FRIENDS,

Our second show back in the Green Mill was a baller birthday bash for a not-quite-but-maybe-almost post-COVID America. Despite the world literally burning, several of our old-school fave contributors still made a big splash, to everyone's delight.

As we attempted to return ever-so-gradually to normalcy, the news gods blessed us with some true silliness—enjoy the tale of the man stopped by Belfast police who insisted the cocaine discovered between his buttcheeks must have been placed there by somewhere else—as well as challenging solemn occasions, like the passing of Donald Rumsfeld. In addition to freshly written current-events segments, swinging tunes by Chicago’s great jazz singer Paul Marinaro, musical comedy by our own Bill Larkin, and standup comedy from visiting Houston-based funnyman Zahid Dewji round out an excellent audio magazine experience.

In a few weeks this currently public podcast is going back to being an exclusive thank you, accessible only to our monthly donors. But we still wanted to thank you for sticking with us through so much by sharing it with everyone for a little while longer. For now feel free to alert a fellow Machete fan that this episode is available to all.

Thanks, as ever, for the support that makes it happen. And dig this hot lineup:

MASTHEAD

Bill Larkin

Zahid Dewji

Atra Asdou and Gary Pascal

Paul Marinaro

Sorhab Forouzesh

Mark Chrisler

The Braided Janes