The Ricochet Member Feed: The Greatest Hits Weekend Edition
By now we hope you’re recovered from your Thanksgiving-induced food coma and the joys/horrors of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.....
The Ricochet Member Feed: The Greatest Hits Weekend Edition
By The Queen of Stuff
By now we hope you’re recovered from your Thanksgiving-induced food coma and the joys/horrors of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. Maybe you’ve even decorated your home for the holidays. We certainly did. You would be awestruck by the splendor. (Yes, we are lying. Stop pressuring us. We’ll get around to decorating eventually.)
With everything going on last week and this week, you may not be caught up with the latest posts on Ricochet, so we’ve compiled our favorite member posts of the week below. They center around a variety of topics: (not) idolizing power, charitable giving strategies, a little-known TV show, and how everything in America is racist. We’re also sharing some news about Ricochet itself, including special membership offers and updates about our “No Dumb Questions” webcast.
Top Talkers
iWe: Learning Not To Idolize Power
Our so-called modern world is regressing, walking backward into Genesis. Society is adding gods by the day: people worship celebrities and athletes, while the enlightened classes who are all far too smart to believe in anything as silly as religion, seek and deify Philosopher Kings like Obama and expert bureaucracies like the CDC or FDA.
This long, meaty read by iWe delves into how people viewed God and his power in the Old Testament era, as well as how he presented himself to them at various points in time. We love the deep thought and analysis here, especially the point that God’s physical power doesn’t make God, God. What matters more, iWe writes, is what we can’t see: “the quiet thoughts and inspired ideals that give life constructive purpose and meaning.”
Kelly D Johnston: Welcome to #CelebrationWednesday
And in these days of “wokeness” and dubious fundraising schemes, it is wise to reconsider your giving strategy.
Yes, it’s the season of giving, but to whom? As Kelly D Johnston points out, there are issues with nonprofits such as the Salvation Army, which will likely result in some tough choices for people who’ve enjoyed donating to groups like those. If you’re struggling with what to do, check out Kelly’s three strategies for giving. We especially like No. 2, “Keep it local.” We’re always up for supporting the community where you live, work, and play.
Ernie Davis: Enlisted
The Eldest brother Pete (Geoff Stults) has just returned from Afghanistan, busted down to lead his brothers’ squad for confronting an incompetent officer that nearly got him killed. It is actually much lighter than that sounds, and you will have to give a fair bit of latitude to the way they portray the cast of misfit soldiers, but it never mocks them or their efforts to be worthy of the uniform.
We love when Ricochet members like Ernie Davis give us a heads up on a TV show, movie, or other form of entertainment we might enjoy but missed when it debuted. Ernie’s recommendation is “Enlisted,” a short-lived TV series that didn’t last long and is now on Hulu. He even shares the recommended viewing order. Ernie also references another small show that made us nostalgic: “Wonderfalls” (which was the first time we saw Lee Pace, who went on to pivotal roles in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Halt and Catch Fire,” among others).
Doug Kimball: Everything in America Is Racist
You name it below and I’ll explain why it is racist. Everything in America is racist. You are racist. Yes, I’m addressing you, you racist chump!
Yes, that made us snicker just a bit. Doug Kimball gets right down to it in this short post, and we see his point. These days, if you listen to the right wrong people, pretty much everyone and everything in America is racist. And that mentality gets, well, annoying. Doug’s post generated quite a bit of discussion in the comments section. It’s worth a look.
But Wait, There’s More
Smart ALEC: Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Takes Podcast to San Diego
Ricochet was more than happy to be a media partner at this week’s ALEC (American Legislative Executive Council) States & Nation Policy Summit in San Diego, California. Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel broadcast multiple episodes of his “King of Stuff” podcast from the event, interviewing a slew of guests including former Sen. Rick Santorum.
Now Available for Your Viewing Pleasure: ‘No Dumb Questions’ With Joel Berry
Did you miss the last “No Dumb Questions” webcast with Joel Berry, managing editor of satire website The Babylon Bee? No worries. You can watch it now. Hear our esteemed guest and Ricochet’s own James Lileks discuss the power of humor and the new book “The Babylon Bee Guide to Wokeness,” as well as answer questions from members like you. Check it out!
Mark Your Calendars! Next ‘No Dumb Questions’ Is Dec. 14
You may have seen OmegaPaladin’s great thread soliciting suggestions for future “No Dumb Questions” guests. We loved all the feedback, and we’ve already lined up one of your requests: national political reporter Salena Zito. Ricochet’s own Jon Gabriel will host the webcast, so get your questions ready, and join us Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
‘Tis the Season: Give the Gift of Ricochet
Have you seen the news about how members like you can support your favorite conservative community (yes, of course we mean this one) by introducing friends and family to Ricochet? If you haven’t, keep reading. If you have, but you haven’t taken action yet, here’s a quick refresher.
For the month of December only, members can offer their favorite people who’ve never tried Ricochet a 30-day free trial to an all-access membership to Ricochet. New members will be able to comment and post to their hearts’ content. For details on how to extend this deal, go to ricochet.com/try
Want something more long term? Members can give a one-year Calvin Coolidge membership to Ricochet newbies for just $41. This is a $55 value! Coolidge members can comment and publish their own posts. To give this membership, just fill out the form.
Thanks, as always, for supporting Ricochet!
Help Us Spread the Word About Ricochet
You’re our best ambassador for showing people why they should join Ricochet, so we created a nifty graphic to help you do just that. Feel free to pass this along as part of your next civil conversation. Hat tip to our amazing media manager and producer, Brian Johnson, and our fantastic vice president of marketing and community, Alex Rosenwald, for whipping this up!
Comment of the Week
The Member Feed isn’t the only thing that keeps people coming back for more at Ricochet. The comments do too, serving as the backbone of the smart, civil conversation that makes us us. This week’s comment of the week is from Old Bathos, pulled from Doug Kimball's tongue-in-cheek post about how everything is racist.
If you want to send us feedback on this newsletter, email greatest.hits@ricochet.com.
See you next week!
P.S. Want your post to be considered for this newsletter? Post by 3 p.m. Eastern time Thursdays.