EP 395: Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin Bring Back Musical Variety
Diallo Riddle and and Bashir Salahuddin channeled their nostalgia musical variety shows like Soul Train and Solid Gold into a hilarious new parody series Sherman's Showcase on IFC. They reveal how they lured artists like John Legend to the show and why all musicians are secretly aspiring comedians. They recall drinking with Lorne Michaels, writing sketches for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and how Sherman's Showcase gave them an opportunity to do all the sketches that were
EP 394: Richard Clarke and Robert Knake on Cyber War
Richard A. Clarke and Robert K. Knake have served as the top cyber security experts to three Presidents, and they discuss their new book The Fifth Domain: Defending Our Country, Our Companies, and Ourselves in the Age of Cyber Threats. They discuss Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and say that Russia will almost certainly try it again in 2020. They warn against the folly of continuing to allow local state bureaucrats to ensure the integrity of America’s electronic
EP 393: Author Daniel Silva's Spy Fiction Mirrors Geopolitics
#1 Best-selling spy novelist Daniel Silva's books closely mirror world events, and he reveals how the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi led him to toss out 250 pages of his latest novel and start over. The New Girl is the 19th book in his wildly successful Gabriel Allon series, and he says that he never imagined that his most popular character would last more than one book. Daniel discusses the similarities and differences between his fictional Saudi Prince and the bruta
EP 392: MSNBC's Joy Reid Talks Trump and 2020
Joy Ann-Reid is the host of MSNBC's A.M. Joy and she discusses her new book The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story. She says only a New Yorker who lived in the city during the turbulent 70s and 80s can truly understand the rise of Donald Trump. She likens that era to the lawlessness of Gotham City, and says that if NYC is Gotham than Trump is the Joker sowing chaos at every opportunity. She tells the story of her parents' immigration from
EP 391: Guy Kawasaki on Marketing, Macintosh, and More
Silicon Valley icon Guy Kawasaki recalls his childhood in Hawaii, his start in the jewelry business, and how his skills at jewelry sales came in surprisingly handy when he became chief evangelist for Macintosh. He talks about personally witnessing the genius and dark side of Apple founder Steve Jobs, he shares some rules that he calls "the Gospel According to Steve," and opens up about the argument that led him to quit Apple in the 90s. He talks about honor and honesty in th
EP 390: CNN's Jim Acosta on "Fake News" and Freedom of the Press
In the President's campaign against what he calls “Fake News,” CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta has become public enemy number one, but Acosta warns that Trump's attacks on the press could have dangerous consequences for America. Jim reveals some of the tricks that the White House uses to skew media coverage and avoid tough questions, and he says that the President’s war on the truth is changing journalism itself as reporters have to do double-duty as "real-t
EP 389: Adam Savage Builds, Blows Up, and Has a Blast
Adam Savage (Mythbusters, Mythbusters Junior) talks about building a working prototype of Marvel’s Iron Man suit for his new series Savage Builds and what it was like to fly around with tiny jet engines strapped to his forearms. He discusses how Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson helped him take to the skies in a real World War I dogfight, why Adam's attempt recreate one of World War II’s most bizarre contraptions was less than successful, and how it served as a lesson in
Rerun: The Daily Show's Trevor Noah
Today's episode is a rerun of a previous podcast that aired December 3, 2018 with guest Trevor Noah. Trevor talks about his standup special TREVOR NOAH: SON OF PATRICIA and why he dedicated it to his mom whom he calls “the first comedian that he ever saw” and “most gangster human being you’ll ever meet in your life.” He discusses growing up in South Africa during Apartheid, the power of humor to fight oppression, and why he believes that hateful words aren’t nearly as impo
EP 388: George Will on the Conservative Sensibility
Pulitzer Prize-winning Conservative columnist George Will answers the fundamental question “what is it that conservatives mean to conserve" and suggests that modern conservatives are losing sight of that purpose. He extolls James Madison’s belief in the importance of natural rights and government’s role in protecting them, and he makes that case against his fellow Princetonian Woodrow Wilson as the person who did the most to unravel the Founders’ vision. George discusses hi
