thebruenigs : last q&a ep of 2024!!

Can you do weekly eps like you used to? Not trying to be rude, it used to always be something to look forward to.

Taylor Borie

2025-01-24 18:30:16 +0000 UTC

I actually pronounced that in my head as pah-pah-bee-lay

Brendan Comfort

2025-01-02 21:56:55 +0000 UTC

Matt when will you do more socialism series? 🤞

KC Martel

2024-12-26 05:17:33 +0000 UTC

Liz are there any books you like to read or re-read at Christmastime?

carolyn

2024-12-25 13:33:17 +0000 UTC

eh yeah that's probably the christian thing to do but it chaps my ass that they ignore our very directly expressed wishes

Sarah

2024-12-20 14:45:16 +0000 UTC

Say thank you to your parents. If your family does thank you cards, send them. What do you do at birthdays when they get something you don’t like? Do that. You are boss! If you have rules about what they can keep, work it out with your kids. Great opportunity. You got this and your kids are strong.

Caryn Brooks

2024-12-20 10:46:03 +0000 UTC

or some equivalent that is either collectively owned or gets put back into the hands of the people somehow

Lili Mandl

2024-12-19 23:17:39 +0000 UTC

matt - people seem preoccupied by the idea of surveillance, data, big tech, and i’m curious about how this would work under nordic welfare model. could the money associated with selling people’s data be put into a social wealth fund?

Lili Mandl

2024-12-19 23:16:47 +0000 UTC

Eyes Wide Shut is the new meme answer, but it's accurate

TC

2024-12-19 21:58:48 +0000 UTC

Also Matt - do you think any version of socialism without markets is completely unworkable?

andrew

2024-12-19 17:35:52 +0000 UTC

Liz did you watch Gilmore Girls and do you have any takes?

andrew

2024-12-19 17:33:14 +0000 UTC

Matt what did you think of the latest Sally Rooney book

andrew

2024-12-19 17:28:09 +0000 UTC

What is the best not-Christmas-Christmas-movie Exempli gratia: Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone, Catch me if you can, Home Alone

Brendan Comfort

2024-12-19 16:39:10 +0000 UTC

What was the response to the latest PPP report on America's disability programs? Did anyone new or interesting connect with you about it? What's the status of PPP? What's in the pipeline? Love your work, Matt and Liz. Thanks for all you do.

David Cannon

2024-12-19 13:54:09 +0000 UTC

Can the friend come on the pod again and talk jury nullification? Very hot topic these days!

LP3

2024-12-19 12:55:32 +0000 UTC

Do you really believe socialism can conquer

Chance Walker

2024-12-19 06:15:54 +0000 UTC

I can tell you. There's 1 general reason and 2 matt reasons. Most important is the working poor get more out of social security than they put in. The first Matt reason is that it's not really true that social security is about saving for the future; it's about younger workers paying for older non-workers. Second Matt reason is that if you want to get the benefit of greater returns from the stock market without harming people who could not afford to contribute, you could just fund social security with a large social wealth fund invested in the stock market.

JoinDSA B4thePodcastEnds

2024-12-19 05:04:19 +0000 UTC

Any suggested reading on fascism? Liz it seems like you have a really sharp eye for fashy stuff in contemporary culture, curious how you’ve cultivated it.

Duncan

2024-12-18 19:48:11 +0000 UTC

Hello Bruenigs🙋‍♂️ My question is for Matthew and it has to do with egalitarianism, or more specifically, moral egalitarianism. By moral egalitarianism I mean that doctrine which states all human beings are of equal worth/ concern. Any feature one might identify as justifying equal treatment is not in fact shared equally. Given this, on what basis is it that all human beings are of equal moral worth? I can find no solution this conundrum so I defer to the egalitarian..err..king?🤔

Azmarino

2024-12-18 19:38:53 +0000 UTC

Ain't no way we're going to have an Italian pope named Pizza Ball

TC

2024-12-18 17:33:26 +0000 UTC

A favorite bit from past episodes is the "dignity up" or "dignity down" when refering to a specific policy 'encouraging' people to dignify themselves by rejecting government help and get a job (i.e. 'I see you are getting more money from the government' 'dignity down!') Interested to hear from both of you why dignity gets framed this way, either as a spiritual virtue or as a quality needed to financially succeed.

