Finneran's Wake
140 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingFinneran’s Wake – where the ART OF CONVERSATION lives.
Here, no topic is untouchable, no idea inadmissible, and no one too heretical to be heard.
As the great French essayist Montaigne once said, “To my taste, the most fruitful and natural exercise of our minds is CONVERSATION. I find the practice of it the most delightful activity in our lives”.
It certainly is the most delightful activity in my life. I want it to be so in yours as well.
To that end, I humbly welcome you to my channel.
Here, we'll exercise our minds together. Here, we'll practice this delightful activity as friends. We'll engage, now and forever, in the art--the highest and most human art--of conversation!
With affection,
Daniel
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Is Government Necessary?
August 30, 2022 18:53 - 19 minutes - 26.8 MBGiven all the dysfunction, ineptitude, profligacy, venality, shortsightedness, and unscrupulousness with which our political institutions are rife, we have to ask ourselves: is government necessary? Can we get along just as well without it? In this episode, the first in a series on the “Great Ideas”, we address the question in a dispassionate, philosophical way. This series is inspired by the work of Mortimer Adler, one of America’s foremost public intellectuals and educators wit...
Up From Liberalism by William F. Buckley Jr. | Book Review
August 11, 2022 02:52 - 28 minutes - 39 MBA book review of "Up From Liberalism" by famed Conservative thinker, William F. Buckley Jr. I spend a few minutes tracing my political inspirations: Aristotle, Cicero, Tocqueville, Jefferson, Hitchens and, yes, Buckley. Subscribe, leave a rating, and visit my sister podcast, Pneuma by Daniel Finneran and Finneran's Wake for Kids
Concise Recap Ep. 9 - Al Qaeda Emir Killed; Pelosi Visits Taiwan; Kansas Abortion Proposition Fails; Inflation Reduction Act Passes
August 08, 2022 03:00 - 33 minutes - 46.1 MBQuite a week! Ayman Al Zawahiri, the Egyptian physician-terrorist by whom Osama Bin Laden was succeded, was killed by an American drone strike. He was living large at the time in the heart of Kabul. Nancy Pelosi, undeterred by warnings from both the White House and the CCP, visited Taiwan. In Kansas, a ballot initiative to move the issue of abortion from the judicial to the legislative branch fails, while, in the Senate, the "Inflation Reduction" Act passes. Subscribe to this cha...
Thomas Jefferson and Joe Biden - A Contrast Of Two Presidents at 79
August 03, 2022 01:38 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBWhile reading Thomas Jefferson's collected writings, I realized that, until the very end of his life, his mental acuity never suffered. The same brilliance with which he dazzled the Continental Congress in 1776 sustained itself (and perhaps grew even brighter) until the first quarter of the next century when, on the Fourth of July in 1826, he died. I contrast, in this recorded essay, Jefferson's eloquence at the age of 79 years with the inarticulacy of our current president, Joe Bide...
Concise Recap: Ep. 8 - We've Entered a Recession; Army Recruitment Misses Its Mark
July 31, 2022 03:00 - 23 minutes - 32.8 MBWe've witnessed two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth--a trend to which most honest economists once affixed the word, "recession". But honesty, it seems, no longer has currency, so long as a certain Party is in charge. And the army achieves only 40% of its recruitment goal. Why did this happen, and what does it portend?
Dismantling "White Supremacy Mythology" | Jill Nagle
July 15, 2022 02:01 - 1 hour - 91.9 MBJill Nagle, with whom I had the great pleasure to talk, is the founder of Evolutionary Workplace, a company based in California whose aim it is to “dismantle white supremacy” mythology. In her approach to “Anti-Racism”, she employs some fascinating techniques, about which you’ll want to learn much more. In this episode, Jill Nagle and I discuss definitions of fundamental words (Racism, Anti-Racism, White Supremacy, etc) around which, as of late, there seems to be a lot confusion; t...
