Help Me Debug This New Substack
Rip is back on the air!!
I Need a Few Volunteers
That’s why I am asking my incredibly intelligent readers
By Jim Reynolds | www.reynolds.com
Rip McIntosh passed away less than two months ago.
His last newsletter was published on April 8, 2026.
The next day, he posted a short, carefully worded note.
Then all went dark.
I later learned from Ashley, his daughter, that Rip had discovered he was suffering from advanced stomach cancer that had spread throughout much of his body. Remarkably, she told me he was not in pain.
His focus shifted to putting his affairs in order and preparing for whatever came next.
He passed away peacefully at home on April 27, surrounded by those he loved most.
When asked whether there was anything left on his bucket list, he answered simply:
“No, nothing. I’ve done it all and I have no regrets.”
That sounds exactly like Rip.
Many readers have since asked whether Rip’s Newsletter would continue.
It seemed a shame to let a decades-long tradition simply disappear.
In speaking with Ashley, I came to appreciate just how much Rip cared about his readers, his authors, and the patriotic themes that anchored the newsletter three times every week—without fail.
Three issues a week. Four essays per issue. Fifty-two weeks a year.
That’s a remarkable commitment.
I was fortunate to be one of Rip’s regular contributors. Over the past year he published more than 150 of my essays, usually placing them in what he and I jokingly called the “Plato Position”—just before his famous quotation from the ancient philosopher.
Whether I realized it at the time or not, I had already become part of the Rip McIntosh legacy.
So I asked myself a simple question:
Could the newsletter continue?
After studying Rip’s workflow and discussing it with his family, I concluded that it could.
But before making any large commitments, I want to test the idea properly.
Engineers call it a pilot project.
Rather than immediately relaunching to Rip’s full list of more than 24,000 subscribers, I would like to spend some time publishing real issues to a smaller group of volunteer readers.
Real essays.
Real feedback.
Real subscribers.
Then we can evaluate what works, what doesn’t, and what should be improved.
That’s where you come in.
I need volunteers.
If you would like to help preserve and improve Rip’s Newsletter, please sign up for the free subscription at:
Then read the newsletter, offer suggestions, and tell me what you think.
Those who know me know that I have an exception-seeking mind. If something can be improved, I want to hear about it. Please leave comments and suggestions so everyone can benefit from the discussion.
You will notice that the new newsletter preserves many of the visual elements and traditions that Rip’s readers will recognize. At the same time, it is now built on Substack, giving us capabilities that simply did not exist in the old format.
I think Rip would have appreciated that. In fact, he and I discussed the possibility of moving his operation to Substack.
Most importantly, the newsletter is alive again.
If this pilot succeeds, we will move forward with confidence and eventually invite Rip’s full readership to join us.
Our country needs all the patriots it can muster.
And who knows?
Maybe Bob will stop by once in a while.
Rip’s Newsletter is live again.
I hope you’ll help us write the next chapter.