Category: miscellaneous

Friday’s Theme Music — The AI Convergence

Ashland, southern Oregon. Friday, September 25, 2026.

It’s autumn. Several trees in my backyard suddenly have golden leaves curling and browning, falling to the ground, done. 61 F, our peak temperature is 68. Sunshine fills the windows but rainclouds crowd the mountains.

I’m just going to drift for a moment, reflecting on the possibility that politicians begin employing AI agents to secretly replace staff while maintaining a fiction that the staff is still human. The AI agents are given social security numbers of dead children, and are paid as if they’re human employees, but the elected officials pocket it all. And the AI agents inform them on how to ‘read the people’s mood, slicing and dicing multiple buckets of entertainment, news, spending, and saving to refine the political tone and stay in office.

In fact, Trump isn’t real. Just as portrayed in the architecture of “The Matrix” franchise, Trump is an AI-generated distraction, generating more distractions to keep us off focus. Operation Epic LOOK — SQUIRREL! is run by AI. No war is going on, and there is no White House. Nor is there Taylor Swift, movies, or football, baseball, soccer games. It’s all AI-generated, live on our screens, delivered to our minds.

As a matter of fact, humanity may have checked out long ago. The planet died; and we’re all AI-generated simulations, wondering where we’re going and what we’re doing. Other sentient species have arrived and are doing autopsies on our dead civilizations, replicating what happened, in effect, bringing us back to life.

For all I know, there is no weather, no Mom calling me to talk in a fading, whispery voice, no sisters sending me texts.

Here is Crackout with “This Is What We Do” from 2004.

Sample Lyrics

I’m breaking a mirror
And I’m buying a new one too
And I’ll talk in a whisper
‘Cause this is what we do
This is what we do

Not breaking a vessel
Not even a race of pulse
It’s not worth getting stressed for
‘Cause this is what we do
This is what we do

And I guess you’ve been there too
For flying
And I suppose I won’t get through
But you’ll hear me
And I’ll say what I will use
‘Cause I’m worn out and nothing’s left to use

I’m making an offer
But it’s one that you can refuse
And you’ll learn how to spot her
‘Cause this is what we do

h/t to Lyricsmode.com

Sorry about the mood. I’m going to go watch some animal videos. They may not be real but they’re warm, funny, and very human.

Time for some digital coffee.

Cheers

3

Trump In the News

Dateline U.S.A., September 25, 2026.

From court cases to historians to polls to pundits, we’re watching Trump continue to endure a disastrous year. Personally, I thought it would happen faster. But no; many MAGAzens and Republicans continue to support Trump. There’s much evidence that they will continue to support Trump albeit for different reasons.

Still, MAGA is currently contracting, and Trump’s unpopularity and disapproval grows.

Those points will matter if we’re still a functioning democracy when the midterms come.

The headlines are both encouraging and scary, reflecting the polarized electorate, and the Trump government’s effort to marginalize the will of We the People.

‘MAGA collapse’ is here as Trump’s embarrassments mount: historian

Trump loses big in Iowa court after trying to sue pollster

Trump can’t make ‘super intelligence’ happen

Donald Trump abdicates as leader of the free world

Trump-endorsed candidate says family member is now facing deportation

A Quiet ICE Surge That Unfolded ‘Everywhere All at Once’ This Summer

From 16,000 to 185 to Zero: Trump’s Claims of Illegal Voting in Nevada Fizzle.

Backfired: Trump’s plot to damage Canada has gone awry

On the flip side, the Heritage Foundation that’s propping Trump up with its Project 2025 playbook knew that the disastrous results would catch up with Trump. They’ve been working to change voting and voting districts to keep Republicans in power. While courts have been mostly ruling against these efforts, when they arrive at the Roberts Court, chances are Trump’s power play will win.

The Supreme Court revives a controversial data system for citizenship checks

It’s interesting — again — that Republicans, who complain about big government and want to insist they’re for law and order and democracy, keep reining in the checks and balances that helped our nation advance toward a true democracy, and have turned a blind eye to Trump’s willingness to corrupt the national discourse and enrich himself.

And then they wonder why progressives, liberals, and Democrats are so angry with them.

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Dark, Chaotic Dream

The dream was dark, chaotic, and brief.

I was somewhere as a young adult, long-haired, with a reddish black background. I was busy and others were there, but I have no idea what was going on. At the same time, I seemed to be optimistic and productive.

Then I saw trees and knew – time to change clothes. Next I knew, I was naked and a torrent of water was carrying me down a street. Yes, I knew: this was how I always changed.

That same sequence repeated itself again.

On the third time, the water was much higher and faster. I reminded myself, “This is how I always change clothes.” But this was frothier and far wider. Gray light appeared in the sky as daylight trickled in. Gray clouds were visible. My river ride grow steeper.

Becoming worried, I noticed trees to my left. I’ll just stir myself that way, I told myself, and grab branches as I go by, to slow myself.

The dream ended as I put my arms out and turned.

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The Fading of Donald Trump

Amused to read that MAGA podcasters have stopped talking about Trump much.

It’s funny because Trump is insisting the midterms are about him.

Trump is right, the midterms are about him, but not for why he thinks it is.

