(The following short story first appeared at Eternity Road on March 1, 2009 — FWP.) The president-designate’s eyes flicked briefly toward his chosen successor, then back to the helmeted soldier who stood before him, sidearm holstered at his hip. The soldier noticed the glance and smiled briefly. “It’s all right, Mr. Secretary,” the soldier said. …
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Jun 19 2013
The Conservative-Libertarian Schism
[After I’d read this essay by humorist P.J. O’Rourke, it occurred to me that the time was right for a reprint of the following essay, which first appeared at the old Palace Of Reason in November, 2002. — FWP] 1. A Harmonization. In 1987, a California organization called the Advocates for Self-Government, led by a …
May 28 2013
You’re Getting Colder!
Today at Forbes, we have an excellent article by Peter Ferrara on the recently confirmed trend toward global cooling. The data, the correlations, and the grudging concessions by various powerhouses of global-warming alarmism leave no doubt that that house of cards, which always stood upon a shaky foundation of closely held temperature data and dubious …
May 23 2013
Patterns
[This piece first appeared at the late, lamented Palace Of Reason in February, 2002. In light of the foofaurauw in progress today over the multiple scandals we’ve learned about these past few weeks, it seems unusually apposite. Besides, I need time off from the “Debunkings” series. — FWP] Wise men see outlines, and therefore draw …
Apr 27 2013
The Manly Virtues
As usual at times when gutlessness and venality appear as a plague upon the land, there’s a lot of loose talk about “manliness” making the rounds. And as usual, the overwhelming majority of the gabbers haven’t got the faintest idea what they’re talking about. Manliness isn’t about size or brawn. Being covered head to toe …
Feb 08 2013
Bellwethers Everywhere: The Celebritarian Revolution
Apologies, Gentle Reader. This is a crucial topic about which I’ve written extensively in the past. Therefore, this post will be partly a reprint of material that previously appeared at Eternity Road, and partly a handful of new observations about the bellwether / celebritarian phenomenon in this year of Our Lord 2013. 1. Beautiful Bellwethers. …
Jan 27 2013
A Maxim, The Law, and The State of The Nation
It might well be that the greatest blessing to have recently descended upon these United States is l’affaire Gregory: the exculpation, by prosecutorial discretion alone, of pseudo-journalist and tendentious Washington twit David Gregory for openly and flagrantly breaking a D.C. law that’s been used to incarcerate other, entirely blameless persons. That little development has made …
Jan 06 2013
For The Feast Of The Epiphany
[The following piece first appeared at Eternity Road on January 6, 2008. — FWP] The ancient creed called Zoroastrianism predated the birth of Christ by about a millennium. Its founder, Zoroaster, laid down a small set of doctrines: There is one universal and transcendental God, Ahura Mazda, the one uncreated creator and to whom all …
Dec 14 2012
The New Lunatics
[The following two pieces first appeared at the old Palace Of Reason, on September 8, 2003 and February 26, 2004, respectively. — FWP] Come on, guys and dolls. It’s all getting to be a bit much. Is it only a Curmudgeon Emeritus’s privilege to note — and comment on — lunacies parading naked-faced in the …
Nov 29 2012
Principles And Politics
A couple of days ago, Democrat pollster Pat Caddell, who has become a fairly frequent guest on various Fox News programs, decided to offer Republicans and conservatives his advice on how to get things turned around: As Breitbart.com readers know, I have been extremely critical of the current Democratic Party, which I see as having …
Nov 19 2012
The New Segregationists
[In recognition of this incredible story, and of Mark Steyn’s unflinching penetration of America’s ongoing suicide-through-uncontrolled-immigration, I present the following two pieces, which were first posted at Eternity Road on April 22, 2007 and April 24, 2007, respectively. — FWP] Fran here. This is an angry column on an ugly subject. If you have any …
Oct 24 2012
“We The People,” Who?
[The following essay was first posted at Eternity Road on June 19, 2007. In light of the furious debates over current immigration-reform proposals, it struck me as pertinent for a repost — FWP] In mid-2004, there was born a Website which proposed to hold an international plebiscite on the upcoming American elections. The thesis was …
Sep 28 2012
Dark Gods Part 2: The War On Truth
[This essay is a companion to the previous “Dark Gods” piece. It originally appeared at Eternity Road on January 23, 2006. — FWP] I often come to the end of a typical Eternity Road essay thinking that there’s more to say on the subject, but that I’ve already tried my audience’s patience to the limit. …
Sep 25 2012
Damage
[This essay first appeared at the old Palace Of Reason, on August 13, 2004. I chose to reprint it today in light of the unusual degree of attention Mark Butterworth’s post A Distasteful Subject has been getting. As usual when sexual mores and conduct are the topics, I expect disagreement – but given the facts, …
Sep 17 2012
Dark Gods
[This essay originally appeared at Eternity Road on January 4, 2006. Given the chaos of the moment, and the overwhelming significance of the election almost upon us, I felt it appropriate to repost it here.] Fran here. In pondering the huge list of things I had in mind for this piece, which started life as …
Aug 26 2012
Shamans
[The following essay first appeared at Eternity Road on September 29, 2006. Inasmuch as the Left’s principal remaining weapon in the current campaign is their attempt to cause the Right to self-censor with charges of “racism” and such, it feels quite relevant to the moment. Decide for yourself, as always.] Fran here. Those who know …
Aug 22 2012
“The Good Ship NEWF”
[This essay first appeared at Eternity Road, on July 1, 2006. I claim that one cannot have a defensible position on either abortion or cloning until he has satisfactorily answered the questions here.] Who are you? I mean, really? And how do you know? That phrase “identity theft:” what does it mean? Is the thief …
Aug 20 2012
A Cabal Of Its Enemies
[The following essay was first posted at the Palace Of Reason on September 2, 2003. I consider it a useful adjunct to the ongoing series on the nature and behavior of systems of all kinds.] Robert Conquest’s Three Laws of Politics: Everyone is conservative about what he knows best. Any organization not explicitly right-wing sooner …
Aug 16 2012
Disparates
[This essay first appeared at the old Palace Of Reason, on December 17, 2003. Inasmuch as the Democrats have recently been promulgating the notion that the Republicans are conducting a “war on women,” with specific reference to abortion and birth control, it strikes me as especially pertinent today.] In response to this Curmudgeonly tirade, reader …
Aug 09 2012
The Desiccated Remains
[This essay first appeared at Eternity Road, on January 23, 2009. It strikes me as extremely pertinent to the machinations of the Left today.] *** The list of well known writers on liberty includes some names that don’t belong there, such as John Stuart Mill, and omits some names that should appear at its head, …
Fran’s Recent Novels
Margaret’s Recent Novels
