Dennis & Julie

Julie and Sean discuss Julie’s new gig… and Sean and Dennis dealing with tragedy. Dennis knows happiness is a serious problem and he is living it. Why is D+J different than other shows? Take nothing for granted, be yourself, and appreciate the good times while they are happening. When you are living right God opens the universe to you. Have grace, protect the dignity of others, and don’t fear being wrong… you can change your mind. Link to Sean’s GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/071d8b69Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie and Sean discuss their experience with the Southern California fires. Sean lost his home in the Eaton Canyon fire, and Julie lost her childhood neighborhood in the Pacific Palisades fire… and nearly her parents’ home. Many people are in a terrible situation… it will take a long time to recover from the loss. J+S share takeaways and lessons learned from the devastation. Link to Sean’s GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/071d8b69 Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Due to the California wildfires, we were unable to record an episode this week. Please enjoy this best of episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie and Sean discuss many topics including: 2024 was an eventful year; goals to get away more in 2025 - camping and traveling; being still in silence; true crime documentaries; being bold and reaching out to pursue opportunities; the easily embarrassed cannot learn; the desire to be “liked”; life is relentless; seeking fame; the differences between what women and men pay attention to; dogs; random questions; banana bread – with or without chocolate chips; the advent of the internet and its effects on humanity. Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie shares a classic D+J episode where they examine the similarities and differences of Christianity and Judaism. There is a symbiotic relationship… and a necessity for both. Judaism is particular to a people and a land… and Christianity is universal, meaning not particular to any land or race. Judaism needs the universality of Christianity… and Christianity needs to be rooted in Judaism.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Christmas and Hannukah approach… all thoughts and prayers continue for Dennis’ recovery. Julie and Sean discuss many topics including: teaching kids about Santa, Christmas memories, and lost “shared experience” in the United States. Do you have a New Year’s resolution? Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie brings in Sean “Triple G” McConnell to discuss faith and the Christmas season. How do you balance religious tradition with new customs? All thoughts and prayers continue for Dennis’ recuperation.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie shares some classic D+J moments: being sad is acceptable but being offended is not.  Don't sweat the small stuff because the power of instant rage is staggering; Dennis believes the baby boomer generation brought in the decline of the United States… the greatest generation didn't pass on the things that made them great; they also discuss the rape of language; character uber alles and the Left think that they are superior people.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie sits down with Sean “Triple G” McConnell to share your thoughts and prayers for Dennis.  They play some clips from an address that Dennis made in 1987: Dennis Prager – Why I Am a Jew, Why Be Jewish, the Intellectual Case for Judaism.  They also share some of the behind-the-scenes things that make Dennis the special force he is.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie shares some classic D+J moments: first they discuss Julie's senior speech at Harvard. She spoke about condemning anti-Americanism. Leftism reduces America to its ugliest moments. We must stand up and fight, as President Reagan said: "If not us, who? If not now, when?"; second, they discuss Christians and slavery - confronting reality; and finally, we have macro-ized feelings - discomfort in life is a feature not a bug - one of the great ambitions one can have… is to be easy in other people's lives.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie talks about Dennis' situation and shares some choice cuts from past Dennis and Julie's: how Judaism and Christianity complement each other; aphorisms, which are a huge part of Dennis' life; and having the courage to be wrong.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie react to Trump's big victory…  aside from being happy, Dennis' overwhelming feeling was relief, and Julie felt optimistic about the future of the country.  The 2024 election was an indictment of the Left and the legacy media.  Praise God for Elon Musk purchasing Twitter.  What is this disdain that people on the Left have for people on the Right?  Other topics include: Abortion; Totalitarianism; Truth; The greatness and brilliance of the personalities at the Daily Wire; Adam Carolla; Hating evil; What motivates Dennis and Julie; Dennis shares a shameful story from his childhood; Julie's pet frog Herbert; and funny Priests. Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie appreciating happiness.  What are the happiest years of your life?  Do you think that your presence in other people's lives makes them happier?  Few people realize that they are in the happiest time of their life when it is occurring.  Dennis philosophizes: “If you're happy and you know it… clap your hands.”  At what age do you think about the past more than the future?  Dennis talks about being in Rush's shadow for much of his radio career.  Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie breakdown special treatment: extra time for tests, pre-boarding, and service animals.  Compassion in the micro leads to cruelty in the macro.  Dignity prevents Dennis and Julie from taking advantage of these special accommodations.  They expose the self-esteem movement… high self-esteem is great if it is morally rooted.  You must earn your self-esteem, or it is worthless.  Other topics include: shame; pride in being real; and cheating.  Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss being a character… looks can be deceiving.  Dennis' nature is to play… but his friendship with Allen keeps him accountable and therefore more productive.  Dennis decided at a young age, after watching the Diary of Anne Frank, to channel his emotions into action.  Dennis' “sanity preserver” is his belief in an afterlife.  How can you function without a belief in God?  How does thinking about death change as you age?  Do you have any regrets?  Dennis recalls some experiences from Yeshiva.  Monitor yourself… be interesting.  Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie tackle: can a thought be a sin; lust versus having an affair; Dennis talks about his “Christian envy” when was growing up… “guilt over thought” snapped him out of it; Julie talks about her curiosity/flirtation with Judaism… it's powerful to have a religion centered on referring to God rather than Jesus; people have done evil with “good thoughts,” and conversely good things have come from “bad thoughts”; intentions versus actions; capitalism versus communism; can one “do good” without “good thoughts”; how does one know if their thoughts are “good or bad”; actions are far more important than thoughts; the thought that God judges you is infinitely more comforting than the thought that God loves you; does God punish people's sinful thoughts; under what circumstances is lustful thought not “bad” or sinful?Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss one of the benefits of having people in your life… it can help you to understand yourself.  Asking interesting questions of people can help them to understand themselves.  Are women more aware than men… what are the differences in the way the sexes pay attention.  Dennis shares his love of street photography.  Julie references a takeaway from: I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris - Glynnis MacNicol… don't let the blows of your childhood hit you too hard as an adult.  Other topics include: How much are we a product of our childhood; The “baggage” issue; Is your nature more powerful than your nurture; We are the stories we tell ourselves; There is liberation in giving your parents the benefit of the doubt; blame; The butterfly effect; Meeting Dr. Laura; punishment for sins; Julie asks Dennis if he believes in a “cosmic scaffolding”; there's no such thing as “one” lie.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie dedicate this episode to prayer.  Does prayer play a role in your life?  What does prayer mean, and how does prayer in Judaism differ from Christianity?  Define what it means to have a “relationship” with God?  What does God want you to do?  Do you talk to God?  Does God talk to you?  Is God difficult to love?  Do you listen to God?  They discuss the difference between praying for others versus praying for yourself.  Are you “close” to God?  Do you love God?  Is obedience to God more important than loving God?Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie ask did you have trepidation on your wedding day?  The famous are rarely significant, and the significant are rarely famous.  Is fame significant?  Is fame a uniquely American pursuit?  Let's say you do get into a good college… then what?!  You need an “inner” life to be happy, the “outer” stuff won't get you there.  Once you get what you want, it may not be what you thought it would be.  What role does God play as the engineer of your life?  Other topics include: vehicular misadventures; acts of heroism that go unnoticed daily; Bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder; cigar lounge experiences; and clown parties!Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Divorce, Dignity, and DemonsDennis and Julie start with the decline of “Mrs.”  Topics include: affinity groups; changing last names upon marriage or divorce; it is not the divorce that damages children… it is what happens after the divorce that damages children; how the parents treat each other matters; dignity matters… spreading dignity is contagious; everyone needs to develop “shock absorbers,” or else they'll be crushed by life; people have demons; a painless life is not possible; Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina principle – “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”; “Giving it up to God” is misunderstood.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie analyze the power of the aural and the visual.  Is it inauthentic to have a bookshelf full of books that you haven't read?  Social media has bred an increase in posturing, posing, and homogenization in humanity. What does it mean to be an individual?  Is being authentic and being an individual synonymous?  Where does individuality end and “being a nut” begin?  Other topics include: Exacerbated Posturing; The Uniform of Nonconformity; Know Thyself; Wherever you go, there you are; Clothing matters; Dennis listens to some rap; Popular is the antidote to individuality; Dennis has bars?!Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie ponder whether it's harder to come out as gay or as conservative in 2024.  Conservatives are mischaracterized as racist and homophobic… but there is great diversity on the Right side of the aisle.  