Howdy – No Man is an Island features Jonathan Goldstein interviewing Patri Friedman (son of famed economist Milton Friedman) about seasteading. Unlike some of the crazies that Jonathan Goldstein interviews, Friedman is, indeed absolutely serious. In fact, I’ve actually heard of this before Wiretap. Unsurprisingly, a lot of business big wigs are very interested in the concept. I think it has something to do with Ayn Rand. Anyway, check out the blurb and listen to the mp3 after reading the summary of No Man is an Island

Howard starts his very own country within the borders of his apartment: the first nation with wall-to-wall carpeting. Plus, Gregor makes Jonathan a personalized mix-tape to help him seduce the ladies, and Patri Friedman discusses his latest project, the Seasteading Institute.

Sorry if this spoils the plot (it won’t) for you but in the end of the bit with Howard Chackowicz where Jonathan Goldstein claims that he “doesn’t beatbox” – well, that’s a damn lie! HumV Chackowicz (that’s Howard’s rapper name, in case you were wondering) makes his debut in the episode “The First Thing That Comes to Mind” way back from Season One. Jonathan Goldstein provides the backbeat for HumV’s freestylin’ in that episode as well. In fact, I think he uses the exact same beat…

Also, the monologue that opens this episode appeared in the National Post way back in May 2009. Here it is in its original form:

Thursday. I’m at a local book store doing a reading. When it’s over, I mill around.

“I fall asleep listening to your radio show,” a woman says and, in case the point has been lost on me, she adds: “Your voice puts me to sleep.”

People approach, either asking me to sign their books or sharing with me their thoughts. Their ruthless, brutal thoughts.

“You have a face for radio,” another woman gleefully tells me. When I try to change the subject, asking her if she has a book she’d like me to sign, she tells me no, that she’s waiting to buy a used copy.

When she walks away, an intense-looking mustachioed man takes her place.

“Some of what you say on your show is what I would say,” he says. “But then there are other things you say that I would never say. That’s when you’re at your weakest.”

“So let me get this straight,” I say. “I’m at my strongest when I’m sounding the most like you?”

“Yes,” he says.

The main difference between talking to the radio and talking to the person on the radio is that the person has feelings, feelings that will keep him up at night. The person on the radio will stay up worrying about the next time he’ll have to appear in public and be exposed to the casual cruelty of well-meaning strangers.