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. recent legal rulings against Meta and Youtube

    5D AGO

    recent legal rulings against Meta and Youtube

    After trivia, the buddies begin with a re-imagining of A Few Good Men with a tech executive on the stand. They review two key adverse rulings against social media companies in New Mexico and Los Angeles. John asserts the primacy of individual choice and responsibility. Tim points out that there should be a higher standard for children. Tim reviews what addiction is and whether people can be addicted to social media. John points to the new suit against on-line gambling companies, and they speculate about what will happen next and how things could be improved. John’s whack-job spent three years in law school so that he could be fined for using AI to write his brief. Tim’s hero is a proponent of girl’s sport in Minnesota and a proud Gopher fan. Referred to: New Mexico social media lawsuit ends in $375-million verdict against Meta Verdicts against social platforms validate concerns long raised by parents, whistleblowers | AP News Meta had a 17-strike policy for sex trafficking, former safety leader claims | The Verge Broken Code by Jeff Horwitz Attorney Hit with Historic Fine for Citing AI-Generated Cases Meet the Blanket Lady, a Gophers Basketball Superfan Who Blazed Trails for Women’s Hoops - Racket We would love to hear from you. Send comments to IDEASFIRST@SUBSTACK.COM. 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

    44 min
  2. A Million Ring Doorbells to Watch them all

    FEB 23

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

    FEB 17

    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
  4. Super Bowl, Bad Bunny, and the NFL

    FEB 3

    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
5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

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

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