Roberto Vargas

2024-12-18 13:53:45 +0000 UTC

Hi Liz, In your personal view and family traditions, where does Gingerbread Man rank among mythical Christmas icons like Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty? Do you think he’s an underrated or overrated figure in American holiday culture? Also, would you support a Netflix Christmas rom-com—a la Hot Frosty—where Gingerbread Man is a lovable playboy who discovers the true meaning of love and Christmas and reforms his womanizing ways?

Henry George

2024-12-18 11:59:31 +0000 UTC

the NLRB has ruled that Love is Blind contestants are employees. What are your thoughts on the ruling and the show?

Ivan McGillicuddy

2024-12-18 11:59:10 +0000 UTC

Opinions on weed and spirituality/spiritual practice? Can the two work with each other, or is it best to keep them separated?

James

2024-12-18 10:50:07 +0000 UTC

Christmas cards: Do you do them? Family portrait? Year in review letter? If you don't do them is it because of strong ideological opposition?

Dogblood Leblume

2024-12-18 09:02:11 +0000 UTC

Any thoughts as Texans on the movies of Richard Linklater, particularly Bernie? Any thoughts as a Catholic on Conclave?

Sam Jacobs

2024-12-18 08:53:44 +0000 UTC

it seems that Pizzaballa is papabile. thoughts?

Michael C

2024-12-18 04:47:23 +0000 UTC

Advent calendars are fun!

Gina Burton

2024-12-18 04:00:56 +0000 UTC

If you haven’t done Harry Potter, it’s a good choice. Entertaining for both children and adults. If I hadn’t read it to my boys I would have missed out on a terrific series.

Gina Burton

2024-12-18 03:59:07 +0000 UTC

I know you want Matt's answer but let me suggest that the poor need most kinds of law. Just don't focus exclusively on mergers and acquisitions. Just remember that the less debt that you have coming out of law school the more freedom you have to pursue whatever goals you have. Don't get suckered into paying more for school if you are not trying to get a high paying biglaw gig or a clerkship

John

2024-12-18 03:57:53 +0000 UTC

Liz, I’m a good cook but a terrible baker. I’m impatient and imprecise. Are there any easy recipes for Christmas baking that someone like me might be able to master? I’m not very good at decorating either. I once told my son’s kindergarten teacher that he had decorated the birthday cake that we brought into the classroom because it really looked like something a five year old might have done😂

Gina Burton

2024-12-18 03:51:24 +0000 UTC

Rock the Ridge in New Paltz (Mohonk Preserve)

William Carpenter

2024-12-18 02:48:42 +0000 UTC

Tell us more about Matt’s running? Would he ever run a marathon?

William Carpenter

2024-12-18 02:45:54 +0000 UTC

What area of law, apart from labor law, would you recommend to a 0L looking to make a difference for the poor and working class?

madeline krane

2024-12-18 02:30:03 +0000 UTC

I would like to co-sign this question as I’m in the exactly same circumstances.

James

2024-12-18 02:25:05 +0000 UTC

i simply can’t be stopped it seems

Sarah

2024-12-18 02:11:54 +0000 UTC

i’m about to get hitched! please share your best marriage advice.

S

2024-12-18 02:10:41 +0000 UTC

Have you ever seen a Bigfoot?

Corndog

2024-12-18 02:00:03 +0000 UTC

Can you recommend any post-holiday places of interest you might recommend for people planning on visiting the NYC area in the new year while they’re in town for work? Asking for a friend who’s only been there once. I think organizing a list of possible activities in advance might make things easier in that it provides options

Martin Ross

2024-12-18 01:55:47 +0000 UTC

Liz, do you knit? I get a knitter vibe from you.

Andrea

2024-12-18 01:55:07 +0000 UTC

Liz: Me and my girlfriend are making a cookie buffet for Christmas. We're going to load a table with a few hundred cookies and give everybody cute paper to-go boxes to fill. We need about a dozen different kinds of cookies. Any recommendations?

Noah French

2024-12-18 01:54:59 +0000 UTC

How do I francispill my Benedict loving parents

John

2024-12-18 01:53:30 +0000 UTC

Ah dammit I had something for this

John

2024-12-18 01:52:21 +0000 UTC

When i posted that I got pregnant earlier this year, you did send it to me! It was very sweet, thank-you!

