We interview Mike Sacks, who is running for Congress in NY-17; people are doing more mass shootings; Propter sounds robotic; and what is truth, really?

Mike Sacks (https://bsky.app/profile/mikesacks.bsky.social) is running for Congress in the New York's Fightin' Seventeenth: (https://bsky.app/profile/mikesacks.bsky.social/post/3lmev4vf4hc2n)

Learn more here:  https://www.mikesacksforcongress.com/

Give his campaign money here:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mike-sacks-donate

Early corvid scholarship by Mr Sacks:  https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/cb488d23-ab03-42be-994b-1fe5b2054038

An AI-generated video of a crow sledding on a frisbee:  https://www.facebook.com/reel/864322122972412

Chapters:

0:00 Podcast Intro and Guest Mike Sacks 4:50 NY-17 District and Politics 19:30 Universal Healthcare as Key Policy 24:30 Supreme Court and Structural Reform 30:30 Primary Race and Competitive Edge 45:00 District Deli and Smoked Fish 47:30 Mass Shootings and Gun Violence 55:30 Proctor's Voice and Robotics 1:02:30 AI, Crow Video, and Epistemology 1:12:30 Duke Chronicle Letter & Outro

Infant diction, Noted Underdogs Duke, birthright citizenship, c-c-c-cocaine, coffee: black. Norwegian outreach:  https://bsky.app/profile/norwayinusa.norway.no/post/3m4bcalmg7s2u

Coffee, black:  https://bsky.app/profile/bmhughes.bsky.social/post/3m6wc33skm22z

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Linguistics Lesson 4:39 Trump's Pardon & RGV Politics 12:53 College Football Playoff Explained 33:29 SCOTUS & Birthright Citizenship 50:39 Navy SEALs & Cocaine Strikes 1:00:21 FIFA Award & Global Bribery 1:04:29 Normalcy Studies & Identity 1:18:01 Outro

A Normal Man returns to take us through the unpleasantness in Portland, we break down the shutdown, and sans George the video game freaks get digital.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Portlandia Ad 2:59 Portland Occupation & Absurdity 13:43 Legal Status of Portland Occupation 22:39 Fox News & Media Critique 25:38 Oregon Political Unity & ICE 32:47 Government Shutdown in DC 41:44 Shutdown Impact & Future 50:05 What We've Been Up To 1:00:13 Outro & Yarvin Quote

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Portlandia Ad 2:59 Portland Occupation & Absurdity 13:43 Legal Status of Portland Occupation 22:39 Fox News & Media Critique 25:38 Oregon Political Unity & ICE 32:47 Government Shutdown in DC 41:44 Shutdown Impact & Future 50:05 What We've Been Up To 1:00:13 Outro & Yarvin Quote

With special guest Eva Cantor (@machete.gay on Bluesky).  George talks us through some real economic growth, Propter breaks down pre-snap federal shutdown reads, Eva talks us through a whole lot of violent extremism, and the gun touchers geek out.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro, Eric Adams, and Podcast Setup 12:24 Economic Growth and Tariffs 25:58 Government Shutdown and Politics 45:36 Cheer Wine and Glonzo 49:24 Extremism: Shooters and Motivations 1:06:35 Gun Culture and Violence Normalization 1:18:56 Positive Ideation and Metric System

Lowtax gives us a report on South Florida and the Very Specific Type of Guy (hint: Jeremy Shockey jersey) that lives there now (0:00-3:15). This week’s main event is Jimmy Kimmel, and the Men review MAGA’s effort to bring everyone who doesn’t salute Charlie Kirk at every opportunity to heel (3:15-32:45). Tom Homan secures the (Cava) bag before a check in on Trump Administration approvals and energy politics (32:45-1:06:30). We also talk about Maine (Ed is from Maine) and the quixotic politics on the margins of the lower 48 (1:06:30-1:21:15). Finally, a brief check in on the biggest embarrassment in the history of South Carolinian football and the run for his money being offered by the UNC Tarheels (1:21:15-1:27:00).

Chapters:

0:00 Cheerwine & Boston Baked Beans 9:34 Normal Men Intro & News Preview 11:34 Charlie Kirk Assassination Discussion 22:09 Federal Reserve: Lisa Cook Update 32:13 Hyundai Workers & Korea Diplomacy 41:17 Ed Becomes a Cyborg: Eye Surgery 53:22 George's MLS Team Sets Record 1:03:56 The Joys of Sports Fandom

Chapters:

0:00 Cheerwine & Boston Baked Beans 9:34 Normal Men Intro & News Preview 11:34 Charlie Kirk Assassination Discussion 22:09 Federal Reserve: Lisa Cook Update 32:13 Hyundai Workers & Korea Diplomacy 41:17 Ed Becomes a Cyborg: Eye Surgery 53:22 George's MLS Team Sets Record 1:03:56 The Joys of Sports Fandom