Do you know the origin of Dennis and Julie's unlikely and unique friendship?  Conservatives are mischaracterized as simple-minded religious zealots… but the Right is more intellectually formidable than the Left.  Other topics include: Jonathan Haidt's study – conservatives know liberals better than liberals know conservatives; The Humanist Manifesto; Atheism versus Belief; Dennis' question to Christopher Hitchens; Uncomfortable reality; Clarity, accuracy, and honesty are paramount; Lies are the root of evil; The writing process behind Prager U's five minute videos; The definition of prayer in Hebrew.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss smoking, micro versus macro topics, and what motivates people to have affairs?  Is being shallow required in certain situations in life?  “Being informed is a moral obligation,” - Aaron Prager. Should we judge people… if so, when and whom?  Are you a decent and moral person in the micro and the macro? Other topics include: universalism vs relativism; generation values/morals… like sending thank you notes; gradations of sin; private versus public speech – humans beings are pressure cookers – private talk is a release of the pressure; the golden road – the middle between extremes – the extreme is so tempting; “the purity death spiral,” - Jeremy Boreing.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie begin with the topic of… not being full of yourself, and the rise of self-obsession and arrogance in society.  What affect does being raised with a disabled or deceased sibling have on a one's ego?  “1. And yet I am convinced that man will never give up true suffering- that is, destruction and chaos. Why, suffering is the sole root of consciousness. 2. Suffering is part and parcel of extensive intelligence and a feeling heart. 3. To love is to suffer and there can be no love otherwise.” - Fyodor Dostoevsky.  One should strive to be authentic and strengthen the core of who they are.  Does having a healthy core negate the desire for fame or status?  Can you develop a core, personality, or nature …or are they fixed at birth?  Other topics include:  Tyrannical parents; The miracle of “you”; Luck; Balaam's Donkey; Are you a Dennis Prager Superfan?Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss appreciating the United States from abroad.  They review the news events of the past month – the Trump shooting, Biden stepping down, and Kamala being anointed.  How would the media have acted if the assassination attempt had been on President Biden?  What would have happened if the assassination attempt had been successful?  Julie speculates if it was a deep state conspiracy.   Julie was attending Eva Vlaardingerbroek's wedding when the assassination attempt occurred.  If you become aware of bad news… do you share it at a happy occasion? Other topics include: Julie's travel in Europe; Scootering with Amala; Waterslides in Hungary; Meeting James Orr; Traveling abroad alone provides a different experience than travelling with family and friends;  “Uber-ing” from Bucharest to Transylvania; Dennis' reflections on Eastern Europe; Living under Communism; Not all pain comes from evil.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We apologize for missing this week... thank you for being a listener.  We'll have a new episode next Sunday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie lament that technology is deadening the human experience.  This tech revolution is unprecedented… and its effects on the younger generations have yet to be determined.  Relations between people have shifted from person to person… to screen to screen.  Relations between the sexes have become marred.  Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”  We have become dependent on our cell phones, and there are generational differences in the way that we use our cell phones.  Do personality traits change from childhood to adulthood?  When you are young do you think about how you will look back on your life when you are old?  Other topics include: Gam zeh ya'avor… this too shall pass; Communism; and Israel versus Palestine.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis is in Los Angeles and Julie is still in Europe.  Dennis shares a bit about his trip to the Artic circle, and the differences between Greenland and Iceland.  Wherever you are is the center of the world.  People should not think that life is more meaningful if they live in an important or popular place.  People in Nashville know more about New York than New Yorkers know about Nashville.  We are made to have a meaningful life no matter where we are.  Did you know the word catholic means the whole, or more colloquially, "universal."  Christianity is progressive in the truest most noble sense.  Pope Francis put it this way in his apostolic exhortation from 2013, Evangelii Gaudium, section 247: We hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked, for “the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). The Church, which shares with Jews an important part of the sacred Scriptures, looks upon the people of the covenant and their faith as one of the sacred roots of her own Christian identity (cf. Rom 11:16-18). As Christians, we cannot consider Judaism as a foreign religion.  Other topics include: Judeo-Christianity versus secularism; secularism is a faded copy of the old religious doctrine; the covenant God has with the Jews; your actions on earth determine your destination after death; universalist and particularist is the ideal; proselytizing; Jonah. Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis is back from Greenland and Julie is in Italy as they discuss the benefits of travel.  