CatterpillarYarn

2024-12-18 01:51:57 +0000 UTC

Matt: did you find the luggage? Liz: have you ever read the book Angels by denis Johnson? Beautiful prose about the death penalty, highly recommended if you haven’t. Merry Christmas!

Patrick McGinnis

2024-12-18 01:42:38 +0000 UTC

chomsky's claims abt rawls

Ian

2024-12-18 01:38:45 +0000 UTC

My husband wants to ask Matt: why doesn’t OSHA regulate player safety in the NFL and should it? I’m asking Liz what her fav. Ep of SVU is.

Kiwi

2024-12-18 01:15:00 +0000 UTC

want me to drop my “baby essentials” google doc in the comments? i’ve posted it so much but people do actually sometimes thank me for it

Sarah

2024-12-18 01:14:18 +0000 UTC

Matt, what’s the best counter argument for conservatives saying we should privatize social security and get greater returns from the stock market.

Jo To

2024-12-18 01:13:44 +0000 UTC

irl sedevacantists are rare and normal catholic churches will almost always have a picture of the pope in the narthex!

Sarah

2024-12-18 01:13:27 +0000 UTC

idk what liz will say but if i remember correctly king arthur says to do half and half of each!

Sarah

2024-12-18 01:10:30 +0000 UTC

how do you deal with grandparents giving your kids garbage clutter for christmas now that they’re old enough that you can’t just quietly ferry stuff to goodwill overnight? we have made it very clear that books and legos are cool but that we do not want big plastic shit nevertheless the in-laws persist

Sarah

2024-12-18 01:09:07 +0000 UTC

My in-laws always ask me to make this one: https://www.cookinwithcongress.com/cookin-with-congress-recipes/eggnog it’s good and kinda fun though I find the claimed provenance dubious :D

LP3

2024-12-18 00:38:39 +0000 UTC

you married up

Porphyrogénnētos

2024-12-18 00:37:32 +0000 UTC

Always more to be said on the subject, but Matt goes a bit into this in his Socialism Series ep on Proudhon

Josh B

2024-12-18 00:28:24 +0000 UTC

I have a crush on a guy who is considering monastic life. He has expressed interest in me as well but as we live quite far apart, nothing has happened yet. Do you think I should continue pursuing anything romantic (I’d like to visit him this coming spring to see how things go) or should I back off and let him discern his possible call to monastic life without additional complications? It probably doesn’t matter but this is a gay relationship (we’re Episcopalian.)

Micah

2024-12-17 23:56:51 +0000 UTC

Ok, yeah, these are basically exactly my questions too

Paul G.

2024-12-17 23:53:45 +0000 UTC

Matt: advice for first time home buyers—e.g., what to care/not care about in a house (electrical? Updated appliances?), and any financial advice? Liz: advice on making great chocolate cakes? I feel like those with butter have decent flavor but are dry and those with oil are moist but heavy and flavorless. Idk what to do!

Paul G.

2024-12-17 23:51:28 +0000 UTC

That is certainly one way to answer the question...

David Diaz

2024-12-17 23:49:11 +0000 UTC

What would you do if your brother joined an extreme and insular sect of Christianity because his pregnant girlfriend brainwashed him into it, and he is now refusing to speak to you or the rest of your family?

Wiliam Hoffman

2024-12-17 23:44:31 +0000 UTC

White or color Christmas lights? (I think white is classic; husband thinks they betray a bourgeois sensibility.)

Meghan

2024-12-17 23:40:56 +0000 UTC

Favorite/preferred Bible translation? Any opinion on the wackier ones like The Message?

Alex Nackerud

2024-12-17 23:39:05 +0000 UTC

How do you think about housing policy? As a casual observer, I feel like the main divide is NIMBY/YIMBY, which don’t seem to have political valences and also seem poorly defined

David Cole

2024-12-17 23:37:54 +0000 UTC

What's your take on taking combined household income for determining marginal rates? US combines them for married couples, while Canada determines marginal rates per individual. I cannot grasp the reasoning behind the Canadian way of doing things (seems sensible to figure out tax rates by taking income for the household and splitting by the number of people), but maybe you see something I'm missing.

