Five Observations

 1.  I predict within one year....mini-AI data centers are existing....hidden from the public and drawing no attention....maybe a quarter the size of a normal center.  

2.  More drone BS....over US base at Lakenheath (UK).

3.  Jensen Huang of NVIDIA ends up (I believe) as a partner with Elon's, and has a whole new 2nd career brewing.

4.  Kevin O’Leary gave a talk....says most people waste $15,000 a year on things they could easily avoid.  His 'punch'?  Stop paying $5.50 for stupid overly expensive coffee.  

My German wife lectures me over this daily.  For 20 years, she's been on some Moses-like life-style....probably saving in the range of $10,000 minimum.  I lecture her back....that capitalism needs people like me to pay $5.50 for premium-coffee. 

5.  If you were a passenger on the New Orleans riverboat that got hit by the tanker, and tipped over.....lawyer-up, and expect a pay-day of $1-to-2 million for your 20 minutes in the water.  

Illiterate Chatter

 Yesterday, I read a piece....concerning Detroit.  Some group did a study and found that roughly 50-percent of the city's residents....are functionally illiterate.

 Meaning?  Functionally illiterate means a person has basic reading and writing skills (probably at the 5th/6th grade level)....but they are not high enough to manage everyday tasks and live independently in modern society.

Math-wise?  You can probably add and subtract....as long as you are dealing with a sum of 1,000 or less.  Multiplication and division?  You might be able to handle 2-digit numbers.

Explaining this?  

I think the number cited is probably incorrect...maybe off by half.  What you have is a 2nd and 3rd generation descendants of drug-users...who were generically altered in some way, and face reality today of being 'slow'.  If you gave a math problem (102 x 56)...a normal guy would take 30 seconds to reach a solution.  The 'slow-guy' would require probably 60 to 90 seconds, but still reach the solution.

We need a invented term to place into the system....instead of using functionally illiterate.  

Metro Chatter

I spent 42 months living in the DC/Arlington area (2010 to 2013).  I rode the Metro-bus/subway system for the entire period.

If you asked me about fare-avoidance....I'd tell you over the 42 months....I never saw a single example.

In the past month....after a long study....Metro put out a report....nearly 62-percent of riders (for bus and subway) avoid paying.

With that news....Metro says a significant rise in fare is likely in 2027.

Abolishing The Electoral College BS

Abolishing?  The blunt facts....it requires a constitutional amendment under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.⁠

The Amendment process (Article V)?

Only 2 ways: 

Congressional proposal route: A two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate, then ratification by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50).

Constitutional convention route: Applications from two-thirds of the state legislatures (currently 34), then the same three-fourths state ratification requirement. This method has never been used to propose an amendment that was ratified.

Odds?  ZERO.  

Dem's talk a lot over this....but they don't have the two-thirds vote, and currently (by my count)....they might only have ratification by states in the 15-to-20 number.

BS?  Maximum BS.  

'Kids' Staying Home?

 Noticed the piece yesterday....all-time US record....25-million American adults....age 35 and under....living in the parent's house.

Probably forty-odd reasons for this....most lead back to financial woes or bad decisions made.  

Mom and dad accepting this?  I would imagine on a monthly basis....40,000 are given the 'exit-the-house' order....that the parents are fed-up.

Oddly, this should relate to a housing problem (empty apartments) but no one suggests that.

In five years....30-million of age 40 and below?  It makes me wonder.

Texas Talk

 Texas-chatter came up....Dem's want a high-speed rail project.

Route?  Dallas....going south....hitting Waco.....then Austin....ending in San Antonio.  If you figure in a 5-min stop in Waco and Austin....the total trip is about 2 hours and 45 minutes (roughly).

Cost of such a ticket?  Unknown....they left this info out of the draft bill.  My humble guess.....round-trip?  Probably in the $250 range.

To be kinda honest....the Dallas to Waco 'leg'....probably would never have anyone riding.  

How many runs per day?  With a 3-car train and 250-odd passenger max for each trip...no more than three runs is my guess.

Why leave Houston out of this?  That's another odd feature.

If you left this for public talk?  It would not be in the top 100 improvements for the state.  

The funny thing?  You could start up a bus-trip....same route....taking 6 hours....for $39 each way.

Taboo Chatting

 I sat this morning....reading over a list of taboo subjects....listed by the top things you probably shouldn't engage upon.

Number one: whether whites are smarter than blacks, because of genetic reasons.

Number two: whether brother-sister sex is harmful for consenting adults.

Number three: whether trans stuff is a mental disease.

To be honest, after reviewing the forty-odd items listed.....there's probably a zero chance of me bringing up any of these....anywhere....with anyone.

Somewhere down the list....was the topic of socialism being better than capitalism (being taboo to discuss).  I pondered over this....if someone did want to engage me on this....I'd probably try to find a exit door and leave....preferring not to waste my time with a capitalism-is-doomed discussion.

Oddly, we don't think of taboo-chatter much.