Kinsella on Liberty Podcast, Episode 330.
Lift Talks #2 — With Kinsella & Sammeroff.
Grok summary shownotes: In this episode of Lift Talks [0:00–26:36], Stephan Kinsella and Anthony Sammeroff recount their Telluride skiing trip with humor and libertarian flair. They start by discussing a catered dinner party [1:02–2:23], where mask mandates were dismissed, and vaccine reactions sparked debate, reflecting their data-driven skepticism. Their conversation shifts to political labels [4:09–5:03], criticizing "liberals" and "progressives" while noting a natural affinity with conservatives over Democrats. They recap their journey from Houston to Auburn, Alabama [6:23–9:43], meeting libertarian figures like Jeff Barr and Roderick Long, and share gossip about factionalism in libertarian circles [10:00–12:45]. On the slopes, they enjoy fast runs like the Enchanted Forest [25:38–26:36], blending personal anecdotes with critiques of cultural norms.
From [26:57–1:03:59], the duo dives deeper into libertarian philosophy and personal stories. Anthony shares a slope mishap where he jokingly insulted a stranger, mistaking him for Stephan [39:12–40:27], and they laugh over a gondola line encounter with a woman claiming cancer [47:24–49:53]. They reflect on intellectual curiosity [41:04–43:55], with Anthony linking his reasoning to a challenging upbringing, and Stephan joking about being "bitten by a radioactive Rothbard." They decide against extending their stay after Anthony’s skiing wrecks [51:21–58:39], opting for a final meal at West End Bistro [56:16–1:00:29], where they discuss truffle fries and libertarian ethics. The episode closes with a playful coffee shop exchange about Robert Redford [1:00:40–1:02:53], wrapping up with a montage of their top skiing speeds and a farewell from Stephan’s porch [1:03:01–1:03:59], leaving listeners with a mix of humor, philosophy, and adventure.
Grok detailed shownotes and Transcript below.
Update: mentioned in KOL462 | CouchStreams After Hours on Break the Cycle with Joshua Smith (2021).
Two libertarian blokes on a ski vacation. Filmed Wednesday, March 31, 2021, Telluride Ski Resort.
https://youtu.be/W-zKMncu4jo?si=dN9mgW-dkVbx-Btf
Part 1: KOL329 | Lift Talks #1 With Kinsella & Sammeroff
https://youtu.be/d1ZY0xm7coY?si=1rIL4Na8jnis4x_P
Cross-posted on Scottish Liberty podcast.
Bonus video:
Three day skiing video compilation telluride March 2021
Grok detailed shownotes
Bullet-Point Summary with Time Markers and Descriptions for 10–15 Minute Blocks
Below is a bullet-point summary for use as show notes, organized into 10–15 minute blocks, each with a description and key points from the conversation, including time markers for significant moments.
0:00–14:46: Introduction and Trip Recap
Description: The episode opens with Stephan and Anthony on a ski lift in Telluride, setting a casual, humorous tone. They share photos and stories from their trip, starting with a dinner party and moving into a recap of their travels from Houston to Auburn, Alabama, and then to Telluride. The conversation blends libertarian commentary with personal anecdotes, including mask mandate debates and libertarian gossip.
Key Points:
[0:00–0:24] Photos of the group in Telluride, including hot tub moments.
[1:02–2:23] Discussion of a catered dinner party where mask mandates were dismissed, and vaccine reactions were debated, with a jab at "data deniers."
[3:00–4:14] Anthony’s frustration at being late to ski, blaming Stephan’s leisurely pace.
[4:09–5:03] Critique of political labels like "liberals" and "progressives," noting a closer affinity with conservatives.
[6:23–8:58] Recap of their Auburn visit, meeting libertarian figures like Jeff Barr and Roderick Long, with Anthony excited about being recognized.
[9:43–12:45] Libertarian gossip about Roderick Long’s alleged excommunication from the Mises Institute and Stephan’s cancellation by Cato, with humorous asides about factionalism.
[13:15–14:46] Light-hearted banter about Anthony’s wife and their decision to ski in Telluride, with Anthony surprising Stephan by knowing how to ski.
14:46–29:04: Skiing Adventures and Cultural Reflections
Description: The conversation shifts to their skiing experiences, with Stephan and Anthony enjoying the slopes and reflecting on cultural differences. They discuss a dinner party’s etiquette, libertarian philosophy, and Anthony’s decision to extend the trip. The segment is filled with humor, including jabs at each other’s personalities and social media antics.
Key Points:
[15:21–16:56] Discussion of the episode’s potential popularity, with Anthony arguing that casual chats humanize them compared to dense libertarian theory.