Concise Recap - Ep. 7: Unrest in Akron; A Mass Shooting Carried Out in Highland Park (and Averted in Richmond); Boris Johnson Steps Down, While Shinzo Abe is Shot down
July 10, 2022 02:00 - 26 minutes - 36.9 MBOn this week’s Concise Recap, we cover the following: 1.) Unrest in Akron after the release of police footage (of Jayland Walker’s Death) 2.) A mass shooting carried out in Highland Park, and a mass shooting averted in Richmond 3.) Boris Johnson steps down, and Shinzo Abe is shot down. Subscribe and leave a five-star rating and review! Visit my newest projects, "Finneran's Wake - For Kids" and "Pneuma"
Why We Should Celebrate the SECOND of July!
July 03, 2022 03:09 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MB“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty.” - John Adams Today, the 2nd of July 2022, we commemorate this festival of Liberty as Adams envisioned.
Concise Recap - Ep. 6: 53 Migrants Die in a Semi Truck in Texas; January 6th Committee Welcomes a New Witness; Religious Freedom Prevails Again
July 03, 2022 03:00 - 32 minutes - 45 MBAn extraordinary week! The three items you must know: 1. 53 Migrants Die in a Semi Truck in San Antonio Texas 2. The January 6th Committee Welcomes a New Witness 3. Religious Freedom Prevails (Again) in the Supreme Court Visit my new podcast, "Finneran's Wake, For Kid's" for wonderful family-friendly content and my wellness podcast, "Pneuma".
Concise Recap | Ep. 5 - Uvalde Shooting Update; The Supreme Court Sluice Gates Open, Decisions Pour Out; Biden Falls off His Bike, As the Economy Falls of a Cliff | News
June 27, 2022 02:00 - 31 minutes - 42.6 MBWow...what a week! Here are its three most important news items of which you MUST be aware! 1. Uvalde shooting update (plus, the passage of Gun legislation) 2. The Supreme Court sluice gates open, three monumental decisions pour out 3. President Biden falls off his bicycle...as the economy falls off a cliff Subscribe to this growing channel! Show me some (much-needed) love by leaving a five-star rating. Visit my sister podcast, Pneuma Wellness for more content in the health, mi...
Graduating high school in Moscow as the Soviet Union collapsed; Arriving in America; De-propagandizing herself; Reflecting on the conflict in Ukraine today | My interview with Olga, Part II
June 25, 2022 11:00 - 17 minutes - 24.7 MBPart II to my fascinating interview with Olga. Here, Olga reflects on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a humanitarian crisis about which, sadly, the western world is quickly forgetting. As an American born in Russia, her perspective is invaluable. You'll not want to miss what she has to say.
Graduating high school in Moscow as the Soviet Union collapsed; Arriving in America; De-propagandizing herself; Reflecting on the conflict in Ukraine today | My interview with Olga, Part-I
June 25, 2022 02:44 - 1 hour - 128 MBUpon her graduation from high school, when, with unalloyed excitement, most young men and women look hopefully toward the future, Olga’s home country of Russia—in whose greatness and infallibility she was, from a very young age, propagandized to believe—collapsed. All that she’d known, every doctrine whose truth she’d been conditioned to accept, disintegrated before her eyes. She immigrated to America at the age of twenty. She reflects now on the state of Russia and its aggression to...
Major Works | Christopher Marlowe | An Honest Book Review
June 13, 2022 02:00 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBThe one writer under whose influence William Shakespeare squirmed: Christopher Marlowe. Born in the same year, Marlowe and Shakespeare were two of history's greatest geniuses. Of Shakespeare's genius, we need never be reminded. But that of Marlowe too often escapes our approbation. We will assess him, and praise him, in this book review. Enjoy! If there's a book of which you'd like me to produce a review, send its title to [email protected]. I'll happily oblige.
