I was happy to read those nice words of appreciation from Gustavo. Despite his obsession with provoking In-n-Out fanboys on TwitterX, he is a true Southern California treasure. I somewhat begrudgingly agree that In-n-Out is overrated, but Gustavo's personal history of Orange County (2008) is even more underrated, especially by him.
I have attended several public events in which he's participated. One of the best was a matinee showing of the 1951 Emilio Fernández film, Víctimas del Pecado, in an arthouse theater in old downtown Santa Ana. The film was paired with a casual lunch featuring heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo as well as wonderful cooking from his wife's nearby market/cafe. Food, old movies, and engaging conversation about both; it was Gustavo (and Orange County) at his best.
I lived in Southern California when I was a small one. I had very fond memories of In-n-Out. I went back a few years ago and stopped by to get a little bite of nostalgia, prepared to be disappointed.
I honestly don't get the In-And-Out thing. I mean it is a good burger, but significantly better than other fast food burgers? No. I mean sometimes you want a Double-Double, sometimes Whopper, sometime a Quarter Pounder. They're all the same, just different. Definitely not worth the line wait unless you are really in the mood for one. Now the Double Western Bacon on the other hand...
I love the crossover between Gustavo and the 5th Column. And it’s coincidentally amusing you mentioned In & Out and Gustavo in the same comment:
Whenever I have a significant layover at LAX, I walk over to the In & Out on Sepúlveda to get my fix. Sure it’s just fast food, but there’s still something special about it. And if I have a LONGER layover than that, I visit my buddy in Santa Ana who usually takes me to Gustavo’s wife’s restaurant for some killer food. Last time I had the best cornbread this side of the Deep South. Once when we went, Gustavo was there chilling and I gave him shit about not carrying his books in the store area of the restaurant. I would’ve bought Ask A Mexican right then and there. He sort of just modestly sheepishly shrugged.
That's my local In-n-Out! A couple decades ago, the location was threatened by an airport expansion plan, which fortunately locals were able to get scaled down. It's a nice spot for a casual picnic, especially if you're into airplanes--almost directly under the landing approach for the north runway.
“He’s socially liberal, economically conservative, emphasizes hard work and disdains people who make excuses. Art doesn’t like taxes, mocks liberal pieties, but hates more than anything the anti-Mexican rants that Republicans are fond of these days.”
I wonder if any of you have read The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge by Matt Ridley? I find Ridley a fascinating guy and a lively thinker. His chapter on Free Will and the changes that will occur to our way of criminal justice just blew my mind.
I would love to hear y'all talk with him about music's evolution and religion and shit.
Anyway, yay for Col. Gustavo for the shoutout to Matt and Taco, USA.
Had dinner with him after his episode of Inside the Actors Studio and we talked about his time at Yale. He’s kind of brilliant, and incredibly prescient. He saw the way literature study was going the first time we went through the great Wokening in the 80s-90s, and thought criticism was just not for him. But he adored Bloom...
Re: Italy's Years of Lead that Moynihan discussed on the last show:
I've been watching "Cars of the People" with Top Gear alum James May (very fun pop history and a lot more Commie-bashing than I expected from the socialista of the trio). The first episode is initially "Cars of the Regime" rather than of the people - Volkswagen, Trabbant, until the Soviets finally got their (semi-)functional people's car in the Lada, by way of a Russianized Fiat 124. Whether Fiat was hedging their bets on the outcome of the Cold War, or trying to pacify factory floor Red Brigade agitators, who's to say for sure.
What is the story with Chris Rufo anyway? I heard him on the Michael Shermer podcast. He didn’t seem like a wacko for the most part. His arguments were coherent and made sense until he brought up The Meatball Midget. The only thing that was BS was his defense of meatball DeSantis who has gone after Disney. What is libertarian about a governor messing with a private company no matter what nonsense the company says? Rufo is a fool to stay with the meat ball.
Rufo talks out of both sides of his mouth. He is capable of sounding like a person with reasonable concerns about left-wing attacks on academic freedom. (He's also done great work exposing some weird woke excesses).
But when he talks about (or implements) solutions, he proposes fighting them with his own attacks on academic freedom.
I see you are correct about Rufo not being a libertarian. You are so correct about not using the tools of the state to score points on your enemies. Seems that Rufo has no problem with the Meatball using those tools. What a putz.
