Episode 73 - Less Than Normal

Election predictions, with a normal degree of confidence. Plus: pumpkins, cheesecake, Utah. George's North Carolina early-vote tracker Votecaster: George's election-night Senate needles Don Moynihan's giant Ann Arbor pumpkins

College football acts normal. Ed reveals the Hobby Acquisition Algorithm. Also: some random memories and the semiconductor industry's toilet problem. Then: butts. Show notes: North Carolina early-vote dashboard; Carolina Forward; EUV explainer; Toto and semiconductor ceramics; Scott Colom's beef ad.

Grab bag (contains at least one Politics, probably an Econ). Canada has the water. We have some ideas about staffing. Airline reporter mentioned on the show: @wanderme.paxex.aero.

Ugarles joins us to talk meats, football, and SCOTUS. Alito has grievances, Roberts has neighbors, and retiring at the right time turns out to be part of the job. Plus: major questions doctrine, lower-court obedience, and the difference between calling balls and strikes and being a super mod. Find Charles on Bluesky and at his link hub, including his 52+1 podcast appearance challenge. Listen to No Homework with Patrick Cosmos and L. Ron Mexico, and City Saint/Country Saint with L. Ron Mexico. Also plugged: Ape Shit, Carrie McLaren's zine about humans and other primates. Its first issue examines Helping Hands' helper-monkey program. Available from OR Books.

This is a normal amount to think about an Idaho Senate race, I don't know what you're talking about. Donate to Todd Achilles’s campaign.

Musicology Duck returns with a unifying theory of Trump's inner playlist! Also: architecture in the DMV, midterm polling, and diesel prices. Follow Musicology Duck.

Why every enterprise open-weight model is bad, digging holes in your yard, consumer AI and warfare, the Amodei Pause, capex math, and dayenu on the models. Lowtax turns up late with a dispatch on Ian Paisley Jr. Plus Cascadia subduction, the generic ballot, and the correct amount of Tajin.

This week: leatherwork. Ed tries on a harness, George does some shoe-leather reporting, and we kick around the ol' pigskin. Also: an old coinage, and a departure reviewed. Links: Polytoken · Sky Marchini, harassed over heavy sour crude

This week: the Lake Effect and CBC comes packing. The Men investigate pheromone-maxxing, chicken-tender nation, and (unfortunately) data centers. Links: Shiv Ramdas's Rice Truck thread · George's Jerome Powell shirt

This week: a brief exploration of comparative religion and the lost art of letter-writing. George teaches us about USMCA and les dangers du Québec. Ed thinks they should cut the power. Also: Dude Wipes. Links: George on Canadian supply management (FT) · Hailey · Sky Marchini, owed an apology · Fatal Attraction