Don's Blog
As of 20 January 2025 [10 am EST] - Still Under Construction!
ALWAYS READ THIS WEB PAGE WITH AN OPEN MIND!
CAUTION: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
MOST RECENT
9 January 2026
The onslaught of horrendous events continues with the recent murder of an unarmed woman in Minneapolis, Minnesota by an ICE agent. I am sorry to have to bring you information about this event (and the graphic images that you need to see in order to understand that the government propaganda about her death is a big lie). The truth is important and you must hear it to understand what is happening in our country right now. Please digest this information slowly and keep an open mind; in addition to government propaganda, there will also be AI misinformation that you must learn to recognize and ignore or report to your family, friends and neighbors. As Joyce Vance says: "we are all in this together".
In Solidarity: Don
IMAGE: A picture of Renee Good. Thank you to Robert Reich
In Minneapolis [yesterday], and ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three. The shooting occurred on a residential street in south Minneapolis (less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020). - Robert Reich on January 8th
Unfortunately, there is more detail, commentary and video of the event in the following YouTube videos. WARNING: Some of this footage is very disturbing.
8 January 2026
Hello, earthlings! If you are here on Earth since 3 January 2026, you probably already know about what has been happening in Venezuela [unless history has already been rewritten]. A special web page designed to follow that fusterkluck will be cobbled together as soon as I can take time away from other pressing needs.
In Solidarity: Don
IMAGE: A clip from The Princess Bride. Thank you to The Princess Bride Inconceivable clips by aqulia2sax - 07/12/2012 [1:23]
I strung these short clips together to show the effectiveness of repetition (as well as enthusiastic line delivery) in teaching. Nobody who has seen this movie can forget "inconceivable" and what it means. I hope that these clips promote the purchase of the video (it's a classic film), and that the copyright holder does not ask me to take them down. - aquila2sax
Here is some extremely important information in the following YouTube videos that I have watched recently.
December 2025
IMAGE: A completed online jigsaw puzzle stress reliever! Thank you to Jigsaw Planet
RFK! a Randy Rainbow Song Parody [5:54] - Courtesy of Randy Rainbow and sponsored by Ground News.
2 December 2025 [and check out Cabaret while you are here]
Dave Whamond speculates how an imaginary Situation Room meeting might look! - Courtesy of Cagle Cartoons
2 December 2025
Dave Whamond helps us to appreciate the irony of a recent Trump pardon for a narco terrorist! - Courtesy of Cagle Cartoons
2 December 2025
J. B. Handelsman has a new slant on the proverbial 'not talking about the elephant in the room' metaphorical idiom! - You can view this fabulous cartoon at CartoonStock [CC121678]; unfortunately my budget cannot handle the sticker price to show it on my website.
Originally published in the New Yorker on 5 December 2005
Dave Whamond draws on inspiration from Mort Walker for a jab at not following illegal orders! - Courtesy of Cagle Cartoons
6 December 2025
Why is this man smiling at the Wild Clover Cafe in Waterville, Maine?
. . . Perhaps he is remembering his new favorite: Shakshuka - for breakfast or lunch!
Impollutable Pogo by Walt Kelly [1970]
"I'M AS MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANY MORE!"
- Howard Beale, Network [1976]
Howard Beale from the Network movie
Even if you have seen the movie years ago, now is a good time to watch it again. Many of our younger readers may not even know about this movie. The mainstream media space has changed a lot since 1976 and many of you are getting your news from social media instead. But the movie is still very pertinent for our time. Take a look. I think you will agree that this has a very powerful message for us all today. [NOSTALGIA]
Reminder to vote NO on Question 1 on November 4th 2025. Details
It is after 4 am so I need to stop and get some sleep, but I will be back tomorrow (probably on my blog) with more alarming current event information for those of you who miss the old weekly emails. As Bette Davis would say, "fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy [ride]."
23-24 August 2025p.s. I know this belongs in the blog, but I am rushing to update the site whenever I have a few minutes; I will be moving this kind of material to the blog where it belongs when I can.
23 December 2025
Snow arrives just in time for Christmas 2025 in Maine: Sandra Boynton's SNOW, SNOW, SNOW sung by Michael Ford with The '53 Fords [2:52]
Thank you to Sandra Boynton official videos
Make sure you watch to the very end of the credits!
