180 Comments

A friend passes along this amazing early version of Tim Pool's wiki page:

"At one point, Tim was so exhausted from his non-stop reporting, exasperated by the non-relenting aggressive actions of the NYPD that kept him constantly on the move, that he had nearly collapsed. Rather than pausing his stream to eat and rest, he pushed on and asked nearby protesters if they could get him some water and a banana. Eventually, someone watching his feed on ustream saw his desperate need for food and water, found Tim in the mass of people and delivered a banana and water. Minutes later, Tim was swamped by numerous other appreciative viewers with more nutritious fruits, energy drinks, and even a hand bag to carry food and his new spare batteries."

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tim_Pool&oldid=461244762

Expand full comment

Reading this article felt dirty, like it was a leaked video of a masturbation session. At the climax of the story, he literally wrote "A star was born."

Expand full comment

One of the simultaneously best and worst things about cancel culture is the backlash it gets from the left. Sone of them become like Harris and Taibbi and Daum and rightfully skewer its betrayal of liberal principles. Some of them become like Pool and develop Messiah Complexes while sputtering banalities.

Expand full comment

Good god

Expand full comment

Thank goodness his audience was so attentive to his needs for basic sustenance when he had become so harrowingly ingrained in his important work that he had quite literally become incapable of providing himself with his own basic needs .

Expand full comment

😂😂😂

Expand full comment

It’s not that complicated. The TQs took things way too far, way too fast, and with the worst possible activist class, and the LGBs are paying the price, unfortunately. To me, personally, this doesn’t make much sense, because I see these two groups as very different and distinct, with more opposing interests than common cause. But I can’t really blame the average person for conflating them, when these groups are constantly bashed together as one unit in the media and big advocacy organizations. I fear this is going to be a hard knot to unpick.

In the meantime, please enjoy this thoughtful, cross-generational conversation between TFC friends Andrew Sullivan, Katie Herzog, and Jamie Kirchick from 2021 about coming out in the 80s vs. 2000s, the AIDS crisis, and gay revisionist history.

https://open.substack.com/pub/andrewsullivan/p/katie-herzog-and-jamie-kirchick-on?r=7enhd&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

Expand full comment

The LGBs never needed to compel my speech, they never needed drugs and surgeries. Being gay is not an ideology and I am not required to affirm lies so that gay people can live their lives.

As a movement, trans ideology should be opposed.

My daughter started theatre class in high school with a “woke” teacher and just a few weeks later is being referred to as male in that class and has taken the masculine form of her given name. If that isn’t rapid onset I don’t know what is. I am hoping that her upbringing was strong enough to resist the extremes of the ideology she has been taken over by.

Expand full comment

You are correct that “being gay is not an ideology.” Being gay describes an aspect of a *person.* I’d like to offer a *friendly* point of view the same is true for people with gender dysphoria. It’s not an ideology.

If you’ve met one trans person, you’ve met one trans person.

The vast majority of trans people just wanna get on with life like everyone else. In fact, for most, the goal is to go unnoticed - not to compel anyone.

Every social, cultural and / or political phenomenon has its radical and fringe element and it’s common knowledge the fringe isn’t close to being representative of the vast majority.

I’d like to also add that LGBT’s have significant things in common:

1. At one time or another we were all considered mentally ill.

2. We all at one time considered to be against nature and illegitimate. Think: “it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” trope.

3. None of us have any biological maker that proves who we say we are, or proves that our situation is simply human diversity manifested. we all are going on an internal sense self.

4. We are all at one time or another either in the closet or go through a process of coming out of the closet to everyone in our lives.

5. Some trans people are also gay. 😉

Expand full comment

I agree with you to some extent. It is the ideological aspects and the activists that I am passionately against as it is these people I am both personally and professionally dealing with. Consenting adults, minding their own business, operating within the law, and not infringing on the freedoms of others, are free to do whatever they want.

Expand full comment

The activists are claiming to represent and speak for “your group”.

I agree that it is ridiculous that any of the “pride letters” actually represent a homogeneous group of people. If moderates would speak out against the fringes, that would be something. But try it and be ready to be labeled a bigot.

Expand full comment

What is trans ideology?

