Post "time for a q&a ep!!" by "thebruenigs" from patreon

Lili Mandl

for matt & liz: last ep you guys touched on the ethics of surrogacy, and i'm curious about your thoughts on lgbt families and the various avenues available to gay couples who want children. targeting select demographics for sperm donation is of course eugenicist, and surrogacy's reliance on a "third poorer person" (as liz put it) is no doubt exploitative, but it also seems valid enough for gay people to want children who share their genes. it's not as virtuous as adopting, but it feels like that right should be extended to those who can't conceive naturally... am i missing something?

Andrea Witte

Matt & Liz: Let's stop using the confusing/manipulative right-wing framing “pro-life” to describe the anti-choice stance. Instead call them “forced birthers” because their political position is they want the federal/state government to force every pregnancy/fertilized egg to a birth. This avoids non-sensical statements like “I’m pro-life, but I believe every woman should be able to make that choice for herself.” No, that’s exactly the pro-CHOICE position! Most forced birthers don’t give a hoot about life post-birth (e.g. starve the welfare state, war mongering, pro-death penalty, etc). See George Carlin’s famous riff on this hypocrisy. Also, where along the continuum do you believe the organic tissue becomes a person? I believe higher-level brain activity is the key, which happens in the third trimester. There’s a nice symmetry with how we define the cessation of a person upon brain death, even if other organs are still alive for donation. BTW, I live in Arizona!

Connor Soroczan

Been watching shogun, thoughts on honour and ritual suicide. Coke zero forever

Ben

Ants don't like coffee grounds

J P 3

It was actually $300 pre-tax, but for the sake of a thought experiment . . .

andrew

Liz can you release the fanfic after you win a Pulitzer for journalism

Paul G.

Wow thanks! Slight modification then: could you (Matt) explain under what conditions one should open a traditional vs a Roth IRA?

CatterpillarYarn

Matt: what advice would you give to a new hire employee (on probation) who is a masculine woman and is being referred to as "sir" and with the masculine version of their name (example: Justine/Justin) by her supervisor. Could be a language barrier (supervisor is an immigrant from India) could be genuine misinterpretation of the gender presentation, could be intentional? The relationship with with supervisor isn't great, but she is going to a new manager in a month. Suck it up?

CatterpillarYarn

Liz: in Islam, interest is forbidden. What's the Christian take on financial institutions charging interest?

CatterpillarYarn

Lizz and Matt: thoughts on the crumbley parents conviction?

kyle minton

What's the most Matt B argument (or bit) Matt's ever heard that Matt didn't make himself

Michael Hoogenakker

Spotify Top 5 when?

Karim

Matt, do you think electoral candidates should have to publicly disclose their standardized test scores?

Tyler Sambucci

Congrats on hitting the lotto

Corndog

Re: Telling Aliens about Jesus. Since humans are more within Jesus’ purview, would it technically be a heresy to suggest that The Lord could/would manifest His presence to various alien races and forgive them their sins? Not suggesting that’s the case, but I often wonder about edge-case heresies and such

Bernie Mac

Liz do you have ketamine updates? Hope you are feeling better <3

verbrannt

Is the Norwegian Kit Kat-alike, Kvikk Lunsj, state-owned? How do they avoid the IP with wrath of Nestlé?

verbrannt

What is the best limited edition KitKat, and why is it matcha?

RS Walker

Matt what's the workout program in the garage?

Henry George

Is there a Patreon subscriber rate for a half-hour legal consultation on labor law with Matt?

Pepijn Uitterhoeve

Hey Liz, youre against an abortion ban because, as far as i can tell, it doesnt work. But what if it did? With all the requisite empirical evidence. Would you support it then?

KB Scott

Okay sorry but I am genuinely curious: thoughts on literary criticism?

Katherine

Liz fav Eastern Orthodox writers/saints/have you ever gone to a Divine Liturgy and if so what did you think?

Pick It

Thoughts on couple’s therapy?

Josh Smith

To both of you: Do you think of voting as a leverage point/tool for guiding policy in whatever small direction you can, or is it an expression of personal beliefs and character?

