Jordan Birnbaum

Wait Wait...It's Real Adam Felber Time!

May 21, 2013

AF
Stage· 119 messages
May 21, 2013
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:00 AM

Mr. Felber, I presume?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:01 AM

presumption correct!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:01 AM

Ahh - first thing I've gotten right today
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:01 AM

Hi everyone! My plan for tonight is to start off by engaging Adam in a quick game of “Who’s The Favorite, What’s the Spead” (explanation forthcoming)
AF

Adam Felber · 1:01 AM

Okayyyyyy
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:01 AM

during which you can write in all the questions and comments you have about “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” “Real Time,” “Skrull Kill Krew,” or any other amazing projects in his life.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:02 AM

And we’ll spend the second half of the Tawk on all that good stuff. OK, Adam –are you ready to learn the game?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:02 AM

of course!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:02 AM

[spent my weekend gaming]
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:02 AM

It’s basically the Bill Simmon’s “pick the NFL game spreads” game, but with a twist. Instead of handicapping NFL games on any given Sunday,
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:02 AM

you’ll be creating the betting lines for various geo-political (and other) conflicts at a specific point in the future, using NFL scoring as your scale.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:03 AM

And please share with us what you’re thinking as you reach these crucial decisions. ARE YOU READY MR. FELBER?!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:03 AM

sure!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:03 AM

so you want me to predict the nfl score, right?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:03 AM

OK - 2016 presedential election - dems vs. repubs. Who's the favorite, what's the spread?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:04 AM

yessir!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:04 AM

Dems by a touchedown at least. I'll say 8.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:05 AM

It doesn't even have to be Hillary. All that talk about "wrong side of history" is right,and they haven't been correcting very well.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:05 AM

excellent first answer. here comes a tougher one. 12 years from now - Mexican drug cartels vs. law and order
AF

Adam Felber · 1:05 AM

They have won the popular vote once since 1988. That's not a situation they're going to fix in 3 years.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:05 AM

law and order. Take 'em and give 4 points
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

nice
AF

Adam Felber · 1:06 AM

They're excellent, bloody, and ruthless cartels, don't get me wrong...
AF

Adam Felber · 1:06 AM

they're just up against Mexico's rapidly improving economy. Non-secret business will win.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:06 AM

plus, pot will be legalized by then
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:06 AM

yeah, just look at Vegas
AF

Adam Felber · 1:06 AM

riiight?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:07 AM

legalization is the game changer on that one indeed
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:07 AM

OK - we're going to stay bloody - 6 months from now - Assad vs. The Rebels
AF

Adam Felber · 1:07 AM

Tough one...
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:07 AM

there is such a thing as pick em
AF

Adam Felber · 1:08 AM

6 months? I'd take the rebels, but only if I got a point
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:08 AM

★ Spotlighted from Trey Williamson

"Dems by a touchdown" Amazing!

AF

Adam Felber · 1:08 AM

Assad's playing a long game.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:08 AM

One year, though, I'd take the rebels and give 3
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:09 AM

gotcha - gonna include a little cartel commentary
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:09 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachael Workman

So you're saying that the cartels have the talent, but maybe not the necessary marketing efforts in the front end office

AF

Adam Felber · 1:09 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

Now that that's out of the way... I REALLY want to know if Adam Felber has seen my favorite film "A Serious Man" and what he thinks of it!

AF

Adam Felber · 1:09 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

Welcome to the Forum, everyone! If you want to get involved, click “Who is Here” and then “Listen” to the people whose comments you want to see.

AF

Adam Felber · 1:10 AM

Blake - liked "Serious Man" a lot. Especially the ending. Though not my favorite Coen bros. film.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:10 AM

Big Lebowski for me
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:10 AM

and you?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:11 AM

Yeah, though we should be forced to name our 2nd AFTER Lebowski! :)
AF

Adam Felber · 1:11 AM

Had Jeff Bridges on Wait Wait a couple of months ago. The dude abides.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:11 AM

ahh. some of the pleasantries of your life are priceless.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:12 AM

shucks.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:12 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

It ousted Barton Fink after a 20 year run on my top 100 list! #CoenObsession

Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:12 AM

I'll finish the Coen Brothers tribute with a shout out to Miller's Crossing
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:12 AM

Back to the favorites and spreads
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:12 AM

25 years from: technology vs. climate change
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:13 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rachael Workman

i listened to that episode, he was great. the dude does indeed abide.

