Monthly Archives: January 2024

Poems and Short Stories by Joel D. Hirst (me)

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

Back a few hundred years ago, or maybe even in the early 1900s poetry was considered the apex of literary work. Most early writers strove to be poets. Garcia Marquez and Neruda and Yeghishe Charents. Then came the literary boom … Continue reading →

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Philosophy and Math

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

So I’ve been reading some physics lately. Physics is sort of a marriage between philosophy and mathematics. Philosophy, which quickly descends into random opinions; and math which is the language of the universe, but like all languages it tries to … Continue reading →

Posted in philosophy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Penalty of Existence

Posted on January 24, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

I often think of a conversation I had early on in my time in the field. I was talking to a peasant, in a village somewhere in the third world. A morning greeting really, “Hi there, Juan, how are you … Continue reading →

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“Foundations of Geopolitics” by Aleksandr Dugin

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

“Foundations of Geopolitics” is Aleksandr Dugin’s master magnum opus. It is the first and last thing he wrote; though he wrote before it and after it — tomes and tomes and tomes. Everything leading up to it was just that, … Continue reading →

Posted in International Affairs | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

My Opinions about the Opinions of a few about the Opinions of Others (AKA: Philosophy)

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

There’s nothing perhaps worse than the random opinions of those whose lives were not well-lived. Except, perhaps, opinions of others – mostly unknown – about the opinions of those whose lives were not well lived. Except I’m gonna try and … Continue reading →

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Deaths of Despair

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

My dad once told me, in passing, almost a decade ago now, that he had started getting more death announcements from old high-school buddies. Men who should have been living to about 75 or 78 were dying off in their … Continue reading →

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Protecting Happiness

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

It’s a ‘snow day’ today, something my little boy told me he prayed for, for 20 minutes last night. God is a God of wars and plagues, but also of snow days and butterflies. And ski trips to the mountains. … Continue reading →

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My Donations Page is Live!!

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

Hi all! So I decided to try and do something new. I set up a “donations” page on my site. Seeing if maybe I can raise some money to help grow it a little. I thought of doing a substack … Continue reading →

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We Help Those In Our Path

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

As I continue reflecting on 25 years in the trenches, as I start to dredge up the past, old memories start floating to the top like decaying chunks of wood from an ancient wreckage I disturbed. I think, often in … Continue reading →

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Reseña de “Los Genios”

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Joel D. Hirst

Espero que cuando se escriba un relato ficticio de mi vida (no lo van a hacera) no sea nada parecido a esto. Compré la novela porque me gustan los escritores y me gustan las historias sobre escritores. Borges y el … Continue reading →

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