Best Ivan and Stephen Podcasts (2025)

1
Nayanjot Lahiri, "Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand" (SUNY Press, 2023) 47:40

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1d ago47:40

47:40

Blending travelogue, history, and archaeology, Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand (SUNY Press, 2023) unravels the various avatars of India's most famous emperor, revealing how he came to be remembered—and forgotten—in distinctive ways at particular points in time and in specific locations. Through personal jou…

1
Bob Costas Remembers ... the Great NFL Pregame Wars 53:56

1d ago53:56

53:56

Hello, media consumers! Bryan is joined today by broadcasting legend Bob Costas to discuss the great NFL pregame wars of the 1980s and 1990s. They dive into everything, starting with him becoming the host of NBC’s pregame show in 1984. Next, they discuss Bob’s competition before turning to what made NBC’s show special (07:42). They continue by goin…

1
New News About Nuzzi, and Mamdani Goes to Washington. Plus: Susan Orlean on Breaking Into The New Yorker, Working for Tina Brown, and More. 1:20:13

6d ago1:20:13

1:20:13

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David discuss Bryan’s newest Texas barbecue adventure before diving into the most recent news in the ever-evolving Olivia Nuzzi saga, including their thoughts on Ryan Lizza’s second Substack piece and whether this story has reached the point of “feeling like you know too much” (09:49). Next, the guys dive into ever…

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In a Coma for 3 Weeks…Then Jesus Sent Him Back | Steve & Kathy Boyls' Near-Death Encounter 1:17:09

6d ago1:17:09

1:17:09

In this episode, Steve and Kathy Boyls share the astonishing true story behind Steve's near-death experience. While Steve spent three weeks in a coma—encountering heaven, angels, loved ones, and even Jesus—Kathy fought for his life through relentless prayer and faith. Their testimony is one of hope, healing, and the reality of the afterlife. 👉 Grab…

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#133 The Regime of the Brother: After the Patriarchy - Juliet Flower MacCannell w/ Stephen G Adubato 1:32:31

7d ago1:32:31

1:32:31

The Regime of the Brother is a book of psychoanalytic feminist theory (particularly leaning on Lacan), explaining why we no longer live in an Oedipal patriarchy, but rather live in a 'sham-Oedipus' regime of the brother. Neo-totemism, the primal hoard, the narcissistic ego as a consequence of failed symbolic castration and, consequently, no entry i…

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Trump’s “Piggy” Attack, MLB’s TV Deal, and Joel’s Nuzzi Take. Plus: Mamdani Advisor Zara Rahim 1:27:07

10d ago1:27:07

1:27:07

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss President Trump's recent interactions with the media, including his “piggy” comment, his meeting in the Oval Office with Mohammed bin Salman, and his comments on the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Next, the guys parse through MLB’s new media rights deal with NBC, ESPN, and Netflix (18:32). Later,…

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Ivan Franceschini et al., "Scam: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds" (Verso Books, 2025) 50:32

10d ago50:32

50:32

“If I had been enslaved for a year or two, I might not be able to believe in humanity any more.” “I am a victim of modern slavery.” These chilling words come from a Taiwanese female lured by a fake job offer, only to be sold into a scam compound in Cambodia. She is not alone. She is one of thousands deceived into this industry—people who left home …

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Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza, and the Frenzied Rollout of 'American Canto' 1:12:58

3h ago1:12:58

1:12:58

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David dive into everything Olivia Nuzzi, starting with Jacob Bernstein’s New York Times piece, including what was said in his profile of Nuzzi and whether this is the right kind of profile for her. Next, they discuss the excerpt of Nuzzi’s book, 'American Canto,' released in Vanity Fair and whether the writing in t…

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Farthest Heaven w/ Bill Ballard 1:46:40

12d ago1:46:40

1:46:40

Farthest Heaven is publishing some of the most exciting poetry and (soon!) fiction around today. I got to talk to the First Consul (an in-house naming convention) of Farthest Heaven, Bill Ballard, about book design, finding great authors, his approach to editing, what it means to run a small press, and a whole lot more. I was really looking forward…

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Sonia Faleiro, "The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia" (Columbia UP, 2025) 41:40

16d ago41:40

41:40

When the robe becomes a weapon, who can stop the violence? We think of Buddhism as a faith of peace—rooted in compassion, patience, and nonviolence. But across South and Southeast Asia today, the robe is being turned into a weapon, as radical monks and nationalist movements unleash hatred and war. In The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism i…

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The New Epstein Emails, Pat McAfee and Donald Trump, and the Nico Harrison 'Now They Tell Us.' Plus: NBC’s Cris Collinsworth. 1:37:24

