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DownEast-Diaries is where I process what I’m learning—about Maine life, policy, business, and technology—in real time. These are short, practical notes written to think things through, not dress things up.

Some posts are rough. Some are opinionated. All of them are part of learning out loud and getting better at turning information into understanding. If you’re looking for polish or hot takes, this probably isn’t it.

If you like clear thinking, plain language, and a Maine-grounded point of view—you’re in the right place.

Sections:

• Civics & Research

• Notes on Maine policy, national decisions that land locally, and the power structures behind them. Less yelling, more “who benefits and why.”

→ Maine’s Privacy Line in the Sand

→ Civics & Research Spark

• SMAI Tech

• Working notes on technology, AI, and systems—from the perspective of someone who actually has to use them, not sell them.

→ SMAI Tech Spark

• Business & Cleaning

• Real-world observations from running small businesses, doing the work, and figuring out what actually matters day to day.

→ Business & Cleaning Spark

• Outdoor & Lifestyle

• Maine seasons, outdoors, and everyday life—because place shapes how we think, whether we admit it or not.

→ Outdoor & Lifestyle Spark