Odds and Ends — 16 March 2026

@preparedwombat 78

2 days ago

oddsandends

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

Changing Basel rules could unlock ‘huge’ liquidity for BTC

https://twitter.com/kshvbgde/status/2032899497081319737

Steven Spielberg Is ‘Not For’ AI Replacing Creatives

Flash Fiction:

Little did we know when we formed The Bicycle of Doom that our thrash metal band would struggle to get bookings in America but turn out to be wildly popular in Thailand. We’d be lucky to get a hundred people to show up at a bar in our hometown of St. Louis but sell out a soccer stadium in Chang Mai.

Written for this prompt.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Long COVID leaves thousands of L.A. county residents sick, broke and ignored

Iran:

https://twitter.com/shashj/status/2033071816432922993

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2033335008341975526

https://twitter.com/Angry_Staffer/status/2033324232478728688

https://twitter.com/IslanderWORLD/status/2033320202004275709

https://twitter.com/TheEconomist/status/2033238083953393869

Key Ally Instantly Slaps Down Trump’s Demand for Help

Sometimes it takes a good friend to call you out when you’re wrong.
For Donald Trump, that pal is the nation of France, which has delivered an emphatic “Non!” to the American president’s request for military support in his Middle Eastern campaign.

https://twitter.com/CassandraRules/status/2033181428171587979

Orphaned Tactics

Once again the United States has entered into a conflict with no strategy. This time, there isn’t even a policy (without which you can’t have a strategy anyway). The war with Iran is little more than the joint targeting process unleashed. The Frankenstein’s monster that is the operational level of war, unsatiated after eating strategy, is now feasting on policy…
Contrary to popular belief, rules of engagement are not some legal or ethical nicety (although crafting effective rules of engagement lean on both disciplines). Rather, rules of engagement are first and foremost an expression of strategy. They frequently (or at least should) limit civilian casualties and guide the strategic use of tactics. Not just because undue harm to civilians is illegal and unethical, but most importantly because it’s bad strategy.

https://twitter.com/Yung_Spengler/status/2032762354065146107
https://twitter.com/ProfessorPape/status/2032803663136116900

Why Trump’s Move to Lower Oil Prices Fell Flat

If the White House hoped tapping 40% of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve would quickly push down oil prices, it hasn’t worked.
News this week that member countries of the International Energy Agency would coordinate to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency stockpiles, of which the U.S. will contribute close to half, barely touched the oil price.
Big as the number sounds, it isn’t nearly enough to compensate for the loss of barrels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

https://twitter.com/alwynlhoir/status/2032845300143108415
https://twitter.com/agazeblank/status/2032944956973715607
https://twitter.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/2033109404908654884
https://twitter.com/rushicrypto/status/2033089250154168364
https://twitter.com/ShibleyTelhami/status/2033173515612951026

Trump Has No Plans to End the Iran War

Trump has said repeatedly that the war might end soon and he has already claimed victory. He is facing pressure from outside advisers to end the conflict quickly, as well as concerns from fellow Republicans facing a tough midterm election climate. Gulf allies have also expressed their frustration with Washington as Iran has attacked oil refineries, hotels and other civilian targets, piercing the narrative that Gulf nations are safe places for business within a turbulent region.
But Trump is ‘dug in,’ a senior White House official said, adding the timeline being considered remains four to six weeks.

https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/2032831777518092321

https://twitter.com/NC_Renic/status/2032944650424844521

https://twitter.com/ahmadmehrez/status/2032904490362282288

https://twitter.com/PaulRudnickNY/status/2033181259183149277

Politics:

Senate Braces for Showdown Over Voter ID Rules

Trump has demanded that the GOP-controlled Senate quickly pass strict new voting rules ahead of the midterms, setting the stage for a theatrical showdown on the floor this week that could stretch through several days and nights.
Trump, joined by influencers, activists and some Republicans in Congress, has been pressuring Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) to pass the SAVE America Act, which already has passed the House. Democrats vow to block the measure, so Thune plans to open the floor to an unusual drawn-out debate that will thrust the contentious legislation into the spotlight—but is unlikely to send it to Trump’s desk.

Big Tech says the quiet part out loud. They want you to be stupid.

Trump’s Retribution Campaign Is Floundering

Grand juries have repeatedly refused to charge those they are targeting.
And now, in the wake of a lacerating ruling by a federal judge derailing an inquiry into the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, officials at the Justice Department have encountered an even more profound problem: Prosecutors are floundering in the most basic steps of criminal investigations into those President Trump wants scrutinized.