You might remember the famous stop-action holiday special from your childhood: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964): 15 Weird Facts You Didn't Know! Justice for the misfits! [28:42] Thank you to Remember When
#rememberwhen Christmas didn't really start until Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hit the airwaves? The 1964 Rankin/Bass classic gave us Hermey the dental elf, Yukon Cornelius, the Bumble, and Burl Ives' smooth-singing snowman - all in one gloriously jerky stop-motion package.
We're unwrapping 15 things you probably didn't know about TV's longest-running Christmas special.
- Overview provided by Remember When [NOSTALGIA: Enjoy this image and links until another magical image appears.]
22 December 2025
Robert Reich gets a role in It's a Wonderful Life: Robert Reich Reacts: "It's a Wonderful Life" [3:53]
Thank you to Inequality Media
Robert Reich uses "It's a Wonderful Life" to discuss economic inequality. A key scene highlights contrasting views on wealth creation and community. The video analyzes a classic film's relevance to modern economic debates.
- Summary generated by AI! [Trailer | Weird Facts | Rotten Tomatoes | Streaming]
Time to get out your Charlie Brown tree! A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965): 15 Weird Facts You Didn't Know! [30:55] Thank you to Remember When
#rememberwhen Christmas meant one shot a year to catch A Charlie Brown Christmas, and it still felt magical every time. But behind that tiny tree, Linus's big speech, and Snoopy's chaotic dance moves? Total behind-the-scenes madness.
From network panic and scrapped product placements to jazz music that almost didn't make it, we're unwrapping 15 weird, wonderful facts about the most beloved holiday special of all time. Some are hilarious, some are heartwarming, and one might ruin your memory of Peppermint Patty forever.
- Overview provided by Remember When [NOSTALGIA: Enjoy this image and links until another magical image appears.]
After a whirlwind visit to celebrate the holidays with my 97-year old mother, we have returned to another full plate at home. More about the trip later [maybe]; suffice it to say our long association with the Sheraton Tara in Nashua has come to an end. The good news is that we found more suitable lodgings with Hilton nearby. These changes to the website today are primarily focused on the holidays [we celebrate the Winter Solstice, but everyone seems to have something to celebrate at this time of the year]. I put in some music for those of you who organize sing-a-longs [LOL]. I hope to find time to clean up the interface a bit more over the year-end stretch [and start fleshing out the political side of the site].
NOSTALGIA: Christmas Music to get into the right mood to enjoy your holidays [from an unlikely source]:
PREVIOUS
3 January 2026
IMAGE: VOTE VETS opines on the notion of forever wars! Thank you to VOTE VETS
I know this belongs in the blog, but I am rushing to update the site whenever I have a few minutes; I will be moving this kind of material to the blog where it belongs very soon.
EVEN MORE PREVIOUS
18 December 2025
We ran out of heating oil this morning! I guess there is some new requirement to keep the automatic deliveries flowing. We got wonderful help from Houle's and Bob's Cash Fuel [out of Madison, Maine]. Thanks for saving us from a frigid lifestyle! My wife met with her PCP to determine whether we need to rearrange ourselves again [good news but more research planned]. Our plan is to celebrate the holidays with my 97-year old mother. Wish us luck.
15 December 2025
My attempts to publish before today were slowed down by attending a Graham Platner organizing event and by my wife's surprise visit to the Emergency Room. She is okay [we think] but we need to confirm that with the proper professionals. As expected, life continues to happen.
WICKED PREVIOUS
9 December 2025
New items have been added to the FREE BOOKS section; the BLOG has been moved to Politics-related Content, and in a blast from the past we re-live the Mac vs. PC ads that made us all laugh so hard in a more innocent time.
NOSTALGIA: Do you remember the fierce rivalry between the Mac and PC back in the day?
November 2025
Reminder to vote NO on Question 1 on November 4th 2025. Details
It is after 4 am so I need to stop and get some sleep, but I will be back tomorrow (probably on my blog) with more alarming current event information for those of you who miss the old weekly emails. As Bette Davis would say, "fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy [ride]."