Darius Vaskelis
@vaskelis.bsky.social
Former CEO who's a bit too interested in technology, CRM, competitive strategy, business behaviors/reputation
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
No kings. No Nazis.
#freedom
Слава Україні! Героям слава!
No kings. No Nazis.
#freedom
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
-Jane Goodall
-Jane Goodall
October 2, 2025 at 7:08 PM
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
-Jane Goodall
-Jane Goodall
Vive le France!
French special forces board Russian tanker
French military personnel were Wednesday on the deck of a tanker alleged to be from Russia's 'shadow fleet' stationed off France and suspected of involvement in drone flights over Denmark.
www.dailymail.co.uk
October 1, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Vive le France!
"America First" = $20 billion bailout for Argentina from the US Treasury. (gift link)
Argentine assets hit by fresh selling amid worries over US bailout
Peso, stocks and bonds all fall as investors fret over lack of details from Washington on rescue plan
on.ft.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
"America First" = $20 billion bailout for Argentina from the US Treasury. (gift link)
At the UN, they're eating the escalators, they're eating the teleprompters
They're eating the audio of the diplomats that work there
They're eating the audio of the diplomats that work there
How escalator safety mechanisms work — and why they cause machines to stop
President Trump called his escalator mishap at the United Nations "sabotage." The U.N. says the White House team triggered a safety mechanism. We asked two people who work on escalators to explain.
www.npr.org
September 26, 2025 at 6:47 PM
At the UN, they're eating the escalators, they're eating the teleprompters
They're eating the audio of the diplomats that work there
They're eating the audio of the diplomats that work there
“It’s not going to be a cost to you. It’s going to be a cost to another country.”
- Donald J. Trump, September 16, 2024
$216 of new taxes on $280 worth of personalized sports jerseys from the UK.
- Donald J. Trump, September 16, 2024
$216 of new taxes on $280 worth of personalized sports jerseys from the UK.
September 4, 2025 at 1:40 AM
“It’s not going to be a cost to you. It’s going to be a cost to another country.”
- Donald J. Trump, September 16, 2024
$216 of new taxes on $280 worth of personalized sports jerseys from the UK.
- Donald J. Trump, September 16, 2024
$216 of new taxes on $280 worth of personalized sports jerseys from the UK.
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." (Hanlon's razor) gift link
Tulsi Gabbard Blindsided CIA Over Revoking Clearance of Undercover Officer
The naming of an agency Russian hand on a list of officials has alarmed people inside the spy agency.
www.wsj.com
August 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." (Hanlon's razor) gift link
Wired: Vapes, vibes, and streams.
Tired: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Expired: Wine, women, and song.
Tired: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Expired: Wine, women, and song.
August 17, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Wired: Vapes, vibes, and streams.
Tired: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Expired: Wine, women, and song.
Tired: Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Expired: Wine, women, and song.
Sean Hannity, June 16, 2021:
"Let’s be clear, the so-called summit with Vladimir Putin did absolutely nothing to advance any American interests in any way. That's a fact. Instead, Vladimir received a massive platform in exchange for zero concessions whatsoever [...]"
"Let’s be clear, the so-called summit with Vladimir Putin did absolutely nothing to advance any American interests in any way. That's a fact. Instead, Vladimir received a massive platform in exchange for zero concessions whatsoever [...]"
August 16, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Sean Hannity, June 16, 2021:
"Let’s be clear, the so-called summit with Vladimir Putin did absolutely nothing to advance any American interests in any way. That's a fact. Instead, Vladimir received a massive platform in exchange for zero concessions whatsoever [...]"
"Let’s be clear, the so-called summit with Vladimir Putin did absolutely nothing to advance any American interests in any way. That's a fact. Instead, Vladimir received a massive platform in exchange for zero concessions whatsoever [...]"
"We seem to be very near the bleak choice between War and Shame. My feeling is that we shall choose Shame, and then have War thrown in a little later on even more adverse terms than at present."
