I thought everyone outside New York State, especially those in free states like Florida or Iowa, would be interested in a little news from here behind the Iron Curtain.

As I've said on several interviews over the past two weeks, New York State is a microcosm of the United States as a whole. This electoral map probably says it better than the proverbial thousand words. 

That blue patch on the far left (western end of the state) is Erie County, which includes the city of my birth, Buffalo. I live in Niagara County, directly north of Erie. Two counties to the east of mine, Monroe County, includes Rochester, N.Y.

My point here is that New York is not all one homogenous blob of politically likeminded people. Like much of America, the densely populated urban centers vote Democrat and the rest - rural and small-town America - vote Republican.

Obviously, voting Republican doesn't by any means mean Ancapistan, but let's face it, as far as the last two years are concerned, your only chance for a relatively free existence was living in a "red state."

Or was it?

I can tell you firsthand that living in Niagara County, N.Y. in December 2021 is for all intents and purposes no different than living in Niagara County, N.Y. in December 2019. The only difference in 2021 is the extreme minority of the population voluntarily wearing masks.

However, if the Erie County Executive had his way, Erie County would be right back to April 2020. He mandated masks indoors for all indoor "public" spaces (I'll let calling private property "public" go for now). But even inside "blue" Erie County there is political diversity.

On Monday, I'll have my interview with Gary Dickson, Republican Town Supervisor of West Seneca, N.Y., who is one of two town supervisors in Erie County who have spoken out against the mask mandates. While their opposition was hysterically exaggerated by the news media, at least Dickson's stance shows just how toothless these mandates are when they don't have the consent of the populace.

In the meantime, I could use your help on one thing. In order to get my new podcast visibility, I need to get some "social proof" of its popularity among listeners. I would very much appreciate you taking the time to post a review on the podcast app (Apple, Stitcher, Google, etc.) you use to listen or right on my website at https://tommullentalksfreedom.com/podcast/.

I know the Apple podcast app doesn't make this easy - you have to go to the show page, scroll down to the Ratings and Review section, and click the star farthest to the right (wink, wink). Then, you can leave a review.

On my website, you have to go to one of the individual show pages. Nothing can be easy, right? But if you can help me out on this, although there won't be any money, when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. 

Don't forget my new e-book, An Anti-State Christmas, is also available in paperback here. It'll cost you less than a fiver and makes a great stocking stuffer!

Get a few copies for friends or family who need deprogramming - or even just a few laughs.

Like the music on Tom Mullen Talks Freedom? You can hear more at tommullensings.com!