Plausibly Live! - The Official Podcast Of The Dave Bowman Show

Rabbi Dave is feeling really old today. Why? First of all, it seems like Twitter has decided that old white guys are all Taliban types who want all women covered in public. Wait... that's the actual Taliban types who have unwavering support from Talabanisti's who support the idea of women being subservient to men in real life, not some television adaptation of a bad book that makes Twitter types point fingers at people they don't even know. Star Trek Strange New Worlds had it's much anticipated debut this week. Like other things, it made Dave feel really old. It's not your great grandfathers Star Trek... but it's not as bad as some of the others... It seems like the only major political figure who hasn't been to Ukraine lately is... Vladimir Putin. Even Jill Biden has made the trip, and made a fashion statement doing it! Meanwhile Chrishell and G Flip will have you wondering, "Who actually cares about this?" While Mel Brooks will have you saying "I care!"

My vaunted technology failed me this morning, and the video portion of this was lost to the bit bucket... On Fridays I like to drive Ben to school. It's just an other chance for us to spend some time together and have breakfast as we drive in a less than typical high traffic time. It's also a chance for him to ask me questions that seem... well... typically Ben-esque. "Dad, why isn't the Oklahoma Panhandle a part of Texas?" The answer, of course, is dripping with history, which I love, but Ben said I am "making way to complicated." The thing is that he asks me these questions, and more often than not they start my mind down other avenues of thought. So how did I get from the Oklahoma Panhandle to the overturning of Roe? Well... it's complicated...

Back in 2007/08, I was pretty much alone in a theory that I had regarding California's Prop 8 - the ban on gay marriage in California. I said on the air then, and I still believe now, that the left wanted Prop 8 to pass. That is to say that they wanted the voters to ban gay marriage in California. Why? Because that is how gay marriage would go on to become the law of the entire land. A District Court Judge in California almost derailed the plan when he stuck down Prop 8 (after it had passed), but ultimately another case was found to get the matter before the SCOTUS and essentially make gay marriage legal in all fifty states. But it wasn't the Prop 8 case, thanks to a Judge who didn't read the memo. Why does this matter now? I believe - and I will say this on this episode of the show - that both the left and the right want Roe overturned...

In April of 1917 the US Government had a problem. It had just declared war on Imperial Germany, less than six months after re-electing President Wilson who's entire campaign theme was "He Kept Us Out of the War..." The problem wasn't the political flip-flop, but rather the fact that roughly a third of all American Citizens were either immigrants from or descended from immigrants from... you guessed it... Imperial Germany. Those American Citizens, including one who lived in Hollywood, were not convinced that this "War to Save Democracy" was anything other than a war to destroy their homelands and cultures. The President pondered what to do about the fact that support among the citizenry for this war was tepid, at best. He needed to whip up a war fighting spirit and furor that would carry Americans across the sea, to stand in Paris, and say those words, "Lafayette, nous sommes là!" (Lafayette, we are here!) Wilson's good friend and confidant, George Creel, had an idea. It was an idea to "propagate the faith" i

The Sub Vets, Eric and Dave, are joined by Jamie Ferguson, who was a Sonar Tech aboard USS Darter, USS Louisville and USS La Jolla. Then, he became a specialist in human torture and pain... a... please don't make us say this... a... DENTIST!!!!!

As the world prepares to celebrate “Victory Day,” it will seemingly have an extra emphasis in places where people hate Nazis. And just who are these Nazi’s? You might think it would be rabidly anti-Semitic totalitarians, but it turns out it pet lovers. Elon Musk might have purchased Twitter for a single reason – to troll one specific politician. In any case, there is a specific reason why the political Left is losing its collective mind over him, and it’s not really about Free Speech… The Rabbi and the Friar have your news that nobody cares about, all on a May Day episode of WTF?

My son (11) and his my grandson (12) attend the same school and have the same PE teacher. On the walk to the bus stop today, they were chatting about the class and how today is "Exercises Day," which they do not seem to enjoy as much as "Game Day." My grandson said, "They're going to make us do those sprint things..." I started to reply to him that they cannot actually make you do anything, but before my mouth engaged, I heard in my head the words of as Supreme Court Justice last Monday. And I started wondering about that idea of forcing a 6th Grader to perform an exercise? My son loves his art class, but was complaining that he is the only kid in class who can't use the brush. "Why not?" I asked. The answer makes a lot of sense, but... what if...? Which is why this whole Bremerton High School Football Coach case has me asking a lot of questions...

After Eric almost dies* after a root canal goes rogue, he and Dave sit down to talk about their adventures with Navy Dentists (and doctors) and how they are scarred for life by the experience... *Eric did not die. Therefore it was an adventure

Dave Bowman joins Bill Mick to close out our Tuesday with our weekly trip through the Wayback Machine as we get his unique perspectives on history.  Today…just what makes history and who are the players?

