Don's Blog

MOST RECENT

5 April 2026

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN FUSTERCLUCKAMERIKA™?

It is probably appropriate that I am deep in the rabbit hole today. It is Easter, after all. All the support staff are on egg hunts presumably.

IMAGE: Happy Easter graphic sent to me by email from Books-A-Million - Thanks BAM!.

I would say "fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy [fill in the blank]" but that has already been said (and better, by Bette Davis). I think most people are unaware of how much time and effort is involved in manual elderly blogging; Facebook and Wordpress and Wix are easier, of course, but rolling your own is so much more satisfying once you get past all the bugs and frustrations and challenges that the other platforms were designed to eliminate, or at least minimize. The first step is to know who your audience is. For a narcicisist, the answer is fairly obvious (extra credit if you guessed correctly without looking it up). But I don't mind company, so welcome if you are here with an open mind, etc. It is very difficult for me to remember everything that happens in my life and all the conversations, even the important and interesting ones. I write notes to help, but that is not always possible or convenient. This blogpost is like a journal of some of the interesting things that have happened recently; probably not all the way back to the end of January (you never know).
No animals were harmed in the preparation of this blogpost.

On Thursday I attended another one of the weekly AI sessions hosted by Tom Higley. Many very exciting ideas were exchanged. I wish I could remember them all! Tom agreed to send me his newsletters to read [which he did]; that should help. Jim mentioned that there was this wonderful film showing on Friday at 5 pm in Waterville, so Gale and I joined a few of the regulars to watch it. It was terrific and very thought provoking. We spent several hours after the film ended sharing our thoughts and raising various issues and concerns about AI. I think it should be required viewing for anyone with a pulse, but perhaps it is a bit heavy for non-intellectuals.

If I get a chance I will add more entries for the period between January 23rd and April 5th, but I thought it would be good to share information about this exciting film before it leaves the theater: The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist.

• [:] Movie Review
• [:] Is AI a Scam? We Ask Prof. Emily Bender, Author of "The AI Con"
• [:] I, Robot/Classic Trailer 2004
• [:] Artificial intelligence - Wikipedia
• [:] H.G. Wells
• [:] New discoveries about pre-history
• [:] another one
• [:] More to come

I did a lot of surfing this morning which deserves to be verified for sharing!
How much of this is click bait?
Is any of this true? If so, what does it all mean? 42?

• Timeline of human evolution
• The Rise and Fall of Çatalhöyük: A Neolithic Matriarchy?
• They Built Monuments at Göbeklitepe, but This Settlement Fed Them First
• Scientists are puzzled! Why Sayburç shockingly different from Göbeklitepe?
• 3,000 Years OLDER Than Göbekli Tepe: 14,500-Year-Old Largest Natufian Enclosure
• Did Civilization Begin At Karahan Tepe? -The Humanity Before Göbekli Tepe
• Karahan Tepe | Megalithic Supercivilization 11,400 Years Ago | New 3D Scans | Megalithomania
• Göbekli Tepe's Buried Temples Reveal 5 Lost Civilizations Before Ours — The 6th Is Us
• Göbekli Tepe’s Biggest Secret Was Missed for Decades — New Evidence Exposes the Timeline
• 10 Ancient History Myths Busted in 2025
• An Entire Civilization Might Be Buried Under the Sahara
• Archaeologists Found a House Built 1,750,000 Years Ago
• The 8 Human Species Before Us – And the One That Survived
• The Giant Humans That Hunted & Cannibalized Neanderthals
• The Forgotten Prehistoric War That Killed 95% Of All Men
• Ancient Human Species We Once Co-Existed With
• Humans May Be Far Older Than We Thought
• What DNA Revealed About Cahokia’s Ancient Population Is Extremely Interesting!
• Sayburç Is More Advanced Than We Thought | Megalithomania
• MEGALITHOMANIA
• Major Discoveries at Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe, Sefer Tepe & Sayburç | Taş Tepeler | Megalithomania
• NEW | Göbekli Tepe & Karahan Tepe December 2025 Update: MAJOR DISCOVERIES ANNOUNCED!
• Everything We Knew About Civilization Was Wrong | Professor Karul's 2025 Discovery
• Grok AI Finally Exposed Göbekli Tepe's Biggest Secret — And It Changes Human History
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Hk2-yRqhs
• Göbeklitepe and Taş Tepeler: How Turkey Is Rewriting the Neolithic Timeline
• Archaeologists Have TRIED to Explain Göbekli Tepe for Thirty Years — Every Answer Made It Worse
• Göbekli Tepe - The First Temple On Earth? 10,000 BC // Ancient History Documentary
• This is just the tip of the iceberg, of course.

