James Schmeling

Refineries Are Now the Main Chokepoint for Global Energy Supplies www.wsj.com/business/ene...

Yikes. Now multiply this by connected cars even if smaller and not as much individual impact.

Anyone else remember the crises whith the Exxon Valdes oil spill? ~11 million gallons of crude oil spilled? Or Deepwater Horizon with about 210 million gallons spilled? And now the US and Iran are just sinking oil tankers?

the criterion channel costs the same as it did in 2020.

Off to Seoul tomorrow. First ever visit to South Korea. Looking forward to the program and seeing a new city and country.

I'm not saying this is a better alternative to full self drive in a Tesla, but I'm not not saying that, either. www.yahoo.com/news/us/arti...

I started @ArsenalIRP because I couldn't ignore a problem I'd been seeing. After 1993, foundries, shipyards,, many of the facilities that produced national readiness were mothballed. The bones are still there and can be returned to production. www.linkedin.com/posts/jamess... #SideHustle

I’ve spent 25 years noticing the same things across different areas of focus. Same challenge. And then built organizations and solutions within them. About to do what’s next. #SideHustle www.linkedin.com/posts/jamess...

Worth a read: What China’s PLA says it is learning from the Iran war breakingdefense.com/2026/08/what...

Fantastic piece from Business Insider (yahoo link for access). Focus on learning from Ukraine by engaging/training the Ukrainian forces. Electromagnetic warfare incredibly important. www.yahoo.com/news/world/a...

Have not spent hardly any time on Twitter in a few years but searching the web for certain announcements on the DIB seems to point to all those sources being there and sometimes LinkedIn. Followed a few in the past few days. But how is it now?

I have never watched 30 Rock but decided in the serious stuff going on I could use humor. A few episodes in I am laughing. I am loving the Six Sigma episode right from the top. (The Baldwin part, not the leering at the assistant part just to be clear.)

Guess Ukraine scared them per the article. A poster. www.businessinsider.com/russia-repla...

We’re all talking (saying words) measurably less apparently. Another Symptom of Growing Isolation - The Atlantic apple.news/AdvWPhh2ETJW...

You know how I know I could never get away with murder? Fingerprints on my reading glasses lenses. I swear I never touch them, but sure as can be there are distinct prints on them regularly.

I subscribe to the daily BookBub email with bargain e-books. I'm always excited by the email. I often click to buy one of the $1.99 or $2.99 Kindle books. And then Amazon tells me I bought it last year. Or last month. Or a few years ago. Why am I not reading all of these books?!?

Leave them alone. Don’t me a touron!

Today’s pain point. Just filled up. Ouch.

A favorite, though my mom made them open faced and on hamburger buns. Is an open faced sandwich a sandwich? If I had to be I'd say that @swordsjew.bsky.social and David Swanson probably have an opinion and writeup somewhere on that topic. Mmmm. Tuna melt. We also add onion and use mozzarella cheese.

i wrote about the tuna melt and other miracles buttondown.com/theswordandt...

Who knew? www.travelandleisure.com/two-wheeled-...

🥵 Third 102 in a row for DC today. Hottest July 4 on record by 2 degrees--data since 1872. Dulles reached 99 while BWI/Baltimore hit 102 as well. Both also records. Should stay below 100 tomorrow. 🤞

I have rarely been so happy as with this announcement! I was a Starwood person before Marriott and the Pepsi at Marriott drove me nuts!!!!! thepointsguy.com/news/marriot...

Interesting development. www.airandspaceforces.com/b-2-fires-sh...

That’s an interesting development. Given we’ve had private security who are armed I don’t know that it’s a huge stretch but still.

"A solar farm on a rewetted peatland is home to more types of bird than drained agricultural fields nearby, suggesting that land used for renewable energy can make money for landowners, lock away carbon and boost biodiversity at the same time."

South Korea making it's way toward the top four arms suppliers www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Tiny praying mantis. Blue to the left is a power cord for size reference.

Great photo AND forecast! Follow this account if you are in the region.

Interesting framing. I wonder what Xi takes from Iran conflict, Straits of Hormuz thinking about Straits of Taiwan. Obviously different geographies, but I can't imagine they anticipate ability to take or neuter Taiwan. When the Davidson Window Meets the ‘Xi Window’ thediplomat.com/2026/06/when...

This is a pretty interesting perspective and frame for analysis. The local matters to local economies, people, and more, but we haven't yet figured out how to evaluate and place based on these aspects plus power, land, and more. I wonder if renewables can meet need. arstechnica.com/ai/2026/06/w...

Weird neighbor observation. He's wearing a bicycle helmet on his (very slow, old) John Deere riding mower. He's later riding his mountain bike down the hill sans helmet. I don't understand.

D.C.’s Capital Weather, formerly with the “Gang” appendage, has moved out of the Washington Post for reasons most of us can gather. Supporting their new thing (@capitalweather.bsky.social) is a good use of old Post subscription money.

Under ‘Drone Dominance’ push, Pentagon begins receiving small drones breakingdefense.com/2026/06/unde... #MilitaryTech #DefenseIndustry

Our (new) housekeeper put standard pillowcases on king pillows. I know, I know. First world problems.

Maryland could use more of these bumper stickers.

Blue. The gift that keeps on giving. Ostensibly a rescue.

Gosh, maybe college pays off?? “Net Worth by Education Level: Just How Much Wealthier Are College Graduates?” Daniel Liberto Investopedia apple.news/AoWGKe9c_Rlm...

More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic - NPR apple.news/AN2YePArmSKq...

My dog. Yes. He’s a bit odd. But comfy! This is Blue, our Cairn.

Pleasantly surprised: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/n...