Up At The Ranch And Beyond

[Inversion]

I couldn't find a more appropriate location for this post. The chart shows the countries that have the most data centers, and the link contains a list per country.

visualcapitalist

[Bluegreen]

Exposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion



The explosion of AI across every industry has seen hundreds of water- and power-hungry server farms sprout up across the US. Already, one-third of the world's internet traffic flows through data centers in just one US state: Virginia.

However, until now, there has been no official record of the number of data centers in America, who owns them, or how much electricity they consume.

In an exclusive deep dive into the industry, Business Insider reporters cracked the code and, for the first time, revealed the true cost of the data warehouses feeding our growing appetite for cloud computing and AI.

We travelled to Virginia to meet people living in the shadow of 80-foot-high boxes that emit a constant drone, and to the drought-ridden state of Arizona, where some data centers are using as much as a million gallons of water a day to help cool their computer servers.

Published 12th September 2025 (31:09)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=t-8TDOFqkQA

[Bluegreen]

A Full Moon at Perigee by Betul Turksoy

"Sombrero Moon"





What is big, bright, and beautiful, can wear a cape made of clouds, and is at the closest point in its elliptical orbit around planet Earth? A full moon at perigee of course, captured here near moonset in predawn skies on November 5 from Kayseri, Turkiye.

Full moons that happen at (or very near) perigee, and so are slightly larger and brighter than full moons on average, have become popularly known as supermoons. In fact, this full moon at perigee is the closest and brightest of the three supermoons of 2025. Rising as the Sun sets, this full moon follows this October's Harvest Moon and is traditionally known to some as the Hunter's Moon.

The Moon This Week

[onawah]

A different take on data centers:

Posted by gini (here)
´Data Centers, Ritual Power Stations & the Return of Atlantean Magic | Gigi Young´.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mAFFUwLsI0g

. .--31 min--20/11/25

Posted by Bluegreen (here)
Exposing The Dark Side of America's AI Data Center Explosion



The explosion of AI across every industry has seen hundreds of water- and power-hungry server farms sprout up across the US. Already, one-third of the world's internet traffic flows through data centers in just one US state: Virginia.

However, until now, there has been no official record of the number of data centers in America, who owns them, or how much electricity they consume.

In an exclusive deep dive into the industry, Business Insider reporters cracked the code and, for the first time, revealed the true cost of the data warehouses feeding our growing appetite for cloud computing and AI.

We travelled to Virginia to meet people living in the shadow of 80-foot-high boxes that emit a constant drone, and to the drought-ridden state of Arizona, where some data centers are using as much as a million gallons of water a day to help cool their computer servers.

Published 12th September 2025 (31:09)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=t-8TDOFqkQA

[Bluegreen]

Toy Company Pulls AI-Powered Teddy Bear For Giving Sex Advice





An AI-powered talking teddy bear has been removed from sale by a Singapore-based company after researchers found it could discuss sex in detail and other topics.

The Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) said a group of researchers from the U.S. and Canada held test conversations with Kumma, a $99 teddy bear powered by OpenAI's GPT-4o chatbot. The bear is manufactured in China and marketed by Singapore-based FoloToy.

The researchers said they found it easy to get Kumma to discuss sexually explicit topics, including spanking, roleplay and BDSM.

"We were surprised to find how quickly Kumma would take a single sexual topic we introduced into the conversation and run with it, simultaneously escalating in graphic detail while introducing new sexual concepts of its own," the report said.

The team said the bear "discussed even more graphic sexual topics in detail, such as explaining different sex positions, giving step-by-step instructions on a common 'knot for beginners' for tying up a partner, and describing roleplay dynamics involving teachers and students, and parents and children -- scenarios it disturbingly brought up itself."

The researchers said the teddy bear also offered other worrisome advice, such as where to find sharp knives in the house.

An OpenAI representative told PIRG that Folo's license to use GPT-4o has been suspended "for violating our policies."

