Bob Schwartz

September 1, 2026

Google gave in to the ludicrous attempt to rename Lake Ontario. Goodbye Google Maps, hello Here We Go.

It is reported that the Mapquest app—yes, Mapquest—became the number one app in the Apple store, after Mapquest refused to give in to Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario.

Google gave in without a fight.

My first thought was that I would protest by discarding Google from my digital life. Yeah well. Easier said than done.

My AI life is not a problem, since it is already squarely based in Claude, with Gemini in distant second place. And unlike many other users, I don’t do much with other Google apps like Google Docs.

Mail and search are a different story. I could shift both away from Google, and I should, but convenience in that case outweighs conviction. Though if Google continues its kiss-ass ways, that could change.

One place that is vulnerable to my principles is Google Maps. It is admittedly pretty useful, and alternatives are slim. Waze, one of the leading alternatives, is of course owned by Google.

Then my search (yeah, okay, a Google search), turned up Here We Go. Here We Go was developed by Nokia, and evolved into a mapping app supported by multiple car makers.

It is well reviewed as a Google Maps alternative, highlighted for its lack of clutter and especially for its ability to download maps that can be used in offline settings.

I have downloaded Here We Go to my phone but haven’t used it yet. I will. (I also downloaded Mapquest to send a message to Google. I could send an email to Google too, though it would be a Gmail and anyway Google could care less.)

Here We Go!

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September 1, 2026

The surrealism of the presidential artist known as ‘‘⓿

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain (1917)

Dada and Surrealism were significant art movements in the early 20th century. One of the most famous works is Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain* (above), though Duchamp refused to be classified with any of the movements he informed and inspired. These movements also included performances, many of which made no sense then—or now. It was art.

Trying to make sense of the action, speech and thought of the current president defies understanding. Perhaps we have been looking at him through the wrong lens. We think of him as a businessman and currently as the most powerful leader in the world. This has left us shaking our heads. But maybe we are looking at it all wrong.

We may say to ourselves, “This can’t be real!”

Maybe it isn’t real. Maybe it is surreal. Maybe it is the work of an artist so supremely talented that his work and performances go right over our heads.

A beautiful Rose Garden buried in concrete. A giant Reflecting Pool covered with green algae. Every wall in a stately historic mansion decorated in ugly and gaudy gold. Historic texts, a Declaration and a Constitution, burned in front of our eyes. Just a few of the extraordinary works that are still being made.

If all that isn’t cutting edge art, deserving of multiple prizes, I don’t know what is.

* The original Fountain from 1917 is no longer available. Replicas of the original are worth between $2.5 and $5 million. Something for a presidential artist to think about.

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