A Long Episode (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 173)

Gabbard Rules The World (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 172)

Ben Shapiro Expects The Spanish Inquisition [and OWNS it] (The Ephrom Jo...

Ben Shapiro DESTROYS Baby Hitler with FACTS and/or LOGIC (The Ephrom Jos...

More pro-life mockery (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep 153)

More Shapiro Nonsense (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 151)

Ben's Book (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 143 Part 2)

Why So Syria? (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 143 Part 1)

Ben's Meaning (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 133)

More on Healthcare (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 131)

Ben's Fear of Trans People (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 130)

Republicans Remind Us They Shouldn't Be Taken Seriously (The Ephrom Josi...

Republicans Remind Us They Shouldn't Be Taken Seriously (The Ephrom Josi...

10 Reasons To Not Vote Republican (The Midterm Special Part 4 Of 4)

Note: This is the fourth of four columns that will be released every Monday leading up to the 2018 midterm elections. 

As many of you know, Ben Shapiro spent the past month doing a 4 part special of Fox News about the midterm 2018 election. I figured it would be best for me to end my 4 part midterm special by responding to how he ended his 4 part midterm special.

Ben ended his series with 10 reasons you should vote Republican. So, being the partisan hack that I am, I figured I would take his reasons and explain why they're actually reasons you shouldn't vote Republican. Here you go.

1: The Courts

Donald Trump has appointed two people to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Gorsuch, of course, is a corporate shill who supports companies being allowed to do basically whatever they want (from the party of Teddy). Meanwhile, Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual assault.

Even on the local level, things aren't much better. This includes putting radical catholic Amy Barrette and another individual who believes in ghost. This court has waged war against Unions, LGBT rights, and much more that should be held as important parts of liberty. 

2: The Investigation

Do you want to know what actually happened in the 2016 election? For that matter, do you want to know why so many conflicts of interest exist in this administration? Well, then you should not support Republicans considering they are against transparency in government and have even supported anonymous money in politics. 

3: Impeachment

This won't actually happen. It's just very funny they think it can happen. 

4: The Economy 
While I may not personally be an economist, here's what I know: Under the last 2 Republican presidents (both George Bush's) we hit the worst economic point since the great depression. Democrats, for all their faults, have not managed to create an economic downturn on that level since the great depression. Also, the president during the start of the great depression, Herbert Hoover, was a Republican.

5: Foreign Policy

Do you not like the idea of going to war with Iran, doing regime change in Venezuela, and toppling Assad? Then the Republican party may not be the party for you. 

6: Culture War

If Republicans win, the US will be in a very bad state. However, they'll make sure to have a reason for such. This is where the distraction known as the "culture war" comes in. You see, it's the fault of those queer people and not the fault of our bad economic policies. Can't wait for another federal marriage amendment. 

7: Attacks On Religious Liberty

The Muslum ban, that is all.

8: Twisting of Social Media

Jeff Sessions more or less wants social media to be nationalized. He wants them to not be able to enforce their own terms of service because it hurts them more, despite them being able to go on any number of right-wing websites and spew their pretend facts.

9: Media Complex

We live in a world where people call Sean Hannity the "shadow chief of staff", that is all.

10: Mob Rule

The mob is the Republican Party. Most Americans want single payer, more gun control, and no wars. Yet, Republicans make sure we never get them. They want the rule of orginazed money, which is just as dangerous as the rule of orginazed mob.

