Locator: 50827TRUMP.
All this while Trump's involved with a high risk trip to China.
Story assigned to Francesca Regalado. It appears she joined The New York Times last year, assigned to the hub at Seoul, Korea.
Saturday, May 16, 2026
College In The US -- May 16, 2026
Locator: 50826COLLEGE.
Locator: 50826ARCHIVES.
Link here.
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This is going to be a long blog and eventually I will get around to the subject: college choice in the US, but it's a blog in progress and I don't want to keep updating it, putting it in draft, and starting over, so I will post as I go along. It's for my edification for now. I'll let you know when it's finally complete. Don't read now.
Personal: Coyote Capers. Maybe more on this later. For the first time in my life I saw what was really possible! I'm still amazed. I would love to know the history -- who got it started? When and how? The importance of athletics.
Headlines from overnight:
- Number 11 hails "landmark" Trump visit. Expect to see Number 11 in DC soon.
- Number 11 sees what a protracted conflict could do to its economy;
- think Taiwan; an invasion is not the way to go
- Small mind: Senator Warren sends letter to new Fed chairman to divest portfolio.
- Has she divested her portfolio? I don't know? Did Nancy?
- Small minds: now TNYT is upset that the FBI director snorkeled with the US Navy in Hawaii, supposedly mixing business with leisure -- oh, give me a break -- it gets tedious -- at least Hunter Biden only mixed pleasure with pleasure while profiting off his dad's travels; where is Hunter these days? That snorkeling trip for the FBI director -- last year. Meanwhile, Comey and the seashells. It does get tedious.
- Starbucks may be preparing for major change.
- Yahoo!Finnace still comparing 2000 dot-com bust with current AI boom. This too gets tedious.
- Warren Buffett is clearly missed at BRK -- no, not really --
- Bill Ackman is suddenly bullish on OpenAI partner Microsoft.
- auto manufacturers seeing huge unexpected surge -- COWs
- US short-sightedness in aluminum is now making headlines -- Diet Coke particularly hard hit;
- The U.S. began moving primary aluminum manufacturing (smelting) overseas during the 1980s. Domestic production peaked in 1980 at 4.65 million metric tons and subsequently declined by over 80% as rising energy costs and global competition drove companies to build or shift smelting operations to countries with cheaper power.
- Ronald Reagan was president of the US for the entire decade, 1981 - 1989
- thank you for all your help Mr Reagan; that's why we need to MAGA
- the Chinese now account for more than 50% of global supply of aluminum
- seems like there might be a solution
- every day the strait stays closed, the less relevant the strait becomes
- Cheaper power. Hold that thought. For the next 20 years.
- Mainstream media continues to misread the Iran story: Trump has all the time in the world; Saudi Arabia does not. Iran is a lost cause. Every day the strait remains closed, the Mideast becomes less relevant. The winners: China and the US. The losers: the Mideast and the EU.
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The Human Genome Project
From Walter Isaacson's book on Jennifer Doudna:
Chapter 5: The Human Genome
- Doudna working in Jack Szostak's lab
- 1986: Harvard, genetics; Mass General Hospital
- began working at Harvard as a molecular biologist in 197
- simultaneously started his own independent research laboratory at the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute (now the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute) in Boston. He later became a full professor at Harvard in 1988 before eventually transitioning his academic lab to the University of Chicago.
- while at Harvard, 1986, Human Genome Project
- 3 billion pairs in human DNA; 20,000 genes
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: James Watson and his son Rufus Watson;
- the younger, schizophrenic; led the elder to starting what would later become the human genome project;
- in the 1940s, phages -- Salvador Luria and Max Delbrück led a study group on phages that included the young Watson. He returned as director, Cold Spring Harbor, 1968 - 2007.
- Human Genome Project
- launched 1990
- Watson: first director
- major players: Eric Lander, Craig Venter, Francis Collins
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Eric Lander
p. 39
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Craig Venter
p. 39
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James Watson
Query:
How did James Watson end up at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the 1940s?
