US oil industry doesn’t see profit in Trump’s “pro-petroleum” moves
As the Trump administration makes announcement after announcement about its efforts to promote the US fossil fuel industry, the industry isn’t exactly jumping at new opportunities.
Some high-profile oil and gas industry leaders and organizations have objected to changes to long-standing government policy positions that give companies firm ground on which to make their plans.
And the financial picture around oil and gas drilling is moving against the Trump administration’s hopes. Though politicians may tout new opportunities to drill offshore or in Arctic Alaska, the commercial payoff is not clear and even unlikely.
“A Band-Aid on a giant gash”: Trump’s attacks on science may ruin his AI moonshot
By executive order last month, Donald Trump launched his so-called “Genesis Mission.”
Described as a “historic national effort” to “invest in AI-enabled science to accelerate scientific advancement,” Trump claimed his mission would address key challenges to American energy dominance, innovation, and national security.
This mission, Trump boasted, would be a game-changer to science akin to putting a man on the moon or firing the first nuclear weapons. By building “an integrated AI platform” trained on “the world’s largest collection” of federal scientific data sets, he promised, the government could set off cascades of scientific breakthroughs.
oh happy day!
Princess Jellyfish, volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura

Can a community of otaku save their apartment building from gentrification? Should a community of otaku save their apartment building from gentrification?
Princess Jellyfish, volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura
Life lived in dot points
The damn things continue to overlap
- surgeon appointment: nothing new, but the margins on what was removed aren't big enough, back in surgery - that's my Friday.
- the next step in the candidacy paperwork was in fact not my responsibility, and I now have an email to say I've passed that hurdle (here it is called 'Milestone 1').
- Last Monday rehearsal of the year was this week; I tried bowing for one line of very long/slow notes and ow, nope, not yet. Was, however, good support for the other viola player, including singing some of the bits where the viola has the melody. We had a new violin player! I hope they come back, they seemed to be having fun.
- Today was my last day on campus for the year. I will be working some over the shutdown, because I'm supposed to have my ethics drafted by mid January, and I still don't know what I don't know. Treated myself to curry and a fizzy drink for lunch.
- Finished Building a second brain (Tiago Forte), which I've gained some useful ideas from. Recommended if you are needing a way to organise the information that is coming in to your life; not elsewise.
- Youngest went bouldering with co-workers on Monday, and is learning yet again about not relying on hyperextended elbows to do the work (their grip strength isn't, and their forearms hurt "weirdly")
- have woken up twice this week having done Something Stupid in my sleep. Monday it was the right hip not quite in the right place (went back in during rehearsal, I staggered in looking awful, I gather) and today it is something with the muscles of the right shoulder and halfway down the back -- I could barely move the shoulder this morning, and it has settled down to 'about half the time one or more muscles are spasming'.
Quick Rec Wednesday
Here's your chance to share with the class! Just drop a comment with a link and maybe a couple of words in description. No need to overthink things, it can be as simple as Loved this! or OMG, look at that!. (You don't need to keep it short, though, write as much as you want.)
Check out the previous entries, too!
Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 101 & 111 of 2025
What I am Currently Reading: I haven’t technically started it yet, but the next book on my list is Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.
What I Plan to Read Next: I have two library books to pick up, so probably one of those.
Book 110 of 2025: The Serpent on the Crown (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) (Elizabeth Peters)
I enjoyed this! ( spoilers )
I liked this book and have already requested the next. Sadly, I think it's the last in the series that doesn't look back at the ‘lost seasons'. I'm giving this one five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 111 of 2025: Killing Field (A Jack Reacher Novel) (Lee Child)
I enjoyed this book, but I wasn't sure I was going to. The authors writing style, with all those short, choppy sentences, drove me nuts. ( spoilers )
I liked this book enough to check out the next in the series; I'm giving this book four hearts.
♥♥♥♥
Advent calendar 17
This Christmas Day, the sixth of Sophie's life, started in the usual way. As soon as the grandmother clock in the hall struck seven, the twins ran, and Sophie plodded, into their parents' bedroom, and they all climbed onto the big bed to show what Father Christmas had brought them.
Then, after breakfast, came the ceremony of giving presents.
This was always done in the same way. Everybody sat down, in the living room, of course—at least the two grown-ups sat down with their cups of coffee, while Matthew and Mark danced around with excitement, and their sister stood stolidly beside the Christmas tree, beneath which all the presents were arranged, and waited for the others to sing "Happy Birthday, dear Sophie, Happy Birthday to you!"
Then the opening of the presents began, one at a time, youngest first, oldest last— Christmas present for Sophie, then one for Mark, then Matthew (ten minutes older), then Mummy, then Dad, and finally a birthday present for Sophie, before she began again on her next Christmas one.