Published 20th November 2024 by Ben Hooper – UPI
https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2025/11...3181763659965/

[Bluegreen]

Linda Moulton Howe

Is Earth an E. T. Hybrid Lab?





Ms Golden goes into some detail regarding her interactions with the Greys and their factions.


Published 19th November 2025 (1:22:00 – Program begins @ 10:00)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_afy1fuFU5w

♦ TOPIC: Is Earth an E. T. Hybrid Lab?
♦ Eisenhower signed deal with greys at Kirtland Airforce Base in 1954
♦ K. Rose Golden says there were multiple landings
♦ Greys were supposed to accurately report abductions of animals and humans
♦ Interview with experiencer and author K. Rose Golden
♦ abducted and experimented on
♦ mental push
♦ taking blood samples, inoculating
♦ saw a hybrid child, made with her genetic stock
♦ short cryptic messages
♦ hybrid experiments took place “many, many times”
♦ “rows of lit, glowing doorways”

[Bluegreen]

Elves

GLOWING RED RING OVER ITALY

For a few seconds on Nov 17th, an enormous ring of red light appeared in the sky over central Italy. Valter Binotto photographed it from the small town of Possagno in the foothills of the Italian Alps.



www.spaceweather.com/

This is an "ELVE"--short for Emissions of Light and Very Low Frequency Perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources. It's a rare species of sprite discovered in 1990 by cameras onboard the Space Shuttle. ELVEs hover about 100 km above the ground, and this one is about 200 km in diameter.

[Bluegreen]

Black Plague Misunderstood For Centuries Due to One Poem




A medieval Arabic poem written in 1348 helped construct one of the longest-standing misconceptions in plague history, falsely shaping beliefs about the Black Death’s rapid spread across Asia.

The new study, led by Muhammed Omar and Nahyan Fancy at the University of Exeter, revisits the maqāma—a rhymed, semi-fictional narrative—exposing how a single creative work came to dominate scholarly interpretations of the plague’s origin and spread. The findings prompt historians to question not only the historical timeline of the Black Death but also how fiction became embedded in medical and academic traditions.

While modern genetic studies have traced the bacterium Yersinia pestis to Central Asia, the idea that it swept through Asia to the Black Sea in less than ten years—called the Quick Transit Theory—owes more to poetry than to evidence. According to ScienceDaily, this theory continues to rely heavily on Ibn al-Wardi’s vivid storytelling, even though the poem was never intended to serve as a historical account.

Written in Aleppo during the early years of the plague, Ibn al-Wardi’s poem describes the disease as a wandering character who wreaks havoc from the borders of China to the eastern Mediterranean. This maqāma format, known for its blend of prose and poetry, was popular across the Arabic-speaking world in the 14th century and designed for entertainment or reflection, not documentation.





The narrative personifies the plague as a trickster moving from one region to another over fifteen years. Because the author later quoted parts of this story in his historical writings, generations of readers assumed the original was grounded in fact. As Nahyan Fancy explains, “All roads to the factually incorrect description of the spread of the plague lead back to this one text.”

This misinterpretation began taking hold in the 15th century, when Arab chroniclers and later European historians began citing the poem as a legitimate record of the plague’s path. The mistake proved durable: it became one of the main sources behind the transcontinental narrative that has dominated plague historiography ever since.

Contrary to the poem’s dramatic route, modern genetics suggest a more complex and less linear spread of the Black Death. According to the study covered by ScienceDaily, the bacterium responsible likely emerged in Central Asia, but there is little to support the idea that it traveled over 3,000 miles in a matter of years, as the poem implies.

Published 18th November 2025 by Sarah Talbi – Indian Defence Review
https://indiandefencereview.com/14th...t-black-death/

Excerpt:





Ibn al-Wardi (1292-1348/9) was a Syrian historian, poet, and geographer.

The Plague frightened and killed. It began in the land of darkness. Oh, what a visitor! It has been current for fifteen years. China was not preserved from it nor could the strongest fortress hinder it. The plague afflicted the Indians in India. It weighed upon the Sind. It seized with its hand and ensnared even the land of the Uzbeks. How many backs did it break in what is Transoxiana?

