Thanks so much for these weekly summaries @mattwelch. This subscriber reads every Damn word if not clicking on every link (so much hypertextualization). Hope you catch my emailed comment on the passing of Barbara Walters , whom I prematurely declared dead 33 years ago whilst a college lad. Happy New Year to you glorious men and the entire Fif’dom!
Man episode 3 is hilariously on topic at the end. Moynihan cursing out Robert De Niro for being anti-vaxx, and Matt Welch predicting to Kemele's glee that the future will be a thousand Kanye faces floating in the sky.
Happy New Years Gents! (last I checked Stanford hasn’t ruled against that word, have to keep an eye out for the redux)
Matt: I think most everyone should take a break from politics, the internet, the shit slinging. We all do truly need to “touch grass” more often than we say we will, myself included. In the words of Lukas Nelson (Willie’s kid), Turn off the news and build a garden. https://youtu.be/sTulrGo-2T4. Electric version for those who don’t want to feel like they’re in a coffee shop in Boulder: https://youtu.be/S5Sw2vsJkBc
Kmele: keep doing your thing. It’s refreshing to see someone not bow down to pressures whether from friends or “outsiders”, and stick to your guns. I may not see eye to eye with you on everything, but your level headed takes help bring me back down to earth when the latest rage inducing headline drops (usually having to do with Trump), and I appreciate it, as does my wife who’s most likely tired of my rants at this point, I’m sure. (Bit of an aside: I’m also trying to branch out into more fiction vs non, I had never heard of Cormac so thanks for the rec.)
Moynihan: I’m excited to see where the road takes you. I along with many others will follow along no matter where/what you end up doing. I know others have said this, but a book from you, on any topic, would be a release day buy (with an audio version read by you and the boys of course. Have Ben Dreyfuss read a portion as well.) I don’t know anyone who has as much seemingly encyclopedic knowledge on as many topics that I find interesting, so... please?
Here’s to 2023, and a return to normalcy, whatever that may mean.
Sláinte, Salute, Skol, Prost, Cheers, For auld lang syne. Happy New Years all.
Sadly, Ian Tyson passed too late in the year to make your Spotify list. To my mind, the number of songwriters who penned anything better than "Four Strong Winds" can be counted on one hand. For that matter, not many surpassed "Someday Soon".
Have you been reading Pamela Paul? They moved her over from the Book Review to opinion columnist a number of months ago. She’s really hammering on some third rails https://www.nytimes.com/by/pamela-paul
On the topic of Hitchens and his thoughts on identity driven political expression, I think the article Moynihan references is this one, not alone but by far the most well known: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120062413171299477
Really though, it was a fairly common theme and ran through Hitch 22 and Letter to a Young Contrarian and somewhere in the back of my mind is the faint thought it might even be a topic in Why Orwell Matters. Anyway this was brought up not infrequently as least in passing whenever it was applicable.
I haven't looked at the book list in a while but the comments should be published as a history of the podcast! "This is the episode where Moynihan is named 'Hollywood.'" Ha!
I just started reading The Brothers Ashkenazi by IJ Singer (brother of Isaac) and whenever the Cossacks rip through the Jewish towns they yell “hep hep Jude” and I am dying. All I hear is Moynihan’s German accent 🤣
Thank you so much gents this is an extraordinary, dizzying list. I'm happy to say that I own and have even read quite a few on this list! My best reads in '22 (some were on this list) were:
-Finally got around to The Fountainhead (and it has now become my favorite book. Where has Rand been all my life?)
-Hillbilly Elegy-fantastic book. I like this JD so much better than the one who's hawking about lately.
-Woke Racism-devoured this in like 2 days.
-War on the West-also devoured in like 4 days
Reading Now/Goals for '23:
-Atlas Shrugged-cuz ya know she's now my girl
-in the midst of San Fransicko (lived there for 3.5 years and this is horrifyingly accurate)
-Zinn's The People's History....
-ANY of Thom Chat Will's seminal books (oops can't say seminal any longer according to Stanford)
Ayn Rand was married to my Grandma's brother, Frank O'Connor. She visited Dearborn, Mi a few times to see my dad's family. She would hold court in the living room, talking non-stop.
She once asked my dad, then a teenager, if he had liked Atlas Shrugged. He just said a simple "Nope".
He was going to a Jesuit High School at the time, and I can 100% see why it did not appeal to him.
Hey everyone. I’ve been subscribed for a while, but never commented before. Just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year!
Welcome to the comments section. Happy New Year to you.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for these weekly summaries @mattwelch. This subscriber reads every Damn word if not clicking on every link (so much hypertextualization). Hope you catch my emailed comment on the passing of Barbara Walters , whom I prematurely declared dead 33 years ago whilst a college lad. Happy New Year to you glorious men and the entire Fif’dom!
Happy New Year’s everybody!!
Happy New Year to one and all! I'd be remiss if I didn't recall the famous poem of one Robert Burns.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And the days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne
And surely you will buy your cup
And surely I'll buy mine!
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne
We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till night
The seas between us Lord and swell
Since the days of auld lang syne
For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?
For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne
Apropos of nothing: "Clinton suspended his campaign to execute a retard." --Matt Welch
Man episode 3 is hilariously on topic at the end. Moynihan cursing out Robert De Niro for being anti-vaxx, and Matt Welch predicting to Kemele's glee that the future will be a thousand Kanye faces floating in the sky.
