Workin’ for the Weekend #36: So. Many. Events.

And at least one AYFKM debate from 2016

See that gal above? That’s Jessica Thompson, and she will sue your face off, if you’re the government doing a bad thing, because she’s a lawyer for the Pacific Legal Foundation, at whose 50^th anniversary gala Thursday night this pic was snapped. Jessica is also a fan of The Fifth Column, as were many attendees of this fine event, which is as good a hook as any to remind everyone that IT’S EVENT SEASON, YO.

* It will not surprise you that Kmele’s out here doin’ events. I do not yet see available his Intelligence Squared debate on race (as discussed on #399), but you can listen here to his recent South by Southwest conversation about healing America’s divisions with Daniel Lubetzky, “a proud Mexican Jewish American best known for founding and building KIND Snacks into a multi-billion-dollar global brand.” And as mentioned here two months ago, KF on April 18 is emceeing the annual gala for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in Manhattan, with Killer Mike keynoting, and remarks from such past Fif’ guests as Ilya Shapiro (#361) & FIRE poobah Greg Lukianoff (#216). Tickets purchasable at this link.

* On April 3, old pal/foil Nick Gillespie (SD 72, #379) will be hosting his latest Reason Speakeasy event in Manhattan, featuring University of San Diego philosopher Matt Zwolinski and Heterodox Academy President John Tomasi, co-authors of the forthcoming book The Individualists: Radicals, Reactionaries, and the Struggle for the Soul of Libertarianism. Those (affordable!) tickets can be acquired here.

* On the shortlist of cities that come up most often when people suggest future Fif’ live dates (as if!), my ancestral innertubing homeland of Portland, Oregon ranks right up there. We are, alas, too busy with projects (and events!) to do events, but pal Nancy Rommelmann (#79, #198, #203) will soon be back in antifa-ville for a week, including an event at the swanky private Arlington Club April 17.

* I could easily put another two-three relevant live April events in this post, but let’s save some calendar-filling material for next weekend, and pivot to links of stuff we’ve talked about over the past week. Here’s that great Stanford dean letter, a less-than-great Stanford DEI-officer op-ed, and a piece in The Free Press about “Stanford’s War Against Its Own Students.” Here is a hard-to-find link to The Natural History of Destruction (thanks, Anton Shevchenko!), and an easier-to-find link to PBS Frontline’s “Age of Easy Money” (h/t Busty). There’s also Moynihan’s dual Reason review of Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg (#182) and The End of America by Naomi Wolf; Shelby Steele’s What Killed Michael Brown (h/t International Woman of Mystery); and (c/o Busty) “The YUGE Trump Debate” at FreedomFest 2016 featuring me & Jeffrey Tucker on the anti- side, Dan Mangru & Wayne Allyn Root holding down the pro:

* Most importantly, here’s the episode of 30 Rock where Alec Baldwin does phenomenal blaccent role-playing at Tracy Morgan’s therapy session (h/t Randolph Carter):

* I wrote a couple of cheery things last week: “The Great COVID Rupture,” and “Teachers Union Closes L.A. Schools Yet Again.”

* Comment of the Week comes from DawgInExile:

Speaking of the Braves.... A baseball story all three of the boys will enjoy: We were just outside Turner Field, which, I remind you, was in *downtown Atlanta.* My father-in-law, who is prone to telling ethnic/racial/sexist jokes, was meeting us at the game. And that's what I thought was going on when my husband said to him over the phone, and loudly, "You know the negro statue at the stadium? We'll meet you there." I whacked him on the arm and gave him a wifely what-is-wrong-with-you look but he shrugged me off. He said negro statue to his dad yet again before hanging up, and I said "Dude! Seriously! Could you say it any louder??" "Say what?" he replied. I leaned in and whispered "negro." He looked weirdly at me and said "what's wrong with negro?" Me: wide-eyed. A few seconds later he figured it out: "No! Not NEGRO! Niekro! You know, the Braves hall of famer Phil Niekro!" No, I did not know Phil Niekro, but apparently, I was the only one who didn't because we did not get our asses kicked.

* Speaking of baseball, to the potential relief of both fans and non-fans here alike (the latter because it will choke off much of related chatter in this forum), I plopped my baseball/sports-related writing/commentary over at a new free Substack called The View Level.

Outro music is both ripped out of today’s liturgy, and also a subtweet of the most egregious omission in Steven Hyden’s list of the 100 Best Debut Albums, Ever: