When I was a kid in Denver, The Denver Post was the morning paper and The Rocky Mountain News was the afternoon paper. We read them. I miss it.
The CBS story leaked and is being posted everywhere, the Streisand Effect writ large. Legacy media is dying. Viva Substack! Thanks for being part of new journalism, Earl. Have a good holiday.
🥺 a little weepy, (thanks Earl 😬) but heartfelt gratitude to you. I was not going to do much reading this morning, still lots of prep for the holiday, but I did want to come on here and thank you for keeping me sane these last couple of years…and then you had to pop on with this, now I’m verklempt 🤣 in a good way! Happy Holidays, and thank you for ALL your words. Here’s to a hopeful 2026! ✌️💙
Cheers to those of us who share your hunch that 2026 is going to be a great year.
Cheers to an enjoyable last Christmas in Wisconsin before heading back toward the Atlantic Ocean and putting your activist skills to good use saving Democracy in a different location while expressing in words how so many of us feel. You are a beacon of bright light in a world gone temporarily crazy. Enjoy the holidays.
Happy holidays Earl. I look forward to reading your words and hope you keep writing as long as possible. Maybe I’m drawn to you because I grew up as a proud daughter of a Navy man who served 25 years during WWII and Korea. Thank you for your service Earl.
Oh no! We just moved to Madison in 2021, from Austin, and now all the cool people are leaving?! Say it ain't so, Joe! But I understand. We might find ourselves in San Antonio before another year's out, for various reasons.
I loved this post. I also grew up in a family that always had newspapers. Also, every Friday night, my mom and dad would take my older sisters and me to the library. I suppose we were poor, but I don’t remember it like that. We were together, we all had free books, and this became my lifelong love of reading. I have deleted all my apps. I only read Substack now. The more you read, the less you scroll. Nothing has ever made me less interested in social media than how good my brain feels after an hour with a book that demands my best attention. Wishing you all the best, Earl.
Perfectly said Songgirl Kim, I had a very similar experience growing up.... I loved the library, it was pure magic. I loved the way old books smelled too.... thank God for libraries. There's nothing like reading a book we've held in our hands, it's also easier on the eyes. Happy Holidays 🎉🎄🥂💙🕊️
I am new to your writing, Earl, but am so enjoying reading your posts. My parents drilled into us that knowledge is essential to who and what you are. They proudly bought a set of Encyclopedia Britannica (we’re talking 1950s and 60s) and we kids read through every volume. And I, at my advanced age, haven’t lost my intellectual curiosity! So thank you for contributing to my growth!! I wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season and many blessings in the New Year!
This really got to me. Our lives run on almost parallel tracks,same working-class gravity, same early lessons about responsibility and showing up,except you went toward journalism and I peeled off into business. Different roads, same town underneath it all. I recognize that kid on the bike, the weight of the bag, the quiet pride of being trusted to deliver something that mattered. That wasn’t just paper you were throwing onto porches. It was connection. Someone paying attention.
You’re dead right about local papers. When they went, something essential went with them. Not just information, but a moral presence. A witness in the room. Power hates witnesses, and we made it easier on them than we should have.
I felt what you said about writing after 2016 as therapy. That moment cracked a lot of us open. The country didn’t just change,it showed itself. Writing became a way to stay upright, to name what was happening when it felt like reality was slipping its moorings.
I admire the way you’ve stayed faithful to the written word, even when it cost you. That stubborn independence. Knowing what you’re built for and refusing to turn it into a performance. Words still last. They wait. They matter.
And I’m glad,truly glad,that I get to think of you as a friend. In times like these, that means more than agreement or politics. It means trust, shared ground, and the comfort of knowing someone else is still paying attention.
I’m grateful you’re still slinging words, just on a different route now. And I’m glad you found a place to hang your jacket and your voice. Here’s hoping your journalist’s hunch is right. God knows we could use a great damn year.
I saw the 60 Minutes segment this morning from a Canadian fellow on Facebook who posted it. It's a great piece of journalism, basically interviews of several who were wrongfully imprisoned there. Frankly, we recently saw a segment on Frontline, which was about the very same topic, different victims. No one tried to stop that Frontline, and it was broadcast a number of days ago before the 60 Minutes show. There was basically no difference in intent of the two stories. And, I don't understand why CBS didn't snap that releasing the story on global TV would allow those of us in the US to see it. Are they that ignorant?
As a proud North Carolinian, I’m glad you are moving to our beautiful, troubled state. I’m now a 42- year resident of the equally beautiful PNW. We also have work to do. I agree with your hunch regarding 2026. It will signal if we’re up to the task of rebuilding our country. I think we will. I hope you do too. Safe travels!