I have had that Sting song in my head too. Strange example of a song that is so pretentious and corny that only someone as famous and talented as Sting could get away with writing a song that bad and still having it get airplay.
I’m still annoyed they put an Expos hat on Andre Dawson. FFS. There’s some element of the modern phenomenon of “everyone gets a trophy” mindset there, of Cooperstown towards the Montréal franchise.
Fucking breakfast burritos, man. Why eat eggs any other way?
Edit: Actually, eggs are delicious many different ways. Breakfast burritos are something truly special, yes, not that's no call to denigrate the remarkable versatility of the humble egg. Hard, soft, Benedict, scrambled, in dough, stri rfry, breading, deviled, poached, pickled, hollandaise, frittata, shakshuka, egg-in-a-hole, omelet, béarnaise, carbonara, mousse, egg-white cocktails, creme brûlée, soufflé.
Eggs are a god-damned miracle. I may be drunk and hungry for a breakfast burrito, but that's no excuse. I vow to *do better*.
Too late for the Cooperstown playlist! If I had known it was coming, I would have agitated for the ihttps://youtu.be/2L9IV726G3o
inclusion of Sam Bush's great "Hey Ozzie". Sam's from Bowling Green, KY, rife with Cards fans.
I was happy to read those nice words of appreciation from Gustavo. Despite his obsession with provoking In-n-Out fanboys on TwitterX, he is a true Southern California treasure. I somewhat begrudgingly agree that In-n-Out is overrated, but Gustavo's personal history of Orange County (2008) is even more underrated, especially by him.
I have attended several public events in which he's participated. One of the best was a matinee showing of the 1951 Emilio Fernández film, Víctimas del Pecado, in an arthouse theater in old downtown Santa Ana. The film was paired with a casual lunch featuring heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo as well as wonderful cooking from his wife's nearby market/cafe. Food, old movies, and engaging conversation about both; it was Gustavo (and Orange County) at his best.
I lived in Southern California when I was a small one. I had very fond memories of In-n-Out. I went back a few years ago and stopped by to get a little bite of nostalgia, prepared to be disappointed.
I was not.
I honestly don't get the In-And-Out thing. I mean it is a good burger, but significantly better than other fast food burgers? No. I mean sometimes you want a Double-Double, sometimes Whopper, sometime a Quarter Pounder. They're all the same, just different. Definitely not worth the line wait unless you are really in the mood for one. Now the Double Western Bacon on the other hand...
I love the crossover between Gustavo and the 5th Column. And it’s coincidentally amusing you mentioned In & Out and Gustavo in the same comment:
Whenever I have a significant layover at LAX, I walk over to the In & Out on Sepúlveda to get my fix. Sure it’s just fast food, but there’s still something special about it. And if I have a LONGER layover than that, I visit my buddy in Santa Ana who usually takes me to Gustavo’s wife’s restaurant for some killer food. Last time I had the best cornbread this side of the Deep South. Once when we went, Gustavo was there chilling and I gave him shit about not carrying his books in the store area of the restaurant. I would’ve bought Ask A Mexican right then and there. He sort of just modestly sheepishly shrugged.
That's my local In-n-Out! A couple decades ago, the location was threatened by an airport expansion plan, which fortunately locals were able to get scaled down. It's a nice spot for a casual picnic, especially if you're into airplanes--almost directly under the landing approach for the north runway.
The Dennis Miller show is a treasure trove of great SNL interviews.
Can someone define a “Rancho Libertarian” for me? Because... I have a sneaking feeling I may be one.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-arellano-chicanosaurus-20180307-story.html
“He’s socially liberal, economically conservative, emphasizes hard work and disdains people who make excuses. Art doesn’t like taxes, mocks liberal pieties, but hates more than anything the anti-Mexican rants that Republicans are fond of these days.”
Yep. This sounds good.
I kind of want to appropriate the idea but re-cast it for east coast Jews like myself. Maybe I’ll start saying I’m a shtetl libertarian.
You may enjoy this guy’s podcast (appears to be on hiatus, but he has dozens in the tank).
Here’s his episode with Matt! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/los-libertinos/id1567202220?i=1000579626504
After reading the description, so do I.
Outro music honorable mention: Sinead O’Connor
Was gonna, but the episode we're currently tech-rescuing has plenty of O'Discussion, so didn't want to pre-empt.
