Stephen Dubner

So we're eating, we're drinking, we're laughing now about how close we came to having no show at all. And that's when our excellent editor, Ellen Frankman, comes up to me with a look on her face that I couldn't quite figure out. In retrospect, she looked really ill. She was shaky. Her face was pale. So I asked her, what's wrong?

So we're eating, we're drinking, we're laughing now about how close we came to having no show at all. And that's when our excellent editor, Ellen Frankman, comes up to me with a look on her face that I couldn't quite figure out. In retrospect, she looked really ill. She was shaky. Her face was pale. So I asked her, what's wrong?

And she tells me that in addition to the audio failures we had earlier, there was another even bigger failure. The show had not been recorded, she says. And I didn't understand. I asked her to repeat herself. She said they didn't record the show. And I still didn't quite understand. I mean, I've been recording stuff for many years now. I was a musician and I used to work in all kinds of studios.

And she tells me that in addition to the audio failures we had earlier, there was another even bigger failure. The show had not been recorded, she says. And I didn't understand. I asked her to repeat herself. She said they didn't record the show. And I still didn't quite understand. I mean, I've been recording stuff for many years now. I was a musician and I used to work in all kinds of studios.

And she tells me that in addition to the audio failures we had earlier, there was another even bigger failure. The show had not been recorded, she says. And I didn't understand. I asked her to repeat herself. She said they didn't record the show. And I still didn't quite understand. I mean, I've been recording stuff for many years now. I was a musician and I used to work in all kinds of studios.

I was a reporter and used to record all kinds of interviews. I've been doing this show now for 15 years. We've recorded thousands of studio and live interviews, many other things. And not once have the people responsible for recording just failed to record it. But tonight, that's apparently... What happened?

I was a reporter and used to record all kinds of interviews. I've been doing this show now for 15 years. We've recorded thousands of studio and live interviews, many other things. And not once have the people responsible for recording just failed to record it. But tonight, that's apparently... What happened?

I was a reporter and used to record all kinds of interviews. I've been doing this show now for 15 years. We've recorded thousands of studio and live interviews, many other things. And not once have the people responsible for recording just failed to record it. But tonight, that's apparently... What happened?

I am pretty sure we did do a live show with Ari Emanuel and RJ Cutler and Luis Guerra's band and Christina from the audience, but there's no recording of it, so I'm not really sure. The next several hours were even more of a blur than the hour before the show. We thought about trying to partner with RJ Cutler to make a forensic documentary of the show, trying to recreate it as best as we could.

I am pretty sure we did do a live show with Ari Emanuel and RJ Cutler and Luis Guerra's band and Christina from the audience, but there's no recording of it, so I'm not really sure. The next several hours were even more of a blur than the hour before the show. We thought about trying to partner with RJ Cutler to make a forensic documentary of the show, trying to recreate it as best as we could.

I am pretty sure we did do a live show with Ari Emanuel and RJ Cutler and Luis Guerra's band and Christina from the audience, but there's no recording of it, so I'm not really sure. The next several hours were even more of a blur than the hour before the show. We thought about trying to partner with RJ Cutler to make a forensic documentary of the show, trying to recreate it as best as we could.

Some Friends who had been in the audience had already started sending in bits of video and audio they had recorded. At least one journalist had recorded the entire Ari Emanuel interview, but it's iPhone on the lap quality, not radio quality. So we ditched that recreation idea. For some reason, I wasn't angry. I was just flabbergasted. It was a new feeling, a new experience.

Some Friends who had been in the audience had already started sending in bits of video and audio they had recorded. At least one journalist had recorded the entire Ari Emanuel interview, but it's iPhone on the lap quality, not radio quality. So we ditched that recreation idea. For some reason, I wasn't angry. I was just flabbergasted. It was a new feeling, a new experience.

Some Friends who had been in the audience had already started sending in bits of video and audio they had recorded. At least one journalist had recorded the entire Ari Emanuel interview, but it's iPhone on the lap quality, not radio quality. So we ditched that recreation idea. For some reason, I wasn't angry. I was just flabbergasted. It was a new feeling, a new experience.

I woke up the next morning still more confused than anything. I went out to Brentwood to have breakfast with my daughter. We saw Don Cheadle, whom I recognized, and Tom Holland, whom I didn't. A friend dropped by, a college friend of my daughter. He grew up in L.A. and he still lives there. He's one of the people who had sent us some audio files when he heard about our recording catastrophe.

I woke up the next morning still more confused than anything. I went out to Brentwood to have breakfast with my daughter. We saw Don Cheadle, whom I recognized, and Tom Holland, whom I didn't. A friend dropped by, a college friend of my daughter. He grew up in L.A. and he still lives there. He's one of the people who had sent us some audio files when he heard about our recording catastrophe.

I woke up the next morning still more confused than anything. I went out to Brentwood to have breakfast with my daughter. We saw Don Cheadle, whom I recognized, and Tom Holland, whom I didn't. A friend dropped by, a college friend of my daughter. He grew up in L.A. and he still lives there. He's one of the people who had sent us some audio files when he heard about our recording catastrophe.

He's a really nice kid and the three of us had a nice breakfast. I asked him how his work was going and also where he's living now. He grew up in Pacific Palisades and his family's house burned to the ground last month. When we said goodbye to him after breakfast, he was shivering outside in a T-shirt. He hadn't even been able to get a new coat yet.

He's a really nice kid and the three of us had a nice breakfast. I asked him how his work was going and also where he's living now. He grew up in Pacific Palisades and his family's house burned to the ground last month. When we said goodbye to him after breakfast, he was shivering outside in a T-shirt. He hadn't even been able to get a new coat yet.

He's a really nice kid and the three of us had a nice breakfast. I asked him how his work was going and also where he's living now. He grew up in Pacific Palisades and his family's house burned to the ground last month. When we said goodbye to him after breakfast, he was shivering outside in a T-shirt. He hadn't even been able to get a new coat yet.