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
A Travel Dream
My wife and I were traveling together. Young adults, I’m in the military again.
We were traveling to some fancy do. Although the details of that weren’t shared in the dream, we were pretty excited.
We arrived at some huge airport. She went off to do something. I wandered, and then drifted into an aircrew lounge. People went to block me from entering, but the officers in there recognized me and invited me in. At least a dozen friends from my Air Force life, pilots and navigators, were in there.
Settling in with them, I watched a baseball game on television for a while. When I saw the score, I asked, “When did this happen?”
Leaving there, I went to find my wife. We connected. I was now carrying her formal gown along with my dress uniform. I realized our flight was supposed to be boarding. On the heels of that, I thought, we need to be in the military terminal. I ran out into the growing wet dusk to hurry there. Where my wife was and why she wasn’t with me was completely overlooked in the dream. As I looked down the airport tarmac, I decided that the military terminal was too far inside and raced back inside
Connecting with my wife again, we hurried to board. Somehow, we boarded through the aircraft’s rear. So we were onboard but didn’t have seats.
The aircraft’s interior was like a large building with stairs, lounges, little sitting areas, etc. I looked for staff to help us find a seat, which was odd as we were passing orange seats that weren’t occupied, but couldn’t find help.
My wife said, “We need to get to the wide part. How do we get to the wide part?”
Looking around at the tall ceilings and seating areas, I mused, “This all looks pretty wide to me.”
Dream end
Thursday’s Theme Music – Wrong
Ashland, southern Oregon. Thursday, September 24, 2026.
We’re winding September down. Less than a week to go. Autumn continues stealing in, delivering threats of light rain, weaker sunshine, shorter days, cooler temperatures. Clouds give the day a weary bleakness. Sunshine seems like it needs to go back to bed. Yet, today’s high will tap the low 80s F.
Unemployment stayed about the same, while the broader U6 declined a little. Looking at the reports, though, many were associated with local government and schools. In other words, it was because the school year started again. Hospitality service also had some small growth in employment, bouncing back after a miserable summer for that industry, as far as employment goes.
Mom is begging my sisters to let her live with her. She’s also painting a different recollection of what’s happened in the past year. I spent time last night reading my sisters’ texts to me from the early 2026 troubles with Mom. Leaving with my sister, Gina, at the time, Mom was texting me about how unhappy she was, how she wanted to return to her own home and live there. Now she’s telling us — again — how unhappy she is at the affordable living place and wants to move. Texts from last October include Mom’s confession that she while living alone, she kept falling and ended up sleeping on the floor. It really is a no-win period for all involved.
Thinking about Mom, my sisters and I repeatedly focus on ‘what went wrong’. I often hear ‘it’s Mom’s own fault’, but I’ve seen her personality and mental acuity change, along with her memory. Yes, I bemoan Mom’s choices as we tried to get her and her partner to move into a safer space or to allow us to hire someone to clean and otherwise assist Mom. Mom, and her partner, Frank, rejected all those suggestions. Yet…yet, we could not have predicted that Frank would fall down the steps and die. We did worry about it.
‘What went wrong’ seems like the wrong question. Mom aged and changed, as we all do. This is another of those ‘if only’ exercises so many of us find ourselves going through as we look back on our lives.
Today’s music is by Oasis. “Where Did It All Go Wrong” is a soft lament about struggling to understand change.
Hope your day goes well — friction free, with good decisions, and wonderful outcomes.
Cheers
Wednesday’s Theme Music — You!
Ashland, southern Oregon. Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
66 F, we have blue skies, contrails, and the potential to hit 78 today, a fallish, warmish day.
One contrail fascinated me. Coming in from the southwest, the contrail cut east over Ashland’s airspace before turning due east for a short distance, then veered northeast. Studying the fat contrail, I wondered what air vessel caused those traces and what they were up to.
My wife and I were quietly reading the news this morning when she began railing about something. Engaged in thought, I didn’t play close attention.
Then she started up about Trump’s ballroom — the one he began building to distract us from the Epstein files, the one he said would be paid for by donors and cause taxpayers nothing. We talked about the story about the architect who quit the ballroom project because Trump, safety, and common sense. My wife was practically snarling when she quoted Trump from the story, “I am the code.”
Yes, I honestly get why that pissed her off. Trump loves claiming he knows more than anyone on topics, declaring that he’s an expert. The results say otherwise.
Your Trump Quote(s) of the Day:
My wife then went on about a pet peeve of hers, people parking in front of our house. One car has been there several weeks, which really gets her going. She says things, “I hate it when people do that.” Seems like overdramatic language to me, and unnecessary anger, but it’s a pet peeve. They’re not overly logical.
Anyway, I began chuckling to myself about her outbursts. Something in her tone caused The Neurons to play “Everything About You” in my morning mental music stream. The hard-rock Ugly Kid Joe song came out back in 1992. It’s a playful take on someone with a negative attitude expressing how much they hate things. They hate the rain and sunshine, beach and mountains, country, and city.
Sample Lyrics
I hate the rain and sunny weather
And I, I hate the beach and mountains too, boo-hoo
And I don’t like a thing about the city, no no
And I, I, I hate the countryside too
And I hate everything about you
Everything about you
And I don’t like a thing about your mother
And I, I hate your daddy’s guts too, boo-hoo
And I don’t like a thing about your sister, no no
‘Cause I, I, I think sex is overrated too
And I get sick when I’m around
I can’t stand to be around
I hate everything about you
As in played in my head, my wife said with a new spurt of anger, “I really hate Trump.” She then added, “And Mitch McConnell.”
