31 Comments

I think its hilarious that the first thing moynihan does in the vice piece is drink a beer.

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Funny how assaulting a federal courthouse for AN ENTIRE MONTH doesn’t qualify as an act of terrorism like J6.

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If you're referencing Portland, wasn't that more like *three* months?

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Not only that but Pelosi referred to the federal agents defending the courthouse as stormtroopers and wanted their identities given to the mob.

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Today my buddy told me his kid came home with a story of a classmate who identifies as a goat (well, to be precise, three-quarters goat and three-quarters human -- which prompted my friend's kid to remark, "Dad, that doesn't even add up to 1!") Reminded me of Moynihan's kid's classmate who identifies as a wolf.

I wonder if the true believers of this crap find the animal ID's offensive or entirely authentic. I could easily believe either.

I'm also with Moynihan that all of this stuff is mostly harmless given that most kids end up rolling their eyes at this crap, especially with thoughtful counterpoints offered at home. It is instead politicized history and humanities curricula that deserve thoughtful push-back.

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There are probably a few genuinely troubled kids getting sucked into the transhuman identity nonsense, but I increasingly suspect the kids are starting to flex their troll muscles. (And why not, with so many credulous adults giving them so much attention when they do it?)

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my daughter identifies as a cat for instance

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I watched a few of these interviews - Moynihan with the beer out the gate of an interview was great - and then rewatched He-Man from last week. Considering whether that should be a class opener for first period on Tuesday.

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I too am teaching Day #1 tomorrow. Always fun to have a little fun on the first day....Or scare the crap out of them.

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Depends on the grade. Seniors here - you? I usually come in as wild and batshit as possible, with a hint of IDGAF. But my lessons and assignments are prepped and ready through the end of the semester and I've got the new FAFSA training under my belt (also drunk doing that shit, but my goal is as much money for these kids as I can get). So we're pretty much in it together. I also have a mini kitchen in the classroom, where kids can toast, nuke, fridge, and boil. Papazan at the ready and as many computer chargers as I can get my hands on.

Good luck.

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Freshmen. Even though I teach math, I read this book (https://www.amazon.com/Political-Classroom-Evidence-Democratic-Education/dp/0415880998) a couple years back and have viewed fostering "political autonomy" as one of my chief goals -- especially given the political mono-culture the students encounter through school programming. Neat interview with the authors: https://education.wisc.edu/news/the-political-classroom-holds-potential-to-reduce-partisan-divide/

Good luck this year!

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I did Freshmen for 8 years. I have LOVED teaching Shakespeare to the seniors because they missed it freshmen year. Good luck and have fun! I often go across the hall to do math with the kids there. I went through calculus and sometimes feel I missed out with the English gig.

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Wow, Comment of the Week with a cheap (but likely highly accurate) Moynihan sex joke. I’m truly honored.

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Hope you guys have Noam on....(if you have already I apologize, may be late to the party.) not only does he operate that fantastic NYC comedy club he’s a superbly interesting guy talking politics. Mr. Bump....got bumped!

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For anyone else wondering what happened to the Mahoney family. Reminds me of what happened with Susette Kelo. The lives of all these people turned upside by the govt for absolutely nothing in the end.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wisn.com/amp/article/village-strikes-dollar1-million-deal-with-holdout-homeowners-at-foxconn-site/40973083

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The parallels with the Jethro Tull song “Farm on the Freeway” is uncanny. Even the 1 million dollars and the pickup truck is the same.

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True it does, but couldn't we have a story with parallels to some song from Stand Up instead of that later period? Back to the Family, perhaps? Better memories.

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Great as always! Watching the Foxxcon debacle, the teacher lockdown gaslighting, the depressing Biden Vs Trump rematch, the Amy Cooper revisit while concurrently reading the “Ballad of the Whisky Robber” (excellently riveting!) I feel so depressed about the state of corruption in the US and the world. Thank you Fifth columnists for at least sexily entertaining us while spotlighting all that is wrong with our journalism and leadership today... you temporarily lessen the despair I feel watching our 3 grown children idealistically go out into the world expecting things to turn out ok..my husband and I publicly cheer them on while turning to each other (and other adult friends) and behind closed doors fight off our despair of “they are doomed!”

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That podcast was painful. I like his “1000 sharks that forgot how to smell blood” line, but the comedy cellar guy didn’t make many good points. I can see why the other guy got annoyed. I turned it off after the tenth time he brought up the terms “spun” and “fed”.

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Off topic, but have you guys considered having Liz and Matt Breunig on the pod? I think that would be a fascinating convo and you would all get along great. Liz does really incredible writing on the death penalty. Matt does think tank work about child welfare/socialism and is also very into Sweden! so that would be a fascinating convo with y’all leaning more libertarian. Both are very very smart.

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Also Liz has a new book out called On Human Slaughter about the death penalty

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If you, like me, couldn't get enough of Johan Norberg, you can listen to episode 133 "Canceling Neverland and Everything". He's mentioned around the 1 hour mark in a discussion of "democratic socialism" and the myth of the nordic model.

https://wethefifth.substack.com/p/133-canceling-neverland-and-everything-2ad#details

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Elon is going off on the ADL. You know what this means, right? Time for another episode featuring the “We are the Jews” song.

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Man Bump really did show a lack of desire on the Post’s part to want to dig into Hunter. Odd.

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Hope Nick gets back okay! Total nightmare.

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Pesca, wrong again! A shame but not a surprise that it took Kmele’s in-depth reporting to make him rethink his stance.

Eli Lake was also on Monday’s Commentary Magazine Daily Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/commentary-magazine-podcast/id1081967784?i=1000625961996

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Liked Pesca’s piece. The dog person bird lover conflict is real. I have had three birders approach me in the past two years about my off leash dogs. Angry people! I ignored the two women (no where near the bird sanctuary and in a place where dogs are at least not NOT allowed to be off leash. Third occasion dicier, same place but guy was very aggressive and my dogs got protective. I respect the birders but dogs gotta run!!!

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Good dog boy, could you help me understand the birder doggo conflict? I do a teeny tiny amount of occasional birding and no dogging. From my extremely limited experience, dogs like the ground and birds like the sky/trees. I just don’t understand how one activity conflicts with the other.

I get not wanting dogs off leash in general. I left a park last week after someone played catch with their massive Rottweiler off leash.

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To continue: that’s fine. I don’t know anyone who wants to endanger plovers chicks. I am sure there are people who break the rules, so the conflict is heightened. However, it is tiresome to deal with people with an axe to grind when I am where I am allowed to be and there is no nesting going on! Christian Cooper was extreme but the conflict is real. The real killers are feral cats anyway.

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Thanks for taking the time to respond!

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Yes Not a True Scotsman, I have had two incidents at Montrose Beach in Chicago. From North to South: a dog beach, a people beach and a bird sanctuary. Birds rest and nest there BUT they do not hatch eggs in December and February. My dogs (and many others will walk down the people beach and NOT enter the fenced off sanctuary. It’s 10 degrees out or so. One woman and the guy approached me at different times to inform me no dogs in the sanctuary. They were correct, but they were upset t her dogs were there.

Also, East Point Sanctuary in Maine is clearly marked no dogs, but off season dogs can be on the beach and a woman approached me and another dog owner to inform us dogs weren’t allowed in the sanctuary (where we weren’t).

At both places in season dogs are off most beaches because piping plovers nest

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