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David Mamet on Jazz, Noir, and Whorehouse Piano Players Mar 26, 2018

Show notes

David Mamet discusses how the old gangster stories he heard as a child inspired him to write CHICAGO: A NOVEL. He talks about his love of classic noir and hot jazz, and dislike of social media, computers, and flowery prose. He shares why famous figures are better felt than heard in historical fiction, why he says Hollywood is dead, and why he never reads his own reviews. He teases his latest play about Harvey Weinstein, and reveals his longing to live as a reporter in the 1920’s and die as a whorehouse piano player with a whiskey and a cigarette.

Order David Mamet's new book CHICAGO: A NOVEL on Amazon. Today's podcast was sponsored by Google Cloud Platform podcast, AppRiver, Breach podcast, Quip, Google Cloud Spanner, and Hair Regrowth from Just for Men.

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Futurist Michio Kaku on Mars, Immortality, and Interstellar Travel Mar 22, 2018

Show notes

Futurist Michio Kaku says sooner or later humanity will face the possibility of extinction, and it’s up to scientists to come up with a plan B whether it’s another planet or even another galaxy. He explains why it’s important for us to return to the moon, how we would go about terraforming Mars, and what he calls the new "gold rush" that could fund NASA indefinitely. He shares his theory on why we haven’t encountered alien life and where humans fit in on his hierarchy of civilizations. Michio Kaku describes the three ways the universe will almost certainly die, but says in the meantime immortality might be just around the corner. Plus he gives me a progress update on what he calls his life’s work proving Einstein’s Unified Theory of Everything.

Order Michio Kaku's book The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth on Amazon. Keep up with him at www.mkaku.org and follow him on Twitter at @michiokaku. Today's podcast was sponsored by Grasshopper, Policy Genius, Google Cloud Platform, and Hulu's The Looming Tower.

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Bizarre Foods Host Andrew Zimmern Mar 19, 2018

Show notes

Andrew Zimmern host of Bizarre Foods on The Travel Channel talks about how he became the man who’ll eat anything and some of the weirdest foods he’s tried over the years. He reveals some of the strangest delicacies that turned out to be surprisingly good and whether he’s finally learned to love his old nemesis - the infamously stinky durian fruit. He’ll discuss his broader mission to spread tolerance and understanding because as he puts it, "social change often starts with our stomachs." He recalls how he went from living on the streets to globe trotting on The Travel Channel, he explains why his newest show The Zimmern List is his most personal one yet, and why he finally decided to share the one special restaurant that he swore he’d never reveal to the public. Plus, Andrew discusses why freshness matters when eating testicles, the best bird fetus he ever ate, and two words...snake wine.

The Zimmern List airs Tuesdays 9 p.m. ET/PT on The Travel Channel. To learn more, visit www.travelchannel.com. You can also check out lots of other cool stuff at www.AndrewZimmern.com and follow Andrew on twitter at @AndrewZimmern. This podcast was sponsored by Grasshopper, ZQ uiet, Google Cloud Platform Weekly Podcast, and VMWare Executive Perspective Podcast.

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Robert Malley Lists 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2018 Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

Robert Malley, president of the International Crisis Group, discusses ICG's annual list of the 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2018. He cautions against Donald Trump’s bluster about decertifying the Iran Nuclear Deal, warns that the stakes in North Korea are too high to be ignored, and speculates on what will happen in Syria once ISIS has been defeated militarily. He reveals why he thinks a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unlikely and how his childhood practically destined him for a life in crisis resolution.

Visit www.crisisgroup.org to learn more about the International Crisis Group, and follow Robert Malley and ICG on twitter at @Rob_Malley and @CrisisGroup. This podcast was sponsored by Grasshopper, Squarespace, and Google Cloud Platform.

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Comedian Nikki Glaser Is Up and On the Radio Mar 12, 2018

Show notes

Comedian Nikki Glaser talks about the worst week of her life, why she’s steering clear of politics for a while, and why she decided to move to NYC rather than get up early. She reveals why she likes long distance relationships, why she prefers to follow really good comedians, and why she’s banned from Urban Outfitters. Plus, how Nikki sorta saved my relationship.

Her new radio show YOU UP WITH NIKKI GLASER airs Monday through Thursday from 10:00 A.M to Noon ET and 7-9A.M. PT to 9:00 A.M. PT on SiriusXM’s Comedy Central Radio Channel 95. Keep up with Nikki at www.NikkiGlaser.com and follow her on twitter at @NikkiGlaser. This podcast was sponsored by AppRiver, Linked In Jobs, Just for Men Hair Regrowth and Google Cloud Platform.

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Steve Buscemi, Armando Ianucci, & Andrea Riseborough on The Death of Stalin Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

The cast and creator of THE DEATH OF STALIN talk about mining one of Russia’s darkest chapters for comedy and some of absurd but true stories that make into THE DEATH OF STALIN. Writer/director Armando Ianucci (VEEP, THE THICK OF IT) talks about how fighting ruthless authoritarians is a family tradition for him, why Russian officials think his movie is part of a western plot destabilize that country, and why the creator of VEEP is finally ready to give politics a break for a while.

