Episode 269: An Abundance of Lies

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Every so often, a book emerges that gets a lot of buzz from the media and gets tongues wagging. Sadly, too often those books say things that stretch credulity to the breaking point and start to smell a lot like a massive propaganda campaign stuffed into a hardcover. I follow the abundant evidence of one such book being bunkum in this Episode 269: An Abundance of Lies.

In this episode, I read a lot of stuff. I start with Zephyr Teachout's Washington Monthly essay "An Abundance of Ambiguity;" followed by Matt Bruening's Jacobin article, "What the 'Abundance Agenda' Leaves Out;" followed by Daniel Drezner's book The Ideas Industry and Anand Giridharadas' Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World; moving on to the American Prospect article by Hannah Story Brown called "An Abundance of Credulity;" and I close with Matt Stoller's Big newsletter essay, "An Abundance of Sleaze." (For reasons I'll explain in the next episode, I mentioned but did not read from an essay called The Poverty of Abundance. Trust me, I had reasons.)

I play: two snippets from The Long Now Foundation's interview with the pair of authors, the first featuring host Michael Pollan, the second with Derek Thompson. Musically, George Monbiot shows some real optimism in the opening backed by KMFDM; and Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang close us out with "Over the Rainbow."

Bonus Episode: Senator John Sherman's Address to the Senate

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While most of us have heard of the Sherman Act, few have savored Senator John Sherman's speech to the Senate in defense of that act.  Today, I present to you my reading of an edited version of that speech, in this Bonus Episode: Senator John Sherman's Address to The Senate.

Find the scanned copy mentioned in the episode here.

Episode 268: Rich Uncle Money-Bork, Welfare Queen

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Monopolies are nothing new. Government allowing companies to merge and acquire and metastasize into monopolies, though, that is relatively new. The ideas that support monopolies come from a handful of jerks supported by other jerks, who provide trucks full of money. I focus my hairy eyeball of criticism today on one such full truck funded fuck in this Episode 268: Rich Uncle Money-Bork, Welfare Queen.

In this episode, I read from: Matt Stoller's book, Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy; Naomi Oreskes and Eric M. Conway's book, The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market; A Wikipedia page on Robert Bork; my computer's quickie dictionary; and Tim Wu's book, The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires. I also recounted from memory Rebecca Stott's book, Darwin and the Barnacle: The Story of One Tiny Creature and History's Most Spectacular Scientific Breakthrough. [NB: I misread Stott's last name in the show as "Scott." I apologize for the error.]

I play: Former Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, delivering a lunch keynote address at the 2022 conference on Antitrust and Competition; and Cory Doctorow, from an interview he did with On The Media on "Enshittification." Musically, KMFDM backs Doctorow with its tune "Attak"; and I close the show with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

You can find links to that material over at the show notes page at AttackAdsPodcast.Blogspot.com.

PS. Did you know the little cartoon guy with the monocle and striped pants and walrus mustache in the game Monopoly is not named Rich Uncle Money Bags? He's actually Rich Uncle Pennybags! Which is something I didn't know until I finished this episode. Oops-a-daisy!

Episode 267: Breathing Together, Choking Apart

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Propaganda is not just a thing that happens in the here and now. Dig well enough, and you might find old institutional knowledge that started originally as a conspiratorial plot designed to sway society. Make such propaganda profitable enough, and we find ourselves in a world described by the title to Episode 267: Breathing Together, Choking Apart.

In this episode, I read from: Stephen J. Gould's essay "The Late Birth of a Flat Earth"; Will Eisner's graphic novel "The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"; and my computer's quickie dictionary. I also once again reference Annalee Newitz's book Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind.

Musically, I play: KMFDM backing a new introduction with Mara Einstein, who noted how a degradation of social interactions moves us more and more toward interacting with our devices. Mistle Thrush closes us out with "It's All Like Today."

Oh, and quick note on those teasers I left you with at the end of the show. For a reference to William Whewell coining the term "scientist," check this brief article; and for the question of what might have prompted the sudden appearance in the English language of the word "quiz," give this podcast a listen (if you can find it; it's a tad old, and the Intertoobs do hate old things).

Episode 266: Garbage Fires and Angry Weasels

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When propaganda falls, it can lead to social impacts more powerful than kinetic weapons. The troubles come when the propagandists conceal their manipulation of society with misdirecting propaganda that we have trouble detecting, let alone responding to effectively. Which brings us to today's Episode 266: Garbage Fires and Angry Weasels.

In this episode, I read from: Annalee Newitz's book Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind; and Maggie Jackson's book, Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure. Expect more mentions of both of these interesting books.

Musically, I play: KMFDM backing Cory Doctorow's worry about our current crisis in belief, one caused by our privately-held companies playing fast and loose with information. Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang close out the show with "Over The Rainbow."

