Reading and Thoughts: Jan 2, 2026

First post of '26, the Bulwark does a fuckery, AI is going to destroy young people's career prospects, and Hayek's Bastards still are bastardy.

PBS "Passport" - a novel way to subscribe

Adding a streaming service, and supporting PBS and my local affiliate? Sign me the fuck up for that.

Lazy Scammers: Text Phishing

I miss the days of the Nigerian prince scams. At least they were entertaining. Alas, GenAI and some skeevy operators are making it trivial to attempt to scam people. Stay alert!

AYFKM? AI and 1% Commitment

AI is going to fuck up the workforce. Sal Khan (of the Khan Academy) is not offering a serious response to this tectonic shift.

One Week In, and What I'm Reading

The insanity doesn't take holidays off. Read to the end for a pleasant musical coda.

Early Internet Gold

Some maintenance of my dustiest archives uncovered some early internet video gems. I had to share the wealth with you at Christmas!

Favorite Christmas Movies

Enough politics insanity, what are my favorite Christmas movies? Here are my top list, ones I watch every year.

TFG: Jake Paul, Youtuber, punching bag.

I fucking hate youtube influencers, especially those tho scam their audiences, so when Jake Paul, an especially scammy fuck gets his arse kicked, it is a time to celebrate!

What I'm Reading 12/20

Life's been crazy, but I still find time to keep up with my voracious reading across many domains from business to politics. Somehow, this is soothing.

Music: Deborah Coleman

It really sucks to discover an amazing talent to learn that they have already left us. Deborah Coleman had the blues running through her veins, and she was outstanding.

Music: The Band Geeks

Covid era collabs were wierd, but wonderful. Here the Band Geeks do an outstanding rendition of Yes' "Roundabout". 9 minutes of joy for your eardrums.

What the ... Travel

The WaPo is trash, and the writing for the Travel section is really abysmal. I have about 3 weeks left until my subscription is fully expired. Good riddance. This article is typical of the clickbait trash.