Steven Noble

2024-12-17 23:23:27 +0000 UTC

What are some of the best ways for local governments to do public ownership? Would you be willing to work with DSA to help craft local policy?

JoinDSA B4thePodcastEnds

2024-12-17 23:21:03 +0000 UTC

What do you think of anarchism?

Laura Sinclair

2024-12-17 23:15:44 +0000 UTC

The Mrs. and I are beginning a first time home buying journey. We have a bady girl and a reasonable expectation of another one on the way. Do you guys have any advice or things you wish you had done differently when shopping for a home? What is the ideal mortgage/income ratio? What did you look for in a home and what did you wish you looked for?

Brian Huang

2024-12-17 23:15:42 +0000 UTC

Hey Liz and Matt, I’m at about the age you were when I started listening to the pod (30). I’ve always admired how self assured you are and how committed you both are to your respective work. I constantly feel like I am searching, and everything I try ends up feeling empty. Do either of you ever find yourself wondering “is this really all there is?” And what do you do about it?

Orb

2024-12-17 23:10:06 +0000 UTC

This is somewhat different from the suggested topics but Liz, are you familiar with the Confucian cultural tradition? I've been interested in China the last few years and have heard a lot about Confucianism being foundational to Chinese culture and I'm curious if you know any similarities or differences between Confucianism and Christianity? I think they've got something like the Golden rule but that's all I know. Thanks.

Payton McDermott

2024-12-17 23:04:46 +0000 UTC

Curious about trumps proposals for federal employees. How much of that can actually get passed? Can he cancel existing contracts to add return to office, etc? Would the courts give him that power possibly

William Kay

2024-12-17 23:02:37 +0000 UTC

How early is too early to propose after beginning a relationship? Is it possible for a follower count gap relationship (30k gf 1k bf) to succeed?

Fox

2024-12-17 23:02:12 +0000 UTC

What is the workplace like at the Atlantic? How often do you interact with your boss or your coworkers? How free are you to choose your areas of reporting?

Nick G

2024-12-17 22:58:21 +0000 UTC

Do you have any good cultural criticism/analysis to recommend? (Fisher-esque or Christman-esque or otherwise?) I am rereading Capitalist Realism and was reminded of the great event Liz did at Kramer books way back when.

LP3

2024-12-17 22:56:31 +0000 UTC

Why not both?

TC

2024-12-17 22:55:05 +0000 UTC

Any thoughts on Freud? Was he a trailblazing genius who revealed the power of the unconscious mind or just a coked-up pervert with mommy issues?

David Diaz

2024-12-17 22:47:32 +0000 UTC

Matt, what are some of your favorite meals when backpacking?

Phil R.

2024-12-17 22:45:53 +0000 UTC

Does Matt have any strong opinions on Workers' Comp law? Is it necessary in a society with an ideal welfare state already providing generous unemployment and disability benefits?

Josh B

2024-12-17 22:45:48 +0000 UTC

Matt do you like Ezra or Yglesias better

Bernie Mac

2024-12-17 22:45:39 +0000 UTC

Liz do you ever bake bread

Bernie Mac

2024-12-17 22:44:03 +0000 UTC

Of all the competing "takes" or narratives surrounding Luigi Mangione's killing (mental illness, disability/chronic pain politics, his being a "class traitor", etc.) - what one is the most compelling to you? I have a feeling people will be dissecting this event for a very long time.

Alex Brown

2024-12-17 22:40:31 +0000 UTC

1) what Christmas gifts do you give to extended family/acquaintances? 2) how do you involve your kids in picking out gifts for each other/mom and dad/family?

Garrett

2024-12-17 22:39:57 +0000 UTC

Liz I've never tried egg nog before and decided this is the year, i was gonna go homemade but everyones telling me buying southern comfort brand is the way to go, I just want my first time to be special. Thoughts?Als Matt any tips from over indulging in holiday treats this time of year?