The Normal Men are back and covering it all this week. To start (0:00-17:30) we check in on the fighting game community before Soda Chat and learnings about the weird stuff they’re drinking up in Maine. George and Propter reminisce about A&W and the gang laughs at grocery stores. Next up, Elon’s unhealthy obsession with fertility and race, as well as some discussion of the very real shifts in global birth rates around the world (17:30-30:30). Speaker of the House Mike Johnson broke some news this week: the President is a snitch (30:30-42:45) and the all carrot no stick Republican governing theory turns its eye to Georgia manufacturing (42:45-57:30). Our government murdered 11 Venezuelans this week, and the Men discuss, followed by some conversation about movies ranging from the light-hearted to the troubling (57:30-1:19:30). 

Join the Normal Men for a break in the midst of Labor Day weekend for some college football chat and a victory lap celebrating Lowtax’s beloved Florida State University Seminoles (0:00-12:00). Next we talk Senate primaries and Senior Maine Correspondent Ed explains why Maine is actually a very large state, George commemorates one of our strongest Representatives, and the Men talk through the doomed logistics of applying tariffs to packages (12:00-42:00). Next up, it’s Glonzo time as Propter leads a discussion about the health of the President (42:00-51:00). Then it’s on to LLMs and why they’re such efficient mechanisms for cooking your brain (51:00-1:19:00). Finally a little Labor Day roundup of how each of the Men intended to spend their day off, including bachelor life, woodworking, grilling, potty training, and an anecdote about how seriously the state of Georgia takes college football (1:19:00-1:31:00).

Kick back with your heavily caffeinated beverage of choice as the boys dive into the world of canned stimulants (0:00 to 20:00). This week we’ve got Musicology Duck on to share some of her experiences from the streets of DC amidst a federal occupation of the nation’s capital (20:00 to 1:03:00). We also dive into President Trump’s efforts to take control of interest rates by an attempt to remove Governor Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors (1:03:00 to 1:32:15) before a review of a landmark election result in Iowa (1:32:15 to end).

The Men start this week talking about our fears, including heights, creepy-crawlies, and amoebas (from 0:00-5:40). Then: we’re going to Swift School this week as the Normal Men get up to speed on Taylor Swift and why we should pay more attention to her career (from 6:00-43:00). Then it’s time to chat about the large number of federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops who have descended on the nation’s capital (from 43:00-1:05:00. Finally, we are unfortunately putting a few notable Democrats on flub watch. (1:05:00 to end)

Chapters:

0:00 Unusual Fears and Water Woes 4:50 Introducing Taylor Swift 9:58 Taylor Swift's Impact and Misconceptions 19:30 Taylor Swift, Kelce, and Master Rights 33:00 Artistic Output and Political Stance 42:00 The Federal Presence in Washington D.C. 53:00 DC: Cosplay, Danger, and Deep State 1:04:00 Political Cringe: Catabu and Jeffries 1:15:00 Chris Murphy's DC Comments & Wrap-up

This week your Normal Men are taking a trip to the UK for a garden party, which gives us the opportunity to discuss one of the most important - and impotent - thinkers on the Silicon Valley right. We’re also putting a Danish spin on things this week with an unfortunate story about what they’re doing in zoos over there. Finally, we chat at length about GLP-1s and the peptide revolution, including our own Propter’s experience with two different versions of the weight loss drugs.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro Banter & Podcast Open 5:19 Danish Zoo & Scandinavian Culture 11:54 US Immigration & Urban/Rural Divide 20:34 Canadian Hockey Riots & Sports 26:36 Financial Times, Alt-Right & Yarvin 37:06 Yarvin's Tech & UK Reactionaries 46:45 Billionaires, Tech Failures & Elon Musk 56:25 GLP-1 Drugs: Introduction & Benefits 1:02:01 GLP-1: Safety & Personal Experience 1:17:42 GLP-1: Zepbound Success & Market

Chapters:

0:00 Intro Banter & Podcast Open 5:19 Danish Zoo & Scandinavian Culture 11:54 US Immigration & Urban/Rural Divide 20:34 Canadian Hockey Riots & Sports 26:36 Financial Times, Alt-Right & Yarvin 37:06 Yarvin's Tech & UK Reactionaries 46:45 Billionaires, Tech Failures & Elon Musk 56:25 GLP-1 Drugs: Introduction & Benefits 1:02:01 GLP-1: Safety & Personal Experience 1:17:42 GLP-1: Zepbound Success & Market

The Normal Men are thrilled to welcome Layla al-Sheikh, a Palestinian scholar and activist, to help us understand the political roots of the genocide in Gaza and the path forward towards a Palestinian state. Then we get to talk about the nitty-gritty of the US labor market’s statistical system after some significant developments. Also on the menu: Disco Elysium, a defense of Oracle, and discussion of two of the biggest freaks inside the Trump Administration’s impressive roster of degenerates. You can follow Layla on Bluesky @diplomatofnight.com and her work is also available at to-our-land.ghost.io.