Expand full comment

1. That there is not possible to describe male or female based on physical biology.

2. That there is, in fact, no difference between males and females, which is used to justify biological men competing in women’s sports

3. A biological male who claims to be female is unquestionably a female and vice versa.

4. A female who expresses interest in traditionally masculine behaviors and interest is in fact a male and vice versa.

5. When a person identifies as the other gender/sex, drugs and surgery must be used to affirm that identity.

6. Minors can make informed decisions about their identity and can consent to medical intervention.

Not only are these ideas nonsense in and of themselves, they also contradict each other.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the specific response. I would think you’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of people who hold this collection of ideas. None of the trans people I know would agree with all these statements. I’ve seen trans people debate #3; it seems to be far from settled to me. #4 seems like a straw man but I’m sure you can find a few people who believe anything.

Do you think there’s any situation where hormones or surgery are justified if it’s recommended by medical professionals?

Expand full comment

I think it is important to separate the ideology from the people. It’s also my view that it doesn’t matter if you actually believe the ideas, as long as you “affirm” them. I work in a sector where if I were to stand up in meetings and counter the ideas being proposed, I would soon find myself ostracized and quite possibly jobless. These meetings aren’t hypothetical btw. I have been told that “a trans man is a man” by the DEI personnel endorsed by my employer.

As to #4 in my points, not long ago society was moving to the position that the “socially constructed” gender norms were becoming irrelevant. Wearing pink or blue or playing with dolls or trucks, wanting to be a nurse or a construction worker didn’t matter. But these are now the things that define gender, that parents who gleefully post pictures of their “trans” children use to inform their decisions.

Medical intervention, including drugs and hormones, should always be the last resort and should never begin before adulthood. Obviously I can think of genetic or developmental conditions that could break this rule.

Expand full comment

I think it's important to stay open to what studies might suggest. There's obviously been a rollback of access to hormones and surgeries in some European countries lately, which may track with the evolving science on the issue. But I'm not aware of any that have taken away access completely for minors. So yes, many of the things you're pointing out are bad trends and we should obviously be very cautious about this kind of treatment but we can keep a level head and let the science lead on the matter.

Expand full comment

To clarify my work position, it is highly susceptible to social media opinion and I am highly visible in my position.

Expand full comment

The Qs are just crazy straights

Expand full comment

I don’t think they’re crazy, just cynical.

Expand full comment

I keep editing Kmele's Wikipedia page with "He's not Black." and they keep taking it down.

Expand full comment

There are so many things to comment on in this episode.

As to Matt wondering what to steal from Home Depot, it's obviously the power tools if they aren't locked up. I don't think it would be hard to fence a Milwaukee impact driver.

Jamie Foxx's wit is brutal and legendary. I still cringe from second hand humiliation whenever I watch his performance at the Emmit Smith roast. "I'm not Jamie Foxx. I'm your conscience."

https://youtu.be/sUX72MqPWpg

Moynihan's reference to Rick James made me remember that Rick's lover and collaborator, Teena Marie, had a song titled 'Cassanova Brown'. Is that the origin of Kmele's nom de guerre?

https://youtu.be/HX-qV4I9HsY

I remember going to a Spanish Meetup event several years ago and one of the organizers was Peruvian. We would sometimes talk about Peru and he held Fujimori in high regard. He even accused me of being an apologist for Sendero Luminoso because I said that Fujimori and the armed forces contributed to the brutality in the indigenous highlands. That being said Sendero Luminoso was a vile, vicous group. There was a community activist, Maria Elena Moyano, who was brave enough to publicly criticize the Senderistas. What was her punishment? She was killed in front of her family and her corpse was dynamited.

Anyone interested in the history of that group should read The Shining Path by Orin Starn.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_Elena_Moyano

Expand full comment

Quick google says in 1999 Clinton declared the anniversary of Stonewall every June in America as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. In 2011, Obama expanded Pride Month to the entire LGBT community. Not to say it hasn’t gotten MORE recently, or seen to be MORE based on social media, etc. but it’s been an entire month since 1999.

Additional: Most gay folks I know also don’t like a month of corporations going ~*rainbow~* because they often turn around and give money to anti gay causes and/or don’t have pro-gay policies on file. Me and my crew skip the parade and go to the beach the Sunday instead. Mike Solana tweeted a great image set I think last year of various brand US logos all being rainbow and none/many of their international logos not rainbow.

There’s a lot to be cynical about but also a lot to celebrate and plenty strive for! Happy Pride, Fifdom 🌈 🌟

Expand full comment

HOW U MAKE RAINBOW ON 'PUTER

Expand full comment

Dad? Is that you? It sure sounds like you.

