Bald and Bloviating
A nonpartisan bald news junky dissects top stories and rants about their implications, along with other personal, science, and tech discussions.
Episodes
Mookie Spitz dives headfirst into why work so often feels like a slow-motion train wreck — and why the people around you are usually the ones going off the rails. Drawing from decades of personal experience to create a satirical expose worthy of The Office, Mookie breaks down what he describes as the four types of asshole bosses:
The Evil Superstar — a top performer promoted into leadership and drunk on their own importanc...
In this unapologetic, no-holds-barred solo episode, Mookie Spitz reflects on his surreal brush with presidential politics — a behind-the-scenes strategy session with Andrew Yang during his 2020 campaign. Armed with decades of marketing and branding expertise, Mookie tried (and failed) to show Yang how emotional storytelling, clear messaging, and unabashed provocation win elections — not endless policy details. What follows is a sha...
Mookie Spitz opens up about the thin line between science and mysticism, between reason and wonder, and concludes we need to embrace both.
Through vivid stories of premonitions, near-misses, and life-or-death moments, Mookie explores the mysterious threads that seem to connect us across time, space, and even reality itself. From a mother’s prophecy to a son’s narrow escape, from a teenage acid trip to glimpses of something ancient ...
In this fiery and provocative episode, Mookie Spitz dives deep into the growing civil war within the Jewish American community. Drawing inspiration from Chris Rock’s iconic “Civil War” routine, Mookie offers a no-holds-barred stand-up-style rant about the fierce generational and ideological divide that's exploded post-October 7th. He explores how younger, liberal Jews rally behind Palestinian rights, clashing head-on with olde...
In this powerful follow-up, Mookie Spitz returns to the raging civil war within American Jewry — a battle that’s only deepened post-October 7th. Moving beyond satire, Mookie delivers a heartfelt, provocative message: a call for Jewish Americans to reclaim their critical thinking, compassion, and humanity amid the chaos. With sharp analysis, personal stories, and biting wit, he breaks down the two extreme camps — Militant Zionists a...
On this hilarious and brutally honest episode of Bald and Bloviating, Mookie Spitz ruminates on three — count 'em, three — epic bike crashes that all share one common thread: his stubborn refusal to admit he needs help. From a bloody Manhattan bike-lane disaster (that cost him $12K and a surgically rebuilt elbow) to two more wipeouts on California bike paths, Mookie serves up wild storytelling, painful lessons, and a raw look ...
In this solo episode, Mookie Spitz reflects deeply and humorously on the paradoxical power of adversity and existential dread as catalysts for creativity. Sharing his colorful journey from nightclub manager to accidental father and executive to aspiring writer and musician — and eventually, an artist fueled by life's harsh realities — Mookie illustrates how the "fertility of shittiness" can inspire profound artistic ...
Welcome to an in-depth discussion about The Null Set, just ∅, the void, the OG empty group. But don't be fooled—this mathematical bad boy is actually deep as deep can get... In this show, Mookie dives into the mystical, minimalistic beauty of the null set: where it came from (spoiler: ancient Greek mathematicians side-eyed it into existence), how it's used in modern mathematics (spoiler: everywhere), and why the big zero ...
Mookie Spitz dives into the dark heart of authoritarian allure, drawing creative parallels between Abel Ferrara’s cult classic Bad Lieutenant and the current political landscape. Why are millions of Americans rooting for vigilante-style justice over due process? What does it say about our collective psyche when a leader's chaos feels like catharsis? From El Salvador’s Bukele to Trump’s MAGA mystique, Mookie explores the growin...
Mookie Spitz turns the tables on Ali Rizvi, and invites the Canadian podcaster, tweeter, and author onto his own show. They dive into the swirling chaos of modern masculinity, media madness, and midlife musings -- from praising Mick Jagger as the bisexual apex predator of rock, to wondering WTF happened to dude-bro billionaires including Musk and Zuckerberg. Along the way, they toast and roast Trump, break up with Bill Maher and Ne...
Seems two kinds of people inhabit the planet: those who have game, and those who don't. Here I rant about the importance of identifying yourself and others in either category, and what entails from such a fundamental distinction.
Cited Pod
Buckle up and get set for some serious bloviating. Your bald host, Mookie Spitz reconnects with coiffed musician, psychologist, and desert van-dweller Reza Ziai for a wild ride full of paywalls, pop stars in space, and why Elon Musk might be the messiah—or a Bond villain with ASD and excellent connectivity. They unpack why Iran still doesn’t have nukes and what should and shouldn't be done about it, whether AI will wipe us out...
Doing things unconventionally my whole life, I've encountered unconventional people -- including celebrities-to-be Beck, and as described here, Andy Dick. Here I recount how we met, how we became friends, and our strange and memorable experiences together just before Andy moved to LA to become the Andy Dick we know and love and are annoyed by to this day...
Blog Post
https://mookiespitz.medium.com/an-up-coming-dick-2696f61684e0...
In this solo episode of Bald and Bloviating, host Mookie Spitz riffs on his linguistic pet peeve: the overuse of the passive voice. Prompted by a recent media blitz from linguist John McWhorter—whom Mookie once emailed with unsolicited writing advice—this episode dives into why phrases like "it is" and "there was" weaken prose. Drawing inspiration from a long-forgotten middle school teacher and Dickens’ famous o...
Mookie Spitz talks to a self-described leftist, Jared Vaugh Davis, to dissect the deep dysfunction of American politics, with a focus on what's gone wrong with the Democratic Party -- and how to fix it. Fast paced, with sharp humor and raw honesty, they explore whether personality is more important than policy, explore the need for a celebrity to lead the “New Democrat” movement, and the paradox of Trump ruining the country fo...
The Yemen attack Signal fiasco embodies the new administration's attitudes toward protocol, security, and the role of government itself. Here's my take from the concerned vantage point of a Marine dad...
My video parody:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHr4FSRpQ5J/
My video commentary:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHqk_0oxuX7/
"I knew them when..." is the ultimate celebrity trope, in this case a true one when back in North Hollywood, California in the mid-80s, I got to know and hang out with teenage Beck. Reminiscing can be fun and revealing, saying much about the roads to fame, and the elements of great storytelling. Here's how I met him, recorded a song together, and argued about music. (Spoiler alert: Beck proved his point.) GIve us a l...
Science fiction is often based on the counterfactual conditional, "What if...?" I based this short story I wrote back in the mid-90s on two such speculations: "What if... global nuclear disarmament precludes WW3 but leads to our extinction, anyway, because we can't deflect a planet-killer asteroid or comet?" and "What if... the President of the United States is eventually a transgendered person?"
...
Writers write, and when not writing stories write about writing stories. Here's a rant about my first short story, the short story itself, and the agony and ecstasy of learning how to write stories. Whether or not you're a writer you might enjoy hearing about the process, and how it feels to revisit work decades later, dust it off, and share it with shock and awe...
The original short story:
At the home stretch of finishing and publishing my second novel, I waxed nostalgic and sought eleventh hour inspiration in dusting off the short story that spawned it. Here I give a bit of background, and read the original post that has evolved to a fully rendered novel, first in a series, out on Amazon and Kindle soon...
My short story on Medium:
https://medium.com/@mookiespitz/johnny-fazoolie-the-transfinite-reality-engine-9b2ee67...
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.