Chapters:

0:00 Disco Elysium & Gaming Debate 8:05 Introducing Gaza & Guest Leila Al Sheikh 11:07 Palestine-Israel Conflict History 30:20 Erosion of Peace & October 7th Attacks 43:28 Gaza Genocide & Shifting US Opinion 1:05:43 International Recognition of Palestine 1:15:50 US Jobs Report & BLS Controversy 1:28:00 Outro & Random Banter

Chapters:

0:00 Disco Elysium & Gaming Debate 8:05 Introducing Gaza & Guest Leila Al Sheikh 11:07 Palestine-Israel Conflict History 30:20 Erosion of Peace & October 7th Attacks 43:28 Gaza Genocide & Shifting US Opinion 1:05:43 International Recognition of Palestine 1:15:50 US Jobs Report & BLS Controversy 1:28:00 Outro & Random Banter

The majesty and the mystery of Lane Kiffin, what on earth is up with oil, war crimes in your war crimes, and optimism in Tennessee.

Chapters:

0:00 The Boston Molasses Disaster 5:00 College Football: ACC & Lane Kiffin 22:20 Global Oil Market Dynamics 35:00 OPEC, EVs, and Geopolitical Oil Play 50:00 Oil Geopolitics: Russia, Venezuela, US 1:01:00 Trump Admin War Crimes & Fallout 1:11:00 Tennessee Special Election 1:23:50 Episode Wrap-up

This week the boys dive deep into food delivery and the political, economic, and technological forces that drive it…and the discourse around it. We’re also lucky to be joined by Josie Riesman, the author of the definitive book on wrestling promoter Vince McMahon. She helps us understand the role that Hulk Hogan specifically and wrestling played in shaping our politics and culture. You can follow her on Bluesky @josie.zone. Her work can also be found at josie.zone including Ringmaster: Vince McMahon And The Unmaking of America. Please note George’s audio sucks for this one and we’re really sorry about that but Ed has promised us the mics are in the mail.

Chapters:

0:00 Donkey Kong & Podcast Intro 4:11 Fast Food Delivery & Jason Steen 16:44 Jason Steen's Character & System 23:43 App Addiction & DoorDash Economics 39:04 Health, Cooking & Human Connection 50:14 Guest Josie Reisman: Wrestling History 1:09:47 Hulk Hogan: Controversies & Gawker 1:18:10 Guest Outro & Farewell

Chapters:

0:00 Donkey Kong & Podcast Intro 4:11 Fast Food Delivery & Jason Steen 16:44 Jason Steen's Character & System 23:43 App Addiction & DoorDash Economics 39:04 Health, Cooking & Human Connection 50:14 Guest Josie Reisman: Wrestling History 1:09:47 Hulk Hogan: Controversies & Gawker 1:18:10 Guest Outro & Farewell

The Normal Men discuss the toxic effects on democracy and growth of high income inequality and the means of maintaining it (including crypto). Also on the docket: more Epstein and Glonzo discussion and regretfully a review of why New York politicians are being so weird.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Quebec Militia & Normalcy 3:00 Economic Equality and Growth 12:30 Concentrated Wealth and Political Power 23:00 Trump, Epstein, and Political Fallout 36:00 Murdoch, Media, and "Glonzo" 47:00 NYC Mayoral Race: Mamdani vs. Machine 1:03:00 2028 Presidential Race Outlook 1:14:00 Final Predictions and Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Quebec Militia & Normalcy 3:00 Economic Equality and Growth 12:30 Concentrated Wealth and Political Power 23:00 Trump, Epstein, and Political Fallout 36:00 Murdoch, Media, and "Glonzo" 47:00 NYC Mayoral Race: Mamdani vs. Machine 1:03:00 2028 Presidential Race Outlook 1:14:00 Final Predictions and Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Quebec Militia & Normalcy 3:00 Economic Equality and Growth 12:30 Concentrated Wealth and Political Power 23:00 Trump, Epstein, and Political Fallout 36:00 Murdoch, Media, and "Glonzo" 47:00 NYC Mayoral Race: Mamdani vs. Machine 1:03:00 2028 Presidential Race Outlook 1:14:00 Final Predictions and Outro

