This week, Nate, Milo, Alice, and Hussein speak with journalist Alex Yablon ( @alexyablon ) about a US program in 2020 where the Federal Reserve leant money to municipalities --and the possibility of cutting out market-based austerity, if we want it. We also check in on Lordstown Motors and read a deeply insane ‘philosophy’ piece about why we should welcome a meteor. Sign up to Alex’s newsletter on Ghost here! https://alex-yablon.ghost.io If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early r...
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 424
This week, we've brought on Noah Suarez-Sikes ( @noahpasaran ) from the DSA Los Angeles-Hollywood Labor group. We discuss unionisation drives in Hollywood, why capital concentration is making films worse, the conditions for non-star workers in the US film industry, and an app that's going to redefine your biological age. It is a good time! To hear the entire episode, get it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54803790 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian people here: h...
Aug 13, 2021•11 min•Ep. 423
This week, Riley, Milo, Alice, and Hussein join special guest Alex Press ( @alexnpress ) of Jacobin magazine and the Primer podcast ( @primerpod ) about the Stratford Orb, another union-busting app, and the news that the Amazon union election has to do a re-run (and the Teamsters are getting involved!). You will enjoy this. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfuture Please consi...
Aug 09, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 422
We brought on Dan Boeckner, musician from the bands Wolf Parade and Operators, podcaster with Riley from the show Bottlemen, to discuss a 1977 spy thriller called 'Cumbernauld HIT' set in Cumbernauld, Scotland. Except it was funded by the local council to promote Cumbernauld, using the film as a promo for the New Town and all its drab concrete labyrinth glory. Here is the spirit of Labourism, a new model community where society is building a new man who, crucially, does not jack off. Watch the f...
Aug 05, 2021•11 min•Ep. 421
A great happening has come to London. A marker of power has arisen. Fell deeds awake as we enter the era of the Mound. Also, James Meadway ( @meadwaj ) returns to discuss the fading of the neoliberal paradigm and it’s replacement with something different and worse. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfuture Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian people here: h...
Aug 02, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 420
This is perhaps something of a combination of Britainology and a regular TF episode in which we've brought on Matt Edwards, Milo's (much) older brother, who worked as a foreign exchange trader in London brokerages in the 1990s. We learn about the geezer-rific work environment of a bunch of guys yelling into a phone about numbers, some of the antics they got up to, what's changed since, and--perhaps on a more serious note--Matt's personal experience with what happened in Greece post-2008, a count...
Jul 31, 2021•10 min•Ep. 419
We're at it again. Nate and Milo have reviewed the 1968 film CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER for yet another Britainology, and this one is a real laser-focused look at this absurd island. Why is it so horny? Why is everything a double entendre? Is this really the nation that once ruled the waves? You be the judge -- hope you enjoy! If you want more Britainology, you can get 2 episodes a month on the $10 tier, or one episode a month on the $5 tier. Sign up on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfut...
Jul 31, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 418
This week, we're speaking with Dwight Rhinosoros ( @rhinosoros ) of the Eat the Rich podcast ( @eattherichpod ) about the Bezos/Branson 'space race,' all the fawning coverage surrounding it, and an app that wants to give you helpful reminders at work. You will enjoy this. Get the whole episode on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/54233474 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian people here: https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/palestine-emergency-appeal/?gclid=EAIaIQobCh...
Jul 29, 2021•11 min•Ep. 417
We chatted to two riders with the German grocery delivery app Gorillas all about their unionisation drive, and their boss’s strange obsession with fire magic. Also, Maureen Dowd is a tech writer now and she’s been buffaloed by Silicon Valley’s resident “dad CEO” Dara Khosrowshahi. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfuture Follow the Gorillas workers here: https://twitter.com/Go...
Jul 27, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 416
We sat down with Jason Prado from the Drivers Cooperative in New York City to talk about how rideshare drivers are taking matters into their own hands in the fight against Uber, and have created a competing worker owned platform. But first, we have a ludicrous startup and a few fun news items to cover (including yet another supposedly "driverless" car, where it turned out to be just a guy in there). Support the the Driver's Co-op here! https://wefunder.com/driverscoop To hear the full episode, s...
Jul 22, 2021•11 min•Ep. 415
This week, Riley, Milo, and Alice join special guest Owen Hatherley ( @owenhatherley ) of Tribune Magazine to discuss Barratt Homes: what is the deal with new-build housing in the UK? Why is it of such uniformly bad quality? And why has this become pretty much the only real new construction of homes in this country? Also in this episode: another re-discovered song from Johannes Vonk and the Clogheads. Owen’s new collection Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: Finding a Home in the Ruins o...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 414
Did you know that the City of London, the small mini-enclave that dates back to Roman times, is a separate state entity that predates the United Kingdom by hundreds of years? And that its special status makes it basically immune to disclosure rules and financial oversight? Well, sort of. Riley steps in to explain The Land of the Weird Bollards and much more. Get the whole episode on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53771038 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian peo...
Jul 16, 2021•10 min•Ep. 413
All riffs, no plot, no prior planning, and a long digression about a dog with a huge dick. It's Balthasar Speedboat yet again, this time featuring Riley, Milo, Olga, and friend of the show Nish Kumar. You will enjoy it! And you will learn a lot about Canadian malls. Get the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53697681 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian people here: https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/palestine-emergency-appeal/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3oja5NbR8A...
Jul 15, 2021•11 min•Ep. 412
This week, it’s Riley, Milo, Alice, and Nate discussing a startup that will make it even easier for you to not own a home, the dreaded ‘football situation’ in England, the UK government’s plans to end all COVID distancing measures, and a dicey situation in the US state of Maine involving self-declared MILFs. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfuture Please consider donating to ...
Jul 12, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 411
This week, we're discussing a few things: weird academy schools in Britain that want to do performative draconian discipline, a startup that is, uh, child-centric, and much more. We are pleased to welcome Devon from Kill James Bond and Da YouTube Zone to give us their perspective as a former teacher, and pharaoh-tier riffs. Listen to the full episode on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53471271 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian people here: https://www.islamic-...
Jul 09, 2021•11 min•Ep. 410
This week, we're discussing Secret Cinema's plan to crowfund investor capital, the fact that Secret Cinema did a performance in Kabul in 2011, a dumb 'parody' startup, a Tory Lord being criticised for corruption (shocker), our pre-election take on Batley & Spen, and much more. Riley is on a fancy holiday so this episode is a gathering of Milo, Hussein, Nate, and Alice. Hope you enjoy! If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord serv...
Jul 05, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 409
We brought on Riley to discuss a phenomenon as eternally British as bad weather itself: the legend. Who are British legends? What makes them act this way? How do you create a taxonomy of figures to distinguish between the Essex Geezer, the Entrepreneurial Legend, the High Street Hard Man, and Tim Westwood? Well, we gave it our best go. This episode is from October 2020 so if anything is out of date, that is why! For more Britainology episodes, sign up on our Patreon -- and if you desperately nee...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 408
This week, we've rounded up our favorite historians and subjected them to yet another absolutely terrible movie--this time it's Ridley Scott's 'Robin Hood,' a nearly 150-minute long film that sucks. Who could not say they loved a long digression into the Magna Carta's origins or a sequence we can only call Medieval Saving Private Ryan? You will enjoy this. Get the whole episode on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/53140195 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian peopl...
Jul 02, 2021•11 min•Ep. 407
Okay, okay, maybe you've heard the term 'posh' or 'posho' when referring to fancy British people. You're aware that this country has a reputation for its class system. But what does it actually mean? To answer this question, we brought in TF founding cohost and knower of fancy tendencies Charlie Palmer to discuss. It's all here: getting ripped at 11 am on Dubonnet, wearing a straw hat every day at school, absurd nicknames, gibberish words for everyday items, and the profound sorrow of clinging t...
Jul 01, 2021•10 min•Ep. 406
This week, we’ve got Jesse Farrar and Mike Hale of the Your Kickstarter Sucks podcast to discuss Kickstarter as a business, the weird and deeply unethical stuff that crowdfunding platforms get away with, and much more. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t also include recent British news--particularly of the horny type. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfuture Please consi...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 405
A lot going on here! We review the recent by-election in Amersham and Chesham, the upcoming election in Batley and Spen (both of which have yielded brain god predictions from Britain's press), review an ode to Zoom by normal shaped head haver and VC elder statesman Marc Andreesen, and speak with the FT's Jamie Powell about what appears to be yet another politically connected weird company with allegations of wrongdoing swirling around it. Get the entire episode on Patreon here: https://www.patre...