This year, to Sophie's surprise and delight, word of her intention to be a lady farmer had somehow got around the entire family, and both her Christmas and her birthday presents reflected this.
Sabrina Carpenter Sticks Foot in Mouth Out of the Gate On 'Day Drinking with Seth'
Yuletide progress: it is posted!
This year was more work than previous years, for a very particular reason. I got COVID for the first time in October, and while I got very lucky (Paxlovid turns out to work for me, yay!), I am so easily drained to exhaustion, by pretty much anything including brain work, which has never been this bad before. Also, I'm used to multitasking, and hoo boy do I need different strategies and approaches now.
I'm planning for a very long recuperation, since it looks like that's the smart way to go. But here we are, and today is a milestone day. The story is a story, and it's posted, and now I can catch up a little on my Etsy shop (I hardly posted anything new while writing) and my eBay offers (I'm selling most of a half-century's worth of queer and related subjects library, since I'm not a working journalist any more and somebody really should get use out of these books and periodicals).
It's been a long time. I had forgotten the peculiar satisfaction that comes with meeting a deadline.
Interesting Links for 17-12-2025
- 1. Trans scholars being pushed out of academia, researchers warn
- (tags:transgender bigotry LGBT UK academia OhForFucksSake )
- 2. Scottish Trans and LGBT Youth Scotland response to Scottish Government consultation on updating school buildings regulations
- (tags:school transgender consultation Scotland )
- 3. Magic mushroom compound psilocybin found to break depression spiral
- (tags:depression psilocybin psychedelics )
- 4. Creepy McDonalds AI Actor Responds To Backlash
- (tags:ai advertising actors copyright video )
- 5. The official Fallout season 1 recap is filled with AI and thinks the show is set in the 1950s
- (tags:Amazon AI misinformation )
- 6. Police Scotland warn mental health call-outs are unsustainable
- (tags:police Scotland mentalhealth )
- 7. Tesla Robotaxis crash 12x as often as humans
- (tags:automation driving Tesla )
The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Dec 16)
I did three loads of laundry, hand-washed dishes, went for several walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved. I made him cheese sausage for supper (one of the guys at work had it and he thought it looked good).
I watched two more eps of The Pitt. Secrets of the Zoo was my background tv in the evening.
Temps started out at 21.4(F) (it was supposed to be 10, so that was a nice surprise; still cold, though) and reached 31.3. It immediately started going down, but there was no wind (and no more snow clogging the trails) so the walks were actually nice.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing about the same today. ( more back here )
Reading Wednesday
Currently reading: The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Usually in December, after I've hit my Goodreads goal, I read something that's gratuitously long and would otherwise fuck up my goal if it didn't spill over into January (yay for anything and everything in my life being quantified and gamified, love that for me). This year's winner is my high school English teacher's favourite book, which he recommended but said that we wouldn't get until we hit middle age. Well, now I am middle aged so I'm reading it.
It's a curious book. I always hit the literary classics and go like. Oh. Haha. This is stranger and funnier than I imagined.
Me: I guess I will finally read literary classic The Magic Mountain.Thomas Mann: Allow me to introduce my himbo failson, Hans Castorp. He is pure of heart and dumb of ass.
Am I enjoying it? I dunno, as much as you can enjoy a 1000+ page book which goes into detail about the breakfast, second breakfast, rest period, lunch, dinner, second dinner, etc. of the character. Which is the point, really—the mountain in question is a liminal space where in theory, the tuberculous patients can leave, but don't. But it's a slog.
1 week until deadline!
Be sure that your works are ready to go live by then. We currently have 5 late treats in the collection!
Sign-ups are also still open. It's a bit last-minute to sign up, but you can go ahead and do it before LTB ends for the year!
Useful links:
Schedule & sign-up post
Late Treat Bonanza 2025 AO3 Collection
Searchable sign-up spreadsheet
Event rules & FAQ
Write every day: Day 16
Tally:
( Read more... )
Day 15:
Day 16:
Bonus farm news: Housemate is sawing up a section of a large oak trunk that we got when the neighbors had a tree cut down. Among other things, he plans to make a large oak table for the living room out of two of the (very wide and heavy!) planks. Which will now need drying for two years before said table can be made, but I think it will be gorgeous.
Photos: Testing Pens on Plant Labels
These are the other posts regarding the labels.
1/3/25 Photos: Testing Pens on Plant Labels
2/3/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot
3/3/25 Photos: House Yard and South Lot
4/4/25 Photos: South Lot
5/6/25 Photos: South Lot
6/2/25 Photos: House Yard
11/3/25 Photos: Lantern Terrarium Assembly Part 2 Testing the Fit (labels at bottom)
Photos: House Yard 12-16-25
( Let's do science to it... )