Author Archives: RJ Hamster

I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis. I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God. I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons. I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA. While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon.. In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987). From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting. Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982. I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects. In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston. In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018. Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia. In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey. As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova. Love and God Bless, Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi

He’s a top-10 Iron Man — and a top-5 player

Monday, May 11

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Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler.

For all you coaches out there who love to say “The best ability is availability” … boy, do we have the player for you.

That’d be Matt Olson, who’s one of the most available players ever.

The Braves slugger now has a top-10 Iron Man streak in MLB history. Yesterday, Olson played his 823rd consecutive game, passing Gus Suhr for sole possession of the No. 10 spot on the all-time list.

Next up is Eddie Yost’s ninth-place streak of 829 games, which Olson would tie on Sunday against the Red Sox and pass next Mondayagainst the Marlins.

But if Olson’s No. 1 ability is “playing games,” his No. 2 ability is “crushing baseballs.” And it’s a close second.

See, Olson isn’t just a top-10 Iron Man all-time. He’s also a top-five player in the Majors right now.

Olson is having a monster season for MLB’s best team. Let’s run down some of the highlights:

He ranks second overall in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement, tied with Aaron Judge and Cam Schlittler and just a fraction behind Bobby Witt Jr.
He leads the National League with a 1.031 OPS and ranks fourth in MLB behind only Ben Rice, Yordan Alvarez and Judge.
His OPS+ of 187 means he’s been 87% better than a league-average hitter, and that’s also the best mark in the NL (Jordan Walker is next with a 173 OPS+).
He’s second in the NL behind Kyle Schwarber with 14 homers and fourth in the Majors behind Judge, Schwarber and Munetaka Murakami.
He leads the Majors in RBIs and runs scored, with 36 of each.
Add his MLB-best 15 doubles to his 14 home runs, and you get a Major League-leading 29 extra-base hits this season — five more than anyone else (Schwarber is next with 24).
He’s batting .296, which would be the highest mark of his career.
He’s also one of MLB’s most valuable defensive first basemen.

If Olson keeps playing every day, and keeps playing this well every day, maybe we’re even looking at an MVP Iron Man by the end of the year.

THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE?

They say the triple is the most exciting play in baseball — but that’s just because they’ve never seen Bobby Witt Jr. hit an inside-the-park home run.

Witt circled the bases for his second career inside-the-parker on Saturday, and it was a good reminder that, wow, this guy just might be the fastest baseball player on Earth.

Witt went home-to-home in just 14.13 seconds, the fourth-fastest inside-the-park home run since Statcast started tracking in 2015. He reached an elite sprint speed of 30.4 feet per second. Watch him turn on the jets here.

You just don’t see a whole lot of inside-the-parkers like Witt’s, which was a simple ground ball down the right-field line. But once Witt’s grounder squeaked past Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter along the side wall, he was gone.

Here’s a fun frivolity: Witt’s inside-the-park home run traveled only 17 feet in the air, the least air distance of any inside-the-parker in the Statcast era (obviously, it ended up much farther away than that in the right-field corner, but still). It also had a negative-six-degree launch angle, the only home run with a negative launch angle in the Statcast era.

Oh, and Witt thinks he can do it even faster. After all, he’s “only” fourth on the fastest inside-the-parker list. For now.

“I want to be No. 1,” he said after the game.

These are the three guys ahead of him:

1. Byron Buxton: 13.85 seconds — Aug. 18, 2017

The Statcast era record belongs to Buxton on this ball that kicked off the wall in center field in Minnesota and got away from the outfielders. Watch it here >>

2. Byron Buxton: 14.05 seconds — Oct. 2, 2016

Buxton again. He’s the man to beat. This one, on the very last day of the season, was actually off Chris Sale when Sale was still with the White Sox. Watch it here >>

3. Pete Crow-Armstrong: 14.08 seconds — Aug. 23, 2024

PCA can give Witt and Buxton a run for their money, too. His inside-the-parker, the fastest since Buxton’s record-setter, was electric, as he needed every bit of those 14.08 seconds to dive and beat the Marlins’ throw home. Watch it here >>

AROUND THE LEAGUE THIS WEEKEND

The Brewers’ big sweep, Schwarbero home runs and throwback pitching performances highlighted this weekend’s slate of games.

• Turang, Miz sweep out the Yanks

Brice Turang’s first career walk-off home run yesterday lifted the Brewers to their first three-plus-game sweep of the Yankees since 1989. Milwaukee’s pitchers — led by the electric Jacob Misiorowski, who on Friday threw the seven fastest pitches by a starter in the pitch-tracking era — held the Bronx Bombers to six total runs in the series, their fewest all year. It was the opposite of the last time the two clubs faced off, when the Yankees mashed 14 home runs with their torpedo bats and swept the Brew Crew to open 2025.

• Here comes Schwarber

Don’t look now, but Kyle Schwarber is back at the top of the home run leaderboard. Schwarber has homered in four straight games — including twice yesterday — to tie Judge for the MLB lead. He’s setting himself up to once again challenge Ryan Howard’s single-season Phillies record of 58 homers. Schwarber’s 16 in 41 games put him on a 63-homer pace for 2026.

• More vintage deGrom

Jacob deGrom pitched the Rangers to a series win over the red-hot Cubs with seven scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts in yesterday’s finale. If a series is on the line, Texas can just give the ball to deGrom: He’s pitched in six rubber games since joining the Rangers, and he’s 5-0 with a 1.22 ERA in those games.

• The return of vintage Strider, too

Spencer Strider turned in his best start in over two years to beat the Dodgers on Saturday, as the Braves got the better of their fellow National League powerhouse in their series this weekend. Strider threw six innings of one-hit baseball, and his fastball velocity jumped to 96.4 mph after averaging 94.6 mph in his season debut the weekend prior.

• A tough slump for Raleigh

Cal Raleigh is 0-for-32 in his last 36 plate appearances, which is the longest active hitless streak for any MLB position player. Since homering in back-to-back games on April 26 and 27, Raleigh’s batting average has fallen to .161. He missed three games during that span due to right side soreness, but he’s been able to get back behind the plate … now the Mariners just need their star catcher to heat back up at the plate.

TODAY IN ‘WEIRD PITCHING STAT LINES’

Sometimes, a pitcher just has to go out there and wear it … but not for this long.

Justin Wrobleski put up one of the strangest stat lines we’ve seen in years for the Dodgers yesterday: 8 2/3 innings pitched, seven earned runs allowed.

These days, if a starting pitcher is throwing 8 2/3 innings, it’s basically only because he’s dominating. Not so with Wrobleski, whose job was to eat as many innings as possible for a taxed Dodgers bullpen.

So … mission accomplished? The Dodgers lost to the Braves, 7-2, but Wrobleski got an ovation from the fans at Dodger Stadium when he came out of the game with two outs in the ninth.

No pitcher had thrown at least 8 2/3 innings AND allowed at least seven runs in over 20 years. The last guy to do it was Carlos Silva for the Twins on April 18, 2006, when he allowed eight runs in 8 2/3 innings in an 8-2 loss to the Angels. And before that, it hadn’t happened since 1993, when Bobby Witt Sr. threw a nine-inning, seven-run complete game for the A’s in a 7-3 loss to the Angels.

TATER’S FIRST TATER

Gage Workman hits his 1st career home run

Gage Workman just happens to have the perfect middle name for a hitter: Tater.

And last night, he finally got his first one in the big leagues.

Tater’s first tater was a go-ahead, pinch-hit home run that helped the Tigers beat the Royals in their series finale.

The 26-year-old Workman hit plenty of taters in the Minor Leagues — 76 of them since his first year in pro ball in 2021 — but living up to your (middle) name in the Majors has got to feel good.

Here’s to more Tater taters.

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Same market. Same screen. Different bell. Completely different year.

I have to be straight with you about something.

While most traders spent the last 12 months getting chopped up by the 9:30 bell — chasing the spike, reacting to the headlines, watching $400 evaporate by 10:15 every morning — Blake Young was waiting 30 minutes.

He wasn’t trading the same bell as everyone else.

He was trading the 10 AM Bell.

And the results are the kind I have to read twice before I send them out.

453 winning trades.

11 winning months out of 12.

A $5,000 account turned into $14,459 — a 189% return.

Done before lunch, every single morning.

The best 12-month run any individual trader at this firm has ever produced. In all my years in the markets, I have never seen a year like it. Not from anyone in this building.

