A day that will live in infamy

That’s what if felt like this morning when I heard the news.  An attack right after negotiations.  No warning.  Except this time it kinda feels like we are the Imperial Japanese forces.

Where to send detainees

 A federal District Court judge in Boston ruled on Wednesday that it is illegal for ICE to send detainees to a country that is not their own country.  ICE policies are already cruel and unconstitutional in so many areas, but one of the cruelest is to send deportees to countries to which they have no connection, no relatives, not even a familiarity with the language.

Unfortunately the Trump administration has had a history of ignoring judicial orders or appealing them again and again.  

Let’s all celebrate our 250th.  We have so much to celebrate, don’t we?

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.

Setting Congressman Ryan Mackenzie straight

Congressman Ryan Mackenzie

121 Cannon House Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman Mackenzie:

The newspapers are full of articles headlined “Trump Orders That...” followed by some outrageous action on his part.  Increasing tariffs, bombing fishing boats, deporting kids, making deals for his family members, selling out Ukraine, pardoning drug importers, ending EPA mandates, re-writing history....  You can add to the list yourself. 

And where is Congress when this is happening?  I don’t know.  It seems to be in permanent hibernation.  I have a copy of your letter asking supporters for help in your re-election.  Why on earth would you want to be elected to a body that does nothing?  And why on God’s earth would you place at the top of that letter a photo of you standing and grinning next to a president who is doing everything in his power to make the United States into an authoritarian power.

You do not deserve re-election.  You are obviously not the solution to our country’s problems.  In fact, you are a large part of the problem.

Sincerely,

Roy Christman

What you do matters

That’s the title of a booklet from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  It has pictures and stories of people who helped people escape during the Nazi terror in Europe.  Some were government officials, like Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania, who issued about 2000 visas for Jews to get to Japan and from there to safe countries.

Ukrainians Tatyana and Ania Kontsevich sheltered Shimon Redlich along  with his mother, aunt, and uncle in their attic and shed.  Ania, who was ten, was in charge of bringing them food and water. 

When the Germans occupied Serbia, the Mandils, a Jewish family from Belgrade, escaped to Albania.  Mr. Mandil opened a photography shop and hired Refik Veseli, a 16-year-old Albanian Muslim as his apprentice.  When the Mandils were threatened by deportation after Germany occupied Albania in 1943, Rafik Veseli convinced his parents to hide the Mandils in their home village.  The children posed as Muslims.  Their parents lived in the barn until liberation.

 

Celebrating the 250th

I’ve been to a number of meetings in which the participants have discussed celebrating the 250th anniversary  of the U.S.  They are using the Declaration of Independence as the starting point, although that was no sure thing in 1776.

I can let that slide.  What I can’t understand is how people can discuss celebrating when it is clear that we are losing our republic.  On Feb. 8 the Opinion Page of the New York Times contained a line graph of 12 Markers of Democratic Erosion.  One end of the line was democracy; the other autocracy.  For every marker the indicator was moving toward autocracy.

Here are the 12.  Incidentally, the two markers in which the indicator had moved the closest to autocracy were “Vilifying marginalized groups” and “Using power for personal gain.”

Stifling speech and dissent

Persecuting political opponents

Bypassing the legislature

Defying the courts

Declaring false emergencies

Using the military at home

Vilifying marginalized groups

Controlling information

Trying to take over universities

Creating a cult of personality

Using power for personal profit

Manipulating the law to stay in power

You look at that list and tell me what on earth we have to celebrate.  

Congrats to Brazil

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the gold medal for the Men’s Giant Slalom at the Olympic Winter Games.  It was the first gold medal won by Brazil at the any of the Winter Games.  In fact it was the first gold medal won by anyone from South America at the Winter Games.  Nice work.  

The midterms

It is obvious that Trump knows he is in for a drubbing at the midterms, so the Republicans are already gearing up to cheat on the elections.  They began months ago with the gerrymandering of congressional districts.  Now they are pushing for ID’s that many poor and older people and married women who changed their names won’t be able to produce.  

I will.  I have a passport.  How many MAGA people will be able to produce either a birth certificate or a passport?  This may backfire.  Of course, if they are white or carrying an assault rifle or wearing MAGA gear, the ID requirements will be waived.

Don’t worry about the elections being cancelled.  Russia holds elections.  Hungary holds elections.  Authoritarian governments don’t cancel elections; they rig them. 

The World We Live In

In a recent interview with Jake Tapper, Trump advisor Stephen Miller said “We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by force, that is governed by power.”

I don’t like living in a world with Stephen Miller, but that sure does sum up the attitude of a lot of people in the Trump administration.  They don’t even pretend otherwise.  And they wear those cute little crosses around their necks.

The Rich Get Richer...

According to an article in the business section of today’s Times “The net worth of the top 1 percent of households climbed to a record share of nearly 32 percent of the national total in the third quarter of 2025, according to data from the Federal Reserve, which started tracking household wealth in 1989.”

I wonder if that has anything to do with a front page article in today’s Times

entitled “G.O.P.’S Cash Edge Gives Democrats Midterm Anxiety.”  

That article noted that Elon Musk himself had donated tens of millions of dollars in the last few months.

It is soon time for the torches and the pitchforks.  

Worshipping the Golden Ass

Exodus, Chapter 32, verses 2-4 (with some slight modifications)

2.  And Trump said unto them, Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters and bring them unto me.

3.  And all the Crypto Bros broke off their golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them unto Trump.

4.  And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten ass, 15 feet high, with a thinned-down tummy, and the Crypto Bros fell down and worshipped it, and he blessed them.

For more info see David Yaffe-Bellany, “A Golden Idol for President Trump Created by Memecoin Worshipers,” New York Times, (Feb. 11, 2026), pp. B-1, B-6.

Way too many deer

Our field bordering Station Street looks like a football game was played in the snow.  Instead of a nice white expanse, the entire field is roughed up and full of holes.  A herd of deer did that.  Our neighbor who farms the field planted daikon radishes in the fall as a cover crop.  The deer had been eating the tops before the snow.  

Now they are back, digging down through 14 inches of snow with hooves that aren’t really made for digging.  Desperation and starvation are driving them to improvise.

While I feel slightly sorry for them, it is obvious that Pennsylvania, or at least our area of Pennsylvania, has way too many deer.  Our coyotes are not really capable of pulling down a full grown whitetail.  We really need the reintroduction of wolves–or cougars.  I’m not picky.