Josh

Matt: I might be mistaken, but I believe you tend not to make arguments about redistributing government budgets (e.g. police or defense budgets) towards the government programs you support. Is that because those tend to be weaker or messier args? Or for some other reason (eg would even full redistribution be inadequate to cover a proper welfare state?)?

GMC

1. What's Matt's read on the implications of SCOTUS challenges to the NLRA? 2. Recommendations for a day trip in NYC with a 6yo?

TC

I learned what divorce was from that movie and I remember it leaving me very distressed!

Jim Macfarlane

Liz: thoughts, if any, on Herbert McCabe?

David Cole

Thanks for the response! It’s validating to hear that other people are annoyed by other people’s kids. I’m worried that I’m predisposed to not liking kids specifically, but we have a dog so I understand being crazy in love with your own little monster. About lifestyle, we love just seeing family and hanging out, it’s just with kids around I feel like I couldn’t actually talk to my wife all day. Everything was about kid stuff - playing games, listening to their cries for attention, etc. I just want to skip til they’re like 9 y/o lol

Chiara Rohz

Simplest answer to this is other people's kids are infinitely more annoying, and you don't continue to live your life, it's a whole new life (I like it better). It's a big evolving thing. Depends how you and your wife see your future- people around a table- family trips etc or the two of you having a more spontaneous type of life. I want sure what I wanted until I thought of what my picture of home in the future was- I wanted that family vibe and people around (even if it's overestimating sometimes). We didn't have much when we had our first kid and still don't live a fancy life but I find it infinitely better. I like what the writer Zadie Smith says about having children- that capitalism tells us a lie that the most freedom we can feel is through having little responsibility and ties to other people- when actually for some of us we feel much more freedom in community and ties to other people.

Chiara Rohz

Can you give us a run down of your latest bakes liz?

Chiara Rohz

More texan food ideas

Chiara Rohz

Best type of pizza?

Chiara Rohz

Woah

Chiara Rohz

Liz- how did you develop your theory on forgiveness and how has it developed over the years? Do you think that women should be able to have a more prominent- exhaulted position in the Catholic Church- why no female priests in 2024. Does God only talk through men or is it that the Church only prioritises men's revelations? Please elaborate on how you feel about the pope and their ability to interpret or give opinion. I'm from Ireland and struggle alot with the idea that Pope JP2 knew what was going on her re widespread clerical sexual abuse and laundries etc but condoned it by inaction. Tacit consent is kind of magnified when you're gods rep on earth. We have become a nation of increasing secularity now I think as a result of the trauma inflicted on such a small nation. I'm lucky in that my family was largely unaffected and was big into james larkin- the socialist who said 'Kapital and the bible are both sacred books to me'. There is a long history of socialist Catholicism here. Can you consider also talking about other examples of that? Also for liz are you into any pagan shit? Matt tell us what you think of James Connolly. Also for your maiden family trip oversees should it ever happen I choose ireland fir you- good hiking and trails- ancient Catholic sites- socialists.

Scott Davis

I’m in Cambodia, the grocery store next to my hotel is a goldmine of exotic KitKats, which should I try? Milk tea? Chunky raisin n cookie (not exotic to an American palate but I’ve never seen it before!)?

J P 3

If you won a $300 million lottery (after taxes, net), and wanted to advance "socialism" in the U.S. how would you allocate resources? (other than a contribution to the Bru-pod, etc). Would $300 million be sufficient to move the needle, or would a flood of money prove counter-productive to the goal?

Michael McCarthy

Did you know that the binding between the wafers in KitKats is actually ground up full KitKats? What are the ontological implications of this recursive KitKat structure? Was the first KitKat the second KitKat?

Chris Towler

Think we’re gonna have a Meltdown May this year? I feel like nothing came of it last year. Is this just another bit of lost magic since Elons takeover?

Marne provost

Can you share how you work through conflict together? How soon to forgive? What is your process for healing?

Adrian

Gang, it seems to me that all unions are formed by shared vision and purpose despite individual differences (usually in the interest of fairness). Economies with strong unions tend to be more egalitarian and robust, do you see any coorelation with the union of marriage between two people? Do you think married couples could benefit from seeing their marriage more like a labor union? For example, framing their wedding vows as a collective bargaining agreement?

Karthik Srinivasan

My little brother is about to start grad school. Any advice for him?

