Dog-Eat-Dog Enterprises Blog

POOF: YOU ARE READING MY BLOG.
YES, I KNOW I SHOULD BLOG MORE OFTEN.

Bernie Shows the Way [Again]!

Whenever I encounter a video on YouTube with Bernie Sanders (either an interview or a speech), I watch at least part of it. I know you are all very busy, but this speech on the Senate floor is worth watching in full!

"I Took Bernie Into Deep Trump Country. Can He Win Them Over? What happens when you put Bernie Sanders in the second reddest state in the country? For nearly 80 years straight, working-class West Virginia was a Democratic stronghold — until it took a hard turn to Trump. We were on the ground with Bernie Sanders to investigate why." - More Perfect Union [17:56]

15 September 2025

"I'm on the floor of the Senate to discuss how we keep the government open and serve the needs of the American people." - Senator Bernie Sanders [19:10]

18 September 2025

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU FIND THIS TOO STRESSFUL TO WATCH [YOU ARE EXCUSED, GO IN PEACE]. WE WILL TRY TO KEEP AN EYE ON ALL THIS AND SHARE INFORMATION SO THAT WE ARE NOT TOTALLY SURPRISED AT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

ABC and Disney toss Jimmy Kimmel!

Most news outlets and radio stations and social media have probably covered this topic in great depth, but if you only have time for a few, here are some videos I found on YouTube which I feel are worth sharing. If you are a mind reader, you will no doubt understand more or less how I feel about this. Feel free to click the Contact link and let me know your thoughts.

"ABC has pulled late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off air indefinitely over comments he made about the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. 'Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,' a spokesperson for the Disney-owned network said in a statement. Earlier this week, Kimmel said during his show that the 'Maga gang' was trying to score political points off Kirk's killing. Kimmel did not comment to the BBC as he emerged shortly after the announcement from the television studio in Los Angeles." - BBC News - 19 September 2025 [3:14]

Jimmy Kimmel PULLED OFF AIR After Trump Administration Pressure. "Tommy Vietor and Jon Lovett discuss Jimmy Kimmel being pulled off air." - Pod Save America - 17 September 2025 [12:46]

"Trump Urges NBC To Cancel Fallon And Meyers. ABC yanked 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' off the air following a threat from FCC chair Brendan Carr, and President Trump celebrated his administration's success in blackmailing media companies in order to silence his critics. " - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - 18 September 2025 [10:47]

"Primer on Free Speech in the Glorious Trump Era: A humble, obedient Jon Stewart heaps praise upon America's Glorious Leader, Donald J. Trump, and provides an FCC-approved refresher on the rules of free speech in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension. Plus, the TDS News Team serenades the world's greatest, large-p*****d leader. [PG-8]" - The Daily Show - 18 September 2025 [23:23]

"Trump Returns from U.K. Visit and the White House Cracks Down on Free Speech: A Closer Look. Seth takes a closer look at Trump's lavish state visit to the U.K. and his administration's attempts to silence critics and crack down on free speech." - Late Night with Seth Meyers - 18 September 2025 [12:47]

19 September 2025

YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT TO YOUR SENATOR OR CONGRESSPERSON; THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT US! LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT ALL THIS.

• Angus King
  DC (202) 224-5344 & Augusta (207) 622-8292
• Susan Collins
  DC (202) 224-2523 & Augusta(207) 622-8414 & (207) Bangor 207 945-0417
• Chellie Pingree
  DC (202) 225-6116 & Portland (207) 774-5019 & Waterville (207) 873-5713
• Jared Golden
  DC (202) 225-6306 & Bangor (207) 249-7400 & Caribou (207) 492-6009 & Lewiston (207) 241-6767
• Governor Janet Mills
  Augusta (207) 287-3531, or contact through her website.

Find Your State Senator

Find your State Representative by name, or by District

Thanks to Emanuel Pariser for this handy guide for staying in touch with our representation.

"Trump Is Sicker Than They’re Telling Us: Independent journalist Don Lemon joins the Beast's Joanna Coles for a wide-ranging conversation unpacking Trump's health issues, the MAGA movement's big problem, and the night RFK Jr. had dinner with Don Lemon. The two dive into Trump's public appearance at the U.S. Open and ask what the mysterious blue object clenched in his mouth, seen in a candid photo, is. They also dissect JD Vance's rise, calling him the kind of 'DEI hire' conservatives pretend to hate. Later they dig into the contradictions of his wife Usha's background, the role Black Americans played in securing rights for immigrant communities, and why Trump still manages to suck all the oxygen out of every room." - The Daily Beast Podcast - 8 September 2025 [47:05]

19 September 2025

Previous Blog Posts:

Wake Up Before It's Too Late!