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lord Moyne, September 11, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lord Moyne, September 11, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
How Trump’s Meeting With Putin Could Unfold
www.nytimes.com
August 15, 2025 at 12:03 PM
"We seem to be very near the bleak choice between War and Shame. My feeling is that we shall choose Shame, and then have War thrown in a little later on even more adverse terms than at present."
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lord Moyne, September 11, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lord Moyne, September 11, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
"Please don’t sell us back."
Clearly a joke, although it's also bizarre that there's a non-zero chance that Alaska is part of some land deal with Russia.
Clearly a joke, although it's also bizarre that there's a non-zero chance that Alaska is part of some land deal with Russia.
Anchorage abuzz ahead of Trump-Putin summit – but ‘please don’t sell us back’
Residents torn between excitement over high-profile visit and trepidation over what US-Russian leaders might agree
www.theguardian.com
August 14, 2025 at 4:07 PM
"Please don’t sell us back."
Clearly a joke, although it's also bizarre that there's a non-zero chance that Alaska is part of some land deal with Russia.
Clearly a joke, although it's also bizarre that there's a non-zero chance that Alaska is part of some land deal with Russia.
"I think we shall have to choose in the next few weeks between war and shame, and I have very little doubt what the decision will be."
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lloyd George, August 13, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lloyd George, August 13, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
European allies back Ukraine’s borders after Trump floats Russia land swap
Zelenskyy shores up international support ahead of meeting between US president and Putin next week
on.ft.com
August 9, 2025 at 10:55 PM
"I think we shall have to choose in the next few weeks between war and shame, and I have very little doubt what the decision will be."
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lloyd George, August 13, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
- Winston Churchill, letter to Lloyd George, August 13, 1938, ahead of the Munich Conference
You know the tech world is in for a ton of change when one of the major features of a new release is "reduced sycophancy." (gift link)
Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens.
www.nytimes.com
August 8, 2025 at 7:18 PM
You know the tech world is in for a ton of change when one of the major features of a new release is "reduced sycophancy." (gift link)
2024 US House popular vote in Texas:
R = 6,220,084 (58.5%)
D = 4,286,184 (40.3%)
other = 127,387 (1.2%)
2025 Texas US House seats:
R = 25 (65.8%)
D = 13 (34.2%)
Proposed new Texas U.S. house seats with same popular votes:
R = 30 (78.9%)
D = 8 (21.1%)
www.foxnews.com/politics/tex...
R = 6,220,084 (58.5%)
D = 4,286,184 (40.3%)
other = 127,387 (1.2%)
2025 Texas US House seats:
R = 25 (65.8%)
D = 13 (34.2%)
Proposed new Texas U.S. house seats with same popular votes:
R = 30 (78.9%)
D = 8 (21.1%)
www.foxnews.com/politics/tex...
Texas Dems ripped for 'cartoonishly dumb' strategy to flee to blue state notorious for gerrymandering
Texas Democratic lawmakers arrive in Illinois after fleeing their state to block a Republican redistricting vote that President Trump says could gain the GOP five new House seats
www.foxnews.com
August 4, 2025 at 8:05 PM
2024 US House popular vote in Texas:
R = 6,220,084 (58.5%)
D = 4,286,184 (40.3%)
other = 127,387 (1.2%)
2025 Texas US House seats:
R = 25 (65.8%)
D = 13 (34.2%)
Proposed new Texas U.S. house seats with same popular votes:
R = 30 (78.9%)
D = 8 (21.1%)
www.foxnews.com/politics/tex...
R = 6,220,084 (58.5%)
D = 4,286,184 (40.3%)
other = 127,387 (1.2%)
2025 Texas US House seats:
R = 25 (65.8%)
D = 13 (34.2%)
Proposed new Texas U.S. house seats with same popular votes:
R = 30 (78.9%)
D = 8 (21.1%)
www.foxnews.com/politics/tex...