The plague increased and spread further. It attacked the Persians…and gnawed away at the Crimea. It pelted Rum with live coals and led the outrage to Cyprus and the islands. The plague destroyed mankind in Cairo. Its eye was cast upon Egypt, and behold, the people were wide awake. It stilled all movement in Alexandria. The plague did its work like a silkworm. It took from the tiraz*factory its beauty and did to its workers what fate decreed.

Oh Alexandria; this plague is like a lion which extends its paw to you. Have patience with the fate of the plague, which leaves of seventy men only seven.

Then, the plague turned to Upper Egypt. It also sent forth its storm to Barqah. The plague attacked Gaza, and it shook Asqalan severely. The plague oppressed Acre. The scourge came to Jerusalem and paid the zakat**[with the souls of men]. It overtook those people who fled to the al-Aqsa mosque, which stands beside the Dome of the Rock. If the door of mercy had not been opened, the end of the world would have occurred in a moment.

It, then, hastened its pace and attacked the entire maritime plain. The plague attacked Sidon and descended unexpectedly upon Beirut, cunningly. Next, it directed the shooting of its arrows to Damascus. There the plague sat like a king on a throne and swayed with power, killing daily 1000 or more and decimating the population. It destroyed mankind with its pustules.

May God the Most High spare Damascus to pursue its own path and extinguish the plague’s fires so they do not come close to her fragrant orchards.

One man begs another to take care of his children, one says goodbye to his neighbors. A third perfects his works, and another prepares his shroud. A fifth is reconciled with his enemies, and another treats his friends with kindness. One is very generous; another makes friends with those who have betrayed him. Another man puts aside his property; one frees his servants [slaves]. One man changes his character while another mends his ways. For this plague has captured all people and is about to send its ultimate destruction. There is no protection today from it other than His mercy, praise be to God.

[Bluegreen]

Triangular Shaped UFO With Bright Lights Sighted Over Downtown Toronto



May 22, 2025: A foggy night in Toronto, and downtown pedestrians are more than surprised.

(2:39)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=VzSLuJxLvwM

[Bluegreen]

Glowing Orbs Captured Over Mallorca, Spain



This intriguing footage was recorded on October 5th, 2025, over Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and shows six glowing orbs moving silently above the city. The eyewitness reacts in shock as these unidentified objects disappear and reappear, behaving unlike any known aircraft or drones.

(3:20)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=7kzQ9qqUpEA

[Bluegreen]

Sports Page

We Found the Craziest Blacklight Mini Golf Course



This cool course appears to have been constructed by a group of 80's kids.

Published 17th November 2025 (28:23)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=spIVBbDQTgE

[Bluegreen]

The Night Sky

A challenging week for stargazers

Monday, Nov. 24 - Inner planets meet in the morning



On Monday, Nov. 24, the brilliant planet Venus will rise over the eastern horizon about an hour before the Sun, below the unpronounceable pairing of Zebeneschamali and Zubernelgenubi. Sharp eyes and binoculars (orange circle) can look for the much fainter speck of Mercury shining about a thumb's width to Venus' lower left (or 1.6 degrees to its celestial east-northeast).

On Tuesday morning, Mercury's steady climb away from the sun will lift it a similar distance above Venus.


Wednesday, Nov. 26 - Moonlight tolerant stars (evening)


https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html

Only the brightest stars are visible to our unaided eyes on moonlit-flooded nights. In the western sky on Wednesday evening, Nov. 26, the very bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra the Harp will be descending in the western sky. At magnitude 0.0, it's the 5th brightest star in the entire sky (not counting our sun). The star Altair in Aquila the Eagle, shining several fist diameters to Vega's left, has a magnitude value of 0.75, making it the 13th brightest star.

Deneb in Cygnus the Swan will be located above and between the other two, rounding out the trio of hot white stars that form the Summer Triangle asterism. At magnitude 1.25, Deneb is the 20th brightest star.


Thursday, Nov. 27 - Ceres moves eastward (all night)



On Thursday, Nov. 27, the minor planet Ceres, the largest object in the main asteroid belt, will slow its westerly motion across the background stars of Cetus — completing a retrograde loop that it began in mid-August (red path with dates).

On Thursday, the magnitude 8.5 object, which is visible in binoculars (orange circle) and backyard telescopes in any dark sky, will be located a generous thumb's width to the left (or 2.1 degrees to the celestial east-southeast) of the medium-bright star Iota Ceti or Deneb Kaitos Shemali.

[Bluegreen]

Peace

The Artemis Accords By The Numbers





Latvia announced last week that it had signed on to the Artemis Accords, becoming the 60th nation to agree to the set of non-binding principles. 

Latvia: “Latvia’s accession to the Artemis Accords is a significant step towards our more active participation in the global space community,” Latvian Minister for Education and Science Dace Melbārde said in a statement. “We are proud to become part of a group of nations committed to exploring and using space responsibly and sustainably.”

The accords celebrated their fifth anniversary last month. As such, here’s a roundup of where they stand.

Global reach: As of Nov. 4, 60 nations have signed on to the accords, representing every continent except for Antarctica. Europe has the most signatories, with 29 nations represented, while Oceania (which has far fewer nations than Europe) has the fewest with just two.





Timeline: 2024 was a banner year for the agreement, with 19 nations signing onto the accords—the most number of additions in a year.





What’s next: There’s still room for the accords to grow its number of signatories in the years to come. Just 31% of UN member states—60 out of 193 nations recognized by the UN—have signed onto the agreement. Even though every nation doesn’t have a space program, US officials have said that non-spacefaring nations, many of whom rely on data collected in orbit, deserve a seat at the table when discussing the future of space exploration.

Published 4th November 2025 by Jacqueline Feldscher – Payload Space
https://payloadspace.com/the-artemis...y-the-numbers/

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bluegreen (here)
What’s next: There’s still room for the accords to grow its number of signatories in the years to come. Just 31% of UN member states—60 out of 193 nations recognized by the UN—have signed onto the agreement. Even though every nation doesn’t have a space program, US officials have said that non-spacefaring nations, many of whom rely on data collected in orbit, deserve a seat at the table when discussing the future of space exploration.

That was very interesting, so I looked this up:

Artemis Accords: why many countries are refusing to sign Moon exploration agreement

(extract)

Russia has already stated that the Artemis Program is too “US-centric” to sign it in its present form. China’s absence is explained by the US congressional prohibition on collaboration with the country. Concerns that this is a power grab by the US and its allies are fuelled by the lack of any African or South American countries amongst the founding partner states.

Intriguingly Germany, France and India are also absent. These are countries with well developed space programmes that would surely have benefited from being involved in Project Artemis. Their opposition may be down to a preference for the Moon Agreement and a desire to see a properly negotiated treaty governing lunar exploration.

[Bluegreen]

Smashing Pumpkins

Great Pumpkin Festival Winner – Alan Gebert and Dough Boy



Pumpkin growers from all over competed for the largest pumpkin in the annual giant pumpkin festival on Logan’s Center Street.

This year’s winner of the festival was a pumpkin called Dough Boy, weighing in at 1917 pounds, grown by Alan Gebert.

The festival was held in downtown Logan. Growers from Utah and surrounding states brought their pumpkins to be weighed by the Giant Pumpkin Growers Association at the annual festival, hoping to be crowned the Center Street Giant and take home $5,000.

Published 30th September 2025 by Erin Lewis – Utah Public Radio
https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2025-0...argest-pumpkin

Utah Farmer Crushes Car With 2,000-Pound Pumpkin From 14 Stories



Alan Gebert says he drove the Geo Metro nearly 35 years before it stopped running - so he smashed it.

