Wait a minute, I’m not gone yet

“All things must come to an end.”
—Geoffrey Chaucer

This week’s Right Hook takes a slight detour through the good, the bad and the ugly—all of which will depend on your perception of the concepts regularly advanced herein.

When your never-humble Host first encountered this particular publication, I considered it nothing less than a left-wing echo chamber for loopy liberals—probably because in fact, it was. That was when, once upon a time circa 2002, I had occasion to come across a guest opinion about Yucca Mountain. It was a scandalous little piece of fiction masquerading as “fact” that so completely frosted me that I wrote to the then-editor about its deficiencies and was promptly ignored for my troubles. (As the saying goes, journalists are entitled to an opinion but not to make up facts.)

This was prior to editor D. Brian Burghart’s “under new management” sign having been hung up. Perhaps that may also explain why readership at the RN&R is up 54 percent in the last five years under said management. It was also he who handed me the keys to my little Space three-plus years ago.

Lest I wax all poetic, allow me to get to the “bad"—at least from my perspective. It has come to my attention that Right Hook will be ending his tour soon—a source of jubilation for some—for some, maybe not.

Now in all seriousness, I can’t really complain. It has been a good run and, without a doubt, a longer one than even I would have ever imagined. Brian and I have broken bread—not to mention hops, barley and single-malt on multiple occasions. At the risk of an insult, I will forever maintain that he is a closet conservative if only because I’ve never met anyone who ever ran a successful operation who wasn’t conservative.

In truth, recall—or not—that when I entered this particular realm, the “diversity” crowd had epileptic fits. Nut jobs came out of the woodwork demanding my firing and censure, and in one case, writing I “deserved to die.” So much for liberal tolerance.

And when the Nevada Press Association announced my recent accolade (best non-staff column), there was one particular individual who did what liberals do best—"protest.” That this person never made a cogent argument about why my one little award was somehow an aberration, but this publication’s 38 others—awarded by the same group—were not, was, ah, surprising.

The point for making this announcement was more in keeping with my spirit of keeping in practice. Like me or not, I have always tried to do my best to adjust, adapt and learn.

To that end, my announcement comes early since I have, to date, been the occupier of the space, and I have been frequently asked numerous points, opinions and the like. To that extent, I thought it was uniquely poignant that I should spend any remaining time paying homage to my readers.

So, good, bad or ugly, you may henceforth level me, ask any questions, or just plain take a “shot” at the conservative mind.

To that end, I will compile any, all and previous requests that I’m able to do so (with my responses) answering the same.

I intend my last column to be on the United States Constitution.

And with that, leave us return to Chaucer.