Cruz and Warming Up (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 104)

A Warm Episode (The Ephrom Josine Show Ep. 102)

Throwback: Ben Shapiro's Quest For Life (As Long As They Aren't Already Alive)

If there's one thing everyone knows about Ben Shapiro, it's that he's a huge pro-lifer. Just Google "Ben Shapiro abortion" and you'll find video after video of his explaining why abortion is wrong. Ben Shapiro cares about life, as he always has and claims he always will.
That's why I was a little surprised when I found a column he wrote in mid-2002. As the War in Afghanistan was heating up people were worried about us killing civilians and other innocent people. Pro-life Ben Shapiro responded to this by writing a Townhall column called Enemy "civilian causalities" ok by me.  
A few things: Most notably "ok" is not a word. The actual work is "okay". You aren't a teenager texting, you're a nationally read columnist. Also, I wouldn't personally random people in a country enemies just because of where they live. 
It should also be pointed out that this was before Ben understood how paragraphs work, meaning he literally just wrote it as a wall of text. But let's see what he actually has to say:

I am getting really sick of people who whine about "civilian casualties."

It's only a crime of war. Why do you guys care so much? You people want America to be a nation among nations. Silly liberals, we're a nation above nations. 

Maybe I'm a hard-hearted guy, but when I see in the newspapers that civilians in Afghanistan or the West Bank were killed by American or Israeli troops, I don't really care.

Side note: Imagine how Ben would react if a liberal wrote an article with the countries reversed. 

In fact, I would rather that the good guys use the Air Force to kill the bad guys, even if that means some civilians get killed along the way.

Fun Fact: US terrorist experts have determined killing innocent people radicalizes normally non-radical people and turns them into terrorists. So Ben, why do you hate America?

For the past decade, the United States and Israel have been attempting to prove their moral superiority by attempting to minimize civilian casualties.

Wait until Ben hears about drones.

The Afghans are fundamentalist Muslims. They didn't seem to mind too much that their women were treated like dogs or that the Taliban enforced Shariah (Muslim law). So frankly, it doesn't matter to me if some of their "civilians" get killed for involvement with the enemy. 

"Everyone else sucks, so why can't I"-Ben Shapiro. Also, why is civilians in quotes?
Anyway the rest of the column is just support for Israel. Plus, considering this column is just a wall of text it's near impossible to follow. So that's it. But remember, Ben is for life as long as the lives haven't been born yet. 

Ephrom Josine's Well Regulated Militia

Well, my country's national holiday is today. Yes, today is the 4th of July. Considering our Canadian correspondent J.P. Savard wrote a piece about Canada's national holiday, it's only natural I write one about mine. 
So, in honor of our biggest national holiday, I figured I would honor our constitution. As an American, I know everyone's favorite part of the founding document is the second amendment of the Bill of Rights. Which goes as follows:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

