doug — off the record

• Reflecting Pool holds a mirror to Trump’s administration

• Canada Day and Fourth of July holiday border wait times

  Here’s the best time to cross the border and what you need to declare as Canada Day and the Fourth of July draw near.

• This little Ontario town between 2 sparkling lakes was named among Canada's best spots to live – Narcity

  Dreaming of trading city life for lake views and a slower pace? This charming Ontario town might just be calling your name.

• Doctors Say Retirees Should Regularly Play These Two Word Games To Stay Sharp As They Age

• Facts about Canada – 20 Canadian Facts That Will Amaze You

  20 facts about Canada you need to know. Many of these Canadian facts will astound and amaze you. How many do you know already?

• 10 Free AI Courses in 2026 from OpenAI, Google, Harvard & More (No Coding Required)

• This $70 Photoshop rival is now free, and I like it better than Photoshop

  Affinity's rebrand and new features may have you rethinking your photo editing software.

• VLC is secretly the most powerful media tool on your PC — and you've barely scratched the surface

  Most people open VLC, hit play, and call it a day. Turns out, that's barely scratching the surface.

• The 1962 masterpiece that left Carole King lost for words

  As a wordsmith, Carole King is never short of things to say, but when she heard a masterpiece in 1962 for the first time, it rendered her totally speechless.

• Still Stuck on Windows 10? There Are Ways to Upgrade Your PC to Windows 11 for Free, Even If It's Incompatible | PCMag

• Google's Gemini AI Can Do a Lot, But Here Are 15 Features You'll Actually Use | PCMag

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.