Re the sad story, per GROK: “The line ‘My father lost me in a card game when I was twelve’ is from the TV show ‘Firefly’. It’s spoken by the character Saffron (also known as Yolanda or Bridget) in the episode ‘Our Mrs. Reynolds’ (Season 1, Episode 6).”
ICYMI: “Join Big Questions with Big John as host Big John interviews Carla Gericke, a libertarian leader and President Emeritus and Chair of the Board of the Free State Project in New Hampshire. From her South African roots under apartheid to her U.S. immigration journey via the green card lottery, Carla shares her path to activism. Learn about her landmark First Amendment victory for filming police, the Free State Project’s mission to promote individual liberty, and her bold push for New Hampshire secession. Discover insights on libertarianism, property rights, and building a freedom-focused community.”
Combo written with ChatGPT and me:
The Addictions Power Rankings (Hybrid Max Comedy Edition)
Brought to you by AI—your bartender giving a TED Talk on sobriety while spiking your drink with dopamine and charging you a monthly subscription.
10 – Reading the Comments — Score: 2/10
Not addictive—you think you can handle one more… until you wake up three hours later composing a 12-paragraph rebuttal to someone named TruckNutz1776. (Who, for the record, has the grammar skills of a feral possum but somehow thinks you’re the idiot.)
9 – TV — Score: 6.5/10
You’re not binging—you’re “investing in long-form storytelling.” Which is exactly what Netflix says right before it auto-plays Season 4 and steals your weekend. (Your “Are you still watching?” screen is really just the digital version of your mother judging you.)
8 – Coffee — Score: 7.5/10
A socially acceptable stimulant addiction with a dealer who wears an apron, judges your coconut milk order, and misspells your name on purpose. (Because nothing says “hospitality” like writing Carlotta when your name is Carl.)
7 – Carbs — Score: 7.8/10
Pasta, pizza, bagels… the love triangle that never ends well. It’s 11 p.m. and your hand is stuck in the Pringles sleeve but you can’t let go. (You’re not even hungry—you’re just emotionally committed now.)
6 – Sugar — Score: 8.0/10
Society’s favorite drug—sprinkled on everything from birthday cake to bread that has frosting on it… and yes, your toothpaste, your salad dressing, and—why not—even your water. (Vitamin Water: for when you want hydration and pre-diabetes.)
5 – Online Porn — Score: 8.5/10
Every fetish you didn’t know you had is three clicks away. Two if your Wi-Fi’s decent. One if you don’t care about plot. (You say you’re looking for something “tasteful,” but we both know how this ends.)
4 – AI — Score: 9.2/10
More addictive than sugar, carbs, coffee, and TV combined. Just when you’re about to quit, it offers to write your breakup texts… and make them rhyme… in Shakespearean sonnet form. (You don’t need a quatrain about Chad, but now you’ve got one.)
3 – Booze — Score: 9.5/10
Legal, socially sanctioned, and literally a neurotoxin. People will guilt-trip you for not doing it—because nothing says “fun night” like group brain cell homicide. (And no one believes your “I’m good with water” line anyway.)
2 – Crack Cocaine — Score: 10/10
The undisputed champ of bad life choices. PhD in neuron demolition. Will sell your soul, car, and grandma for one hit—and you’ll thank it for the networking opportunity. (Your grandma’s fine, by the way—she’s just in Florida now.)
1 – AI + Outrage — Score: 11/10
Like mainlining a Twitter flame war while a robot lists every mistake you’ve ever made in alphabetical order. Instant dopamine, plus the smug afterglow of “winning” the internet. You will never log off—because now you’re arguing with your own bot. (And losing.)
Kicker:
So yeah—AI’s now more addictive than sugar, carbs, coffee, TV, and outrage… but still behind booze, porn, and crack. Which is perfect—because when AI finally does catch up to crack?
That’s when we’ll all need coffee… to run.
If you just want the answer to the question “What is the most beautiful word in the English language,” watch this to the end…
Oh, the stream cut out? And I forgot my selfie-stick? Classic road-life sabotage. Boo. I swear, nothing humbles you faster than technology betraying you mid-brilliance. Sorry, folks—live, love, and buffer, am I right?
Here’s the fun thing I noticed at Ron Paul’s 90th Birthday Bash: because of my Free State Project gig, I’ve somehow ended up in the friend zone of an entire constellation of “celebritarians.” The people you normally see on podcasts, in documentaries, or occasionally tucked into weird Wikipedia rabbit holes—they’ve spoken at our events. They’ve all journeyed to New Hampshire to inhale our crisp pine air, drink in our weirdly uncompromising liberty vibes, and, apparently, tolerate me.
It’s kind of wild when you step back and realize that NH—and yes, me, by proxy—is this beacon, pulling a kaleidoscope of brilliant, chaotic, fascinating humans to the Granite State. Like we’re running the ultimate guest list, an intimate VIP club where your club card reads: “Enemy of the State? Enter here.” And the “here” is the Free State.
So, since the vid cut out, without further ado: here’s the “Who’s Who” of who I’ve actually seen, shook hands with, or awkwardly fan-girled over in the name of freedom. Buckle up, this is your most eclectic, slightly nerdy dream guest list come to life:
Nick Gillespie, Matt Kibbe, Jack Hunter, Glenn Jacobs, Luke Rudkowski, Scott Horton, Dave Smith, Lynn Ulbricht, Martha Bueno, Tom Woods, Larry Sharpe, Keith Knight, John Bush, Clint Russell, Mark and Joanna Skousen, Ernie Hancock, Angela McArdle, Tulsi Gabbard, Josie the Red-Headed Libertarian, and Justin Amash.
And of course, our own Free Stater slate, including FSP founder Jason Sorens and three-term former Maine senator (and now FSP Executive Director) Eric Brakey, but most importantly, FSP volunteers and events organizers… The Quillage that makes the FSP tick! (Not all Free Staters are pictured, I counted twenty of us!)
Seriously. Step back and take a breath. It’s not every day your weird little liberty project reflects back a galaxy of “stars” to honor a man who inspired us all: Ron Paul.
Trying to capture a thousand chanting “End the Fed,” but too late!
On a business trip to Japan in 2000, I was stunned to discover the Tokyo subway still ran on the honor system. No turnstile jumpers, just trust. Flash-forward to my life here in New Hampshire, and the same principle thrives: roadside farm stalls, unlocked and unmanned, with a coffee can or a Venmo QR code and a simple request—take what you need, leave what you owe. No cameras. No signs warning of prosecution. Just… trust. It’s not just charming—it’s culture. Live free and act right. One more reason I love living in the Free State!