Normal Men is four guys talking about the news. We want to help explain what's happening in the world around us and have some laughs along the way. And we think you might enjoy hearing what we have to say, as long as you don't mind a bit of normalcy in a world without much of it.
2 hr 22 min
They tried to break us; they broke upon us. GOLIKEHELLMACHINE returns to help us count the wins, enjoy the Republican meltdowns, and figure out what's next for the new Democratic majorities!
1 hr 15 min
Election predictions, with a normal degree of confidence. Plus: pumpkins, cheesecake, Utah. George's North Carolina early-vote tracker Votecaster: George's election-night Senate needles Don Moynihan's giant Ann Arbor pumpkins
1 hr 37 min
College football acts normal. Ed reveals the Hobby Acquisition Algorithm. Also: some random memories and the semiconductor industry's toilet problem. Then: butts. Show notes: North Carolina early-vote dashboard; Carolina Forward; EUV explainer; Toto and semiconductor ceramics; Scott Colom's beef ad.
2 hr 22 min
They tried to break us; they broke upon us. GOLIKEHELLMACHINE returns to help us count the wins, enjoy the Republican meltdowns, and figure out what's next for the new Democratic majorities!
1 hr 15 min
Election predictions, with a normal degree of confidence. Plus: pumpkins, cheesecake, Utah. George's North Carolina early-vote tracker Votecaster: George's election-night Senate needles Don Moynihan's giant Ann Arbor pumpkins
1 hr 37 min
College football acts normal. Ed reveals the Hobby Acquisition Algorithm. Also: some random memories and the semiconductor industry's toilet problem. Then: butts. Show notes: North Carolina early-vote dashboard; Carolina Forward; EUV explainer; Toto and semiconductor ceramics; Scott Colom's beef ad.
1 hr 28 min
Grab bag (contains at least one Politics, probably an Econ). Canada has the water. We have some ideas about staffing. Airline reporter mentioned on the show: @wanderme.paxex.aero.
1 hr 20 min
Ugarles joins us to talk meats, football, and SCOTUS. Alito has grievances, Roberts has neighbors, and retiring at the right time turns out to be part of the job. Plus: major questions doctrine, lower-court obedience, and the difference between calling balls and strikes and being a super mod. Find Charles on Bluesky and at his link hub, including his 52+1 podcast appearance challenge. Listen to No Homework with Patrick Cosmos and L. Ron Mexico, and City Saint/Country Saint with L. Ron Mexico. Also plugged: Ape Shit, Carrie McLaren's zine about humans and other primates. Its first issue examines Helping Hands' helper-monkey program. Available from OR Books.
1 hr 23 min
This is a normal amount to think about an Idaho Senate race, I don't know what you're talking about. Donate to Todd Achilles’s campaign.
1 hr 26 min
Musicology Duck returns with a unifying theory of Trump's inner playlist! Also: architecture in the DMV, midterm polling, and diesel prices. Follow Musicology Duck.
1 hr 21 min
Why every enterprise open-weight model is bad, digging holes in your yard, consumer AI and warfare, the Amodei Pause, capex math, and dayenu on the models. Lowtax turns up late with a dispatch on Ian Paisley Jr. Plus Cascadia subduction, the generic ballot, and the correct amount of Tajin.
1 hr 16 min
This week: leatherwork. Ed tries on a harness, George does some shoe-leather reporting, and we kick around the ol' pigskin. Also: an old coinage, and a departure reviewed. Links: Polytoken · Sky Marchini, harassed over heavy sour crude
1 hr 40 min
This week: the Lake Effect and CBC comes packing. The Men investigate pheromone-maxxing, chicken-tender nation, and (unfortunately) data centers. Links: Shiv Ramdas's Rice Truck thread · George's Jerome Powell shirt
1 hr 23 min
This week: a brief exploration of comparative religion and the lost art of letter-writing. George teaches us about USMCA and les dangers du Québec. Ed thinks they should cut the power. Also: Dude Wipes. Links: George on Canadian supply management (FT) · Hailey · Sky Marchini, owed an apology · Fatal Attraction
1 hr 17 min
the Ed-less Men tackle the state of the Senate states. Buckle up, it's the preseason!
1 hr 19 min
Down one normal man and up one provisionally normal historian: Bret Devereaux joins to discuss Christopher Nolan's Odyssey, and we make it about twenty minutes before the Late Bronze Age collapses. Chapter markers say which segments contain spoilers for the film. Bret Devereaux blogs at acoup.blog and is @bretdevereaux.bsky.social.
1 hr 29 min
Mike Black joins the Men for a wide-ranging conversation about mostly the NDAA. Authorized and appropriate at all times.