Tim Dymond

Follow-up for Liz. If your Ants aren't responding to your ant poison (if you use that) mixing in a bit of brown sugar can encourage the Ants to take the poison back to their nest.

Tim Dymond

Matt: thoughts on the use of non-labor law to achieve pro-labor outcomes. E.g. could you say that misclassification of employees as contractors is an unfair method of competition as per this speech from an FTC Commissioner? https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/Overawed-Speech-02-02-2024.pdf

Chance Walker

Is spreading in competitive debate overall bad or good for the sport and would you ban it if you could

Felipe and Elizabeth Lima

Is Liz still a Diet Coke fiend or has she converted to Coke Zero

Felipe and Elizabeth Lima

For Matt - what was it like being a kid with the ‘tism? What do you wish your parents/teachers had known or done differently? (Our four year old is going through the assessment process now and we’re expecting a diagnosis of fairly high functioning autism)

Felipe and Elizabeth Lima

More on liz’s plan for the aliens, and/or the plot of some of her alien-adjacent novels

Felipe and Elizabeth Lima

Definitely need to know more about why Matt’s wrong on neoplatonism

Tyler Giles

New regular segment on domestic affairs, cooking, baking, fixing, yardwork, etc?

Tyler Giles

Meltdown May forecast? It feels like we're in a holding pattern.

Cole Renwick

Have you ever directly experienced that separateness is an illusion, all is indivisible in consciousness and consciousness itself is nothing? And that Matt and Liz are just a dream?

☃️

This is a good question

Cheetahforce

Interesting question. Don't see epistocracy mentioned much these days. Are you thinking of Plato or something more contemporary like Jason Brennan?

Scott Alford

Sovereign Wealth Fund question - Matt, it seems like Nordic SWFs are successful because of 1) oil and gas exports and/or 2) market controls that make price shocks less likely. Is a SWF possible in the US given our market volatility? Could we build 10,000 small modular nuclear reactors and create a SWF off the profits? Or should the USG just nationalize blackstone

TC

You're probably not going to get to the ones down here, but: What was the hardest, most impressive arg-ument between the two of you decisively won by Matt, and vice versa?

Caitlin Still

I’ve wondered this myself…

Monica

Now I’m going to think about this forever. We just have a pest control company spray for the carpenters.

Caitlin Still

Québec libre !

Caitlin Still

How!? It literally makes no sense!

Anthony Miller

Have you ever read Tolstoys Gospel in Brief, and if so what are your thoughts?

ZZA

Liz can you walk us through weed setup #420BlazeIt

Ryan Eldred

One last thought: Coke Zero needs to come from a convenience store to taste right

Ryan Eldred

Not sure if southern New England is different

Ryan Eldred

I’m farther north, but I tell customers that unless it’s sugar ants, (we get black carpenter ants) you need to find out what is wet. They go around searching for wet wood, and if you do find a nest you can start killing them with a bottle of windex. Some will get away and go in search of more wet wood, but they will give up eventually if they don’t find any.

Damian

Thoughts on Wittgenstein generally, or the slab or the beetle in the box

Anthony

Do you guys ever miss DC?

Josh

Sorry this is a copy paste from Liz Chat: Liz, do you have any recommendations for getting into Jewish ethics? Read The Mill On the Floss and it has all these incredible Thomas a Kempis citations. It made me want to find a Jewish "equivalent," but then I got really overwhelmed when researching what that would be (eg will Maimonides be too scholastic? Will the Talmud cover too many areas not related to ethics?). Do you happen to have any recommendations for where to begin?

Campbell Shelton

Wife and I just moved into our first house and it has a big yard. How does Matt deal with weed control? What is Matt’s view on Lawn Care?

Ahmed Amer

Matt Q: I have a friend whose employer asked their employees if they would volunteer to be paid late because the company is having a hard time financially. Is this legal? Liz Q: (Assuming you have already been asked about The Vatican stuff) If you had to choose one person who existed during or before the 19th century and make them hear a sound from the 21st Century, who would you choose, and what sound?

Taylor Borie

Matt has said that even the most elite private schools don’t surpass public schools if student quality is held constant. Why can’t more resources make kids learn more?

