I used the wrong word in post #3. Obviously, Trump isn't using 9/11 aa "justification", but "authorization". Congress has allowed the Pres. to use the AUMF as he pleases, thru multiple admins. This is the loophole that's long overdue for closing.

1/Matt Taibbi (yes, THAT Matt Taibbi) has a piece (open.substack.com/pub/taibbi/p...) about the Nat. Guard murders, the White House's new "Media Offender of the Week" web page, and the declaration - by Trump - of war against Venezuela. I never turned on Taibbi for 1 reason: he's a journalist.

Oh boy! As of today, sports betting is legal in MO - missouriindependent.com/2025/12/01/s.... Let the bankruptcies begin!

MODoT to commuters: it's the weather people's fault. Metereologists: Our bad

I held on the book until today, anticipating it like a Christmas present. When I start a book I know I'll love, there's a part of me that's sad for when it's done, as I devour good books. That said, to my fellow Heads: GET THIS FSCKING BOOK! Even Ch. 1 is exciting. Bravo @thebanderson.bsky.social!

1/The very same "socialism" panned by politicians today was also considered "evil" in the 1890s...by politicians. Ironically enough, the actual farmers had no such qualms, forming co-ops and irrigation districts for the good of their communities. These communities flourished while others died.

Love this! 👇

1/Good morning BSky fam! Needing something different in my reading diet, I took a chance on "Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder" by Caroline Fraser (bookshop.org/p/books/prai...). A tip for avid readers: a Pulitzer Prize-winning book on ANY topic is gonna be good. 💙📚

1/To @therealcavey.bsky.social - I think it's only fair to let you know I had to take a break from the book, not because it's incorrect about anything, but quite the opposite. Halfway through, I found myself really depressed about the state of the country, so I'm putting it aside briefly.

Oh, @thebanderson.bsky.social, you naughty, naughty man! You were supposed to let me know when the book was out! After all, what's the best seller list compared to the opinion of some Internet rando? 😜 Seriously, fellow Heads: get this book NOW. And congrats Brian. Well done sir!

1/Happy Thanksgiving, fam! 2025 has been a turbulent year. I started my business frfr, lost my father-in-law (RIP Bill Loebig), and lived thru all the highs and lows that come with just BEING. Through all of it, I could count on folks like @therealcavey.bsky.social and many others for kind words.

Good morning BSky fam! I hate to start the holiday this way, but I figured it was worth pointing out. As our economy slips further into recession, of COURSE the government is bailing out the billionaires in the AI industry - open.substack.com/pub/garymarc.... Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

Saw the amazing Dr. Zhivegas at their next to last show last night - youtu.be/ScjKMmmeDOA. St. Louis best dance band. My wife and I went on our first date to a Dr. Z show almost *20 years ago*. It was very bittersweet! To Frankie and the boys: Don't stay retired forever fellas. This town needs you.

Sigh. "National Security Moms"? This is the Dems big strategy? "Spanberger posits that for voters sizing her up, her work at the CIA can serve as a shortcut to She’s tough. She’s hardworking. She’s thorough." I have quite a few descriptors for the CIA. None of those are on my list. Smh.

Maybe I've been watching too many Mafia movies, as the word prick as entered my lexicon of insults, typically directed towards DC. Using it again this morning - www.yahoo.com/news/article...

@davekarpf.bsky.social does some great work - open.substack.com/pub/davekarp....

1/Here's another comparison that I know some will understand. Drug addicts have a secret they can only share with other addicts. Part of it is the thrill of doing something illegal. And that's a big part - at first. You feel like you're in a secret club - at first. You enjoy the high - at first.

1/Great piece from @jysexton.bsky.social on Epstein and the rot that continues to eat away at our society. To Jared's point, don't fall into the temptation to make this about Trump. It's not. Epstein stretches far beyond the White House and Trump, awful as he is, isn't the disease - he's a symptom.

My great friends at Regenaissance have a bully new piece on natural wines without the hangover - theregenaissance.news/p/why-most-w.... Def. don't drink like I used to (which is good for humanity, trust), but I'm certainly not opposed to a glass now and then. Dig it! 👇🍷

Water and sewer departments with their own accounts? Pure genius 👇

@kenklippenstein.bsky.social tells us in advance what will be included in the Epstein files release: absolutely nothing of substance - open.substack.com/pub/kenklipp...

1/Good morning BSky fam! Brief thoughts at the halfway point (gm @therealcavey.bsky.social!). 1st, the author points to 3 areas of Constitutional failure: 2 Senators per state, the Electoral College, and unlimited Supreme Court terms. Disagree re: Senators, feel both re: EC, agree, re: SC. 💙📚

My God, my descriptions sound surprisingly sycophantic, and I'm embarrassed. I'm leaving it up to remind myself of Walt Kelly's famous phrase and my discomfort that it might apply to me.

1/Good morning fam! Oooh, I'm on a spicy new book this morning: "No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States" by Erwin Chemerinsky (bookshop.org/p/books/no-d...). Just starting it, but I want to say a little bit about why I'm reading it and why you should too. 💙📚

Had to post this one in its entirety.