Reply:
************************
Apple
Two queries:
Apple is famous for sourcing its entire lineup under one company umbrella -- from the smallest wearables to the largest personal laptops -- from intenal components -- memory, TNPs, CPUs -- does any other personal computer manufacturer come close?
Last paragraph in the reply:
Why nobody else copies the "Apple Model" The PC industry evolved on a modular model (the "Wintel" era) where specialization is highly efficient. Companies like Dell or HP act as assemblers of third-party parts, which keeps costs down and avoids the astronomical Research & Development (R&D) costs required to design proprietary CPUs, custom batteries, and proprietary operating systems (like macOS or iOS) all under one company umbrella.That's interesting -- that last paragraph -- why nobody else copies the "Apple Model" -- the high cost of R&D. Most recently it sounds like Apple made a huge and wise choice to deviate from this business model, by outsourcing all AI to established AI leaders, whereas Apple focuses on EDGE, a way of keeping AI under its (Apple's) control and the control of its customers.
Wage Inflation -- CNBC -- Net Worth -- May 16, 2026
Locator: 50825NETWORTH.
Locator: 50825WAGEINFLATION.
My heart truly goes out to those Americans who are have trouble making ends meet. I feel very strongly that more efficient use of our HHS dollars would go a long way to improving their situation but most of us have no input. And when those politicians try, they are thwarted at every turn.
From earlier this week.
Sorry about the glare.
Wages have remained absolutely flat for quite some time now but did you note the more impressive data point? Wage growth / lack of growth has been in a downward trend since Covid! And it's not subtle.
A better look, link here:
The best graph would be one comparing wage growth for hourly workers that work in jobs that illegal immigrants can and do take / hold vs salaried workers in high-paying white collar jobs that go to US college graduates.
Even CNBC doesn't dare do that analysis. For the majority of healthcare workers who are at the lowest pay rate, those services can be provided by illegal immigrants. Let that sink in. Farm laborers? Ditto. Landscapers? Ditto. And the list goes on.
And, oh, by the way, although they don't pay into social security, they also don't get social security benefits.
Someone making $40,000 last year saw their annual earnings jump to $41,400.
Gasoline (feel free to use your own numbers and fact check):
- 12,000 miles annually;
- a beater or old pickup truck: 18 mpg
- at $2.89 / gallon: $1,926 in gasoline in 2025
- at $4.89 / gallon: $3,260 in gasoline in 2026
- delta: $1,334 offset by $1,400 jump in earnings!
The senior:
- gasoline:
- 2025: $445 for gasoline for the year
- 2026: $564 for gasoline for the year
- social security, high social security recipient (I don't take my social security):
- 2025: $54,000 (fact check, which I did)
- 2026: with 2.8% COLA -- $55,512
- delta: $1,512
By the way, for someone earning $50,000 what does a 6% wage increase y/y look like compared to a 3% increase:
- 6%: $3,000; divided by 12 months; divided by four week < $65 / week
- 3%: $1,500; divided by 12 months; divided by four week ~ $30 / week.
Meanwhile, inflation has just turned "north."
From a "senior's" perspective, from someone who is older than 75 years of age (this goes back to my blog on "net worth" some weeks ago):
- the data without comments: link here.
- the long, long discussion from a senior's viewpoint, well worth reading: link here.
From a senior's perspective what does this graph tell me?
- a little bit of inflation is not going to hurt me; it will actually drive help me in some arenas, including investing; and,
- our income, all things being equal, will increase this year when higher inflation will drive a higher COLA for pensions and social security.
Our expenditures (not costs) will likely remain fairly flat.
Quick example:
- the cost of gasoline will go up significantly;
- I will drive less; a lot less.
Rambling After Midnight -- May 16, 2026
Locator: 50824ARCHIVES.