Wishing all of Ya’ll the best New Years, thanks for another year of amazing company!
Happy New Years Gents! (last I checked Stanford hasn’t ruled against that word, have to keep an eye out for the redux)
Matt: I think most everyone should take a break from politics, the internet, the shit slinging. We all do truly need to “touch grass” more often than we say we will, myself included. In the words of Lukas Nelson (Willie’s kid), Turn off the news and build a garden. https://youtu.be/sTulrGo-2T4. Electric version for those who don’t want to feel like they’re in a coffee shop in Boulder: https://youtu.be/S5Sw2vsJkBc
Kmele: keep doing your thing. It’s refreshing to see someone not bow down to pressures whether from friends or “outsiders”, and stick to your guns. I may not see eye to eye with you on everything, but your level headed takes help bring me back down to earth when the latest rage inducing headline drops (usually having to do with Trump), and I appreciate it, as does my wife who’s most likely tired of my rants at this point, I’m sure. (Bit of an aside: I’m also trying to branch out into more fiction vs non, I had never heard of Cormac so thanks for the rec.)
Moynihan: I’m excited to see where the road takes you. I along with many others will follow along no matter where/what you end up doing. I know others have said this, but a book from you, on any topic, would be a release day buy (with an audio version read by you and the boys of course. Have Ben Dreyfuss read a portion as well.) I don’t know anyone who has as much seemingly encyclopedic knowledge on as many topics that I find interesting, so... please?
Here’s to 2023, and a return to normalcy, whatever that may mean.
Sláinte, Salute, Skol, Prost, Cheers, For auld lang syne. Happy New Years all.
Sadly, Ian Tyson passed too late in the year to make your Spotify list. To my mind, the number of songwriters who penned anything better than "Four Strong Winds" can be counted on one hand. For that matter, not many surpassed "Someday Soon".
@matt, happy new year and thank you for the requisite playlist, it’s been a pleasure listening to old favourites and discovering new ones.
Happy New Year, lads and Fifdom.
Speaking of Thunberg, I liked this:
https://ianleslie.substack.com/p/how-to-be-good
I LOVED this line from Bono: “I get one eyebrow up when people want systemic change but don’t want to turn up to the town hall meeting.”
So, speaking of Bono:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/oct/29/surrender-40-songs-one-story-by-bono-review-a-rattling-good-yarn
Thanks, Matt! Listening to Schubert right now.
Did you see David French is getting a column at NYT?!? Is there some sort of de-wokeifying program going on over there? First John McWhorter, now DF.
Have you been reading Pamela Paul? They moved her over from the Book Review to opinion columnist a number of months ago. She’s really hammering on some third rails https://www.nytimes.com/by/pamela-paul
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/opinion/salman-rushdie-fatwa.html
Fucking awesome! There's so much in the Times if you know where to look!
Another good one
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/08/opinion/prince-harry-meghan-markle.html
I read that! One of her better columns! The NYT book reporter had a similar take on the arts page
On the topic of Hitchens and his thoughts on identity driven political expression, I think the article Moynihan references is this one, not alone but by far the most well known: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120062413171299477
There is also this: https://progressive.org/magazine/christopher-hitchens-interview/
Really though, it was a fairly common theme and ran through Hitch 22 and Letter to a Young Contrarian and somewhere in the back of my mind is the faint thought it might even be a topic in Why Orwell Matters. Anyway this was brought up not infrequently as least in passing whenever it was applicable.
I haven't looked at the book list in a while but the comments should be published as a history of the podcast! "This is the episode where Moynihan is named 'Hollywood.'" Ha!
I just started reading The Brothers Ashkenazi by IJ Singer (brother of Isaac) and whenever the Cossacks rip through the Jewish towns they yell “hep hep Jude” and I am dying. All I hear is Moynihan’s German accent 🤣
Highly recommend it https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Ashkenazi
Thank you so much gents this is an extraordinary, dizzying list. I'm happy to say that I own and have even read quite a few on this list! My best reads in '22 (some were on this list) were:
-Finally got around to The Fountainhead (and it has now become my favorite book. Where has Rand been all my life?)
-Hillbilly Elegy-fantastic book. I like this JD so much better than the one who's hawking about lately.
-Woke Racism-devoured this in like 2 days.
-War on the West-also devoured in like 4 days
Reading Now/Goals for '23:
-Atlas Shrugged-cuz ya know she's now my girl
-in the midst of San Fransicko (lived there for 3.5 years and this is horrifyingly accurate)
-Zinn's The People's History....
-ANY of Thom Chat Will's seminal books (oops can't say seminal any longer according to Stanford)
-Bari Weiss's New Seven Dirty Words
What's on some of your reading lists?!
GO!
Ayn Rand was married to my Grandma's brother, Frank O'Connor. She visited Dearborn, Mi a few times to see my dad's family. She would hold court in the living room, talking non-stop.
She once asked my dad, then a teenager, if he had liked Atlas Shrugged. He just said a simple "Nope".
He was going to a Jesuit High School at the time, and I can 100% see why it did not appeal to him.
STOP IT! That’s incredible. Great story.
Whoa amazing!!!!
I remember liking Ayn Rand’s debut novel, We the Living. It’s short https://www.amazon.com/We-Living-75th-Anniversary-Ayn-Rand/dp/045123359X
Thanks!
Welcome! It’s like an anti-communist romance novel. Amazon is saying 500 pages. Ignore that, it was like 200 pages.
Oh and Happy New Year to all!!