The Truth and Beauty | Andrew Klavan | An Honest Book Review
June 12, 2022 02:08 - 15 minutes - 21.8 MBAn honest book review of Andrew Klavan's latest work, "The Truth and Beauty", in which the quick-witted, bald-headed conservative satirist marries the Romantic poets and the sacred Gospels--a union worthy of your consideration. If there are any books of which you'd like me to do a review, hesitate not! Send me their titles. E-mail me at [email protected], or (once it's finished), visit my website, finneranswake.com
Concise Recap | Ep. 4 - A California Man Threatens to Kill Kavanaugh; January 6th Goes Prime Time; Gun Legislation Moves Through the House | News
June 12, 2022 02:00 - 30 minutes - 42.2 MBA concise recap of this week's news! The three most important news items of which you should be aware, with which you should be fluent, all brought to you in a half-hour's time: 1.) A California man threatens to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh 2.) January 6th goes prime time 3.) Gun Legislation moves through the House (To be stymied by the Senate) Subscribe to this channel and leave on it a 5-star rating! Visit my sister podcast, Pneuma Meditations
Red Handed | Peter Schweizer | An Honest Book Review
June 11, 2022 02:44 - 9 minutes - 13.4 MBGone are those optimistic days of youth when the glasses through which we viewed the world were "rose"-tinged. Now, it seems, everything is colored red. The red of communist China, that is. Into every institution that color has bled: from finance, to tech, to politics, to sports, to entertainment, it suffuses them all. Schweizer's book examines, with a fearless eye, how deeply entangled our venal, purchasable American elites are with the opportunistic Chinese Communist Party. A quick...
Concise Recap | Ep. 3 - Tulsa Shooting Leaves 4 Dead; The "Depp-Heard" Dénouement; The Commencement of Pride Month; BONUS item | News
June 05, 2022 02:57 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MBThis week's "Concise Recap" on Finneran's Wake! For those short on time, but on long on curiosity; for those to whom news and politics are an interest, but whose time is limited. The three most important news items of which you should be aware, with which you should be fluent, all brought to you in a half-hour's time: 1.) A shooting in Tulsa leaves four people dead, of whom two were orthopaedic physicians. How the media covered this and previous shootings. 2.) The "Depp-Heard...
White Fragility | Robin DiAngelo | An Honest Book Review
June 04, 2022 02:42 - 14 minutes - 20.3 MBA candid book review of Robin DiAngelo's best-selling work, "White Fragility". Disclaimer: I am a white person. Worse still--a white man! And I'm not infrequently fragile. And yet, despite that, I'll review this hugely influential book critically and fairly. You'll hear DiAngelo's most salient points, and how they might be examined. If there's a book of which you'd like me to compose a review, email me at [email protected].
How To Be an Anti-Racist | Ibram X. Kendi | An Honest Book Review
June 02, 2022 21:45 - 8 minutes - 11.8 MBAn honest book review of Ibram X. Kendi's 2019 best-seller, "How To Be An Anti-Racist". Dare I treat it critically? Yes. If there's a book of which you'd like me to write and record a review, email me at [email protected], or send a message through social media.
Ticklish Topics | Ep. 2 - The Two Strongest Arguments AGAINST Abortion, Part II
May 31, 2022 22:22 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBWelcome to Part II of my first "Ticklish Topic": Abortion In this, part two of a two-part series, I'll list for you the two strongest arguments against abortion--arguments by which you might be repulsed, persuaded, enflamed, or unmoved. You'll have to e-mail me and let me your response... I should say, the goal isn't to win you, my dear listener, to one side or to the other of this debate, but to the elucidate the issue for you. I want you to see through it more clearly than ever b...
Concise Recap | Ep. 2 - Uvalde, Texas Elementary School Massacre; Political Responses to the Aforementioned; Biden's Commitment To Defend Taiwan | News
May 30, 2022 02:00 - 23 minutes - 32 MBThis week's "Concise Recap" on Finneran's Wake! For those short on time, but on long on curiosity; for those to whom news and politics are an interest, but whose time is limited. The three most important news items of which you should be aware, with which you should be fluent, all brought to you in a half-hour's time: 1.) A mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas left 21 people dead, of whom 19 were children. This is the second mass shooting in as many weeks. ...
