99. Mike Pesca, Turbocharger of Sensible Political Commentary

Our guest is the “Long Island-accented, turbocharged” Mike Pesca, host of The Gist. We begin — and end! — with fabu tech failure, but along the way, we talk to the intrepid podcaster about getting thrown on the funeral pyre at Slate, why he can’t stand slow talkers, Israel-Hamas press coverage and culture clashes, and his high metabolism for information. Also discussed:

• Pesca’s podcast listening hack

• When is a testicle like avocado toast?

• The Jeopardy! question that cost Pesca the championship

• How NYT journalist Donald McNeil Jr. got fired and won a Pulitzer the same year

• Which publications are failing in their coverage of Israel-Hamas, and which might be getting better?

• Is there any proper context for the tweet, “How great you are Hitler”?

• Pesca suggests new Smoke ‘Em segment: “Kneejerk Nancy”

• Is “from the river to the sea” the new “All Lives Matter”?

• Wiccan priestesses at NPR? Bring ‘em on

• Is Sarah crazy to think Joe Biden’s kinda rockin’ it these days?

• Can anyone beat Donald Trump?

• Our “I ❤️ Mike Pesca” tattoos will be inked soon …

• Let’s not over-catastrophize about the world right now

• Sarah remembers Matthew Perry

Plus a cavalcade of hotboxes, and even Sarah is following the World Series.

DON’T FORGET: First Sunday Zoom hang this Sunday, 5pm PT/8pm ET.

We’re discussing the 2021 film of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and directed by Joel Cohen. (Suggested listening: “The Rest Is History” podcast on Macbeth)