Author: admin

Here is a truth I have learned about American Politics: Republicans always win. Because they couldn’t care less about the rules or anything but winning. The entire setup is a grift for them. I mean, what I am saying is not new and there is a inconvenient truth that the party is seen by most churches in the USA as the Party of God, but what they stand for is often anything but. It doesn’t truly matter, because so long as they do the basic things their influencers require, they will continue to win and then they will be immune to any wrongdoing or their part because nobody on their side cares if or is even willing to believe they are on the grift. The entire Hunter Biden drama was about alleged influence peddling. We know for a fact that the Trump family has been doing that very thing. Nobody cares. In fact, they scramble to justify it, because you cannot poo poo your own team.

It sucks. The direction our nation has turned towards truly sucks. The Obama years were a period of pride and growth on an international stage.

This ain’t that.

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of thr Day: “A Utah mom who wrote kids’ book on grief after husband died killed him for money, prosecutors say“
2. Also… This: “‘Scrubs’ revival brings back the old goofy gang, but now they’re, gulp, in charge” That is one the Lady Talis saw coming.

Two days and two failures to publish… odd. I am writing this latest post in bed while The Hedge Knight plays in the background. I was watching, but realizing I needed to blog, I ceased and desisted. That is progress. It would be better progress if I’d remembered earlier and decided to do it instead of trying to play 2k26 on a switch. Fun Fact: My eyes are not about screens that small. Not ofr that game at least. It was a heck of a strain on the eyes and they are still blurry as I type now.

I’m here in the middle of a bomb cyclone and happy as heck about it. I’m loving the weather and it feels very good to be in something outside of the sameness of Az. Weather is change. That argues that a place without weather is a place without change…

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of thr Day: “Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during operation to capture him” Crazy world we live in.
2. I had a better one, but I didn’t write it down. I saw it with the Lady Talis and we both looked at each other like, “are you serious?” It wasn’t remotely political… it was just, well, bonkers.

Did not hit publish yesterday… Again. Silly stuff, that. Now I am in New York, home of the Me and Land of the Grind. We’ve spent most of our day walking around Central Park. Actually, we’ve spent most of our day in transit and then we walked around Central Park. We’re staying close enough to the midtown Trump Tower to realize how much of a police cordon is covering that area. That man Trump is living his best life. Sadly, he won’t be satisfied by it. People like that really never are satisfied with their success. I’d love to think it is because of how they got there, but I know better. It is because it isn’t enough. They can always say they are number one, but unless there is no doubt and no questioning of that, they’re not going to be satisfied. Even then, the lack of challenge is going to piss them off. It is always a lose-lose. Case and Point: The man is suing one of the largest banks in the world for closing his account. He’s suing for something like 5 Billion and he’ll probably win the case. So, congrat’s Big Orange, you won… but you’ll never win.

Moving on..

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of the Day: “She was an orphan adopted from Iran by a US veteran. The Trump administration wants to deport her”
2. Winter Olympics… I really wish I cared more. These competitions are meant to be a huge source of national pride, but I have zero connection to most of the events being offered. At least in the Summer Olympics I recognize the sports and feel some base level understanding of the athleticism involved. Here I’m hearing about 40 year old housewives hopping on and taking home gold… and then there’s curling. Don’t get me wrong, some of these events are crazy cool and athletic. I just lack the care.
3. Still some time on the old clock. So I am going to ramble until I can–

I came to a realization this morning: I’m drowning in some nonsense. The youtube stuff, the failure to do basic exercise, all of it adds up to a man who isn’t doing enough to be healthy physically and or mentally. I have work to do on myself. Part of that means not dodging the responsibilities I have, moving forward and away from the comfort of Shadowrun, making the time to exercise, and taking the time to focus on me for a little bit each day in the sense of writing down a plan for myself and getting organized (again). It is doable, even in a house filled with grown kids who take next to no responsibility for anything beyond their own lives. That is another thing I need to accept and stop harping on so damn much. I cannot do a thing to change it, so if I let it live in my brain, then it is going to fester uselessly.

The composition of my day is supposedly based on getting tasks done so I can spend relaxing time with the Lady Talis. The composition of my day is actually avoiding responsibility, manically sprinting between classes and tasks, and then not feeling chill because I did not get enough done. All of that is internal. I am fighting against myself, but for what? Cheap dopamine, mostly. I’ve fallen into quick highs, even with the food I eat. I’m munching on chips uselessly right now.