Concise Recap | Ep. 1 - Buffalo Shooting, Stock Market Suffers, Disinformation Governance Board Suspended | News
May 23, 2022 02:00 - 22 minutes - 30.8 MBThe inaugural "Concise Recap" on Finneran's Wake! For those short on time, but on long on curiosity; for those to whom news and politics are an interest, but whose time is limited. The three most important news items of which you should be aware, with which you should be fluent, all brought to you in a half-hour's time: 1.) A racially-motivated shooting in Buffalo claimed the lives of 10 people, whom the assailant–a young white supremacist–deliberately targeted. 2.) The stock m...
Ticklish Topics | Ep. 1 - The Three Strongest Arguments FOR Abortion, Part I
May 20, 2022 03:21 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBWelcome to my first "Ticklish Topic": Abortion In this, part one of a two-part series, I'll list for you the three strongest arguments in favor of abortion--arguments by which you might be repulsed, persuaded, enflamed, or unmoved. You'll have to e-mail me and let me your response... I should say, the goal isn't to win you, my dear listener, to one side or to the other of this debate, but to the elucidate the issue for you. I want you to see through it more clearly than ever before...
Twitter Has Tweeted, Whose Board Has Now Spoken; Musk Owns The Site, And All The World's Broken! | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:23 - 9 minutes - 13.2 MBA political Poem
The Predictable, Inglorious Implosion of CNN+ | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:22 - 7 minutes - 10.4 MBA political poem
Our New Justice Supreme, Ms Ketanji Brown-Jackson (A Jurist, Not A Biologist) | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:21 - 7 minutes - 10.3 MBA political poem
Two Saviors In Two Weeks: The Return Of Christ And Obama | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:19 - 6 minutes - 8.73 MBA political poem
I Wish I Might, I Wish I May, Never Again In This State Say, "Gay" | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:18 - 5 minutes - 7.06 MBA political poem.
Full of Faux Sincerity, Lacking (all) Intelligibility, Kamala Harris Can't Speak | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:16 - 5 minutes - 7.64 MBA political poem
Of We Go!--To WWIII, Led By Joe Biden's Inarticulacy | A Political Poem
May 17, 2022 22:14 - 4 minutes - 5.7 MBA political poem.
The Five Greatest Christmas Poems You MUST Read!
December 24, 2021 03:25 - 24 minutes - 33.4 MBSeason's Greetings, one and all! Around this joyous time of year, we're inundated by lists proclaiming absolute knowledge of the best Christmas films and songs, but little mention is ever made of the best Christmas poems... Until now! Listen along, and learn about the five greatest Christmas poems written by Virgil, Milton, Tennyson, Eliot, and Hardy. Happy Holidays, my learned friends!
Ep. 35 - The Five Greatest Christmas Poems You MUST Read!
December 24, 2021 03:25 - 24 minutes - 33.4 MBSeason's Greetings, one and all! Around this joyous time of year, we're inundated by lists proclaiming absolute knowledge of the best Christmas films and songs, but little mention is ever made of the best Christmas poems... Until now! Listen along, and learn about the five greatest Christmas poems written by Virgil, Milton, Tennyson, Eliot, and Hardy. Happy Holidays, my learned friends!
Virgil, The Pagan Poet Who Predicted The Birth of Christ
December 17, 2021 02:31 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MB"Ours is the crowning era foretold in prophecy: born of time, a great new cycle of centuries begins. Justice returns to earth, the Golden Age returns, and its first-born comes down from heaven above..." And just who might this heavenly "first-born" child be? From what royal eminence does he descend? From what divine seed is he made? To whom shall he return, when his hour on this earthy stage is through? We leave it to Virgil, the pagan saint of Dante's dream, to answer these grea...