17d ago1:37:24

1:37:24

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss what is in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein emails, how this information paints journalism, and the Michael Wolff of it all. Next, Bryan and Joel analyze President Trump’s appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, including how the show received him, the topics they covered, and how this interview reflects …

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MSNBC’s Rebrand, ESPN’s Solitaire Scandal, and James Talarico’s Friends. Plus: The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel 1:11:54

20d ago1:11:54

1:11:54

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David discuss Texas Senate hopeful James Talarico’s social media scandal and how the public reaction to this type of news has changed over time. Next, Bryan and David dive into MSNBC’s rebrand as MSNOW and how effective the rebrand rollout has been (10:18). Then, Bryan and David talk about the ESPN Solitaire debacl…

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£, flesh and Femoid w/ Aaron Barry 2:27:27

21d ago2:27:27

2:27:27

£, flesh and Femoid are a novella and novel, respectively, written by Aaron Barry and published by McBussy Publishing. Both star poorly-adjusted female leads suffering terminal brainrot, and both are written in a dense, internet-inflected style. In line with both books' preoccupations, this episode we talked about how to write the internet (and wha…

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The Democrats’ Big Night and ESPN’s New Bookie. Plus: Booger McFarland on Alabama-LSU, Playing Dirty, and More. 1:21:52

24d ago1:21:52

1:21:52

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss everything coming out of election night, including how the big news stations covered it, where Steve Kornacki has gone, how conservatives are coping, and the New York Post’s Mamdani headline. Next, Bryan and Joel dive into ESPN and DraftKings’ new partnership and ESPN Bet being no more (21:47), before …

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Last-Minute Election Stories, Trump Goes on ‘60 Minutes,’ and (Another) White House Reporter Caper 1:10:54

26d ago1:10:54

1:10:54

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and a returning David discuss Dick Cheney’s death by reviewing his relationship to the press (12:20), before diving into last-minute election stories covering the final days of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, California's Prop 50, and a fake Bill de Blasio (33:10). Next, Bryan and David talk about everything that came out o…

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#132 Pretty Boys Are Poisonous - Megan Fox w/ Aaron Barry aka Jasper Ceylon 2:12:01

28d ago2:12:01

2:12:01

Pretty Boys Are Poisonous (2023) is a poetry collection written by actress Megan Fox. Mostly focusing on her troubled relationship with professional machine-gun Colson Baker, the poems are surprisingly adolescent for a (currently) 39-year-old mother of four. To assist me in parsing these poems, Aaron Barry, aka Jasper Ceylon, joined me for this epi…

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Stephen Huard, "Calibrated Engagement: Chronicles of Local Politics in the Heartland of Myanmar" (‎Berghahn Books, 2024) 52:03

29d ago52:03

52:03

This episode of New Books in Southeast Asian Studies features Stéphen Huard talking about Calibrated Engagement: Chronicles of Local Politics in the Heartland of Myanmar (‎Berghahn Books, 2024), in which he takes a deep dive into the history and anthropology of village leadership in Myanmar’s central dry zone, or anya. In it, Stéphen develops “cali…

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CBS’s Halloween "Bloodbath" and Michael Jordan as the NBA's Ombudsman. Plus: Vox’s Astead Herndon on Leaving The New York Times and the Future of the Democrats. 1:35:32

1M ago1:35:32

1:35:32

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss the layoffs at CBS News (0:51) before diving into their thoughts on Michael Jordan’s two appearances on NBC thus far (14:05), the NBA's relationship to storytelling, and what they want from these MJ appearances. Next, Bryan and Joel educate the listeners on Jennifer Welch (28:41), including where she o…

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ESPN’s Gamble, CBS and John Dickerson, and Graham Platner’s Reddit Posts 1:13:38

1M ago1:13:38

1:13:38

Hello, media consumers! Bryan is joined by Joel out of the bullpen to dig through everything that has come out of the NBA’s gambling scandal (0:40) before they share their thoughts on how ESPN handled the coverage of that news, who at the worldwide leader should be covering these stories, which former ESPN employees would have covered this in the p…

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Officeparks w/ Noam Hessler 1:26:51

1M ago1:26:51

1:26:51

Officeparks is a wonderful poetry collection from Noam Hessler, and yet another winner published by Farthest Heaven. Romantic, funny, and shot through with an easy, natural experimentation, Officeparks is a real treat. I'm trying hard not to be too effusive in my praise, in case people think I'm being disingenuous, but these poems really are that g…

