On this first day of fall, one of my favorite quotes about this time of year: "Because from here on in, the shadows get deeper, the nights get longer. We're heading into the dark, and we have to hang onto each other.” ~The Haunting of Bly Manor

Let's go along with the majority of us on this, whaddaya say?

I am ending as I started, with an immense love for Bangor and a deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve.

View for the weekend. Easternmost town in the US.

My wife bought me a Dwarf Lab Astro telescope camera thingy for Christmas and I brought it on our trip to Nova Scotia last month. There are so many stars you can BARELY see Cassiopeia, OMG the Milky Way, and that dashed line in the upper right corner is a plane headed to Europe…. Unbelievable.

It’s off to the briny deep with the leftover green tomatoes and jalapeños from our garden. #FridgePickles

Most (good) solutions are proposed not by newcomers, but by people who understand an issue deeply. There are exceptions, of course, but generally, if a solution seems "obvious", it's because you don't understand the problem as well as you think. 🧵

In Maine we have a saying: Go pound sand.

"Google’s AI summaries are cratering traffic and rewiring the web. In schools, ChatGPT hasn’t just killed the student essay; it seems to be threatening basic building blocks of human cognition." www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Wrapping up an incredible week in Nova Scotia. Not quite ready to repatriate…

How to catch a Cara.

We grew potatoes!

I realize this is about fire prevention but it just added an ominous and spooky flair to my vacation next week and I’m all about it. If you need me I’ll be huddled in the Airbnb peeking through the blinds at the dark and foreboding woods.

OBX

Trump's DOJ requested that Maine turn over its entire state voting roll, voting records, and verification procedures. Here's how Secretary of State Shenna Bellows responded: "Go jump in the Gulf of Maine."

Hey #Bangor, it’s time! Nomination petitions are available NOW for city council! We need thoughtful, progressive leadership now more than ever.

This is why we put up with the winter. #MaineLife #summah

Don’t look away. This is happening in our name, with our tax dollars.

I cannot state this enough: go to your town meetings! See who is voting on your budget! Meet the people who live in your town! This goes triply if you live in a tiny town! Be engaged in your community, it's a valuable and educational and actually interesting use of your time!

We attempted to fix our leaky faucet because the internet said it would be easy and now it’s really broken and we have to call a plumber.

Uh huh, uh huh.

Picked this up and couldn’t put it down. So well written and thought provoking! Excellent for anyone wanting to improve their understanding of disability, accessibility, and the social model. Well done, @ashleyshoo.bsky.social

I suggested to my wife that it seemed pointless to continually fill the bird feeder, as the squirrels always empty it in hours. Behind me, my son said, “It’s in your interest for the squirrels to be on your side when the Great War begins,” and ate another spoonful of Froot Loops.

Do not Accept a friend request from Hormel Foods. It is potentially SPAM. 😜

The streets of downtown Bangor were filled with more than 2,500 people for the city’s annual Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday.

Members of the Wabanaki community kicking off Bangor Pride 2025! @mw2sa.bsky.social @bangorpride.bsky.social

I’m so excited to support @jordanwood.bsky.social as he runs to represent Mainers in Washington! It’s time for a senator who will hold town hall meetings and fight to get big money out of politics!

Happy Juneteenth! Freedom is only freedom if everyone enjoys it. May we always work to close the gap between legislated equality and lived equality.

Breaking: SpaceX shows continued improvement in its rocket part scattering program.

Happy Autistic Pride! To my knowledge, I am the first (publicly) autistic mayor in Maine. My whole life changed for the better when I learned that I’m not broken, I’m autistic. I’ve learned to lean in and lead from authenticity and to embrace both my struggles and my strengths.

The Comptroller and a Mayoral Candidate in New York, simply asking to see a judicial warrant that would validate the arrest of the person he was walking with, handcuffed and detained, with no information on where he was being taken provided to his staff. EVERY elected official should be OUTRAGED.

We’re honored to report that over 11 million showed up for today’s No Kings protest, and totals are still coming in. Just… wow. WOW 😮! There’s nothing more to say.

In Bangor, Maine we make one exception to the rule. #NoKings

Just a small snippet of the march stepping off in beautiful sunny Bangor, Maine! WE THE PEOPLE say No Kings! #NoKings

“The only prerequisite for Saturday is a heart that breaks on behalf of its neighbor and its nation, and a courage that moves your feet to stand alongside other similarly heartbroken but courageous human beings.” See you in the streets, friends.

Sen. Coons: "I am shaken. I am angry. And I am gravely concerned about our path forward in this body and our nation. Democracy is a gift hard won and hard earned...What is happening?"

THIS: "If that's what they do to a U.S. Senator on camera, what do you think they are doing to ordinary people out of sight?"

This announcement gave me the bleeps, the sweeps, and the creeps!

Bubble wands, sidewalk chalk, a tuba playing Star Wars’ Imperial March across the road from the Marines. Salsa rueda. Taco trucks. California Republic flags. Attractive youths in skimpy clothing sharing cold drinks. LA is better suited than any other city in the world to resolve this peacefully.

Dozens of white roses were tossed into the Kenduskeag stream today in remembrance of Charlie Howard, a young gay man who was murdered in Bangor in 1984. Today’s memorial was a reminder of how far we still have to go to build a safe and welcoming world for everyone.

Today we will honor and remember the life of Charlie Howard, a Bangor man who was murdered in 1984 because he was gay. Join us at the memorial on State St at 6 pm for community and solidarity. 🏳️‍🌈

Summer has officially arrived in Maine.

No kings, no wannabe dictators. See you in the streets on June 14. #NoKings

Woke up thinking about the neurodiversity paradigm—the idea that brains like mine aren’t broken, just natural variations. I love this idea. But, it occurs to me that one of my evolutionary roles as an ADHD person might have been to impulsively eat poisoned mushrooms so the village knew not to.

Saturday spins. #vinyl

This album is still fantastic, start to finish. “Look where all this talking got us, baby. Look where all this talking got us, baby.”

Also! Their staff is answering the phones which means we are not putting enough pressure on! If there’s even ONE issue you care about today, call your senators!

Have you called your senators today? Today I called Maine senators King and Collins to urge them to vote against any cuts or changes to Medicaid.

I need to live more biblically (get swallowed by a whale and live in there until I'm ready to deal with the things on my to-do list).