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Friday night, anyone in the mood for top ten movies for a desert island? I expect my list will not match yours.

1. Casablanca - Perfect movie. Bogart. Bergman. Raines, Greenstreet, Lorre, Henreid, Veidt, counter that with a better cast. And the inimitable Dooley Wilson. You played it for her, you can play it for me. The Germans wore Grey, you wore blue. We'll always have Paris. Round up the usual suspects!

2. North by Northwest - Cary Grant. Eva Marie Saint. Trains, crop dusters. Hitchcock. The UN building. James Mason. Did I mention Hitchcock?

3. Ice Station Zebra - Howard Hughes' favorite move. Cold war. Submarine. Sound track. Rock Hudson (not Gregory Peck) as Captain Kirk. Patrick McGoohan, greatest spy in cinema. The electric boat division is gonna get a very nasty letter. The Russians put our camera made by our German scientists and your film made by your German scientists into their satellite made by their German scientists, and, up she went.

4. The Godfather (I & II) Those that say II was the best sequel don't know that it was one movie delivered in two parts. Would be best movie ever made if not for Casablanca. Brando, the best there ever was.

5. 2001, A Space Odyssey - Genius collaboration, Kubrick and Clarke, with a little help from Joseph Campbell. Allegorical in the extreme, watch it as many times as you like and you will always find something new.

6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Tarantino's love letter to the place where he was formed. Epic. Woefully underrated. Margot Robbie brings Sharon Tate back to life, which alone is superlative beyond measure. This movie made me respect DiCaprio and Pitt as actors.

7. You Only Live Twice - Personal favorite Bond move. Epic, but must be seen and felt in it's time. Nancy Sinatra, best theme song. Only allegorical Bond movie. Pay attention to the submarine scenes.

8. Forbidden Planet - Defined the science fiction genre and inspired everything that came after, so much that it is still paid homage in current classics. Walter Pidgeon. Robbie the Robot. The Krell.

9. Saving Private Ryan - Spielberg's defining movie, where he brought all of his considerable skills to bear. The best movie of its decade, an absolute travesty that it was not best picture, because of guess who? Harvey Weinstein.

10. Diamonds are Forever - Doesn't really belong, because a third of it is just crap. But I'm still taking it for the island, because the first half is the most fun Bond ever, the ending isn't awful., and Jill St. John is just, wow. Lana Wood ain't bad as Plenty O'Toole. Named for your farther, perhaps? I didn't know there was a pool down there. But what were they thinking with Jimmy Dean as Howard Hughes?

So many to leave on the boat. Would like for find room for Peter Sellers, Robert Redford, Johnny Depp, other Kubrick and Hitchcock movies, the young Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, so many others.

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AOC will run for president…

AOC was asked if she’s going to run for president.

Her body language is very telling.

First, you clearly see that it’s the status / power she finds alluring. The high regard that she holds herself in by virtue of the question itself.

But her behavior and subtle admission belies her denial / deflection.

She has the obligation to remain focused on midterms, and “not on our individual aspirations or plans”.

Well, there’s your answer.

Also, look at the contempt she has on her face when answering the question about Chuck Schumer at the end.

00:00:50
August 07, 2026
Behind the scenes

Can’t record the actual debate, but this is what the setup looks like. It’s pretty amazing.

00:00:33
August 07, 2026
Behind the scenes…

This is one heck of an eclectic gang.

I can’t post on stage content. But I will post an update.

00:00:45
February 17, 2024
Appearance on Richard Syrette

I did a quick hit on Richard Syrette yesterday. Gotta keep Canadians apprised of the U.S. madness.

Appearance on Richard Syrette
The Barnes Brief, Podcast Format: Monday, July 17, 2023

Closing Argument: Birthright citizenship is deeply American, and wholly Constitutional.

The Barnes Brief, Podcast Format: Monday, July 17, 2023
Declaration of Independence

Audio podcast style.

Declaration of Independence
Heading out today

Welp, it was a fun blitz in Dallas. Heading home today.

We will have the Sunday show tomorrow MONDAY evening, 18:00 ET. Was going to try and do it this morning, but it will be too tight and don't want to stress / rush.

The panel yesterday was awesome, though I think we destroyed Team MAGA - not in a bad / embarrassing / not constructive way. There's only so many times someone can respond "so vote Democrat..." or "Democrats would be worse" (which we all agree with) before it is clear they have not good answer for the critique.

At one point in the debate, I was asked "What would you do now!". I said "I would not have gotten into this mess, from Epstein to Iran, etc". was cut off but "well that's done, what would you do NOW".

I said "pull out of Iran, declare victory,. make a public statement that the admin will immediately focus on domestic issues and cost of living, show a little contrition for where things are (instead of saying "eat your $20 burritos), make some arrests and invigorate the ...

