How To Snap Out of a Post-COVID Funk
And why the perspective on homeschooling shifted

Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, and Nick Gillespie share their long weekend highlights and how they'd respond to mid-twenties melancholia on this week's Reason Roundtable.
Discussed in the show:
1:51: Last year, President Joe Biden said the goal was to have a Fourth of July with loved ones. Now we did! Kind of. How was your Fourth?
18:18: Mandated vaccines are (still) out and homeschooling is in.
33:52: Weekly Listener Question: I'm in a strange and difficult place in my life and I'm looking for some book recommendations to uplift my spirits. I'm a 25-year-old guy, my whole life and career have been upended by COVID, and I've been stuck in this difficult place of trying to put the pieces back together. I'm looking for books about freedom, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. I'm interested in this more of a personal and less of a political sense. I am open to purely philosophical texts. But I'd prefer a story or biography of an individual pursing their own happiness and doing interesting things and less of a "story about some government dingbat historical figure" type of book.
54:11: Media recommendations for the week.
This week's links:
- "Vaccine Passports Will Outlast the Pandemic," by J.D. Tuccille
- "Air Travel Recovers To Pre-Pandemic Levels Over July 4 Weekend As Record Numbers Fly," by Jemima McEvoy
- "Vaccine Mandates Are Coming. Good." by Aaron E. Carroll
- "School Choice Picks Up Steam After Pandemic Closures," by J.D. Tuccille
Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.
Today's sponsors:
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Audio production by Ian Keyser.
Assistant production by Regan Taylor.
Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve.
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>>I'm looking for books about freedom, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Grateful Dead and Philosophy. Also just listen to the songs. Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.
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Jeff isn't 25.
Great new version of Loser w Dave McMurray sax, Bettye LaVette vocals, Bob Weir guitar.
sweet thanks.
When I'm in a bad mood, I just remind myself that so many people have endured so much worse than whatever I'm going through.
For example, consider Charles Koch, the billionaire who funds Reason.com. You might think a straight white cis-male senior citizen with a $63.6 billion net worth has a pretty comfortable life. But did you know that during the previous administration, Mr. Koch suffered tremendously due to Drumpf's draconian anti-billionaire policies? Indeed, there were days in 2020 during which his net worth dropped below $50 billion. Unacceptable!
Mr. Koch is feeling much better these days, of course. And if he can withstand that 2017 - 2020 level of adversity, surely I can power through whatever is bothering me.
#GetReadyForTheKochComeback
"Last year, President Joe Biden said the goal was to have a Fourth of July with loved ones"
Joe also thinks he hit a 368 ft dinger at a congressional baseball game. He's a fucking dementia patient and his admin is run by a consulting firm.
Meanwnile, the rest of us were hanging out with friends and family all the last year and more, because we're not schmucks who voted for a dementia patient.
I had one of those. Did last year too. Biden didn't weigh into those decisions.
You had two 368' dingers? Sweet!
In MLB the show '16. Yes. Power hitting shortstop in career mode.
Psaki says feds will go door to door to talk to unvaccinated Americans.
https://mobile.twitter.com/CalebJHull/status/1412460388994670592
Knocks on the door at midnight.
Guessing they might skip places flying Gadsden flags.
“Put your hands in the yellow circles!”
"I'm looking for books about freedom, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness."
Anthem. Ayn Rand.
(but in case you need trigger warnings, it ain't pretty)
The Fountainhead was her best work followed closely by We The Living.
An owner’s manual for a firearm. And the gun that came with it.
The same as it is in every year - had some friends over, cooked dinner, drank. Did . . . did you guys actually stop seeing people? For a year? Like, you really did that? Wow. I honestly don't know how coasties manage.
Next you'll be telling us how communism can really work, guys!
1. 'world's strictest data privacy laws' is like 'world's tallest midget'.
2. If its only covering email and text - that's the least of your worries. And its not covering your metadata, shopping habits, etc.
It would be nice if on one of these "libertarian" podcasts they discussed the dozens and perhaps hundreds of protesters held in 23 hour a day pre trial solitary confinement.
Nice perhaps, but not profitable.
And it won't advance the fascists goals.
Recall Newsom.
Arrest Fauci.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
I'd rather read Vogon poetry.
If u need to know more ........
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Go find a hobby.
Do something else besides sitting on your arse all day long watching Netflix.
Too many Americans have become lazy, over entitled and self centered .
To America's young people:
No one owes you anything. The world doesn't owe you anything....it was here first.
Get over yourself. Stop whining about every little perceived slight.
Grow the f*** up.
Stop throwing temper tantrums for even the slightest little, off remark.
There are a great many problems that need to be solved and deciding which gender one may be confused about ain't one of them.
There needs to be some make work programs for young people.
May be time to revive the CCC.
Today it is certainly easier to find a job thanks to online services such as these: https://freeappsforme.com/job-search-apps/
Plus it has become less difficult to get a job online with certain skills or to get them quickly online as well. There are definitely more opportunities and that's a good thing. You don't have to go to a job you don't like, you can do what you love and get paid for it.
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