As of 26 May 2025 [11:01 am DST]
CAUTION: THIS WEBSITE IS BEING RESUSCITATED BY AN AGING RETIREE; DON'T EXPECT MIRACLES.
Coming 'soon' in Politics-related Content: My take on the 2026 Maine gubernatorial and Senate campaigns [links, images and notes].
... and working on a letter to the editor on behalf of the Graham Platner campaign, from out of nowhere came the news that my stepson had ended his life [see the obituary]. While we were still reeling from that news, we got hit with a pest infestation (which we are still in the midst of cleaning up with help from Emma at Northern Pest Solutions and ORKIN).
The fickle finger of fate was not quite finished with us yet, though; my nephew died by his own hand a few days ago, plunging my side of the family into a deeper wave of sadness. Life is short enough without ending it prematurely.
So much talent wasted; these two young men just could not find a way to get through their dark moments and gave up the struggle. I don't usually bring so much personal news to this place, but I felt it only fair to warn you that I might not be at 100% of my cheerful self for a while. That does not mean that I have curled up in a ball and stopped thinking and watching, but instead of being an active participant in the campaigns of my two favorites for Governor of Maine and U.S. Senator from Maine to replace Susan Collins, I am cheering them on from the sidelines, contributing what funds I can afford to their campaigns. I was even too worn out to attend the rally in Orono!
I have moved Aren's obituary to a separate page. We are working our way through the bureaucracy with the help of relatives and a lawyer to clean up what Aren left behind. I should mention that friends and family have been very supportive as we work our way through our grief. There don't seem to be any easy ways to grieve; grief just happens to you (differently for everyone, apparently). I may include more thoughts about grief in the CAT MAN DO section.
It will take time to make all these adjustments to the website, of course, and time is something that is very hard to find in the best of times; even more scarce these days. I am stealing a few moments to pen these lines while having breakfast and getting a mocha latte with oat milk for a very special wife.
Whatever thoughts and observations I have to share on politics, religion, economics and comic book art will be found in the CAT MAN DO! section of this website. The WTF™ and FREE BOOKS sections of the website are being phased out. The Wishful Thinking Fairy has accepted her own final wish: to retire to work on her own agenda for a change! I have left the stub of her page up on the site [in her memory]. Nobody has asked for any of my free books for a while, so I will donate them to various places to make room for the new books I continue to acquire [some of which I hope to have time to read before it is too late].