Aleksander Holleran

He has a YouTube vid on this

Kenan Anderson

afaik duck duck grey duck is only a thing in Minnesota and has to do with the Swedish or Norwegian word for goose being grey duck. That said as a Minnesotan I think it is the superior version.

Guy Giberson

She already said that it helped in some pretty specific ways. But I am still curious about Liz's answer here--in particular whether she found that the initial therapeutic effects have lasted.

Marcy Snyder

Liz, are you excited for Taylor Swift’s new album and how do you feel about how many different versions of it there are?

Marcy Snyder

I know I’m not Liz, and I’d also love to hear her take, but I wanted to say that I grew up Baptist and felt the same way about the physicality of it not being emphasized. It was actually labeled a heresy called Docetism to say the Jesus only “spiritually” rose from the dead. It’s an idea related to Gnosticism. N.T Wright wrote an incredibly lovely book somewhat recently called “Surprised By Hope” about the importance of believing in a physical bodily resurrection and why it matters for how we see ourselves today. I’d strongly recommend it if you’re interested. I’m in medical school and it really helped me cope with a lot of what I see in the hospital.

Guy Giberson

Not seeing the ULP angle.

Sarah

why is so much fanfic written in present tense? liz do you do this? and as ever…drop the links, drop the handle, drop the fandoms at LEAST

Brendan Comfort

Please explain the feminine urge to buy throw pillows

Guy Giberson

Totally agree. If you don't blatantly engage in hypocrisy you better preserve your ability to influence them to engage in healthy social behavior.

Andrea

I'm asking this for my husband - is it duck duck goose or duck duck grey duck. I say goose, he says grey duck.

Davíd

Liz: Aldous Huxley, woke or broke? Matt: if you came to the conclusion that the best path for humanity required you to merge with an alien worm and reign tyrannically over the galaxy for 4,000 years would you do it and who would you clone to help you?

David Cole

My wife and I can’t decide if we want kids. My nephews (2 and 4) have been staying with us for a few days, and they’re driving me bonkers. They are so needy for attention and have undying stores of energy. I can’t imagine doing this for another week, much less several years. How do you continue to live your life when young children take so much energy?

Andrea

What's the best chocolate cookie recipe you've ever made?

Adam

Matt, what’s your take on saving for your kids’ college? On an individual level, not from a public policy perspective.

Norman X. Picklestein

Liz+Matt: as a new parent, I think a lot about the Best Stuff to do for my child. But I also suspect that most childhood development advice / science is garbage. Aside from the obvious stuff (don't drop the child, or expose them to lead, have a stable household, etc.), how can you really know what is responsible for healthy / productive / whatever child development if you can't run controlled experiments for the obvious ethical reasons? What is your approach to this literature? Do you think there is a scientifically-informed way to raise a child? If so, what is it?

Eric

What is your favorite thing about church, the Bible, Jesus, or spiritual revival? I laughed when I heard Matt predicting an empty nest in his mid-40s. Do you want more kids? I’m guessing the next one will be male

Guy Giberson

Predicted response: LGB Catholics should shop around for a tolerant parish and T's should become Episcopalian.

Sam

does liz have any thoughts on what the Pope has been saying about gender ideology?

Josh B

Religious employers are generally exempt from the NLRA on First Amendment grounds. Whether the exemption applies to "secular" employees (such as teachers of non-religious subjects at religious schools) goes back and forth depending on the Board majority

Michael McCarthy

Saints: did they fly?

Thomas A

Liz you asked about fanfiction what's your verdict on the infamous Harry Potter AI Risk fic that got OpenAI started. Based or Cringe.

Thomas A

Matt given your usual arg structure with libertarians what do you even do when you meet a geolibertarian? Just say "fair enough"?

Monica

Squirt maxforce gel bait into nooks and crannies around where the ants are. Change your gel bait brand every few years. Terro has never worked for me, I think the New England ants have developed immunity to it.

Thomas A

Matt what's your preferred election methods, for either single or multiwinner cases? Some leftists are pretty anti-PR because it lowers the chance of an FDR landslide, but also asking fron a mechanism design angle (e.g. IRV vs STAR)

Scott Dempsey

Just some book recs please, theology or just beautiful writing that you enjoy.

Old Mole

Are the kiddos reading? If so, how did they get there, and when? Is reading going the way of penpersonship?

