7. U.S. Foreign Aid Accounts for About 1% of Federal Budget
8. AI and Gambling
Fear and coding in Las Vegas–Inside the gambling industry’s big bet on AI.
Via Business Insider:Narrativa is among a crop of startups seizing on the artificial intelligence boom to enthusiastically automate writing tasks that would once have fallen to humans. From penning regulatory documentation for Pfizer to zhuzhing up marketing copy for insurance and e-commerce firms and helping generate breaking news articles for The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles-based Narrativa boasts roughly 50 clients in various industries. But one of its core focus areas, comprising a quarter of its business, is a little more polarizing than the rest: gambling.
Working with major industry players like 888 and Betway, Narrativa uses large language models to pump out everything from automated summaries of sports games to SEO-friendly reviews of online casino games and promotional social media posts. With no humans required, the 20-person company’s AI tools produce 10 million words a month for gambling clients — the effective output of 170-odd full-time writers producing a grueling 3,000 words a day. It’s all in service of enticing gamblers to place more bets.
“You want to create a community, you want people coming back for more,” Matthew Rector, Narrativa’s vice president of content, says. “You want to foster that environment, and our content helps facilitate that.”
Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, and the tech industry’s other top impresarios talk a big game about how AI may one day attain sentience, solve the climate crisis, and lead society to a post-scarcity economy. Today, though, the technology is being embraced by traditional industries for more prosaic — and mercenary — aims. Key among them is the gambling industry, which is rapidly adopting AI for everything from writing alluring online marketing copy to identifying and helping problem gamblers to tracking people and perfecting the physical layout of casinos. The ultimate goal: to harvest ever more money from gamblers, by profiling them, feeding them content and games personalized to their whims, and cajoling them to stay longer and make bigger bets.
9. Baby Boom: 2600 Indians Born Per Minute
10. Strategies for Wealth & Happiness
Alan Watts on applying yay one thinking to yourself:
“You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.” * Charlie Munger on preparation:
“Neither Warren nor I are smart enough to make decisions with no time to think. We make actual decisions very rapidly, but that’s because we have spent so much time preparing ourselves by quietly reading.” *** Jim Rohn on failure:
“Failure is rarely the result of some isolated event. Rather, it is a consequence of a long list of accumulated little failures which happen as a result of too little discipline. Failure occurs each time we fail to think … today, act … today, care, strive, climb, learn, or just keep going … today. If your goal requires that today you write ten letters and you write only three, you are behind by seven letters … today. If you commit yourself to making five phone calls and you make only one, you are behind by four phone calls … today. If your financial plan requires that you save ten dollars and you save none, you are behind ten dollars … today. The danger comes when we look at a day squandered and conclude that no harm has been done. After all, it was just one day. But add up these days to make a year and then add up these years to make a lifetime and perhaps you can now see how repeating today’s small failures can easily turn your life into a major disaster.”
The final distribution from a fund for victims of the fraudster Bernie Madoff began Monday, the Department of Justice said.
When the last disbursement is completed, more than $4.3 billion will have been distributed by the fund to more than 40,000 victims in nearly 130 countries, the DOJ said.
Madoff died in prison in 2021 while serving a 150-year sentence for what federal prosecutors have called the largest Ponzi scheme in the world.
The last disbursement, of more than $131 million, is being sent to more than 23,000 victims worldwide. When it is completed, more than $4.3 billion will have been distributed by the fund to more than 40,000 victims in nearly 130 countries, the DOJ said.
That tally is nearly 94% of the estimated total losses from the scam, the department said. The final disbursement by the Madoff Victim Fund was announced roughly 16 years after Madoff’s fraud came to light.
“Today’s distribution represents an unprecedented conclusion of victim compensation from civil forfeiture actions related to the Madoff scheme,” said James Dennehy, FBI New York Field Office assistant director in charge.
“These victims implicitly trusted Madoff with their investments only to ultimately lose significant monies to his selfish plan,” Dennehy said.
Madoff, who was head of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities in New York, pleaded guilty in March 2009 to 11 felonies related to what federal prosecutors have said was the largest Ponzi scheme in the world.
Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for the fraud, which spanned four decades and involved him paying off customers with money raised from other customers, not with investment trading gains as he claimed.
He died in April 2021, at age 82, at a federal prison facility in North Carolina, nearly a year after he was denied a request for compassionate release due to a terminal kidney disease.
When Madoff’s fraud first became publicly known, prosecutors estimated the total loss at $65 billion. But that estimate sharply dropped once authorities subtracted the amount of phantom investment gains and interest that Madoff’s customers were duped into believing existed.
The largest portion of the fund for Madoff’s victims, about $2.2 billion, came from a civil forfeiture recovery from the estate of Jeffry Picower, a now-dead Madoff investor, the DOJ said.
Another $1.7 billion came from JPMorgan Chase as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ in January 2014. JPMorgan Chase and its predecessor institutions had served as the primary bank through which Madoff operated his scheme, the DOJ has previously said.