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE is back with a new recurring segment! The Men are also joined by one of their Normal friends to talk about the unhinged world of Texas politics. Also up for discussion: MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and the world of immigration.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Pepsi Debate 2:53 Mailbag: Politics, Football & Patriots 11:33 Mailbag: Rural Heartland Fascination 16:10 Mailbag: Barricade Skills for Democracy 21:57 Texas Blue Alerts & Flash Floods 32:20 Texas Politics: Ken Paxton & Tim Dunn 43:53 Houston's Diversity & Food Scene 53:09 MacArthur Park Military & ICE 1:01:13 Glonzo Principle & Epstein Files

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Pepsi Debate 2:53 Mailbag: Politics, Football & Patriots 11:33 Mailbag: Rural Heartland Fascination 16:10 Mailbag: Barricade Skills for Democracy 21:57 Texas Blue Alerts & Flash Floods 32:20 Texas Politics: Ken Paxton & Tim Dunn 43:53 Houston's Diversity & Food Scene 53:09 MacArthur Park Military & ICE 1:01:13 Glonzo Principle & Epstein Files

It was a pretty rough week as far as news goes so the boys focus on the lighter things in life: unhinged Twitter accounts transvestigating NFL running backs, the best mass transit system south of DC, the meaningful victories for Congressional staffs that kept bad stuff out of the Republican reconciliation bill, and the latest bonfire of Elon Musk’s vanity known as the America Party. We also have full analysis of what emerged from the Senate and its brutal implications for American society.

Chapters:

0:00 Derrick Henry Transvestigation & Tackle 8:32 July 4th & Orlando MLS Hate 14:52 Florida Sports & Atlanta Traffic Woes 23:56 Good News: Bill's Blocked Provisions 35:23 Bad News: Bill's Dire Consequences 53:42 Everglades Detention Facility Horrors 1:01:13 Elon Musk's America Party & Grok

Chapters:

0:00 Derrick Henry Transvestigation & Tackle 8:32 July 4th & Orlando MLS Hate 14:52 Florida Sports & Atlanta Traffic Woes 23:56 Good News: Bill's Blocked Provisions 35:23 Bad News: Bill's Dire Consequences 53:42 Everglades Detention Facility Horrors 1:01:13 Elon Musk's America Party & Grok

The Normal Men welcome New York political observer and union activist Detective Pikajew to chat about the huge win for Zohran Mamdani in that city’s mayoral primary as well as some union business. Also: loaded words and their definitions, an extremely bad Supreme Court case, and Tillis taps out in the Old North State. Follow our guest Detective Pikajew on Bluesky @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Mamdani's NYC Win 15:36 Polling Miss & Youth Vote 23:24 Gender, Franken & Mamdani's Support 31:12 Intifada, Zionism & Gillibrand 39:00 NYC Legal Services Unionization 54:36 SCOTUS Nationwide Injunctions Ruling 1:10:12 North Carolina Senate Race 1:16:26 Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Mamdani's NYC Win 15:36 Polling Miss & Youth Vote 23:24 Gender, Franken & Mamdani's Support 31:12 Intifada, Zionism & Gillibrand 39:00 NYC Legal Services Unionization 54:36 SCOTUS Nationwide Injunctions Ruling 1:10:12 North Carolina Senate Race 1:16:26 Outro

We say good bye (for now) to one of the Men before welcoming a new Man in his stead. The updated quartet then gets down to business discussing the US attack on Iran, the information environment, and the best ways to use AI. For show notes, links to our socials, and a transcript of this episode, check out normalmenpodcast.com! The Normal Men are supporting Time Out Youth via a Prideraiser during June! For every goal Charlotte FC (soccer team) scores in June, pledge a donation amount. At the end, you'll donate the pledge amount multiplied by the goals scored. A pledge link is available at peark.es/prideraiser!

Chapters:

0:00 Intro and Co-host Banter 5:59 US Strikes on Iran 25:33 Geopolitical & Economic Impact 37:50 Glonzo and Misinformation 49:14 Fascism and Elite Acceptance 56:43 AI and Cognitive Debt 1:04:49 Outro and Plugs

One of the Normal Men has to go on hiatus, but three soldier on to talk about a vegan on a rampage, Israel’s attack on Iran, No Kings Day protests, and the disconnect between national politics and local reaction.

For every goal Charlotte FC (soccer team) scores in June, pledge a donation amount. At the end, you’ll donate the pledge amount multiplied by the goals scored.

