Tom Bentley

Notes on Being a Man, and Advice for Young Men Who Are Feeling Lost — Scott Galloway - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss I'm hoping Scott's book will act as a virtual mentor for young men who are feeling lost, stuck, angry, or despondent about the future.

Helpful advice on showing—and sharing—some light with young men:

tim.blog/2025/10/24/a...

A great day at the plaza in Watsonville, CA. Many hilarious signs (mine is a contender) and the marvel of famed labor activist Dolores Huerta, who addressed the crowd with vigor and a strong, persuasive voice. Dolores is 95. Heroes are made of this.
#NoKings

Texas School Bans Students from the Library Politicians, not parents, are deciding what children can read in the United States.

Pathetic. When will they put "no reading" implants in people's brains?

SB 13 is a bill that removes local control from public schools across Texas and gives politicians (not parents) the power to decide what books are or are not available to students.

action.everylibrary.org/texas_school...

The media is largely ignoring the trauma of millions. Here's why. Plus: Watch George Stephanopolous pushes JD Vance with follow-up questions, cringe at Bari Weiss's pep talk to CBS journalists; and more

The media is largely ignoring the trauma of millions. Here's why.
open.substack.com/pub/margaret...

Watering the Friday soil (well, our own) with a standard—but delicious!—Manhattan. Four Roses Small Batch Select bourbon, Dolin vermouth, Peychaud and Angostura bitters, brandied cherry, lemon twist. Standard she may be, but ahhhhhhh....
#cocktails

Mr. President. Stop breaking the law. 

The shutdown does not give you the right to fire thousands of hard working federal employees.

Instead of giving huge tax breaks to your billionaire friends, show some respect for the struggling working families of our country.

YouTube video by CaseyNeistat SORA: the all Ai TikTok Clone. will slop end creativity?

Nah, it can't be that bad, could it? Oh, wait...

youtu.be/I1dW-nZqhew?...

Five years after the hardcore CZU fire, Butano State Park still is heavily scarred, with burnt trees and stumps everywhere, but yet beautiful in a haunting way. That's me a week ago in front of a big redwood that had fallen across a trail, looking recently sawed. #ClimateChange #fire #redwoods

Tonight’s sweet relief: a Sazerac w/ Russell’s 6-year rye, St. George absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters, simple syrup, lemon wedge, splash of (non traditional) soda water. A small anodyne for the news. #cocktails

Jane Goodall, world-renowned primatologist, dies aged 91 Jane Goodall Institute says ‘tireless advocate’ for natural world died in California during US speaking tour

A real blow: she was a big, big soul

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

The pseudo tough guy putting on a performative prance. Astonishing that this idiocy is supposed to represent a proud military. Many a general—and many a regular soldier—must be cringing.

I Believe in Libraries. EveryLibrary's Executive Director, John Chrastka, discusses why he believes in libraries.

EveryLibrary's Executive Director, John Chrastka, discusses why he believes in libraries. #libraries #AABB
www.everylibrary.org/i_believe_in... via @everylibrary.bsky.social

A toast to democracy; it wobbles, but I think (hope!) it will remain upright. This is a Square Mile, with Old Forester 1920 bourbon (yum), Grey Whale gin (semi-local) and Dolin Vermouth. Interesting—I did like the bourbon/gin combo more than I imagined, though not sure I'd do it a lot.
#cocktails

PETITION: Restore the Right to Read at DoDEA Schools Sign the petition to support H.R.5527 and stop the DoDEA book bans in schools on military bases in the US and abroad.

Sign the petition to support H.R.5527 and stop Trump's book bans in schools on military bases in the US and abroad.

action.everylibrary.org/rtrdodea via
‪@everylibrary.bsky.social‬

Freedom of Speech For Sale Jimmy Kimmel is benched to curry favor with Trump

Freedom of Speech For Sale
open.substack.com/pub/steady/p...

More good times with the friendly picnickers in the Trumpista administration

Oh yes—when I speak it's all roses and birdsong. (At least, after five cocktails.)

CBS parent company Paramount canceled Colbert to win approval from Trump's FCC to merge with Skydance.

Now ABC parent company Disney suspends Kimmel as it seeks DOJ approval to buy Fubo — and its affiliate Nexstar seeks FCC approval to buy Tegna.

See how this works?

A Beautiful Day for Saying Nothing That chill in the air isn’t Jimmy Kimmel’s show being suspended. It’s just autumn!

You will have to have a rag to sop up the irony dripping off this, but her stuff is always good:

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

#Kimmel #MAGAHypocrisy

Our country (big, frustrated sigh) feels so effed-up now, with no succor in sight. I feel powerless to make structural change, so I made a Friday night cocktail: A Man o' War, with Old Forester 1920 (a fave), Dolin vermouth, Gran Marnier, lemon juice, twist, brandied cherry. Breathe... #cocktails

This eve's Jumpin' Jehoshaphat: a basic gin and tonic with a bit of jump: Grey Whale gin (kind of local), Liber tonic syrup, fizzy water, Meyer and Orange bitters, lemon wedge. Spirited (since it's been a lovely warm day). #cocktails

These just arrived today, so tonight is glory!

Besides supporting sustainability, sending kids to Chocolate University overseas to learn about cooperative cacao-bean growing practices with farmers, and partnering with good folks globally, Askinosie chocolate is fabulous! #chocolate #Askinosie

We house-sat on Bequia for about a month some years ago and enjoyed it, and a short stay on St. Vincent. We saw the turtle guy as well and wondered if the program was fully beneficial for the animals, but in our superficial considering, it seemed to be.

Before the Trump administration outlaws sunflowers, and has them picked up by ICE, here are the ones waving with obvious gaiety along my driveway:

#flowers

The story behind this Mark Twain postcard, sent to one of his "friends," is full of betrayal and mystery. I've read a lot about Twain's colorful life, but this was a new one on me. Can't afford the auction price though.

auctions.potterauctions.com/_TWAIN__Mark...

No notes

Tonight's volcano of joy: A Boulevardier a la Banane (yeah, quite a monicker): WhistlePig Rye, Gran Classico (so much better than Campari), Cocchi vermouth, 99 Bananas liqueur (99 proof!), orange twist. Love the banana boost. #cocktails

The Solace of Open Spaces “There is nothing in nature that can’t be taken as a sign of both mortality and invigoration… Everything in nature invites us constantly to be what we are.”

Some lovely writing here...

The Solace of Open Spaces www.themarginalian.org/2022/06/09/t...

A Dangerous Liaison Trump and RFK Jr. play politics with public health and safety

I am re-reading Orwell's 1984 right now, and the parallels between Big Brother's doublespeak, doublethink and the full range of authoritarian control and that of the Trump administration are stark. Ugly times. Let's not sleepwalk.

A Dangerous Liaison
open.substack.com/pub/steady/p...

How Publishing Has Changed Since 2015 | Jane Friedman To mark the 10-year anniversary of this newsletter’s launch, here’s a look at some of the biggest industry changes in the past decade.

Always good stuff! The piece today on publishing industry changes since 2015 is fascinating:

janefriedman.com/how-publishi...

Opinion | Wilted Lettuce. Rotten Strawberries. Here’s What Happens When You Round Up Farmworkers.

I’ve lived across from acres of strawberries for 25 years. The workers toil, bent over, in heat and cold. Not criminals, but Satan, er, Trump is arresting and deporting them. The country-harming idiocy of that matches many of this administration’s fool decisions.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...