Free State Podcast (Jace and Laura Lington)

Episode 14: Jace and Laura talk about where they find healthy food at low prices and discuss which 2024 presidential candidates meet their (high?) standards.

Episode 22: Jace and Laura talk about how beautiful Tyler Childers's lyrics are, the recent launch of the "Mamas for DeSantis" campaign, whether women should get married and have kids in their 20s (answer: yes), and whether Jonah Hill's texts and Andrew Tate's popularity reveal something wrong with masculinity.

Links:

Shake the Frost - Tyler Childers

Mamas for DeSantis

Loomer v. Stuckey

Up From Conservatism

Episode 13: Jordan Peterson is an exceptional teacher, but he's missing something. Pastor Doug Wilson diagnoses it as a "crooked foundation," a worldview that doesn't feature Jesus as Lord. Maybe this evangelical, postmill, Calvinist, Reformed, and Presbyterian Idahoan is the supplement Jordan Petersen needs after making his bed in the morning. Wilson's insight would make Peterson's top notch life advice even more bulletproof against the angry soyboys who will stop at nothing to make sure our children eat lab-grown bugs and live in the pod. But, Wilson has failings of his own (of course). 

Episode 16: Two years ago, Randi messaged Jace on 23andMe asking if they shared the same "donor" dad. Turns out, Randi is just one of at least 5 donor children who share the same biological father. In this episode, Randi describes her donor-conceived origin story and what it was like growing up in a household with same-sex parents.

PART 1 - When Jace's parents struggled to conceive naturally, they sought help from a fertility clinic. They never told Jace about this part of his story. In the first installment of the Who's Your Daddy? series, Jace starts at the beginning describing how a 30-year-old family secret began to unravel the night Randi sent that first message. -- Click here to listen to Who's Your Daddy? (Part 1)

Episode 34: Jace and Laura talk with American Reformer Editor-In-Chief Timon Cline about the real history of Thanksgiving, the importance of myth for civil society, and whether you should spank your kids.

Links

• American Reformer
• Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
• What Does It Mean to Be Free?

Episode 3: Jace and Laura debate whether "Died Suddenly" is Alex Jones inspired misinformation or worth taking seriously. Then, they discuss the fallout from the Balenciaga photo shoot that featured a young girl with BDSM teddy bears and a purse on top of a Supreme Court ruling about child pornography.

Jace and Laura talk about marriage and having kids, why they are Dave Ramsey stans, and the latest news in the legal fight surrounding the Biden administration’s attempt to cancel more than $500 billion in student loan debt.

The Odyssey

The Ramsey Show

Borrowed Future

Success Sequence

Washington’s Farewell Address

GAO report on financial aid letters

Biden v. Nebraska

Episode 32: About a month ago, Tucker Carlson gave a powerful speech about being brave in the face of our country's fast-paced devolution into an immoral wasteland. In this episode, Jace and Laura review Tucker's speech and supplement it with their own advice: carry a gun. They explain what kind of guns they carry and how they stay strapped in realistic scenarios (in sweatpants with kids).

Notes:

• What Does It Mean to Be Free?
• Tucker Carlson's Speech at Intercollegiate Studies Institute
• Garand Thumb on Youtube

Jace reads from Kevin Slack’s article, “The Declaration of Independence Defends American Citizenship, Not Abstract Ideals.”

Episode 38: Jace and Laura talk about the stakes of the 2024 elections and ask whether Vox.com's focus on car crash deaths is part of a conspiracy to take away our vehicles. Plus, NASA says we are going back for another (the first?) visit to the Moon just in time for an out-of-this-world presidential election. Are you ready?

Links:

• Vox 2024 predictions
• Tariff t-shirt (context)

Episode 41: Jace and Laura react to listener feedback re: the Alabama IVF case and discuss whether and how much to shelter your kids from popular culture. Things take a turn for the nerdy when we look at that viral MSNBC clip warning that scary Christian Nationalists believe rights come from God, not the government.

Notes:

• Jace defining Christian Nationalism (Episode 31)
• Heidi Przybyla MSNBC Clip
• Auron MacIntyre, "MSNBC vs. the Declaration of Independence"
• Mike Sabo, "Christian Nationalism Isn't Going Away"
• Leo Strauss, "Natural Right and History"

Episode 10: Jace and Laura review The Last of Us, answer a listener voicemail about ESGs, and talk about the Chinese spy balloon.

Also mentioned:

Scientific American: Deadly Fungi Are the Newest Emerging Microbe Threat All Over the World

Episode 8: Jace talks about how modern DNA technology uncovered the 30-year-old secret that his dad is not his biological father. This is the first episode of a series on this topic. 

Episode 5: Jace and Laura talk about why it seems like millennials feel more guilty lying to kids about Santa than other generations of parents, how they learned to stop worrying and love the TikTok, and why you should have your own babies instead of letting a robot do it for you.

Episode 17: Jace and Laura talk about the Biden Administration's new fees for homebuyers with good credit, buying a minivan, and the gay dinosaurs on Disney Junior's "Dino Ranch."