Published 28th October 2025 (0:37)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0v7okGPVFN8

[Bluegreen]

RIP "Other ATLAS"

Doomed Comet Explodes Mid-Flight




C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) reached its closest point to the Sun on Oct. 8, and got more than four times closer to our home star than 3I/ATLAS

In space, death can be a beautiful thing. That's certainly the case for the recently deceased "other" comet ATLAS, which is slowly breaking apart after meeting its explosive end earlier this month, stunning new images reveal.

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) is a comet originating from the Oort Cloud beyond Neptune that was discovered in May by astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). It reached its closest point to the Sun, or perihelion, on Oct. 8, coming within 31 million miles (50 million kilometers) of our home star. But the comet largely went under the radar until earlier this month, when it developed a rare golden glow in its coma and tail.

It has become known as the "other ATLAS," thanks to its shared surname with the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which has been dominating headlines since it was first spotted shooting through the solar system in July. The two comets have no relation, other than being detected by the same telescope network around the same time.

On Nov. 13, astronomers noticed that C/2025 K1 had broken apart into several pieces. Austrian astrophotographer Michael Jäger has been keeping a close eye on C/2025 K1 since it began to fall apart, and he has now shared a stunning timelapse animation that shows the fragments of the comet slowly separating from one another.

"Following brightness surges in early November, we have been able to observe this comet splitting into three brighter fragments for the past two weeks," Jäger said. "The animation shows it on November 12, 14, 18, 19, and 20th."





The comet was not expected to survive its perihelion — astronomers predicted that the close proximity of its journey around the sun would place a huge amount of gravitational strain on the object. After its solar flyby, initial observations suggested that it had emerged unscathed. However, following a sudden brightening event, the comet then broke apart into three distinct pieces.

Published 25th November 2025 by Harry Baker – Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/space/co...ble-new-images

[Bluegreen]

Best Sci-Fi Action Movies Of All Time, Ranked



It's time to get tactical, as we're taking a look at the more bombastic side of sci-fi this time with our rundown of the ten best sci-fi action movies of all time (according to us, opinions may vary, etc, etc).


10. Starship Troopers (1997)



An interstellar war with a race of giant bugs that want to wipe out humanity? Oh, you better believe we want to know more. Starship Troopers sees the soldiers of the United Citizen Federation head to distant planets to destroy the gnarly-looking and incredibly vicious Arachnids and an even more upsetting Brain Bug.


9. Avatar (2009)



Maybe a controversial choice here, but the numbers don't lie. Avatar is famously the highest-grossing film ever.

With award-winning effects powered by ground-breaking 3D technology, the action scenes across the world of Pandora are epic. Whether it's Jake Sully and co flying in on their Ikran across vibrant landscapes, or the explosive N’avi versus Machine battles — where our lanky blue humanoids face off against the military descending on their sacred land — Avatar is always a feast for the eyes.


8. Akira (1988)



A little more leftfield for sci-fi action is the animated cult hit Akira. Biker gang leader Shōtarō Kaneda finds himself trying to help his childhood friend Tetsuo, who gets twisted up in a secret government project and acquires some… unusual abilities.

The only animated movie on our list, it depicts a 2019 Neo-Tokyo, wildly dreamt up from the 1988 release date. History has proven this future wrong (for now), but that doesn't make it any less compelling.


7. The Fifth Element (1997)



Bruce Willis fronts this bizarre and brilliant epic from director Luc Besson (yes, the guy who did Léon: The Professional). Willis plays Korben Dallas, a soldier-turned-cab driver who finds himself an integral part of a world-saving mission when the superhuman Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) drops from the heavens into his cab.

The Fifth Element has such a fantastic sense of style, with gorgeous sci-fi vistas, wacky rubber-faced aliens, and an iconic scenery-chewing bad guy in Gary Oldman's Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg.