Episode 265: A Stringent, Crystalline Vision.

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As I've quoted before, "ideas need patrons." I'll dive into economic ideas bought by the wealthy and spread by those Chicago school economists in this Episode 265: A Stringent, Crystalline Vision.

In this episode, I read from: Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway's book, The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market; my computer's not-quite-so quickie dictionary (the new machine ain't so great at really quick dictionary look-ups, sadly); and a Politico article that focused on Rose Wilder Lane. Expect quite a bit more from The Big Myth; I took a copious pile of interesting notes.

I play: Marlon Brando's character Colonel Kurtz from the movie Apocalypse Now; and a news report from KING 5 News, aired on June 10, 2025… one featuring me!

Musically, I play Lee Rosevere's "Nearly There" (the metal machine music remix, to be precise). KMFDM opens the show backing Cory Doctorow's complaint about doubt industries (like, I'm sure you'll agree, the Chicago school); and I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow".

Episode 264: Archeologists of a Bygone Age

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Perhaps for the first time in human history, we people can now buy things more easily than we can fix them. Repair shops have become a thing only on television, even though so much of value could be repaired. I spend most of this Episode 264: Archeologists of a Bygone Age, planning my next big repair.


Hand Tool Rescue's fascinating vise repair!

In this episode, I play: Pee Wee Herman bemoaning the presence of so many large posteriors; Senator Ted Stevens noting the tubular reality of the Intertubes; and, with great thanks, The Post Apocalyptic Inventor so elegantly summarizing the current situation of our built environment.


The Post Apocalyptic Inventor bringing a wise introduction.

(I also referred to but did not play a video maker taking apart his own shredder.)


Just for fun, check out John's ultimate wood splitter!

Musically, I play: Jahzzar doing "Studie I". Mr. Ceglowski opened the show backed by KMFDM's "Attak," and I close with Mistle Thrush.

Episode 263: The Hits To Our Privates Just Keep Coming!

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Ethics often interfere with profits. When more profits are “required,” companies often face a hard choice…or an easy one. Results vary. I look into two compromises/profitable opportunities in this Episode 263: The Hits To Our Privates Just Keep Coming!

In this episode, I read from: two recent articles about how greedy big companies are getting, one concerning the Alef Bets, the other the Shit River; Shoshana Zuboff's 2019 book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight For a Human Future At The New Frontier of Power; and Cory Doctorow's 2008 book Little Brother.

I play: a musical stinger from the old Batman television show; and from the 1999 movie American Pie, the kinky flautist Michelle demanding her name be spoken. Musically, KMFDM backs a new Cory Doctorow intro in the opening; and I close today with Mistle Thrush doing "It's All Like Today."

Addendum: Jim here. I goofed. I forgot to remove some content from the editing software; I had it muted, but when one compiles, the muting gets turned off.

I've recompiled. This sound file should be more what I originally had in mind. Thanks a bunch to listner Bleak Nemesis for pointing it out.

Episode 262: The Shitcaca Sküll

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I’m reminded almost daily about how the current elevation of private enterprise has made our lives crap. It's helpful to remember that this industrial fetish had an origin, and can be reversed, as I discuss in this Episode 262: The Shitcaca Sküll.

In this episode, I read from: Kim Phillips-Fein's book, Invisible Hands: The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan; and from Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway's book The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market. Lots more to come from both of those books.

I play: a snippet of the National Association of Manufacturers' propagandistic short movie, Your Town, a Story of America. Musically, in a new intro KMFDM opens the show backing George Monbiot's observation about how far into the brainwashing stage this Chicago School focus on private wealth has taken us. I close today with Julie & Rolf & the Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 261: Ways We Are All Getting Torq'd

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I didn’t really know how much advertisers surveil us. I started to look into it. Then I stopped looking: how much we have all lost our privacy was just too scary. I look back on 10 years of reading in this Episode 261: Ways We Are All Getting Torq'd.

In this episode, I read from: a smart TV manufacturer's owner's manual (the original of which is no longer available after ten years); two articles about smart TVs, one from the Daily Beast, another from Gigaom; a New York Times Magazine article about store purchase history data crunching; a New Scientist article about Michal Kosinski's research; the abstract of Kosinski's research; a Motherboard article about what happened after others stole Kosinski's ideas; and Cory Doctorow's book Little Brother.

I play: content from a smart TV maker bragging about how intrusive and useful to advertisers their smart TVs really were (a video which was pulled from the Intertubes so fast it left skid marks). Shoshana Zuboff opens the show backed by KMFDM; and I close today with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

Episode 260: Two Scientists.

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Welcome to Episode 260: Two Scientists.