Ollathe

2024-12-17 22:34:11 +0000 UTC

Just go to whatever church is closest to where you live or work. "Shopping" for a church that fits your political priors is Prot behavior... (yes, it's the same when the trads do it)

TC

2024-12-17 22:34:09 +0000 UTC

what have you found to be th ebest gift wrapping materials or techniques

Jack Mumby

2024-12-17 22:30:26 +0000 UTC

Matt, is there more outreach to you from elected Democrats or potential Democratic candidates regarding healthcare policy given our new post-Luigi political climate?

Tim Masterson

2024-12-17 22:30:12 +0000 UTC

To clarify these are gifts for my coworkers and not the kids LOL

Carol Marg

2024-12-17 22:30:11 +0000 UTC

I’m a public pre-k teacher with two days to make cookie boxes for ~10 classrooms (2-3 teachers each), what are 2-3 cookies (etc) I can batch bake for gifts? Easy but impressive? Ty! 🌟

Carol Marg

2024-12-17 22:29:24 +0000 UTC

Liz - If you're shopping for a Catholic church in the US, are there any ways to tell early on if you're joining one that thinks the current Pope is Cool and Good or if it's one that thinks he's Fake and/or Bad?

George

2024-12-17 22:28:07 +0000 UTC

Matt, you seem to hate consumption in general. What is an item or items that you would pay/overpay for? Liz, what is your favorite unexpected ingredient to put into a holiday treat? Cayenne pepper? Turmeric? Chai seasoning?

Eric Neal

2024-12-17 22:21:39 +0000 UTC

Matt, would you ever run an ultramarathon with me? It’s a lot less “running” and a lot more speed hiking. 50 miles max.

TW

2024-12-17 22:21:16 +0000 UTC

Recommendations on a book for a long road trip with boys aged 8, 10, 12?

Ben Trenary

2024-12-17 22:20:30 +0000 UTC

If you won the lotto what would you do with the money?

Corey

2024-12-17 22:20:14 +0000 UTC

Liz- have you ever made any of the NYT cookie week cookies? If so- any especially good recipes?

Kent Kersten

2024-12-17 22:19:39 +0000 UTC

Hi Liz and Matt, I'm in stage one labour right now with my first kid. Feeling pretty good and relaxed, but if yall could riff about labour, birth, those early infant days, that'd be great. Also, if we could get a shout out to the Canada Post workers who were forced back to work today as per Labour Minster, Stephen Mackinny, that'd be great. Their union CUPW, agreed to drop the raise demand, but they still got fucked over because God forbid our x Mas holiday shopping gets delayed.

CatterpillarYarn

2024-12-17 22:19:20 +0000 UTC

Liz: did you ever go through an atheist (or maybe even specifically new atheist, since it was around that time) phase when you were a teen/young adult? And for Liz and Matt: what was your favorite content (books, movies, articles, music, TV, memes, podcasts, etc.) from 2024?

TC

2024-12-17 22:18:33 +0000 UTC

Liz, how did you initially get into journalistic writing? Did you go into it with a specific set of topics you wanted to write about, or was it more of a general choice of journalism over the academy?

Andrew Swann

2024-12-17 22:18:30 +0000 UTC

What Christmas traditions have you established with your kids? I’ve got kids 5, 3, and 1 and it’s hard to establish routines amidst the busyness of the season and the regular craziness of having little kids.

William Minnesota

2024-12-17 22:18:20 +0000 UTC

Best piece of Christmas media? Movie, TV episode, song, book (bible excluded)?

pwnzorshiz

2024-12-17 22:18:07 +0000 UTC

What is the official bruenig take on immigration?

victor recabarren

2024-12-17 22:17:31 +0000 UTC

Also, have either of you tried Jeni’s Texas Sheet Cake ice cream?

Alexander Anderson

2024-12-17 22:17:05 +0000 UTC

For Matt: good book about the origins of the Nordic welfare movement(s)? The Danish national museum really credited the folk school movement with laying foundation for the welfare state, and I’d love to learn more about that For Liz: merry Christmas! What are you making for Christmas Eve dinner/ Christmas morning brunch? Poetry recommendations for the new year?

KB Scott

2024-12-17 22:16:55 +0000 UTC

Gingerbread, cut before or after baking?

Thomas Henry

2024-12-17 22:16:33 +0000 UTC

Please rate this AI generated country song: https://youtu.be/UpBVDSJorlU?si=u4P0sKVzRCsOy6io

Alexander Anderson

2024-12-17 22:16:20 +0000 UTC

Thoughts on Red Scare these days?

