloise Maxwell, and Nikki Brake-Sillà.

Recommendations

Beth recommended Bridgerton on Netflix.

Jim recommends The Abstainer.

John recommends reaching out to an old friend.

Peggy recommends Belgravia on Epix.

Shelly recommends The Intellectual Devotional.

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John and Jim discuss the general issues of concern about Big Tech expressed by both the Left and the Right as well as skimming over the newest antitrust litigation.  They debate at length the wisdom of repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which affords internet platforms immunity from liability for posts by users.  They also discuss the conceptual question of who really are the consumers of the services provided by Facebook, Google, and Twitter.  John pushes very strongly for enabling individuals to have data portability but that is only the beginning of his notions on the subject. To definitely be continued…

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Peggy, Shelly, and Beth bravely open the pages of their own lives to consider the twists and turns that resulted in their becoming the fascinating individuals they are today. While the topic is important and serious, the conversation is tinged with humor and warmth as the three women compare their experiences and sometimes contrast the courses that they followed to reach their current stage of life.  Among other things, they discuss how not being a parent impacted their relationships with other women and affected their dating lives. Each of them expresses, in their own way, a comfort and satisfaction with the life they have led while entertaining the listeners – and each other - with their stories.

Peggy recommends solving your own tech problems.

Shelly recommends having a virtual wine tasting.

Beth recommends the book A Man Called Ove.

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Peggy is enjoying watching both college and professional football, particularly the recent success of the Indiana Hoosiers.  But John remains skeptical about sports in general and in particular the recent comments of Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski regarding postponing the college basketball season.  Shelly is excited that she just had her eyes checked and is getting a new pair of glasses. This leads to tangents regarding Lasik surgery and Warby Parker.  John’s current obsession with Christmas cookies leads into a discussion about the bane of processed sugar, particularly for children.  Jim remembers Senator Sarbanes and his experiences working on his staff many, many years ago.

As a respite from an impending winter that offers tantalizing hope amid bleak news, these tales of Paris represent in part a yearning for lost innocence. Beth recalls her visit to Paris with her sister twenty-three years ago.  Jim remembers the food, Peg wistfully praises the champagne, Shelly enthuses about the architecture, and John thinks of Ernest Hemmingway.  These are just some of the impressions and associations that are shared during this episode.  The podcasters also share memories of visiting the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and dispel the myth of Parisian rudeness.  Beth and John talk about their efforts not to look and act like tourists. Peggy recounts the rich pastries she ate, the mysterious condom drawers she looked into, and trying to decipher menus written only in French. Shelly regales us with a tale of Parisian pickpockets.  And we all react excitedly to Peggy’s idea of meeting in Paris next Thanksgiving! Best wishes to Gayle & Chad!

Recommendations

Jim recommends watching the film Casablanca.

John recommends reading Baudelaire’s A Une Passante.

Shelly recommends a novel, Code Name: Helene & LED Christmas Lights.

Peggy recommends buying a collapsible garden hose.

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One of the questions researched is the comparison between the effectiveness of the French and German responses as referenced in this article from France. The effectiveness of the approach taken by South Korea is unquestionable but it is unclear as to which elements of the approach were most effective.

Another country which followed a similar approach to South Korea (with even better results) is Taiwan.  An interesting comparison can be made between Taiwan and New Zealand which took different but equally effective approaches as explained in The Lancet. The effectiveness of early intervention  may have been enhanced due to a mutation of the virus. 

Peg is focused on the “weirdness” of electronics (including this smart plug she loves). Shelly is focused on the difference between Curtis Hill and Kurtis Blow and her love for Rapper’s Delight by Sugar Hill Gang.

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We learn who everyone is eating with today and what is on the menu.  We learn that John and Peggy like to watch professional tennis and college basketball, but not the NBA. We consider Jim’s semi-urban lifestyle and ponder whether or not John, Peggy, and Shelly see their futures in the city or the country.  We talk about the failure of the national government in the U.S. to deal effectively with the pandemic and how things might have been handled differently. We talk about what we will miss most this year and why John hates Thanksgiving. We talk about a lot of carbs. It is a themeless pudding of topics swirled together for your listening pleasure.  And Peggy hates listening to her voice.

See all our recommendations on our website

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In response to listener demand (and by that we mean a single listener) we offer a Shelly-centric episode focused on the new frontiers of genetic experimentation.  Beth Shannon returns as a special guest to participate in the discussion as to whether or not different specific examples of genetic manipulation are either cool or creepy.  Predictably enough, a generous portion of the episode veers off toward a consideration of the relative traits of our own Redheaded League - Peggy, Shelly, and Beth.

The top of mind segment of this episode is almost exclusively about the bleakness of the upcoming holiday season because of the raging pandemic.  But Shelly introduces a number of examples of genetic experimentation and manipulation that provoke a lively and funny conversation. Among the topics that come up are people born with extra eyelashes (Elizabeth Taylor); whether or not varicose veins are like “purple worms”; people who have bones that do not break (Unbreakable); glow-in-the-dark animals; goats which produce silk; and cows that produce human breast milk. Among the information we glean from these discussions is that Beth is not only redheaded but also left-handed; Peggy and Beth think alike; Shelly knows an awful lot about the inbreeding of the Hapsburgs; John listens to many (perhaps too many) podcasts; and that all knowledge is provisional. (But some people’s ignorance is constant). Among the recommendations is Peggy’s for the Moosewood Cookbook.  Best wishes to Gayle & Craig!

Recommendations

Shelly recommends American Dirt by Janine Cummings

Peggy recommends The Moosewood Cookbook

Beth recommends The Searcher by Tana French

Jim recommends The Baroness Von Sketch Show on the iFC Channel

John recommends the recent episode of the podcast Sway with Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry Dr. Jennifer Doudna

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John is focused on the pandemic and the prospect of renewed lockdowns as cases continue to surge.  That leads into a brief discussion about the different approaches to the pandemic represented by President Trump and President-Elect Biden.  In turn that segues into a brief consideration of the transition process and how Trump’s recalcitrance is impacting upon it. Peggy’s focus is on her desire to ski once again, either downhill or cross-country.  Shelly is focused on a series of potentially serious family medical issues that have arisen in the past week or so. (And Peggy very much wants to know why she is first hearing about all of this only just now!) Jim is preoccupied by the Top Forty of the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of November 4, 1967 – a countdown topped by his all-time favorite song, To Sir With Love by Lulu.

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