Chapters:

0:00 Vegan Tofu & Lab-Grown Meat 5:47 Welcome & Housekeeping 8:15 Israel-Iran Hot War 30:35 US Domestic Unrest & Military 38:51 Legal Battles: National Guard & Marines 46:42 No King's Day & Army Parade 52:30 Local Police & Democracy Breakdown 59:58 Optimistic Note & Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Vegan Tofu & Lab-Grown Meat 5:47 Welcome & Housekeeping 8:15 Israel-Iran Hot War 30:35 US Domestic Unrest & Military 38:51 Legal Battles: National Guard & Marines 46:42 No King's Day & Army Parade 52:30 Local Police & Democracy Breakdown 59:58 Optimistic Note & Outro

This week, we welcome our first guest, Faine Greenwood, to talk about drones, Elon Musk and the purgatory party train that is Bluesky.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Ukraine Drone Attack 1:55 Drone Tech & Covert Operations 5:40 Drone Terrorism & Reproducibility 11:30 Drone Costs & Cartel Use 15:50 Drone Limitations & China's Influence 20:00 Civilian Drone Uses & Protests 23:40 Musk vs. Trump Feud & Fallout 36:50 Pride, Blue Sky & Alf Hogg 47:00 Blue Sky Habits & Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Ukraine Drone Attack 1:55 Drone Tech & Covert Operations 5:40 Drone Terrorism & Reproducibility 11:30 Drone Costs & Cartel Use 15:50 Drone Limitations & China's Influence 20:00 Civilian Drone Uses & Protests 23:40 Musk vs. Trump Feud & Fallout 36:50 Pride, Blue Sky & Alf Hogg 47:00 Blue Sky Habits & Outro

This week, we talk about Elon Musk (again) and his drugs, what his missteps mean for DOGE, new news on tariffs, and the Trump Administration’s war on the legal system.

Chapters:

0:00 Podcast Intro & Elon Musk's Downfall 5:00 Elon's White House Exit & Shiner 10:00 Elon's Health & Doge's Future 15:00 Joni Ernst's Impunity & Danger 20:00 Doge, Project 2025 & Bureaucracy 25:00 Doge's Internal Conflicts & Firing 28:00 Tariffs & International Trade Court 36:00 Supreme Court & Major Questions Doctrine 41:00 Trump vs. Legal Establishment 54:00 Outro & Pride Month Fundraiser

This week, we talk about Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer’s limitless Jeep enthusiasm. We also get into a serious conversation about recent political violence in the United States (and why it’s bad), and discuss the finer points of the doomed-to-be-rewritten House Republican budget bill.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Memorial Day Weekend 4:00 Wild Car Stories & Jeep Talk 21:00 The DC Shooting & Political Violence 47:00 House Reconciliation Bill: Overview 52:00 Bill Details: Tax & Social Programs 57:00 Bill Details: Energy & IRA Repeal 1:02:00 Bill Details: Immigration & Crypto 1:07:00 Anti-Growth Policy & Outro

Talking turkey, taking questions, slandering yams, and giving thanks with distinguished alumnus golikehellmachine.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Blue Sky Food Discourse 2:22 Podcast Intro & Trump's Post 6:13 Vehicle Must-Haves & Deal Breakers 12:56 Friendsgiving & Dinner Guests 19:37 Thanksgiving Music & Gravy Debate 29:53 Hosting & Turkey Debate 38:53 Dealing with Racist Uncle 46:33 Lightning Round: Sides, Pies & Trolls 57:01 Outro

This week, we get into some of the details of the Moody’s US credit downgrade, and have updates on last week’s Supreme Court decision on the American Enemies Act. Finally, we talk about the world’s Chief Weeb for Boers, Elon Musk, and how his chatbot went floridly insane.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & US Credit Downgrade 4:50 Credit Rating: Blame & Impact 10:20 Tariffs and Trade Negotiations 20:00 SCOTUS & Alien Enemies Act 25:00 Habeas Corpus & Court Dynamics 30:50 Judicial Politics & Fifth Circuit 35:00 Grok's White Genocide Glitch 40:00 Elon Musk's AI Propaganda 46:00 Elon's Retcon & Podcast Outro

This week, George returns from Greece, Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer demands that the new Pope defend the honor of his people, we talk about some good news from North Carolina, bad news for Congressional Republicans, and discuss the newest dysfunctional alcoholic joining the second Trump Administration. Propter Malone and GOLIKEHELLMACHINE exhaust their weekly allotment of dad(bad) jokes.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Pizza Debate 4:00 North Carolina Election & Gerrymandering 9:50 2026 Senate Race Outlook 20:50 Texas Senate Race Deep Dive 36:00 DC Reconciliation Bill & Budget 45:50 ICE Oversight & Ras Baraka 53:50 DC US Attorney & Trump's Influence 1:01:50 Trump's DC Parade & Abortion Access

In this episode, George joins the gang from Greece to talk about normal — and abnormal — men. We also get into what’s going on the world’s most hacked group chat software, and we close out with a brief explanation of quarterly corporate filings including what they’re saying about the economy as it stares down the barrel of tariffs.