Riley Kaminer

2024-12-17 22:16:18 +0000 UTC

had my first eggnog recently (store bought) and hated it, felt like i was drinking cake batter or something. but i dont wanna give up. is there a homemade recipe out there i should try??

victor recabarren

2024-12-17 22:14:58 +0000 UTC

Thoughts on global warming/climate change?

Old Mole

2024-12-17 22:14:23 +0000 UTC

How do you decide how many children to have?

Mary Kate Crenny

2024-12-17 22:14:03 +0000 UTC

Matt what is your favorite squat variation?

J K

2024-12-17 22:12:53 +0000 UTC

last q&a ep of 2024!!

Comments

Can you do weekly eps like you used to? Not trying to be rude, it used to always be something to look forward to.

I actually pronounced that in my head as pah-pah-bee-lay

Matt when will you do more socialism series? 🤞

Liz are there any books you like to read or re-read at Christmastime?

eh yeah that's probably the christian thing to do but it chaps my ass that they ignore our very directly expressed wishes

or some equivalent that is either collectively owned or gets put back into the hands of the people somehow

matt - people seem preoccupied by the idea of surveillance, data, big tech, and i’m curious about how this would work under nordic welfare model. could the money associated with selling people’s data be put into a social wealth fund?

Eyes Wide Shut is the new meme answer, but it's accurate

Also Matt - do you think any version of socialism without markets is completely unworkable?

Liz did you watch Gilmore Girls and do you have any takes?

Matt what did you think of the latest Sally Rooney book

What is the best not-Christmas-Christmas-movie Exempli gratia: Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone, Catch me if you can, Home Alone

What was the response to the latest PPP report on America's disability programs? Did anyone new or interesting connect with you about it? What's the status of PPP? What's in the pipeline? Love your work, Matt and Liz. Thanks for all you do.

Can the friend come on the pod again and talk jury nullification? Very hot topic these days!

Do you really believe socialism can conquer

Any suggested reading on fascism? Liz it seems like you have a really sharp eye for fashy stuff in contemporary culture, curious how you’ve cultivated it.

Ain't no way we're going to have an Italian pope named Pizza Ball

the NLRB has ruled that Love is Blind contestants are employees. What are your thoughts on the ruling and the show?

Opinions on weed and spirituality/spiritual practice? Can the two work with each other, or is it best to keep them separated?

Christmas cards: Do you do them? Family portrait? Year in review letter? If you don't do them is it because of strong ideological opposition?

Any thoughts as Texans on the movies of Richard Linklater, particularly Bernie? Any thoughts as a Catholic on Conclave?

it seems that Pizzaballa is papabile. thoughts?

Advent calendars are fun!

If you haven’t done Harry Potter, it’s a good choice. Entertaining for both children and adults. If I hadn’t read it to my boys I would have missed out on a terrific series.

Rock the Ridge in New Paltz (Mohonk Preserve)

Tell us more about Matt’s running? Would he ever run a marathon?

What area of law, apart from labor law, would you recommend to a 0L looking to make a difference for the poor and working class?

I would like to co-sign this question as I’m in the exactly same circumstances.

i simply can’t be stopped it seems

i’m about to get hitched! please share your best marriage advice.

Have you ever seen a Bigfoot?

Liz, do you knit? I get a knitter vibe from you.

Liz: Me and my girlfriend are making a cookie buffet for Christmas. We're going to load a table with a few hundred cookies and give everybody cute paper to-go boxes to fill. We need about a dozen different kinds of cookies. Any recommendations?

How do I francispill my Benedict loving parents

Ah dammit I had something for this

When i posted that I got pregnant earlier this year, you did send it to me! It was very sweet, thank-you!

Matt: did you find the luggage? Liz: have you ever read the book Angels by denis Johnson? Beautiful prose about the death penalty, highly recommended if you haven’t. Merry Christmas!

chomsky's claims abt rawls

My husband wants to ask Matt: why doesn’t OSHA regulate player safety in the NFL and should it? I’m asking Liz what her fav. Ep of SVU is.

want me to drop my “baby essentials” google doc in the comments? i’ve posted it so much but people do actually sometimes thank me for it

Matt, what’s the best counter argument for conservatives saying we should privatize social security and get greater returns from the stock market.

irl sedevacantists are rare and normal catholic churches will almost always have a picture of the pope in the narthex!

idk what liz will say but if i remember correctly king arthur says to do half and half of each!