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Jeff Neilson, "Fortress Farming: Agrarian Transitions, Livelihoods, and Coffee Value Chains in Indonesia" (Cornell UP, 2025) 44:31

1M ago44:31

44:31

Over the last several decades, sources of income derived away from farms have come to play a much bigger role in rural Indonesian households. How do rural people in Indonesia engage with farming and social and economic spheres beyond their villages? What do their changing forms of engagement mean for land relations, sustainability, and the future o…

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How Zohran Mamdani Won the Hearts and Minds of the Media (and New York City) 1:00:15

1M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Bryan and Joel are together in the studio to discuss Zohran Mamdani in the 17th edition of their 25 for 25 series (2:00). They discuss Mamdani as a political phenomenon (6:12), a media phenomenon (21:03), and someone who is signaling generation change (25:55). Later they welcome Eric Lach of The New Yorker, who profiled Mamdani for the magazine. La…

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An NBA TV Mega-Preview, Good News About The Washington Post, and Your Favorite NFL Clichés 57:47

1M ago57:47

57:47

An NBA TV Mega-Preview, Good News About The Washington Post, and Your Favorite NFL Clichés Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David are back to discuss the worst response issued by the White House to a reporter's question, some good news about The Washington Post, and issues at Indiana University’s student newspaper (00:35). The two then dig into th…

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#131 This Hoe Got Roaches in Her Crib - Quan Millz w/ Slater aka Simpulacra 1:21:32

1M ago1:21:32

1:21:32

Quan Millz is a maestro of urban fiction. Since 2017, he has self-published over 70 books and (apparently) made more than $500,000 from titles such as Old THOT Next Door, Pastors Eat Pwussy Too, Pregnant by My Gay Stepdaddy, and, the subject of today's episode, This Hoe Got Roaches in Her Crib. It's a tale of characters who make remarkably poor dec…

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Zohran Mamdani Goes on Fox News, the Great Pentagon Walkout, and Awkward NFL Coach Audio 1:07:04

1M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss the almost entirely unanimous media walkout at the Pentagon after new rules and guidelines were presented to reporters (0:48); Olivia Nuzzi's return, which will now include a book deal (19:52); and Zohran Mamdani's interview with Fox News' Martha MacCallum (26:22). Then they discuss some awkward NFL he…

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Bari Weiss’s Memo, Marc Maron’s Goodbye, and College Football’s Most Interesting Coach 57:18

2M ago57:18

57:18

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David are back to discuss Bari Weiss’s memo to her new employees and whether it is threatening. Then they talk about Marc Maron’s farewell podcast with Barack Obama. The two discuss Obama’s social media reluctance and why he isn’t he speaking out more (00:21). They also play the football audio of the week: Indiana …

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Like You Have a Choice w/ Ivan Niccolai, aka Notes from the Periphery 1:36:49

2M ago1:36:49

1:36:49

Like You Have a Choice is the first short story collection from Ivan Niccolai, the man behind the Notes from the Periphery Substack. We talk about Melbourne's inner-north, wogs, JG Ballard, Mark Fisher, Nick Land, bilingual writing, watering the driveway on Sunday morning (wogs), accelerationism, lemon trees in the back yard (wogs), illegal satelli…

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Jen Psaki on the Democrats and the Future of MSNBC. Plus, Paul Finebaum vs. ESPN and the End of LeBron’s Media Headlock 1:31:37

2M ago1:31:37

1:31:37

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel cover LeBron’s “big” news, Paul Finebaum a week after his OutKick interview, yet another Bill Belichick story out of UNC, and a bizarre Katie Porter interview (0:45). Then Joel and Bryan talk with MSNBC's Jen Psaki about the Democratic Party, how politicians can effectively communicate their message, modernizi…

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Bari Weiss’s First Day at CBS, Reporting on Mark Sanchez, and the GOAT-dom of Chris Berman 1:05:22

2M ago1:05:22

1:05:22

By The Ringer

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#130 Eumeswil - Ernst Jünger w/ Brad Kelly 2:07:07

2M ago2:07:07

2:07:07

Eumeswil (1977) is one of Jünger's final novels, and is bizarre, inscrutable, and wonderful. It is, in many ways, a glassy dramatisation of the second volume of Oswald Spengler's The Decline of the West, and also an introduction to Jünger's archetype of the anarch, a series of odd animal metaphors, a collection of fragmented musings by a survivor o…

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Vincent Pak, "Queer Correctives: Discursive Neo-homophobia, Sexuality and Christianity in Singapore" (Bloomsbury, 2025) 53:28

