Normal Men

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)

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.

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.

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.

The hosts dive into a troubling incident involving the Canadian Armed Forces, mixing sarcasm with serious critique. They explore the implications of wealth concentration in politics, particularly its effects on democracy and culture, including the impact of foreign investments in sports. The conversation shifts to cryptocurrency's role in American politics and the political ironies surrounding Trump and Epstein. Alongside humorous political banter, they highlight unexpected wins in local races and critique gubernatorial ambitions like Newsom's.

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.