iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 21h

Our two weeks in France were glorious. But our humble Rogue Valley gave us a warm welcome home.

Low sun over the valley as seen from an airplane window

Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 01/10/2026

After many postponements, finally got to see Midsummer Night’s Dream at #osfashland. Spectacular, even better than my previous favorite, the 1997 production directed by Penny Metropulos with Ray Porter as Puck. That one was magical, this one dazzling in rich detail. Also hilarious. And beautiful.

Set of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at start of Act I.

Set of Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at start of Act II.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 07/09/2026

The cyborg king in David R. Bunch’s “Moderan,” written 60 years ago, sounds exactly like a certain current idiot tyrant—right down to the bullshit promises and random capitalizations.

"I'll ask my Corps of Engineers to install some of the most sophisticated snoop gear in the history of mankind. I'll have them install signals and graphs and all kinds of metering devices. And as a fair little warning to you, let me say, and let it not be misunderstood, that I have never in all my life been fooled in my own personal estimate of an individual, his potential, his behavior, his overall utilization of self. Not that I'll need it, but I'll tell you ahead of time what I'm having put in to verify to all what I will know already. It will be called the Beep for Record' plan. When any man ANY MAN! is remiss in any one of the many categories in which a man can be remiss, throughout all this great new Stronghold a giant BEEP will sound, alerting all. Then that man's name—you do have names, I trust, or numbers—anyway, that man's designation will be loudmouthed throughout all this vast fort; his designation will reverberate from wall to wall, from hall to hall, from ceiling to floor, ALL EVERY-WHERE, as a miscreant. Let each man EACH MAN, please, now make a silent vow to keep his personal part of the 'Beep for Record' silent. Then he'll know he's doing what he should be doing anyway, without this threat. That's all. Just what he should be doing anyway.
He can expect no prizes for his silent BEEP. It will only mean that he is functioning adequately. Is that understood?
"For prizes? Well, I have BIG plans for that, which we'll go into at some better, later time. But for just right now, I'd much rather that you get clear that this is a no-nonsense place, and we mean business at this Stronghold. I'm King here and you are my subjects. I mean to

be the greatest King in Moderan and that will mean that you will be the greatest subjects in Moderan. Let's work hard. Our goals are simple. To be first First FIRST, those are our plans. Let no man shirk.
Heaven HEAVEN help him if he does. Do I want a happy Stronghold?
Ha phaw! Happy Strongholds are for old women warriors. I want a steel-driven Stronghold. I want a cold Stronghold. I want a Stronghold such that when the steel birds hit our air they'll feel a chill along the very wings they flap to flee our space. I want no mollycoddles. And I'll not be a mollycoddle's nursemaid. I'll take heads off; I'll melt people down. It could well be that the most obedient man in all the Stronghold will inexplicably one bleak day find himself in the pot.
He won't know why; I won't know why, except that these things work out. Strength answers to strength. Let no one feel secure. Yet let every man go at that special speed which leaves no room for accel-eration. What I mean, you'll be at MAX at all times and all the way.
When you wear out I'll replace you with no thought whatsoever concerning what you were. The GOAL of the overall effort is the ALL that counts. The little component parts mean nothing Noth-ING, except they contribute. And then their meaning is only in their time of function. I HOPE I HAVE MADE MY POSITION PERFECTLY CLEAR."

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 07/09/2026

Dumb and Dumber, A.I. edition

Search Assist box reads:
Guava is a fruit that has three syllables and four letters.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 30/08/2026

Said farewell today to a woman who, despite a 10-year fight with metastatic breast cancer, embraced joy and brought happiness to all those around her until her dying day and beyond. This is the way to live, however long or short our life is.

What Would xxx Do?
Go outside.
Take the trip.
Dance-even if no one comes with you.
Read the book.
Paint the rock.
Share the meme.
Wear the fun earrings.
Order the fries.
Care.
Laugh loudly.
Stand up for people.
Make someone feel seen, loved, and valued.
Don't wait for life to come to you.
And, when you feel lost,
Believe in yourself the way she believed in you.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 23/08/2026

34 years a couple, a team, a force to be reckoned with

A very attractive couple toast their anniversary

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 18/08/2026

Stopped at Sparrow Bakery on our way home from Bend this morning to pick up half a dozen of their incredible Ocean Rolls. Gave away three of them, which leaves us the other three—each of which is roughly the diameter of a cantaloupe.

Three enormous cardamom buns fill a cloche-covered cake stand

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 12/08/2026

This description from The Complete Directory to Prime Time, Network and Cable TV Shows is … revealing.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 30/07/2026

DuckDuckGo search gives you the un-AI-ed info.

Screen shot of DuckDuckGo response to search for “sunset” including local sunset time

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 21/07/2026

Lashes. Just one of Henry’s many superior attributes. He bats them and the girl dogs swoon. 🐕🐾

A dog’s gorgeous black eyelashes highlighted against a white background

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 20/07/2026

It’s not a fair trade, but wildfires do make for some kickass sunsets.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 14/06/2026

There is no greater indictment of global capitalism than the fact that it has made Jean-Ralphio the richest individual in history.

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein, doofus entrepreneur from the TV series Parks and Recreation

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 29/05/2026

I’m proud to have been one of the original Kickstarter funders who launched Boise Brewing. Like Community Supported Agriculture, this is a brewery supported by the local community. I’m no longer a local, so I’m counting on my Boise friends to celebrate 12 great years. 🍻 mailchi.mp/boisebrewing...

Boise Brewing 12th Anniversary Party
Game Time
Beer Can Bowling
Blind Taste Testing
Mini Golf
Pin the Pint to the Hand
Friday, June 12th, 6-10 PM

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 25/05/2026

Grilling on Memorial Day is like the most cliche suburban dad thing ever. Well I’m not a dad, I live in a small town, and I am grilling not burgers or dogs but a whole damn turkey. So I’m only a slight cliche right?

A lightly browned turkey on a grill (it still has a couple of hours to go)

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 25/05/2026

You’re a medical doctor, but you don’t understand immune compromised people, or those who are sick themselves, or simply folks whose families rely on them to work and can’t afford to get sick? I pity you, doofus.

Robert W Malone, MD
@RWMaloneMD
Did some airplane travel this week- the number of people back to wearing masks over hantavirus and Ebola is truly shocking.
I feel sad for the people who live their lives in fear over over-hyped, extremely rare diseases.
People, so fearful that they can't go out in public or travel without masks...
I pity them, I worry for their mental health, I even worry for our country that has so many guillible people - but these poor fools are not my enemy.
5:53 AM • May 23, 2026 • 126.8K

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 18/05/2026

If you see this, post your getaway vehicle.

The Galileo shuttle craft from “Star Trek TOS”

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 18/05/2026

What a blast the Rogue Valley Peace Choir had singing this weekend for peace, social justice and the Earth. Here’s yours truly using my upper lip to keep the guitar solo under control during our finale. My wife @cynthiatank.bsky.social, on shaker at right, was the glue that kept us all in tempo.

A bald guy in an orange shirt plays a black and white Strat while his wife plays shaker

A 90-voice choir in a rainbow of colorful tops sings before a large church pipe organ

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 15/05/2026

Another concert weekend! Cyn is playing percussion on many songs; I’m doing percussion, singing a solo, and playing electric guitar on our two finale numbers. A message of peace and social justice has never been needed more. Join our Singing Revolution!

Rogue Valley Peace Choir
Presents
BE THE CHANGE
Songs of peace, social justice, and the Earth
SEASON FINALE CONCERTS
Friday, May 15 • 7 pm
United Church of Christ
1801 E. Jackson Street, Medford
Sunday, May 17 • 3 pm
First United Methodist Church
175 N. Main Street, Ashland.
Donations from the Medford concert will benefit Northwest Seasonal Workers Association. These events are made possible by community donations. Suggested donation: $20 - gratefully accepted, but not required.
https://roguevalleypeacechoir.org

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 13/05/2026

Just wrapped up five glorious days on the reborn Klamath River. Saw the incredible restoration work the Yurok Tribe has done two years after four dams were removed. Mostly sat and watched wild horses, listened to the river’s song, and marveled at our good fortune to live in such an amazing place. 📷🐴

A wild horse glowing crimson at sunset with the river behind it

Orange California poppies line a green river bank, replanted after the reservoirs were drained

A curious but skeptical wild horse gives me the side eye

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 05/05/2026

Took the camp trailer (Dogloo Too) for its annual overnight de-winterization and spring shakedown at Emigrant Lake. Dramatic thunderstorms, lovely sunset, frog song all night, and a gorgeous sun-soaked morning. All this 20 minutes from our home.

Dark clouds over a lake with a tree in the foreground

A woman and her dog look over the lake at dawn

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 23/04/2026

First smoker session of the spring: this beautiful tri-tip, which will fill tacos for our houseguests tomorrow, along with sweet and spicy almonds and smoked garlic, which filled our bellies tonight.