Chapters:

0:00 Global Politics & Greek Travels 5:00 Defining the 'Normal Man' 10:00 The Manosphere's Toxic Masculinity 15:00 Beyond Abnormality: What is Normal? 20:00 Gender Performance & Bronze Age Pervert 26:00 The Telemessage Security Breach 31:00 Israel, SEC, and Data Archives 36:00 Q1 Earnings Season Overview 41:00 Apple, India, and Trade Deals

This week’s show is a bit on the lighter side. It’s spring time so we’re skies out thighs out before the boys do a round-up of the cabinet clownshows and calamities that are already defining the second Trump Administration. It’s also time for some Truck Talk given the new EV pickup company that emerged from stealth last week.

Then, finally, the most normal story of the week: Shadeur Sanders.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Inseams & Trump Admin 3:00 Pete Hegseth's Breakfast Blunders 7:30 Cabinet Misadventures: Noem, Burgum, Patel 17:30 Rubio & Econ Team's Tariff Fights 25:00 Tariff Impact & Supply Chain Woes 28:30 Sweet Trucks: EV Innovation & Future 49:00 NFL Draft: Sanders' Hubris & Fall 57:00 Jerry Jones' Woke Take & Outro

A very normal Canadian election calls for some very Normal Men to talk about it. We also catch up on all the horrible effects of DOGE (which do not include lower government spending).

Also: another update on Kilmar Ábrego García.

Chapters:

0:00 Cold Open & Episode Preview 1:30 Kilmer Abrego Garcia Case Update 10:30 Doge's Devastating USAID Cuts 19:00 Doge's Financial Failures & Musk's Pattern 25:00 Doge's Attack on Federal Agencies 39:00 Interviewing Affected Federal Workers 41:00 Canada's Election & Anti-US Sentiment 51:00 Canadian Identity & US Relations 57:00 Canadian Politics: Future Dynamics

Chapters:

0:00 Cold Open & Episode Preview 1:30 Kilmer Abrego Garcia Case Update 10:30 Doge's Devastating USAID Cuts 19:00 Doge's Financial Failures & Musk's Pattern 25:00 Doge's Attack on Federal Agencies 39:00 Interviewing Affected Federal Workers 41:00 Canada's Election & Anti-US Sentiment 51:00 Canadian Identity & US Relations 57:00 Canadian Politics: Future Dynamics

In this week’s episode of Normal Men, your very normal hosts are joined by an inspiring special guest before we talk about tariffs and bonds, because tariffs and bonds are going to continue to be big news for the foreseeable future (nobody is happy about this).

We also discuss updates in the Kilmar Ábrego García case and the effort to overturn an election to the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro and iPhone Tariffs 5:00 Tariff Policy Chaos 10:00 Bond Market Turmoil 15:00 Dollar's Decline and US Debt 26:00 Threat to American Hegemony 31:00 The Abrego Garcia Legal Battle 47:00 Economic Identity and Tariffs 59:00 North Carolina Election Crisis

Welcome to the first episode of Normal Men. George and Propter introduce the podcast and what we’re trying to do here, and are joined by Lowtax Speedrun Enjoyer (not the Lowtax you’re thinking of) and GOLIKEHELLMACHINE to discuss tariffs, the Hands Off protests, and the case of Kilmar Ábrego García.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro to Normal Men & Premise 6:45 Meet the Normal Men & Episode Topics 8:00 Tariffs: Who Pays & Why? 17:00 Trade Imbalances & Economic Impact 25:30 Tariffs, Supply Chains & Inflation 35:00 Economic Policy & Market Outlook 40:30 Nationwide 'Hands Off' Protests 54:00 The Kilmer Garcia Deportation Case 1:08:00 Lawlessness, Capacity & The Future

Chapters:

0:00 Intro to Normal Men & Premise 6:45 Meet the Normal Men & Episode Topics 8:00 Tariffs: Who Pays & Why? 17:00 Trade Imbalances & Economic Impact 25:30 Tariffs, Supply Chains & Inflation 35:00 Economic Policy & Market Outlook 40:30 Nationwide 'Hands Off' Protests 54:00 The Kilmer Garcia Deportation Case 1:08:00 Lawlessness, Capacity & The Future

Green energy and touring finances with Jael Holzman of Heatmap and Ekko Astral (@jael.bsky.social), the Epstein Files, and Peak Trump.

listen to Horse Glue by Ekko Astral here:  https://ekkoastral.bandcamp.com/album/horseglue and submit questions for mailbag here:  https://golikehellmachine.com/2025/11/16/thanksgiving-mailbag/