[17:46–20:55] Travel logistics, including a stressful airport experience and cultural differences at a hotel breakfast, with Anthony snapping at a waiter.
[22:14–24:34] Arrival in Telluride, with a visit to clothing-optional hot springs and a sweat lodge, followed by a vegetarian dinner with etiquette disputes.
[25:38–26:36] Video clip of glade skiing in the Enchanted Forest, with no wrecks reported.
[27:03–28:56] Plans to ski black diamond runs, with Stephan deciding to stay an extra day, prompting Anthony to jokingly complain about costs but agree to stay.
29:04–43:55: Libertarian Philosophy and Slope Mishaps
Description: This segment dives into deeper libertarian reflections, with Anthony sharing a humorous skiing mishap where he mistook a stranger for Stephan. They discuss intellectual curiosity, linking it to personal struggles, and continue their playful banter about social norms and libertarian events.
Key Points:
[31:00–32:58] Discussion of dinner party etiquette, with Anthony charming a guest and reflecting on aristocratic norms.
[33:01–34:14] Cultural observations about Jewish identity, with Anthony noting European awareness versus American indifference.
[34:32–36:06] Anthony’s financial struggles post-trip, with a plug for his podcast and book, followed by banter about his music and philosophy degree.
[39:12–40:46] Anthony’s slope mishap, where he jokingly insulted a stranger thinking it was Stephan, leading to laughter and an apology.
[41:04–43:55] Reflection on intellectual curiosity, with Anthony attributing his reasoning to a challenging upbringing and Stephan joking about being “bitten by a radioactive Rothbard.”
43:55–58:39: Gondola Line Drama and Skiing Reflections
Description: The conversation covers a tense gondola line encounter with a woman claiming cancer, sparking libertarian critiques of mask culture. They reflect on their skiing, with Anthony’s wrecks prompting a decision to end the trip early. The segment ends with a final meal at West End Bistro, blending humor with philosophical musings.
Key Points:
[44:27–45:21] Teasing about Peggy’s “dark side” Telluride house, a humorous take on first-world problems.
[47:24–49:53] Gondola line incident where a woman demands space due to cancer, leading to Anthony’s skepticism and libertarian rants about mask mandates.
[51:21–52:36] Anthony’s skiing wrecks, including a bad tumble on a black diamond run, prompting a decision not to extend the trip.
[56:16–58:39] Final meal at West End Bistro, discussing veggie options and truffle fries, with a libertarian take on artificial flavors and fraud.
58:39–1:03:59: Wrap-Up and Farewell
Description: The episode concludes with the duo at a coffee shop, joking about a Robert Redford sighting and cultural norms. They reflect on their trip, share a montage of skiing highlights, and sign off with a farewell from Stephan’s porch, hinting at future collaborations if the episode is well-received.
Key Points:
[59:04–1:00:29] Banter about a lukewarm hot tub, blamed humorously on Anthony, and enjoyment of West End Bistro’s ambiance.
[1:00:40–1:02:53] Coffee shop exchange where Stephan pranks Anthony about Robert Redford, leading to jokes about celebrity encounters and Sundance.
[1:03:01–1:03:59] Final montage showing their top skiing speed (51.2 mph) and a farewell from Stephan’s porch, with Anthony at his Houston Airbnb, expressing hope for future Lift Talks.
These summaries capture the essence of the conversation, balancing humor, libertarian philosophy, and personal anecdotes, while adhering to the requested formats. Let me know if you need further refinements or additional details!
Transcript
0:00
all right here's lift talk number two starting off with a few photos this is anthony and peggy
0:05
anthony and peggy and david at the bar across the street this is us in the hot tub
0:12
after one of our days skiing anthony like a greek god in the hot tub
0:17
and don't look at his junk me in the hot tub um and here we go
0:24
all right it's wednesday our last ski day that's right someone woke up at noon jesus i wonder who that could have been
0:31
yeah yeah anyway so we're going skiing late for some reason why don't you tell them all what
0:37
happened no let's just let them wonder um so what the funny thing is right this
0:42
guy's like uh he's like i don't know what happened this morning and i'm like i know and his friends are like what what what
0:50
and it's like you were a lazy [ __ ] so we had we had a nice dinner party
0:55
last night which was incredible yeah we had a chef come in can you put the pictures over the video yeah i can do that so um you know what
1:02
we should do let's oh so i put it on twitter i said you know we had a dinner party catered
1:08
to telluride for eight people three people were cooking and they asked us if they wanted
1:13
