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The New American Digest

For Followers of Gerard Van der Leun's Fine Work

  • About American Digest
  • About New American Digest
  • “The Name In The Stone”
  • Remembering Gerard Van der Leun
    • from the website: Through the Looking Glass
    • from the website: Barnhardt
    • from the website: Neo’s Blog
  • Articles
    • The Overland Stage
      • The Holladay Overland Stage: 1 – The Central Route
      • The Overland Stage – 2 Company Operations
      • The Overland Stage – 3 Exploring The Route – An Overview
      • The Overland Stage: 4 – South Platte/Julesburg/Ft Sedgwick
        • Jack Slade
      • The Overland Stage: 5 – Julesburg to Junction Station (aka Ft Morgan)
      • The Overland Stage: 6 – Junction Station to Latham
      • The Overland Stage: 7 – Latham Crossing to Fort Collins
      • The Overland Stage: 8 – LaPorte to Virginia Dale
      • The Overland Stage: 9 – Virginia Dale to Cooper Creek
      • The Overland Stage: 10 – Cooper Creek to Pass Creek
        • Fletcher Family
      • The Overland Stage: 11 – Pass Creek to Bridger Station
      • The Overland Stage: 12 – Bridger Pass to Duck Lake
      • The Overland Stage: 13 – Duck Lake to LaClede
      • The Overland Stage: 14 – LaClede to Almond
      • The Overland Stage: 15 – Almond to Rock Springs
      • The Overland Stage: 16 – Rock Springs to Fort Bridger
      • The Overland Stage: 17 – Fort Bridger to Weber Station

I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

Home→Published 2026 → June → 20

Daily Archives: June 20, 2026

So You Like To Use The Internet

The New American Digest Posted on June 20, 2026 by DTJune 20, 2026

I suggest you read the latest at Area Ocho by Dive Medic: "There Is No Hiding Your Thoughts"

He summarizes with:
"You can’t think about taking a crap without someone expecting you to reach for toilet paper."

I do what I can to prevent much of this on this site - I keep minimal statistics, I don't use Google Analytics, I use an uncommon theme, I don't apply cookies (though WordPress does). I don't use certain plugins that would make maintenance of this site easier but feed back information to the provider. I do use a spam filter which collects info. But by necessity, your IP address is captured as is your browser; both are needed to allow your computer to view this (or any other) site. Several other aspects of your system are also captured. A VPN can help, but the use of such also leaves a "fingerprint".

For example, yesterday (Friday) this site had 139 visitors from 71 IP addresses (which are recorded). Most viewers show up on Tuesday mornings. The most common browser is Chrome followed by Edge. The most common - by far - country for visitors is US, followed by Hong Kong, China, Serbia, Belgium, Canada. I suspect some of those provide the wonderfully unoriginal spam of which I currently have 99 waiting to be checked for legit comments and then deleted.
Among the more word-for-word common:

"I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article."
"Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me."
"Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you."

I can't do anything about what happens from your end.

Your computer may be the culprit: both Apple and particularly Windows "phone home" if for nothing else, to make sure your license is up-to-date. Your browser is tracked to the point where it is possible to record which tabs you have open and where they are connected. Win11 is particularly troublesome - I dumped Windows operating system shortly after Win10 came out. This site (and hosting service) is based on open-source Linux.
(I was working for an agency when Win10 was released. The agency wanted to stick with Win7 due to security concerns in Win10. The agency finally relented though).

Even air-gapped computers are at risk. Every time a USB device is plugged in, the transfer of information is possible whether intended or not. Did you know the technology exists that can track your computer usage through fluctuations in your power line or from electromagnetic fields emanating from your monitor? Not that the use of such is common ... but it does exist. Think of those electric company meters that track usage second-by-second (they can record much faster than that though).

There is no escape; to attempt to escape is just adding one more piece of information about yourself to those interested in such information. "Looking to disappear? We can sell you bug-out gear."

Stay safe out there folks ... Embrace the tech. It's embracing you.
(Advice given by someone who avoids smart phones as much as possible)

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We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

The New American Digest Posted on June 20, 2026 by DTJune 18, 2026
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Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Replies

Rules

Contact: dt@newamericandigest.org

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


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Most Recent Comments

  1. ghostsniper on We’re Not In Kansas AnymoreJune 20, 2026

    "That big empty of Western Kansas/Oklahoma has a charm all its own." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g310GZiNrgY&list=RDg310GZiNrgY&start_radio=1

  2. ghostsniper on So You Like To Use The InternetJune 20, 2026

    I use a Tracfone too (cost $135 at HSN.com) and I grabbed it out of the yesterday because I was…

  3. Wild, wild west on We’re Not In Kansas AnymoreJune 20, 2026

    A buddy farms a bit north of there at Dighton. He becomes claustrophobic anywhere there are trees. Water, or the…

  4. DT on So You Like To Use The InternetJune 20, 2026

    I may be juggling too many balls - I thought I did so ... or maybe it's on the schedule.…

  5. DT on We’re Not In Kansas AnymoreJune 20, 2026

    Quite possibly - I don't recall off-hand. 160's a road I'd have taken east out of Trinidad. And I agree…


Blogroll
The New Neo
Jean's Blog - Pondering
The Feral Irishman

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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