If you wish to see politics-related material, click the Show Politics-related Content button on the landing page. Sometimes it is hard to separate news from politics, but I try. Your feedback will help. Let me know if I should "hide" material that should have been classified as "political" by sending me an email (preferably with a screenshot of the offending material). Thanks.

23 January 2026

SIPPING FROM MY FIRE HOSES

You have probably heard of the expression "drinking from a fire hose" to describe being overwhelmed by too much informaton to handle.

IMAGE: Drinking from a fire hose - English Idioms. Thank you to English Mogador [October 9th, 2022]

Recently I have decided to update this idiom to more accurately reflect modern circumstances: "drinking from multiple fire hoses". To some extent we have Steve Bannon to thank for extending the idiom (with his advice to "flood the zone" to intentionally keep people off balance by providing so many news stories that can't be ignored, one after the other, day after day, that people simply give up trying to respond meaningfully). If you get information from a lot of different places (TV, radio, podcasts, social media, conversations with family and friends, newspapers, online websites, foreign media, cable, posters, email, etc.), you are also drinking from multiple fire hoses!

When you get right down to it, most of us feel wicked busy or just plain overwhelmed from time to time. In my case, I probably just make matters worse for myself by being curious and interested in so many things [some say I am obsessed, LOL]. Hopefully, this will help to explain why it takes me so long to update this website. I was given the nickname "speed bump" by colleagues at my first programming job; as I get older and inevitably slow down, I feel that I am living up to that nickname. Fortunately, I am interested in history, so by the time I finish updating this page, it is already history!

Just watched a video [on the 20th] that I must share; it will go to my blog soon, but I thought you should see it right away! If you don't know, I am working for the Graham Platner campaign, but this website is strictly under my control and I was not asked to share this video.

If you wish to see politics-related material, click the Show Politics-related Contentbutton above. Sometimes it is hard to separate news from politics, but I try. Your feedback will help. Let me know if I should "hide" material that should have been classified as "political" by sending me an email (preferably with a screenshot of the offending material). Thanks.

BREAKING NEWS - 22 January 2026: The U.S. government has sent ICE agents to Maine! Here are some recent Central Maine news stories to help you understand what is happening. Caution: this story is moving so quickly that events will happen that are not covered here; check your trusted local sources of news. Keep in touch with people you know and trust.

• Maine woman, 63, interferes with Brewer police assuming they were ICE agents, officials say - Portland Press Herald [23 January 2026]
• How Blowing A Whistle Is An Act Of Nonviolent Resistance - Maria J. Stephan - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - 01/23/2026 [6:19]
• Downtown Portland sees large anti-ICE protests - NEWS CENTER Maine - 01/23/2026 [2:31]
• FULL PRESSER: Sen. Angus King talks about ICE operation in Maine - WMTW-TV - 01/22/2026 [23:35]

  U.S. Sen. Angus King, of Maine, held a press conference to discuss the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in the state that is known as "Operation Catch of the Day."

• New Mainers Dinner Takes Place as Planned in Waterville - mainepublic.org - 01/22/2026
• ICE is not snooping randomly around Maine - Letter to Portland Press Herald - 01/22/2026
• "Catch of the Day": Latest ICE Operation in Maine Targets Somali Community - Democracy Now! - 01/22/2026 [7:17]
• Maine faith leaders prepare for more ICE enforcement - Portland Press Herald [22 January 2026]
• Maine secretary of state will keep saying no to undercover license plates for federal agents - Portland Press Herald [22 January 2026]
• Is Maine prepared if ICE protests get dangerous? - Portland Press Herald [22 January 2026]
• Live updates: Gov. Janet Mills says state is committed to the 'safety and civil rights of people across Maine' - Portland Press Herald [22 January 2026]
• ICE operations confirmed in Maine, targeting 'criminal illegal aliens' - Portland Press Herald [21 January 2026]
• ICE confirms operations in Maine as arrests ramp up - Portland Press Herald [21 January 2026]
• Federal government 'sowing intimidation and fear' with ICE raids, Gov. Mills says - Portland Press Herald [21 January 2026]
• Reports and videos of ICE activity are increasing in Maine - Portland Press Herald [21 January 2026]
• Live updates, Jan. 20: Lewiston mayor says ICE presence has increased - Portland Press Herald [21 January 2026]
• Lewiston mayor asks for calm as increased ICE presence confirmed in city - Sun Journal [21 January 2026]
• Share your observations of ICE in Maine - Portland Press Herald [20 January 2026]
• Do ICE agents need a signed judicial warrant to enter private property? - Portland Press Herald [19 January 2026]
• New Mainers plan Waterville dinner despite ICE concerns - centralmaine.com [16 January 2026]
• Susan Collins questions 'rationale' for a large-scale ICE operation in Maine - Portland Press Herald [16 January 2026]
• Q&A: What are my rights when interacting with immigration agents? - Portland Press Herald [15 January 2026]
  
  

HUMOR [AI-Modified]: Know Your Enemy or Know Your Potential Friends? Courtesy of Craig Bailey on Facebook.