Travelling broadens your perspective on what a privilege it is to live in the United States.  It also makes you realize the general ignorance of Americans, especially when it pertains to communism in eastern Europe.  Americans don't understand communism …like citizens of communist countries don't understand freedom.  Americans have an international reputation of being ignorant, and while the ignorance of communism is bad… the ignorance of evil is worse.  Dennis' mustard analogy applies for tradition and culture, but it doesn't apply to values and morality.  On the upside… the international view of Americans is that we are friendly, open, and trusting.  Freedom produces trust… authoritarian states breed distrust.  Do you ever consider the miracle of your existence? Americans are lucky that English is spoken around the world.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie share that without perspective happiness is impossible.  Being a good person requires perspective.  Life is not a bowl of cherries.  Inspired by Abigail Schrier's book Bad Therapy they discuss the gradations of therapy. Without perspective you can't be grateful… without being grateful you can't be happy.  They explore the connection between happiness and being good.  Awareness of evil and knowledge of suffering provides perspective, which oddly enough, can lead to happiness.  Are you a crier?  Dennis talks about his son Aaron Prager, and APUnfiltered.  The role of the other spouse in marriage infidelity.  In most cases… victimhood is a lack of perspective. The power of example… like Charles Krauthammer.  Is victim culture the malignant outgrowth of a Judeo-Christian society? What produces better people… God's judgement or God's love?Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie react to some listener emails, topics include: one who listens during her chemo treatments; transgenderism; life is complex… you must seek truth; putting people into boxes is a mistake; people want reality to conform to their view… another mistake: addiction; are there good addictions; conservative and common sense are synonymous; crimes and punishments; the differences between men and women with regard to sexuality; and the truth is decent.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie ponder how much freewill people really have in life?  They discuss the impulse to steal, reasons for not stealing, and cheating on tests.  What are the five Commandments that people struggle with most?  The bible is a divine life manual.  If God gives people good individual natures… does God give people evil individual natures …or is it random/luck?  Did God create evil… or did God create the possibility for evil?Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss dignity and the pernicious nature of social media.  They breakdown self-promotion versus the cancer of social media.  There is too much needless posting and there are too many needless opinions.  Parents, mostly mothers, are using their children on social media for fame and money… it's child abuse.  Pedophilia…. has social media exacerbated it?  Polylogism is the belief that different people or groups have different forms of logic.  Sharia law… is it all bad?  Many value systems exist… moral clarity is paramount.  The death of moral clarity will be the end of civilization.  The media of the West are a bigger threat than any terrorist organization… they cause more damage.  You must use reason and pursue truth at any cost.  Cultural appropriation … is it all bad?  Can you live an electronic-less life?  The desire to be an “influencer” …does the yearning to be “important” drive the social media life?  Being deep is more valuable than having fame.  Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie react to the Trump conviction.  Evil isn't dark… it's so bright that people don't want to face it.  We are in a battle …civilizational versus anti-civilizational.  If you have a clear mind the Trump trial makes no sense to you.  In his book Liberal Fascism, Jonah Goldberg brilliantly traces the intellectual roots of fascism to their surprising source.  Dennis says Judge Juan Merchan could have been one of Stalin's judges.  The toughest question you can ask a Leftist in your family is… what were the 34 crimes Trump was convicted of?  We are in the age of inversion… who's the real threat to Democracy?  Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.  Dennis says there's no hope for people who lie and believe their lies.  Do Leftist believe their lies? They discuss Israel versus Hamas… and Ayaan Hirsi Ali.  We are the beneficiaries of western civilization …we are obligated to protect it.  Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss joy and performance… passion is infectious.  Dennis recalls fondly his father, Max Prager's lessons and examples in life.  Not achieving your God given potential will cause bitterness. If you are stuck in a situation… find a way to celebrate it.  The most powerful thing you can give a person is a good example.  Finding joy in life requires effort and enthusiasm matters.  They reflect on Jordan Peterson living in the public eye. The importance of being a good model and passing on values.  Being a good role model isn't enough however, it also requires spoken word.  Conversely a negative role model can be equally effective… and devastating.  Is the influence of a bad role model more powerful than the influence of a good role model?    Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie discuss the differences of working with women and men.  You should have close same sex friends… if you don't, that is odd.  