My goodness, whose computer keeps assassinating your episodes?
It's not about individual computers, it's about the underlying recording software/provider.
Based on the beginnung of today’s Reason Roundtable my suspect list is narrowing.
Now that I’ve listened - actual LOL.
I think it’s the same one that amplifies the sound of bottles or cans opening and ice clinking in glasses...I think
I actually like that sonic element. Used to be more prominent in the earlier episodes.
Hey gents, and Matt.
I wonder if any of you have read The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge by Matt Ridley? I find Ridley a fascinating guy and a lively thinker. His chapter on Free Will and the changes that will occur to our way of criminal justice just blew my mind.
I would love to hear y'all talk with him about music's evolution and religion and shit.
Anyway, yay for Col. Gustavo for the shoutout to Matt and Taco, USA.
Never heard of Harold Bloom before but oh my god I hope I have his affect which I’m old. What a gem.
He was David Duchovny’s teacher and graduate advisor. Which is kind of cool.
No kidding! I love that!
Had dinner with him after his episode of Inside the Actors Studio and we talked about his time at Yale. He’s kind of brilliant, and incredibly prescient. He saw the way literature study was going the first time we went through the great Wokening in the 80s-90s, and thought criticism was just not for him. But he adored Bloom...
Matt's show notes are almost as encyclopedic as they are procrastination-inducing. You're nuking my deadlines, dude.
Re: Italy's Years of Lead that Moynihan discussed on the last show:
I've been watching "Cars of the People" with Top Gear alum James May (very fun pop history and a lot more Commie-bashing than I expected from the socialista of the trio). The first episode is initially "Cars of the Regime" rather than of the people - Volkswagen, Trabbant, until the Soviets finally got their (semi-)functional people's car in the Lada, by way of a Russianized Fiat 124. Whether Fiat was hedging their bets on the outcome of the Cold War, or trying to pacify factory floor Red Brigade agitators, who's to say for sure.
Gawddamnit Matt now that song is stuck in MY head too
What is the story with Chris Rufo anyway? I heard him on the Michael Shermer podcast. He didn’t seem like a wacko for the most part. His arguments were coherent and made sense until he brought up The Meatball Midget. The only thing that was BS was his defense of meatball DeSantis who has gone after Disney. What is libertarian about a governor messing with a private company no matter what nonsense the company says? Rufo is a fool to stay with the meat ball.
Rufo talks out of both sides of his mouth. He is capable of sounding like a person with reasonable concerns about left-wing attacks on academic freedom. (He's also done great work exposing some weird woke excesses).
But when he talks about (or implements) solutions, he proposes fighting them with his own attacks on academic freedom.
Rufo is just another two faced creep. I get the guy now.
I see you are correct about Rufo not being a libertarian. You are so correct about not using the tools of the state to score points on your enemies. Seems that Rufo has no problem with the Meatball using those tools. What a putz.
I have had that Sting song in my head too. Strange example of a song that is so pretentious and corny that only someone as famous and talented as Sting could get away with writing a song that bad and still having it get airplay.
I’m still annoyed they put an Expos hat on Andre Dawson. FFS. There’s some element of the modern phenomenon of “everyone gets a trophy” mindset there, of Cooperstown towards the Montréal franchise.
Fucking breakfast burritos, man. Why eat eggs any other way?
Edit: Actually, eggs are delicious many different ways. Breakfast burritos are something truly special, yes, not that's no call to denigrate the remarkable versatility of the humble egg. Hard, soft, Benedict, scrambled, in dough, stri rfry, breading, deviled, poached, pickled, hollandaise, frittata, shakshuka, egg-in-a-hole, omelet, béarnaise, carbonara, mousse, egg-white cocktails, creme brûlée, soufflé.
Eggs are a god-damned miracle. I may be drunk and hungry for a breakfast burrito, but that's no excuse. I vow to *do better*.
....Egg nog, scotch eggs, clafoutis, Florentine pizza, rancheros, quiche, Lorraine, shirred, basted, Spanish-fried.
Come for the podcast, stay for Scotsman’s egg rants 🤷🏻
Egg salad sandwiches. Fried egg sandwiches.
Eggs-in-a-hole is a favorite.
Avocado toast with sunny-side-up eggs with chili pepper and a spritz of lime is a favorite!
But not an Egg Cream.
*indignant Matt Welch noises*