FT publishes op-ed warning about crypto. (gift link)
The coming crypto crisis
Bipartisan backing of stablecoins will hurt America’s economy and its politics
on.ft.com
July 28, 2025 at 10:05 PM
FT publishes op-ed warning about crypto. (gift link)
TACO Tuesday.
Trump Sparing TikTok From Ban With Another Deadline Extension
President Trump will sign an executive order sparing TikTok from enforcement of a law banning or forcing the sale of the app.
“As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dar...
www.wsj.com
June 18, 2025 at 2:42 AM
TACO Tuesday.
Once deadly to humans in the 1600s, nostalgia now kills economies. Whenever leaders fling history in reverse, like China and Japan’s long isolation, pre-WWI Europe, or Nazi Germany, jobs vaporize and nostalgia morphs into something uglier. Longing for yesterday’s world never works.
How Nostalgia Ruins Economies
Trump and the troubled history of trying to turn back the clock.
www.foreignaffairs.com
May 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Once deadly to humans in the 1600s, nostalgia now kills economies. Whenever leaders fling history in reverse, like China and Japan’s long isolation, pre-WWI Europe, or Nazi Germany, jobs vaporize and nostalgia morphs into something uglier. Longing for yesterday’s world never works.
Putin's state media now openly mocking Donald.
May 29, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Putin's state media now openly mocking Donald.
"There's no money in poetry, but there's no poetry in money, either"
- Robert Graves
- Robert Graves
May 7, 2025 at 7:22 PM
"There's no money in poetry, but there's no poetry in money, either"
- Robert Graves
- Robert Graves
“The headline decline overstates weakness because a lot of that was tariff-induced pull-forward. Overall, I think that it was a relatively solid underlying report when it comes to demand.”
- Shannon Grein, Vice President, Economist, Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Banking
- Shannon Grein, Vice President, Economist, Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Banking
U.S. Economy Contracts at 0.3% Rate in First Quarter
The gross domestic product reading fell short of the 0.4% growth that economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected.
www.wsj.com
April 30, 2025 at 1:53 PM
“The headline decline overstates weakness because a lot of that was tariff-induced pull-forward. Overall, I think that it was a relatively solid underlying report when it comes to demand.”
- Shannon Grein, Vice President, Economist, Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Banking
- Shannon Grein, Vice President, Economist, Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Banking
I don’t believe JD Vance killed the Pope. Also, he deserves his day in court, regardless of any group chat consensus on extradition to El Salvador.
April 21, 2025 at 6:47 PM
I don’t believe JD Vance killed the Pope. Also, he deserves his day in court, regardless of any group chat consensus on extradition to El Salvador.
"Britons are skilled at navigating the humiliation unleashed by political and market chaos — allow us to give you some tips" (gift link)
Advice to shell-shocked Americans from Brexit Britain
Britons are skilled at navigating the humiliation unleashed by political and market chaos — allow us to give you some tips
on.ft.com
April 16, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"Britons are skilled at navigating the humiliation unleashed by political and market chaos — allow us to give you some tips" (gift link)
Reposted by Darius Vaskelis
For your enjoyment: here is Secretary of Education Linda McMahon talking about implementing AI in schools, but pronouncing it "A1," as in "A1 Steak Sauce"
www.youtube.com/live/lxrg28z...
www.youtube.com/live/lxrg28z...
April 9, 2025 at 7:49 PM
For your enjoyment: here is Secretary of Education Linda McMahon talking about implementing AI in schools, but pronouncing it "A1," as in "A1 Steak Sauce"
www.youtube.com/live/lxrg28z...
www.youtube.com/live/lxrg28z...
Current US tariffs TL;DR
🇨🇳=125%
🌏=10%
🇷🇺=0%
🇨🇳=125%
🌏=10%
🇷🇺=0%
April 10, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Current US tariffs TL;DR
🇨🇳=125%
🌏=10%
🇷🇺=0%
🇨🇳=125%
🌏=10%
🇷🇺=0%
Did not expect this today, but it does feel like progress.
April 9, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Did not expect this today, but it does feel like progress.