Expand full comment

Google "unicode rainbow" (or substitute another word instead of rainbow and see if it exists - go wild!) Copy + paste.

Expand full comment

Mac: Comand + Ctrl + Space

PC: Windows Key + .

🥂

Expand full comment

I made it on muh phone 📱 🌈 but also if you update your computer iMessage has emojis ✨ 🎧

Expand full comment

I used to like to hit up DC pride back when gay marriage was still not even supported by mainstream Democrats. It seemed worth showing support for the community. These days it seems like Pride is just another excuse to party for people who want to support a cause without stepping in anything that is remotely controversal to the main stream (on their side).

Expand full comment

Kind of reminds me of the Simpsons episode. The Gay Pride Parade comes down the street and they start chanting: "We're here, we're queer, get used to it"

Lisa responds: "We know, you do this every year, we are used to it".

"Spoilsport"

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
June 2, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

My favorite pride story is how the organization in my city nearly fell apart because one of the organizers convinced a local Chick-fil-A franchise to give out free sandwiches during the event. So much weirdness.

Expand full comment

If you do, NYC Fifdom will greet you at the border with bells and whistles, and I’ll have as many types of pride flags I can logistically keep on a single human!

Expand full comment

Welcome to the Pride flag depot! Which kind of gay are you?

Jaye, apparently: Yes. 😎

Expand full comment

The Pride flag Depot, Is that where we can steal shopping carts full of rainbow flags and ask the employees for help loading them in our pickup trucks?

Expand full comment

😂😂 extremely true

Expand full comment

I was listening to this episode in tandem with receiving my SEVENTH work email SINCE YESTERDAY celebrating pride month, reminding me about pride month, a note from the director about pride month, the importance of pride month and DEI.... just in the unforgivable case that any of us forget while actually trying to get work done. I, like Moynihan, do not care but I do get a little.... no a lot....overloaded and came close to going up to my gay work bestie to tell him “Happy Pride month! Can you please tell them to stop with the emails already?” To be clear: I am not going to firebomb a target and I don’t think that my daughter wearing a rainbow tshirt will make her want to be trans (nor would I care if it did!) but I definitely understand why people are becoming incensed and just So. damn .Tired.

Imagine if the government decided that we needed a “second amendment pride month!” Or a “celebrate life month!” Or perhaps “Christian Heritage Month!” And then Target sold their baby onesies with guns on them or “God bless America!” maternity dresses or heaven forbid...dead fetus silhouette ornaments just in time for CHRISTmas, you want to tell me the left would not LOSE THEIR SHIT??! I’m just tired of both sides trying to push each other’s buttons for stupid crap equivalent to a schoolyard “I know you are but what am I” battle.

Expand full comment

I've given myself permission to hate Pride Month exactly the same amount that I hate AAPI Heritage Month.

Expand full comment

My vote would be for an entire month of just “Rainbows and Unicorns.” That’s it. nothing else. And it would be customary to greet each other by shrugging our shoulders and say: “Isn’t life is weird and crazy?” That would be awesome. 🌈🦄

Expand full comment

😂😂😂

Expand full comment

Kmele, my dude ... can you just, like, pick a state?

Expand full comment

Well if he’s going back to Cali, good luck getting it insured. State Farm and AllState pulled out.

Expand full comment

Well if you can't insure a new home purchase, you can't have a typical mortgage, so home sales will definitely slow down significantly. Maybe housing prices are finally going to start to come down.

I mean, if you live somewhere the risk of wildfire is great enough that you can't insure your home, you might think home prices would be affected.

Expand full comment

Maybe he’s launching his campaign to become Portland’s Great (Non)Black Hope.

Expand full comment

I assume he's moving to New Mexico.

Expand full comment

Oh for the love of God good people, do NOT skip the home inspection. No, they do not discover every flaw, as there are limitations on what you can inspect, but they can uncover A LOT. (MM love you, but that’s terrible advice).

Expand full comment

What's your best story? When my wife and I bought our house, the clothes drier had been vented into the crawl space rather than outside, which led to black mold throughout the basement. The inspector instantly spotted the lint around some wood paneling and said, "Oh no, I've seen this one before...". There was also the almost 50 year-old furnace that had probably never been serviced that was emitting dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide, so much so that as soon as he saw the reading, he shut it down and had us all leave the basement and open up a door. The thing was, those two items were great negotiating tools to drive the price down even more, and everything was taken care of before we moved in. It was money well-spent in our case.