A smoked 3-pound tri-tip roast resting on a wire rack

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 21/04/2026

Counting down to this weekend’s big concerts, when we’ll be singing with the Woodburn High Mariachi. Yours truly, after six decades playing stringed instruments, will be performing on congas and bomba for the first time. It’s going to be a blast! Please join us! Tix at siskiyousingers.org

A poster reads: Vecinos en Armonia: Neighbors in Harmony, A Latin American Choral Celebration

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 07/04/2026

Six years since we lost John Prine’s voice, but not his spirit.

John Prine at home. Photo by David McLister. Courtesy of Fiona Whelan Prine.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 03/04/2026

She doesn’t care that we’re coming, but she left the porch light on for us anyway. 🌙🌕🔭🧑‍🚀📷

The full moon is partly obscured behind branches of trees

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 30/03/2026

Stop scrolling & post two characters who bring you happiness.

Diana Scarwid and John Savage in a scene from the motion picture Inside Moves (1980)

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 29/03/2026

You know our country’s leaders are shit when America the Beautiful becomes a protest song. #nokings

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 28/03/2026

Thousands turned out for #nokings in heavily red So. Oregon. I helped lead one of a dozen song pods providing a musical backdrop.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 10/03/2026

I think it’s clear what’s going on here. (Gift link) www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Diagram of a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement “mega center” facility in Georgia that would imprison 8,500 human beings

Diagram of a slave ship in the 18th century, illustrating how almost 500 human beings could be crammed together within the vessel’s lower decks

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 27/02/2026

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some zen to the feed.

A waxing crescent moon with mare and craters visible

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 23/02/2026

Lost my best man John Skov today after a stroke. Restaurateur/teacher/fly fisher/high harmony on campfire CSNY songs. Founding member of FATBOD (Food Always Tastes Better Outdoors). Spent his last months fighting his body’s betrayal of his spirit and Trump’s betrayal of our country. Miss you Johnny.

John Skov, at a protest last spring, uses his middle fingers to express his feelings about our corrupt, immoral president.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 18/02/2026

Just bought one of these. Movable dividers and lots of zip pockets. Not a backpack, but has a shoulder strap. Carries all my pedals, cables, percussion, and odds and ends. Large enough for my rain stick! Shop around, I got a better price than this. ebay.us/m/gGWgKd

A large carrying case for musicians’ cables and accessories

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 16/02/2026

Drop an album that was important to you when you were 19.

Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 16/02/2026

Our finale last night: 4 Oregon peace choirs come together on Low Lilly’s “Hope Lingers On.” To keep up the fight, we must maintain the hope.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 14/02/2026

In the 1990s, Estonia began to pry off the boot of the USSR by singing “forbidden” music. It’s time for a Singing Revolution in this country. We kick it off tomorrow.

THE POWER OF SONG
Songs for peace, social justice and the Earth
Featuring
Eugene Peace Choir | In Accord Community Choir | Portland Peace Choir | Rogue Valley Peace Choir
HOSTED BY
ROGUE VALLEY
PEACE CHOIR
Sunday, Feb. 15 * 6 pm
SOU Recital Hall
450 S. Mountain Avenue, Ashland
This event is partially funded through Ashland Lodging tax revenue and community donations. Suggested donation:
$20 - gratefully accepted, but not required.
See more event info at https://roguevalleypeacechoir.org

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 08/02/2026

“No Subject.” No class either. Couldn’t be bothered to compose a complete message to his employees (those few remaining) as he rushed out the door. Also, he sent this email 2 years late.

William Lewis
5:33 PM
No Subject
All - after two years of transformation at The
Washington Post, now is the right time for me to
step aside. I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his
support and leadership throughout my tenure as
CEO and Publisher. The institution could not
have a better owner.
During my tenure, difficult decisions have been
taken in order to ensure the sustainable future
of The Post so it can for many years ahead
publish high-quality nonpartisan news to
millions of customers each day.
With gratitude, Will

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 11/01/2026

Wearing my KBSU socks today in honor of Arthur.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 10/01/2026

Not sure why, but it seems like a good time to read up on megalomaniacs and how they’re able to deploy their narcissism and paranoia to con their followers into taking actions directly contrary to their own self interest.

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Michael Rene Zuzel @michaelzuzel.com · 06/01/2026

An insecure 9-year-old has more maturity than this.

• Trump said he had been annoyed by Maduro's
dancing. "He gets up there and he tries to
imitate my dance a little bit," the president
said.

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