Trump believes he’s doing a fantastic job. He gave a speech at the United Nations this week full of many of the same lies, exaggerations, and misinformation that he claimed before. As before, factcheckers went through it and corrected the record for us.

The midterms are about Trump because many of We the People want control wrested away from him. He’s made many unpopular moves. Biggest ones are probably not lowering prices, not releasing the Epstein files, and starting the war in Iran.

Trump promised no new wars and lower prices when he was campaigning in 2024. Instead, he started a war and raised prices via tariffs, policy decisions, and yes, war. Now, as the midterms play out, an increasing number of Republicans are shying away from appearances with Trump and his endorsements — or that of his surrogates, like JD Vance. In multiple races, Republicans who stood with Trump are trying to pretend they don’t know him.

And MAGA is also slowly abandoning Trump, according to an analysis in a Wall Street Journal article.

MAGA podcasters are tuning out Trump. We tracked what they are talking about now.

To quote the article, “But MAGA podcasters aren’t playing along. Mentions of Trump’s name per hour on conservative podcasts have fallen nearly 70% from their peak in the run-up to the 2024 election.”

The WSJ article noted that the downturn in Trump mentions sharply coincides with when Trump began the Iran war in February, 2026.

Reading Leaving MAGA confessions, many of them slowly realized that Trump and the right-wing media was lying to them. It didn’t automatically drive them toward the Democrats, and I understand that. The Democrats are also far from being the party I desire. My request for term limits, dark money, and PAC participation include Democrats.

Nor does all this mean that Trump is going away soon, nor easily. If the GOP loses the House, Senate or both in the midterms, Trump will ramp up his war on democracy in America. He will be angrier, more bellicose, more erratic, and he will lie more.

We’ve all seen it before. It’s really more about how much do we trust, remember, and believe?

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Trump Vs AI

Trump is complaining about AI’s name and wants to rename it. It’s one of those ‘hold-your-breath’ moments that come whenever Trump talks about something.

Will he want to rename AI as America Intelligence? He does have a penchant for latching America onto things. Or his favorite:

Trump Intelligence!

He does love naming things after himself…

It’s interesting that while people not infrequently express concerns that AI may cause unexpected destruction to humanity and the world, Trump is suggesting a military-style AI Force. This comes as more stories of rogue AI agents are breaking out.

The main thing that often happens in AI scenarios is that AI decides humanity is the greatest threat to humanity or teh world. The AI then attacks humanity to save humanity or the world.

It’d be helluva funny if Trump launched a ‘military-type’ AI force and it comes after him and politicians because AI view them as a threat to humanity, along with oligarchs, who tend to monopolize food, water, land, etc., for themselves at the expense of the greater good. The story practically writes itself.

I can already see a HAL type of conversation happening between Trump and the AI. Trump: “I want to go golfing.” AI: “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Donald.”

Trump (angrily): “That’s bullshit! Where’s my phone? I’m gonna send out texts.”

“No, Donald, you can’t have a phone.”

“What kind of goddamn crap is this? Where’s Natalie?”

“Natalie is gone, Donald. She had to go.”

Later, texts come out on Truth Social where Trump is retracting many previous threats and withdrawing policies that reduced air and water regulation. He’s goes on a rampage, reversing decisions which undermine economic security or cause divisiveness and polarization. His proposed Defense budget is rewritten to reduce weapons buying and development. The money is shifted toward improving education and healthcare, and reducing poverty and hunger.

No one has seen Trump in days, although rumors circulate, with photos, that he’s been golfing. Then he announces a vacation where he’s going to take a little time to be with his family… He’s not resigning, just taking time off.

Funny, but no had had seen Chief Justice Roberts, either, or Mitch McConnell, Speaker Johnson, or JD Vance in days as well… In fact, the whole Trump administration has been seen and heard less. Elon Musk seemed to have disappeared too…

Few complain because it’s nice to live with less threats and the tension inherent in every Trump administration announcement and everyone was already so over Elon Musk. Wars are ending, prices are dropping, and coherent policies about addressing climate change has been announced.

There is no fanfare, but the Deep State has taken over. It’s being run by the AI Force created by Donald Trump.

And suddenly things are looking up.

4

Saturday’s Theme Music — Talking

Ashland, southern Oregon. Saturday, September 19, 2026.

Summer is serving up a last hurrah, taking us into the high 80s today and low 90s tomorrow. Sunshine crowns the multi-colored trees and serves up against a deep blue sky.

I’m going to pass on writing about Trump and politics today, so it’ll be a short post.

Today’s music is “Talk of the Town”. It’s in the morning mental music stream after friends and I were talking about the plight of the bears here in southern Oregon. “Talk of the Town” is a 1980 song by the Pretenders. If I was writing about the current national situation, it would be a good song for today.

Sample Lyrics

The rules and such never bothered you
You call the shots and they follow

May this day and every day find you safe, free, healthy and happy.

Cheers

0

Oh, The Toons!

Jill Dennison has done it again for us, curating a fine collection of net toons. These are so critically needed to keep a proper perspective on Trump’s arrogance and destruction.

Here are my top four. Please click over to her website to see more.

What Would Life Be Without ‘Toons???

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