Expand full comment

I have more than I care to remember, but learning that a home had about 6 layers on the roof left my jaw hanging. I’d say the the flaws that make me the angriest are the the result of piss poor jobs done by flippers.

Expand full comment

A builder friend of mine has always argued that get a builder to do the inspection for you and pay them cash. Sort of thing they could do on the way to or from another job. All care no responsibility but if you know them money well spent.

Expand full comment

Sure, and it’s helpful that they can also provide quotes, but many purchase agreements state it had to be conducted by an ASHI certified inspector.

Expand full comment

In Straya they are also a bit of a waste of time but the one thing they do pick up is termites which is a big deal. Cannot believe you can't sell a property without an appraisal? The one dumb thing here is that four different people can all get an inspection which is a bit of a waste. Always thought there would be a way for the agent to somehow make the inspection available to other potential buyers but for a fee that goes to the first person who organised an inspection.

Expand full comment

1. The appraisal is ordered by the lender, so many cash purchases are completed without an appraisal. 2. The inspection is technically the property of the buyer. It’s not necessarily available for the seller to share the inspection. Plus there are liability issues. Always best for the buyer to choose their own inspector, etc even if it is redundant.

Expand full comment

Matt, Awesome podcast today- you are on fire! Enjoy your pops xo

Expand full comment

Found Moynihan's article on Wikipedia, which includes this banger:

"my biography once claimed that I had a “vagina” and—pardon the language—“love the cock.”"

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-dangers-of-trusting-wikipedia-with-your-life?ref=author

Expand full comment

I maintain, Wikipedia has a sterling reputation for accuracy. I'm very happy for you, Moynihan! Hope that vagina of yours gets the good ticking down it deserves.

Expand full comment

Dallas Raines, that brings back memories, Johnny Mountain too, weather guys like that are definitely an only in LA phenomenon!

Expand full comment

Adds to list of possible porn star nom de plumes...

Expand full comment

I worked at Home Depot from 2002-2005. Power tools were the targets for thieves, and they usually would just grab them and then run out the emergency exit. I did give chase one time, but was quickly and firmly reprimanded, being informed that's what insurance is for.

Expand full comment

And how much longer will said insurance exist? My local Lowes has started locking up the copper wire.

Expand full comment

Some stores have this policy, yet employee incentives are directly tied to merchandise loss. The "Don't interfere" policies seem prudent in a lot of ways, but it's hardly a fair policy when employees actual lose out on bonuses when theft goes up. Theft not only hurts consumers due to higher prices, it also hurts employees through lower wages and smaller or fewer bonus payments, and a lot of retail employees a really fucking sick of seeing shoplifters get away with it every god damn day.

Expand full comment

So who’s going to listen to the Megyn Kelley interview with Tara Reade and report back to the class?

Expand full comment

listened to it and she seems pretty crazy, I thought MK did well in pushing back against her wild statements about how tolerant Russia is. The second guest was pretty awesome though

Expand full comment

I started to hate listen to it yesterday but had to pause. Going to try and power through. Curious to see if Megyn asks her about the marathon press conference she just did with Maria Butina.

Expand full comment

I couldn’t do it!

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
June 3, 2023
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

I thought MK did do a pretty good job, especially then basically mocking her with the guest. But a weird open thread hanging: TR said the investigation into her for... something... started in 2020, which MK then referred to as the Biden justice department.

That is... not who was president in 2020.

Expand full comment

2 hours of the Fifth AND a Moynihan article on Orwell! You lads really know how to turn around a lousy week!

Also, Harry might be divorcing Megan. It's probably fake news, but if it's not, I'm really looking forward to hear the lads discuss.

Happy Friday, and a lovely evening everyone!

https://www.shefinds.com/collections/prince-harry-called-divorce-lawyers-months-ago/

Expand full comment

And a good day to you. Not a true Scotsman but a true gentleman.

Expand full comment

You can tell because I'm wearing a cravat.

Expand full comment

Obviously Kmele is an Israelite and so is wandering. However I assume he knows how long the commitment is?

Expand full comment

The first Wikipedia entry for Tim Pool ends with “There is now a Tim Pool fan page on facebook, and hundreds of thousands of greatly appreciative fans of his amazing reporting talent, stamina, and... well, just plain awesomeness! THANK YOU TIM!” That’s definitely written by him, just as Moynihan stated.

Expand full comment

I never realised he was like this

Expand full comment

😂😂

Expand full comment