So it was then it hit me what the best way to celebrate my country is. I'm going to create "a well regulated Militia". It's very important that the Militia is well regulated. In fact, the Militia, unlike Banks, must be well regulated. 
But why create one? Doesn't it seem like nothing more than trouble? Well no. You see, I've made a lot of calls to action with this blog. So I think it's time I officially make a group to enforce them. In fact, I can think of 5 reasons to create this new group:
1. Make sure all protectionists who talk about Roger & Me saw it less than 30 years ago. I know we won't need to start enforcing this until 12/20/19, but it's good to get this out of the way early.    
2. Pressure Donald Trump to start fighting the Axis of Evil. This is only by request of John Bolton. 
3. Scare Sean Hannity. Not for real reasons of course, that would clearly be too far. Just scare him for irrational reasons, such as saying that "We should improve America somewhat". 
4. Get Dinesh D'Souza to understand what the Kinsey Scale is. I don't have any joke for this one, I just think it's a good idea.   
5. Give people more quarters just in case a libertarian becomes president.  
However, as already stated, the Militia must be well regulated. But don't worry, I took care of that. It's very well regulated. How well regulated? I gave it 15 regulations for people who want to be a member to follow. If you want to join, you must obey.
1. Humans are allowed by default. Fantasy creatures are also allowed, you all are cool. Aliens are allowed if you are from a planet, no star creatures. And no vampires, period. They scare me too much. Werewolves are allowed, except on nights that have a full move. They must leave and rejoin the next day.   
2. You must have been born at some point in the past. No time travelers from the future are allowed. 
3. You must be able to tell the difference between a pro-Trump Republican and an anti-Trump (Jeff Flake, Bill Kristol, or George W. Bush). Little and nothing are both fine, and correct, answers.  
4. You must be able to name more Trump appointees then you can characters on "Full House" or "Fuller House". You are allowed to just not name any charters on either show.  
5. You must own a TV. You don't ever have to watch it, you just have to own it to prove you keep in touch with the modern American.   
6. You must read at least one article in The Daily Wire, Townhall.com, or Breitbart at least once a week to keep an eye on the enemy. For this reason you must also listen to at least one segment (or 10 minutes) of Hannity or The Ben Shapiro Show. You are allowed to just listen to people make fun of them instead. 
7. You must admit music has never been "original", nor has Hollywood ever "had ideas". You just remember the best ones from your time, awful products existed in the same quantity they do now. 
8. You must not only know how to tie a knot, but also be oddly proud of it. After all, that's how it works in the Boy Scouts and they are one of the most popular groups in United States history. 
9. You must know at least one Billy Joel song. This has nothing to do with politics, I just really like Billy Joel. 
10. You must not pretend that "all natural" or "organic" diets are in any way better for you. That has been long debunked. 
11. You must be able to name at least one of Donald Trump's failed marriages. His current one is allowed. 
12. You must only look at your phone when you're doing something on it. Using it while talking to other people is fine, but don't just look at the menu. Henry Kissinger is not going to text you.
13. If you wear Skinny Jeans or Jean Skirts you are on the same level of Werewolves. You must leave while wearing them and you will only be able to return once you have taken them off. 
14. You must always have a lot of quarters with you. You never know when the roads are going to be privatized. 
15. You must still believe in climate change while it's snowing. 
So, if you can pass all these regulations, you may join my militia.    

"Everyone Else Sucks, So Why Can't I"-The Republican Story

As many of you heard, Donald Trump's press sectary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was kicked out of a Red Hen restaurant. She then took to Twitter to say this: 

Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so

Of course, right-wing twitter imminently started complaining about the double standard surrounding this story. 
Ben Shapiro tweeted about it:

1. It's terrible if a Christian baker won't use his services for the benefit of a same-sex wedding.

2. It's awesome if a Leftist restaurant order refuses service to a Republican public official.

Pick one.

I don't think anyone called it "awesome" but okay. 
That Dylan guy from "Educating Liberals" tweeted about it:

A Red Hen restaurant can refuse service to Sarah Sanders & her family based on "moral grounds,” but the baker from Colorado had to go all the way to the Supreme Court in order to refuse service based on religious moral grounds.

The hypocrisy of the Left is unbelievable.

As if Huckabee is unable to take this place to court and repeal any discussion that doesn't go her way until it gets there. These people don't seem to think highly of their own president.
 Heck, Matt Walsh even wrote an entire article about it:

. . . the Left has largely argued that business owners don't have the right to refuse service. One of the most common arguments I have heard against Jack Phillips goes like this: "He's a baker. His job is to bake cakes. Therefore he should be legally required to bake cakes for anyone who wants one."

Well, it is not hard to see how that logic should apply to Red Hen: "They are a restaurant. People come there and eat food. Therefore they should be legally required to let anyone come there and eat food." 

It's clear that the Right is trying to paint these owners as hypocrites because of this incident. Ignoring the fact that is was their guys who Jack the case in the first place. For that matter, it seems that these people have no issue review bombing Red Hen with Yelp. But don't you dare go after the former CEO of Firefox. What? If they can treat us like a collective, it's only fair we do the same.
Fun fact, I was going to do a bit where I actually read what Kimberley Strassel has said on this, but I can't. Why? Because she hasn't said anything on this matter. It seems that the author of The Intimidation Game can't take time out of her busy schedule to say anything about this intimidation game.
But fine, let's actually compare the two situations and see why they're different. First off, Jack's famous cake shop was a small business meanwhile Red Hen is a national chain. This means that holding all of them accountable for the Sanders incident makes very little sense.
For that matter, the gay couple in Colorado and Sarah were denied for some very different reasons. The gay couple was denied because they were a homosexual couple, which is something they can't control. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied because she worked for Donald Trump, which is something she can control. It's not as if she was kicked out because she was the daughter of Mike Huckabee, she was kicked out for political reasons. As of right now, politicians are not a protected class.
The point is, this isn't hypocrisy. And even it was, by complaining about it you are also being a hypocrite.     