I too am an old person and I remember when my parents subscribed to 2 newspapers. One in the morning and one late afternoon. The morning one was considered liberal, the afternoon one conservative Republican. And thoughy parents were lifetime Democrats they supported both papers. I would read them both and honestly sometimes it seemed to me that the so called conservative paper had more liberal views (or maybe I didn't fully understand the concept). The afternoon paper was the first to go. I remember where the paper was housed and when it shut down. I was disappointed. The other paper is still in business but with fewer hard copies. I tried to subscribe but after a while couldn't afford it. I suppose it saves trees but this regime seems to be determined to clear cut all our National Parks anyway. Thank you for your writing and keeping us honestly informed. Have a Happy Holiday. We come into 2026 fighting for freedom!
I remember the same thing with the morning and late day newspapers.... I also remember when mail came twice daily, morning and late in the day. I miss those newspapers, I was just a little kid but found the newspaper very exciting to read. It's a shame that those things are pretty much gone now.....😞
I loved those papers also. I was first introduced when my dad and I would lay on the floor and he would read me the Sunday Funnies. Later I read them myself and the articles also. I'm so old that I remember a bus that came around to neighborhoods selling fresh fruits and vegetables (and those red wax candy lips). Why don't they have those for poor neighborhoods or Senior facilities? Not all old times were good, but there may be some good ideas that we could take and modernize a bit to make it a better world.
I remember those red lips too lol....but the bus with the produce sounds wonderful! That would be such a godsend to the areas experiencing food desert problems. It would help so many people. You're right, some of the old ways would still be great today. Many of them in fact. It's very sad that in this era, so many people are suffering and destitute. It should not be like that. Peace & love, happy holidays 🙏💙🕊
When I was a kid in Denver, The Denver Post was the morning paper and The Rocky Mountain News was the afternoon paper. We read them. I miss it.
The CBS story leaked and is being posted everywhere, the Streisand Effect writ large. Legacy media is dying. Viva Substack! Thanks for being part of new journalism, Earl. Have a good holiday.
You, too, Ann. (Two great papers you read.)
🥺 a little weepy, (thanks Earl 😬) but heartfelt gratitude to you. I was not going to do much reading this morning, still lots of prep for the holiday, but I did want to come on here and thank you for keeping me sane these last couple of years…and then you had to pop on with this, now I’m verklempt 🤣 in a good way! Happy Holidays, and thank you for ALL your words. Here’s to a hopeful 2026! ✌️💙
You are a stalwart, Joanne. A patriot. Best to you and yours this holiday season.
Cheers to those of us who share your hunch that 2026 is going to be a great year.
Cheers to an enjoyable last Christmas in Wisconsin before heading back toward the Atlantic Ocean and putting your activist skills to good use saving Democracy in a different location while expressing in words how so many of us feel. You are a beacon of bright light in a world gone temporarily crazy. Enjoy the holidays.
Thanks for the kind words (as always), Wendy. -Peace
Wishing you and yours very happy holidays and a smooth move in 2026. Love your writing and share with friends, FB, Bluesky, and restack!
Thank you so much.
Happy holidays Earl. I look forward to reading your words and hope you keep writing as long as possible. Maybe I’m drawn to you because I grew up as a proud daughter of a Navy man who served 25 years during WWII and Korea. Thank you for your service Earl.
Thank you for your readership and your family's service. Go Navy.
Peace and light, brother Earl. 🖖
Right on, Al.
Oh no! We just moved to Madison in 2021, from Austin, and now all the cool people are leaving?! Say it ain't so, Joe! But I understand. We might find ourselves in San Antonio before another year's out, for various reasons.
There'll still be plenty of cool people around like yourself, Kozmo!
My husband and I were just speaking a few days ago about how much we miss newspapers! Thanks for all the great columns here and Happy Holidays to you!
America misses newspapers, Kim. -Cheers
Americans who can read miss newspapers - the MAGAts who follow TRump never read them.
I loved this post. I also grew up in a family that always had newspapers. Also, every Friday night, my mom and dad would take my older sisters and me to the library. I suppose we were poor, but I don’t remember it like that. We were together, we all had free books, and this became my lifelong love of reading. I have deleted all my apps. I only read Substack now. The more you read, the less you scroll. Nothing has ever made me less interested in social media than how good my brain feels after an hour with a book that demands my best attention. Wishing you all the best, Earl.
"I suppose we were poor, but I don’t remember it like that."
You are rich in heart and mind, Kim. Couldn't be more obvious.
Cheers, friend.
Perfectly said Songgirl Kim, I had a very similar experience growing up.... I loved the library, it was pure magic. I loved the way old books smelled too.... thank God for libraries. There's nothing like reading a book we've held in our hands, it's also easier on the eyes. Happy Holidays 🎉🎄🥂💙🕊️
I am new to your writing, Earl, but am so enjoying reading your posts. My parents drilled into us that knowledge is essential to who and what you are. They proudly bought a set of Encyclopedia Britannica (we’re talking 1950s and 60s) and we kids read through every volume. And I, at my advanced age, haven’t lost my intellectual curiosity! So thank you for contributing to my growth!! I wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season and many blessings in the New Year!
