DeepSeek Challenges Everyone’s Assumptions About AI Costs

The Chinese upstart says its rival to ChatGPT comes at a fraction of the cost, raising questions about the rationale for stratospheric AI budgets.

• US tech might not be so exceptional after all.

 Health Expenditure per capita vs. life expectancy

Will America’s crypto frenzy end in disaster?

• Nassin Nicholas Taleb on Crypto / Bitcoin

 Eggs

• Some 36 million egg-laying chickens have been killed in recent months in order to prevent the spread of  bird flu.

 

Notes today 

• Tesla,  trading at 12 times projected sales (FT), I’m wondering if this will be good for sales?

• FT: Ships carrying missile propellant set to sail from China to Iran, say officials...Intelligence suggests vessels will be laden with sodium perchlorate used in critical weapons. 

• Apartments for $20,000 a month: residents scramble after wildfires deepen LA’s housing crisis. 

Problem with these notes: some tend to run up against a deeply rooted feature of human cognition - the desire not to think about anything unpleasant…Sorry about that.

"Everything will be all right. And, even if it won't be, we'll have the consolation of having lived honest lives." Alexei Navalny

 

Quick Overview is up to date

Notes today 

• Microsoft is bundling its AI-powered Office features into Microsoft 365 subscriptions, and it’s raising prices.. 
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• Geoffrey Hinton, otherwise known as the 'Godfather of AI', has predicted that artificial intelligence will make society 'worse and worse' by increasing the wealth gap between the richest and poorest individuals.  

• Ten facts about wealth inequality in the USA 

• Trump begins selling a new crypto token..

Problem with these notes: some tend to run up against a deeply rooted feature of human cognition - the desire not to think about anything unpleasant…Sorry about that.

"Everything will be all right. And, even if it won't be, we'll have the consolation of having lived honest lives." Alexei Navalny

 

Notes today

• Economic growth could fall 50% over 20 years from climate shocks, say actuaries..

• In a steady spectacle of companies retreating from their diversity efforts, Costco Wholesale is standing pat.  
• In the meantime, Walmart is under fire from investors for cutting DEI programs.

Costco

• Canada Readies Tariffs on $105 Billion of US Products If Trump Hits First

• Walgreens' CEO finds that securing merchandise can prevent customers from buying.

Problem with these notes: some tend to run up against a deeply rooted feature of human cognition - the desire not to think about anything unpleasant…Sorry about that.

"Everything will be all right. And, even if it won't be, we'll have the consolation of having lived honest lives." Alexei Navalny

Notes today 1/12/2025

 

• Barron’s reports that from 1926 to 2023 Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris) turned a buck (1$) into $2.65 Million. 

• Zuckerberg gets rid of independent Facebook and Instagram fact-checkers 

• French media Le Monde reports that EC President Ursula von der Leyen has decided to put on hold the ongoing investigations against Meta, X, and Apple  and not to open any new cases. 

• Inflation in China slowed for the fourth straight month in December, despite the government’s recent efforts to ease deflationary pressure.

 

Problem with these notes: some tend to run up against a deeply rooted feature of human cognition - the desire not to think about anything unpleasant…Sorry about that.

"Everything will be all right. And, even if it won't be, we'll have the consolation of having lived honest lives." Alexei Navalny

Fed Model (aka Dow Trend Earnings)