2M ago53:28

53:28

Queer Correctives: Discursive Neo-homophobia, Sexuality and Christianity in Singapore (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025) explores Christian discourses of sex and sexuality in Singapore to argue that metanoia, the theological concept of spiritual transformation, can be read as a form of neo-homophobia that coaxes change in the queer individual. In Singapor…

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The Ezra Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates Showdown, Floating Paul Finebaum for Senate, and the Meaning of Kamala’s Book Sales 1:20:53

2M ago1:20:53

1:20:53

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel take a deep dive into the spirited discussion between Ezra Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates centered on their disagreements about Charlie Kirk and some of his eulogists (1:27). Then they discuss the unexpected news that ESPN's Paul Finebaum is considering running as a Republican senator for Alabama, the numbers for …

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Kathryn Dyt, "The Nature of Kingship: The Weather-World in Nineteenth-Century Vietnam" (U Hawaii Press, 2025) 40:30

2M ago40:30

40:30

When we think about the way that Southeast Asian rulers governed their kingdoms, we usually think of the relationship between the rulers and the people. But as Katheryn Dyt shows in her new book, The Nature of Kingship: The Weather-World in Nineteenth-Century Vietnam (University of Hawaii Press, 2025), royal governance in the Kingdom of Vietnam dep…

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A 25 for 25 Double Feature: Dean Jelani Cobb on the Future of J-School. Plus, Spencer Hall on “Weird Internet.” 1:47:24

2M ago1:47:24

1:47:24

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel preview today’s double-feature episode (0:45), before Joel is joined by Columbia Journalism School dean Jelani Cobb to discuss the future of journalism education (7:44). Then, Bryan and Joel have a quick interview postgame (47:42) before introducing Joel’s conversation with writer Spencer Hall on how his remar…

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A Report From the Cowboys-Packers Tie, the Rise of the Bernie Bio, and Barbecue Notes From Texas 54:38

2M ago54:38

54:38

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David are back to discuss Bryan’s quick trip to Dallas for the Micah Parsons return game. He lets you in on the dirty secret of football reporting, gets into the differences between the Micah trade and the Luka Doncic trade, and gives some barbecue reviews (00:24). Then they share some football audio from the weeke…

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Grendel VVept/Playing God w/ C.P. Serret 1:23:49

2M ago1:23:49

1:23:49

Grendel VVept is a bizarre book that I can kind of describe as Joycean cosmic horror, but that doesn't cover everything. Traveling through time and prose styles, from today to Renaissance Italy to Sumer to ages even more distant, it's disorienting in a fascinating way. Playing God, the other book of Serret's that I read for this episode, is a tight…

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Timothy Williams, "Memory Politics After Mass Violence: Attributing Roles in the Memoryscape" (Bristol UP, 2025) 1:00:08

2M ago1:00:08

1:00:08

Memory Politics After Mass Violence: Attributing Roles in the Memoryscape (Bristol UP, 2025) explores how political actors draw on memories of violent pasts to generate political power and legitimacy in the present. Drawing on fieldwork in post-violence Cambodia, Rwanda and Indonesia, the book demonstrates in what way power is derived from how role…

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Jimmy Kimmel’s Return, the Fox-Barstool College Football Experiment, and Kamala’s Book Tour. Plus: Noah Eagle. 1:22:34

2M ago1:22:34

1:22:34

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss the return of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on Tuesday night (0:46) before reexamining the Fox-Barstool college football experiment and Kamala Harris's book tour (25:50). Finally, they are joined by NBC's Noah Eagle to discuss the highly anticipated Oregon–Penn State matchup this Saturday, capturing wacky finis…

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Fear After the Jimmy Kimmel Suspension, the Return of Olivia Nuzzi, and Presidential Campaign of Andy Beshear 1:04:11

2M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David discuss Vanity Fair hiring Olivia Nuzzi after she parted ways with New York magazine last year, continue untangling the Jimmy Kimmel situation, discuss the new rules for covering the Pentagon, and more (00:26). Then they share some football audio from the weekend, including Joe Davis’s call of Eagles defensiv…

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#129 The Decline of the West (Vol. II - Chapters IV-VI) - Oswald Spengler w/ Gabe Sinclair 2:09:30

2M ago2:09:30

2:09:30

Gabe Sinclair and I talk about the 'Cities and Peoples' section of the second volume of Spengler's The Decline of the West. Cities versus nomads, Spengler's particular definition of race, language, landscape, The Elder Scrolls, and a whole lot more. Gabe on X: @ezrarunnaround Tooky's Mag on X: @tookysmag VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION Jack has publishe…

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Jimmy Kimmel Is Suspended, Molly Qerim Leaves ESPN, and Ivan Maisel on the Cult of the College Football Coach 1:32:41

