diff --git a/my/common.py b/my/common.py
index 8b406c0..573533b 100644
--- a/my/common.py
+++ b/my/common.py
@@ -76,3 +76,17 @@ def listify(fn=None, wrapper=list):
 #     def md(it):
 #         return make_dict(it, key=key, value=value)
 #     return listify(fn=fn, wrapper=md)
+
+
+def setup_logger(logger, level=None, format=None, datefmt=None):
+    import logging
+    old_root = logging.root
+    try:
+        logging.root = logger
+        logging.basicConfig(
+            level=level or logging.DEBUG,
+            format=format or '%(name)s %(asctime)s %(levelname)-8s %(filename)s:%(lineno)-4d %(message)s',
+            datefmt=datefmt or '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S',
+        )
+    finally:
+        logging.root = old_root
diff --git a/my/pdfs.py b/my/pdfs.py
index 2cbd106..6d9fcf7 100755
--- a/my/pdfs.py
+++ b/my/pdfs.py
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@ def main():
     from pprint import pprint
 
     logger = get_logger()
-    from kython.klogging import setup_logzero
-    setup_logzero(logger, level=logging.DEBUG)
+    from .common import setup_logger
+    setup_logger(logger, level=logging.DEBUG)
 
     collected = get_annotated_pdfs()
     if len(collected) > 0:
diff --git a/my/reading/polar.py b/my/reading/polar.py
index 50034d8..73eea81 100755
--- a/my/reading/polar.py
+++ b/my/reading/polar.py
@@ -4,22 +4,24 @@ from datetime import datetime
 import logging
 from typing import List, Dict, Iterator, NamedTuple, Sequence, Optional
 import json
+
 import pytz
 
+from ..common import setup_logger
+
 from kython.kerror import ResT, echain, unwrap, sort_res_by
-from kython.klogging import setup_logzero
 from kython.konsume import wrap, zoom, ignore
 
 
-BDIR = Path('/L/zzz_syncthing/data/.polar')
+_POLAR_DIR = Path('~/.polar')
 
 
 def get_logger():
-    return logging.getLogger('polar-provider')
+    return logging.getLogger('my.reading.polar')
 
 
 def _get_datas() -> List[Path]:
-    return list(sorted(BDIR.glob('*/state.json')))
+    return list(sorted(_POLAR_DIR.expanduser().glob('*/state.json')))
 
 
 def parse_dt(s: str) -> datetime:
@@ -183,14 +185,16 @@ def iter_entries() -> Iterator[Result]:
             logger.exception(err)
             yield err
 
+
 def get_entries() -> List[Result]:
     # sorting by first annotation is reasonable I guess???
     # TODO
     return list(sort_res_by(iter_entries(), key=lambda e: e.created))
 
+
 def main():
     logger = get_logger()
-    setup_logzero(logger, level=logging.DEBUG)
+    setup_logger(logger, level=logging.DEBUG)
 
     for entry in iter_entries():
         logger.info('processed %s', entry.uid)
diff --git a/my/reddit.py b/my/reddit.py
index 36b67f3..5351cc0 100755
--- a/my/reddit.py
+++ b/my/reddit.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import my_configuration.repos.rexport.model as rexport
 
 class CPath(PosixPath):
     def open(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        # TODO FIXME use something else instead?
         from kython import kompress
         return kompress.open(str(self))