My webgoblin informs me that the gnomes and gremlins running the internet have called upon the legendary Tron, who fights for the Users, to defeat the Master Control Program run by YouTwitFace. This defeat will allow conservative Christian comments online once again.
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Note that this tale, in a slightly revised form, first appeared in the anthology CITY BEYOND TIME. It is reprinted in ALL MEN DREAM OF EARTHWOMEN AND OTHER AEONS, and made available here in preview, as a courtesy to my readers.
Father’s Monument, Chapter 1, Father’s Delusion, is now posted.
In which a son visits an eccentric but unwell father.
Some say that ever ‘gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour’s birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, no witch has power to charm,
So hallow’d and gracious is the time. –Hamlet
In keeping with the tradition here at John C. Wright’s Journal, I reprint, as I do each year, this list the feasts of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and to urge my fellow traditionalists to continue the Christly and Christian work of Keeping the Feast and Partyin’ On! Let us pause for unsolemn reflection on these solemnities.
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My lovely and talented wife is unexpectedly interviewed by the Manybooks Newsletter.
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L. Jagi Lamplighter is the author of The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin, as well as the Prospero’s Daughter Trilogy (Prospero Lost, Prospero In Hell, and Prospero Regained).She has also written a number of short stories, articles on anime, and is an author/assistant editor in the BaddAss Faeries series. She is a graduate of the St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD. When not writing, she switches to her secret identity as a stay-home mom in Centreville, VA, where she lives in fairytale happiness with her husband, author John C. Wright, and their four darling children, Orville, Ping-Ping, Roland Wilbur, and Justinian Oberon. For more information see: http://www.ljagilamplighter.com/. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin.
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Taking the Long View, Transmission 4, What is Truth?, is now posted.
The ends justify the means. What other moral principle can there be? There is no absolute truth! And if there were, it would drive a man instantly, totally mad if he beheld it!
It is a simple, scientifically verified fact that the human nervous system is not designed to face to the truth. That is why I need your assistance.
The Three Laws of Robotic are among Isaac Asimov’s most famous conceits. He wrote a number of clever if vapid stories where these three laws formed the gimmick.
The Three Laws of Robotics, quoted from the Handbook of Robotics, 56th Edition, 2058 AD, read as follows:
1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Now, as a vehicle for writing a set of lighthearted, frivolous mystery stories where a robot seems to be malfunctioning or violating these laws, but, by some ironic cleverness, turns out not to be, the conceit of these three laws is beyond reproach.
Asimov’s robot yarns are among the most famous in the genre, are entertaining, and all are cobbled together in a workmanlike fashion, if sparse and laconic, lacking any characters, settings, or world-building worthy of mention.
So, if taken as the robot stories were meant to be taken, as deeply shallow, no criticism of their central conceit is fair. As well object to time travel or faster than light drive.
However, if looked at even for a moment by a sober, adult, morally serious viewpoint (by which is meant, a Catholic viewpoint) the shallowness of the robot stories is painfully obvious, as is the intellectual pride.
For, as it turns out, intellectual pride, specifically the pride of Faust, was the egg from which the conceit of the robot stories hatched. Let none pretend to be surprised.
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My loyal webgoblin called the hosting company and reports that they said that the server was migrated this morning and that various changes are still propagating through their system. The “account suspended” message was a default one. The hosting company confirmed that there’s nothing wrong with the account and that the site hasn’t been pulled offline due to excessive bandwidth or any sort of legal action
From the most sarcastic pen of one Karen Straughan. She writes:
After many days of introspection, I have realized the error of my ways. Join me for a few moments of penitence a I revisit all the reasons I wrongly believed Donald Trump was a decent human being and a good president.
Taking the Long View, Transmission 3, Traces of Life, is now posted.
To discover we are not alone in the universe would be mankind’s happiest, best hour.
I mean, to discover natural creatures. Real creatures.
Jagi, here:
New John C. Wright short story collection on Amazon.
Come behold Aeons Near and Far
“I have traveled in vision from futures near at hand to those immeasurably remote and returned with tales of mystery and wonder, sorrow and hope, humanity and what comes after, and further yet, to the time beyond the end of time, and perhaps glimpsed eternity.