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Casual Food Chat 5:20 Energy Transition & Policy 16:00 Fossil Fuel Influence & Geothermal 30:00 Political Risk & Media Critique 42:30 Echo Astral & Music Life 58:30 Jeffrey Epstein Email Dump 1:26:00 Epstein's Political Impact 1:37:30 Has Trump's Era Peaked? 1:46:00 CBP in Charlotte & Outro

Normal Man Haydon (@haydonmp.bsky.social) joins us to talk about strokes and those who may have had them!  In addition to that premortem, shutdown perimortem and election postmortem.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Trump's Health & Guest 4:10 Analyzing Trump's Health Signs 15:40 Transparency, Aging, Public Office 24:20 Cognitive Tests for Presidents 35:00 Stroke Risks & Longevity Obsessions 43:30 Government Shutdown: The CR Deal 1:01:00 Shutdown Politics & Caucus Dynamics 1:15:00 House Democrats' Frustration 1:24:00 Post-Election Analysis & 2024 Outlook

Truck Talk returns with harsh words for Stellantis, SNAP impact discussion (human edition not macro edition), and just-in-time election previews (at 43:50).

please help some people out at: https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/teams/7634

Chapters:

0:00 Jeep Wrangler & Stellantis Woes 5:00 EV Range & Hybrid Benefits 10:00 ICE vs EV: The Value Argument 27:10 Normal Men Intro & Feeding America 30:00 SNAP Funding Cliff & Consequences 40:00 Political Blame & Election Forecasts 44:30 Virginia & New Jersey Governor Races 55:00 New York City Mayor & Betting 1:05:00 Final Thoughts & Charity Call

Prof. Liz Sepper joins us to talk state of play on reproductive rights (remember those?), we do the needful on Graham Platner, and the Trump Administration prepares to Thanos SNAP. add'l reading:  

Hospital system outcomes in Texas: https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-rates-dallas-houston

George's coffee table:

https://bittersoutherner.com/magazine

The incomparable Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social) joins us to talk administrative burden, No Kings gets people in the streets, and there are hijinks in Argentina.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & College Athletics System 7:22 Podcast Welcome & Admin Burden 25:02 Psychological Costs & Policy Intent 34:51 Medicaid Work Requirements Impact 46:39 AI in Government Services: Promise & Peril 1:00:23 Government Shutdown & Benefit Attrition 1:13:09 No Kings March & Cringe Culture 1:20:02 Media's Trump Coverage & Argentina's Milei 1:21:29 US Treasury's Argentina Bailout

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & College Athletics System 7:22 Podcast Welcome & Admin Burden 25:02 Psychological Costs & Policy Intent 34:51 Medicaid Work Requirements Impact 46:39 AI in Government Services: Promise & Peril 1:00:23 Government Shutdown & Benefit Attrition 1:13:09 No Kings March & Cringe Culture 1:20:02 Media's Trump Coverage & Argentina's Milei 1:21:29 US Treasury's Argentina Bailout

On the joys of travel, Chinese tariffs and mineral access, and appropriate appropriations.

Chapters:

0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends 10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact 16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading 31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals 42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs 59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts 1:09:30 Tech: Immortality & Self-Driving Cars 1:17:30 Seattle Mariners: Playoff Success 1:28:00 Baseball Fandom & Episode Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends 10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact 16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading 31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals 42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs 59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts 1:09:30 Tech: Immortality & Self-Driving Cars 1:17:30 Seattle Mariners: Playoff Success 1:28:00 Baseball Fandom & Episode Outro

Chapters:

0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends 10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact 16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading 31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals 42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs 59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts 1:09:30 Tech: Immortality & Self-Driving Cars 1:17:30 Seattle Mariners: Playoff Success 1:28:00 Baseball Fandom & Episode Outro

Unfortunately additional Maine. Then: a bit of fish and the Intercept Cinematic Universe.

A Very Special SpaceX Episode with Quantian (@quantian) and ESGHound (@esghound)! Come for the S-1, stay for the physics. Contains not even homeopathic levels of investment advice.

Links: Ann Lipton, "No Votes, No Sales, No Suits" · our earlier space ep with Normal astrophysicist Mike Boylan-Kolchin, We Are All Made of Starmusk.

Ed runs some numbers, George eyeballs the urbs, the Strait gets bent, Lowtax socializes, and Propter gets sloppy.

Episode 49: Texas primaries, North Carolina's political shake-ups, oil prices and the Strait of Hormuz, and EV battery drama with very special guest Aaron Kleinman (@kleinman.bsky.social) from Heartland Signal.  check out his more formal work at https://radio-free-america.beehiiv.com/

Anthropic vs DoD, Iran strikes, Graham Platner's podcast tour, and the gnome bag. Featuring the return of Theophite to talk shrimp.  

