In Lieu of Fun: #DogShirtTV
In Lieu of Fun began as a pandemic project from Benjamin Wittes and Kate Klonick, offering conversation and company during the early coronavirus crisis. The hosts invited friends to join them for informal discussions when people needed something to do and someone to listen to. Although the original crisis passed, the show continued, with Wittes wearing dog shirts every day. It evolved into a casual, ongoing chat under the #DogShirtTV banner. The podcast is hosted on Acast.
Episodes
Ben and the Chorus
Wherein Ben, bereft of cohosts, chats with Greek Chorus members about Albertan separatism, Russian diesel, and how to pronounce the name of Trump's new press secretary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Law as Code with Scott Shapiro
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg welcome Scott Shapiro to discuss his new work on computational jurisprudence, using computer logic to analyze the law. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Debating Communism
Wherein Holly Berkley Fletcher recently had a formal debate with a communist organizer, so she and Ben discuss the role of communist movements in a democratic society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hittites and Italians with Ada Palmer
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg welcome Ada Palmer to tell us about a newly uncovered Hittite archive and the death spirals of medieval Italian merchant republics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hell Tourist Industry
Wherein Ben opines on the nature of political prophylaxis, and Holly Berkley Fletcher reports on people who claim to have had visions of hell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Espionage and Execution
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher discuss the moral contradictions revealed by the failed execution of Christa Pike, and Julia Curlee comes on to discuss the news that a former German spy chief was a double agent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Political Realignments
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and Jonathan Rauch discuss the nature of the political realignment that has led to the rise of the far right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Vance, Brazil, and Poop
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus discuss the moral consistency of JD Vance, the runoff election in Brazil, and an app called "Poopie." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Dyed Red Hair Club
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, Anna Bower, and the Greek Chorus debate which Greek Chorus Foundation goal merits dyeing Ben's hair red and discuss exactly how to do so. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The March Against the Arch
Wherein Holly Berkley Fletcher joins us live from the protest against Trump's arch, and Ben, Anastasiia Lapatina, and the Greek Chorus discuss targeting of civilian infrastructure in wartime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When To Speak
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and Mike Feinberg discuss Jack Smith's decision to testify before Congress about his prosecution of Trump and why other former Biden officials have chosen differently. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Writing Speeches with Sarah Gruen
Wherein Ben and Andrew Steele welcome Sarah Gruen, a UN speechwriter, to discuss the role of speechwriters in democratic communication. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Furry News with Max Johnston
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher discuss evangelical anger at Aslan being voiced by Meryl Streep and welcome Max Johnston to discuss the plague of furry airplane pilots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Liberal Currents with Adam Gurri
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Adam Gurri, cofounder of Liberal Currents, to discuss defending liberalism as an ideology in the modern world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Tour and a Pilgrimage
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and Mike Feinberg welcome Joel from the Greek Chorus to tell us about his recent tour of World War II and Holocaust sites in Europe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
I Do Not Repent
Wherein Ben does not celebrate Yom Kippur and Holly Berkley Fletcher updates us on the civil war in Ethiopia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How Russia Won with David Corn
Wherein Ben welcomes author David Corn to discuss his new book How Russia Won, which tells the story of Putin's assault on US democracy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bestiality in the FBI with Julia Curlee
Wherein Ben, Alicia Wanless, and the Greek Chorus welcome Julia Curlee for a wandering discussion that started with AI extinction anxieties and ended up at bestiality in the FBI hiring pool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Night Wolves with Emily Hoge
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus welcome Emily Hoge to tell us about the Night Wolves, a right-wing Russian nationalist biker club with an oligarch member who paid for Don Jr.'s wedding party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stairs, Ballots, and Hair Dye
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus discuss Ben's staircase project, ballot secrecy issues, and Ben's commitment to dye his hair red if the GCF reaches its goal in Operation Taya. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI and Slugs
Wherein Ben and the Greek Chorus discuss all the cool things you can do with AI, and Holly Berkley Fletcher wants to talk about slug sex for some reason. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Dumbest Story that Matters with Anna Bower and Molly Roberts
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher avoid a 9/11 memorial show by welcoming Anna Bower and Molly Roberts to talk about the imaginary Grand Conspiracy against Trump and the very real criminal investigations into it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Evangelical Femininity with Kristin Du Mez
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Kristin Du Mez to tell us about her upcoming book on the history of white American evangelical womanhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The View from Puerto Rico with Windsor Mann