Logan Dougherty

Liz, I’m reading through Augustine’s City of God with a book club. Augustine makes a big deal about the physical resurrection of our human bodies as opposed to heaven being a purely spiritual state of perfection. I don’t remember this being an important point in my Baptist church growing up. Do you think that the “physicality” of the Christian hope is important? Is this something that is overlooked in modern American Christianity?

Josh B

What's the place for workers' compensation in an ideal welfare state? Is it still necessary with sufficient disability and unemployment benefits?

Guy Giberson

Haidt is a moronic douche and his latest thesis is totally consistent with his career of pushing one (utterly boring) moronic douchey thesis after another.

Micah

Liz, What are 3 novels you think everyone must read? I’m starting to put together my reading list for 2025 and would love to know your answer for this!

Payton McDermott

Thoughts on free trade/anti China "dumping" allegations from US and EU? When will the US put some respec on China?

Tfj425

Thoughts on how to approach discipline with kids 2-3ish and the gentle parenting debate?

Guy Giberson

I think it's enough but your remedy would be injunctive, not damages.

dyl0n123

+1 on this stuff. Neighbor was doing construction last month and a bunch of ants made their way into my apartment. Tried about 3 different solutions before trying this one and it got rid of them in about a day and a half. It will make the problem look like it’s getting worse before it gets better. https://a.co/d/1SEtSn3

Alyssa Noth

How have your views on parenthood changed over time?

Jack Brownfield

Yesterday was Jürgen Moltmann's 98th birthday. A radical, a great theologian, and most importantly a funny, silly guy. Can you please wish him a very happy birthday?

Will Langan

Not a question, but I appreciate the stance of the pod that kids swearing isn’t something to freak out about. My two year old dropped something the other day and said “what the fuck”. I don’t think we’re coming back from that.

Andrew Mathewes

Could never drink anything besides zero or Diet at this point: the sugar is just insane and repelling now. And hate Pepsi

☃️

any thoughts on Norway’s suicide clause? also Thots on becoming catholic when you don’t really feel like it but worry you should

Guy Giberson

Matt: What's your opinion on the new Tyler Childers album and, in particular, the In Your Love video? Also, Title VII gives the claimant a chance to win by requiring a losing employer to pay the employee's legal fees. Does the NLRA give a similar right, absent some contractual entitlement, which is hypothetically equally dangerous to both sides, and therefore more dangerous to the employee because of his/her naturally higher aversion to risk? Thanks!

Paul G.

Matt please help with personal finance—like what is the System? And how should I think about saving cash vs investing, what kind of investments should I do, etc. please help I’m financially illiterate and feel like 95% of advice out there is BS

Andrew Mathewes

10) takes on the latest Haidt discourse? Say, opinion on school phone bans?

Andrew Mathewes

9) oh geez, struggle bus here (3yo and 18mo crumbs). It’s just constant vacuum. I console myself that it’s seasonal

Andrew Mathewes

3) I drink 4-6 Coke Zero a day. It rocks. What’s the controversy? Vs. DC? I think I’m just habituated to the flavor; I’m sure I got tricked into switching to it with man marketing

Phil R.

Liz ... On Twitter, you once promised to bake a batch of cookies to whomever donated the most to a particular good cause. (I can't remember the cause - a friend of yours in need, I think?). If I remember correctly, Sam Harris donated the most money. What kind of cookies did you bake him and did he give you any feedback?

Andrew Mathewes

1) When I was younger, I was forced to resign with an NDA from my city council job after I ran my mouth during my first manic episode. Seems now from reading you: obvi illegal. Curious if there’s any nuance with government (or non-profit, where I am now, though in management)

JOE

What are liz's thoughts on the works/authorship of flannery o'connor?

KH

I’d love to hear Matt explain this: in a social wealth fund world where stock ownership is overwhelmingly in the hands of the public at large, how does stock price continue to reflect the market analysis of a firm’s current and future profitability? Don’t we lose the information that a market provides? (also don’t index funds kinda have the same flaw as well already?)

Jérémie

Any familiarity with left wing separatism in Quebec? Thoughts on Quebec? could be good could be bad? catholic? french? seigneurial system ?