"Militarizing the nation's capital is not a distraction, and Democrats really need to stop using that term. Trump is trying to seize power, intimidate the public, and foment violence in the streets. And it's a purposeful MAGA marketing campaign—the masked federal thugs often have a camera person with them as they tase and tackle people. This is a fight that is central to the pro-democracy coalition, and it must become a political loser for Trump. Meanwhile, European leaders are now the ones defending liberty, and Trump may be laying the groundwork for an attempted federal takeover of our elections. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller." - The Bulwark

20 August 2025

Planning a Facelift Soon

Eating an Elephant!

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Latest bite: timeline context.

7 August 2025

Churning the Contents Again!

Change is good!

You may have noticed that some buttons have changed or been rearranged. No worries. I have added some stuff and moved some stuff around. Still actively working at giving away books, DVDs and music CDs. The blog entries have been moved to the "Blog" page. The Wishful Thinking Fairy™ makes her/its debut at last. And the new Sayonara button is for my memoir/autobiography/obituary thing (mostly for sharing with Gale's Writing Group); but humans known to me may provide helpful feedback (thanks already to those who have heard of seen early drafts). It is a work in progress, of course, and there are other irons in the fire, but I hope to refresh more often than I ever thought possible.

You might also notice that a fair number of images are missing; shifting priorities and scrambling to fit everything in again. Will attempt to add the images on 29 June 2025. Thanks for your patience.

26 June 2025

Staying Inside Today

"A plume of smoke from Canadian wildfires moved into Maine early Saturday, bringing with it unhealthy air quality due to a higher-than-expected level of particle pollution." - Bangor Daily News

26 July 2025

Time to Say Goodbye!

Rumors of my demise are slightly premature: but it is definitely time to work on the bucket list in earnest. Accordingly, I have made a sincere attempt to part with many of my beloved books, DVDs and music CDs. It's a process! Check out the Links link to access the FREE BOOKS FOR THE ASKING section of the web site (for family, friends, and selected acquaintances and organizations). You won't need a password to look them over (and I will probably continue adding books to the lists as I run out of time to read the remaining titles in my personal library). One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't have time to read all of them!

2 April 2025

Another New Year Is Coming!

2025 Is Coming: Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy [ride]. With apologies to Bette Davis in "All About Eve" (1950).

11 January 2024

This is not a drill!

The 2024 Elections Are Coming: don't miss out. Vote on November 5th as if your future depended on it.

9 October 2024

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

My youthful attempt to recreate one of my favorite Frazetta line drawings of Tarzan (from an Ace paperback). Using a ballpoint pen!

9 October 2024

I'm Back!

Now that's what I call a hiatus; since my last entry (about two years ago), a cancer diagnosis arrived and upended my plans for updating the web site. I have been fortunate to receive excellent medical treatment (with a big supporting hand from the Veterans Administration that acknowledged the role that Agent Orange played in my health issues). I hope that I can spend more time on the site now that I have settled into a routine for managing my health issues.

This is me repurposing my beloved books [just a picture I found somewhere but it gives you an idea of what I am doing with my library].

23 August 2024

Whoosh! Another Month Gone!

Captain Jack - Fifty years is the Charm

Summer is done, but it was good to enjoy the last of it. Celebrated the 50th anniversary of a friendship by sailing with Captain Jack, some very friendly Israeli tourists and an old friend. It is impossible to overestimate the value of that friendship.

But wait, that's not all: Rooster Brothers helped us replace our teflon pans with stainless steel ones; Dr. Manter got rid of that pesky cracked tooth; more life altering advice about my diet from Persis [and trying to take the advice has kept my plate full ever since]; and finally, we enjoyed the Hurricane Fiona weekend in Lubec, Eastport, Jonesport, Beals Island and Schoodic Point [safely].

"Into each life some rain must fall." Apart from howling winds and white caps, we came through it unscathed, unlike our neighbors to the north in Canada. I will spare you the snapshots from our visit (including the giant blueberry shot), but I think it is worth mentioning that we really enjoyed Bad Little Falls in Machias (in addition to graham cracker pie at Helen's).

2 October 2022

Continuing to Experience Real Life

Blueberry Feta Cheese Salad - thanks, Emanuel and Lea!

Just a quick note to thank some friends for the gift of blueberries recently. Also, I added a prototype page for health and nutrition with some placeholders [lots of work for me later]; just so I could provide details about my Prostate Health supplement (circumventing the limitations of the medical industry's "portals" (which are sometimes more like obstacles).

25 August 2022

We Had a Whale of a Time!

Image by Ernest Swanson, Haida: "Whale" [from a Native elements postcard]

We had a visitor from Seattle this past week [returning to Maine for the first time in 7 years]. The landscape and climate of Maine is considerably different than Seattle, of course. He seemed to enjoy seeing Maine again (particularly places he remembers fondly and the big changes that have happened right here in Waterville), but he seems quite content to be on the 'left' coast. He flew back to some unusually hot weather this weekend.