So I think the song captures some thoughts very well. Especially when thinking about Trump.
I hope your day is filled with kindness and love, and things you like. May you live long and prosper. *smile*
Cheers
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.
Tuesday’s Theme Music — Fall
Ashland, southern Oregon. Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
First day of fall today in the northern latitudes. Autumn and summer have been fluttering in and out for the past few weeks. Leaves are rushing to change colors in some parts of the city. Other leaves are like, nah, not yet.
Temperature today will rise to 75 degrees from its current level of 61 F. Rain showers are considered possible though in my view out the window, the clouds aren’t the rain kind. They’re just thin, wispy white paste.
Mom asked my sister Gina to let her move back in with her. Mom insisted, she would never go upstairs and Pat, Gina’s husband, would not be allowed within six feet of Mom.
Of course, Gina said, no. Pat never did anything to Mom; we have video footage proving so. Mom was hallucinating, a combo of pain pills, other medication, and UTIs. But she insists that what Pat did was real. Guess it was, to her.
The White House has announced “Trump TV”. I laughed and shook my head at that.
It’s showing clips of Trump speeches. Trump thinks himself a great orator but he’s a terrible, stumbling speaker who doesn’t stay on topic. The clips will reveal this, reminding people of Trump’s grandiose promises about greatness, lies about his accomplishments, falling prices, refund and dividend checks, and how we won in Iran as the war continues seven months later. Trump is failing and falling in approval and popularity as a result.
I have spent time reading “Leaving MAGA” over the past two days. Started by a former MAGAzen, Rich Logis, a few years ago, this is a place where Trump supporters reveal what finally broke their willingness to support Trump. They’re not monolithic but very individual stories, although they often show common threads. Most stories tell of their slow spiral into anger, disillusionment, and conspiracy theories. They end up supporting Trump because they’re hoping for change. Then they begin to notice his inconsistencies and the scales fall from their eyes.
For example, Erica Roach:
“A doctored video circulated that made it seem as if Gates was saying he could kill more people with better vaccines.
“Then Trump played up Operation Warp Speed, which led to the creation of the COVID vaccine. He called himself the father of the vaccine. He said he had saved millions of lives. That didn’t make sense to me.
“I started doing a bunch of research in the White House archive; I found Trump executive orders, including one setting up a national influenza vaccine task force. I learned that Trump had asked Bill Gates to be the White House science advisor.
“This all upset me terribly; Q had said Trump knew about the 16-year plan to destroy America, so why was he backing what I believed to be a depopulation tool?
Trump often tries to play both sides of the field simultaneously when making claims. For instance, when running for re-election in 2020, Trump claimed that the Democrat’s characterization of the coronavirus as a “hoax”.
Then Trump ran for re-election in 2024 and hammered President Biden’s economy, especially inflation. After Trump returned to the Oval Office, he dismissed affordability as a Democratic hoax.
When Trump ran for office in 2024, he warned that Democrats would begin new wars. Then he promised no new wars, and then attacked Iran — twice, in 2025, and 2026. We remain at war with Iran seven months after Trump initiated the attacks on Iran. He tries to sell the softer term, ‘conflict’, but has also notably referred to it as a war.
Most of the US caught on to Trump’s Double Standards, outright lying, and rhetorical flexibility long ago. I’m happy that some MAGAzens are also waking up.
Today’s music is “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” by the Kinks. When I first heard the song on their live album, I thought, oh, the Kinks have done a “Jumping Jack Flash” cover.
I was wrong. While it often sounds like that Stones song, this song was written about the United States needing help back in 1979. Took me a while to decode the lyrics back then. When I finally did, I was like, whaaat?
Sample Lyrics
Now I’m calling all citizens from all over the world
This is captain America calling
I bailed you out when you were down on your knees
So will you catch me now I’m falling
Help me now I’m calling you
Catch me now I’m falling
I’m in your hands, it’s up to you
Catch me now I’m falling
I remember when you were down
You would always come running to me
I never denied you and I would guide you
Through all of your difficulties
I thought of the song today because of our nation’s fluctuations in fortune. Davis wrote and sang about America needing help in the last century, how America used to reach out and help others. In the Trump era, the US has been withdrawing and reducing help. Instead, Trump uses economic clout and military threat to bludgeon others. Hasn’t been working well, with disastrous results for the US and its allies.
I hope you enjoy the first day of whatever season this day is for you, that it makes you smile now and look back later, and smile again.
Cheers
Another School Dream
A young adult, I was in school with many other students. The setting was a modern classroom. Multiple old-fashioned black boards were spread across the front.
I knew the teacher. Short, with a dark-haired bob, she was an English and Literature teacher. Today she was teaching us math.
I was a little taken back by that but adapted and adjusted. Explaining that she wanted us to do a math progression to project when a certain event will take place. Instructing us to listen to what she was telling us, she ordered us to the blackboards.
Most others were working in teams but I was working alone. I became a little confused by what she was saying and copied it wrong. Yet, while working, I began understanding what she meant.
At that point, another came over and told me he was going to watch me work because he was certain I would figure out because “I was smart.”
I then moved over to another team’s blackboard. They’d copied the information but I saw it was wrong and began correcting their mistakes so that it would make sense. Then I took over another black board and erased part of their work.
Returning to my own blackboard, I began writing down variables. The teacher began repeating them and reinforced what we were supposed to be solving for.
Dream end
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