Ep. 34 - Virgil, The Pagan Poet Who Predicted The Birth of Christ
December 17, 2021 02:31 - 25 minutes - 35.1 MB"Ours is the crowning era foretold in prophecy: born of time, a great new cycle of centuries begins. Justice returns to earth, the Golden Age returns, and its first-born comes down from heaven above..." And just who might this heavenly "first-born" child be? From what royal eminence does he descend? From what divine seed is he made? To whom shall he return, when his hour on this earthy stage is through? We leave it to Virgil, the pagan saint of Dante's dream, to answer these great questio...
Having Difficulty Understanding Aristotle? Here's His ENTIRE Philosophy, Simplified
December 08, 2021 03:45 - 21 minutes - 30.2 MB"One swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy”. Does this apply to podcasts as well? Does one episode not a wise man make? Can you not comprehend all of Aristotle in twenty minutes? You'll have to listen to find out...
Ep. 33 - Everything You Need To Know About Aristotle
December 08, 2021 03:45 - 21 minutes - 30.2 MB"One swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy”. Does this apply to podcasts as well? Does one episode not a wise man make? Can you not comprehend all of Aristotle in twenty minutes? You'll have to listen to find out...
The "Poetess" from Lesbos | Sappho
December 01, 2021 22:05 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MB“Some there are who say that the fairest thing seen on the black earth is an array of horsemen; some, men marching; some would say ships; but I say she whom one loves best is the loveliest". She bats her eyes and smiles at the competition, secure in the knowledge that there is no thing, and doubtless no person, by whom her radiant beauty and unutterable loveliness will ever be surpassed. She is, we well know, the fairest thing of all--the immortal object of Sapphic adoration and rhym...
Ep. 32 - The "Poetess" | Sappho
December 01, 2021 22:05 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MB“Some there are who say that the fairest thing seen on the black earth is an array of horsemen; some, men marching; some would say ships; but I say she whom one loves best is the loveliest". She bats her eyes and smiles at the competition, secure in the knowledge that there is no thing, and doubtless no person, by whom her radiant beauty and unutterable loveliness will ever be surpassed. She is, we well know, the fairest thing of all--the immortal object of Sapphic adoration and rhyme, the fu...
The History Of The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides | A Reading
November 28, 2021 03:46 - 1 hour - 97.8 MB“Our institutions do not emulate the laws of others. We do not copy our neighbors: rather, we are an example to them. Our system is called a democracy, for it respects the majority and not the few”. To this day, some two and a half millennia hence, Athens still remains an example to its neighbors. Mounted high above us, she enjoys the lonely summit of grandeur and refinement to which every civilization hopes to ascend. She alone breathes this thin air to which we’ll never be fully ac...
Ep. 31 - The History Of The Peloponnesian War | Thucydides
November 28, 2021 03:46 - 1 hour - 97.8 MB“Our institutions do not emulate the laws of others. We do not copy our neighbors: rather, we are an example to them. Our system is called a democracy, for it respects the majority and not the few”. To this day, some two and a half millennia hence, Athens still remains an example to its neighbors. Mounted high above us, she enjoys the lonely summit of grandeur and refinement to which every civilization hopes to ascend. She alone breathes this thin air to which we’ll never be fully acclimatize...
Ep. 30 - The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars | Suetonius
November 14, 2021 22:00 - 28 minutes - 39 MB"He had a desire to secure eternal and perpetual fame, but his method was ill-advised. For he abolished the old names of many things and places and gave them new ones based on his own, so that he termed the month of April, 'Neroneus' and he had a plan to give Rome the name of 'Neropolis'". Can you guess the emperor about whom Suetonius is speaking? Matricide, fratricide, the attempted genocide of the Christians, the burning of his own imperial city--only one figure in history has such a lengt...
The Lives Of The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius | A Reading
November 14, 2021 22:00 - 28 minutes - 39 MB"He had a desire to secure eternal and perpetual fame, but his method was ill-advised. For he abolished the old names of many things and places and gave them new ones based on his own, so that he termed the month of April, 'Neroneus' and he had a plan to give Rome the name of 'Neropolis'". Can you guess the emperor about whom Suetonius is speaking? Matricide, fratricide, the attempted genocide of the Christians, the burning of his own imperial city--only one figure in history has suc...
