Here in Freeport, Maine, we just lost power for the third time in a week and the second time in 15 hours. How's everyone else's day before Christmas going?

CBS paid the president of the United States millions in bribe money and now they censor news reports so it does not annoy him. I don’t know how much plainer we can put this.

Maybe the problem is that sensible people don't want to pay $15 per person to sit in a movie theatre and watch films with rude patrons who won't shut up. They'd rather stay home, pay less, start the film whenever they want, eat their own food, and have a better time. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/b...

If I'm going to complain online, I feel it's only right to praise online as well. Town councilors and a police sergeant have reached out to me to try and solve the gun problem in our Maine community. They didn't have to. It looks like they may be listening. I'm grateful to them for contacting me.

And even better: Despite the cowardly refusal of @mainedems.bsky.social to back the initiative, Maine voters supported a red flag law by a vote of 60 to 40 percent.

Zohran Mamdani has won the New York City mayoral race. Mamdani will be the first Muslim and first person of South Asian descent to serve as the city’s mayor. At 34 years old, he would also be the youngest mayor to run City Hall in modern history. nymag.com/intelligence...

BAD BAD GIRL is a unique mashup of literary novel and memoir that tells the fictionalized story of Gish Jen’s mother, from her 1924 birth in Shanghai to her death in the United States in 2020.

Hi, Maine Democratic Party (@mainedems.bsky.social). I just received your fundraising solicitation. You ignored eight messages--eight--in which I asked you why the party isn't advocating for further gun control measures. Friendly advice: Don't treat your allies as if their voices don't matter.

I won't name names, but some people on this platform are using the sad occasion of Diane Keaton's death to take pot shots at a director they hate, to the point of wishing him dead. To those people: I get that you choose to believe a certain story, but keep your despicable thoughts to yourself.

A magnificent performance from one of the greatest films ever made. RIP, Diane Keaton. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXy9...

@jesterholm.bsky.social Thanks, Jeff. Other residents and I have politely asked town officials multiple times to stop this. Since they won't, I plan to publicly embarrass them at every opportunity. We'll see what that does to the town economy.

Once again, we're listening to loud gunfire in @freeportmaine.bsky.social. Town officials were informed that many residents who suffer from anxiety are traumatized by this, but they refuse to stop it. A police sergeant even came to our home and tried to intimidate me into dropping my complaint. 1/2

There's still a lot of time left and much to learn, but in the off-chance anyone is listening: Jordan Wood, U.S. Senate candidate from Maine, supports an expansion of red flag laws. I asked gun enthusiast @grahamformaine.bsky.social three times for his thoughts on gun control. He wouldn't answer me.

Yet another magazine article about Graham Platner in which the interviewer didn't ask this competitive shooter for his thoughts on badly-needed gun reform. I asked him three times (I'm a Maine progressive), but he won't respond. Could someone please ask him? I'd like to hear his thoughts.

@jesterholm.bsky.social Thanks, Jeff.

A @freeportmaine.bsky.social police officer just told me 200-db explosions of gunfire that terrify unsuspecting residents are reasonable if they occur before 10 PM. Folks, could you please boost this post (on this day of the latest school shooting) and help me pressure them to stop this? Thank you.

Hi, Town of Freeport, Maine. It's 6:40 PM, and we're listening to extremely loud, rapid gunfire from a backyard shooting range in our part of Freeport. Other residents and I have complained about this issue multiple times. Why have town officials repeatedly refused to put a stop to it?

From today's @financialtimes.com #TomLehrer

If I may add to this excellent appreciation of Tom Lehrer: "Wernher von Braun" is hilarious, but it's even funnier when you know that the intro music is a variation on Haydn's "Deutschlandlied," which begins, "Deutschland über alles" ("Germany above all"). www.newyorker.com/culture/post...

For those who don't know, Tom Lehrer wrote terrific songs for children (and adults) for "The Electric Company." My favorite is "Snore, Sniff, and Sneeze." Farewell to a unique talent. #TomLehrer www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoRc...

I'm sad, but I'm also laughing, because this is one of the funniest obituaries you will ever read. For my money, Tom Lehrer was the single greatest comedian of the 20th Century. Absolutely brilliant. #TomLehrer www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/a...

Ruben Reyes Jr.’s excellent debut novel uses the device of the multiverse to ask, what if the Salvadoran Civil War hadn’t happened, and the families involved had met a different fate? @marinerbooks.bsky.social

True story.