W

Liz: what do you make of generative AI and its ability to turn any picture of a person into photorealistic porn using their likeness? There seem to be two camps: 1) this is a natural progression of the current culture, society will metabolize it, and it will be ineffective at embarrassing people because we all know it’s fake; 2) this is different than what came before it and will ruin lives and corrode society in novel ways

Zac Greco

For Liz, how do you continue to maintain a relationship with your dad when he treats you and your family poorly? I have a similar setup with my stepdad, but I don’t see him anymore

CatterpillarYarn

(last one, sorry I'm too excited!!!) Matt, I sent a message in the "matt chat" about this a few days ago, about a non binary person wanting a customized genital surgery. Basically creating a vagina but preserving the penis. Public health care funding org has to decide if it's medically necessary, currently in court right now. Non binary person says it's not going to alleviate their discomfort if they are forced to choose between genders, and there is urethral complications from vaginoplasty (inverting pénis to create vagina). Has medical ok from doc, surgery is medically possible, performed in Texas for $100K. Should tax payers fund this? Why or why not?

Veronica

Advice on helping kids who are prone to anxious thoughts work through them? I have clinical anxiety & worry about influencing them to think too negatively. But I’m also concerned that I should be validating their concerns/fears, without feeding into them too much I guess?

TW

Matt, how dedicated are you to democratic forms of socialism? If an epistocratic or other form of socialism could be show to have better outcomes than democratic socialism, are you open to that?

GB

Liz, what was ketamine therapy like? Did it help you and, if so, in what way? Would you recommend it?

CatterpillarYarn

Matt and Liz: how should fertility treatments be funded in the public health care system? In Canada, we don't pay sperm donors, so our selection is minimal, and most order from the states and pay a premium. Should IVF be funded? How about IUI? Eligibility criteria or open for all?

Kent Kersten

As a fellow dad who does 99% of the cooking in the house, I’d like to know some of Matt’s go-to meals.

Michael McCarthy

And a question wrt the Lord: thoughts on Boethius’s arg that God has no qualities because to have qualities is to define God in terms of aspects belonging to human beings? Doesn’t this get us to like a Unitarian Universalist concept of God as just like a good vibe? Is God good vibes or is He a dude on a cloud?

Adam Kull

Matt & Liz: why do growers market cremini and baby bella as separate products and how should we go about taking down big mushroom? Are creminis just elitist baby bellas?

Brendan Hale

I routinely find many socialists to be anti-nuclear power but without clear reasoning as to why. Do you think something like France's Messmer Plan which saw them transform their grid into almost an entirely nuclear powered energy grid would be viable in the U.S.? also, have you thought of energy policy as a special interest Matt?

CatterpillarYarn

Liz: what are you cooking lately? Miss your cupcake photos

CatterpillarYarn

Matt: more Jane sport stories please 🥺

AllOutOfPlans

I also want to know this as well and if they are exempt from federal labor law in general.

CatterpillarYarn

Liz: always love hearing the pro labour catholic take! My co workers are Muslim and are bummed that they don't get Eid as paid time off (unpaid time off only). How should we manage religious holidays in a pro faith work environment?

AllOutOfPlans

Why is Liz silent on Aristotle/Aquinas? She often mentions Plato and Augustine, but what does she have against the Angelic Doctor? (Exaggerated question for dramatic effect.)

Bob K Ross

Liz, why don't you think that the new testament is a repudiation of the old testament? An eye for an eye, a cheek for a cheek etc.

CatterpillarYarn

Matt: curious about your thoughts on Ronna McDaniels being canned from NBC for past Jan 6 support. ULP worthy?

Jonny

Matt, in a prior episode you correctly identified The Santa Clause (1994) as a classic Christmas movie and pioneer of the divorced dad movie genre. Have you watched the 2022-2023 sequel TV series and can we get a review

CatterpillarYarn

Liz: what are your thoughts about LGBT Catholics?

Aaron

This stuff works quite well for ants. Safe for kids and pets also. Terro T100-12 Liquid Ant Killer... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NCUW1M?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Michael McCarthy

I’m an organizer for the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition (grad students at Indiana University). We have no NLRA protections or a clear path to recognition. But on the flip side, what tactics does that allow us to use that the NLRA might otherwise prohibit?