It is one thing to see the problems in yourself. It is quite another to have the strength, courage, and discipline to do anything about them. I should know better. I cannot even accept the things I cannot change, as noted above. How then can I gain the courage to change what I can? There’s a lot to be done here. I have a lot to work on as a man, a husband, a father, a teacher, and a writer.

Time to get to work.

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of the Day: “Supreme Court deals 6-3 blow to president’s economic agenda” Oh he is pissed. He’s bitching in a rambling speech. So, he’s gonna “license” stuff now. That’s gonna be a weird one coming down the pipe. He’s also gonna start banning stuff coming into the country as a weapon. That is not going to go the way he thinks, because… supply and demand.
2. 6-3 says A LOT.

Presently enjoying a sunshower outside my office door. There are moments when AZ is pretty darn lovely. It is a pleasant reminder that the space is not always bad. It tells and show me that I need to make the best of the space that I can in a way that is sustainable as opposed to vegging out on youtube just to avoid work and avoid hearing what’s going on in the next room as though I was some pre-teen with parents who fight all the time. In fact, I am avoiding the post teens and their loudly played youtube.. with my own youtube. It is a vicious circle.

I gotta say, it is hard to get off the youtube fix once you get on. I am still on right now, taking in some ASMR from zenfinite. I suppose I can call it weaning myself off that fix. TBH, I did take in a crime video before this. It was right there looking at me and I took the damn bait. Trust me, there is a way out of this. It just takes time to get right.

Last night I slept with the phone in another room. I stayed in bed in spite of waking up a few times and wondering about the time. It isn’t much, but it felt huge to me. It felt like progress.

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of the Day: “Raccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floor” So… That happened.

People are really really scared of AI. First of all, it isn’t AI. Not the stuff you’re used to seeing in movies. No, it is not HAL. Or anything remotely like that. For what it is worth, we are traveling in two lanes when it comes to these types of tool. One, AGI or Artificial General Intelligence is going to be able to think for itself. The other is going to be algorithmic and designed to respond to prompts… and threats. What we are dealing with now is better categorized as Narrow AI, though I doubt the average person or user even cares. I cannot decide if they should or not. I can say this: AI in any form is a existential threat to the way we function in our lives and creative means. In fact, the University of Manchester is funding a slew of Doctoral projects that “explore the rapidly evolving relationship between creativity and artificial intelligence (AI), considering what AI does for creativity and what creativity does for AI.” These creative AI studentships are the wave of the future. That future is going to change everything.

We just don’t know how.

Some Thoughts:

1. Bonkers News Headline of the Day: “Trump family business files for trademark rights on any airports using the president’s name” The Great Fleecing Continues… I Imagine he will soon push for airports to be named after him. I used to think we were collectively feeding this man’s delusions, but now it feels like the delusion is the reality.
2. If you prefer a less political bonkers: “4 dead in crashes involving over 30 vehicles in ‘brown out’ conditions on Colorado interstate” This is of the “what the hell is even that” variety. Turns out a brown out is similar to a haboob dust storm, but the dirt gets blown around crazily resulting in zero visibility.

Since leaving the USA earlier this summer I have re-discovered a simple, yet painful truth. The way we live in this country is deleterious. The more I watch and even participate in the culture, the more I realize the profound and simple truth of it. We, as a country, lack patience, carry hate and anger, and feast on the concepts of constantly being either right or in the right, and seeking revenge on those who would claim otherwise. ~8.166

I found myself roaming through old blog posts making sure I didn’t mess up the count for 8. Something felt and somewhat still feels off about it. However, this post caught my eye, leading me to want to reflect a bit on the statement above. It is utterly true and those emotions are fed by a tidal wave of social media that serves to enhance those feelings in us. I have been falling prey to the wave lately, and, pardon the continue metaphor, am getting quite swept up in it.

So it is time for me to stop. I need a youtube detox. No more crime videos or silly ghost videos or anything, really. I can go to the singing bowls page and tap in if I need some aura-chill. Beyond that I need to cut it out of my system entirely. Too much is toxic. I am feeling that in my heart and soul. The Lady Talis can even tell I’m off and detached. That’s what the feed does to you. It keeps you from concentrating to the point where you forget how. Dopamine, folks. It is the natural high that works through all of it. I need a reset.

I need to get back to the gym. I need to get off Slay the Spire (this is months of not winning this junk!) and I need to get my mind dialed into what matters the most. Being in a proper headspace is how one writes properly. Moreover, it is how one lives a good and balanced and centered life.