Somewhere I read that most of the images on the internet are of cats and dogs; some of these images cry out to be shared (like this one).

NATURE/CATS: No One Wanted This Old Shelter Cat Until This Happened Courtesy of Kindred Paws - 01/20/2026 [8:01].

He spent years surviving on the streets, carrying a label that made people walk away. When we finally brought Bruce home, something incredible happened - he purred for the first time in his life. This is the story of a "sad" shelter cat who just needed one person to stay.

HUMOR [AI-Modified]: Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall!. Courtesy of CozyOneStudio on Pinterest and Skeptical Science.

I have a feeling that we are in such a time right now! But this image almost reminds of the frogs that didn't hop out of the pot in time!

NEWS/POLITICS: Graham Platner reaches back into American history to share his thoughts on how the Democratic Party can emerge from its current powerlessness to once again move this country in the right direction [01/20/2026]. Courtesy of the Graham Platner for Senate campaign.

19 January 2026

If you pay attention to the news, you have probably noticed that something strange seems to be happening in the United States of America these days. If you don't pay attention to the news (and who could blame you), there are a few things you should be aware of:

• [1] Today [when I wrote this] we are celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Robert Burns's birthday. MLK, Jr. events and material are all over the internet, so I will just share one of my favorite poems by Robert Burns (and maybe one of yours, too).

To a Mouse

On Turning her up in her Nest, with the Plough, November 1785

WEE, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
      Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
      Wi' murd'ring pattle!

For the rest of this lovely poem, please visit the Poetry Foundation.

• [2] POLITICS: The Epstein files were required by law to be published on December 19th, 2025. So far, only a small number of the files have been produced. Instead of being the dominant issue discussed by the media [failure to provide them as required by law], a series of distractions and crises created by the Trump Administration have dominated the news instead. See below.

• [3] Sometimes you just need a break from all the stressful events that are happening these days. YouTube's algorithm found this for me recently and it was a very soothing remedy for the ills of that day. Highly recommended.

MUSIC: A Quiet Medieval Winter – Gentle Celtic Music for Reading, Rest & Solitude. Thank you to Lord Pecalon - 12/20/2025 [1:10:18]

The world grows quiet under the falling snow, and the distant city fades into the mist. This gentle medieval winter music creates a melancholic yet comforting atmosphere, perfect for deep focus, reading high fantasy, or simply finding peace in solitude. A lone traveling badger rests beneath the ancient oak tree. The journey has been long, but the cloak is warm, and the view across the frozen valley offers a moment of reflection. Listen to the gentle melodies of the Celtic harp, the weeping lute, and the lonely wooden flute as they weave a tapestry of winter memories. Whether you are writing your own story, studying for the future, or sleeping away a heavy day, let this music be your sanctuary.

• [4] NEWS-VENEZUELA: President Trump (or his advisors) had been preparing some kind of action against Venezuela from as early as January of 2025, according to PBS News. Check out their excellent summary of events leading up to the capture of President Maduro of Venezuela.
  
• HUMOR/POLITICS: Infinitely Greenland | Billion Dollar Peace Board | Chairman For Life | Peace Buddies. - The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - 01/22/2026 [12:28]
  

  President Trump says his concept of a deal with Greenland has no end date, anyone with a billion dollars can help Trump rule the world as Chairman for Life of the Board of Peace, and Stephen Colbert is offering an alternative fake club membership for only $100M.

• Watch this space for more information about the invasion and the aftermath [soon].
  

• [5] NEWS-RENEE NICOLE GOOD: Coverage and analysis of the shooting of a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis, Minnesota by an ICE agent on January 7th, 2026.
  
  To see the Heather Cox Richardson and Chris Hayes material, click the Show Politics-related Content button above [sometimes it is really hard to separate news from politics, and sometimes you need to get both in order to understand the news].
  
  
• 
• NEWS/HISTORY/POLITICS/LITERATURE/ANALYSIS: Making Sense of This Moment [01/08/2026]. Thank you to Heather Cox Richardson
  
  
• 
• NEWS/POLITICS/ANALYSIS: 'The lies are easily disproven': Hayes dismantles JD Vance's ICE shooting claims MS NOW - ALL IN with CHRIS HAYES - 01/08/2026 [9:29]. Thank you to MS NOW

  "Renee Good was not a domestic terrorist. No one acting in good faith actually believes that, no matter what some of our Trump officials say at press conferences," says Chris Hayes on the administration's version of the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis.