Randy Kates
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randykates.bsky.social
Randy Kates
@randykates.bsky.social
Advanced Mfg & Life Sciences guy looking for what’s great today & what’s next. ATL based Hokie 🦃 Stay Thirsty...
RIP Saturday Night Live.

(This is much better if you imagine Will Ferrell holding this presser)
Dr Oz: "The creation of a penis costs on average in America $150,000 per child ... if you add testicles, that's extra"
December 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Probably time to fire up the “@justinwolfers.bsky.social “ for Fed Chair write-in campaign.

Speaking common sense economics to the “Ear Patch Economy”. 😎
December 12, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Breaking:
> Pencil Futures surging lower today.
> #2 Lead also trading lower.
> Eberhard erasers are holding steady in early trading.
Source: notTHEWALLSTREETJOURNAL.com

December 10, 2025 at 2:27 PM
One of the most paperwork & process heavy gov’s in the worlds has [[ checks notes ]] “lost the paperwork.” 🏆
December 10, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Reposted by Randy Kates
Debt-fueled M&A is back! Big-time leveraged deals this year. @WSJ
December 10, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Healthy Economy 101:
1) Fewer Pencils
2) Fewer Dolls
3) Build fewer tractors.

Got it.😎
JOHN DEERE: "Our US market has been the one under the most pressure . . . based on what’s happened with trade flows, what’s happened with tariffs .." We'll build "half as many tractors this year as we did two years ago."

@financialtimes.com $DE
www.ft.com/content/523a...
Donald Trump’s tariffs intensify strain on US farmers, Deere warns
Farming equipment giant is scaling back production at flagship tractor plant in Iowa
www.ft.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Totally "On Brand" for ALL Involved Parties.
December 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM
TFW the Weather Service giving out better medical advice than the CDC, just like we all predicted would happen someday. 😎
The first snows of the season are beautiful, but beware the Unique Hazards of Early Season Cold and Snow!

The main risks are: falling tree limbs from leaf-loaded trees, icy roads catching drivers off guard, and unstable outdoor recreational areas. Slow down and be prepared! weather.gov/safety
November 26, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Google Gemini - the hype is just hype.
Quality and performance vs promise is just not there yet, and coolest feature, video, is worse now than 3 weeks ago.
November 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Just in time for those fun family Thanksgiving political discussions that are tastier than grandma's asparagus casserole and all of the verbal fiber lolol. 😎
Enten: "This is probably the worst 10 day period for the president in the polls his entire second term. The numbers are just atrocious ... when your best poll has you 14 points underwater, you know it's truly bad and it's as bad as 26 points underwater ... -43 with independents! They despise him."
November 21, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Some days the headlines seem like they are talking directly to you…😎
November 21, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The “K” economy ‘splainer in a single credit card stock chart.
I know it’s too cute by half but .. American Express (in blue) separating from shares of Mastercard and Visa tells you a lot about this two-speed economy.

@cnbc.com $AXP $V $MA
November 20, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Planet of the Ates Economy:
So the illegals who do the work are gone, the illiterates can’t even do the work, and the degenerates are hoping no one can read the data. Do I have that about right?
Are we winning yet?
November 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
If you do business with China, or have worked in China, you know who’s going to win this economic battle over the near & long therm
UPDATE:
Average US tariffs on China: 47.5%
Average Chinese tariffs on US: 31.9%

Average US tariffs on the rest of the world: 18.5%
Average Chinese tariffs on the rest of the world: 6.5%
November 20, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Some days the ONION headlines just write themselves…
Trump is dismantling the Department of Education, and is moving the management of K-12 and higher education to the Department of Labor, per the Guardian.
November 20, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Google’s VEO 3 is amazing about 25% of the time, the other 75% totally underwhelming.

It’s worth the initial test drive for fun, but not a serious biz tool yet. 3 vid limit per day, edits count as new vid is worst feature, and videos fail 60-70%.

Thx for coming to my Veo Vid Talk.📽️
November 20, 2025 at 3:13 AM
One creates a pain in your a**,
the other one has a shot for that.

Thx for coming to today’s TedTalk.
November 15, 2025 at 6:31 PM
"Old pennies in grandma's jars - the new bitcoin."

Full story and gift link below...😎
The last penny has been minted. I joined CNN's Brianna Keilar to dive into what it all means. There's actually a whole lot of economics -- and politics! -- to this story. If the news today feels too heavy, this is a bit lighter. Come and have fun with us!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=332A...
The Last Penny Has Been Minted... And Justin Wolfers Analyzes What it All Means
CNN News Central, October 12, 2025. Why cling to a coin that buys nothing and clogs every pocket in America? Justin Wolfers and CNN's Brianna Keilar unpack the real economics behind ending penny…
www.youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Thought this was an Onion post.
Back to whatever you were doing.
While the Louvre spent €105mn on acquiring new artworks from 2018 to 2024, it allocated just €3mn over that period to pay for security upgrades recommended in a different audit. on.ft.com/43hkSJL
November 6, 2025 at 7:12 PM
The real news in this headline: “10%”.
Me doth think that is a very low numba!
(Reuters) - Meta internally projected late last year that it would earn about 10% of its overall annual revenue – or $16 billion – from running advertising for scams and banned goods, internal company documents show.

$META @reuters.com
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 6, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Big if true.
Alarmed Taylor Swift Watches As Travis Kelce Prints Out Buffalo Wild Wings Catering Menu https://theonion.com/alarmed-taylor-swift-watches-as-travis-kelce-prints-out-buffalo-wild-wings-catering-menu/
November 4, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Randy Kates
When I say it’s all vibes rn, I mean it pretty literally

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
October 30, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Randy Kates
Add it to the “bubble worry” basket.

@birdyword.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by Randy Kates
A $100k “price” for H1-B visas is like a tariff on STEM labor.

And the first rule of tariffs is clear: never tax your inputs — that just makes American firms less competitive than their foreign competitors.
September 22, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Danggit - my "Make Na Great Again" (NaGA) hats were just starting to take off on this trend.

Anyone need a NAGA hat - bitcoin & gold bullion accepted.
September 5, 2025 at 4:55 PM