The rest of the victims fund came from a “civil forfeiture action against investor Carl Shapiro and his family and from civil and criminal forfeiture actions against Bernard L. Madoff, Peter B. Madoff, and their co-conspirators,” the DOJ said Monday.
1. XLE Energy ETF -12% One Month…Negative Year to Date
2. Gold ETF vs. Bond ETF 2024
3. Small Cap Profitability Problem
4. Small Caps Now Hit 4-Year Losing Streak
The Daily Shot Brief Small vs. large performance. “Small caps are on a four-year losing streak and having their worst year relative to the S&P 500 since 1998.”
5. MOVE Index Measuring Bond Volatility Drops to 3-Year Low
6. 401 K Assets in USA Hitting $8T
7. The Under $300k Home is Disappearing
8. Fed Cuts and Mortgage Rates Go Higher
Mortgage Rates Must Go Down When The Fed Cuts Rates
9. Brazil shuts BYD factory site over ‘slavery’ conditions
BBC Annabelle Liang-The BYD Yuan Pro electric vehicle Brazilian authorities have halted the construction of a factory for Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD, saying workers lived in conditions comparable to “slavery”. More than 160 workers have been rescued in Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, according to a statement from the Public Labour Prosecutor’s Office (MPT). They were allegedly put in a “degrading” environment and had their passports and salaries withheld by a building company. BYD said in a statement that it had cut ties with the firm involved and remained committed to a “full compliance with Brazilian legislation”. The factory was scheduled to be operational by March 2025, and was set to be BYD’s first EV plant outside of Asia. The workers, hired by Jinjiang Construction Brazil, lived in four facilities in Camaçari city. At one such facility, workers were made to sleep on beds without mattresses, according to prosecutors. Each bathroom was also shared among 31 workers, forcing them to get up extremely early to be ready for work. “The conditions found in the lodgings revealed an alarming picture of precariousness and degradation,” the MPT said. “Slavery-like conditions”, as defined by Brazilian law, include debt bondage and work that violates human dignity. The MPT added that the situation also constitutes “forced labour”, as many workers had their wages withheld and faced excessive costs for terminating their contracts. BYD said affected workers had been moved to hotels. It added that it had conducted a “detailed review” of the working and living conditions for subcontracted employees and asked on “several occasions” for the construction firm to make improvements. The living conditions of some workers constructing BYD’s factory in Brazil https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xj9jp57r2o
1. Semiconductor ETF SMH vs. S&P Downtrend Since July
This chart is shows semiconductors vs. S&P
2. Semiconductor Index Close to Breaking One-Year Uptrend
3. Emerging Markets ETF Closes Below 200-Day
4. Foreign Money Pouring into U.S. Stocks
Foreign Fervor: Foreigners are rotating more and more into US equities. Another record high on this indicator in Q3. Compare and contrast the heights of the dot com bubble vs the depths of the financial crisis in terms of what this chart means.
5. RPV Pure Value ETF -8% in One Month…Trades at 10.1x
Barrons-The potential bad news, however, looks thoroughly reflected in value stocks. The Pure Value ETF trades at just 10.1 times 12-month forward earnings, well below the S&P 500’s 21.6 times and the Invesco S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF’s (RPG) 23.8 times.
9. Netflix Spending Equal Amount in International Content as U.S.
10. 9 Daily Practices to Build Up Your Self-Confidence
Psychology Today Adi Jaffe Ph.D. Self-confidence can be built. Here’s how to start the year on the right path.
Self-confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s cultivated.
A few simple daily habits can greatly enhance your confidence.
Smal incremental growth is more sustainable than massive shifts.
Self-confidence isn’t a magical trait bestowed on a lucky few; it’s a skill anyone can cultivate. Your daily habits shape how you view yourself—and that sense of self can ultimately determine the quality of your relationships, your work, and your overall happiness. Here are nine daily practices designed to increase your confidence, reduce self-doubt, and help you thrive.
1. Set (and Celebrate) Small, Achievable Goals Why It Works: Breaking large goals into smaller, achievable milestones provides regular wins. This practice rewires your brain to expect success rather than fear failure. How to Do It:
Each morning, write down one to three small tasks to complete that day. (Don’t overdo it at first.)
Make these tasks exceedingly doable (e.g., tidying an area of your workspace, sending a specific important email, or taking a 15-minute walk).
At the end of the day, celebrate your achievement, no matter how small it may seem. Small wins compound over time and train your mind to see yourself as capable and resourceful.
Things to avoid: Do not make these tasks too big or too broad (like “workout more” or “finish all my overdue tasks” if you have a list of 50 uncompleted to-dos).
2. Practice Positive Self-Talk Why It Works: Your inner dialogue has a powerful impact on your actions and beliefs. Consistent negative self-talk (which many struggle with) reinforces low self-esteem, while positive affirmations build confidence. How to Do It:
Notice any negative thought spirals: “I’ll never get this right” or “I’m not good enough.”
