Last week I was freezing cold and this week my office is so hot I’m tempted to write naked. That’s New York in the spring, I guess. It’s right about this time in May—when all the kids in the Midwest are getting out of school while mine are stuck for another month—when I start to get annoyed that we start our school year in September. But when the dog days of August come upon us I’m always grateful to have a few extra weeks before the school year kicks off.
But currently, I’m resenting all your “last day of school” photos. Just so ya’ know. And if I can peel myself off this chair later, I’ll probably cry about the fact that I’m still getting up at 6 am to get kids on the bus every day.
So what’s in the good news section today?
CPS can-kick rocks
I would be remiss if I didn’t direct you to my reporting on a new Texas law that is cracking down on CPS abuses. I hope more states follow suit because social services is out of control. I don’t think the law is perfect and it definitely needs harsh consequences for violators of the law, which it lacks, but I’d call it a good start. CPS is no longer allowed to removed children for being homeschooled or being allowed to play unsupervised outside. It’s amazing this has to be codified in law, but here were are.
Victory in Texas for 'Free-Range' Kids, Homeschoolers, and Good Parents Everywhere https://t.co/z2z05adia0
— Megan Fox (@MeganFoxWriter) May 20, 2021
Cicadas are here!
I haven’t actually seen any here in New York yet, but there are reports and photos coming in from all over the country, where the cicadas are emerging after seventeen years of slumber. I love cicadas. The first time I experienced the great awakening I was in the woods at summer camp at around age twelve. I wasn’t so thrilled with them then because they were everywhere and I was very concerned with my hair and not getting embarrassed by having a winged insect tangled in it. But as I’ve gotten older and less afraid of them, their rare appearances have started to seem like a gift. The last big outbreak in the Chicago area was when my oldest daughter was around two. I still remember walking with her and holding her hand while we gathered them for a fishing trip. I have so many memories of the summers of the cicadas and this one promises to be another great one. I can’t wait until they show up here. I’m going to be disappointed if we don’t see many.
Already, people are making amazing crafts out of their exoskeletons. This is one of the funniest and neatest things I’ve ever seen. Truly terrifying.
The PJ Media Babes Go Live!
The chicks of PJ Media—Paula Bolyard, Stacey Lennox, Victoria Taft, and me—are scheduled to go live on a VIP chat at 1 PM EST on Tuesday. Our VIP content keeps getting better with podcasts, live chats, and exclusive articles just for you.
While we were talking about topics we might discuss, Stacey Lennox mentioned sheet pan meals and I haven’t been able to stop watching the videos on them since. There may be some recipe sharing along with the usual hard-hitting PJM stuff you love.
Tom MacDonald did it again.
White rapper Tom MacDonald is climbing the charts again with his new single “Dear Slim.” Why is this good news? I think the best part about it is that MacDonald is an independent artist. It’s very difficult for an artist without a label to get to the #3 spot on iTunes and MacDonald has done it more than once. His new song is technically produced by Eminem because MacDonald bought an Eminem track that runs underneath the lyrics. Whether Slim Shady had any idea that MacDonald, a well-known anti-establishment firebrand, was going to be the one using it is unknown. But what MacDonald did with it is great. Eminem got woke a while ago and turned off some of his fans by blending into the establishment he got famous for bucking. MacDonald is now the one on the front lines fighting for free speech the way Eminem used to. Someone has to do it. Free speech isn’t going to defend itself. You need people out there pushing the boundaries and reminding us why speech codes are dangerous.
I loved this song, especially since I’m a fan of Eminem too and I was disappointed in his virtue signaling weirdness during the Trump years. How boring! And Slim Shady was never boring. I hope this anthem reminds him who he is. We need more free speech warriors willing to go to court over it like Shady used to. It’s great to hear someone stick it to the speech policers and MacDonald does that perfectly.
Masks are really going away. For real.
I went into two stores here in New York that had taken the “masks required” signs down and almost everyone inside was back to normal. And we all are feeling giddy. Everyone is smiling and looking at one another’s faces like they’re the most beautiful things we’ve ever seen. It really does feel that way. When I can see someone’s whole face, the day gets brighter. I didn’t think this day was coming here in the belly of the beast this soon. I was sure that even after the CDC dropped the mask thing that people here would keep doing it, but they don’t seem to be. I went to a school event today and saw a mom I haven’t seen since last year and she walked around giving everyone hugs. It felt good. Let’s keep it going. No going back. Ever.
Have a great weekend (bare-faced)!
