Words & Numbers

Blake Scott Ball joins us to discuss his book on Charles Schulz and the political narrative in the Peanuts comic that managed to attract both liberals and conservatives. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.oddee.com/psychedelic-fungus-causes-cicadas-butts-to-fall-off-and-takes-their-place-58847/ https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/22/middleeast/jewish-man-organ-donation-arab-woman-intl-cmd/index.html Foolishness of the Week https://thehill.com/homenews/house/554894-greene-under-fire-for-comparing-mask-policy-to-the-holocaust-a-neurotic-lack?rl=1 Topic of the Week Blake Scott Ball Twitter: @bsb1945 Email: blakescottball@gmail.com http://blakescottball.medium.com https://global.oup.com/academic/product/charlie-browns-america-9780190090463 Use promo code “AAFLYG6” for 30% off at checkout Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage http

Sykes Wilford, founder and CEO of smokingpipes.com joins us this week to discuss his experience as a successful entrepreneur in an industry that has shrunk by 98 percent and that the government has targeted for eventual obliteration. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Warren Buffetthttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/buffett-its-corporate-fiction-to-say-higher-business-taxes-hurt-customers-172536348.html China in Space https://apnews.com/article/china-technology-business-science-e1c1d0679aa78a8cc79c04a4d1375322 UFOs https://www.the-sun.com/news/2891893/us-navy-vid-shows-ufo-whizzing-through-sky/ Masks https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mask-no-mask-new-rules-leave-americans-recalibrating-hour-by-hour/ar-BB1gM7FO Foolishness of the Week The Story https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/the-man-who-didnt-invent-flamin-hot-cheetos/ar-BB1gMYd1 Ou

Vann Prime, an award-winning public school teacher from (in his words) a standard public school - not rich, not poor, not magnet or charter - joins us to talk about good things happening at his public school and how we might improve public schools in general. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/04/30/opinion/politics/bubble-politics.html https://www.wsj.com/articles/catholic-schools-are-losing-students-at-record-rates-and-hundreds-are-closing-11620651600 Foolishness of the Week https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/a-blinking-light-ahead-slowing-population-growth-raises-questions-about-america-as-a-land-with-unlimited-horizons/ar-BB1gxEif Topic of the Week Good news about a public school Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Th

Nicole Neily, President of Speech First joins us this week to discuss free speech on college campuses. A growing number of colleges have been restricting speech, both of students and faculty. In defining undesirable speech overly broadly, a chill has been growing in higher education wherein students, faculty, and even administrators are censoring their own speech rather than risk running afoul of rules that can mean expulsion and termination. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.oddee.com/hundreds-of-joshes-battle-with-pool-noodles-to-determine-the-ultimate-josh-58155/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1V9_EY-TY0 https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/historic-life-saving-step-fda-moves-ban-menthol-cigarettes-flavored-n1265823 Foolishness of the Week https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/30/a-proclamation

Philanthropist, lawyer, entrepreneur, musician, and armchair philosopher John LeFebvre joins us this week to discuss philanthropy, run-ins with the law, and how the world is becoming a better place. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.wtae.com/article/animal-control-croissant-call/36164733 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/23/us/some-mass-vaccination-sites-in-us-close-as-demand-begins-to-fall.html https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations Foolishness of the Week https://nypost.com/2021/04/22/usps-reportedly-tracking-americans-social-media-posts/ Topic of the Week https://www.johnlefebvre.com/ https://www.amazon.com/John-Lefebvre/e/B071FPBMY4 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter

Clark Neily returns this week to discuss recent court cases involving developments with qualified immunity. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.thecentersquare.com/west_virginia/west-virginia-ranks-as-one-of-the-worst-states-for-economic-freedom/article_4573ddba-4a27-11eb-8412-6739f37a0035.html https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/04/14/987174386/west-virginia-is-paying-remote-workers-12-000-to-move-there https://www.macrotrends.net/states/west-virginia/population https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_Procedures_Reform_Bill_of_1937 https://www.reuters.com/business/legal/most-americans-want-end-lifetime-supreme-court-appointments-2021-04-18/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/16/22388184/new-york-affordable-internet-cost-low-income-price-cap-bill Topic of the Week: Qualified Immunity Join the Conversation Words

