Happy Friday, Gentle Readers,
I pray this missive finds you well. Since this will be the last WPS before Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who reads this little feature, which will enter its third year on 12/31. For those who have been with me since the start, thank you. For those who may be new to this column, welcome.
Writing the WPS is one of the highlights of my week. I vow to continue to drink wine in defense of free speech as long as my liver permits. I know I have been a little remiss in the column department lately, but since the morning after the election, our business has been steadily picking up steam — as in that very morning. It's almost as if people have more confidence in the economy now. Go figure.
Quit yer bitchin' and eat the chicken.
Back when I worked in a cubicle farm, every so often, the boss would spring for lunch for the company. It was a nice gesture, and I never complained. Free food is free food. I was always the guy who would go up and get a plate or sandwich, and then after everyone else had a chance, would scoop up the leftovers. Alas, in the era of #MeFirst, Last, and Only, a free lunch doesn't cut it for young folks. Lunch can't just be free; it has to be DEI/CRT compliant.
According to the Daily Wire, Essentia Health in Duluth, Minn., decided to do something nice for the staff and buy everyone lunch. Unfortunately, the business purchased said lunches from Chick-fil-A. Now, opinions vary on just how "Christian" Chick-fil-A is, but the company does have a reputation for supporting traditional marriage and pro-life causes in the past. This has earned it the ire of many on the Left, including the LGBTQUFCGHJNOSDAMR#$%&!@ lobby. See if you can gauge the reaction of the employees by the post-lunch email sent out by the company:
We have received feedback from some colleagues who were concerned or offended by this occurrence, and we value colleagues feeling comfortable expressing their reservations. We would like to thank our colleagues who had the courage to speak up to widen our lens of inclusivity, and we appreciate all colleagues continuing to live our values of respect and justice. We respect all we are honored to serve and employ, and situations such as these are an important reminder to consider all viewpoints. As we strive to be thoughtful and inclusive as an organization, we will have learnings along the way. In the words of Maya Angelou, when we know better, we do better. Thank you for giving us grace, as we work to be better, together.
Someone had the "courage" to complain about Chick-fil-A? Someone was triggered by a piece of chicken with a pickle on a bun, possibly with some waffle fries? First, I've been to parts of the world where people have nothing to eat. They live in houses made of garbage and, in some cases, actual sticks. If these little monsters have the luxury of griping about where lunch came from, they may want to try a little gratitude. Second, it is possible to eat Chick-fil-A without spontaneously morphing into a straight, white Christian man with a MAGA hat. Normal people know this. That's called maturity. You can eat the chicken and go about your business. That's called lunch. Finally, if someone has the time during their workday to fire off an email to management about the terrors of Chik-fil-A, it may be time for a performance review and a foot in the backside to the parking lot.
And that is why Mrs. Brown and I have no employees. Well, except me. And if I don't get some free Chick-fil-A, I'm going to call a meeting with myself to unionize.
This college diploma is brought to you by Charmin.
Where do you get employees who have meltdowns over Chik-fil-A? College, of course. One of those colleges is the University of Maryland, which will offer a new three-credit course in the spring semester: "Intro to Fat Studies." The name implies that there could be an entire degree program devoted to Fat Studies. Future students could possibly earn a PhD. in Phat. A PIP degree, if you will. Campus Reform reported that the course is offered through the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. You can see the offering in the Instagram post below:
"Fatmisia?" First I've heard of it.
Harriet Tubman was an incredibly brave American hero who risked her life and freedom, rescuing slaves via the Underground Railroad. She would likely throw up in her mouth to see that a department named in her honor is devoted to such pedantic navel-gazing. Of course, if this is a true Fat Studies class, many participants may not have seen their navels in a while. So there's that.
In the school's defense, the course can be taken for a general education credit. However, anyone who has been to college will know that "general education" is another way colleges get you to fork over some of that sweet, sweet student loan cash in exchange for a class that will provide zero value in the real world. Pity the poor person who may actually major in Fat Studies if such a degree is ever offered. All that will do is qualify them to spend their careers saying, "Do you want fries with that?" Although there is a certain comic irony to that image.
Wine recommendation
Because nothing goes better with Chick-fil-A (or your Fat Studies homework) than a glass of vino. This week, I offer you the 2021 Baileyana Edna Valley Pinot Noir.
This nice, dry pinot will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $22 to $28. It consistently rates high with actual reviewers, not just people like me. There is a strong presence of strawberries, raspberries, and other red fruit, although there is a fun little herbal accent to it that helps make this a very good table wine, as opposed to just enjoying a bottle for an evening. Like most reds, you should be ready to finish the bottle with dinner.
Many reds will last about a day, maybe two after opening them, but you should finish this wine the night you open it to maintain the flavor. True, some devices on the market can preserve the wine for a few days — we have one that will pull all the air out of the bottle — but unless you drink a lot of wine, gadgets probably aren't worth spending money on.
All in all, it is a very smooth wine that runs right down the middle on most tasting aspects and will go very nicely with a good steak cooked medium rare.
That's it for me. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you next time.
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