Wherein Ben welcomes Windsor Mann to discuss self-exile after Trump's victory, living in Puerto Rico as a WASP, and the prospect of Puerto Rican statehood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Operational Success
Wherein the Greek Chorus Foundation Operation Taya has succeeded! Also, Anastasiia Lapatina's gym got bombed, and Holly Berkley Fletcher reports on an ex-evangelical comedy festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Brainstorming
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus discuss Ben's various ideas for how to block construction of Trump's ballroom and arch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Holly's Rants
Wherein Ben listens to Holly Berkley Fletcher rant about TPS, Evangelical hypocrisy, and a "punk-ass little analyst" of her acquaintance, amongst other topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Assault on Birthright Citizenship with Quinta Jurecic
Wherein Ben welcomes Quinta Jurecic to talk about her recent Atlantic article on the Trump administration's latest attempts to end birthright citizenship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Canadian By-Elections
Wherein Ben and Alicia Wanless discuss the results of recent Canadian by-elections in the context of the Canadian-American trade war. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On Dangerous Pests
Wherein Ben, Jonathan Rauch, and the Greek Chorus discuss the proper attitude towards dangerous pests, including mosquitos, the excesses of DEI, and Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bombs and Ghost Stories
Wherein Mike Feinberg talks about the literary role of ghost stories and Anastasiia Lapatina gives an update on the Russian bombardment of Kyiv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Citizenship and Pyrotechnics
Wherein Ben, Mike Feinberg, and the Greek Chorus discuss the citizenship requirements for the Presidency, publishing Ukrainian literature in English, and Mike's recently acquired fiery skull. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Canada Goes to War
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and Alicia Wanless discuss the escalating trade war between Canada and the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One Russian Missile
Wherein a friend of Greek Chorus Foundation volunteer Jimmy Rushton has been killed by a Russian ballistic missile. Jimmy comes on the show to remember his friend and ask the GCF for assistance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Canada and Zambia
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus discuss political developments in Canada, Zambia, and elsewhere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Comics and Counterintelligence
Wherein Ben, Mike Feinberg, Jonathan Rauch, and the Greek Chorus discuss the merits of comic book movies and the counterintelligence risk posed by Natalie Harp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Karaoke, Cars, and the DSA
Wherein Ben ponders what song to sing at his next karaoke party, Joel from the Greek Chorus reports on a couple of his projects, and Holly Berkley Fletcher has some concerns about the DSA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hot Gossip with Anna Bower
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus welcome Anna Bower to talk about all the current tabloid gossip, human and animal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Defending Big Bend
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Deece X to discuss the fight to defend Big Bend National Park from the Trump administration and other highlights of Texas politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Batteries, Mice, and Other Concerns
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus discuss the resumption of Operation Battery, Julia Curlee's piece in the Atlantic, and the mice in Ben's house. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Holly's Little List
Wherein Holly Berkley Fletcher is back and wants to talk about speed cameras, Auschwitz, and Trump's abuse of Haitian-Americans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet Taya
Wherein Taya, who we are supporting through graduate school, is finally introduced to the Greek Chorus. Donate here to support Taya! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Updates
Wherein we get updates on Ben's AI staircase design, how various people feel about the Odyssey movie, and when Taya is coming on the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NoDNI with Julia Curlee
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and Mike Feinberg welcome Julia Curlee to discuss the destruction of the infrastructure of US intelligence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Precedent
Wherein Carol Tsang of the Greek Chorus asks Ben about how precedent informs Supreme Court decisions, and Ben tries to answer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
GCF Strategy
Wherein Ben, Anastasiia Lapatina, and the Greek Chorus discuss the strategic objectives of the Greek Chorus Foundation and plan its next several months of operations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Claude and the Cyclops
Wherein Ben tells Alicia Wanless about being ordered around by an AI, and Alicia tells Ben about seeing Nolan's Odyssey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Counting Laws
Wherein Ben tells Eve Gaumond about his latest project: using AI to count the total number of US federal criminal laws. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Nastya Show
Wherein Anastasiia Lapatina gives some life updates, from movies to divorce to protests in Kyiv. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Meta-Review
Wherein Mike Feinberg reviews Emily Wilson's review of Christopher Nolan's Odyssey. Ben and the Greek Chorus spectate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Seashells with Roger Parloff
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg welcome Roger Parloff to discuss developments in Trump's prosecution of Jim Comey for seashell-based threats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Multi-Limbed Cthulhu Flails Randomly
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and Alicia Wanless discuss the difficulties of attempting to describe Trump's behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lies and Repentance
