Two Drinks In Again
Dave and Jeff have (at least) two drinks and talk about the goings-on in the Knoxville metro area. Sports, music, restaurants, movies, and really anything is up for discussion. Join us for some information and a lot of laughs.
Two Drinks In Again
Episode 44 - We Came for Bourbon, Stayed for Democracy (Barely)
The mics are back on and the air smells like woodsmoke and accountability. We start with real life: a son racing toward solo flights, another finishing school abroad, and the strange relief of the last tuition check. Jeff steps from stage lights to headlines, unpacking a run in Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor that echoed today’s media battles in uncomfortable—and oddly funny—ways. In between, there’s Piedmont fog, Barolo mornings, and the kind of travel that slows your pulse just enough to notice who you’ve become.
Then we go where most friendships falter: the churn of outrage culture and the hollowness of viral pile-ons. A ballpark tantrum turns into a larger question about public shaming. A public shooting becomes a stress test for empathy, and we call the game straight—no cheering for harm, no sanctifying violence. We pick apart late-night monologues, corporate mergers, and the convenient elasticity of “free speech” when shareholders and regulators hover. Not to score points, but to ask who benefits when the national conversation moves faster than facts.
Health myths and vaccine fears get a careful pass—more nuance than noise—because trust is earned in how we talk, not just what we say. From there, we push both parties: stop talking down to voters, retire calcified gatekeepers, and start listening to what people actually need. If your ideas don’t touch the grocery bill, the pharmacy counter, and the insurance premium, they won’t land. Through it all, we come back to the friendship at the table: a Democrat and a center‑right skeptic arguing hard, laughing harder, and refusing to dehumanize each other. That’s the quiet thesis here. Conversation won’t fix everything, but nothing gets fixed without it.
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