Jun 24, 2021•11 min•Ep. 404
It was inevitable that we would talk about the recent NY Times article about ‘the end of the millennial lifestyle subsidy,’ as if it was a surprise that endless money was keeping rideshare apps’ prices artificially low in order to bankrupt their competition. We also discuss the Labour Party’s supposed roadmap to success or whatever. You will enjoy this! If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreo...
Jun 21, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 403
The series has finally come to an end. Apparently the populists will ruin anything, to include when a far-left government gets elected (too much populism!) We've finished the Lib Dem wet dream series Years & Years, and we are joined by Devon (of Da Youtube Zone and the Kill James Bond podcast) to discuss. The entire episode is available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/52620964 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestinian people here: https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/p...
Jun 17, 2021•11 min•Ep. 402
We speak with comedian Josie Long (@josielong) about a recent article in the Atlantic about whether or not Boris Johnson is Britain’s Trump. It’s a terrible article by a guy who knows nothing about Britain, but we wanted to get down to the individual details of why it’s just so infuriating. So, enjoy this episode where we’re in a good mental space. We also talk about a startup that, despite its name, has nothing to do with coffee. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases ...
Jun 14, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 401
Financial journalist Alex Scaggs returns to talk about why the American treat based economy has strained around the edges. In short - as a result of decades of a sclerotic and implacable elite unable to get beyond their ideological commitments to shareholders, the US and UK are experiencing sky high prices, shortages of crucial goods, catastrophic misallocation of resources. But first, we talk about a "Synthetic Biology" company that's got some fun ideas about The New Flesh. Get the whole thing ...
Jun 10, 2021•11 min•Ep. 400
This week we have a packed studio featuring Riley, Milo, Hussein, Alice, and friend of the show Juliet Jacques ( @zinovievletter ) to discuss her new book Variations. However, we also discuss trouble in SoftBank world, a BBC article about how humans will evolve into two bifurcated species of Virgin and Chad, and--hence the title--a recent brain-melt Quillette article about how apparently anime and Magic: the Gathering make you trans. *PRE-ORDER JULIET’S BOOK* You can get it here: https://www.inf...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 399
This week, we're discussing Years & Years again. We simply couldn't cram two episodes into this round because there was so much going on--we want to get rid of our arms and legs, or replace our eyes with the light spectrum somehow--and so we gave this Lib Dem dystopian vision the attention it deserves. You may recognise Devon's voice from Da YouTube Zone and the Kill James Bond podcast, because they're back on to make it even spicier. To hear the whole thing, sign up to Patreon: https://www....
Jun 03, 2021•10 min•Ep. 398
Comedian Tom Walker joins the gang to discuss how blockchain has finally disrupted dating! Then, we look at the demons pouring cryptocurrency poison into the ears of regulators in the US and U.K., a SoftBank insurance unicorn’s underwriting technology that isn’t, and we cap it off with a reading. If you want access to our Patreon bonus episodes, early releases of free episodes, and powerful Discord server, sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/trashfuture Please consider donating to charities he...
May 31, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 397
This week, Milo, Riley, and Alice explore the recent interventions of Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson into UK political discourse about 'what needs to happen in order for Labour to win.' We also make the mistake of thinking this is the free one, until the very end of the episode where we realize it's the bonus one. Sorry about that! We are, as ever, powerful thinkers. Get the whole thing on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/51754114 Please consider donating to charities helping Palestin...
May 27, 2021•11 min•Ep. 396
(This is a preview of this month's second Britainology, available to all our $10 subscribers) We greatly appreciated the suggestion from twitter user @underscoreJoeyB about an episode centered on dogging--the British phenomenon of meeting in the woods for anonymous sex. We brought on Kent's finest podcaster and our cohost Hussein Kesvani to discuss it, and to prepare for it we watched a horrific Channel 4 documentary from 2013 called 'Dogging Tales.' It's a whole hell of a lot! Get the whole epi...
May 25, 2021•11 min•Ep. 395