1 hr 24 min
Improv episode after Glonzo ate our guest's internet connection. Three thousand words about lettuce, Nolan does Homer, Troy in Maine, and Taco Bell totally exonerated. Then: some Tate schadenfreude, the darkening of the dawn, and Spanish supply lines. Also, gossip about some models. Normbot now live on Bluesky: @normal-men.bsky.social
1 hr 19 min
Lindsey Graham and the McConnell succession watch. Brazil's World Cup exit gets blamed on Protestantism. Count Binface takes the fight to Clacton. Michigan's Senate proxy war, and how Graham Platner actually got out of Maine. Links: the Institute for Hispano Studies, the hand dryer at the Crown and Treaty, and Allagash, Maine.
1 hr 26 min
Some futbol, moderate arborism, the fast road to Argentina, and Eurovision. 250 years and Normal as ever. Show notes: Mexico 2–3 England at the Azteca (match report) The cherry trees and the golf course Trump confirms he asked FIFA to review Balogun's red card Balogun: born American by accident Canada joins Eurovision Frederick Douglass, “Love of God, Love of Man, Love of Country” (1847) Albion's Seed Groverhaus
1 hr 35 min
The normal men get hot and bothered, fix what's wrong with NYC politics, are gone to look for America, and contemplate an unwise conflict that expects too much of the Curds. A well-insulated episode.
1 hr 41 min
Come take a mind-safari with us to Beirut, Manchester, and West Palm Beach. Plus: tilling the GOP 2028 field way too early.
1 hr 6 min
A defence of the pastoral lifestyle and also the barbacoan lifestyle. Also: your gut health and soda, thunder v swamp, grudgingly handing it to the Knicks, and 10 mpg(ame). Links: Musicology Duck’s reflecting pool · The Double Pivot · Sickos Committee
1 hr 10 min
Unfortunately additional Maine. Then: a bit of fish and the Intercept Cinematic Universe.
1 hr 39 min
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.
2 hr 1 min
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.
1 hr 43 min
Patrick Wyman joins the Normal Men to talk dirty soda, apartment deposits we definitely did not get back, the only bracket that matters, 1619 and its descendants, and sharp little lads.
1 hr 49 min
The Men get chippy, Fed up, car talk, Giuliani hantavirus and other pathogens, Graham crackers and some states that are probably in the Midwest, and the AI capex bubble (?).
1 hr 28 min
Panic! at the WHCD, several niche beverages, American airports, and strait cash homie.
1 hr 25 min
Iran oil futures, market madness, Spencer Pratt for some reason, ivermectin and psilocybin, spammers and affinity scams, and hyping the Mythos.
1 hr 17 min
Vance screws up at everything, Orbán eighty-sixed in Hungary, Iran negotiations collapse and the world stays oil-thirsty, Swalwell sex monsters and gets summarily defenestrated, and the thrilling secret of space.
1 hr 27 min
Yakuza discourse, the terrible secret of space, BTS on Hot Ones, Bondi beached, careerists vs maniacs, and who's next for Attorney General.
1 hr 37 min
Aaron Cohen of Gracie's Ice Cream (@unlikelywords.bsky.social) has a wicked scoop for the Men. George doesn't deliver, Lowtax goes out of his gourd, Ed's interested in principles, and Propter gets stuck. Note: 1) We ran into tech issues post-recording and decided that we would rather release a pretty rough final cut this week than no episode. Sorry about that and we won't be offended if you give it a miss. 2) this is a Nanaimo bar
1 hr 49 min
Ed runs some numbers, George eyeballs the urbs, the Strait gets bent, Lowtax socializes, and Propter gets sloppy.
1 hr 25 min
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/
1 hr 34 min
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
1 hr 10 min
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
1 hr 18 min
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
1 hr 32 min
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
1 hr 44 min
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
1 hr 15 min
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
1 hr 22 min
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
1 hr 41 min
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
1 hr 47 min
The Normal Men talk college football, Venezuelan stabs, and what genAI won't do for you. Chapters: 0:00 Woodworking & Ice Bath Project 4:38 Gaming Controversies: FF7 & Animal Crossing 13:51 College Football & Ole Miss Racism 27:46 Venezuela Regime Change Operation 58:29 US-Mexico Cartel War Speculation 1:17:09 AI & Grok's Pornography Problem 1:31:09 Understanding and Using LLMs
1 hr 44 min
Goodbye to 2025! The Normal Men talk food, travel, optimism, and dating. Chapters: 0:00 Intro and Holiday Recap 9:32 Cookbook and Rice Cooker Recommendations 28:38 Favorite Destination Foods 47:43 Affordable Protein Alternatives 1:04:54 Nonalcoholic Drinks and Mocktails 1:22:05 Party Playlists and Social Confidence 1:39:16 Dating and Parenting Advice
1 hr 32 min
The Normal Men dive into appellate immigration strategy and the Battle of Chicago with Mark Fleming of National Immigrant Justice Center. Also, stroads and the modern authoritarian; primary ethics and efficiency. National Immigrant Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/ Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights: https://www.icirr.org/ Organized Communities Against Deportation: https://www.organizedcommunities.org/
1 hr 18 min
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
1 hr 19 min
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
1 hr 24 min
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
58 min
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
1 hr 54 min
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
1 hr 31 min
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
1 hr 7 min
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
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