My Librul Dad

Nick and Dad discuss the way forward. Dad makes an announcement. And all good things…

Spring is in the air and an old man's fancy turns to thoughts of Barbecue. Dad is thinking of all the work he wants to put in to perfect his smoker, his rubs and his sauces in anticipation of Barbecue season. Nick has been to the zoo which didn't smell like fine cigars.

In follow-up, the guys take a look at how they did on their Mueller Report preconceptions and decided they're still a cat in Schrodinger's box for yet another week.

Then they discuss how coalitions are formed and how you can be pigeon holed into them without even knowing it. Nick confesses to being a Soccer Mom for a spell and Dad confesses his affection for the 1998 film Bullworth.

In current events Dad wonders if there's any upside for a Joe Biden candidacy.

Dad has been moving his fixer-upper airplane into its new hangar and remembering his lost brother, The Sky King.

In follow up, Nick notes that UBI polls better with young folks than old folks and Dad points out that everyone at the summit thinks the climb is worth it.

Then they focus on the Mueller Report which, at the time of recording had been submitted to AG Barr but not yet revealed to Congress and the American people. They make their best guesses as to what the report will find.

Dad won his work's Chili Cookoff and the prize was a Fitbit Charge 3 that he's offering as a prize to a lucky listener. Listen to the episode for rules. But then he offers advice as to what makes a winning chili recipe. His chili-making ego will be hard to deal with.

In follow-up they discuss further the ideas of a Civil Cold War and Universal Basic Income.

Then they try to compare and contrast Socialism and Capitalism. Dad maintains that an economic system can't be either good or evil but that both have their good examples and bad examples. In the end they decide there are certain aspects of society that might best be served by socialization and others that might best be left up to the markets.

Nick describes the problem with Daylight Saving Time when you've got a 2 year old. Dad urges folks to think about the sunrises on the winter and summer solstices before they disparage DST. Then Dad offers his technology enabled solution.

In follow-up Dad reports that Mark Zuckerberg posted a manifesto for his pivot to privacy as priority for facebook and Elizabeth Warren proposes busting the tech trusts. Nick reports his finding on the party affiliations of folks that depend on government assistance. He recommends the Pew Research Center's study on one hand and a Bloomberg article on the other. And Dad curses listener Joe for forwarding a sweet, sweet link to a great tool website.

The guys take a look at the current popularity of thinking we're headed for a civil war. Dad examines what our country was like back in 1860 and how war was waged. It becomes apparent pretty quickly that we don't have a situation anywhere close to the start of the original Civil War… but we might have something closer to the Cold War.

Then they take a look at a New Yorker report that Fox News is more of a political communications organization than a news organization. Was anyone surprised by this and can anything be done.

Dad and Nick discuss what makes a nerd and there are any subjects one can be passionate about that won't make you considered a nerd.

In follow-up, Dad wonders if there's any company small enough to be considered a person. He also comes out of the closet on being "Bernie-skeptical."

The subject of technology is fully explored, from Nick's earliest Koala Pad memories and Stunt Copter hijinks, to Dad's long career in the industry. But all that history brings us to today and the way our tools have become the tools of big corporataions who are targeting us with behavioral science to obsessively provide them with our innermost motivations. Are we okay with that?

Finally they discuss the President's really bad week in Vietnam.

Dad had lunch with his newly minted granddaughter, Olivia. Hello, Jude! During lunch he had to defend his redneck cred and he discusses the value of redneck roots.

In follow up - Rutger Bregman Strikes again (Tucker! You kiss the President's ass with that mouth?), the guys test their numeracy skills with Elizabeth Warren's Universal Child Care idea., Vlad's a bad boy, Dad's decided not to hold back on bad news about the Dems.

In a new feature, Architecting a Solution, the guys discuss the enormous impact money has on elections. They look at the cost of elections, where are candiates getting all that money, and what promises they have to make to get it. They follow where that money goes and Dad offers a reasonable solution that wouldn't hurt anyone but a few media moguls.

Finally, the gents turn to current events to discuss the here and and gone again Mueller report. They discuss the disproportionate response to two different stories of outrageous acts. And then they discuss another disproportionate response to two different stories of outrageous acts. In both cases one was made up and one was real - and the made up one wins. Also BERNIE!!!

Dad is climbing out of his winter hibernation as the sun is starting to return. In follow-up, the guys discuss what a really big deal the end of the INF treaty really is and how the current administration seems to be trying to bring back all the worst hits of American history. Then dad gives a lesson in basic numeracy, trying to put large numbers in an understandable context.

Then they explore the Big Idea of Universal Basic Income (UBI), the idea that a government could pay all citizens a basic wage to eliminate poverty. Dad refers us all to check out Rutger Bregman's Ted talk on the subject. This has Dad wondering how it's different from a Federal minimum wage or existing welfare. Dad also wonders what would get his sons out of the house if they were collecting a monthly check for playing Zelda.

During Current Events, Dad rants about the Luntzian term "Angel Families" and proposes the left co-opt the term to describe school shooting familes. Dad wonders how America should retaliate for the worst act of aggression against our republic since Pearl Harbor and perhaps the worst ever. Should the response be on par with Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Finally they discuss the brilliant DNC plan for their upcoming debates… and it really is pretty great.

After welcoming a new granddaughter, Dad explains why he won't be watching Super Bowl 53 or, as Dad calls it Traumatic Brain Injury Bowl 53. They take a closer look at Elizabeth Warren's Ultra-Millionaire Tax and Dad gets his numbers straight.

Dad invites Nick to explore the concept of the Debate Club Phenomenon in which pundits and pols are paid to present the case for ideas and policies that are bad for the country.

They run through Current Events including Ralph Northams very bad week, The Economy's very good week, And the abandonment of the INF treaty that helps Putin bring back the Soviet Union. And finally they welcome Cory Booker to a good sized field of Democratic candidates.

Nick is going to see the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum and Dad has a story to tell about the hang glider on display there. Dad's visit to Grandma's house left him impressed with Retirement home marketing. During follow-up Dad pushes back on Nick's assertions about minimum wage and they both enumerate the five functions of government according to the constitution. And 7-11 makes it back into the discussion.

This week they try to define the US's role in the world and Dad wonders if we want to follow Goethe's advice or if we want to engage with the world. Dad runs down a brief historic timeline of US adventurism and ends with a few questions about secrets and spies and an informed electorate. Can any democracy have a coherent foreign policy?

Finally they rundown the events of the past week. Dad thinks Mitch McConnel was hinting that the President caved in his Friday tweet. They review new additions, and departures, for the Democratic Presidential nomination including Kamala Harris