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This sudden burst of enthusiasm, it appears, is linked to the rather unsettling business of global affairs. It seems the notion that heightened geopolitical tension will increase demand for intelligence tools – Palantir’s particular forte – is tickling the fancy of certain fund managers. A dash of the old ‘war is good for business’ philosophy, if you will. And, indeed, the company’s business is scaling up rather impressively, driven by a keen demand for its artificial intelligence platform. But, as my Aunt Agatha used to say about eligible bachelors, just because something is growing rapidly doesn’t automatically make it a sound investment. One must consider the price, you see. Even the swiftest of thoroughbreds can be overpriced.

Let’s start with Rivian. They’re building cars, which is good, but they’re also partnering with Uber for self-driving taxis. Self-driving! As if that’s going to solve anything. It’s just adding another layer of complication. And the Volkswagen deal? A cash cushion? It feels… paternalistic. Like Volkswagen is saying, “Here, have some money. Don’t mess it up.” It’s insulting, frankly. They’re not profitable yet, relying on engineering services… it’s a house of cards. They need the R2 to land, and that’s a big ‘if’. A mid-size SUV? Groundbreaking. Truly.

They speak of a crisis averted. A cooling of tensions. But the Strait remains a clenched fist, and the whispers from that region are rarely truthful. Uncertainty clings like smoke. The ‘fear gauge,’ they call it – a clever name for measuring the trembling of those who have something to lose. It’s jumped by two-thirds this year. A clear signal, if anyone bothers to listen, that the game is rigged, and the house always wins.

By the closing bell, Camping World’s stock had ascended by over thirteen percent. A remarkable feat, considering the world continues to spin, and the inherent absurdity of human endeavor remains undiminished.

The prevailing models, those lauded as ‘intelligent,’ are, in essence, elaborate automatons. They respond to stimuli, mirroring input with a pre-ordained output. A sophisticated echo, if you will. Agentic AI, however, proposes a departure. It suggests a system capable of independent action, of navigating the digital world not as a passive reflector, but as an active explorer. A disturbing notion, perhaps, for those who prefer the comfort of predictable systems.

Recent developments, however, suggest that this future is not guaranteed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has escalated its investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software, now active in over 3.2 million vehicles. This is not a mere technical inquiry; it is a scrutiny of a system upon which a substantial portion of the company’s market capitalization depends. The initial evaluation, begun in October 2024 with 2.4 million vehicles, has expanded, fueled by reports of the system’s inability to reliably detect obstacles, particularly in conditions of poor visibility. The NHTSA’s findings, detailing instances where the software “lost track” of vehicles ahead, are not encouraging.

They’re the only game in town when it comes to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. EUV. Sounds like a sci-fi disease, doesn’t it? But it’s the process of etching unbelievably tiny circuits onto silicon. And without it, your phone would be about the size of a small car. Which, admittedly, some people might prefer. But we’re not here to discuss vehicular preferences. We’re here to talk about a company that’s basically holding the future hostage. In a really polite, Dutch way, of course.

It began, as so many stories do, with a surge. The pandemic, that peculiar time, gifted Chewy a captive audience. Orders flooded in, customers multiplied, and for a brief, shining moment, it seemed as though the brick-and-mortar pet stores might truly be relics of a bygone era. But the world, predictably, resumed its course. People ventured out again. And Chewy, like a houseguest overstaying its welcome, found itself…adjusting.