The Smartphone Evolution Revolution

Let’s not talk about the ongoing ICE protest in Minneapolis. Instead let’s talk about the device that made the protests possible in the first place: smartphones. They are critical transformative tools for modern activism, used to organize over 80% of recent social movements, enabling rapid, real-time coordination through encrypted messaging social media, and live streaming  According to AI smartphones have revolutionized the speed and scale of mobilization. They facilitate mass mobilization, allow for quick, decentralized planning, and serve as tools for citizen journalism and documentation of events.

Beside organizing riots our phones have changed every other aspect of life in the 18 years since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007. Let’s review some of the things our phones have replaced in those 18 years:

Cameras

Maps

GPS devices

Calculators

Alarm clocks

TV’s

Radios

Camcorders

Pay phones

Yellow pages

Answering machines

Newspapers

Calendars

VCR’s

Flashlights

Watches

Timers

Compasses

Mail

Cookbooks

Keys

Cash

Airline tickets

Photo albums

Magazines

Money

Voice recorders

Scanners

Walkie talkie

Translators

Playing cards

Diaries

Travel guidebooks

Foreign phrasebooks

Portable speakers

Takeout orders by phone

CDs, DVDs

Encyclopedias

Compact mirrors

Bank branches

Checks

Address books

Parking meters

Rolodexes

Dictionaries…and on and on:

mp3 players ,portable cd players, audio cassettes, cassette players, tape decks, vhs tapes, beepers, pagers, handheld game consoles, film rolls, instant cameras, slide projectors, slide viewers, fax machines, typewriters, notebooks, planners, receipts, coupons, flyers, catalogs, brochures, instruction manuals, itineraries, tickets, boarding passes, parking permits, bills, invoices, memos, letters, landline phones, wallets, tape measures, thermometers, fitness trackers, remote controls, business cards, printed photos, phone book,s cd-roms, floppy disks …(Compiled by Jon Erlichman (@JonErlichman) January 17, 2026)

 

If you are a millennial or younger you likely don’t know what half the things on the list even are. . I don’t really have a point to this post other than to point out how our lives have been upended by a little piece of technology that has done nothing less than transform the world.

…and not necessarily for the good

Portland on the Mississippi

Yes, things are getting ICE-y in Minneapolis, Portland would be proud.

Two children, including one who was 6-months-old, were hospitalized last night after federal agents deployed tear gas during Wednesday night's protests, according to the Minneapolis Office of Community Safety.

The first question that comes to mind is who in their right mind would take a baby to a riot in the middle of the night in 10 degree weather? Morons. Maybe they were just a family driving home from a basketball game, still morons. Have they not been living in dystopian Minneapolis for the last 2 weeks? Take a longer route.

The place is crazy nuts and dangerous thanks to crazed liberals, mostly women, who are so taken with illegals that they put them ahead of safe streets and neighborhoods, their ideology puts criminals ahead of their own children. That’s not empathy, that’s pathology. They make Karens appear to be stable by comparison.

Here’s an interesting new theory on Liberal women’s obsession with immigration. These are sad people with deeply emotional issues, their activism is an outlet for empathy, purpose and identify. “Basically, women throwing energy into illegal migrants absorbs emotional surplus that no longer has a stable place to go.”

Their reactions seem so extreme because “they aren’t grounded in outcomes or solutions. They’re expressions of inner chaos that has manifested into “political activism.” The theory explains some of the TDS too.

Lord, please deliver us from all these narcissistic theater kids.

No Kings

The Truth Is Out There

Well you can’t complain that 2026 is getting off to a slow start. Civil uprisings in Iran and Minnesota and soon in a blue state near you. A deposed dictator in Venezuela. Ships seized on the high seas. Oh, and a shooting in Minneapolis.

So now the only story the media is concerned with involves the angry mobs of astroturfers protesting ICE.  They’ll get back to screaming about all of Trump’s other illegal actions after they’ve settled down a bit. For now they’re working hard to make the Minnesota mom the latest martyr of the cause in order to justify riots across the country.

These provocateurs are like deranged football fans who want to string up the referee when they disagree with his the call on the field. They’ve seen from one angle that the foot was in bounds. Never mind that there are 4 more angles that show the foot clearly out of bounds. They will believe what they want to believe regardless of indisputable video from a different viewpoint. That’s “their truth.” There’s a reason for instant replay.

My truth, my reality; it’s a narcissistic approach to life where there’s no such thing as objective truth and everything is relative.

But the truth is out there.

Happy New Year 2026: Long May We Run

I’m keeping resolutions to a minimum this year in order to ensure success.

May we all stick together for another year to help each other celebrate life’s joys, mourn its sorrows and give each other strength to get through whatever obstacles are thrown our way.

So Happy New Year to all the MOTI! Long may we run.

Christmas 2025

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Raj and I would like to wish all of our wonderful friends here a very, very Merry Christmas. We all deserve to set the world’s burdens aside and simply embrace the beauty and miracle that is Christmas.            

We send our love to each of you and wish you all a wonderful Christmas. Fill it to the brim with all the merry and the bright you can muster, for we are indeed blessed.

A reprise post,  but as relevant as it was first time around.

Happy Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve fellow travelers. It seems impossible it’s here again already and yet here we are, ready or not.

And once again Raj and I are the grateful beneficiaries of the Moti’s abundant generosity and love and we thank you very, very much for making our Christmas merry and bright. Here is the beyond gorgeous gold and white arrangement we received from you yesterday wishing us “peace, love and all things good.”

It’s equally beautiful from both sides:

The greens that appear brown are actually gold but didn’t photograph well in this light. They’re quite lovely but alas, my photography skills aren’t.

And that’s not all! A box of gourmet bonbons from Maeve in flavors such as brambleberry and cream brulee, both of which I can confirm are absolutely yummy, and many more. Also a candle that smells of Christmas itself: Fraser fir. It will fill the house with the comfortable scent of days when all Christmas trees were real and fresh cut.

We humbly thank all of you and are happy that you’ve found us and each other to share the joys and burdens of life. Of course I wish I could provide the type of commentary I used to but I’m pleased that you’ve taken over the role and continue to congregate here.

I wish you all a happy Christmas Eve no matter where your sleigh takes you: midnight church service, a raucous houseful or a quit evening in the peace of Christ’s birth.  May the joy of the season bring you blessings, joy, love, and moments to be cherished throughout the year. Merry Christmas to all.

At Some Point Satire Is Simply Not Possible

Chuck Schumer regarding the  Sydney massacre:

“The Jewish people have been collectively demonized—increasingly so in the last few years—and this tragedy in Sydney shows the abject danger of letting antisemitic rhetoric and action go unchecked.”

But he sees no problem with unchecked leftists who demonize MAGA supporters as white supremacists and fascists.

“Our collective humanity demands that we come together, no matter our race or religion, and forcefully rebuke the forces that have led to this moment and left our society so divided…”

Apparently our collective humanity doesn’t demand the same of Democrats and Republicans.

“We must reject antisemitism and hate of all kinds, wherever it rears its head...”

But not the kind of hate the left has for Trump and Trump supporters.

Be more inclusive, like the Australian PM: 

The Prime Minister of Australia says the true threat is “right-wing extremist groups” after the Islamic terrorist attack yesterday.

Actually absurd.
pic.twitter.com/NvID9xieTJ

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 15, 2025

Which of course recalls the late, great Norm McDonald’s evergreen tweet from 2016:

 

As someone said, at some point satire is simply impossible.

Of Gnomes And Advent

Not a full throated “bah humbug” but just a note that I’ve not been blessed with the spirit of Christmas as of yet but I’m committed to work on it.

Thus far all I’ve done this week was have a tooth yanked out which has proved more challenging than I had planned. Partly due to old age, partly due to poor health I’m sure, but I never thought it would knock me out of the game for the whole week. I’m still swollen like a watermelon, bruised like an eggplant, and wilted like a head lettuce in the hot sun – and I had it out Tuesday morning! I’m quite the sight. Raj said it looks like he popped me in the jaw and won’t take me anywhere even if I wanted to go. We’re in a deep freeze and since I have no other appointments until next week I’ve decided to hibernate. I must say, it suits me just fine. Perhaps I’ll run the self-clean function on the oven and pretend I’ve accomplished something. But if I’m honest, all I’ve done is molt.

So, no tree till next week, at which time I’ll decorate it with all 25 of the gnomes Jettie sent me last year.

How you’re missed Miss Jettie! For your zest, irreverence, unquenchable candor and unrelenting righteousness.  Your spirit will glow bright and strong when I put all the ornaments you’ve sent over the years on my tree.

Meanwhile, celebrate the 2nd week of Advent, time is fleeting.