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher consider variations on repentance, with reference to the children of Nazis, the American South, and Laura Loomer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Rambling Conversation
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher talk karaoke, tariffs, college tuition, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Future of Cybersecurity
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg discuss the effects that developments in AI and quantum computing will have on how cybersecurity functions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Eve's Questions
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher take questions from Eve Gaumond on everything from book proposals to JFK's sexual behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Canoe Man and South Africa
Wherein Ben discusses the case against the guy who pulled a bit of paint out of the Reflecting Pool, and Holly Berkley Fletcher talks about the rise of xenophobic violence in South Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Greek Chorus Foundation: Operation Taya
Wherein the Greek Chorus Foundation is all set up, and Ben and Anastasiia Lapatina introduce its first fundraising goal. Contribute at:https://greekchorusfoundation.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Election Conspiracies with Amanda Carpenter and Molly Roberts
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Amanda Carpenter and Molly Roberts to discuss Trump's speech on election interference and how the Trump administration is trying to use conspiracy theories to interfere with lawful voting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reckless Speculation with Molly Roberts
Wherein Ben welcomes Molly Roberts to speculate about what election conspiracy theories Trump will put forward in his speech tonight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Killing the NSC with Julia Curlee
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg welcome Julia Curlee, former CIA analyst and NSC staffer, to discuss the Trump administration's destruction of the National Security Council. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Arendt and Evangelicals
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg discuss Hannah Arendt, and Holly Berkley Fletcher explains the distinction between evangelicalism and white evangelicalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
oBITCHuary with Will Saletan
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Will Saletan to discuss the life and legacy of Lindsey Graham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NATO Summit with Ari Tabatabai
Wherein Ben welcomes Ari Tabatabai, fresh from the NATO summit in Turkey, to discuss Trump, Ukraine, and European security without the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ukrainian Craziness
Wherein Anastasiia Lapatina tells us about various corrupt, bizarre, and fascinating recent events in Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Canada Day As Observed
Wherein Ben, Alicia Wanless, and Holly Berkley Fletcher celebrate Canada Day, debate political Stoicism, and discuss which products Instagram is trying to sell them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My Life as a Rom-Com with Anna Bower
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg plan a rom-com based on Anna Bower's latest misadventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reflecting Pool Stratagems
Wherein Ben, Holly Berkley Fletcher, and the Greek Chorus discuss how best to design a protest at the reflecting pool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You Guys Suck Too
Wherein Ben, Mike Feinberg, and Alicia Wanless try to identify the best anti-US, anti-Canada song. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Warzone Parenting
Wherein Anastasiia Lapatina gives us an update on parenting under Russian bombardment, and Holly Berkley Fletcher has more news on Trump's triumphal arch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Pissing Off Law Professors
Wherein Ben and Mike Feinberg discuss the problems with the legal academic establishment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rwanda, Kenya, SCOTUS
Wherein Holly Berkley Fletcher discusses her visit to Rwanda, Ben and Holly introduce their safari guide Moses, and Jonathan Rauch wants to talk about the latest SCOTUS ruling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Triumphant Return
Wherein Ben has returned from safari and Eve Gaumond is concerned about school systems using AI to predict dropouts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
War Updates and Poll Results
Wherein Ben and Anastasiia Lapatina go over recent developments in the war in Ukraine, and Eve Gaumond returns to discuss Greek Chorus reactions to her concerns about Ben's AI usage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An AI Intervention
Wherein Eve Gaumond is concerned about the way Ben interacts with Claude. Mike Feinberg and the Greek Chorus weigh in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Billionaires and Monopolies
Wherein Ben and Alicia Wanless discuss the economic and psychological position of billionaires, and the Greek Chorus joins in for a discussion of monopolies in the digital age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MAGA Women with Katie Gaddini
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Katie Gaddini to discuss her new book on the position of women in the MAGA movement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Choral News Round-Up
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher discuss scheduling for the next few weeks, Andrew Steele gives an update on the Greek Chorus foundation, and Alicia Wanless checks in after her trip to Japan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Recidivism with Katherine Pompilio
Wherein Ben and Holly Berkley Fletcher welcome Katherine Pompilio to discuss her investigation of recidivism amongst January 6th pardonees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Memorials
Wherein Mike Feinberg remembers Tiananmen Square, Holly Berkley Fletcher practices her speech, and Ben leads discussion of various midterm races. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
