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.