Thursday, January 15, 2026
Tesla’s Newly Announced “Gigafactory” in Northern Mexico Already Has a Serious Problem: Water Scarcity
The nearshoring trend is triggering a significant influx of global companies, including Tesla and many of its suppliers, to Northern Mexico, particularly the state of Nuevo León. But is there enough water to go round?
Why Biden Snubbed China’s Ukraine Peace Plan
The US doth protest too much over China’s napkin doodle peace principles. Why the defensiveness?
At the Brink of War in the Pacific? The Nightmare of Great Power Rivalry Over Taiwan
In pressing the Taiwan hot button, is the US misreading China’s capabilities and networks just as it has Russia’s?
2:00PM Water Cooler 3/2/2023
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
The Fiscal Side of Europe’s Energy Crisis: The Facts, Problems and Prospects
A deep dive into the costs and impact of the recent, large-scale European energy subsidies.
Ukraine, Russia, China, and Dealing With Crazy People
What passes for leadership in the West is becoming more agitated, particulalry over Ukraine.
Salve Lucrum: The Existential Threat of Greed in US Health Care
A big reason US health sucks is that the government refuses to crack down on abuses like price gouging and billing games.
Identifying the Real Resistance
Can the rich be trusted to fix a breaking world? Or should the real resistance unite beneath one banner?
2:00PM Water Cooler 3/1/2023
~ Today’s Water Cooler ~
Losing Out in Critical Technologies: Cisco Systems and Financialization
Cisco turned from innovation to financialization, weakening the position of the US information-and-communication-technology industry
The Crisis in Scientific Publication: Peer Review, Authorship, Responsibility, and the Future of Science
Science is rotting thanks to bad metrics and bad publisher incentives.
How Private Equity Bribes Public Pension Fund Officials: Subsidized/Fund-Paid Lavish Travel and Entertainment
Yet more private equity corruption! And see how little it costs to buy the assent of public pension fund employees.