20 August 2022

Hot Hot Hot: Over For Now in Maine

It sure seemed hotter than "normal" at the time!

In spite of what were a few very uncomfortable days recently, we are lucky to live in this corner of the world, avoiding the truly horrendous weather that is causing the western U.S., UK and Europe to swelter in record-breaking temperatures. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the people in the Middle East and Asia to cope with these blistering days.

Meanwhile, in addition to following all the doom and gloom news coverage, I have found it helpful to listen to some music, which it is my pleasure to share with you now.

• 
  Pomplamoose sings a Very Fast French Song by Jacques Brel
  Vesoul. C'est très vite. This is where you get to see just how 🔥 these musicians are. Get "Impossible à prononcer" on vinyl! http://pomplamoose.com.
  Become a patron of our music (to vote on the songs we cover and get merch and stuff like that): http://www.patreon.com/pomplamoose
• 
  Les chants d'oiseaux du CATALOGUE D'OISEAUX d'Olivier Messiaen
  Delightful juxtaposition of music and the sound of birds singing. Messaien had a serious interest in bird calls and songs [in French, of course]!
• 
  Scarlatti Sonatas
  Thanks to artificial intelligence, I was lucky to stumble onto this collection of Scarlatti Sonatas played by Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy.
  "This new recording presents some famous and lesser-known sonatas by Scarlatti, a careful selection presenting the many faces of his genius: from careless gaiety and stormy energy to intense lyricism and wistful melancholy." - Brilliant Classics [07/12/2022 - 1:17:37]
• 
  Lazy Afternoon Vintage Music Playlist
  This is a great way to just relax with the oldies when it's too hot to do much else. Ten songs from the Forties with interesting graphics. [Jake Westbrook - 07/05/2021 - 48:34]

28-29 July 2022

New Beginnings

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

With all the vicissitudes of life raging all around us (and within us), it is good to know that there are wonderful people out there. It has been my good fortune to interact with some of them lately [they know who they are]. I just wanted to publicly announce how much I appreciated their support (without publicly embarrassing them by naming them).

12 July 2022

Important Announcement

I found this great sunset image that captured my feelings perfectly as I announce my retirement from the Mid-Maine Progressive Forum (the checkerboard pattern where the sky should be is so appropriate). I have been involved with the MMPF from the beginning (as have many of you). Recently a series of events and circumstances have convinced me that it is time to move on [no pun intended]. A life-long packrat, my piles are now so deep that I could no longer find important paperwork I needed to file my taxes this year. I decided to take that as a wake-up call.

I had contemplated and even announced this decision many times over the past six years, but this time I am going to actually follow through. I have enjoyed our time together, but even though I increased the amount of time I put into chess and programming in the past year or two, it just wasn't enough. At the beginning of 2022 I took a hard look at how I spend my time and decided that something would have to go to make room for the packrat cleansing effort and to focus on my chess engine project. As I get older it isn't clear whether I will be able to age in place (buried in piles of newspaper, magazines, books, old programming notes, VHS tapes, DVDs, computer manuals, chess notes and political materials) or whether I will have to move into a smaller abode some day. That means I am going to make cleaning up my new priority [after 50 years of accumulating stuff]. My wife is thrilled.

I was able to hand off the reins of the MMPF to a worthy successor, Claude Francke. He has the ability to manage Zoom meetings and send important emails around in addition to his already full plate as a City Councilor in Waterville. I hope you will join me in wishing him well as he keeps the flame of progressivism alive here in the greater Waterville area.

A Face to Remember

Photo by Gale Davison

Falla, Lord of all he surveys. Gone, but not forgotten.

Groucho Marx Knew How to Shake a Leg!

Sometimes it helps to watch an inspirational video to help us get through the day. I really enjoyed seeing "Old Movie Starts Dance to Uptown Funk". Maybe you will, too.

Note: Click on Groucho to stop the animation; refresh the page to see Groucho dance again.

Bernie is Still My Hero

When Bernie decided to suspend his campaign, my hopes and dreams for a progressive President were dashed. I know Bernie will continue to fight on for the values, policies and programs that I support. He was right when he said it wasn't about him. It was and is and always will be about the struggle between those who have more than they need and those who need more than they have. Deciding where to draw that line has always been tricky. And it still is. Perhaps more now than ever. Between the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, it seems there is little bandwidth to consider issues of justice and fairness these days. But these issues will never go away. We just have to keep working on them. Every day. Bernie is right to inspire the young people of this country to try to realize these hopes and dreams. Soon it will be their turn in power. And I suspect they will do a better job than we did.

Older Blog Posts: Probably in the Dustbin of History by Now