Steve Buscemi (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, RESERVOIR DOGS, FARGO) discusses playing Nikita Kruschev in THE DEATH OF STALIN, his early career in standup comedy, how he says Stalin’s inner circle was more like The Three Stooges, and why his old AOL account is the best insurance against Russia hackers. Andrea Riseborough (BIRDMAN, OBLIVION)who portrays Svetlana Stalina talks about the illusive relationship between the ruthless dictator and his daughter and some of her favorite British comedies.

THE DEATH OF STALIN opens in theaters on Friday, March 9. For more information, visit www.DeathOfStalin.co.uk or www.ifcfilms.com. Today’s podcast was sponsored by Grasshopper, ZQuiet, Hulu's The Looming Tower, Google Cloud Platform Podcast, and the VMWare Executive Perspective Podcast.

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Cass Sunstein on Authoritarianism in America Mar 05, 2018

Show notes

Cass Sunstein attempts to answer the question "Can authoritarianism happen in America?" He discusses a few of America’s past flirtations with authoritarianism, some of the weaknesses in our system that could be exploited by an aspiring strongman, and why if it did happen, it would likely be a very gradual process instead of a bold power-grab. He talks about the ways that tribalism, nationalism and conspiracy theories create a fertile breeding ground for authoritarianism, he reveals whether he thinks President Trump secretly aspires to that sort of power, and America's most cited legal scholar weighs in on the Trump-Russia investigation.

Order Cass Sunstein's book Can It Happen Here?: Authoritarianism in America on Amazon and follow him on Twitter at @CassSunstein. Today's podcast is sponsored by The Big Question with Cal Fussman, Quip, AppRiver, and Google Cloud AI.

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Matt Ingebretson & Jake Weisman Go Corporate Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman, the stars and co-creators of the new Comedy Central series CORPORATE talk about their own experiences in corporate America and the irony doing their new show for corporate conglomerate Viacom. They discuss why they wanted a darker tone than typical workplace comedies, how they convinced Lance Reddick to play their tyranical boss, and why they took on the one holiday you that can’t make fun of in their season finale. Plus Matt and Jake talk about development hell, marvel at the modern wonder of a simple banana, and reveal why everyone’s a number at Amazon.

CORPORATE airs Wednesdays at 10/9Central on Comedy Central. For more information, go to www.cc.com/shows/corporate. Follow Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman on Twitter at @mattingebretson and @weismanjake. Today's podcast was sponsored by Google Cloud AI, The Looming Tower on Hulu, and Grasshopper.

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Gloria Allred Was Saying Time's Up Long Ago Feb 26, 2018

Show notes

Attorney Gloria Allred was fighting for women long before anyone ever hashtagged Me Too or Time's Up, and she's the subject of a new Netflix documentary Seeing Allred. She reveals how her own personal experience inspired to fight for victims assault, harassment, and discrimination. She addresses critics who say she just does it all for the publicity, and explains that for many of her clients such as the Cosby accusers, a "trial" in the court of public opinion may be the only justice they can get. She talks about how that's changing with a new California law that extends the statute of limitations for sexual assault, she discusses why she decided to represent the family of Nicole Brown Simpson during the O.J. trial, and she gives an update on her client Summer Zervos’s pending defamation suit against President Donald Trump. Plus she talks about her surprisingly cordial relationship with defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, the battle of the Friar’s Club steam room, and why so many people call her "Senator."

Watch Seeing Allred on Netflix now, and keep up with Gloria Allred at www.gloriaallred.com or on Twitter at @GloriaAllred. Today's podcast was sponsored by App River, Grasshopper, Just for Men Hair Regrowth, Z Quiet, and Google Cloud Platform podcast.

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Comedian Ali Siddiq Goes from Jail to Jokes Feb 22, 2018

Show notes

20 years ago comedian Ali Siddiq served six years in the Texas state penitentiary, and now he’s returning to the cellblock for his new Comedy Central standup special Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars. On today’s podcast, Ali talks about the incident that landed behind bars, and why he says “mental prison” is far worse than physical prison. He discusses how he started his comedy career by telling funny stories to his fellow prisoners, how he convinced the Bell County Jail to let him back in for his new standup special, and some of the surprising changes he saw in both the inmates and their guards. He recalls starting out in showbusiness on the modern day equivalent of the “chitlin' circuit,” reveals why his favorite comics are all old white guys, and answers which is the tougher audience…comedy club-goers or hardened criminals.

Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than These Bars premieres on Friday, February 23 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern on Comedy Central. Check out Ali's upcoming live dates at www.alisiddiq.com and follow him on Twitter at @Ali_Speaks. Today's podcast was sponsored by Google Cloud Platform, Grasshopper, SeatGeek, and Adiamor.com.

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