Odds and Ends — 11 May 2026

I’m now a thousand pages into The Count of Monte Cristo. Enjoying it immensely but the huge cast of characters is more than a bit confusing. When done with it, my wife and I are going to watch the newish 8-part PBS adaptation.

I’ve entered a phase of my reading life where I want to read some of the classics I’ve never gotten around to. Moby Dick up next? One Hundred Years of Solitude sits on the shelf and beckons. Anna Karenina awaits.

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

Crypto and AI could be dirty words on 2026 midterm campaign trail

Bank of England Chief Flags ‘Coming Wrestle' With US on Stablecoin Oversight

The BoE Governor warned U.S. dollar tokens could flood Britain in a crisis, given the gap in redemption guarantees under the GENIUS Act.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Scientists Destroy COVID And Flu Viruses in The Lab With Sound Waves

Iran:

Trump Calls Iranian Response ‘Totally Unacceptable’

“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!” — Trump, 36 days ago.

The war on Iran will likely end in American retreat

The American empire cannot win the war against Iran at acceptable financial, military, and political costs.

Politics:

Republicans Don’t Want to Talk About Gas Prices Anymore

The same party that spent years pinning every penny increase at the pump on former President Joe Biden is now scrambling to explain why prices have surged to their highest level in years.

His father had just been buried. Then West Bank settlers forced him to dig up the body

AI Is Already In the Redistricting Fight

Legal and political science experts say A.I. algorithms—which can draw and analyze millions of possible maps for a given state—are increasingly being used by both sides in such fights.
In November, an Utah judge threw out a congressional map drawn by the Republican-led state legislature for violating a state proposition voters approved in 2018 that was intended to end partisan gerrymandering. In her ruling, the judge cited computer-simulated analysis that found that the proposed map was ‘more Republican than over 99% of expected maps drawn without political considerations.’
Legal opinions based on such arcane analyses are likely to become more common, as A.I. takes on a larger role in high-profile redistricting battles that could decide control of Congress.

———— The Epstein Coverup ————

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———— Autocracy R Us ————

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———— Blatant In-Your-Face Corruption ————

———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

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Putin says he thinks Russia-Ukraine war is coming to an end

Well, maybe. But not the way he wants it to end.

———— Hegseth on the Rocks ————

Hegseth Calls for Mark Kelly to be Investigated Again

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday called for Sen. Mark Kelly to be investigated over comments he made about US weapon stockpiles, marking the second time the Pentagon chief has opened a review into the Democratic senator,

———— Mors Imperii ————

Will the Hyper-Gilded Age Usher in Genuine Populism?

America used to be a middle-class society. But income and wealth disparities began rising rapidly during the Reagan years, and by the late 80s many observers began drawing parallels between the new era of inequality and the Gilded Age.
At this point, however, it’s clear that we are not experiencing a mere replay of the reign of the robber barons. We are living through something much worse. The tech bros make the ‘malefactors of great wealth’ called out by Theodore Roosevelt look benign by comparison.

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Serendipity:

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