Welcome to the commentary magazine podcast today is Monday January 7th, 2018.

Happy birthday Naomi. I'm John Podoritz the editor of commentary the 70-odd year-old

monthly of intellectual analysis, political, property, and cultural criticism from

a conservative perspective. You can join us at commentarymagazine.com where we

give you a few free reads. Ask you to subscribe 1995 for a digital subscription

in 29.95 for an all-access subscription including our beautiful monthly

magazine in your mailbox 11 times a year. Our January issue features a

remarkable lead article by our own Abe Greenwald sitting next to me on the war

against Asian Americans of higher education. Hi Abe. Hi John. After that's such

generous words I hesitate to tell you that you said 2018 is 2019. It's 2019 and to

think that I'm still writing 2018 on none of my checks since I haven't

written a check in years. Also, cross-draming Noah Rothman our associate

editor Hainoa. Hi John still writing checks to my dentist who doesn't take

credit cards but that's about it. Wow that's he needs to join the you know it's

not just I I just send checks through the through the internet ether and in

Washington DC Christine Rosen our social commentary columnist Hi Christine. Hi John.

Okay guys so we're into I don't know day 19 or something of the partial

government shutdown at which I think 75% of the government is closed but 25% is

open something like that. Still the case that every interaction most of the

interactions between the non-government worker and the government are going as

they have before you know social security checks are going out what else do you

get from the federal government I guess you can send your tax stuff in you may

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