Chapters:

0:00 Intro: Anthropic vs. DoD 10:00 Claude's Ethical AI Training 20:00 DoD's Ultimatum & Anthropic's Red Lines 31:00 Anthropic's Rationalist Roots 47:00 Hot War with Iran 1:04:00 Graham Platner & Antisemitism 1:25:00 Public Virtue & AI in Government 1:33:00 Outro

Propter's smart home journey goes sideways. Dogs: better evolved than us? The AI chip crisis hits gaming. The Jones Act and the art of the subsidy. Iran, oil, and who benefits. East Coast braces for snow. State shapes are wrong. And maybe log off for a bit.

Chapters:

0:00 Smart Home Tech & APIs 4:00 Dogs: Evolution, Senses, & Meds 14:00 AI, Chip Crisis & Hardware Prices 24:00 Economics of Supply & Demand 30:00 The Jones Act: Policy Failure 33:00 Biofuels & Commodity Cycles 40:00 Geopolitics: US & Iran 52:00 Blizzard, Weather & Regional Differences 1:03:00 Online Discourse & Context Window

Just desserts, DHS shutdown and caucus integrity, the future of B2B and internal tooling, and the Yakuza games.

Chapters:

0:00 Yakuza & Video Game Franchises 5:30 Dessert Discourse & Social Media 12:30 Canned Cheese & Weekly News 17:30 DHS, Noem, and El Paso Lasers 31:15 DHS Shutdown Analysis 45:00 Shutdown Impacts & Democratic Strategy 56:15 AI & Stock Market Winners/Losers 1:02:20 AI's Practicality & Limitations 1:16:50 Outro

Normal Astrophysicist Mike Boylan-Kolchin (@mbkplus.bsky.social) joins us to talk about the terrible secret of space and the Lone Star State.  Also:  black olives on tacos, Love Da Seahawks, and Jeff Bezos has some explaining to do.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro and Gooning Culture 2:40 Elon's Space Data Centers 5:00 Astronomy & Compute 13:00 Challenges of Space Data Centers 20:00 Economics of Orbital Compute 38:00 Taco Discourse & Burrito Bonds 54:00 Texas Democratic Primary 1:10:00 Republican Primary & Senate Control 1:24:00 Universe's End & Super Bowl 1:31:00 Outro and Final Thoughts

Normal Woman skelly (@iid.bsky.social) joins us from France to talk about- well, the plan was to talk about the American expat experience in Europe during Trump II but actually it wound up being mostly about comparative educational structure.  we hope you like it. also: Texas Toast (Republican State Senate edition), handicapping 2026, Fed Warsh, Epstein and the shallow bench of evil. ED NOTE: we are unbleeped compared to our usual because Ed is working very hard and is gassed this week.  please be nice to Ed if you see him.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Winter Woes 7:06 Skelly: Life in France 16:15 Academia: US vs. Europe 26:30 College Admissions & Prestige 45:46 Admissions: Success & Diversity 1:08:40 American Expat Life & Culture 1:33:57 Texas Special Election Analysis

Speculative fiction, moderation at scale, radicalization at scale, parenting at low-scale, and turophile priorities with Theophite.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Guest Theophyte 4:17 Minneapolis ICE Shooting Fallout 21:25 Theophyte's RPG & AI Art 34:17 RPG World's Moral Dilemmas 44:02 Scale of Civilization & Internet 55:42 Parenting in Trump's Second Age 1:06:25 Oreo Debate & Losing Control 1:09:38 Cougar Gold Cheese & WSU

On dogs, football, Blorth Carolina, the spirit of the cities, Chipotle, why you should care about Claude Code, adventures in transatlanticism, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Poop Talk 5:31 NFL & College Football Review 16:53 Indiana Coach's Chipotle Habit 26:53 North Carolina Political Landscape 43:24 ICE Occupation in Minneapolis 53:46 Adventures in AI: Claude Code 1:09:36 Trump, Greenland, and NATO

Ms. Malone and Ms. Speedrun-Enjoyer stop by to explain the appeal of murder.  Also, we talk about the Horrors foreign and domestic.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro & Guest Welcome 10:06 Defining True Crime & Adnan Syed 20:12 Personal Appeal & Favorite Podcasts 35:21 Unsolved Cases & Killer Psychology 50:30 True Crime's Gender Gap & Safety 1:05:39 Guest Farewell & Renee Good Murder 1:15:45 Authoritarianism & Public Backlash 1:25:51 Greenland Invasion Rumors & Geopolitics

Lots of tech, somewhat more Pope than usual, and a well-conceived 2028 Presidential Democratic contender tier list that will never embarrass any of us in any way. Plus Jack White's upholstery era and Stephen Colbert.