The Ricochet Member Feed: The Greatest Hits
Plus, some community news about our winter membership drive, and our member comment of the week......
If you’ve been so busy preparing for the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, or both that you haven’t kept up with the Member Feed posts this week, we’re here for you! We’ve gathered our favorites below, and they cover several topics: taking risks, the truckers’ vaccination protest, drug company advertising, an American hacker’s mischief, and COVID-related government funding. You’ll also find some community news and the member comment of the week.
Have family members, friends, or former Ricochet members who’d enjoy this kind of member-only content? Share this newsletter and tell them they can join today and get their first 14 days free. You’ll help grow our community and provide some great conversation starters for your next gathering.
Speaking of being a member, just a quick heads up that we’ll have a price increase soon. If you renew your membership now, you’ll lock in our current pricing for one more year.
Top Talkers
Old Bathos: Taking the Beans: In Praise of Jack’s Choice
In the face of certain disaster, why not take the beans? Or, even in less dire circumstances, should we always opt for safe, limited choices? Is there never a time to roll the dice? To play a hunch? To ask the prettiest girl in school to dance? To launch a dream?
We got sucked into this post fast. The title caught our eye, the premise is intriguing and motivating, and the writing is great. Old Bathos starts by examining Jack’s choice to trade a cow for magic beans in “Jack and the Beanstalk” and deems it a good one. He goes on to explore how COVID-19 has affected people’s mindsets as well as how we respond to adversity, then wraps up with some personal insights. We appreciate this well-crafted look at why people should take risks. And the last line is terrific.
Front Seat Cat: The Toll of the Truckers for Our Sake
I was reminded of how truckers stepped up day and night at the beginning of the pandemic and all throughout, to keep the flow of goods, medicines, food, toilet paper (!), hospital supplies, fuel, in other words, to keep us all going. They were the engine to the train of life and never rested. They stood with all the hospital personnel, law enforcement, firefighters and other essential workers to protect us and bring relief, even at a cost to themselves.
News about truckers protesting Canada’s requirement that they be vaccinated against COVID-19 when crossing the Canada-U.S. border (or complete a two-week quarantine) remains in sharp focus this week. Front Seat Cat, who’s been following the story, shares a reminder about all that truckers have done for people during the pandemic as well as a touching video from one of the truckers. In it, the trucker reads a sweet note from an 11-year-old that made him choke up. This post is a good, heartfelt read, and the video is great too.
JacobHyatt: Pfizer Ads Final Form
Today drug advertising is heavily regulated but pervasive as ever seeming almost symbiotic with mass media. Looking to the past we can find the best examples of malfeasance due to this collusion.
Who hasn’t watched a pharmaceutical company’s long-winded, text-heavy ad and laughed? The average ad will tell you, in nutshell: “Side effects may include every possible thing that could go wrong with you, including and especially death.” Well, not every ad is like that these days, as JacobHyatt points out. He discusses Pfizer Inc.’s new commercials and gives a quick, interesting snapshot of the drug company industry’s approach to advertising over the years.
But Wait, There’s More
Dotorimuk: When Your Government Doesn’t Have Your Back
What if your adversary is an oppressive foreign GOVERNMENT?
Well, this cat jumped right into action.
One of our favorite things about Ricochet is how members like you share news stories some members would miss otherwise. We can’t be everywhere and read everything, after all. Here, Dotorimuk gives everyone a heads up about a Wired story that details how an American hacker hacked North Korea’s Internet after being hacked by North Korean spies. It’s a fascinating read. Thanks, Dotorimuk!
DWard: Ending the Emergency Cuts Off the Money Spigot
As soon as the emergency ends, the funding to support it goes away.
Yes, we are sharing the final line of the post. We don’t usually do that, but it resonated with us. Dward came to that conclusion after watching a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting that provided COVID-19 updates and thinking about how the county is expanding programs to help at-risk families. It made us wonder: Just how many local governments are glomming onto the pandemic as a seemingly never-ending crisis because it provides a funding opportunity for whatever strikes their fancy?
Winter Membership Pledge Drive
As you know, there’s no better place to talk, listen, and learn than Ricochet, the best community of readers and writers out there. To make sure more people know about us so they can experience all we have to offer. We need to grow, and that’s where you come in.
Since October, we’ve added new features including our “No Dumb Questions” webcast; Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel’s new show “The Nightcap”; and a free membership for college students. And there’s more to come! In the next few weeks and months, you’ll start to see several new member-only opportunities to connect with your fellow Ricochetti, including early access to invites to happy hours, newsmaker interviews, and New York and DC parties and networking events.
Help us spread the word about Ricochet being the best place for conservative conversation and community by encouraging people to sign up today at ricochet.com/join. They’ll get 14 days of free access!
As always, many thanks for your continued and generous support. We wouldn’t be here without you!
‘No Dumb Questions’ With Ayaan Hirsi Has Been Postponed
In case you missed our post earlier this week, due to unforeseen travel issues, we had to postpone our “No Dumb Questions” webcast with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of “Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights.” We’re working on rescheduling as soon as possible and will keep you posted.
Get the Day’s News and Chat With Our Editor-in-Chief
Don’t miss Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel’s new live show, “The Nightcap”. At 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT every Monday through Thursday, Jon reviews the day’s big stories, and you can chat him up. To join the conversation, you’ll use Callin, an app and web platform that lets you create and cultivate podcasts and audio communities.
You can subscribe to “The Nightcap” here. Each episode is published on that webpage after it airs.
Calling All College Students: Free Ricochet Student Passes Are Available
Know any full-time or part-time U.S. college students or graduate students who’d enjoy the smart, civil conversation we provide here at Ricochet? Send them our way for a complimentary Ricochet student pass membership! They’ll be able to publish their own posts, access our exclusive Member Feed, and connect with our community. All they need to join is a valid student .edu email address.
Share What Makes Ricochet Great
Talking Ricochet up to someone you know? Share the infographic below and give them a quick overview about why our community is the place to be. Thanks for your support!
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 MarciN, pulled from JacobHyatt's post about how drug companies advertise their products.
Remember, if you know someone who’d enjoy being part of the Ricochet community, we’re offering their first 14 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 us to consider your post for this newsletter? Post by 5 p.m. ET Thursday.