By Alex Halverson – Seattle Times business reporter
Jan. 20, 2026
From comments:
As Microsoft jams all its AI slop into copilot, which nobody asked for or wants, its CEO says “More industries need to use this slop.”
I’m just a basic consumer. I have been curious about AI over the past couple of years only because it is so heavily promoted. It feels like good ideas catch on because of honest consumer demand and that they will move ahead without a giant sales and marketing effort.
The word artificial isn’t very attractive. I’m wanting less artificial in my life.
Many consumer products are advertised, and people may opt in or out. AI seems almost to be force-fed.
I was happy with the internet 20 years ago. These days, I cringe a little bit when new software updates arrive. For me, changes will often make things different, but not more simple and easy to use.
Old Man Blog category:
Thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
“It said the AI alert was sent to human reviewers who found no threat – but the principal missed this and contacted the school’s safety team, who ultimately called the police.”
The Troops Are Defending Your Freedoms
Armed Forces Recruiting – 1980s
Part of what made it work:
In past decades, people could do time in uniform, then return to the US with a feeling that they were living in the best country on the planet.
They believed it and their parents and grandparents believed it.
Standards have deteriorated. Today, the troops return to an ongoing breakdown of society:
US Armed Forces 2025 Recruiting Crisis Public Relations Release:
The post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, best advances in REAL ID and AI technologies, etc.) appears to have played no role in preventing these crimes:
Source/credit for both still images posted here is LiveNOW from FOX video above.
When there is a sense of confidence, authorities will share good news in the war on terror:
“A former Michigan Army National Guard member is accused of attempting to carry out a mass shooting at a U.S. military base in Warren, Michigan, on behalf of the terrorist organization ISIS.”
The War on Terror has prompted elected officials and law enforcement authorities to calm the public by looking into the future and announcing that no credible threat exists.
Newspeople play along by not asking questions.
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it-surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, fentanyl trafficking, bank robberies, mass casualty shootings, etc.
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask what sort of drugs were involved here.
What part of the drug war is working? What part is failing?
What can people learn from this in order to keep themselves safe?
Love to see newspeople asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is. A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
We get mixed messages from various levels of government Re: cartel product inside the US.
Newspeople play along by not asking questions.
If you are on the Kristi Noem team, you are out kicking ass.
If you are part of a local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team, you are advertising the latest big drug bust after cartel product is able to move past the jurisdiction of federal agents at borders, border crossings and ports of entry and a barrier of DOD ground units, US Navy and US Coast Guard vessels prior to arriving in Hometown, USA.
If you are part of a local health dept. you are handing out Naloxone as always, to deal with the stuff that doesn’t get reported in the big local drug bust.
I grew up in the greater Seattle area back in the 70s. Gun ownership was a common thing. The WWII Generation had set up a modern society. Moms and Dads were in charge. Seattle was a considered to be a safe place for teens to go on dates.
I have been using gas and charcoal grills for decades.
I have never used a grill cover, but now I own one for the gas grill. I live in an area where it may start and stop raining several times in a day. It may rain for days on end. Every month of the year will probably include some sort of gas or charcoal grill cooking.
My question:
When you are done using the grill and it is wet, is it good idea to leave the cover off?
They want us to rent a vacation spot in Ocean Shores, WA.
The beach here is pretty plain and not too interesting for photos. Further north on the WA coast, or on down to OR is where the more scenic beach views are available. Never mind about all that, just imagine a rocky coast with a storybook lighthouse and you’re good. Keep your imagination turned on, because there is no other way to experience this scene at Ocean Shores.
“Oyhut State Park is not one of the busier state parks in Washington. It’s located on the north shore of North Bay, near Ocean Shores, and near where Highway 109 meets Highway 115.”
“Damon Point was the resting place of the SS Catala, originally recommissioned as a floating hotel in Seattle for the 1962 World’s Fair. It was moved to Ocean Shores and eventually ran aground at Damon Point, greatly contributing to accretion of sediments. The wreckage was finally removed in 2007.”
Ran aground? Was Catala underway prior to beaching?
Some of this can just honestly be confusing. Some seems to be sloppy sharing of information, and some seems to be a deliberate intent to create a scene that does not exist.
“Oak Harbor is the largest city on Whidbey Island, located on the North end of the island. Whidbey Island is home to Windjammer Park and is known for its gorgeous ocean views.”
The body of water adjacent to the town is called: Oak Harbor.
How long would it take to walk or ride a bike to the nearest Ocean? What route would be best to take?
Has anyone ever posted an ocean photo that was taken at Oak Harbor?
Above: Kalaloch South Beach
