This Sunday ICYMI edition is always free for all subscribers and visitors to this Substack page! Thanks for being a part of this look at CA politics!
Sundays are a good time to pause and reflect on the ideas that actually matter. Before getting to this week’s top stories from So, Does It Matter?, I wanted to share a short essay I read recently in The Dispatch (where I’m a paid subscriber) and genuinely enjoyed. The piece is now available without a paywall, as the author has posted it on his Substack. It’s well worth a few minutes of your time. It’s a thoughtful reminder of how essential free speech was to the founding of our country — and why it still matters today.
In A Royal Paine, Matthew Harwood of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression revisits one of the most consequential acts of free expression in American history. Thomas Paine’s incendiary writing did more than criticize power — it helped summon a revolution by giving ordinary people the language and moral confidence to challenge authority. Harwood’s essay is not just a history lesson; it is a timely reminder that free speech has always been disruptive, uncomfortable, and essential. At a moment when dissent is increasingly policed and sanitized, Paine’s example underscores why protecting expressive freedom remains central to self-government.
This essay was originally published in The Dispatch on Jan. 9, 2026…
6 days ago · 28 likes · Matthew Harwood
Here are Six Stories and a Great Video…
Our Regular Weekly Podcast Interview - This Week With HJTA’s Jon Coupal
This renders the video straight. You can get to the page with podcast listening options here…
Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s passing has thrust his longtime friend and mentor, James Gallagher, into a sudden and unexpected political campaign for LaMalfa’s now vacant House seat. Not an easy transition. We talk about it here in this special extra podcast…
If you’d rather listen to it on your favorite Podcasting app, go here.
There were several other posts last week that you will not want to miss. If you want to check them out, you can go to the archive here and scroll down!
“MANDY” BECOMES BARRY MANILOW’S FIRST #1 SONG
On this day in 1975, “Mandy” became Barry Manilow’s first No. 1 hit, launching one of the most improbable and enduring careers in popular music. Before he was filling arenas, Manilow was paying the bills writing advertising jingles—catchy, perfectly constructed mini-songs for brands like Band-Aid (“I am stuck on Band-Aid”), State Farm (“Like a good neighbor”), and McDonald’s. That knack for melody and emotional economy carried over seamlessly into pop music. Over the next decades, Manilow became one of the most successful singer-songwriters of all time, scoring dozens of Top 40 hits including “Copacabana,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” and “Looks Like We Made It.” His music blended classic pop, Broadway sensibility, and radio-ready hooks, earning him devoted fans—“Fanilows”—and sustained relevance across generations. Beyond performing, he composed for film, television, and stage, conducted symphonies, and built a reputation as a meticulous craftsman. Few artists better illustrate how disciplined songwriting can evolve into cultural permanence.
Such a great song! Let’s keep Manilow in our prayers as he fights cancer and keeps on performing live in Las Vegas!
Thank you for being a part of the So, Does It Matter? Family!
Jon