So... there is no What the Frock today, because... well... reasons... This past week has been a very stressful time in the House of David. Cami is changing her job, neighbors are leaving, pollen counts are up, Norwich city is going down, and several other things that have changed the course of life have happened...

On this day in 2013, John got a new pair of sunglasses. A pair of MIRRIRD sunglasses...

April 19, 1775 was the day that the American Revolution ended. I know that sounds odd, since it was the day that he British tried to seize the Colonial military stores at Concord, and the shot heard 'round the world was fired. But the reality is that was the moment when the American Revolution ended and the war which was its consequence began...

After getting a late start on a Passover Sunday morning, the Rabbi is deeply concerned about the rise of AI machines, which are now even being used to make... coffee??? The Good Friar is here to calm things down. Or not... Elon Musk wants to buy twitter, which is causing all kinds of Goliardesque behavior that has everybody confused as to whether or not it's satire or whether or not anybody actually believes that Nazi's and King George III both believed in free speech??? In Switzerland, a man overdid a thing, while in cosmic WTFs, the LARGEST COMET EVER FOUND IS ON A DIRECT COURSE TO EARTH!!!!!! In "News That We Don't Know Why Anybody Would Care About," The Queen plays hooky on Easter Sunday, the USFL proves that football has gone soft and it's pretty clear that many of you were absolutely NOT wearing protection during the pandemic. It'll all make you wonder, What the Frock????

It's Passover and Easter weekend and the Sub Vets are here to talk about, what else... submarines!

Now that Russia has confirmed the loss of the Moskva, some of the questions that we had can begin to be answered. Or not. Rumors are flying today about what, if anything, may have been aboard the ship, including atomic weapons and Christian relics. In any case, it's pretty clear to me that the Russians are at least privately acknowledging the fact that the ship was sunk by Uke Neptune missiles. And it's also clear that the biggest question of all still remains to be answered.

In 1986, I opened the pages of the newest Tom Clancy novel, "Red Storm Rising," and immersed myself in a story that should have been a forewarning. In my days, we had certain assumptions about the Soviets and their Navy capabilities and tactics. Looking back it is easy to see that we assumed - and yes I know what that means - that the Soviets were tactical luddites, incapable of rapid adaptation to changing environments or tactical situations. Red Storm Rising certainly busted that myth, but.... it was "just fiction." We have already discussed how the modern battle is effected by the proliferation of small, handheld missile launchers of all types. The equal growth of larger tactical missiles, specifically anti-ship missiles has been every bit as impressive, but perhaps, not really noticed. So there are a couple of things about yesterdays event in the Black Sea that we can observe and about which we can draw some limited conclusions, without straying into wild speculation and Twitter rumor...

As the world turns, things are getting really, and we mean really, weird! The word which we no longer say is making a comeback, complete with robot dogs threatening grandma. Russia finally has an explanation for the reasons behind its invasion of Ukraine, and it’s definitely not what we thought it would be. The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo once entertained us with some science fiction fantasy. But Rabbi Dave is become increasingly concerned about Friar Rods AI life…

Eric and Dave are back to talk about long patrols, Crazy Ivan's, 16mm Movies, the USSVI, The USS Thresher and remind you that there is always at least one idiot walking around. If you don't know who the idiot is, then it's you. They will dance the Neutron Dance while recalling the anniversary of the US Navy Submarine Service...

I said this some weeks ago, but stop telling me how “slam dunk” the polls say that the midterms are going to be. I have long had a political mantra that I find myself repeating a lot. It’s simply this: “Never underestimate the ability of the GOP to screw things up.” I get it, Joe Biden is a disaster. But hey… no mean tweets! The problem is that the average voter might believe that, but the people who actually decided that Joe Biden would be President do not. They don’t care about tweets, mean or otherwise. They care about power, and they will use whatever marketing campaign they can to hold on that power. And now… it’s the front page of the New York Times and the Washington Post. “But Dave, you will cry,” Those are the “media,” and we all know that they lie…” Ignore them at your own peril. I am not saying that they are correct, but I am saying that the same people who crave power are using them to market the idea that I told you was coming about weeks back. And now… it’s the front page of the New York Ti

This is what being a American living in the 21st Century has done to me. Since 2014 I have been saying loudly and to anybody who will listen that I do not see any “National Interest” for this nation in Ukraine that would justify the blood of even one American Solider, Sailor, Airman or Marine. I also know that our military-industrial complex can make anything into a national security issue. As I watch the proliferation of news about the actions of Russians in Ukraine, my first emotions are a combination of anger and sadness. That’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is my subsequent emotions…