This week, comedian and political commentator Andrew Heaton joins us to talk about his forthcoming book on Tribalism. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Keep Wearing Masks https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html https://www.uchealth.org/today/why-we-must-wear-masks-even-after-getting-the-covid-19-vaccine/ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/03/30/981303287/should-masking-last-beyond-the-pandemic-flu-and-colds-are-down-spurring-a-debate Foolishness of the Week https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-8e31fdc2b54f9d61e4d317449507c7be Topic of the Week Andrew Heaton https://mightyheaton.com/aboutandrewheaton The Political Orphanage https://mightyheaton.com/the-political-orphanage Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Th

The latest Congressional Budget Office numbers are out showing how much different income groups pay in federal taxes. We combine these numbers with our informal surveys of students to find some interesting conclusions as to who is and is not paying their fair share. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Shrinking Inequality https://www.wsj.com/articles/incredible-shrinking-income-inequality-11616517284 Quality of Life https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2011/demo/well-being/p70-136.html Virus Passes https://www.politico.eu/article/united-kingdom-coronavirus-certificate-sporting-events-nightclubs/ Foolishness of the Week Weddings in Vegas https://apnews.com/article/occasions-weddings-couples-marriage-las-vegas-39d3418e06b212a63ade2e61eda295dc Topic of the Week: Income https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56575 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Bac

Russell Shorto joins us this week to discuss his latest book, Smalltime: A story of my family and the mob. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Postal Service https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-postal-service-overhaul-calls-for-higher-prices-slower-mail-and-more-packages-11616509800 Alien Languages https://www.wsj.com/articles/alien-languages-may-not-be-entirely-alien-to-us-11616817660 Foolishness of the Week Lifeguard Millionaires https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2021/03/27/top-paid-la-lifeguards-earned-up-to-392000-in-2019/ This Week on Patreon https://techxplore.com/news/2021-03-pandemic-fuels-boomin-virtual-reality.html Topic of the Week: Smalltime Russell Shorto https://www.russellshorto.com https://www.amazon.com/Smalltime-Story-My-Family-Mob/dp/0393245586 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebo

People hear things that sound right or interesting, and then repeat them without checking the facts. This is how urban legends are created. On this week’s episode, we discuss some economics urban legends. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits The Platform https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8228288/ In Time https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1637688/ Your Papers!https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56460329 Foolishness of the Week Sue Bird vs. LeBron James https://admin.fee.org/media/39317/sue-bird-vs-lebron-james.png Topic of the Week: Urban Legends Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad

In this multi-part episode, James and Ant answer listener questions. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits COVID Testing https://hidrb.com Philadelphia Inquirer Comments https://www.inquirer.com/about/philadelphia-inquirer-comments-section-changes-20210201.html Vaccine and Blood Clotting https://apnews.com/article/germany-suspends-astrazeneca-vaccine-blood-clotting-0ab2c4fe13370c96c873e896387eb92f Kudos of the Week https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-legislators-want-to-rename-highway-after-prince/600034298/ Topic of the Week: Your Questions! Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more abo

In this multi-part episode, James and Ant answer listener questions. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Cuttlefish https://www.sciencealert.com/cuttlefish-can-pass-a-cognitive-test-designed-for-children https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/541882-cronkite-signed-off-40-years-ago-it-seems-like-an-eon-in-news-standards Foolishness of the Week https://apnews.com/article/mr-potato-head-goes-gender-neutral-d3c178f2b9b0c424ed814657be41a9d8 https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/07/qanon-trap-violence-474034 Topic of the Week: Your Questions! Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about you

In this multi-part episode, James and Ant answer listener questions. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-01/richest-100-americans-would-pay-78-billion-under-warren-tax https://www.npr.org/2021/02/27/971958260/scientists-talked-to-people-in-their-dreams-they-answered Foolishness of the Week https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/youtube-ai-blocked-chess-channel-after-confusing-black-and-white-for-racist-slurs-3454316.html Topic of the Week: Your Questions!Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice

Former Supervisory Special Agent Martin Gilvary joins us this week to give us an inside perspective on policing in the US. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://giphy.com/gifs/rickroll-rick-astley-never-gonna-give-you-up-Vuw9m5wXviFIQ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/i-will-not-make-happen-biden-declines-democrats-call-cancel-n1258069 https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2021/01/13/heres-why-biden-cant-cancel-student-loans/ https://apnews.com/article/1st-cloned-endagered-species-ferret-23cde3908e496692648dc28d4b8121ee Foolishness of the Week https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/11/churchill-white-supremacist-leading-empire-worse-nazis-claims/ Topic of the Weekhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/check-your-bias/id1500221730?i=1000466477789 Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups

In this second of a two part series, Max Borders joins us to discuss his recent book, After Collapse: The End of America and the Rebirth of Her Ideals. Despite the title and the subject matter, it is an honest but upbeat analysis of political, economic, and cultural changes that have put us on a path to transformation. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/01/oregon-decriminalizes-all-drugs-offers-treatment-instead-jail-time/4311046001/ https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2018/03/more-imprisonment-does-not-reduce-state-drug-problems https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2681083/ https://news.yahoo.com/fbi-informant-panic-ruining-friendships-042446613.html Foolishness of the Week https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-chris-cuomo-andrew-cuomo-nursing-home-scandal https

Max Borders joins us to discuss his recent book, After Collapse: The End of America and the Rebirth of Her Ideals. Despite the title and the subject matter, it is an honest but upbeat analysis of political, economic, and cultural changes that have put us on a path to transformation. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits 30 minutes’ worth of Googling Krogerhttps://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/employment/supermarkets-grocery-stores-united-states/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/999141/gross-margin-of-kroger/ https://thehill.com/policy/finance/537002-kroger-closing-two-stores-after-city-orders-higher-pandemic-pay-for-workers https://www.workforce.com/news/labor-and-benefits-expenses-in-supermarkets http://s1.q4cdn.com/137099145/files/doc_downloads/irw/fact_books/2016-PDF-Fact-Book.pdf MOMA https://dnyuz.com/2021/02/05/facing-deficit-met-c

Federal policies have been hitting small businesses particularly hard. From the lockdown to heightened IRS scrutiny to an increased minimum wage to an expanded estate tax, many federal policies harm small businesses more than corporations and so jeopardizes the livelihoods of almost half of American workers. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Chick-fil-A https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/south-carolina-chick-fil-a-manager-covid-19-vaccine-drive-thru Dodger Stadium https://news.yahoo.com/dodger-stadiums-covid-19-vaccination-233339650.html Foolishness of the Week Impeachment 1 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/us/politics/trump-butch-bowers-impeachment.html Impeachment 2https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/politics/butch-bowers-deborah-barbier-trump-impeachment-team/index.html Topic of the Week The War on Small Businesseshttps://insidesources.com/the

This week we discuss a smorgasbord of topics related to the division of power among the branches: pardons, judicial review, agencies, and bureaucracy. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/01/21/census-estimates-show-population-decline-in-16-states Foolishness of the Week https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/01/21/covid-vaccines-coronavirus-internet-ads/ Topic of the Week: Powers of U.S. Government’s Branches Join the Conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let Us Know What You Think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 206: A Dutch immigrant gives us a view of the United States from the outside, and a view of the Netherlands from the inside: immigration, taxes, social safety nets, and community. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/17/3rd-antitrust-lawsuit-hits-google-447741 https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share https://www.statista.com/statistics/265773/market-share-of-the-most-popular-social-media-websites-in-the-us https://www.wired.com/2002/11/u-s-v-microsoft-timeline/ https://www.kwtx.com/2021/01/15/3-with-covid-19-owe-lives-to-girl-17-who-smelled-smoke-from-early-morning-fire/ Foolishness of the Week https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/17/live-politics-updates-joe-biden-inauguration-donald-trump-impeachment/4196264001/ Topic of the Week Bass Van Der Vossen https://www.basvan

The riots in Washington DC and the riots in Seattle have revealed some troubling hypocrisy. Many of those who were for one were against the other. While the impetus behind them was different, the justifications people invoked were the same. This inconsistency is what happens when we ignore principles in favor of justifying outcomes. Get Your Copy of Cooperation and Coercion Now! http://www.cooperationandcoercion.com Show Your Support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick Hits Parler https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9130649/Conservative-social-media-platform-Parler-banned-Apple.html Pilot Threatens to Pull The Plane Over https://www.businessinsider.com/video-american-airlines-pilot-threat-strand-trump-fans-dc-phoenix-2021-1 Foolishness of the Week Race Offender Registry https://nypost.com/2020/12/30/leader-of-blm-inspired-group-calls-for-race-offenders-registry Topic of the Week Arash Ayrom https://www.facebook.com/arashayrom/posts/1022472329197