Episode 23: Jace and Laura talk about Congressional dysfunction and a recent example of media bias related to the GOP presidential primary before reviewing the final season of Amazon's popular thriller "Jack Ryan."

Links:

Watch Jack Ryan

Mike Pence on Ukraine in Context

Dusk

Ron Paul's Plan to Fight Pirates

Episode 15: Progressives have done an excellent job defining and capitalizing on the "two-income trap." But, are they the ones responsible for creating it in the first place? In this episode, Jace and Laura talk to Virginia Delegate Nick Freitas (also a husband, father, veteran, and conservative influencer) to discuss how the two-income trap formed and what steps free people can take to escape the financial sinkhole to create a life worth living.

Episode 1: Welcome to our podcast! In this episode, Jace and Laura talk about Donald Trump's presidential campaign announcement and compare his pro-life and regulatory bona fides to those of Ron DeSantis—the man everyone speculates may challenge him. Other topics include Trump's call to kill drug dealers, how RSV is challenging parents in the workforce, and whether spanking promotes manliness and good government.

Jace and Laura talk about people being jealous of Ballerina Farm and its viral aesthetic. Then, they chat with Austin Hein to follow up on his voice message from last episode. They discuss the fight to make Kevin McCarthy speaker of the House, the current state of the Republican Party, and fallout from the train derailment in Palestine, Ohio.

Also mentioned:

Ballerina Farm

Ranch to Table

Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the ATF banning bump stocks

Jacobin Magazine on the train derailment

Episode 42: Jace and Laura discuss the SCOTUS ruling telling Colorado it can't keep voters from casting ballots for Donald Trump. Then, they review dueling sci-fi movies, Dune: Part Two and Rebel Moon: Part One. One is the clear winner, but we have to wait to see if the sequels change anything.

Episode 44: Jace and Laura discuss the 2019 movie "Dark Waters," highlighting the health risks hidden by the DuPont Corporation regarding Teflon. They draw parallels between the movie and other films like "Erin Brockovich," and delve into broader themes of corporate responsibility and governmental oversight. They also reflect on their personal experiences with changing societal norms, the decline in customer service, and parenting styles, particularly around the topic of gentle parenting versus traditional methods. The episode touches on themes of environmental stewardship, the evolution of consumer goods, and the role of regulation in public safety.

00:00 Introduction and Movie Discussion 

05:41 Ohio's Environmental Struggles

09:32 Generational Differences in Environmental Concerns

18:44 Parenting Styles Debate

25:51 Political Vibes and Election Dynamics

30:38 Cultural Appropriation and Double Standards

38:43 Customer Service and Modern Inconveniences

Episode 29: Jace and Laura break down some of the jargon of the online Right as we try to figure out how much Jesus could bench. (Turns out, quite a lot since there's no boulder so large he can't lift it.)

Want to engage on air? Leave us a voice message.

Episode 40: Jace and Laura celebrate the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision recognizing frozen embryos as children. Then, they consider whether Yahoo Finance is right about the top seven things middle class Americans won't be able to afford in five years. Stay tuned for a review of chips fried in avocado oil.

Episode 28: What does your wife think about abortion? Keeping guns in the house? Do you agree? Find out what political fights keep couples agitated around the country. And it can't just be us with parents and in-laws glued to their phones...and Fox News.

Disagree? Like what you hear? Leave us a voicemail.

Episode 25: Jace and Laura talk about why struggling new moms need community instead of new drugs. Part two of this episode includes a review of the movie "Oppenheimer" and an exploration of the political problems associated with atomic weapons and war. Later in the segment, Jace and Laura discuss whether they would have dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Episode 7: Jace and Laura talk about her transformation into a crunchy mom, raw milk, gun regulations, and the food pyramid. Stay tuned for hot butter talk. 

Also mentioned:

George Farms

Baby Food Tariffs

ATF Pistol Brace Rule

ATF Bump Stock Rule

Layne Norton

Carbon

Philando Castile

 

Episode 31: What is Christian Nationalism? In this episode, Jace reads from a couple of recent articles to present a general sense of the idea. This episode is designed to be a reference. It's inevitable that future episodes of Free State, and political discourse broadly, will touch on this topic. After listening, bookmark this episode in case you need a refresher later on. You can also send it to your blue-pilled family members as a way to diffuse the tension after an overheated Thanksgiving dinner debate. What is Christian Nationalism? by Mike Sabo The Case for Christian Nationalism in One Short Thread by Douglas Wilson

Episode 6: Jace and Laura talk about Laura getting baptized before Christmas, respond to listener feedback about TikTok, ask whether Louisiana's new porn regulations make sense, and wonder whether the fight about Kevin McCarthy's speakership will make anything better.

Also mentioned:

What is Reformed Theology?

Tabletalk Magazine

Notes from Underground, Part II: A Propos of the Wet Snow

Jordan Peterson on Ideology

What is "Regular Order" for appropriations?

