Bald, Blind, and Buddies

Timothy Cordes and John Boland

Liberal v. conservative, right, left, or libertarian. Join a thoughtful discussion with Timothy Cordes, a blind psychiatrist, and John Boland, a bald alum of the London School of Economics, who don't agree on much, but always agree to serve up their ideas with friendship and humor. ideasfirst.substack.com

  1. A Million Ring Doorbells to Watch them all

    VOR 5 TAGEN

    A Million Ring Doorbells to Watch them all

    John Boland and Timothy Cordes address the Ring Doorbell Super Bowl ad, privacy controversy, and fallout. The Buddies begin with NFL trivia and Tim take prides in his “dumb” home. John and Tim discussed how the Ring Doorbell ad was supposed to warm hearts, but it had a chilling effect. Tim reviews history of Ring’s troubles. John explores tradeoffs between convenience and privacy. John uses the Nancy Guthrie case to illustrate how somehow video doorbells retained images from a device that was supposedly “off.” Tim applauds people who are thinking about these privacy-related decisions and making their own choices about whether they can just answer the door. John’s whack-jobs are two Supreme Court justices guilty of partisanship. Tim highlights Sweden as his hero, for putting books back in students’ hands after realizing the catastrophe of screens in classrooms. Referred to: Ring’s Super Bowl ad for dog-tracking cameras stirs controversy Ring’s privacy failures led to spying and harassment through home security cameras | Consumer Advice Security Companies Could Give Video to Police Without Consent - Consumer Reports Ring’s smart doorbell is a cautionary tale for China sourcing | Global Sources Swedish schools said they didn’t need books. Pupils proved them wrong The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr | Goodreads OpenAI considered alerting Canadian police about school shooting suspect months ago | Tumbler Ridge school shooting | The Guardian We would love to hear from you. Send comments, suggestions, or questions to IDEASFIRST@SUBSTAC.COM. The one thing you can do to help the podcast is to share it with someone. Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

    41 Min.
  2. Notre Dame picks pro-abortion professor to lead an institute.

    17. FEB.

    Notre Dame picks pro-abortion professor to lead an institute.

    John Boland and Timothy Cordes reflect on Valentine’s Day, lessons from Cherion Koshy, our last guest, and ease into trivia. The Buddies review Professor Susan Ostermann’s appointment to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and the objections of Catholic bishops because of her pro-abortion advocacy. The buddies discuss whether Professor Ostermann’s public advocacy matters for her appointment to lead this department and whether it relates to her intellectual expertise. Both question whether a modern university can truly be Catholic. They reflect on President Obama’s controversial visit to campus. John’s whack-job is Pam Bondi for demonstrating “defining deviancy down” in front of Congress. Tim’s heroes are the indispensable puppy raisers who lay the foundations for young dogs to go on to become Seeing Eye dogs. Referred to: Notre Dame Abortion Controversy: Catholic Bishops Speak Out Against Pro-Abortion Appointee | National Review Tamara Kay and Susan Ostermann: How do we regain abortion rights? Take a page out of MADD’s playbook. – Chicago Tribune Data reveal scale of China abortions Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL into a Cultural & Economic Juggernaut We’d love to hear from you. Send comments, ideas, or questions to IDEASFIRST@SUBSTACK.COM. There is one thing you can do to help the podcast. Please, share it with a friend. Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

    39 Min.
  3. Super Bowl, Bad Bunny, and the NFL

    3. FEB.

    Super Bowl, Bad Bunny, and the NFL

    John Boland and Timothy Cordes first review news from the University of Wisconsin-Madison as Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin finally flees the fly-over fields for Columbia University. Next, The Buddies dive into College Associated Minor League (CAML) sports trivia. John and Tim reflect on the appeal of sports and the Superbowl. They examine the choice of Bad Bunny for the half-time show considering the NFL’s international aspirations. They muse on commercials and Superbowl memories. John’s hero is Ed Davis, former Police Commissioner of Boston. Tim’s hero is a young man who acted quickly to resolve a dangerous situation. Along the way, John gives a lesson on Roman Numerals and The Buddies digress into the Origins of conventions around driving, salutes, and boarding a plane. Referred to: How Bad Bunny was chosen as the Super Bowl 60 halftime show performer - The Athletic NFL Hoping To Win Back Conservatives With Super Bowl Performance By Spanish-Speaking Man In Dress | Babylon Bee From Sport to Spectacle: The Evolution of the Super Bowl | Britannica 12-year-old saves mom’s life after she passed out while driving - WTMJ Interview with Edward Davis former Police Commissioner of Boston on Apple Podcasts We’d love to hear from you. Send your predictions for how long Jennifer Mnookin will last as president of Columbia University to IDEASFIRST@SUBSTACK.COM. Don’t forget to share, like, or subscribe. Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

    39 Min.
  4. How many greenbacks for Greenland?

    21. JAN.

    How many greenbacks for Greenland?

    After touching on the College Associated Minor League (CAML) football championship, John Boland and Timothy Cordes launch into CAML football trivia. We preview upcoming guests including Ed Davis, the former Boston Police Commissioner. John marvels at the absurdity of the Buddies needing to talk about the U.S. seeking to acquire Greenland, and they compare it to a bad Hollywood plot. They review Greenland’s strategic importance and acknowledge the damage to NATO that could result from direct military action. Tim asserts that there are distinct types of force and other ways to pursue U.S. interests in Greenland. The Buddies struggle to identify the eight wars that President Trump claims to have ended. Tim’s whack-job, the ACT, is colluding to hide students’ poor math skills and worsening attention. John’s hero has donated gallons of blood. We close with the words of Dr. Martin Luthur King Jr. Referred to: MLK’s Nobel Acceptance Speech The “Enhanced” ACT new American College Test (ACT) compensates for children’s waning abilities Donate Blood | Find a Local Blood Drive | American Red Cross We’d love to hear from you. Send comments, suggestions, show ideas, or trivia answers to IDEASFIRST@SUBSTACK.COM. Don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe and share. Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

    41 Min.
  5. Thoughts on U.S. action in Venezuela

    13. JAN.

    Thoughts on U.S. action in Venezuela

    John Boland and Timothy Cordes address the fatal shooting in Minnesota. John describes the powerful video, and they consider what threat a driver poses. The Buddies review RFK Junior’s new dietary guidelines, finding much to agree with in it. John poses a trivia question about the worst college football team of all time. John and Tim review the U.S. action in Venezuela highlighting that Nicolas Maduro was a terrible leader who helped destroy his nation’s prosperity among other things. John wonders whether the U.S. should only involve itself in actions to support its strategic interests. Tim draws contrasts between the action in Venezuela with George H.W. Bush’s intervention in Panama which involved legal charges first, collaboration with Congress and bipartisanship. John’s whack-job rushes to defend the indefensible while Tim’s hero has organized regular people to help strangers in need. Referred to: Post on Code Angel and truckers Correction: Gary Bolyer is the author of the Substack describing the truckers mentioned in the podcast, not the trucker as stated in the podcast. We’d love to hear from you. Send comments, suggestions, opinions, or trivia answers to IDEASFIRST@SUBSTACK.COM. If you have enjoyed the podcast, please, post about it, tell your friends, and subscribe. Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

    38 Min.

Info

Liberal v. conservative, right, left, or libertarian. Join a thoughtful discussion with Timothy Cordes, a blind psychiatrist, and John Boland, a bald alum of the London School of Economics, who don't agree on much, but always agree to serve up their ideas with friendship and humor. ideasfirst.substack.com