Ya dance with them that brung ya–Part II on John Fetterman

The recovery took longer than we thought.  Initially he had trouble speaking.  He stepped back from the leadership role many of his supporters assumed he would take.  Some of his actions might best be described as “performative,” like wearing a hoodie to the Senate, which to some Pennsylvanians seemed representative of the way we dress, but did not advance any legislation.

And he did dumb things.  Driving when he wasn’t supposed to and getting into a car accident.  Failing to take his meds.  Feeling suicidal, but not resigning from the Senate.  Alienating his staff.

And it got worse.  He made a trip to Mar A Lago to visit with the newly elected Trump.  He has said his best friend is Sen. Britt from Alabama, perhaps not the worst of the MAGA clan, but certainly not the brightest Senator.  He refuses to criticize ICE and the deportation of immigrants who in many cases are in this country legally.

He supports the Republican bill to require voters to have birth certificates or passports in order to vote, even though voter fraud is a myth promulgated by the President and unsubstantiated by hundreds of recounts and studies.  (I wonder how many of the residents of Braddock have their birth certificates or passports.)  He backed President Biden when it was obvious that Biden would be unable to serve out another term or even run a campaign.

I generally approve when members of Congress cooperate with their opponents for a good cause.  I’m impressed when politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene could reach across the aisle and work with Democrats demanding the release of the Epstein files.  I also understand why a Senator from a bright red state, like West Virginia’s Sen. Manchin, would not line up with a Senator from Vermont or Massachusetts.  Fetterman, however, is not reaching across where it matters, and Pennsylvania is not a red state.

If Fetterman is having mental or physical issues from the stroke, he should resign his seat.  If he has changed his politics, he should resign.  I recently received a letter from his campaign asking for money for fellow Democrats.  That’s a nice gesture, but he is costing the Democratic Party far more than the money he will bring in.

What a disappointment.

Ya Dance With Them That Brung Ya–Part I

That’s an old Texas saying often used in a political context.  It means that you will remain loyal to the people who have elected you.  You don’t turn your back on your supporters, even if it might be in your short term interest, or you had your head turned by a more attractive dance partner.

Senator John Fetterman has forgotten that rule.  Before he ran for the U.S. Senate, he had visited Carbon County on at least three different occasions, twice to speak to a club then known as the Carbon County Democrats for Change, once to a “petition party” to gather signatures. 

He spoke of his efforts to rejuvenate the Rust Belt town of Braddock, mired in crime and a victim of industries fleeing to foreign countries.  He had tattoos listing when murders had occurred in Braddock, and he obviously cared about working families, immigrants (his wife is an immigrant), and he certainly did not look like the slick professional types we so often see. running for office.

In short, he impressed many of us, and when he ran for the U.S. Senate in November 2022. he had the support of dozens of Democratic activists in Carbon County.  We sent out postcards, put up yard signs, and canvassed our neighbors.  When he had a stroke days before the election, we pressed on, assuming that the press releases from his campaign were truthful and that he would soon be back to his old self.  Even his opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, wished him well and didn’t question his ability to recover, at least not publicly.

Tomorrow:  Then what happened...

Trump's State of the Union

I didn't watch it, but I'll give you odds it won't go down as one of the great orations in history.

On the other hand, my sock and underwear drawers have never been better arranged.

A.I. company Anthropic takes a stand

The Artificial Intelligence company Anthropic told American Defense officials “...that it did not want its A.I. used for mass surveillance of Americans or deployed in autonomous weapons that had no humans in the loop.”  Sounds reasonable to me.

Our alcoholic tin-hat Secretary of “War” then noted that the Pentagon just might declare Anthropic a “supply chain risk” and sever all ties with the Defense Department.  

I’m not surprised.  These are the same people who order pilots to fly back to shoot people clinging to a fishing boat in the ocean.

The info for this post was taken from an article by Sheera Frenkel and Julian E. Barnes, “Tensions Rise Between U.S. And Anthropic,” New York Times, (Feb. 20, 2026), pp. 1, 18. 

Google AI Overview

I have an Apple Computer.  The Web Browser is called Safari.  If I type in “Antietam Battlefield,” the first thing that pops up is the Park Service website for the Antietam National Battlefield.  Fine.  The facts are there.

However, if I search for “What happened at the Antietam Battle?” up pops a “Google AI Overview.”  I don’t want a goddam AI overview.  I didn’t ask for it. 

So I type in “Google AI Overview” to find out what is happening.  I get this:

“Google AI Overview (formerly SGE) uses generative A-I to provide concise summarized answers at the top of search results for complex queries, offering quick multi-step reasoning with links to source websites.  Available in select regions, this feature is integrated into searches and cannot be turned off, though it can be bypassed using the ‘Web’ filter to show only text based links.”

This is annoying.  I didn’t ask for this.  I don’t want this.  I don’t like AI, and I don’t know enough to use the “Web” filter to bypass it.  

I am not the only person annoyed by this.  See Brian X. Chen, “A.I.Is Bringing You A Personalized Internet.  You Have No Say in It,” New York Times, (Feb. 20, 2026), p. B1, B5.  The article points out that when you use a Chatbot, Google and Meta will use your conversation to target ads to your interests.  If you mention that you like to go hiking in the snow, you might get ads for cold weather gear. 

This is scary stuff.  Google’s share of the global search market is around 90%.  

I think there is something called DuckDuckGo.  Can I use that?  Does that track me?  I’m need to call my tech guru Debbie.

6-3; could this be a spring thaw?

About two weeks ago an 80-mile-long crack opened up in Lake Erie, crossing the lake diagonally.  It was about a mile wide.

I haven’t seen or read the tariff decision.  I haven’t even read a good analysis, but it does feel that a 6-3 vote giving the President a setback may be a crack forming in the ice.  When the six includes two members who were appointed by Trump, that feels like a thaw, like a warming breeze.  

Of course, it could be the excuse Trump needs to launch a war against Iran or do some other stupid thing.  Still, 6-3.  Not bad. 

Curses for the 21st Century

Remember “A plague on both your houses.”  I know you’ve heard it, but you might not remember it’s from “Romeo and Juliet.”  Three witches also cursed Macbeth, boiling all sorts of disgusting ingredients in their pot.  But those are so medieval.  Here are some more up-to-date invectives you might want to hurl:

May Social Security go bankrupt six months before you turn 65.  

May all your co-workers be MAGA.

May you be stuck with a Cybertruck no one wants to buy.

May your parents watch Fox News.

May you have a cat that needs to take a pill.

and this one that hits really close to home:  May you have a family member who doesn’t know how to text.

Credit goes to Bev Potter, “Updated Curses for the 21st Century,” Funny Times (March 2026), p. 20.