The Ricochet Member Feed: The Greatest Hits Thanksgiving Edition
Thanksgiving is less than a week away, which means get ready for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; turkey, stuffing, pie, and maybe an afternoon nap; and three NFL games.......
The Ricochet Member Feed: The Greatest Hits Thanksgiving Edition
By The Queen of Stuff
Thanksgiving is less than a week away, which means get ready for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; turkey, stuffing, pie, and maybe an afternoon nap; and three NFL games (but does anyone really want to watch the Lions play?). It also means get ready for a one-week hiatus for this newsletter, as The Queen of Stuff will take a brief break so she can properly go into a food coma, rant at her fantasy football teams, and figure out whether to embrace or shun Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
But first … To make sure you don’t miss out on the best part of Ricochet, here are our favorite member posts from this week. They center around a variety of topics: minimum wage, two well-known politicians, Christmas movies not released as Christmas movies, health as a human right, and a gaudy holiday mask. We’re also inviting you to participate in our holiday greeting and sharing about this week and next week’s webcasts.
Have family members, friends, or even former Ricochet members who would enjoy this kind of member-only content? Share this newsletter and let them know they can join today and get their first 30 days free. You’ll help grow the Ricochet community and provide some instant conversation starters for your next social gathering. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, you know.
Top Talkers
Victor Tango Kilo: Democrat Economics Illustrated in Real-Time
Democrats have been pushing for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and have succeeded in implementing it pretty much wherever they have taken control. But then, greedy capitalists had the unmitigated gall to start charging more for things to cover their higher labor costs and the higher cost of materials they had to buy from other companies with higher labor costs.
If you’re skeptical about the merits of raising the minimum wage and enjoy dry humor, this post is for you. Victor Tango Kilo quickly examines the notion of a living wage and lays out a few solutions for how people who want to live better can do just that — without boosting the minimum wage to $25 an hour. He also touches on inflation, calling out a New York Times writer’s hot take on how high inflation is affecting the rich and the poor.
Vince Guerra: Ricochet Movie Fight Club: Question 85
What is the best Christmas movie that was not released as a Christmas movie.
Yes, of course someone suggested “Die Hard” right away. But that was just the beginning of a lively discussion that will make many nostalgic. (The screen shot of some not-so-friendly creatures Christmas caroling gave us all the “We love that movie!” and “Of course it’s a Christmas movie!” feels.) Thanks, Vince Guerra, for the trip down memory lane. As to which member’s comment got the most likes, resulting in the winning movie … you’ll have to check the post.
Preston Storm: Are We in Another Goldwater Moment?
In my eyes, the Trump presidency was part Goldwater, Nixon, and Carter all wrapped up in one. After Trump’s defeat in 2020, Biden has fully embraced the unpopular LBJ and incompetent Jimmy Carter role, arguably taking it to another level.
You may have pondered the political careers of former Sen. Barry Goldwater and former President Donald Trump. But have you considered them side by side? Preston Storm has. In this post, he compares the circumstances that led the two men to become so influential and how their influence shifted after they left office. He wraps up with an interesting point about the Democratic Party’s value to the Republicans today.
OkieSailor: Is There No End of These BusyBody Dictators
But health can’t possibly be a human right, since death is inevitable and isn’t generally a sign of health. I’ve been severely ill several times in my life, but it never occurred to me that my rights were being thereby infringed.
Two medical associations recently asserted “we have the technical capacity and material resources to make health equity a reality — to assure that all communities have the conditions, resources, opportunities and power to attain optimal health, and to know that health is a human right.” OkieSailor questions whether health really is a human right and points out why these groups’ actions are problematic. As people who obsess over the use of language, we appreciate this quick take on the issue.
But Wait, There’s More
hoowitts: Mask-sanity (cont.)
The left is a parody wrapped in satire inside a caricature of themselves.
It’s hard to argue that. You can thank hoowitts for this smart turn of phrase and for following it up with a photo that’s not to be missed. Seriously, if you haven’t seen Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s “festive” mask, you’re in for quite the treat. Talk about a conversation starter … And if you want the story behind the mask, check the comments section.
Ricochet Member Holiday Greetings
Yes, it’s that time again. Bing is back on the radio, Big Bird is looking for a place to lie low, and the supply chain is bringing WWE and MMA to a strip mall near you seven nights per week. Hanukkah (or Chanukah, if you prefer), the celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a small and poorly armed band of Jews recaptured it from the Greeks, is just around the corner. This year, it runs Nov. 28-Dec. 6. And since we’re already up to our tuchuses in Hallmark movies, you know Christmas isn’t that far behind.
Last year, we produced holiday greetings from the staff, and we plan to do it again. If you’d like to add your voice to the chorus, grab your phone and send us some video! (Please shoot horizontally, or you may be banished to the Instagram account.) Send your video to brian@ricochet.com. There’s no hard deadline other than Dec. 23.
Ho, ho, ho, and pass the donuts and cookies!
Now Available: Second Installment of ‘No Dumb Questions’
If you missed this week’s “No Dumb Questions” webcast, don’t worry. You can watch it now! See guest Chris Stirewalt, former Fox News political editor, talk about his final election night with the network, the state of the media, polling, and more.
Many thanks to David M. Drucker, senior correspondent for the Washington Examiner and author of “In Trump’s Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP,” for hosting this week’s webcast.
Mark Your Calendars! Next ‘No Dumb Questions’ Is Nov. 23
Next week: Babylon Bee Editor in Chief Kyle Mann, hosted by some guy named James Lileks. We’ll take your questions for Kyle, and yes, you can pitch him your jokes too. Maybe he’ll buy one on the spot!
So join us on Tuesday November 23rd at 8PM ET/7PM CT/5PM PT.
But remember, you have to be a Ricochet Member to see these events, so please sign up today at ricochet.com/join, and get your first 30 days for free!
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 Bishop Walsh, pulled from Victor Tango Kilo’s post about raising the minimum wage and inflation.
Remember, if you know someone who would enjoy being part of the Ricochet community, we’re offering their first 30 days for free! Invite them to join the conversation today. And 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. But remember, there’s no newsletter next week. Happy Thanksgiving!