Locator: 49744ARCHIVES.
Update: this will have to be Part 1. I just noticed my in-box. LOL.
Note: there will be a shift in political notes on the blog;
- officially begins in 2026 but starting to see shift now.
Lovebites: link here. Link here. The best piece of classical music written by a heavy metal guitarist: “Dystopia Symphony,” piano version by Miyako Watanabe. — Charles Hsu, San Francisco.
Epstein files:
- Bondi blew it.
- She lost control of the narrative.
- She had the files.
- She was charged iwth releasing them.
- She controlled the release.
- She blew it.
- "There was no there there" but she could have staged the photos very, very nicely.
- She could have enhanced photos on a case by case basis.
- She could have selectively provided context.
- She ould have been much more precise with redactions.
Travel: if I could be anywhere today, it would be on the road, somewhere between Nebraska and South Dakota. And if I didn't have Sophia, that's where I would be.
College football playoff: schedule, scores, link here.
- Texas A&M today, among others.
- yesterday (last night) #9 Alabama defeats #8 Oklahoma; Alabama advances to the Granddaddy of them all -- the Rose Bowl. I used to live within walking distance of the Rose Bowl. Pasadena. Small stadium.
- the current playoff system: okay, I guess? I'm old school: I still remember fondly the four big bowl games on New Year's Day -- quick! Name the four -- Cotton, Orange, Peach, and Rose.
- then: iconic; now: business.
This is not a bubble: SoftBank races to fulfill $22.5 billion funding commitment to OpenAI by year-end (year-end is .... less than two weeks away ... if this happens ... do we have "lift off"?
- IYKYK / FOMO / MOJO / YOLO
- is this the nod / eye-wink / thumbs up to investors that the Santa Claus rally can commence Monday, December 22, 2025?
AI prompt: can SoftBank fulfill its $25-billion funding commitment to OpenAI by the end of the year? Reply: yes!
AI prompt: is Oracle involved in any part of this deal?
Tickled pink: Musk's pay package restored by court.
Movies: Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme is now streaming free. I forget where. I watched the movie two nights ago and the started watching it again last night;
- saw it on the big screen when it first opened
DAPL: US Army Corps of Engineers -- keep the pipeline operating. Link here.
- US seal of approval. Just waiting for NPR and the Sierra Club to weigh in.
- we are so lucky that Trump is president; so lucky.
- thank you Mr Wright and Mr Burgum
- assessment included feedback from "the tribes."
- thank you; now sit down.
Market, investing, without links:
- Santa Claus rally still within reach;
- Nvidia-Intel deal cleared by US antitrust agencies;
- TikTok -- wow -- huge story -- Oracle part of the story;
- how old is Mr Ellison, senior?
- he and I share a birthday; he's 81; I'm not
- home sales ticked up again;
- Nike sinks as China sales plunges;
- this is not a bubble: AI boom drives data-center dealmaking to record highs;
- we are so lucky that Trump is president; so lucky.
- Starbucks taps Amazon's Anand Varadarajan as new CTO.
Mr Ellison and Mr Trump are huge friends:
Shaun Maquire: wiki.
- take some time on this one;
- explore the entire link.
Brown University:
- Azam Ahmed; link here.
- a book of the year: 2023 --
- Fear Is Just A Word, link here.
- I often buy books from Amazon, sight unseen; I'll check this one out at local B&N to see if I want my own copy
- The wanted man; link here. The more one reads, the more bizarre; expect a book soon by Azam Ahmed.
- Azam AhmedDana Goldstein and Patricia Mazzei
- Azam Ahmed reported from Lisbon, Dana Goldstein from New York, and Patricia Mazzei from Miami.
- Soumya Karlamangla
- Pooja SalhotraFrancesca RegaladoAzam Ahmed and Sarah Mervosh
- Azam Ahmed reporting from Lisbon
This must have been exciting for those involved: American forces strike ISIS in Syria. Link here.
- the attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used.
- US strikes in Syria, involving F-15s, A-10s, and Apaches, typically launch from regional bases in the Middle East (like Jordan, Kuwait, UAE) or from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean/Persian Gulf, using Operation Inherent Resolve as the framework, with recent strikes in late 2025 targeting ISIS in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces, often involving At Tanq Garrison in Syria as a forward operating base for ground troops supporting these air operations.
- let's just give the enemy the full order of battle.
- must have been like a typical training day for the US military;
- lots of medals; lots of "atta-boys."
Meacham Airport
- Fort Worth approves Sky Harbour lease for hangar campus; link here.
- to build two 32,000 ft-square hangars; corporate business a/c.
Oil, world's proven reserves, link here.
- we'll never run out of affordable, available oil.
- stunning graphic.
New link: information is beautiful. Link here.
Astrophysics: link here.
- simply bizarre; defies explanation.
- the most amazing thing: the fact "they" even found this planet.
Germany: self-immolation. Link here.
- Volkswagen halts exports of its electric mini-bus to US next year
- exports of the ID.Buzz to the US will be paused. Does "tariffs" have two r's or one?
- sharp decline in EV sales nationwide (US).
- Dan Tsubouchi on EVs: the day the music died.
Breakfast of champions:
