John Boland and Timothy Cordes welcome David Berkoff, Olympic champion, and world record-setting swimmer to the podcast.He discusses how he developed the Berkoff blastoff, which revolutionized competitive swimming. We discussed changes in the sport and being a father of an athlete.David regales us with tales of getting to know Soviets during the Cold War as well as his desire to focus on the positive, recognizing we are all imperfect.David admires Pablo Morales for embodying persistence, and he gives Paul Newman praise for living life his own way.Referred to:When Backstroke Went Rogue: David Berkoff Changed the EventBERKOFF BLASTOFF on YouTubePablo Morales and a Great Feel-Good Stories in the Sport’s HistoryWe would love to hear from you. Drop a comment or send us your thoughts at [email protected] not forget to share, like or subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

John Boland and Timothy Cordes address the breakdown between people and their institutions. Tim uses the Ship of Thesus analogy to describe organizational drift.Tim recounts recent news on how Amnesty International (AI), which defended political prisoners now set its sites on a women’s rape crisis center. He also reviews how the Southern Poverty Law Center has lost the plot.John asserts that the atomization of information makes institutions more superfluous, and it is harder to hide their flaws, using the Catholic Church as an example.The Buddies acknowledge the institutional blinders of academia. They discuss how preemptive claims of eelection fraud destroy faith in democracy.John’s whack-job is a strict constructionist when its convenient while Tim’s hero uses her position to unabashedly advocate for women.Referred to:The interview that exposed academia’s cluelessnessTraditionalist Catholics face a difficult choice after Vatican cuts off breakaway group - APThe death of the stick shift is almost here - Washington PostHome - Save The Manuals!JK Rowling rape support centre brands Amnesty’s anti-rights accusation ‘deeply offensive’ | Daily Mail OnlineSPLC funded racism just so they could fight it | Columnists | thedesertreview.comVideo: Justice Jackson can’t define woman in confirmation hearingWe’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment or send an email to [email protected]’t forget to share, like and subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

John Boland and Timothy Cordes welcome experimental psychologist Dr. “Andi” Clements from East Tennessee State University to discuss her struggles to publish questions which threaten the “medication first” dogma for treatment of opioid use disorder.Professor Clements describes her experiences in teaching about trauma to churches. She explains how opioid medications interfere with natural reinforcement from social connection, and her question whether medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) reduces individuals’ ability to form social connections that would drive natural recovery. She indicates that the Church could be one place offering strong community support to those in recovery.The group reflects on the trajectory of heroin addicts after Vietnam, the success of AA, how to consider vulnerability to addiction, and what a study testing Professor Clements’ hypothesis would look likeDr. Clements shares her hero, John Swinton from the University of Aberdeen.Referred to:What a Questioning Medication-First Addiction Treatment Made Me a HereticInterpersonal connection and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): Does the endogenous opioid system inform the etiology and treatment of addiction?Intrinsically Motivated: An Uplift Appalachia Podcast on Apple PodcastsRaging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of Evil: Swinton, John on AmazonWe’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment or send us an email at [email protected] there’s one thing you can do for the podcast, share it with a friend.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

John Boland and Timothy Cordes are joined by Peter Cordes this week to discuss America’s Semiquincentennial.The Buddies consider America as a meta-political idea, grounded in equality and liberty which transcends factions like political parties.Peter shares his thoughts on the First Amendment and the primary goal of the framers while Tim and John consider how successful they were. John also shares his favorite amendment.John reviews facts which demonstrate how special America is, and Tim ads that it is also the fundamental elements like immigrants seeking freedom and freedom of religion and speech which make the highlights possible.Peter’s hero is a delegate who was essential for the signing of the Declaration of Independence.Referred toOpinion | 25 reasons to be optimistic about America’s future - Washington PostCaesar Rodney: The Ride That Secured Independence;’We’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment or send an email to [email protected]’t forget to share, like or subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

Ramesh Ponnuru the Editor of the National Review joins John Boland and Tim Cordes to address democrats and socialism, to the race to the moral bottom, and January 6.Ramesh and the Buddies review issues raised by vice-presidents, namely J.D. Vance’s change of heart and Dick Cheney’s inability to relinquish his principled stance.They touch on healthcare and affordability, and Ramesh Ponnuru offers reasons for hope.Ramesh shares his whack-job who wants to abolish prisons and will likely end up in Congress.Referred to:Ramesh Ponnuru | National ReviewN.Y. Socialist Called for Eliminating Police, Prisons, and Israel. Now, She’s Likely Headed to Congress | National ReviewOpinion | Dick Cheney never forgave Trump for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot - The Washington PostWe would love to hear from you. Drop a comment or send us an email at [email protected] not forget to like and subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

After highlighting the importance of fathers, John Boland and Timothy Cordes discuss the framework for ending the Iran conflict.Tim looks back to Prime Minister Neville chamberlain and the history of appeasement. He wonders about negotiating as if your adversary is a rational actor.John reviews the recent history of Iran and President Obama’s agreement to try to contain Iran’s nuclear program.John thinks the current memorandum is laughable. First, it is not an actual agreement.The Buddies review recent Babylon B headlines highlighting the absurdity of the situation.John chooses “Jefferson Davis” Vance as his whack-job this week for his unflagging flogging of a memorandum deserving scrutiny.Tim’s hero is a principal who saved lives with his courage and quick action.Referred to:Learning from Trump, Man Successfully Negotiates Wife Down to Absolutely Everything She Wants | Babylon BeeWhat Iran Gets From Its U.S. Deal, Even if It Gives Nothing - WSJTrump condemned Obama’s Iran deal. Here’s how his own compares. - The Wash. PostPauls Valley principal hailed hero for stopping gunman- KOCOOn Democracies and Death Cults | Douglas MurrayDrop a comment or send us an email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.Please, share, like and subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

John Boland and Timothy Cordes dive into an article by Bret Stevens on what the Graham Platner story can tell us about morality and politics. John asserts that a politician’s efficacy is what matters most. Tim offers that a history of moral action improves one’s ability to predict future behavior.The Buddies draw distinctions between past behavior and ongoing concerns and highlight the hypocrisy of treating concerns differently based on whether the offender is in one’s own party.From decades distance, they review the Bill Clinton story and how much his ‘moral’ choices impacted him and his presidency. They wonder if ethics is an encumbrance in modern politics.Tim’s whack-job has “woken” up to its failure to do its journalistic due diligence.John’s hero helped the Knicks win the NBA championship.Referred to:Opinion | The Good That Can Come From Platner’s Candidacy - NYTTop Canadian newspaper says media failed to verify Kamloops mass graves claimDrop a comment or send us an email to [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.Don’t forget to like and subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

Timothy Cordes and John Boland review the recent social media controversy over, @McJuggernuggets,  Jesse Ridgway’s announcement of a pregnancy termination because of a Down syndrome diagnosis mere weeks before fetal viability. Tim, who is blind, and a parent of a child with Down syndrome, responds.Tim and John assert that a diagnosis does not define one’s value and we should be judged on how we treat the least among us, which includes the disabled. The Buddies are astonished at how Jesse Ridgway shared the news on social media and his seeming befuddlement at the response. They note themes of “othering” and try to dissect his request for empathy. The Buddies examine parallels to the Nazi rationalization for the extermination of 300,000 disabled people. The heroes of the week are the quiet people among us who act with love even when faced with challenges. Referred to:Influencer Jesse Ridgway Says He's Glad He Wasn't Aborted, 'I'm Normal'Opinion | The Nazis’ First Victims Were the Disabled - The New York TimesYouTuber Jesse Ridgway Terminates Pregnancy Over Down Syndrome, Sparks Debate - Newsweek Chances are, we would love to hear from you. Drop a comment or reach out to [email protected]. Don’t forget to share, like or subscribe. Let’s keep talking.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

John Boland and Timothy Cordes dive into the commencement season. The Buddies reflect on their own graduation from the University of Notre Dame.The Buddies review the Heckler’s veto, a university’s choice of speakers, and student resistance. Tim highlights Jonathan Haidt’s address to NYU that students with no self-awareness or sense of irony challenged.John highlights memorable speeches from David Foster Wallace, Admiral McRaven, and Steve Jobs. Tim POINTS to Fareed Zakaria as delivering a powerful address.Tim and John offer their own advice for young people.John’s whack-job thinks the Department of Defense should cast extras for a UFC match on federal grounds.Tim’s whack-job reminds him of Senator Joseph McCarthy who has found a new menace for the 21st Century.Referred to:Fareed Zakaria: 2026 Commencement at Bard CollegeIf You Want to Change the World, Start Off by Making Your Bed - Admiral McRaven - YouTubeCommencement 2026: Jonathan Haidt AddressTroops to get free tickets to White House UFC event, but must meet weight standards | CNN PoliticsWe’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment or email us at [email protected], share, like and subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com

After discussing Brat Fest in Madison, Wisconsin, John Boland and Timothy Cordes consider mandatory national service in the military or elsewhere. Tim offers benefits from the plan. John gives statistics on how many countries have some form of compulsory national service. The Buddies debate the value of service for its own sake. Tim values the idea of building a service culture but chafes at another government mandate.Both highlight Americans who have served in Congress as heroes this week.Referred to:85 Countries with Required Military Service (2026 List)Barney Frank, Gay Pioneer and Liberal Stalwart in Congress, Dies at 86 - The New York TimesTulsi Gabbard Resigns as Trump’s Director of National IntelligenceWe would love to hear from you. Drop a comment or reach out to [email protected], like and subscribe.Let’s keep talking. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ideasfirst.substack.com