I hereby decree, as president and commander in chief of this space, that the University of Alabama at Birmingham henceforth be referred to as Bootlicker U.

In case you need a palate cleanser this morning. Which of course you do.

Ok thanks. Will check.

This is freaking crazy. I know we are all numb to the ICE BS, but that's exactly what they want. If this one doesn't get you, I don't know what will.

My favorite book in recent years was an unlikely one for me. "Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life," by Jason Roberts Beautifully written, fascinating, enlightening about things I didn't know I wanted to know, and subtly relevant to the modern world. Highly recommend.

We were both born in that pivotal year of 1963, lived in the same place, graduated together from the Banks High School, lived life in the complicated city of Birmingham. We saw the same things. But did we? Jerri "Peaches" Haslem has never had a problem speaking the truth.

We grew up the same age, the same city, many of the same friends and foundations. But do we really know each other? I can’t wait for this conversation.

I'm excited to have this conversation with my old friend Jerri Haslem tonight at 5 CT. Our lives have forever been so similar, and so very different.

I hope you guys will read and maybe share this. It was important to me to say. I am fortunate to get to say it.

I set out for Lake Mitchell last week stewing over the Flock cameras that watch us and the data centers that will soon surround us and the artificial brand of intelligence that already tells us how to write and work and think. And this is what happened.