I convoke the witness of my dreams of things to come, and reveal them as curios and treasures. Behold future wars and children’s power armor, see the planetkiller seeking immortal vengeance against planetkillers, learn whom the choosers of the slain will choose for love, or when the dolphins will inherit the earth, or why all men dream of earthwomen.”
Enjoy these haunting tales of futures near and far by Science Fiction master John C. Wright
‘Nightfall’ is Isaac Asimov’s most famous short story, and the one which catapulted him to fame.
According to Asimov’s autobiography, Campbell asked Asimov to write the story after discussing with him a quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Campbell disagreed, and instead scoffed: “I think men would go mad.”
The story is brief, as befits the sharp and short blasphemous joke. Read the remainder of this entry »
Taking the Long View, Transmission 2, Akin to Omniscience, is now posted.
I, too, have entered the chamber and can confirm the initial findings of Dr. Halifax. All the wonders of astronomy are laid out, naked to the gaze, in all their majestic detail. It is a wonder.
“From the dawn of time we came … moving silently down through the centuries. Living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of The Choir, when we will stand high to praise the savior. No one has ever known we were among you … until now.”
This video is from about ten years ago. The rumors of secret choirs, a hypothetical race called homo psalmodia, who are granted the power to hymn angelic songs of praise, but dwell in hiding among mankind, can no longer be denied.
I wanted to pass this along:
Actually I hope Biden does well for We The People BUT here is my issue with the whole; “let us all be a United States again” that we heard from Joe Biden:
For the last 4+ years, the Democrats have gone scorched earth. You have salted the fields and now you want to grow crops.
The problem is 72+ million of us have memories longer than a hamster.
- We remember the women’s march (vagina hats and all) the day after inauguration.
- We remember the 4 years of attacks and impeachments.
- We remember “Not My President!” and “Resist!”
- We remember Maxie Walters telling followers to harass us in restaurants.
- We remember the President’s spokesman being kicked out a restaurant.
- We remember hundreds of Trump supporters physically attacked.
- We remember Trump supporters getting doxxed, and fired from jobs.
- We remember riots, and looting We remember “a comedian” holding up the President’s severed head.
- We remember a play in Central park paid with public funding, showing the killing of President Trump.
- We remember Robert de Niro yelling “F” Trump” at the Tony’s and getting a standing ovation.
- We remember Nancy Pelosi tearing up the State of the Union Address.
- We remember the total in the tank move on the mainstream media.
- We remember the non-stop and live fact checking on our President and his supporters.
- We remember non-stop in your face lies and open cover-ups from the media.
- We remember the President and his staff being spied on.
- We remember five Senators shot on a ballfield.
- We remember every so-called comedy show turn into nothing but Trump hate fest.
- We remember 95% negative coverage in the news.
- We remember the state governors asking and getting everything they ask for and then blaming Trump for their problems.
- We remember a Trump top aid verbally assaulted in two DC restaurants.
- We remember people banging on the Supreme Court doors.
- We remember that we were called every name in the book on a daily basis, including “racists” and “Nazis,” for supporting President Trump.
- We remember that Hollywood said they would leave after Trump was elected but they stayed.
This list is endless, but you get the idea.
My friends will be my friends, but a party that has been on the attack for four long years does not get a free pass with me! There can’t be healing or unity after what you’ve put us through so stop talking about it, and prepare for the tables to be turned. It’s our turn for Not My President!, Impeach!, and #ChinaGate.
Hope you enjoy lying in the bed you made.
—Michael Bassett
My comment: For one, I am glad that none of the threatening events will come to pass, despite that the world says they are inevitable. My firm conviction is that, no matter what mortal men do, the warrior angels on the side of truth, decency and justice outnumber and surpass the jihadist demons from the realm of darkness, decay, and brutality.
But even if the insolent attempt of the Powers That Be to steal the national election for Joe Biden so openly were crowned with success, the laurels would be ashes on their brow.
Some kind soul has conveniently gathered the evidence of voter fraud together in one place. I have not myself looked through every link, nor will I, so I offer this only as a place to begin one’s investigations of the allegations.
The line items are ranking from one to four in terms of their significance.
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