Replace them with affirming alternatives: “I’m learning and growing” or “I can handle challenges.”
If it feels unnatural at first, that’s normal; positive self-talk becomes easier and more authentic with repetition.
Things to avoid: If this feels awkward, it’s likely even more crucial a habit for you to practice. Don’t let the fact that you’re not used to being kind to yourself stop you from getting started.
3. Develop a Mindfulness or Meditation Routine Why It Works: Mindfulness trains you to be present and more aware of critical self-judgment. For many, anxiety, regret, and other negative emotions are substantially more troubling when focused on the past or present. Returning to the current moment can alleviate negativity. How to Do It:
Commit to as little as 5 minutes of daily meditation. Try a guided app (if you get too easily distracted) or simply focus on your breath.
There is no right meditation approach. Experiment with different techniques: body scans, mantra repetition, or mindful walking (or even tooth brushing).
Pay attention to judgmental or self-doubting thoughts, acknowledge them, and let them pass without attaching negativity or shame.
Things to avoid: Anxiety during meditation often comes from self-judgment. Don’t expect a perfectly quiet mind. Meditation is a practice, not a performance.
4. Curate Your Social Media and News Intake Why It Works: Comparisons breed insecurity. Social media may show only “highlight reels,” creating unrealistic expectations that can foster harmful comparisons. Reducing negative inputs protects your mental space. How to Do It:
Unfollow accounts that trigger comparison or self-criticism.
Follow inspirational figures, mental health advocates, and accounts that uplift rather than diminish you.
Set time limits for social media to minimize doom-scrolling or procrastination. (These need to be shorter than you think.).
Things to avoid: Stay away from overly aspirational content that feels unattainable. Focus on motivational accounts relevant to your current journey.
5. Engage in Regular Physical Activity Why It Works: All habits are important, but physical movement is a key feature of a healthy routine. Exercise releases dopamine and endorphins—feel-good chemicals that boost mood, motivation, and confidence. How to Do It:
Choose an activity you genuinely enjoy: dancing, cycling, yoga, or just brisk walking.
Start small—10 to 15 minutes a day—and gradually increase the duration.
Stay consistent and track your progress to see improvements over time.
Things to avoid: Avoid unrealistic fitness goals. Consistency beats intensity for long-term success. Build gradually and consistently, and you’ll go from 10 minutes a day to 30 or even 45 minutes within months—and sustain it.
6. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences Why It Works: Supportive relationships reinforce your strengths and aspirations. I recommend curating a social circle that is a mix of both highly supportive people as well as others who can model the sort of life you are looking to grow into. How to Do It:
Identify friends, mentors, or online communities that inspire you.
Limit contact with those who constantly criticize or undermine your progress.
Seek out local or virtual support groups focused on self-improvement or wellness.
Things to avoid: Don’t hesitate to seek help. Even top achievers rely on support systems.
7. Keep a Gratitude Journal Why It Works: Focusing on the good in your life recalibrates your brain toward optimism and positivity. Research has shown that positive people have an exaggerated bias toward the good, and practicing gratitude can help you get there. How to Do It:
Write down 3 things you’re grateful for each day.
They can be small (a cup of coffee, a cozy blanket) or monumental (accomplishing a week of sobriety, reconnecting with a loved one).
Reflect on your daily entries at the end of the week to see how far you’ve come.
article continues after advertisement Things to avoid: Avoid repeating the same items. Challenge yourself to find new sources of gratitude. I’d bet that, if you really think about it, you can be grateful for thousands of things.
8. Learn, and practice, asking for help Why It Works: Seeking support shows self-awareness and fosters personal growth. Recognizing when you need support—and being willing to seek it—can dramatically boost self-confidence. How to Do It:
Identify an area where you tend to struggle or feel overwhelmed (e.g., finances, parenting, emotional support).
Reach out to someone with expertise or simply a listening ear. This could be a trusted friend, a mentor, or even an online support community.
Start small. Ask for a bit of advice or assistance, and allow yourself to accept the support offered without guilt.
Things to avoid: Don’t rely on a single person for all your needs. Build a diverse support network.
9. Take Initiative and Learn New Skills Why It Works: Learning new skills boosts self-efficacy and opens doors to new opportunities. As a bonus, the more you practice these new skills, the more you prove to yourself that you can develop, increasing confidence for the next new skill. How to Do It:
Pick a skill you’ve always wanted to learn: cooking, public speaking, a new language.
Dedicate 15-30 minutes daily to practice or study.
Track your progress and celebrate small milestones (e.g., successfully cooking a new recipe, having a short conversation in another language).
Things to avoid: Avoid sticking only to familiar tasks. Growth comes from practicing areas in which you struggle. Final Thoughts Self-confidence is built through consistent, incremental steps taken daily. By incorporating these 9 practices into your routine, you not only bolster your self-esteem but also create a supportive framework for overall mental health. Think of confidence like any muscle in your body: The more you work it, the stronger it gets. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
