The Ricochet Weekly Update: Greatest Hits and More......
Plus, the next “No Dumb Questions” webcast featuring Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who’s well known for fighting for women’s rights in the Islamic world. And one of our first Ricochet Student Pass Posts....
With January having slipped away and February taking its place, you know what that means. The big day’s almost here! No, not Valentine’s Day or the Super Bowl, although they’re important. We mean the next “No Dumb Questions” webcast featuring Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who’s well known for fighting for women’s rights in the Islamic world. You’ll find more info on that below, as well as our favorite Member Feed posts from the past week. They cover a variety of topics: Whoopi Goldberg’s faux pas, a boiling frog political analogy, an inspiring kid with a mullet, and movies that fell apart in the third act. You’ll also find one of our student pass member’s posts and the member comment of the week.
Have family members, friends, or former Ricochet members who would enjoy this kind of member-only content? Share this newsletter and tell them they can join today and get their first 30 days free. You’ll help grow our community and provide some great conversation starters for your next gathering.
Top Talkers
Ed. G.: Makin' Whoopi
It seems to me that the first question to answer, the source of most of the anger I think: is Jewish a race? If not, then Whoopi didn’t say anything mean or hateful. If yes, though, then that still doesn’t make Whoopi hateful, perhaps just wrong.
It was hard to get away from media coverage about Whoopi Goldberg this week. On Monday, “The View” co-host said the Holocaust isn’t about race but about “man’s inhumanity to man.” This set off a huge outcry among many. In the midst of that, Ed. G. wonders if some have overreacted to what Whoopi said. In this post, he raises multiple points for your consideration and invites you to share your thoughts. We appreciate Ed offering his perspective and opening up this conversation.
Stad: Why the Frog in a Pot Analogy Is Not Exactly Right
We love an interesting analogy, and Stad provides just that here. He proposes a scenario where hundreds of frogs representing different voting demographics are in a pot of slowly heating water and how it’s analogous to the left “incrementally introducing its nutty policies into our society.” Some frogs get out, and the chef is OK with that because there are still frogs in the pot. But as more of them escape, the chef wonders when to close the lid. Under President Joe Biden, Stad says, the left is so desperate it’s cranking up the heat to a full boil while also trying to put the lid on. Interesting analogy, indeed.
Victor Tango Kilo: Leadership from a High School Kid with an Awesome Mullet
The kid in the link … shows more coherence than anyone in the Biden administration and more leadership than anyone in the GOP.
We agree the high school student in this video is impressive. (And you may agree the mullet is impressive too. Depends on your feelings about mullets.) Speaking to some of his fellow students, he lays down the ground rules for their next day’s protest of wearing masks at school. He’s clear, concise, and authoritative. Many thanks to Victor Tango Kilo for sharing this with the Ricochet community. The two minutes it takes to watch this kid step up and lead is time well spent.
But Wait, There’s More
GlenEisenhardt: Why Whoopi Goldberg Should be Canceled in a Nutshell
Whoopi Goldberg for years:
You may be thinking, “LOL, they forgot to include the rest of that sentence.” We didn’t. It’s just that if we showed you what follows, it would be a huge spoiler for GlenEisenhardt’s short but sharp take on Whoopi’s recent faux pas. It’s a good use of the “Me: X. Also me: Y.” meme.
Vince Guerra: Ricochet Movie Fight Club: Question 96
Which promising movie falls apart worst in its third act? You must explain why the third act failed to do what it’s supposed to do.
This is not your typical movie-related question. It’s wonderfully specific, and it asks you to explain your answer. Responses ranged from “Night Train to Munich” for its not-so-great action sequence at the end to “2001: A Space Odyssey” for becoming nonsensical in the final act. Thanks, Vince Guerra, for posting this fun question!
Reminder: Next ‘No Dumb Questions’ Webcast Is Feb. 10
Remember, our next “No Dumb Questions” webcast guest is Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Dutch parliament member and the author of numerous books. Her most recent, “Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights,” was published last year. She’s also the host of “The Ayaan Hirsi Ali Podcast,” which we host here on the Ricochet Audio Network. We’re excited for this event, and Ayaan is too, judging from her recent tweet:
Join us Thursday, Feb. 10, at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m PT, and remember: This is a Ricochet members-only webcast. If you know someone who might enjoy it, please encourage them to join Ricochet. They’ll get their first 30 days for free, and current members get a free month if they join! Send them an invite at ricochet.com/join.
Stop In for a Nightcap With Our Editor-in-Chief
Have you checked out Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel’s new live show, “The Nightcap”? It’s at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT every Monday through Thursday. Jon reviews the day’s big stories, and you can chime in with your thoughts. To join the conversation, you’ll need to 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.
ICYMI: New Ricochet Member Tal Fortgang Breaks Down Attacks on Ilya Shapiro
Our complimentary student pass memberships are bringing new voices to the community. One of those voices belongs to Tal Fortgang. You may have seen his latest post, “Anatomy of a Low-Level Borking,” on the Main Feed. In case you missed it, we wanted to mention it here. Tal provides some great analysis about the fallout from a tweet by Ilya Shapiro, who’s now on paid administrative leave from his new position at Georgetown University Law Center. Check it out!
If you know any full-time or part-time U.S. college students or graduate students who’d like a complimentary student pass membership, send them our way! We’d love to add their savvy voices to our smart, civil community. All they need to join is a valid student .edu email address.
Share What Makes Ricochet Great
Anytime you’re telling someone about Ricochet, feel free to share our nifty infographic that provides 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 Vance Richards, pulled from Victor Tango Kilo's post about a high school student’s impressive leadership skills.
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!
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