Note to Subscribers

Here's What's Next

For Common Sense and Whiskey’s first year on Substack I ran it at a breakneck pace, with three columns a week, and wore myself out. I felt like if I stayed on output at that pace for much longer, the quality of content would suffer, so I paused CS&W earlier in 2024 to take stock and I’ve only posted occasional columns since.

A lot of the early energy here came from real anger at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and that remains. At the same time, new challenges arise around the world everywhere you look, and the incoming US presidential administration is bound to be … let’s say … worthy of comment.

So a more active Common Sense and Whiskey will return with the new year, not quite as frenetic as before, and a little more loosely formatted, with sometimes shorter posts, maybe even just a photo or a few passing thoughts, and maybe more use of the Substack Notes feature. Please join me.

•

I’m always frustrated to be reading a post I’ve just happened across elsewhere on Substack, and then run up against a paywall. It seems kind of … rude. Mercenary, maybe. So CS&W won’t use paywalls, but if you appreciate what you’re reading, I welcome the support of, say, five dollars a month, or whatever feels right. Think of it as supporting a good cause.

I turned off the payment-taking machine when I paused CS&W earlier this year, but I’ll turn it on again on January 1st, 2025. I appreciate those who signed up for paid subscriptions. Thank you for your support and I hope you’ll stay with me in the new year.