In this episode, I recalled from memory the story of Luca Turin's theory, all from a book called The Emperor of Scent: a True Story of Perfume and Obsession. I do hope I got most of that correct. I read from: my computer's quickie dictionary; a New York Times magazine article called "The Woman Who Could Smell Parkinson's"; and John M. Barry's book, The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.

I briefly play: the robot from the 1960s television show Lost In Space. Musically, KMFDM backs Henry Giroux in the opening; and I close today with Mistle Thrush.

Episode… ?

As the poets say, all things must pass. Today, that latest thing might be the production computer. Finally, after 21 years of service.

Sadly, its passing happened just as I was compiling Episode 260 for you, Dear Listeners.

I hope I can recover the work files; if all else fails, I do have the back-up with at least part of the production. I will try. We'll see.

For now, though, I'll get some sad dinner and do something sad other than post this latest episode.

Rest in silicon peace, old friend. (Unless you're not dead yet, which wouldn't surprise me. You Fruitie machines do last so.)

I'll be back with you as soon as the technology at my disposal allows.

—Jim

Episode 259: The Butchers of Certainty

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Not only does a constant onslaught of information drown us, we must sift out not just business propaganda, but ideological propaganda as well. The effort leaves us cynical. We should blame those in the title of Episode 259: The Butchers of Certainty.

In this episode, I read from: a 2022 New Republic article, "How the Meat Industry Undermines Effective Climate Policy;" Joel Salatin's book, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal; and my computer's quickie dictionary.

I play bits of: a KUOW interview I did with Kathy Duchamps back in 1999 (which, as far as I know, is not included in their archives); a podcast featuring David Wallace-Wells and Christiana Figueres (who I was surprised to learn was the former Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and played a vital role in the negotiations that led to the landmark Paris Agreement of 2015!); and Spencer Roberts from a 2022 This Is Hell! interview. Musically, KMFDM opens the show with a new opening featuring agriculture journalist Alan Guebert; and I close the show with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

Episode 258: Ticky Tacky Talkin'

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Putting the descriptor "foreign" on any term often gives it more gravitas, perhaps more of a threat, than simply uttering the term alone. I consider adversaries foreign and domestic in this Episode 258: Ticky Tacky Talkin'.

In this episode, I read from: Matt Stoller's January 19, 2025 article from his newsletter Big; a blogger's exploration of what limitations are applied to that new Chinese ASoL; my computer's quickie dictionary; and Robert Heinlein's novel Podkayne of Mars.

I play: another excerpt from that horrible National Associations of Manufacturers' show, the American Family Robinson; D. L. Myers invoking the Powell Movement stinger; and George Hrab from the Geologic Podcast giving a wonderfully sarcastic "great". Musically, I play: Tony Brasunas opining on what free speech means, backed by KMFDM; and Julie & Rolf & the Campfire Gang doing "Over the Rainbow."

Episode 257: Here Today…

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When we chronicle the efforts businesses have made to influence how the public feels about the government, into Propaganda’s Hall of Fame must go the National Association of Manufacturers. I'll share some of their efforts in this Episode 257: Here Today…

In this episode, I read from: the Wikipedia entry on the Goon Show; a blog focusing on comic strips; and Naomi Oreskes and Eric Conway's book The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government and Love the Free Market.


"Your" Town!

I play: A bit of the Goon Show's Xmas episode from some unknown year^*; then-Prince Charles showing off his Goon voice chops; a bit of a Daffy Duck cartoon; excerpts from two episodes of The American Family Robinson; selections from the 1940 short movie Your Town: A Story of America; the robot from the original version of Lost In Space (which I forgot to mention when reading the credits); and Sydney Greenstreet's evil soap-manufacturing character from the 1947 movie The Hucksters.

Clark Gable complains about radio advertising in the opening, backed by KMFDM; and I close with Julie & Rolf & The Campfire Gang doing "Over The Rainbow".

^*I'm sorry, but I forgot to record the link. The BBC runs the old Goon Show episodes on a rotating release schedule, sadly, so I couldn't get that episode if I wanted to.

The New Episode Is… Where?

Hey, Dear Listeners. Jim here with an explanation on my tardiness (this time). The next episode is "in the can," as they say; just not finished with the editing, which is the thing that takes the most time. Seriously, ask any podcaster. It's all in the editing. Why? It's cold. In our industrialized world, that wouldn't be a problem but for one detail: the Attack Ads! Studio is mostly unheated. The little space heater simply can't provide the oomph needed to keep my fingers from going numb while editing. I learned the hard way that pushing through the pain into the numbness makes ones editing fingers little error sausages. So please, bear with me. I'll kick out the jams as soon as I can feel the mouse and keys. Later! —Jim, Your Ad Attacker