Episode 35: Jace and Laura talk about Cato's new report about freedom in the 50 states to see which states are the best. Turns out, it's not an easy thing to measure. Also, who knew about the importance of aesthetics in architecture? Stay tuned for a great voicemail from a listener.

• Cato Report
• What Does It Mean to Be Free?

Episode 27: Most of the 2024 GOP Presidential hopefuls appeared on-stage in Milwaukee to see who might come in second in next year's primary elections. Laura is ready to ditch DeSantis and join team Vivek. Also, mask mandates are making a comeback?

If you want to tell us what you think, leave us a voice message

Episode 9: Jace and Laura talk about Tom Brady retiring, why Yellowstone is a hit, what made the USDA take over organic food labeling, and whether public unions should be a thing.

Also mentioned:

Not Accountable: Rethinking the Constitutionality of Public Employee Unions

Episode 12: Jace and Laura talk about hot moms and dads, aging, and whether soulmates are real. The meat and potatoes of today's episodes consists of a timely review of The Matrix (1999), complete with commentary on pleather pants and red/blue/black/white/gold pills. What will we do for fun in the Metaverse? Travel to the old reality? Livestream in-person interactions for money? Also included in today's musings is a soothing summary from Jace about Plato's Cave Allegory and how it relates to Keanu Reeves's based transformation into a dystopian messiah.

Episode 26: Ohio seems to be ready to follow Kansas as voters decide whether to put a right to have an abortion in the state constitution. Laura wants to believe that space lasers started the wildfire in Hawaii. Jace has questions. Later, we discuss whether the Claremont Institute is an anti-democracy think tank and test a libertarian theory about enacting new laws.

Send us a voice message to play on air!

Episode 24: What's the big deal with astrology? Do the stars really determine our futures or are horoscopes just fake news? In this episode, Jace and Laura also talk about Ariana Grande, Laura Clery, and other imperiled modern marriages.

Episode 39: Jace and Laura talk about the controversy surrounding Kyte Baby and consider common objections to Dave Ramsey's financial advice. Even though Dave still white knuckles many of his boomer tendencies, his financial plan is still the best way to find financial peace.

Links:

That single-income mom's Instagram

Caleb Hammer's YouTube Page

Dave Ramsey's YouTube Page

Episode 43: Jace and Laura talk about why they've been away for so long and then dive into the latest news surrounding the 2024 election. They discuss Kamala's transition to the top of the ticket, Trump's beef with Project 2025, and why they hope Trump will win in November.

Episode 20: Jace and Laura talk about childhood vaccinations and whether RFK Jr. would make a good president. Is he more than his last name? Does he have too many "fringe" views? Does he actually have a shot in the Democratic primary?

Links:

Order before Independence Day! Laura's Children's Book: What Does It Mean to Be Free?

Episode 18: Does Jesus prefer side hugs? Spare the rod, spoil the 19 Children and Counting. In today's episode, Jace and Laura review the new documentary about the Duggar family. Jim Bob and Michelle, and their family, rose to stardom on TLC as one of the network's freak show features. Turns out, they were freakier than we thought.

Episode 2: Would you eat lab-grown meat? What would medieval peasants think about embryonic stem cell research? Jace and Laura discuss the FDA's recent approval of lab-grown meat for sale in grocery stores and the recent birth of twins who had been frozen in an IVF clinic thirty years ago. Other topics include how to think about people who claim to be experts and why Odin (the Bernese Mountain Dog) disapproves of Jace becoming a voice actor.

Episode 33: Jace and Laura react to the recent elections in Ohio and Virginia and wonder what can be done about abortion?

Helpful Links:

• What Does It Mean to Be Free? (Laura's Children's Book)
• Austin Petersen's Wake Up America Show
• Making the Argument with Nick Freitas

Episode 36: Jace and Laura talk about that Cosmopolitan article promoting Satanic Abortion rituals, why people should adopt instead of using surrogacy, and why women should stop worrying and learn to love their postpartum bodies.

Notes:

• 117 Reasons Not to Have Kids Article
• Cosmo's Satanic Abortion Article

Episode 30: On a special episode of the Free State Podcast, we record on a Sunday afternoon to analyze the initial responses to the atrocities perpetrated by Hamas against Israelis. We talk about where we get our news and what America's role should be (if any) in the conflict.

Episode 19: Jace and Laura talk about Juneteenth during their impromptu trip to Texas, the state where the traditional celebrations began. But, thanks to the Biden administration, what exactly are we commemorating each June 19th? Has the Left co-opted this otherwise laudable historical event to push their ideological agenda? Jace's friend, Ben Crenshaw, an expert in American politics and history, argues that conservatives are being naive when it comes to celebrating this new federal holiday.

Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/benrcrenshaw

Episode 37: Jace and Laura talk with their tech industry friend about recent reports that Signal was funded by the CIA and that Google and Apple might be sharing data from your push notifications with government agencies.

Links:

• Governments snooping on push notifications
• CIA funding Signal