Back when we'd say, "Well, you have an Encyclopedia's worth of knowledge," and mean it!
Here's to a helluva new year, Barbara.
Thank you for your words ...a faithful reader in NW NJ. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and hoping for a better 2026.
Right on. My old stomping grounds. Merry Christmas, Nancy.
Earl,
This really got to me. Our lives run on almost parallel tracks,same working-class gravity, same early lessons about responsibility and showing up,except you went toward journalism and I peeled off into business. Different roads, same town underneath it all. I recognize that kid on the bike, the weight of the bag, the quiet pride of being trusted to deliver something that mattered. That wasn’t just paper you were throwing onto porches. It was connection. Someone paying attention.
You’re dead right about local papers. When they went, something essential went with them. Not just information, but a moral presence. A witness in the room. Power hates witnesses, and we made it easier on them than we should have.
I felt what you said about writing after 2016 as therapy. That moment cracked a lot of us open. The country didn’t just change,it showed itself. Writing became a way to stay upright, to name what was happening when it felt like reality was slipping its moorings.
I admire the way you’ve stayed faithful to the written word, even when it cost you. That stubborn independence. Knowing what you’re built for and refusing to turn it into a performance. Words still last. They wait. They matter.
And I’m glad,truly glad,that I get to think of you as a friend. In times like these, that means more than agreement or politics. It means trust, shared ground, and the comfort of knowing someone else is still paying attention.
I’m grateful you’re still slinging words, just on a different route now. And I’m glad you found a place to hang your jacket and your voice. Here’s hoping your journalist’s hunch is right. God knows we could use a great damn year.
Been my pleasure getting to know you, man.
Keep up the good work -- as if there's anything else you would do ...
I saw the 60 Minutes segment this morning from a Canadian fellow on Facebook who posted it. It's a great piece of journalism, basically interviews of several who were wrongfully imprisoned there. Frankly, we recently saw a segment on Frontline, which was about the very same topic, different victims. No one tried to stop that Frontline, and it was broadcast a number of days ago before the 60 Minutes show. There was basically no difference in intent of the two stories. And, I don't understand why CBS didn't snap that releasing the story on global TV would allow those of us in the US to see it. Are they that ignorant?
Their so-called leadership is amateurish, disrespectful and mean, Carol ... just like the regime they are covering for.
So grateful for your reporting and especially your integrity, Earl. Thank you!
Thanks, Kyle.
As a proud North Carolinian, I’m glad you are moving to our beautiful, troubled state. I’m now a 42- year resident of the equally beautiful PNW. We also have work to do. I agree with your hunch regarding 2026. It will signal if we’re up to the task of rebuilding our country. I think we will. I hope you do too. Safe travels!
Thanks, Rosemary. Gonna be a helluva year ...
Seems like they all are …
True enough.
Maybe Rosemary he'll be spry enough to catch and post a few sunrises over the Atlantic.. Hmmm?.....
For sure.
I too am an old person and I remember when my parents subscribed to 2 newspapers. One in the morning and one late afternoon. The morning one was considered liberal, the afternoon one conservative Republican. And thoughy parents were lifetime Democrats they supported both papers. I would read them both and honestly sometimes it seemed to me that the so called conservative paper had more liberal views (or maybe I didn't fully understand the concept). The afternoon paper was the first to go. I remember where the paper was housed and when it shut down. I was disappointed. The other paper is still in business but with fewer hard copies. I tried to subscribe but after a while couldn't afford it. I suppose it saves trees but this regime seems to be determined to clear cut all our National Parks anyway. Thank you for your writing and keeping us honestly informed. Have a Happy Holiday. We come into 2026 fighting for freedom!
Thanks, Lynda. I can honestly tell you I didn't work at liberal or conservative papers ... I just worked at papers.
And isn't that how it should be?
I remember the same thing with the morning and late day newspapers.... I also remember when mail came twice daily, morning and late in the day. I miss those newspapers, I was just a little kid but found the newspaper very exciting to read. It's a shame that those things are pretty much gone now.....😞
I loved those papers also. I was first introduced when my dad and I would lay on the floor and he would read me the Sunday Funnies. Later I read them myself and the articles also. I'm so old that I remember a bus that came around to neighborhoods selling fresh fruits and vegetables (and those red wax candy lips). Why don't they have those for poor neighborhoods or Senior facilities? Not all old times were good, but there may be some good ideas that we could take and modernize a bit to make it a better world.
I remember those red lips too lol....but the bus with the produce sounds wonderful! That would be such a godsend to the areas experiencing food desert problems. It would help so many people. You're right, some of the old ways would still be great today. Many of them in fact. It's very sad that in this era, so many people are suffering and destitute. It should not be like that. Peace & love, happy holidays 🙏💙🕊