Discourse Blog: Do you want to ask me a question first?

G: Okay. What’s your friend’s name at the website?

DB: Jack?

G: And what else [unintelligable]

H: 🎶Jack and Jill went up a hill…🎶

G: UUUUGH, I’m TALKING!

H: Butt butt butt butt butt butt butt butt butt…. butt.

DB: Okay.

G: What else do you do at the website?

DB: Well, we write about the news.

G: What type of news?

DB: Usually bad.

G: And…sometimes good?

DB: Hopefully.

G: And what else do you do at the website?

DB: Do you know what the website is called? It’s called “Discourse.”

G: What’s “Discourse”?

DB: That’s the name of the website.

G: Oh. What else do you do there?

DB: We make jokes.

G: What type of jokes?

DB: Funny ones.

G: How funny?

DB: Uuuuuuuh….

G: How many times have you been on the website?

DB: Um…Hundreds? Thousands?

G: [holds up four fingers]

DB: …yeah.

G: Can we do this now?

DB: We’re doing it right now.

G: Oh, right. Okay.

DB: The last time we talked, we talked a lot about the COVID pandemic. Are you looking forward to getting your shot for the coronavirus?

G: Ummm…no. Because I’m scared of shots. Because sometimes when I get real shots it definitely hurts.

DB: Well, when you get your shot, you’ll be able to go places and do things.

G: Well…it still hurts… aaaaaaaaand, I think that’s all I got. That’s all I can say.

DB: Okay, well are you worried about what’s happening in Ukraine?

G: Yeah? What’s Ukraine?

DB: It’s a country.

H: [Shouting from next room] It’s also very important that we spend money for new houses for Afghanistan people!

DB: That’s true, that’s also important.

G: What else is happening in Ukraine?

DB: Well, right now Ukraine is under attack by Russian forces.

G: What are “Russian forces?”

DB: Well, it’s a lot of military divisions sent by Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, who thinks that Ukraine is part of the traditional Russian empire.

G:… And it’s destroying the world? It’s destroying? It won’t be back?

DB: Well, no, because the Ukrainian people are fighting back.

G: So, which one won?

DB: Well, no one’s won yet.

G: [Declaratively] Well, that happened a long time ago!

DB: No, it’s happening right now.

G: Right now? In a different city?

DB: In a different country, yeah.

G: So they won’t be coming here?

DB: No.

G: Good. I don’t want our world to be destroyed. [long pause] What else do you do?

DB: Mostly this.

G: Oh.

DB: Do you have any thoughts on President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Do you think she’s qualified?

G: Um…no?

DB: No, she is.

G: Oh. What’s “qualified” mean?

DB: It means she has the right skills to do the job.

G: Ooooooooh.

H: [Shouting from next room] Donald Trump is poopy!

G: Yes?

DB: Yes.

G: Yes! Correct! Now…what else?

DB: I don’t know.

G: [Deep sigh] We’re doing a website, you know.

DB: Mmm-hm.

G: What’s the last thing you were saying?

DB: Ukraine?

G: Destroyed a different city?

DB: It’s not destroyed, but it’s under attack.

G: How is it being attacked?

DB: Well, the Russian forces have moved in with ground troops and air support and heavy artillery.

G: How?

DB: Well, they flew airplanes and drove tanks.

G: Those are battling stuff?

DB: Yeah, and I have a friend there now.

G: And it’s being destroyed?

DB: Not yet, the people are fighting back. They’re protecting their country.

G: How?

DB: They’re making Molotov cocktails, which have a very interesting history because those are actually named after a former Soviet official when he tried to invade Finland.

G: But they’re still battling? Which one do you think is gonna win?

DB: I don’t know. Russia has superior numbers, and ostensibly a more sophisticated military, but the Ukrainians have done a really surprising job stalling an overwhelming force, and could force them to fight in an urban theater, which we all know is particularly difficult.

G: Hm. I think the good guys are gonna win. Because they have more force than the bad guys.

DB: Oh?

G: What’s “force” anyway.

DB: That’s their military.

G: What’s Military? Are the people protecting their city?

DB: They are protecting their city.

G: So they’re battling over and over again?

DB: Yes.

G: So…they have swords and shields?

DB: They don’t have swords or shields, no.

G: So how’re the good guys gonna battle?

DB: Well, they’re using Molotov cocktails and Kalashnikovs. Do you have a message for them?

G: Hmmm… Not yet.

DB: You’ll think of one? Do you have a message for Russians, the ones doing the attacking?

G: No. Not yet. Who is the leader of the bad guys?

DB: Vladimir Putin.

G: And who is the leader of the good guys?

DB: Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He used to be a comedian.

G: What does that mean?

DB: Someone who tells jokes.

G: Oh! Like me. I like jokes! Hey! Why did the chicken cross the road?

DB: Why?

G: To get to the other…snowy side gummy side!

DB: That’s kind of a thinker.

G: Yeah.

DB: Okay. Thank you.