Grand Old Flag

Grand Old Flag

This week on The Brothers Raskin Brother Ben kicks things off with a call to action: support the Heart and Soul organization — donate at heartsoul.org. Then he dives into a new creative challenge: a two‑person book club with a work friend, each writing daily toward their own projects. Ben's is titled The Hex Nut Affair at Lab 53 — a story you'll want to hear more about soon. Want to read Ben's earlier work? Drop him a line at benj.raskin@gmail.com for a PDF. Meanwhile, Brother Patrick is scorching the mic with hot takes that might just melt your earbuds. Love California? Brace yourself. Hate Bin Laden? You might not like what you hear. It's a wild, unfiltered ride through politics, pop culture, and brotherly banter. Be a mensch — rate, review, and tell a friend about the show.

Doin' a Mow

Let's light this Roman Candle and see what God looks like. It's a big, bright episode — with original music by Jack Johnson (kinda), heard first on The Brothers Raskin. Brother Patrick channels his inner aloha, debuting a new Jack Johnson track and riffing on how he fell for the guitar: cowboy chords, pop hooks, and the pure joy of live performance. From there, the Brothers pivot from surf vibes to cinema, crowning Nicolas Cage as the greatest living actor. They dig through his wild catalog, swapping favorites and debating the sacred Mt. Rushmore of where "Face/Off" belongs. Here's the New York Times interview with Nicolas Cage [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/23/magazine/nicolas-cage-interview.html] that Brother Ben references — a must‑read for anyone who loves the man, the myth, and the meme. A funny, free‑wheeling, and heartfelt ride. Be a mensch and tell a friend.

Pass the Rock

The Brothers crank up the heat — literally — as they sweat through tank tops in the Las Vegas sun and break down Game 3 of the NBA Finals, featuring a very sleepy President Trump. Somewhere between the jump shots and the sunburns, they imagine how MCA of the Beastie Boys would've loved this Spurs matchup — pure rhythm, grit, and rebellion. Then the conversation detonates into full‑tilt movie mayhem with The Rock. The Brothers riff on what it would take to escape to a non‑extradition country, how to break out of Alcatraz, and why Nicolas Cage remains the patron saint of cinematic chaos. It's sun‑baked, sports‑soaked, and gloriously unhinged — a mix of hoops, heat, and Hollywood hijinks that only the Brothers could pull off. Be a mensch and tell a friend.

It's a True Romance

This week, the Brothers come in hot with a big, swaggering episode that ricochets from cult cinema to Colombian hotels to church‑side chaos. They break down the sun‑bleached grit of True Romance, dive into the Foo Fighters' horror‑comedy fever dream Studio 666, and unpack what exactly makes a 4‑star hotel in Bogotá feel like a gamble. From there, things get spiritual — or sacrilegious — with a story about swearing in church and a eulogy so good the priest wants to use it as next week's homily. The episode closes with a sharp, grounded look at how media is being reshaped in the Trump era — no predictions, just perspective. A funny, profane, and surprisingly heartfelt ride and just wait until they start throwing podcasters into jail. Be a mensch and tell a friend.

Slinging Drinks and Barbarians

Short week. Talking bartending and the Las Vegas heat. Going back into the way back machine, episode #7, "Barbarians." Be a mensch and tell a friend. See you back next week at our normal time.