Brad Rourke

Category: pjm

  • The Tyranny Of Leadership

    This article by me first appeared in Pajamas Media. The Cub Scout pack that I lead decided, for the first time, to hold a parents’ race at our recent Pinewood Derby. We did it as a fundraiser. My car, while creative (I made it look like a rock), did not do very well in the…

  • A Reformed Reformer

    This article first appeared in Pajamas Media. Recently, there was a little-noticed gathering of graybeards in Oklahoma, designed to place the political world on notice that things have gotten too partisan. I say little-noticed because, while the collected firepower in the room was sufficient to garner some approving mentions in the press, especially from the…

  • You Lose

    This article first appeared in Pajamas Media. My middle school daughter has announced that her new favorite president is Calvin Coolidge. I do not believe it is due to his business-first approach to the Roaring Twenties. My daughter, herself a girl of few words, admires “Silent Cal” for his terseness. Would that this quality were…

  • Your Words Hurt Me

    The article first appeared (in slightly different form) in Pajamas Media. Much is being written at the moment about a list of no-no words circulated by an office of the Army. Compiled by someone with expertise in equal opportunity matters, the list purports to be 76 examples of words that simply should not be used…

  • Stop The Presses: Writing In The Internet Age

    This article first appeared in Pajamas Media Just a couple of days ago, I sought in vain for a “recall” function on my email application. Of course there was none. My message had already been delivered, to the wrong recipient and containing thoughts I wished it hadn’t. That person had sent me a note earlier,…

  • Hack This Vote

    This article first appeared in Pajamas Media. I used to work in politics. It was unglamorous, but one thing it seemed to do in the eyes of my friends was give me the sheen of knowledge. People would call me as Election Day approached and ask me, “Who should I vote for?” My days of…

  • Hard, Ain't It Hard

    This column first appeared (with a different title) in Pajamas Media. There’s not much I do that’s actually difficult anymore. It didn’t used to be that way. When I applied to colleges, it was suggested to me that I create a number of tiers of schools: the long-shots, the probables, and the back-ups. I collected…

  • Hard, Ain’t It Hard

    This column first appeared (with a different title) in Pajamas Media. There’s not much I do that’s actually difficult anymore. It didn’t used to be that way. When I applied to colleges, it was suggested to me that I create a number of tiers of schools: the long-shots, the probables, and the back-ups. I collected…

  • Living Like Xerxes

    This essay originally apppeared in Pajamas Media. When first we lay eyes on the evil Xerxes, in the visual revolution known as 300, he is riding a monstrous platform carried by a throng of people whom (we presume) are slaves. It’s a floating throne and court all in one, massive and imposing. He wants to…