A guy in the next section (who I normally like perfectly fine) just went on a rant about how Rush's 1st Amendment Rights are under attack.

Oh man I hate that argument. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from criticism.

It's a pretty safe bet, since Capone killed off his competition in Chicago.

At this point in my life, whenever I picture my great-grandpa bootlegging for gangsters, I end up picturing Bart Simpson working for Fat Tony.

(My great-grandpa looked nothing like Bart Simpson.)

My favorite workaround for wine during Prohibition was vineyards selling concentrated grape juice, and putting "warning" labels on the box that said "DO NOT DILUTE WITH WATER AND ALLOW TO FERMENT OR THIS WILL TURN INTO WINE"

That's awesome.

Also, semi-relatedly, YOU GUYS, I can't wait for The Poisoner's Handbook to be turned into a tv show (which it will be, check local listings next year). It's about all the ways people died, mostly by accident, in the Prohibition era -- some from bad liquor, but also everything else.

Are you of Irish descent, Sue?

Half. But that was not the rumrunning side. My grandfather was from St. Pierre and worked as an agent for the Bronfman family selling booze to rumrunners.

(family legend says Al Capone, and at this point, despite the fact that I can't verify it, I'm going with it because then at least *someone* in my progenitors had some level of badassery)

My family legend says my aunt Laura sang him a song and he gave her $5. I totally don't believe it.

Of course, as it turned out, they weren't all THAT affected. Especially if they were willing to buy their "medicine" from the Catholics, who got it for sacramental purposes. IIRC.

I gotta say that most sacramental wines I've tasted, even here just a stone's throw from the Napa Valley, are atrocious enough to make a teetotaler out of anyone.

I loved The Poisoner's Handbook. Do you know what network?

Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from criticism.

Nor does it require one to have a radio show. If no one wants to pay him to have a radio show, he's free to hold up signs at funerals and such, like the Phelps family does.

YOU GUYS, I can't wait for The Poisoner's Handbook to be turned into a tv show

OMG OMG OMG!!! I love this book so much!!

Prohibition basically created so many new ways to die from alcohol abuse that NYC had to create a medical forensics branch of the police department in order to determine if alcohol-related deaths were: plain old alcohol poisoning, wood alcohol poisoning, murder made to LOOK like wood alcohol poisoning, etc etc etc.

My great grandfather was he and his brother's tax attorney-- I guess there's a lot of Capone stories!

Haha, Jessica!

My shoulder surgery is tomorrow and the nerves have set in already. Doesn't help that it has felt fine the last couple of days. Then again, I've been trying to avoid certain movements that I know are hurty. Butterflies in the tummy.

I think this got lost in the hailstorm of Rush's stupidity, Suzi. I know you're nervous. You will feel SO much better by this time next week. I wish I could be at the hospital with you and pick you up, but I know your kids and network out there will have you covered. Enjoy the Good Drugs! And remember no matter how good yo're feeling the first day (because of the anesthesia and Good Drugs), do NOT try to take care of yourself. Allow others to wait on you!