Ep. 29 - Correspondence With The Emperor Trajan | Pliny The Younger
November 01, 2021 01:00 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MB"This contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has spread its infection among the neighboring villages and country. Nevertheless, it still seems possible to restrain its progress..." Emphasis on the word "seems", for, as we know, this virulent superstition of which Pliny the Younger speaks, to which we now attach the innocent name of "Christianity", would not be stymied. Pliny, disquieted by the rapid spread of this zealous and alien creed, sought the advice of his rega...
Correspondence With The Emperor Trajan by Pliny The Younger | A Reading
November 01, 2021 01:00 - 32 minutes - 45.1 MB"This contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has spread its infection among the neighboring villages and country. Nevertheless, it still seems possible to restrain its progress..." Emphasis on the word "seems", for, as we know, this virulent superstition of which Pliny the Younger speaks, to which we now attach the innocent name of "Christianity", would not be stymied. Pliny, disquieted by the rapid spread of this zealous and alien creed, sought the advice of...
On War by Carl Von Clausewitz | A Reading
October 11, 2021 02:01 - 41 minutes - 56.7 MB"War is simply a continuation of political intercourse, with the addition of other means". Those last two words, "other means", have always left me feeling somewhat uneasy. Is it not, after all, a kind of euphemism, a gentle phrase more agreeable to sensitive ears, behind which all the horrors of war--all the carnage, bloodshed, conquest, death, and loss--are too neatly concealed? Perhaps. But we mustn't forget, war is nothing more than a instrument of policy. An especially lethal on...
Ep. 28 - On War | Carl Von Clausewitz
October 11, 2021 02:01 - 41 minutes - 56.7 MB"War is simply a continuation of political intercourse, with the addition of other means". Those last two words, "other means", have always left me feeling somewhat uneasy. Is it not, after all, a kind of euphemism, a gentle phrase more agreeable to sensitive ears, behind which all the horrors of war--all the carnage, bloodshed, conquest, death, and loss--are too neatly concealed? Perhaps. But we mustn't forget, war is nothing more than a instrument of policy. An especially lethal one, it may...
The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon | A Reading
September 20, 2021 02:00 - 40 minutes - 56.3 MB“The policy of the emperors and the senate, as far as it concerned religion, was happily seconded by the reflections of the enlightened, and by the habits of the superstitious, part of their subjects. The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful. And thus toleration produced not only mutual indulgence, but even religious concord.”
Ep. 27 - The History Of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire | Edward Gibbon
September 20, 2021 02:00 - 40 minutes - 56.3 MB“The policy of the emperors and the senate, as far as it concerned religion, was happily seconded by the reflections of the enlightened, and by the habits of the superstitious, part of their subjects. The various modes of worship, which prevailed in the Roman world, were all considered by the people, as equally true; by the philosopher, as equally false; and by the magistrate, as equally useful. And thus toleration produced not only mutual indulgence, but even religious concord.”
Discourses On Davila by John Adams | A Reading
September 13, 2021 02:00 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MB“Every individual is seen to be strongly actuated by a desire to be seen, heard, talked of, approved and respected, by the people about him, and within his knowledge”. This is the fundamental, universal impulse by which every single person is animated—a passion for distinction, and a desire to be loved. We all feel it—from our life’s beginning, till its end—and to its satisfaction, we apply ourselves incessantly. It’s the government’s role, then, to check this mighty passion, and to ...
Ep. 27 - Discourses On Davila | John Adams
September 13, 2021 02:00 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MB“Every individual is seen to be strongly actuated by a desire to be seen, heard, talked of, approved and respected, by the people about him, and within his knowledge”. This is the fundamental, universal impulse by which every single person is animated—a passion for distinction, and a desire to be loved. We all feel it—from our life’s beginning, till its end—and to its satisfaction, we apply ourselves incessantly. It’s the government’s role, then, to check this mighty passion, and to restrain ...