On Reading
1. Never quit reading: the books on my "current-reading bookshelf": these are books I'm currently reading. A few pages or a chapter at time and then set it aside to think about what I've just read.
2. I have a literature site.
3. Perhaps the most important book a high school junior can read if interested in the scientific-technological (biotech) revolution is Walter Isaacson's biography of Jennifer Doudna. Link to my notes here.
4. For aspiring software engineers / coders: Why Machines Learn, Anil Ananthaswamy, 2025. Don't let the mat scare you off. Scan through the match and enjoy the narrative.
On Note-Taking
1. I was once told that if you can't explain something or summarize something by writing it down, you did not understand it. I now formalize my thoughts; write them down; and, then, in selected cases, ask a chatbot (I use different chatbots for different subjects) to weight in on what I've just written. Chatbots really will respond to anything you ask.
2. I cannot stress enough the need to keep a journal. I keep several -- for different reasons.
- a commonplace book: google it. I got the idea from Virginia Woolf. Hers was probably a combination of a "classical" commonplace book and a personal journal / diary;
- a personal journal / diary;
- a quad-ruled notebook by my laptop for doodling; quick note-taking; reminders; etc;
- a binder of current financial data that will let my executor know where I was / what I was doing when I dropped over dead unexpectedly.
3. A personal blog is a no-brainer. An AI chief of staff that curates everything on a daily basis is next.
On Investing
1. One of the greatest investors ever: Stanley Druckenmiller.
2. The best thread to read today on investing in chips. Be sure to read the comments. Huge amount of free information.
3. So many comments could be made, but here's one: the comment suggesting Druckenmiller came to the party late was made by an amateur investor (or a non-investor). We don't know if that's true, but most folks coming to any party late a) have a great excuse; b) are generally the life of the party; and, c) certainly have the most fun. Coming early to a party suggests you don't have a life. LOL.
Cat-Lock -- Cat-Protect Your Mac
*******************************
Commonplace Book -- A Personal Diary -- Blogging
Query: There's a sharp distinction between a commonplace book and a personal journal / diary, but I bet Virginia Woolf, who championed the commonplace book actually combined the two in her own journaling. Thoughts?
Reply:
Friday, May 15, 2026
Alison's Quick Connects -- May 15, 2026
Locator: 50823B.
Quick connects:
• Data center dilemma: Who decides where they go in North Dakota? -- North Dakota Monitor
• Construction underway on Basin Electric's massive $4 billion power plant -- Bismarck Tribune
• Judge agrees to toss $28M judgment related to DAPL protests -- North Dakota Monitor
• North Dakota oil technology could aid geothermal energy development -- Bismarck Tribune
• WBI Energy's proposed $3.2 billion Bakken East Pipeline draws strong shipper interest -- pgjonline.com
• If Bakken East gas line is built, state should similarly back a line to Grand Forks -- Grand Forks Herald
• Energy and Environmental Research Center forced to cut staff due to funding delays -- Bismarck Tribune
• Could canceled mine project offer roadmap for opponents of new South Dakota oil pipeline -- The Guardian
• What does the Public Service Commission actually regulate in the data center boom? -- Grand Forks Herald
• Summit pipeline rerouted to storage site in Wyoming; North Dakota future unclear -- North Dakota Monitor
• Forest Service dedicated to reclaiming oil sites in Little Missouri Nat'l Grassland -- Dickinson Press
• BLM teeing up another round of oil leasing; 66 parcels across MT and ND headed for auction -- Oil Price
• Opinion: What the history of the Powerline War can tell us about North Dakota's future -- InForum
• North Dakota governor contributes nearly $200,000 to 20 allies, reports show -- North Dakota Monitor
• North Dakota judge Daniel Traynor nominated to serve on Eighth Circuit US Court of Appeals -- KFYR-TV
• Rep. Julie Fedorchak promotes Trump Accounts as investing in kids' futures -- North Dakota Monitor