My in-laws always ask me to make this one: https://www.cookinwithcongress.com/cookin-with-congress-recipes/eggnog it’s good and kinda fun though I find the claimed provenance dubious :D

you married up

Always more to be said on the subject, but Matt goes a bit into this in his Socialism Series ep on Proudhon

Ok, yeah, these are basically exactly my questions too

That is certainly one way to answer the question...

What would you do if your brother joined an extreme and insular sect of Christianity because his pregnant girlfriend brainwashed him into it, and he is now refusing to speak to you or the rest of your family?

White or color Christmas lights? (I think white is classic; husband thinks they betray a bourgeois sensibility.)

Favorite/preferred Bible translation? Any opinion on the wackier ones like The Message?

How do you think about housing policy? As a casual observer, I feel like the main divide is NIMBY/YIMBY, which don’t seem to have political valences and also seem poorly defined

What are some of the best ways for local governments to do public ownership? Would you be willing to work with DSA to help craft local policy?

What do you think of anarchism?

Curious about trumps proposals for federal employees. How much of that can actually get passed? Can he cancel existing contracts to add return to office, etc? Would the courts give him that power possibly

How early is too early to propose after beginning a relationship? Is it possible for a follower count gap relationship (30k gf 1k bf) to succeed?

What is the workplace like at the Atlantic? How often do you interact with your boss or your coworkers? How free are you to choose your areas of reporting?

Do you have any good cultural criticism/analysis to recommend? (Fisher-esque or Christman-esque or otherwise?) I am rereading Capitalist Realism and was reminded of the great event Liz did at Kramer books way back when.

Why not both?

Any thoughts on Freud? Was he a trailblazing genius who revealed the power of the unconscious mind or just a coked-up pervert with mommy issues?

Matt, what are some of your favorite meals when backpacking?

Does Matt have any strong opinions on Workers' Comp law? Is it necessary in a society with an ideal welfare state already providing generous unemployment and disability benefits?

Matt do you like Ezra or Yglesias better

Liz do you ever bake bread

Of all the competing "takes" or narratives surrounding Luigi Mangione's killing (mental illness, disability/chronic pain politics, his being a "class traitor", etc.) - what one is the most compelling to you? I have a feeling people will be dissecting this event for a very long time.

1) what Christmas gifts do you give to extended family/acquaintances? 2) how do you involve your kids in picking out gifts for each other/mom and dad/family?

Liz I've never tried egg nog before and decided this is the year, i was gonna go homemade but everyones telling me buying southern comfort brand is the way to go, I just want my first time to be special. Thoughts?Als Matt any tips from over indulging in holiday treats this time of year?

Just go to whatever church is closest to where you live or work. "Shopping" for a church that fits your political priors is Prot behavior... (yes, it's the same when the trads do it)

what have you found to be th ebest gift wrapping materials or techniques

Matt, is there more outreach to you from elected Democrats or potential Democratic candidates regarding healthcare policy given our new post-Luigi political climate?

To clarify these are gifts for my coworkers and not the kids LOL

I’m a public pre-k teacher with two days to make cookie boxes for ~10 classrooms (2-3 teachers each), what are 2-3 cookies (etc) I can batch bake for gifts? Easy but impressive? Ty! 🌟

Liz - If you're shopping for a Catholic church in the US, are there any ways to tell early on if you're joining one that thinks the current Pope is Cool and Good or if it's one that thinks he's Fake and/or Bad?

Matt, you seem to hate consumption in general. What is an item or items that you would pay/overpay for? Liz, what is your favorite unexpected ingredient to put into a holiday treat? Cayenne pepper? Turmeric? Chai seasoning?

Matt, would you ever run an ultramarathon with me? It’s a lot less “running” and a lot more speed hiking. 50 miles max.

Recommendations on a book for a long road trip with boys aged 8, 10, 12?

If you won the lotto what would you do with the money?

Liz- have you ever made any of the NYT cookie week cookies? If so- any especially good recipes?