Zohran Mamdani won a victory for his own campaign in NYC but ALSO for a vision of the next Democratic Party: a bolder, more outspoken party that builds multiracial, multiethnic coalitions that speak directly to the aspirations of working-class voters — with an economic agenda that is on their side.

A musical giant with the tenderest touch, the great pianist Alfred Brendel has sadly died, aged 94. His performances will blaze in memory; his recordings will inspire for generations to come. He received the RPS Gold Medal in 1992, presented by fellow recipient Yehudi Menuhin.

Who gets custody of JD in the divorce?

We all know how difficult forgiveness can be. In Kevin Wilson’s colorful novel, RUN FOR THE HILLS, newly introduced half siblings give it their best shot. @eccobooks.bsky.social

Reasons to wear an n95: 1) COVID never ended 2) Unmitigated illness is a tool used to harm marginalized groups & you don’t want to participate 3) You think disabled folks deserve safety & access 4) You want to avoid allergens & pollutants 5) Community care is punk AF Get/give mask mutual aid:

The Federation of State Humanities Councils & Oregon Humanities have filed a lawsuit against the termination of NEH grants to the state councils. www.statehumanities.org/federation-o...

@acls1919.bsky.social, the AHA, & @modernlanguage.bsky.social filed a lawsuit in federal district court today, seeking to reverse the recent actions of the NEH to devastate the agency, including the elimination of grant programs, staff, and entire divisions and programs. 🗃️

Breaking News: The Mellon Foundation announced $15 million to support state humanities councils after federal aid cancellations left some in danger of collapse. The endowment provides crucial support to museums, historical sites, cultural festivals and community projects.

Sanders: I want to say a word about Alexandria Person in the crowd: Future president Crowd: *cheers*

The alternative to what AOC is doing is this

Happy 97th birthday to Tom Lehrer, who confirmed his status as a Great Man a few years ago by releasing all his work into the public domain. tomlehrersongs.com

NEW: Yesterday, the Justice Department sent armed marshals to warn former U.S. pardon attorney Liz Oyer not to disclose internal DOJ information during her Senate testimony. Today, Oyer is speaking out to condemn the DOJ’s actions and defend the rule of law.

THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a film by Wes Anderson.   Only in theaters May 30. youtu.be/GEuMnPl2WI4?...

THIS IS WHAT A TRADE WAR LOOKS LIKE -

Portland, ME showed up. #HandsOff

Man, the big huge protests in places like Boston, DC, NY, Chicago, and Minneapolis are awe-inspiring. But my heart is gonna explode looking at these crowds of people out in tiny Maine towns and super red Alabama towns. Places where 15% of the population is on the street corner with more coming!

The Boston #HandsOff organizers are killing it. Handsoff2025.com

Cory Booker is doing something incredible on the Senate floor. If you're not watching, you need to watch: www.youtube.com/live/Ej6locU...

We will not be distracted. We will not be discouraged. We’ve got our eyes on the prize. And we will build the prosperous, free nation for all that we deserve. The time to organize is now. OcasioCortez.com

Ghosts and doppelgangers abound in Stuart Nadler’s poignant, ornate tapestry of a novel, which shifts among the perspectives of members of a Jewish family originally from Vienna. @duttonbooks.bsky.social

He stood alone with courage in the face of tyranny.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 🇨🇦 as he meets Zelenskyy 🇺🇦 This is how World Leaders show respect and dignity. So proud of our Prime Mimister! #cdnpoli #peipoli

I'm not on social media much at all these days (busy with writing, family, day job, and recovering from illness), but here's something happy that happened in our house: Our son made bread for the first time. His choice: sourdough baguettes, using a bit of my starter. So delicious! #Bread

The most notable thing about this clip from the president's address to the governors is the way Maine Gov. Janet Mills stood up to Trump. And the second most notable thing is the absolute stone-faced silence from the other governors in the room. www.c-span.org/clip/white-h...

Looking for tips on how to annoy a fascist government? Consider "There's No Turning Back," Alba de Céspedes's 1938 novel that the Italian government hated so much they blocked further publication for years. I wrote about it for Shelf Awareness. #books #booksky www.shelf-awareness.com/sar-issue.ht...

Seriously, creative folks: Don't be afraid to let people know your stuff is out there for them, or worry that "now is not the time for that." People are stressed and freaked out and looking for the things that will give them a moment of rest and joy. It is EXACTLY the time for what we do. Tell them.