Something's Off With Andrew Heaton

Highlights from Christmas comedy specials of years gone by. Enjoy!

It's the sixth annual comedy Christmas special! Underwritten by Snuffy's (Off Route 44).   This year's Christmas special includes: Muppets, Artificial Intelligence, circumcision, a robotic horse, and beloved English actors.   Enjoy!   Link for Christmas Zoom: www.mightyheaton.com/christmas   Venmo: andrew-heaton-1   PayPal: andrew@mightyheaton.com     PREVIOUS CHRISTMAS SPECIALS   Snuffy's Explosion-Proof Christmas - https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/snuffys-explosion-proof-christmas   A Rather Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-political-orphanage/id1439837349?i=1000545755269   A Grander Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-grander-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=1000503286243   Another Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/another-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=1000460559897   A Very Snuffy's Christsmas - https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/ep-30-a-very-snuffys-christmas-0

Deed restrictions allow you to make contractual obligations with other homeowners–often, dead ones. How do deed restrictions and HOA’s drive up housing costs and hurt density? How do we allow private contracts to exist without running into the downsides of neighborhood covenants. Chris Gannon works with the American Institute of Architects on their Housing Committee. He joins to discuss.

Chris Moody and his wife called their telecom provider, to ask that their Internet service be scrapped, and replaced by a landline. They do not have cell reception on the mountain where they live, so eschew wifi and the world wide web in favor of a single hardwired phone inside their home. Chris joins the show to discuss how the change affected his lifestyle and happiness, and offer advice on what others can do. REFERENCES:  TPO: Would You Shut Down the Internet If You Could? https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/would-you-shut-down-the-internet-if-you-could The Atlantic: Life Is Really Better Without the Internet, by Chris Moody https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/11/home-internet-landline-amazon-smartphone/676070/ Reason: Essentials for Van Life, by Chris Moody https://reason.com/2023/11/09/17-essentials-for-van-life/ Funny! “When Life was Simple” from Harry & Paul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqE9TS4jsJM How to Grayscale Your Phone https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-enable-grayscale-

Juries have the ability to vote “not guilty” even when it’s clear the accused violated established law. If a jury judges a law as unjust and refuses to convict, is that a needed recourse within our judicial system, or contrary to objective and universal justice?  Attorney Paul Townsend joins to discuss.

This Thanksgiving Brian Brushwood joins to discuss the many ways an average American's life is more comfortable, affluent, and magical than the vast majority of human history--including that of pharaohs and kings.   BOOKS: This episode relies heavily on "The Rational Optimist" by Matt Ridley, "Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know" by Ron Bailey, and "The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Stephen Pinker, and "Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think" by Peter H. Diamandis. All great books that present convincing stats on the positive trajectory of the world. They're all linked to at www.mightyheaton.com/featured   RELATED INTERVIEWS: Matt Ridley on Rational Optimism Ron Bailey on Positive Trends

How many nuclear bombs do we actually need to sufficiently scare an enemy? How many is too many? If we agree to reduce our stockpiles… how can we trust that the other guy really did? Travis Halleman is an expert on nuclear deterrence, and joins to discuss.    Links:   Who Actually Survives a Nuclear War: https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-actually-war-71978682?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare_creator   Ward Wilson: Everything You Know About Nukes is Wrong https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/ep-133-everything-you-know-about-nukes-is-wrong-guest/id1439837349?i=1000440171975   Political Orphanage Primer on Foreign Policy: https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/liberals-realists-and-the-real-cause-of-war   Mark Galeotti - https://warontherocks.com/author/mark-galeotti/

Cenk Uygur is a flame-throwing progressive pundit, host of The Young Turks, co-founder of Justice Democrats, and author of “Justice is Coming: How Progressives Are Going to Take Over The Country And America Is Going to Love It.” He joins to discuss his book, polemics, and his possible presidential run.  “Was Abraham Lincoln Leftwing or Rightwing?” https://podcasts.apple.com/gr/podcast/was-abraham-lincoln-leftwing-or-rightwing/id1439837349?i=1000613342722 Cenk’s book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured  

Gene Epstein is the founder and moderator of the Soho Forum, a debate society, and is the former Economics editor at Barron’s. He joins to discuss the nature of trickle down economics, its proponents and detractors, and the biggest factors in political economy which lead to inequality. LINKS : Soho Forum https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-soho-forum-debates/id1485021246

What happens when your religious, ethnic, and political identities converge into a mega identity? Dannagal Goldthwaite Young is the author of  "Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive our Appetite for Misinformation." She joins to discuss identity, and how it leads to misinformation.  Her book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured Previous appearance: “Late Night Comedy vs. The Outrage Industry” https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/late-night-comedy-vs-the-outrage-industry

Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology and neurobiology at at Stanford University, and the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. He is the author of "Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will." He joins to discuss the case against free will, and its societal implications.  Robert’s Book at www.mightyheaton.com/featured Socrates Sketch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2QrrYug_VQ&t=35s The Emperor Claudius https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/emperor-claudius-killed-a-whale/id1596616667?i=1000546859060&l=ru

Michael Glennon is the author of “National Security and Double Government.” He joins to discuss the growth of America’s national security apparatus, and how it functionally upends Madisonian democracy while leaving constitutional rhetoric in tact. Support the Show! Patreon.com/andrewheaton Glennon’s book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured LINKS: Charles Cooke on Abolishing the FBI Ron Paul on Foreign Policy and the Deep State

Randy Barnett is one of America’s foremost jurists, and a professor at Georgetown Law. He joins to discussed unenumerated rights, in the context of the 9th and 10th amendments.  SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Randy Barnett’s books at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured Law Episodes Collection: https://www.patreon.com/collection/140707    

Depending on whether society treats people primarily as individuals or as identity groups has deep ramifications for worldviews, government policy, and the long-term health of society. Yascha Mounk is the author of “The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in our Time.” He joins to discuss. Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured “When Wokes and Racists Actually Agree on Everything” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev373c7wSRg

Antipathy towards communism tends to come from its consequences–liberal democracy and markets have yielded greater prosperity, so we should embrace them over socialism. Michael Malice posits a different argument–that regardless of consequence, the Soviet Union and allied communists were evil from the get go, and should be remembered and condemned for it. He is the author of “The White Pill: A Tale of Good and Evil.” He joins to discuss. Michael’s book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured "Adults Are Talking with Andrew Heaton" on YouTube Adults Are Talking with Andrew Heaton | Ep 1 "Adults Are Talking with Andrew Heaton" on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/status/1704993914900406574 REFERENCED EPISODES: "Who Actually Survives a Nuclear War?" https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-actually-war-71978682?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare_creator   "How to Destroy a Country in Four Years: Cambodia" https://www.patreon.com/posts/how-to-destroy-55904459  

Emmy-award winning journalist John Stossel joins the Political Orphanage to talk about journalism and politics. Stossel’s career spans work on ABC News, Fox Business, and Reason TV. He's the winner of five national press award and 19 Emmies. His YouTube show, Stossel TV, appears every Tuesday. Buck Shwartzmore for 7th Floor Fire Marshall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdcRCj9QBtg&t=1s  

Guy Standing stipulates that we should not think of property as either being private or state controlled, but ought to think of a third category: the commons. The commons is something wholly distinctive from either, and ought to be preserved. He joins to discuss this concept, outlined in his book, “Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto For Sharing Public Weath.” Support the show! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured

What’s life like for a high schooler who’s home town gets invaded by a foreign army? Ali Ali was living in historic Babylon, in Iraq, during the War on Terror. He joins to discuss what an invasion is like, what life is like in a lawless state, and his interpretations of the United States as an immigrant to it.    https://abzu.blog/

How do energy experts approach energy? Are there good sources and bad sources? What should we try to abolish and what should we lob subsidies at?   Dr. Michael Webber is a professor of Energy Resources and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of more than 500 scientific articles, columns, and books, including op-eds for the New York Times and Scientific American.    

Recently former intelligence officer David Grusch appeared before Congress, and made the bold claims that the U.S. government owns multiple recovered extraterrestrial vehicles, as well as "biotics"--which is to say, alien bodies. How credible are these assertions, and how should the government respond to UFO's in general? Brian Dunning is the host of The Skeptoid podcast, and host of the new film "The UFO Movie THEY Don't Want You To See." Links:    Brian Dunning’s “The UFO Movie THEY Don’t Want You To See” https://www.briandunning.com/ufo/   TPO: Why UFOs are in the News  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-ufos-are-in-the-news/id1439837349?i=1000489860085   Heaton’s novel, Frank Got Abducted https://www.amazon.com/Frank-Got-Abducted-Andrew-Heaton-ebook/dp/B00HSE9OZI/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=qNkeY&content-id=amzn1.sym.ed85217c-14c9-4aa0-b248-e47393e2ce12&pf_rd_p=ed85217c-14c9-4aa0-b248-e47393e2ce12&pf_rd_r=136-0886507-5175312&pd_rd_wg=1QCog&pd_rd_r=70c12931-a2c0-4e79-b4a1-130dac