AF

Adam Felber · 1:13 AM

2038. Interesting question.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:13 AM

The judges are not accepting that as an answer
AF

Adam Felber · 1:14 AM

not a real game there. Climate change will win the championship every year between now and 2020 at least.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:14 AM

that's why I went to 25 years
AF

Adam Felber · 1:14 AM

But in 2038? What's left of planet will have its ass kicked by tech.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:14 AM

lol
AF

Adam Felber · 1:15 AM

Translation: We're going to salvage the world. But not the world as it is today.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:15 AM

So take technology and give 4?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:15 AM

Yeah. Give 4. And perhaps a continent or two.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:16 AM

that's quite a prop bet
AF

Adam Felber · 1:16 AM

lol
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:16 AM

All right - 4 years from now in Iran -hardliners vs. The Green Party
AF

Adam Felber · 1:16 AM

You're picking awesome time frames here.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:17 AM

that's the rub
AF

Adam Felber · 1:17 AM

I'll gowith the hardliners and give 5, sadly.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:17 AM

bummer
AF

Adam Felber · 1:17 AM

It really all depends on who replaces Ahmadinajad.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:17 AM

Or... wait for it....
AF

Adam Felber · 1:18 AM

...if he tries to wangle a way to stay in power. All hell then breaks loose.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:18 AM

[just speculatin' here]
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:18 AM

Is it a good hell or a bad hell?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:19 AM

bad at first. Then, who knows? Situation cloudy, ask again later. :)
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:19 AM

9 years from now - Wall St. greed vs. Academic integrity
AF

Adam Felber · 1:20 AM

Sheeeet. Take Wall St. and give 38.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

lol
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

2 years from now -the NCAA vs. the free market
AF

Adam Felber · 1:20 AM

NCAA what? football, basketball, or in general?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:21 AM

all of the above. in other words I'm calling it slavery and asking if it will last.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:21 AM

Yes. Two years, at least. Take it and give 8
AF

Adam Felber · 1:21 AM

But...
AF

Adam Felber · 1:22 AM

Football is going away as a college sport. And basketball will succumb to the free market.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:22 AM

yeah - I should have made that 14 years...
AF

Adam Felber · 1:22 AM

yup!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:23 AM

OK - for the last 5 minutes I'm going to hit you with some quick fire questions - ready?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:23 AM

shoot
AF

Adam Felber · 1:23 AM

[this is totally fun, btw]
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:23 AM

Other than in rhetoric, are Democrats actually better than Republicans?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:24 AM

★ Spotlighted from Rick Rosner

Greed over integrity, while we're still human.

AF

Adam Felber · 1:24 AM

Yes. They're not better than the old school republicans. But those old timers need to get some fresh blood and take the party from the loons.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:24 AM

Does your constant awareness of global and political affairs take a psychological toll on you?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:24 AM

absolutely.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:25 AM

how do you cope?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:25 AM

i think I'm just very fortunate, brain-chemistry-wise. Opposite of depressed.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:25 AM

also, videogames and music are awesome.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:26 AM

How can you be funny and hapopy at the same time? It's not really fair.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:26 AM

yeah, suck it!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:26 AM

Optimistic or pessimistic about the direction of journalism?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:26 AM

Actually, I think my cynicism runs so deep it's almost a form of idealism.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:26 AM

I completely understand that!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:26 AM

journalism... it's fucked in the short term.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:27 AM

what global problem has the easiest solution?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:27 AM

But it won't go away, and new models to pay for it will emerge. We need information that is real, and SOMEONE will pay for it.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:27 AM

Global warming
AF

Adam Felber · 1:28 AM

I know, that sounds counterintuitive.
AF

Adam Felber · 1:28 AM

But really - have you seen the Tesla sedan?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

amazing?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:29 AM

If you had a cool car you could never fill up, charge at work so that your costs were essentially zero...
AF

Adam Felber · 1:29 AM

.. you'd want one, right?
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

yes. before I let you go, do you know why we can't start developing Tesla technology for all of our energy needs?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:29 AM

Sorry - I meant "you never had to fill up"
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:29 AM

wasn't it just suppressed? shouldn't it still work?
AF

Adam Felber · 1:30 AM

batteries are cool. But solar is a huge deal too. We're racing the clock, but these things work.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:30 AM

all right Adam - thank you so much! I had a blast!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:30 AM

me too!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:30 AM

Thanks all!
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:31 AM

everyone watch everything he does - that's my advice!
AF

Adam Felber · 1:31 AM

what he said.
Jordan Birnbaum

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:31 AM

And if you're coming here after the fact, hit the "top" button in the upper left corner to pick it up from the beginning. Felber rules.