I have not been doing that.

Some Thoughts:

1. Absolutely Bonkers Headline of the Day: “3 killed, including suspect, in shooting during Rhode Island youth hockey game” Is it weird I’m surprised this is only the 10th incident of Gunfire on School Grounds nationally in 2026?
2. My kids do not work at all to maintain their tech. Apparently that’s my job…

Almost a year now. 350 posts means that in 15 days or so it will be the day I fell off and did not do the blog. Feels like a lot longer than a year. That in itself says a lot because it tells me how much happens in a solitary human year–how fast time moves and how slowly. The fact that I’ve been at this new iteration for almost a year is wild. I’ve been through a lot in that time. My family has gone through a lot in that time, and the ten minute reflection is going to be a big one for me personally. But we aren’t there yet.

I’m watching the Lady Talis doing her routine outside right now and realizing that she’s starting to get back into a vibe. Meanwhile, I am thinking about the pool and how much it will cost to drain and clean, the AC replacement(s) and all the other upkeep costs on top of the tax payments (because marriage is a financial hit, folks). I am afraid of imminent collapse, and maybe that is a huge part of why the contrast in my household stresses me so much. The wife and I worry about these things, but the kids who are grown and working don’t think about any of it or even care to be helpful to the household. I suppose that is how kids be–no matter how old they are.

My body is truly showing the stress.

Some Thoughts:

1. Bonkers Headline of the Day: “Minnesota shooting of Venezuelan man is the latest where video evidence contradicts ICE accounts” Yep, the hits keep coming…
2. I don’t mean for this always to be so political, but the news is a reflection of what the general populace is expected to take notice of, and this is what keeps popping up. I need a better algorithm to be sure. That’s a job for next week’s Talislegger.
3. What’s wild is how much my algorithm is pulling up ads that tell me to get the hell off the youtube. It is right!
4. Also this one: “A storm system sweeps across the Southeast triggering tornado warnings and damaging winds” What is wild is that the photo is of the Statue of Liberty… But why?

I am starting with a loss. I didn’t know the kid, but my son did. He collapsed on the field yards away from my son and passed a day later. That is a scary and tragic situation. It is also another loss for a kid who has seen more death close to him before 19 than most Americans see in twice that time. It was once a year for a couple of years there. This is the first one since high school. It is a tragedy, and I don’t want to make it all about my kid. This was a young man at the top of his athleticism taken by problems he never knew he had. I hope they find a way to honor this young man.

Honor. That is a strange word. We honor traditions. Today is a tradition I am honoring. In truth I am using it as an opportunity to spend time with my wife and away from writing. I need it. I need her. I need the reset and time to clear my head and feel like myself again. I am drowning in sadness and cannot fully understand why. I feel like I am on pins and needles walking through this emotional wasteland of a home. It isn’t even about the wife in that regard. She is trying to stay up. So am I. Nobody else cares about anyone else’s feelings. Meanwhile, I am clearly deep in mine.

I need to get away for a while.

Some Thoughts:

1. Bonkers Headline of the Day: “Amazon scraps partnership with surveillance company after Super Bowl ad backlash“
2. Here is the dystopian ad in context: So… They can use AI to scan your door cam for facial recognition? Yeah. That’s not gonna work for me.

We are cooked. We cooked ourselves, really.

Every meeting I am in is less about teaching and more about gatekeeping and CYA. The entirety of what we talk about is about how to STOP students from doing things and how to PROTECT ourselves or our students in some fashion. We are spending less and less time talking about new learning and integration. The main (or new) problem is AI. We’re shook at the thought that students might be cheating the learning, as though if they get a great grade in our class and don’t know anything it becomes a loss for us. On a basic level it does. However, does it really? Is our job to teach or to troll? Is our role to dispel the act of cheating? Has it ever been? I want my role to be that as Hunter Boylan described: Meet them where they are at and take them as far as I can.

My classes are built on explaining and developing the iterative process. I want them to learn the fundamental tools so they can use those cognitive tools and strategies for whatever technology they are using in the future. It is foolish to assume they won’t use AI. It is getting to the point where it is impossible not to. I have to tell the google bot not to write a dang email for me.

This is how the world is moving right now. We are moving forward and the system is treating us like the clamps or cuffs designed to hold people back. Let’s teach to the future. Not the past.

Some Thoughts:

1. Bonkers Headline of the day: “Teachers describe immigration enforcement’s impact on classrooms in challenge of Trump policy” Elementary schools, folks.