My apologies to (still improbably-named) @zekefaux.bsky.social for not linking to him in my review. The book is an awesome read! Altho my psyche is forever scarred by the horror of "Versace Bedouin" (yes, really) "rapper" (I cracked 3 knuckles on those air quotes), Razzlekhan - youtu.be/_DIuPPmY9mw

1/Good morning BSky fam! It's book recommendation time! Today's tome is "Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall" by the improbably-named Zeke Faux (bookshop.org/p/books/numb...) about the scammers, lunatics, and outright criminals sitting atop the $3T crypto universe. 💙📚

Message to the Democrats for '26: stay away from the AI bubble! If you hitch your wagon to Silicon Valley, you WILL get caught in the blast when the bailouts begin. The time to get on the side of the people is RIGHT NOW. I'm talking to you, Gretchen Whitmer and Josh Shapiro.

1/This 👇 I had a conversation with my Mom yesterday about Mamdani and NYC, and I realized something. In the country that invented so much of the modern world, whether it's healthcare, rent control, grocery stores, etc., we're conditioned to be deathly afraid of ideas that upset the status quo.

By the way, is it just me, or does it absolutely SUCK to lose members of the Dead? Reminder that life is impossibly short. Let's keep telling the stories and playing the music to inspire the next generation. Deadheads unite! ⚡🎧🎶

Listened to Steve Parish on Sirius yesterday give a wonderful heartfelt tribute to Donna Jean. She brought grace and a woman's touch to the traveling circus and proved a woman could more than hold her own with the boys in the band. We love you more than words can tell, DJ. ⚡❤️

Thank you to @authoraj66.bsky.social for the shout out!

Ted Gioia is one of my favorite authors on the web. This piece about living meaningfully in our dopamine addiction era was targeted at Gen Z but the same advice applies to everyone - open.substack.com/pub/tedgioia...

1/If you haven't seen the Hurricane Katrina doc on Netflix, I highly recommend it. It's gut wrenching, anger inducing, and heartwarming sometimes all in the same scene. It's been *20 years* y'all. Unbelievable. Pay attention to the residents of the Lower 9th Ward. They can teach us all about FEMA.

Happy Saturday fam! Came across this on LinkedIn and thought I'd share it here. If you're worried about food this month or know someone who is (are there ANY of us who aren't in one of those categories?) please share this.

1/Good morning BSky fam! A quick book recommendation this morning: "The Accommodation: The Politics of Race in an American City" by Jim Schutze (bookshop.org/p/books/the-...) about Dallas in the 1940s and 50s. It's an eye opener about the politics and reality of race back in the "good old days". 💙📚

Spot on mates! Love this one.

Oh, and this - www.cnn.com/2024/12/22/b.... FYI, these folks work 3 days viewing the absolute worst depravity humanity can conceive to earn what a US Walmart employee makes in an hour. But hey, look at all that "efficiency"! 🤢

Just gonna leave this here - www.noemamag.com/the-exploite....

1/I'm blessed to live in a community with an electric cooperative and credit unions, a farmer's market in the summer, and a crapload of small businesses. You want to see the heart of our country? Check out a small town Chamber of Commerce. Not the big Republican national one, but your local branch.

1/Great Depression econ numbers are insane. GDP cut almost in HALF, and unemployment hit 25%. If today's government tried to soak up that much in losses, we'd be burning stacks of $100s to keep warm. Wages dropped by 40%, but on the plus side (I guess?), prices dropped by almost 40% as well.

In 1930, President Hoover coined the phrase "Depression", as it was kinder and gentler than "Panic", the term used in previous crises. History herself added the "Great". In 2025, "Depression" sounds pretty damn scary to me.

Dow Jones, 1920s vs 2010 - 2025. I'm just gonna leave this here.

1/The current fight over ACA tax credits is huge news in FL rn - www.miamiherald.com/news/health-.... Little secret - Florida is *not* Palm Beach/Coral Gables. It's Marianna, Gainesville, W. Palm; aka small towns and struggling people. I'll try to explain it one more time for anyone who's listening.

How ironic the party of laissez-faire, small, deregulated government is overseeing a massive expansion in law enforcement, including criminalizing free speech - open.substack.com/pub/kenklipp.... Meanwhile in FL, Obamacare premiums are set to spike 30%+ next year. Still what you voted for Repubs?

Good morning fam! The last day of vacation brings a sadness, but also a longing for home and our kitties. Even tho it's touristy, there are few places in the world as beautiful as the beaches of the Florida panhandle. We shall return!

1/We all come to BlueSky to reveal the darkest secrets of our black hearts, right? Just me? Huh. Anyhow, it's Thursday, so it's admittin' time. Deadheads look away! Today's secret: "Life of a Showgirl" is a banger - youtu.be/OU6362Nggg0. Yes, I'm serious. No, really, I am. Hear me out here.

1/Good morning fam! Sorry to be away so long. BSky feels like a secret garden of friends after weeks pumping my new biz on LinkedIn. Suzanne are on our annual anniversary vacation to Santa Rosa Beach, and I have to say, I've been few places as beautiful as FL in the fall. The weather is perfect.

I've been a big fan of Matt Stoller's work for years now. He's pointing out the corrupt heart of our society for all to see. Know why it feels like the system is rigged? Because IT IS - open.substack.com/pub/mattstol...

1/Good morning fam! Long overdue time for a book review! Today's tome is "Americana: A 400-Year History of American Capitalism" by Bhu Srinivasan - www.goodreads.com/book/show/34... - the fantastically well-written story of how we got here. For the unaware, America has always been a brutal place. 💙📚