    

The Daily Wire Meltdown

On Friday it was announced that CNN contributor Anthony Bourdian killed himself at the age of 61 years old. A man who CNN has called "a gifted chef and storyteller" and who many have felt sad for. Combine this the recent death of Kate Spade, also from suicide, and the nation is currently trying to figure out what's going on. 
Now I didn't know much about either of these people until this week. I don't follow famous chiefs or fashion so I would have no reason to know about either of these people. Basically, I don't have a dog in this fight. However, and this is a big, however, this doesn't mean that I can't call out the awful reactions I have seen from the right in response to this.
Take, for example, the founder and editor in chief of The Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro. In a recent episode of The Ben Shapiro Show, he spends some time talking about the new "epidemic" (I'll explain why it's in quotes in a bit) and how his website is going to talk about it in the future. But let's hear why he thinks this is happening:

First of all, clinical depression is obviously linked to suicide  

Okay, Ben figured out a basic psychological fact, I'll give him that. I take it he makes sure of that with his wife (who is a doctor, in case you haven't heard) but still.

I would suggest there is a societal lack of meaning. That young people have basically been taught  . . . there emotional state is key. . . we've treated each other as objects. Some of that has to do with . . . social media.

Slow down. Ben already talks fast as it is and now he's giving one nonsense reason after the other.

And some of that has to do with decline of religion 

What? 

There are good studies that suggest

This will be fun

 As religion declines . . . rates of depression go up

Which studies? Yeah, remember the rule of thumb I gave a few posts ago. Whenever someone says that studies show something, they haven't read those studies. 
However, while Shapiro talks about the changes that are going to be made, it seems like another columnist jumped the shark a little. Yes, it's time to talk about Matt Walsh. In a recent post, Matt thinks he found the reason the whole suicide thing is taking place, atheism. 

People will say that suicide is on the rise because we are not doing enough to fight the "mental health crisis" but . . . the rate was a fraction of what it is today back when nobody had ever heard of "mental health".-Matt Walsh

This [the story of Adam and Eve] was before doctors, so cancer and that kind of stuff didn't exist yet-Stan Smith

Figured I'd keep it in Matt's ballpark with what I compare him to. In fact, let me burst Matt's (and the entire media's) bubble real quick, there is no depression epidemic. The rate of diagnosis has gone up, however, the rate of depression has stated the same and we are just getting better at finding it.
Ignoring this fact has led to all sorts of weird conspiracies popping up that we need to ignore. Remember, when we made this same mistake before we honestly thought vaccines caused autism. The housewife who hid her drinking problem in the mid-1950's didn't have depression by the standards of those days, now she would because we know more about depression. Or, no one use to die of AIDS, they died of GRID.

There is an emptiness at the core of our culture . . . [because] We have fled from God . . . and embraced a soft kind of nihilism

And where is Matt's proof that either of the two people that caused him to write this article, Anthony Bourdian and Kate Spade, were nihilists? Seriously, I'm asking you because I can't find it. 

We stop at the brain . . . but we never pause to ask why all our brains have apparently gone haywire . . . If this is all just a matter of mental disorders, why in the hell are these "mental disorders" so common now?

This is one of the main mistakes Matt and his types have made with how they address issues. They always assume that we have always had the exact same knowledge and as such whenever something ticks up or down, it's because of humans. Also, Matt doesn't understand anatomy very well.  

I think it's because [depression] is not purely psychological. It goes beyond our brains and into our souls

Matt, where is my soul? Point to my soul right now. Also for it to not be psychological it would have to be at least somewhat physical. 

