A Musical Interlude -- February 4, 2026

Locator: 49917AQUARIUS. 

Link here.  

 

Hair (the musical) at wiki. 

I graduated from high school in the spring, 1969.

I began college in the fall of 1969: Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD.

During my freshman year, fall of 1969 - spring of 1970, four close friends and two coeds drove straight through to San Diego, California, for spring break, March, 1970.

While out there, we "experienced" everything from Tijuana, Mexico, to downtown Los Angeles. 

And when I say we "experienced" everything -- I mean everything. LOL.

One of the things we experienced was seeing the musical Hair. 

At wiki. The AI summary:

Disneyland:

The four close friends were pre-med students (myself, John, Richard, and Dick). We drove out to San Diego for spring break! Somehow the two coeds found we were headed to San Diego and the two wanted to join us, one to see her family, the other to see her boyfriend. 

One of the two coeds was Mary Baldino. I was curious if I could find her on the internet. I typed in her name and Augustana College, and the first hit was of Mary Baldino! Holy mackerel. 

It was an entry by her husband. Here are the screenshots of that entry.

First entry:

 I thought that entry above might be too small to read so I zoomed in and took two screenshots:

What an incredible story. So many story lines. 

Meiko McLemore:  

The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention -- An Oxymoron -- February 4, 2026

Locator: 49916MEASLES. 

LOL. 

The perfect storm: when antivaxxers led by RFK, Jr., meet Biden's three million uninvited guests. What could possibly go wrong?  Wow, LOL. The perfect storm. 

Of course, Trump will be blamed since he was responsible for the US leaving the World Health Organization.  

Link here. This will sell a lot of newspapers. Clipboard nurses and the CDC graphics department will have a field day. They won't have any effect on the outbreak but they will certainly feel busy. 

Here's the first graphic.

CDC = Centers For Disease Control and Protection --- wow, talk about an oxymoron. Interestingly, we haven't heard a thing about this from RFK, Jr. 

By the way, what's the current US recommendation on measles vaccine? The good news: measles is still "on the list" of pediatric vaccines, but, now the bad news, the emphasis is now on "personal choice." 

That was the compromise made with RFK, Jr., to keep the vaccine on list of pediatric vaccines available in the. US.  

And if you ask a two-year-old if she wants a "shot," she will say "no." And, of course, she's on solid ground. Her parents know that if all the kids at daycare have their vaccines, she will be protected by "herd immunity."  

The history of the vaccine:

• 1963, the first iteration: I was 12
• 1968, the second and better iteration:   I was 17, getting ready to graduate from high school
• 1971: the MMR vaccine was introduction -- in my second year of college. 

It will be interesting to see if the measles vaccine (a series of two vaccinations before the age of six years of age) provides a lifetime of immunity. If so, it will be quite amazing. 

This is the CDC site for tracking measles -- a disease that was "eliminated" in the US in the year 2000.  

Chances Of A US-Pre-emptive Attack On Iran -- February 4, 2026

Locator: 49915IRAN. 

Strike one: Iran flying a drone toward a US Navy ship. Shot down by US Navy. 

Strike two: Iranian gunboats try to board US-flagged oil tanker. Failed when a US Navy destroyer arrived on scene to escort the tanker. 

Strike three: FAFO. 

All indications are this will not end well for Iran. Google Gemini:

What's polymarket have to say about a US-pre-emptive strike on Iran?

• US pre-emptive strike, short-term, days to one / two week: 30%
• US pre-emptive strike, longer-term, two to four weeks: 80%.

What's WTI have to say about a US-pre-emptive strike on Iran?

• WTI: $64.24. Down 90 cents, February 4, 2026.  

Iranians are experts (as most players in the Mideast are) at playing the long game and stalling. US SecDef is not so patient. 

My hunch: if US feels they are being played in Oman, February 6, two days from now, Friday, watch for fireworks. 

The Day The Music Died -- February 4, 2026

Locator: 49914EVS. 

Link here. 

And then BYD:

**********************
And, Then, Of Course, There's Rivian

Link here. 

The downgrade hits Rivian stock at a vulnerable moment. The company just reported 2025 deliveries of 42,247 vehicles, down 18% from the prior year and slightly below Wall Street’s forecast.

Negotiators Say Talks To Restore ACA Subsidies Likely Dead New, Higher Health-Insurance Bills Are Kicking In For Many Households — WSJ Headline — February 3, 2026

Locator: 49913ARCHIVES.

Link here. 

Talk about a "goat rope." I don't even know how to "tag" this story. ObamaCare, I guess. 

Link here.

Talks had centered on a proposal from Sens. Bernie Moreno (R., Ohio) and Susan Collins (R., Maine) to extend a version of the enlarged Affordable Care Act subsidies for at least two years, while cutting off higher-income people from participating and eventually giving enrollees the option of putting money into health savings accounts. It also would eliminate zero-dollar premium plans. But lawmakers from both parties now say the chances of a deal have all but evaporated.

“It’s effectively over,” Moreno said Wednesday. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R., La.)—the architect of an adjacent plan—agreed. While Collins declined to be as definitive, she did say that it was “certainly difficult.”

The collapse in negotiations comes as new, higher health-insurance bills are kicking in for many households and just months after a standoff over extending the subsidies sparked the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Now, both parties are set to head into the midterm elections with no breakthrough on healthcare coverage. 

Instead, the focus in Washington has largely turned to new restrictions of immigration enforcement officers. 

The ACA subsidies were first expanded in 2021 by Democrats during the coronavirus pandemic with no Republican support. They allowed people with incomes over 400% of the poverty line—currently $128,600 for a family of four—to receive tax credits reducing the cost of premiums. The subsidies dramatically expanded the number of people who could obtain health insurance without paying a premium. The expanded subsidies expired at the end of last year. 

Some Democrats who had been working to find a middle ground agreed that talks had collapsed over how to handle abortion coverage. 

“Hyde language was an obstacle,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va.), using the shorthand that refers to the existing ban on using federal funds for abortion, which is named after the original sponsor, former Rep. Henry Hyde (R., Ill.). “My Republican colleagues are dug in on that,” added Sen.Mark Kelly (D., Ariz.). 

My thoughts: 

I have no dog in this fight but this story has so many story lines. For the archives. Wow, the Democrats couldn’t compromise on their own bill. Simply blows me away, This is what it came down to? The Hyde amendment.