Month: March 2026

No Kings Day

by earlthepearl137

Tomorrow is No Kings Day, and I will be attending the demonstration at Reservoir Park here in Lancaster. I’ll be handing out colorful paperclips and this flyer:

đź“Ž WEAR A PAPERCLIP ON NO KINGS DAY

A small symbol with a big story

On No Kings Day, we remind ourselves that no leader — past, present, or future — should be treated like royalty. Democracy works best when we stay grounded, skeptical of myths, and committed to truth over hero‑worship.

That’s why today, I invite you to wear a paperclip.

Why a paperclip?

Because the humble paperclip has one of the funniest and most revealing stories in modern history.

During World War II, Norwegians wore paperclips on their lapels as a quiet symbol of unity and resistance against authoritarian rule. The clip stood for binding together, staying connected, and refusing to be intimidated.

After the war, a national myth grew that Norway had invented the paperclip — a story repeated so often that it became accepted truth, even though the familiar “Gem” clip was actually British. They actually erected a monument to the paperclip in Oslo. The myth wasn’t malicious; it was comforting. It felt good. It made a simple object seem heroic.

But it wasn’t true.

Why it matters today

The paperclip reminds us how easily myths form — how quickly a simple idea can be inflated into legend, and how tempting it is to rewrite history to flatter those in power.

Wearing a paperclip today says:

  • We choose facts over flattering stories
  • We resist the urge to crown heroes or kings
  • We stand together as citizens, not subjects
  • We remember that simple ideas don’t make someone a genius — they make them human

Join us

Clip one to your shirt, jacket, or bag. Wear it proudly. Let it say what needs saying:

No kings. No myths. No coronations. Just democracy — held together by all of us.

đź“Ž Take a paperclip. Take a stand.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl

Working With AI, not for it.

by earlthepearl137

Today, I read an article by Kristoffer Ealy arguing that the future belongs to people who work with AI, not people who let AI do the work for them. And I couldn’t help smiling, because that’s exactly how I’ve been operating for the past year.

Some folks treat AI like a vending machine: type in a prompt, take whatever drops out, and hope the professor doesn’t notice the metallic aftertaste. But that’s not collaboration. That’s outsourcing your thinking.

What I do is different. When I work with AI on a project — whether it’s the Buchanan audio, a comic splash panel for my Wordle-playing friends, or a blog post like this — I’m the one steering. I bring the ideas, the structure, the tone, the history, the humor, the moral clarity. The AI brings speed, stamina, and the ability to juggle a thousand threads at once. But the voice? The judgment? The point of view? That’s mine.

It’s the same distinction the article made: AI amplifies whatever the human brings into the room. If you bring nothing, it amplifies nothing. If you bring intention, it sharpens it.

That’s why collaboration works for me. I’m not handing over the job. I’m directing the production.

And the result — whether it’s an audio drama, a comic panel, or a blog article — actually sounds like me. Because I showed up.

That’s the part the “AI is taking over everything” crowd keeps missing. The danger isn’t that AI will replace human creativity. The danger is that people will stop showing up.

I don’t plan on being one of them.

Peace & Love, and all of the above,

Earl