Broadening One’s Horizons

Hi there. Just me, popping up like Punsxutawney Phil on Groundhog Day, only I tend to pop in at Ricochet more quarterly than annually. But I did see my shadow this morning, which means 6 more weeks of district judges in their magical black robes working tirelessly to “save our democracy” by gumming up the will of the people. It’s a thankless lot in life to be a legal lilliputian (say that five times fast), but they’re down for the struggle and the bonus of getting an occasional worthy mention in the legacy media.

Plus, you can make fairly decent money staying in the good graces of progressive media types, as several progressives are learning as they cash in on books containing the approved narrative describing their utter shock upon learning that the former president of the United States had the cognitive acuity and mental capacity of a potato.

Of course, if you’re not a member in good standing of the progressive project, or if you haven’t the proper pedigree or credentials to make a living as part of what Mark Steyn calls “Conservative, Inc.” you'll find it nigh impossible to quit your day job and take on full-time punditry (as I've learned). Which stinks to high heaven if that which you do the best pays the least, if at all.

Which brings me to my latest endeavors. Without doubt, the happiest time of my life professionally was as an active duty military historian, where I was paid to put brain to paper, as it were. Coming in close second was my time in radio, though it didn’t pay much. Years later, it’s becoming apparent that time to devote to my muse is quickly passing and I’ve yet to earn anything even remotely close to a living either writing or broadcasting.

Ricochet, for me, has always been a labor of love, which is good when I consider the friendships and wonderful experiences that have come my way as a result, even if it’s isn’t paying so much as a dime. On the other hand, spending my days at this age in a day job that is taking a physical toll on me while yielding barely enough to scrape by financially has prompted me to reach out in other directions.

The folks at PJ Media have been kind enough to provide me a place write and make a little pocket change along the way, so that’s been a nice change of pace. You can find my work thus far right here, on PJ Media. I promise not to be a complete stranger around these parts either, but the prospect of scratching out even a meager level of compensation for doing what I love is, from multiple perspectives, irresistible.

And though it’s taken some time (and help from some family), I now have the equipment and software needed to begin live streaming and recording video versions of my podcast, which will begin very shortly on Rumble (which also offers opportunities to monetize one’s work). In fact, after you check out this quick teaser video for my show on Rumble, perhaps I can persuade you to follow me on my page at Rumble as well (the page is sparse at this point, but will kick off very soon). We’ve got some great things lined up for upcoming live stream events and podcasts on Rumble. As always, you’ll still be able to hear the audio version of the show right here on Ricochet, and on Spreaker, Pandora, Pod Bean and other associated platforms.

I remember a number of years back when a prominent writer at Ricochet started a Go Fund Me account, I believe, and solicited funds for a writing project. It struck a discordant note with me, somehow, so I’ve never gone that route, preferring to see what I could drum up in the way of paid writing gigs. I reasoned that when the gentleman whose words brought down the Berlin Wall praises one’s work, one might have a skill worth paying for. For whatever it reason it never panned out here, so I’m branching out, as it were.

As I said, though, I’ll be a part or Ricochet as long as I draw breath. It has always been, and will always be, a labor of love. Meanwhile, stay tuned for some killer podcasting and live streaming. And if you happen to hear of a decent-paying writing or podcasting gig ... as Ross Perot said, "I'm all ears."