Cheerfully Intense

Brian Gongol's cheerfully intense look at what's happening. Thought-provoking but not mindlessly provocative. Guided by four rules: Make money, have fun, clean up after yourself, and mind your business.

Episodes

Roundabouts, rails, and regional jets

May 29, 2021 • 9 mins

What's going to become of international travel if we don't do something about the hijacking in Belarus? And, on a different note, should rail enthusiasts start recruiting for their cause at airline hubs?

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On truck stops and Dr. Fauci

December 23, 2020 • 3 mins

Dr. Anthony Fauci got his first coronavirus vaccine shot yesterday, and my thoughts turned to truck stops

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To be fair about it

November 2, 2020 • 6 mins

Unless you actually believe we're all living in a simulation (like The Matrix), then it's time to recall that everyone around you -- even your opponents -- is living a complex, rich internal life just like yours. And we can't do right by them unless we're dedicated to being fair.

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Do I look like a manager to you?

June 30, 2020 • 10 mins

If people persist in thinking that I "look like a manager" for no good reason other than my gender and my skin color, then we're a long way from equitably treating everyone with the dignity that is inherently theirs.

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News for Nerds

June 8, 2020 • 9 mins

Where did James Mattis have his letter published this week, and what does it have to do with the Capital Weather Gang?

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Victory Gardens of the mind

March 23, 2020 • 10 mins

The most important thing for people to do amid the COVID-19 outbreak is nothing: Stay home and socially distance. But there are lots of things to do while you're doing nothing, and taking action can make you feel better about having some control over the future.

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The Old Gray Lady shouldn't shut up

March 9, 2020 • 11 mins

The New York Times editorial board wants to publish its consensus opinions less often. That's a giant mistake.

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Away go troubles down the drain

March 2, 2020 • 10 mins

The Surgeon General wants you to quit hoarding masks because you're panicked over coronavirus. But it's not just doctors and nurses and EMTs who will need to be masking up if this thing gets worse.

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Paging Doctor House

February 24, 2020 • 12 mins

Getting the difference between a "human right" and a "universal need" shouldn't be this hard, but Sen. Bernie Sanders sure wants to make it tougher than it is.

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Let your "yes" mean "yes", wherever you're the President

February 17, 2020 • 10 mins

It's not often that the Catholic Church has a Sunday reading that fits with the news, but China's President Xi definitely should have been in the pews this week.

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Who's afraid of a little Korean cinema?

February 10, 2020 • 11 mins

The people who are chicken about facing competition from "foreign" films are really no different from the people who want to "build a wall". Money, ideas, goods, and people ought to move with the maximum practicable freedom.

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Caucus Eve in Iowa

February 3, 2020 • 9 mins

It's Caucus Eve in Iowa, and we've already celebrated with our traditional dinner of pork chops and corn syrup. (I kid.) This is going to be a big week for news. But is it going to be a good one for the Constitution?

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Are we as humble as the Founders?

January 18, 2020 • 8 mins

101 years ago, Americans made a big mistake by ratifying Prohibition. It took almost a decade and a half to fix that mistake. Correcting our errors is job #1 for Americans.

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Cheerfully Intense

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Roundabouts, rails, and regional jets

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}On truck stops and Dr. Fauci

To be fair about it

Do I look like a manager to you?

News for Nerds

Victory Gardens of the mind

The Old Gray Lady shouldn't shut up

Away go troubles down the drain

Paging Doctor House

Let your "yes" mean "yes", wherever you're the President

Who's afraid of a little Korean cinema?

Caucus Eve in Iowa

Are we as humble as the Founders?

Popular Podcasts

For You.css-1r2bfgw{margin:0 0 -2px 5px;}

Roundabouts, rails, and regional jets

On truck stops and Dr. Fauci

For You