CatterpillarYarn

Matt: do you have any comments on Canada's economical situation regarding the housing crises and general high COL? Some are blaming high levels of immigration via international students and temporary foreign workers. What's your take?

ag

Have you seen/heard of God Save Texas on HBO? It's a 3-part "docu-series" by different directors on Texas life. I watched the first one directed by Richard Linklater about his hometown of Huntsville, the prison there, and executions/the death penalty. Maybe you don't want more of that in your life, but I was curious if you had seen it Liz, and what you thought.

Jacob

Liz, what is the best formulation of the cosmological argument, if any?

Andres Burton

Have you seen The First Omen? Better than Immaculate, imho.

Kenan Anderson

I’m curious how or if you decided on how many kids to have. Is it primarily financial? Did your thoughts change after the first or second kid? Or is it not worth thinking about too much since it’s hard to predict exactly? (Asking as 24 year old guy who one day would like a big family but realizes maybe I’ll change my mind after having my first)

Corey Vaughan

My spouse and I have disagreements about our very big bathroom sink/counter. I prefer controlled chaos (a few specific items, toothpaste and toothbrush, maybe a little bowl of floss picks). She prefers a completely empty counter (save for a vase with dried flowers, and hand soap). This feels like a hotel room to me. Shouldn’t a bathroom be somewhat lived in?

pwnzorshiz

RE #10 What did y’all bring to the hospital when having kid #1 and what did you decide to add for #2. Expecting soon and had a scare where we already had to rush to the hospital once. We have a bag packed and are excited, but still anxious we should bring other stuff.

Jacob

Matt, should secondary boycotts really be illegal? Give me something to impress my labor law professor tomorrow

Mitchellh753@gmail.com

I despise my corporate job & feel stuck have you ever been in a similar situation

Justin Hubbard

What would the implications be of outlawing employment for all persons under 18? or Is there any merit to my idea for a Toil Theory of Value? Instead of simply being compensated for your labor, you’re compensated relative to how bad it fucks you up. Day laborers that break their backs all day would be highest paid cuz their backs are broke

Patrick Roberts

If an employer has a policy in their employee handbook that violates FMLA, is that enough to take action? Or, do they have to follow through with the policy?

Chance Phillips

To both Matt and Liz: If religion is >50% purely hereditary (children will believe the religion of their parents regardless of exposure to other religions), can you justify any punishment whatsoever for not believing in a given religion (i.e Christianity)? To Matt: Odds of the UAW winning the upcoming elections in Tennessee and Alabama?

Ian Leighton

Liz, what aspects of the death penalty as it current exists do you think most people find abhorrent? The act itself? The fact that we kill factually innocent people? Something else? Thinking about the most effective ways to convince people that it should be abolished.

Jack Mumby

Potty training advice? She has strong fundamentals but how do you extend the effective range/how long they can hold it and therefore how far you can venture from a potty. Also taro brand traps are a charm the ants swarm it and bring the poison back to the hive, one and done

Nick Cee

I go crazy on the Terro ant traps whenever we have issues. Put them anywhere i have seen ants, including outdoors if I figure out where they are getting in. Worked every time for me. Sometimes the problem will briefly get worse but then get much better, as a warning.

Andi Livia

Liz do you have an opinion on the work of Maurice Blondel?

Grimmer

Matthew what do you think about adjudication vs rulemaking in NLRB

Orb

What do you make of this Trump guy? Bit too divisive for me

filetofishfridays

any advice re living with bipolar (and living with a partner with bipolar)?

Folks,,

Re: Matt and programming. I know he’s a Linux man and can make a website, but does he have an opinion about data structure and algorithms? Boring? Fun? Neutral?

Oliver Mackenzie

Matt, have your views on AI changed as you’ve used LLMs more and more? Do you believe it has the potential to dramatically change society in the short term? If so, can you see that being helpful for welfarism or the socialist project more broadly?

Mitchellh753@gmail.com

Thoughts on Hinduism/buddhism/eastern philosophies?

Brendan Comfort

Preferred activity while you are vibin’ on the ‘cybin?

Ncswann

Are churches exempt from NLRB filings? If I was fired from a church for holding different beliefs would that be an unfair labor practice? I also live in the state of TN so at will employment might also effect.