Questions for Early Bird Bourbon w/ Barnes, Sunday August 9, 2026

A rare Sunday Bourbon, early-bird style. Ask questions in the replies and answering live at 6ish pm eastern tonight.

Made it home!

Landed safe and sound.

I watched a movie on the plane called Train Memories.

Funny enough, It was very much like the book A Land Remembered in that it was a time-piece, diary of a logger/railroad builder’s life and tragedy, following the Industrial Revolution / modernization of the world.

The only problem is the movie sucked.

Other than some nice cinematography, it was a depressing, vaping, and utterly pointless hour and a half of meandering.

No deeper insights into life and the human condition.

Just a depressing movie about a logger whose wife and child die in a forest fire when he’s off working.

Miserable.

Do not watch.

Excited to be back. I’m done traveling for a little while.

It’s exhausting.

I just hope this event was worth it. Don’t like missing two Sunday shows in a row!

See you all tomorrow :)

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The Barnes Brief: Weekend of July 31, 2026
I. THE INTRODUCTION
 
A. Art of the Day 
  • My idea for a perfect Saturday brunch, sitting by an open window in Venice along the canals, fresh flowers gracing the table and balcony, the blue skies and 18th century buildings smiling back, gondoliers parked, an Italian meal awaiting, in this Atlantis of cultured living. 
 
B. Wisdom of the Day
  • Hubris infects the strong, not the weak; the clever, not the  knave; the smart, not the illiterate; the previously successful, not the prior failed. It’s what makes it so inviting, so tempting, and so destructive — precisely because it infects the very people who need to be most immune from it. 
 
C. Appearances
 
  • Judge Napolitano
  • Peoples Pundit
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  • Dialogue Works
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  • Daniel Davis
  • Going Underground
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  • Mario/Brandon.
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D. Daily Picks
 
E. Special Notices
  • Special discount on SportsPicks subscriptions. Get all the picks on elections markets, economic markets, events markets, sports markets, plus exclusive AMAs, Masterclasses, and the best value in prediction markets anywhere, for less than $1/day and more than 50% off the annualized price. Discount code: 1776 https://sportspicks.locals.com/post/8098900/huge-discount
 
II. THE EVIDENCE: BARNES LIBRARY
 
A. Food & Medicine
 
B. Economics
 
C. Politics
 
D. Geopolitics
 
E. Culture
  • The musunderstood Orca.
 
*Bonus: Board Post of Note
 

 

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The Barnes Brief: Thursday, July 30, 2026
I. THE INTRODUCTION
 
A. Art of the Day 
  • The well worn wooden desk, the papers stacked, the lamp lit office, the window’s view to the outer worls, the chalkboard for inspiration, the books stacked, the deep leather chair, and a bottle of bourbon for the work’s end. A perfect office. 
 
B. Wisdom of the Day
  • “Hubris is the arrogance that just scrapes the stars as it falls fast and furious to the demise of its exhibitor.” 
 
C. Appearances
 
  • Judge Napolitano
  • Peoples Pundit
    placeholder
  • Dialogue Works
    placeholder
  • Daniel Davis
 
D. Daily Picks
 
E. Special Notices
  • Special discount on SportsPicks subscriptions. Get all the picks on elections markets, economic markets, events markets, sports markets, plus exclusive AMAs, Masterclasses, and the best value in prediction markets anywhere, for less than $1/day and more than 50% off the annualized price. Discount code: 1776 https://sportspicks.locals.com/post/8098900/huge-discount
 
II. THE EVIDENCE: BARNES LIBRARY
 
A. Food & Medicine
  • Fauci exposed
 
B. Economics
 
C. Politics
 
D. Geopolitics
 
E. Culture & History
 
*Bonus: Board Post of Note
 

 

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The Barnes Brief: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
I. THE INTRODUCTION
 
A. Art of the Day 
  • The Venetian arched bridge above, the old walls of the city surround, the bricklaid road ahead, the dance of light against the alley, as the shadow makes us bigger than ourselves. 
 
B. Wisdom of the Day
  • “When we don’t put the brakes on our self-absorption, we have nothing stopping us from self-destruction.” Zeena Shreck. 
 
C. Appearances
 
  • Judge Napolitano
  • Peoples Pundit
    placeholder
  • Dialogue Works
    placeholder
  • Daniel Davis
 
D. Daily Picks
 
E. Special Notices
  • Special discount on SportsPicks subscriptions. Get all the picks on elections markets, economic markets, events markets, sports markets, plus exclusive AMAs, Masterclasses, and the best value in prediction markets anywhere, for less than $1/day and more than 50% off the annualized price. Discount code: 1776
 
II. THE EVIDENCE: BARNES LIBRARY
 
A. Food & Medicine
 
B. Economics
 
C. Politics
 
D. Geopolitics
 
E. Culture & History
 
*Bonus: Board Post of Note
 
 

 

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