Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

I started this blog (initially known as AnalPhilosopher, which was a play on "analytic philosopher" [which describes my occupation] and "anal-retentive" [which describes my personality: excessively orderly and fussy]) 20 years ago today, on 5 November 2003. It's ironic that I mentioned Brian Leiter in my first post, because it quickly became clear to me, in our exchanges, that he is a vile person. Indeed, in my entire life I have never met a more reprehensible individual. The world will be a better place when he disappears from it. (He's now 60 and, by the looks of it, obese, so it can't be long.)

Fortunately, I've also met many good and decent people through this blog, from Peg Kaplan to Bill Vallicella to Bill Keezer to Steve Burri to Kevin Stroup to Reed Anderson. At least one of them (John Sullivan)  is a friend to whom I speak (usually by texting) on a near-daily basis. Despite having to deal with creeps and crazies such as Leiter, including, in 2017, a mob of malicious students who tried (spectacularly unsuccessfully) to get me "canceled" (for committing the unpardonable sin of being a conservative professor!), I have enjoyed every minute of my blogging experience.

All this is by way of saying that . . . I'm calling a permanent halt to posting. I haven't posted much in recent years anyway, but that will stop. I have other and better things to do in my retirement. Looking back, I'm honored to have been present in the heyday of blogging. Alas, in 2023, it is no longer (or not much of) a "thing." Other forms of social media have supplanted it. I can say, proudly, that I never missed a day of blogging. Counting leap years (in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020), I posted at least one item for 7,306 consecutive days. On some days, I posted well over a dozen items, many of them philosophical (i.e., analytic) in nature. On other days, especially recently, I posted only one item, such as the daily feature "Ten Years Ago Today in This Blog." (Speaking of which, here is my post from 10 years ago today, about this blog.)

My blog was never about philosophy only. It was about whatever interested me at the time, and, frankly, almost everything interests me. I wrote about history, law, economics, politics, world affairs, baseball, cycling, running, technology, journalism, academia, language, religion, music, and many other topics.

For those of you who frequented this blog, thank you. I hope I entertained and edified. I'm 66 and a half years old now and in great health. (I ride my bike at least 20 miles per day. I rode 349 of 365 days in 2022, racking up 7,500 miles. I'm riding almost as much this year.) I have a Twitter (oops! X) presence and an account on Donald Trump's Truth Social, but I rarely post anything on those sites. I use them to see what others are saying. I also have a Substack account, but haven't posted anything there in several months. That may change.

Finally, let me express my gratitude to a benefactor (and friend). The person most responsible (and therefore most to blame) for getting me into blogging back in 2003 is John J. Ray of Brisbane, Australia, whose main blog is Dissecting Leftism. I learned much from John over the years, including, significantly, the importance of respecting religion and religious people even though one is not oneself religious. John was always ready and willing to help me with the technical aspects of my blog. Thank you, John. You are an inspiration. I wish you and yours the very best.

Onward!

Here.

The Texas Rangers, who won the World Series the other day, went 11-0 on the road during the postseason. They were 2-4 at home. The perfect road record is mind-boggling. Someone on MLB Network pointed out that the four teams the Rangers beat (in order) were the Rays, the Orioles, the Astros, and the Diamondbacks. That makes R-O-A-D. How spooky is that?

Here.

Here is John Nolte's latest column.

Twelve years ago, the Texas Rangers broke my heart. They were within one strike of winning the World Series on two separate occasions (see here), but managed to lose the game. They lost again the next day (to the St Louis Cardinals) and became losers of two consecutive World Series. Fast forward to yesterday (1 November 2023). The Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-0, to win the 2023 World Series (in five games). It took 12 years, but the Rangers finally redeemed themselves. I can die happy.

Addendum: Here are my thoughts on the day after the conclusion of the 2011 World Series.

Here.

Here is Kurt Schlichter's latest column.