"The totalitarian, to me, is the enemy - the one that's absolute, the one that wants control over the inside of your head, not just your actions and your taxes." -Christopher Hitchens A beautiful day out there, cloudless and seventy degrees. And yet, what a funk I'm in. And ridiculously enough, it's mostly about politics. Last night we watched Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, one of the funniest and most trenchant shows on television these days. Each week, Oliver unpacks o

"My people, my people, what can I say; say what I can. I saw it but didn't believe it; I didn't believe what I saw. Are we gonna live together? Together are we gonna live?" -Mister Senor Love Daddy, Do the Right Thing A short post again, due to a late start coming down the hill from Canandaigua and a deposition set to begin in a few minutes. A hell of a way to start the week. Last week I read an editorial in the NYT by filmmaker Spike Lee, reflecting on his and the City's lov

"And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." -Exodus 3:5 This morning's headlines called me up short with a story in the UK Guardian about the sudden proliferation of Christian energy drinks. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/04/jesus-christian-energy-drink The author took a tongue-in-cheek approach to the topic, and how could one not when trying to review with a straight face product

"You can tell it's good if you light it and a blue flame comes up; that means it's good moonshine and it won't make you go blind." -Johnny Knoxville A few days back, Jim's godfather sent me an article highlighting how much we pay in taxes on distilled spirits, and how it has driven a resurgence in bootlegging. https://reason.com/2026/05/27/high-liquor-taxes-and-a-home-distillation-ban-guarantee-a-thriving-booze-black-market/ I remember this was very much a thing in the north