What everyone craves deep in their bones

Your bones do not have cravings. Fine, I'm nitpicking.

What everyone craves deep in their bones is truth and meaning. . . that is objective and inherent and beyond our ability to remove or change.But our culture tells us that nothing of the sort exists . . . And if we make nothing of it, and find nothing of it, then . . . there is no reason to carry on living anymore.

 For the record, Matt did not cite one study or article during that entire rant. Nor does he during this entire column. Not the claim that we need "meaning . . . that is objective and inherent" (whatever that means), or the claim that nihilism is on the rise, or that "our culture" is promoting it.

If someone is feeling [depressed], yes, it is good to give them a number to call, and tell them they are not alone and people care for them . . . But it's not enough . . . People need more than . . . therapy and phone numbers. They even need more than the knowledge that other people love them. They need meaning. They need hope. They need there to be a point to all of this, a reason.

Quick question to Matt, what does that even mean? I guess you could ask what the meaning of what you just said was, or was the point of all of that, the reason. Oh, by the way, guess what he thinks the solution is.

Well, praise God because . . . there is a meaning. God is our founation . . . We are not mere accidents. We are not clumps of dust that grew randomly from the Earth and somehow devoloped consciousness and a moral code and the capacity for love. 

Random question: Does Matt have a deadly fear of lists with commas? 

That doesn't make sense, and we all know it doesn't make sense, and we will literally kill ourselves trying to make sense of it.

Can I have the list of famous, well known, and vocal atheists who have killed themselves? Hitchens didn't, Harris hasn't, Dawkins hasn't, TJ Kirk hasn't, Cult of Dusty hasn't, George Carlin didn't, and I could go on. Also, notice my use of commas and learn Matt. 
One more thing, I showed this to fellow Ephrom Report blogger J.P Savard, and his words exactly:

Walsh: I think it is because the disorder is not purely psychological.

J.P,: Dude, you're still not answering the question

Walsh: something about God

J.P.: Matt no

Walsh: That doesn't make sense, and we all know it doesn't make sense, and we will literally kill ourselves trying to make sense of it. 

J.P.: Nothing does, Walsh. Nothing does.  

Walsh also talked about this on twitter, and did a little better:

You can’t go on about “the right to die” and describe suicide as “death with dignity” and then expect that your words of solace to suicidal people will mean anything. You just explicitly promoted suicide as a dignified and rightful death. What did you think was going to happen? 

So Matt doesn't think there's a difference between letting someone who is going to die very soon and in horrible pain (physical pain by the way, not emotional ones) and allowing people with a long life ahead of them. Interesting to know he's that simple in his worldview.  

We treat “doctor assisted suicide” as not only morally acceptable but even courageous and inspirational. And then we scratch our heads and wonder why so many people are killing themselves. We are fools.

Who's inspired by doctor-assisted suicide? 

Here’s a crazy thought: if we don’t want people to commit suicide, maybe we should stop celebrating suicide. 

I do agree with Matt that we shouldn't celebrate suicide. Good thing no one is doing that. 
Back to Ben:

You see this in regard to opioid addiction as well 

Ugh 
Let's see if he's at least more tolerable in article form.

Surely rising rates of opioid abuse have contributed to the suicide increase 

Citation needed. 

There's one measure that we . . . can take more immediately: thinking about how we cover suicide. 

Now up until now, you may be thinking "isn't this the same reaction these people had after the last shooting?". 

In the age of mass media, the . . . Werther Effect . . . is the temporary uptick in suicide rate that often follows heavy media coverage of suicide.

Conservatism: The philosophy that society is best when people are ignorant. 

when Netflix released the suicide-glorying 13 Reasons Why

13 Reasons Why didn't glorify suicide. It told a story about suicide.
So what's the moral here? If you don't want people to kill themselves, pretend that never happens. Just like they pretend boom-bust cycles don't, or really most things.