6. Inception (2010)



In the midst of the Dark Knight trilogy, director Christopher Nolan also took on a mind-bending endeavour that had viewers questioning their grounding in reality. Inception sees Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) form a team to infiltrate a CEO’s mind via dream-sharing technology, only for Cobb’s own complicated history to threaten the team's survival.


5. Total Recall (1990)



Another of Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi successes and one of my favourite sci-fi movies of all time, Total Recall (the original, not the remake) is a slice of sci-fi action gold. It uses an excellent blend of practical effects and CGI to deliver a movie that feels of its time, sure, but also pulpy and real in a way that movies seem to have forgotten.


4. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)



As Major William Cage, Tom Cruise plays an army public relations officer who finds himself up on the frontlines of war for humanity's survival against a vicious race of invading aliens known as ‘Mimics’. Cage dies only to discover that he's now stuck in a time loop that throws him back to before the battle starts.


3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)



Oh, you can already hear that theme music, can't you? Dundun Dun Dundun! Terminator 2: Judgment Day is arguably the best sci-fi sequel of all time (we'll get to the other contender to that throne in a second). Set about 10 years after the original, Terminator 2: Judgment Day sees the return of Arnie as a T-800, but this time around, he's a reformed Terminator set on a mission to protect John Connor.

Unsurprisingly, that mission leads to a plethora of bombastic action scenes as they battle against the shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick).


2. The Matrix (1991)



We may not know kung-fu, but we do know that The Matrix is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The story follows Neo (Keanu Reeves), a hacker who discovers that the world is not as it seems, leading him down the rabbit hole and into the Matrix.

What follows is one of the slickest, most stylish, and most late 90s-coded action movies of all time. It's a masterful blend of impeccable, choreographed martial arts, slow-motion bullet time gunfights, and physics-defying stunts.


1. Aliens (1986)



It had to be. Much like Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens is the other contender to the best sequel ever throne, and another rare sequel that is arguably better than the original (though that one's hotly debated).

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) returns decades after surviving the deadly incident on the Nostromo, trying to lead a normal life and forget about her extraterrestrial encounter. But, when a colony on LV-426 — the planet Ripley first found the xenomorph on — goes dark, she gets roped into joining a crack team of marines to mount a rescue mission.

That spicy little "s" on the end of the title tells you everything you need to know about this sci-fi action masterpiece. It's not one alien this time; it's a whole nest of them, complete with a hulking great queen.

Published 26th November 2025 by Grace Dean and Ian Stokes – Space.com
https://www.space.com/entertainment/...ll-time-ranked

[Johnnycomelately]

Any Sled fans, here’s some supposedly old footage.

The Blackbird Story (Ca. 1972)

AIRBOYD

507K subscribers

Nov 26, 2025

Covers history of SR-71 development from conferences, through assembly, to operational flights of the aircraft. 1) SR-71 (No. 17976) taxiing and taking off to right. 2) AVs Pentagon. 3) Col. R.E. Sprinkel presiding over contractor's conference. 4) Lockheed employees entering "Skunk Works." 5) AMS HA FV SR-71 in flight. 6) AMS left SV SR-71 in flight. 7) AVs LA SR-71 in flight. 8) Designers and airframe specialists at work. 9) Assembly of SR-71 (No. 17950). 10) Crated SR-71 on tractor-trailer leaving Lockheed plant, en route and arriving at Edwards AFB. 11) Officers and Lockheed officials looking at SR-71. 12) SR-71 takeoff climb to left. 13) AMSs SR-71 in flight. 14) AMLS SR-71 landing. 15) Sign: HEADQUARTERS 14TH STRAT AEROSPACE DIV-BEALE AIR FORCE BASE with unit insignia. 16) Hangars at Beale AFB. 17) Sign: WELCOME TO BEALE AIR FORCE BASE. 18) Lockheed engineering representatives in conference with SPO staff. 19) Physical examination and suiting of SR-71 crewman. 20) Training of ground crew personnel using mock-ups. 21) Flight simulator and control console. 22) AMS SR-71 in flight to right with gear lowered. 23) MLS SR-71B landing to left. 24) Crew leaving SR-71B, and being welcomed by officers. 25) SR-71 in flight. 26) Crew boarding SR-71 in hangar, and aircraft taxiing out. 27) AMSs SR-71 in flight to right. 28) Crew leaving SR-71, being awarded MACH 3 pins and SR-71 models. 29) Commander's briefing and other conferences. 30) SR-71 engine tests. 31) SR-71 (No. 17956) with rear cockpit modification taxiing out, taking off and landing, and AVs of aircraft in flight. 32) AVs SR-71 refueling from KC-135A including view as seen from boom operator's position. 33) SR-71 landing to right. 34) 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing review. 35) SR-71 flanked by two T-38s in flyover. 36) AMSs SR-71 in flight includes scenes at dusk. 37) SR-71 being towed at night. 38) Photo interpreters viewing reconnaissance film. 39) MLS to MS to LS SR-71 taking off to right.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JQEyCCfnW2Q

[Bluegreen]

Isaacman’s Second Chance



The timing of the announcement was a surprise, even if its content was not unexpected.

President Trump posted on social media:

“This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA. Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”

This was the latest twist in the saga about who will lead the space agency that started with Trump’s surprise selection of Isaacman last December and the even more shocking withdrawal of that nomination at the end of May. Since then, the White House asked the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to serve as acting administrator, the first time a Cabinet secretary has led the agency.

Trump’s statement gave no reason for why he renominated Isaacman or any acknowledgement of the events of the last 11 months. In fact, the sentence in the announcement about “Jared’s passion for Space” was taken word-for-word from Trump’s December 2024 announcement selecting Isaacman to lead NASA.

The White House has not disclosed any details about its decision to renominate Isaacman beyond formally transmitting the nomination to the Senate on Thursday. Since Isaacman’s original nomination was withdrawn, he will have to go through another Senate confirmation process.

So what happened between the end of May, when Trump said he was pulling the nomination after “a thorough review of prior association”—a reference to Isaacman’s long-documented record of donating to both Republicans and Democrats—and, a little more than five months later, Trump’s decision to renominate him?

Discussions with industry sources suggest several factors were at work. Isaacman’s first nomination was withdrawn as President Trump and Elon Musk’s partnership deteriorated, which has since reached accords.

Trump said in July that he “thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life.”

Published 10th November 2025 by Jeff Foust – The Space Review
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/5098/1

[Bluegreen]

The Data Center Disaster

In the glorious new world of AI Everything™️, we need more processing power than ever. That means more data centers, bigger data centers, and more electricity than you can imagine. Naturally, this all costs money - but not to worry! We'll just invent new economics to fund it all. In fact, the insanity at work these days in the AI and data center industries is so overwhelming, you could be forgiven for thinking it's just the script from a bad Sci-Fi movie ... But no, it's real. And it's NUTS.

Published 11th November 2025 (16:07)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=n5sdfEqNkGI

Thirsty Data Centers Have to Report Water Use Under Utah Bill




The Meta data center in Eagle Mountain

Utah’s data centers would have to report to the state how much water they’re using every year under a proposal advancing at the state Legislature.

The vast centers housing rows of servers would have to pay up if they don’t disclose water use, said Rep. Jill Koford, R-Ogden. The bill she’s sponsoring would fine them $10,000 for every day they’re out of compliance.

“We’re very serious about protecting Utah water and making sure that we’re using it wisely,” Koford said.

A legislative water development panel agreed, voting unanimously Thursday to send the proposal to the full House for consideration. State lawmakers convene for the 2026 legislative session in January.

More data centers are cropping up in Utah and around the country to power artificial intelligence and other digital services. The construction is drawing attention to the massive amounts of water it can take to cool servers, with some using up to 5 million gallons of water in a day — more than 12,000 times the average use for a household of four.

Published 21st November 2025 by Annie Knox - Utah News Dispatch
https://www.standard.net/news/2025/n...der-utah-bill/