Very close opposite sex friendships rarely work.  Can you learn from someone else's mistake… or must you experience the issue to understand? Beware of people who are too close to their parents, and conversely parents who are too close to their children.  D+J discuss three reasons parents attend their children's games… are they healthy reasons?  The limits, boundaries, separations, and distinctions of appropriateness have been blurred in today's society.  For the credit of being a good or bad person… you are not solely a product of your parents.  Reason without God leads to chaos.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie examine having fun… male fun versus female fun; donkey versus monkey; language, pronunciation, and accents; Johnny Carson; Harrison Butker's commencement speech; and Clarence Thomas.  The political is everywhere in society… there are no boundaries.  Leviticus 19 - “The Lord said to Moses, Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  Chaos is the natural state of the world… civilization provides order, and we are moving backwards.  Bangladesh became the first country to grant its rivers the same legal status as humans.  A survivor of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution said she has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since watching 'Marxist hordes' overrun US college campuses. How are parents reacting to, or handling, the “wokeness” in their kids?  Everything is upside down… those who accuse racism are racist… those who claim to protect trans kids are hurting them... those who claim tolerance are intolerant.  Are people brainwashed or mentally ill?  We are in an era of incompatible views… is the gap unbridgeable?Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie reflect on complimenting each other, when and how to take criticism, and avoiding “always” and “never.”  Today's culture lacks nuance… very few positions in life are binary.  Bad ideas prevail because the vast majority of non-evil people are weak. Other topics include: the missing tile syndrome; the Israel protests; BLM; proper grammar; TDS; micro versus macro values; private versus public speech; Talmud wisdom - a bashful person cannot learn; aphorisms; The Book of Virtues – Bill Bennett's book https://amzn.to/3WwyxKj; and the poem If by Rudyard KiplingMusic: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie start with the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.  The damage that university professors have done to the country over the last eighty years is incalculable.  When moral confusion is accepted in one category it spreads to other categories.  Parents… what makes you think your child won't be affected by this if you send your children to university?  Dennis reflects on his trip to South Africa.  They discuss Jewry in the United States versus Jewry around the world.  People become cynical because they started out naïve.  Learning how to say “thank you” in as many languages possible has served Dennis well.  It is a beautiful thing that there are many cultures in the world… it is not a beautiful thing that there are many moralities in the world.  Julie shares her experience on the subway in NYC.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie reveal that being sad is acceptable but being offended is not.  Don't sweat the small stuff because the power of instant rage is staggering.  There is righteous anger… Julie was robbed of her college experience by the Covid lockdowns.  The differences between the Trump and Biden Presidencies are clear.  Derived from Aesop's Fable - The Herdsman and The Lost Bull – D+J discuss that you should be careful what you wish for; your wish may be granted.  Raising the minimum wage has had some awful unintended effects on the workforce.  Secularism produces morons.  Diagnosing problems is good… offering solutions is better.  They analyze optimism versus pessimism. How can the average person fight?  Life is not a dress rehearsal.  Julie raises an email she received from a transgender viewer.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie examine being “cat-called” in the USA versus in Italy.  Women do not see themselves the way men see them.  How people dress in public has become less important over the past half century. You become a persona of how you dress. The art and architecture that was inspired by divinity is infinitely more impressive and beautiful than anything produced since.  Dennis and Julie prefer American pizza to Italian pizza.  You must make time in your life to travel. You must ask yourself what will better my life rather than what do “I” want to do?  Dennis recalls traveling alone to Japan as a young man. Julie discusses why she's more adventurous when she travels.Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis and Julie reflect on being paid to speak around the country. The Oklahoma Bombing Memorial and the case for capital punishment.  The U.N. is scum… it's the United Governments, not Nations.  Numbers 23:9 – Balaam - For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations.  Dennis had a brain scan… if you could know all the illnesses that will strike you, would you want to know?  Dennis and Julie discuss aging and being ageless.  What do you wish you knew earlier in life?  Elevator Pitches for God: 70 One-Page Essays by Thought Leaders On Why They Believe - https://www.amazon.com/Elevator-Pitches-God-One-Page-Thought/dp/1962598004/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=    Music: Straight to the Point c 2022Richard Friedman Music Publishing 100%Richard Friedman Writers 100%ASCAP (PRO)IPI128741568RichardFriedmanMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.