2M ago1:32:41

1:32:41

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel discuss ABC's decision to indefinitely suspend 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' (0:46), why The Washington Post fired columnist Karen Attiah, Molly Qerim's abrupt departure from ESPN, Tom Brady's glaring conflict of interest, and more (38:32). Then Bryan is joined by sports journalist and author Ivan Maisel to discuss his…

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Our Broken Media Ecosystem, Replay Reviews for Everyone, and Lachlan Cartwright of Breaker 51:02

3M ago51:02

51:02

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David examine the ways in which information about Charlie Kirk's killing has come out to the public (0:20), before they share some audio from the weekend in football, including Pat McAfee's rousing 'College GameDay' monologue, some instant replay insight from Clemson–Georgia Tech, the tush push getting on everyone'…

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Sleep Capricorn w/ Jack Norman 1:29:11

3M ago1:29:11

1:29:11

Sleep Capricorn is an absolutely fantastic short story collection by Jack Norman, to be published soon by Bonfire Books. Formally inventive with some of the best prose I've read in years, everyone should go get a copy from www.bonfirebooks.org. Jack on X: @Thingol2006 Jack on Substack: thingol.substack.com VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION Jack has publis…

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The Killing of Charlie Kirk, the Murdochs’ Real-Life Succession, and Three More Years of ‘Pardon the Interruption’ 1:01:46

3M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Bryan and Joel discuss the whirlwind of coverage around the killing of Charlie Kirk (1:13) before they give updates on the Trump vs. The Wall Street Journal saga (23:32), the extension for ESPN's 'Pardon the Interruption' (29:59), Rupert Murdoch's succession plan (38:54), the reporter caught in the middle of the college football AP poll outrage (44…

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NFL Opening Weekend Audio, the CBS News Blues, and Our Review of ‘The Paper’ 53:27

3M ago53:27

53:27

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David discuss news from CBS News, including more issues with edited interviews and Bari Weiss’s reported arrival (0:20). Then, they get into a tense moment on ‘Get Up!’ between Ryan Clark and Peter Schrager, some audio from NFL Week 1, J.J. Watt’s broadcast debut, and more (12:28). They also share their thoughts on…

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Localisation of Islamic Arts in Malaysia 22:50

3M ago22:50

22:50

The Malay world boasts a wealth of diverse cultures. The arrival of Islam in the Malay world during the 12th to 13th centuries permanently transformed the aesthetic landscape, and even European colonisation could not stem this change. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Prof. Julie Yu-Wen Chen from the University of Helsinki talks to Dr. Dz…

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#128 Cyclomancy: The Secret of Psychic Power Control - Frank Rudolph Young w/ Capitalisimo 2:20:10

3M ago2:20:10

2:20:10

Cyclomancy: The Secret of Psychic Power Control (1966) is a self-help book written to give readers access to their Primal Autoconscious. Why would someone want access to their Primal Autoconscious? Because they want to have psychic powers. And why would anyone want psychic powers? If the examples given in this book are anything to go by, to make su…

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Ruth E. Toulson, "Necropolitics of the Ordinary: Death and Grieving in Contemporary Singapore" (U Washington Press, 2024) 58:30

3M ago58:30

58:30

Can a state make its people forget the dead? Cemeteries have become sites of acute political contestation in the city-state of Singapore. Confronted with high population density and rapid economic growth, the government has ordered the destruction of all but one burial ground, forcing people to exhume their family members. In Necropolitics of the O…

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Eagles-Cowboys Audio and the Hock Heard Round the World. Plus, a New 25 for '25 With ESPN’s Domonique Foxworth. 1:45:32

3M ago1:45:32

1:45:32

Hello media consumers! Joel and Bryan discuss some of their many takeaways from the Eagles-Cowboys NFL opener (5:35), and a NFL TV preview covering Mike Tirico's first Super Bowl, the RedZone ad crisis, Tom Brady's second year at FOX, and J.J. Watt moving to the CBS booth (22:44). Then in a new edition of 25 for '25, Joel talks with Domonique Foxwo…

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Matthew Bowser, "Containing Decolonization: British Imperialism and the Politics of Race in Late Colonial Burma" (Manchester UP, 2025) 1:02:44

3M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

In Containing Decolonization: British Imperialism and the Politics of Race in Late Colonial Burma (Manchester University Press, 2025), historian Matthew Bowser examines British imperialism in late colonial Burma (from roughly 1929 to 1948) to study how imperialists attempted to protect their strategic and economic interests after decolonization: th…

Ivan And Stephen Podcasts