• Preliminary report offers details in Minnesota plane crash that killed ND Rep. Liz Conmy -- Dickinson Press
• State workforce will shrink by 101 employees after a round of buyouts is completed -- North Dakota Monitor
• Growing number of Republican incumbents aren't seeking party endorsements -- Grand Forks Herald
• Behind the Drought Monitor: Insights from the North Dakota State Climatologist Daryl Ritchison -- KX News
• Tribal law enforcement academy to be located at Camp Grafton in North Dakota -- Bismarck Tribune
• Candidates Alex Balazs and Julie Fedorchak prepare for second primary faceoff -- Dickinson Press
• Governor Armstrong orders half-staff flags for national Peace Officers Memorial Day -- Dickinson Press
• Drivers in northwest North Dakota urged to stay off roads; blowing dirt hampers visibility -- Valley News Live
• Additional $20 million in federal rural health grants announced for North Dakota -- Bismarck Tribune
• No injuries in industrial fire in Williston; evacuations unnecessary due to risk level -- Bismarck Tribune
• Firefighters try to push back on fast-moving fire near Grenora in busy week for northwest ND -- KFYR-TV
• Williston to seek new finance director and auditor as Hercules Cummings submits resignation -- KFYR-TV
• Senator Hoeven working to secure federal support for new facilities at Dickinson Airport -- John Hoeven
• $100K winning Powerball ticket was sold at a Williston gas station over the weekend -- Williston Herald
• Kind Hearts Project to host annual 100-bike giveaway for children at Legacy Square -- Dickinson Press
• Minot City Council is set to finalize its $888 million five-year Capital Improvement Plan -- KX News
• Ray kicks off community complex project including football, baseball fields, plaza, pool -- Williston Herald
• Community leaders and business professionals gathered for State of Region 8 -- Bowman County Pioneer
• Free school meals measure in North Dakota approved for November vote -- North Dakota Monitor
• North Dakota ranked 41st in nation for teacher salaries over 2024-2025 school year -- North Dakota Monitor
• Federal cuts would be 'death knell' for ND tribal colleges, campus presidents say -- North Dakota Monitor
• State superintendent candidate: 'We've got a major decline in our educational system' -- Williston Herald
• Verlinde, Kruger in contested race for school board; Divide County has 3 seats up for grabs -- The Journal
• One write-in candidate was among the two winners in Ray Public School board election -- The Journal
• Watford City High School senior awards night reaches historic scholarship totals -- McKenzie County Farmer
• Union representing teachers in Minot Public Schools ratified a new contract, includes pay raise -- KFYR-TV
• State superintendent wraps up schools tour for the year in Fargo having visited 50 districts -- Williston Herald
• Williston State College cuts ribbon for Jane S. Nelson Healthcare Training Facility -- Williston Herald
• Trump says Iran ceasefire is on 'life support' and proposes gas tax pause as strait stays closed -- KFYR-TV
• Millions of Americans are unknowingly financing electric grid projects before they get any benefit -- Reuters
• Global coal shipments surge as buyers scrambled for fuel amid massively disrupted oil supply -- Oil Price
• OPEC output declined to lowest level since 2000; production fell by 830,000 barrels per day -- Oil Price
• EIA launches new oil, LNG chokepoint datasets amid ongoing disruption from Hormuz crisis -- World Oil
• Recent poll shows close to half of Americans are strongly against AI data centers in their area -- The Hill
• Trump says temporarily suspending federal 18.4 cent/gallon gasoline tax 'a great idea' -- Just The News
• Global oil demand set to exceed supply in the current year amid ongoing Middle East conflict -- Oil Price
• US energy production climbed to fresh all-time high in 2025 for the fourth consecutive year -- E&E News
• Ottawa and Alberta meet to advance plans for a major, new 1 million barrel per day oil pipeline -- Oil Price
• EPA head Zeldin details how tax dollars funded activists and wasteful green energy schemes -- Breitbart
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