Charles invites Gareth Russell to tell him all about his latest book, The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of British History at Hampton Court. Among the topics they discuss are the wives of Henry VIII, the use of séances to get one's own way, the first performances of Macbeth and Hamlet, the writing of the King James Bible, snobbery within eighteenth century chocolate production, whether Mary I was as bad as her reputation suggests, and why George III moved the monarchy to Buckingham Palace.

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

Charles introduces a new section on the show: Manatee Fact Hour. Then he invites that reprobate Kevin Williamson on for another throwback show. Presented by Prang and Company.

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

def generate_podcast_intro(episode_number, host_name, guest_name, topic):

     intro = f"On episode {episode_number} of the {host_name} Podcast, budget cuts destroy the introduction and {informal_name} talks to {guest_name} about {topic}."

     return intro

episode_number = 53

host_name = "Charles C. W. Cooke"

informal_name = "Charles"

guest_name = "Timothy B. Lee"

topic = "artificial intelligence"

podcast_intro = generate_podcast_intro(episode_number, host_name, guest_name, topic)

print(podcast_intro)

# The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 52, Charles talks to Peter Suderman about cocktails. Among the topics discussed are: What is a cocktail? When were they invented? How have they changed over time? What is the 'cocktail renaissance'? How have laws affected their production or development? And how did Peter get into this in the first place?

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

In episode 51, Charles confesses that he is genuinely morose about the end of the Jaguars season, and then talks to his colleagues about their own sporting highs and lows. For just $5/month, you can help a sad male fan.

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 50, Charles is rudely prevented from staging his radio play by the Ghost of Luther Abel. After that, he talks to Rafael A. Mangual about crime. (Here's his book.) Among the questions they discuss are why Rafael believes that the U.S. has a "decarceration problem"; whether too many Americans are in jail; whether the justice system is "racialized"; what we should do about police brutality; whether voters will punish politicians who make them less safe; and what law-and-order policymakers got wrong in the 1990s.

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 49—so called because there have been 48 others—Charles talks to Russ Roberts, the host of the EconTalk podcast and the president of Shalem College in Jerusalem. Among the topics they discuss are: What life has been like in Jerusalem since October 7; why Russ started a podcast so early; why he's less interested in economics than he used to be; how strongly he holds his views; whether individuals who do well in the free market 'deserve' it; which economic concepts are hardest to convey; why he doesn't call himself a 'libertarian'; why it's important to live 'like an artist'; and whether the West is going to make it in the long run.

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 48, Charles celebrates the Jacksonville Jaguars' 34-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans, and then talks to Steve Simpson about the core of America's system of government: the separation of powers. Among the questions discussed are: What is separation of powers? Why does it matter? Does America still have it? Can it co-exist with the modern world? Can there be such a thing as an "independent executive agency"? What is the "unitary executive doctrine"? Are we going in the right direction—or backsliding back to monarchy?

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 47, Charles tries to work out why some of the anti-Israel protests have bothered him so much, and then talks to Ruy Texeira about the current state of the Democratic Party. Among the questions asked are: Why is Texeira's new book called 'Where Have All the Democrats Gone?' when the Democrats seem to be doing fine? Why is the "shadow Democratic Party" so  strong? What is the "soul" of the Democratic Party? What did Bill Clinton get right in the 1990s?  How correct was the thesis of 'The Emerging Democratic Majority?' Is abortion hurting the Republicans? What should we draw from this year's Virginia elections? And is demography destiny after all?

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.

On episode 46, Charles talks to Dan Senor about the horrors of October 7. Among the topics discussed are: What happened? Why did it happen? Why would Hamas's apologists say it happened? Was Dan surprised that it happened? Does he worry about another Holocaust? Has he been shocked by the reaction in the United States? What will happen next? Why does Dan describe Israel's system as "genius" in his new book?

The dial-up tone in the introduction was recorded by lintphishx and is used under a CC 3.0 License.