Same market. Same screen. Same morning hours. Different bell. Completely different year.

On Wednesday, May 13th at 3:00 PM Eastern, Blake is going live to walk you through the full year. And he is bringing two things to this briefing he has not shared before:

— a new deep dive into his system, and

— new news for anyone who has been on the fence about whether to install Blake’s system into their trading.

This is the last time you’ll hear from Blake before the door shuts.

Thursday, May 14, Blake starts working with a new group of traders to install the 10 AM Bell into their trading — and this opportunity shuts behind them. Wednesday afternoon is your last chance to hear it directly from Blake, evaluate it properly, and decide whether it’s a fit for you before the door closes.

Friend to friend — take this one seriously. I am not in the habit of telling you something is the best I have ever seen. This one is. You owe it to yourself to give Blake 75 minutes of your afternoon, watch him walk through the year, and find out whether this fits you. That is the entire ask.

Let me put it bluntly. If you want to be a more successful trader — if you’d love to have a system that positions you to compound month after month — why would you not take 75 minutes to fully evaluate the best 12-month run we have ever seen at this firm and the system behind it? It’s free. It’s one click. And it is the last chance you will get to hear it directly from Blake before the door shuts on Thursday.

Reserve your seat below and the full 12-month track record report will hit your inbox immediately.

>> CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT (FREE) <<

Wednesday, May 13. 3:00 PM Eastern. Live with Blake. Last chance to fully evaluate it.

Don Kaufman

Chief Market Strategist

TheoTrade.com

P.S. Thursday, May 14, Blake starts working with a new group of traders to install the 10 AM Bell into their trading. Once that begins, the door shuts. Wednesday’s briefing is the last window left to hear him in his own voice and decide whether this is for you. Don’t wait until Wednesday afternoon to register. Lock the seat now.

Disclaimer: Neither TheoTrade or any of its officers, directors, employees, other personnel, representatives, agents or independent contractors is, in such capacities, a licensed financial adviser, registered investment adviser, registered broker-dealer or FINRA|SIPC|NFA-member firm. TheoTrade does not provide investment or financial advice or make investment recommendations. TheoTrade is not in the business of transacting trades, nor does TheoTrade agree to direct your brokerage accounts or give trading advice tailored to your particular situation. Nothing contained in our content constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, promotion, or endorsement of any particular security, other investment product, transaction or investment.Trading Futures, Options on Futures, and retail off-exchange foreign currency transactions involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. You should carefully consider whether trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances, knowledge, and financial resources. You may lose all or more of your initial investment. Opinions, market data, and recommendations are subject to change at any time. Past Performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

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There’s a 500X Faster Way to Mine Lithium

Delivering sophisticated analysis and curated insights to keep you ahead of market shifts.There’s a 500X Faster Way to Mine Lithium – Ad

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Disclosure: Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged Musth to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. Musth has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. Musth and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.Young Americans’ job market optimism falls as older adults stay upbeat, new Gallup poll finds

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The Iran War could reshape your retirement portfolio. Markets are already reacting as U.S. oil exports surge and energy stocks soar. On May 15, Trump is expected to invoke a little-known law that could ignite a massive boom in oil, gold, silver, and critical metals. See why some believe it could unlock $100T in new wealth.DigitalOcean, Micron, And Rocket Lab Are Among Top 10 Large-Cap Gainers Last Week (May 4-May 8): Are the Others in Your Portfolio?

AI enthusiasm, strong earnings and upbeat guidance fueled massive rallies across cloud, chip, infrastructure and space stocks last week, led by DigitalOcean Holdings, Micron Technology and Rocket Lab. Continue Reading ➔What Is Going On With Applied Materials Stock On Tuesday?

Applied Materials (AMAT) shares slide 6% as reports of OpenAI missing growth targets spark a broad semiconductor sell-off. Continue Reading ➔Jim Cramer Says No To This Industrial Stock: It Is Up ‘Way Too Much’

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China’s DeepSeek launched its V4 model powered by Huawei chips, signaling a shift away from Nvidia as it pushes AI self-reliance. Continue Reading ➔

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Delivering sophisticated analysis and curated insights to keep you ahead of market shifts.There’s a 500X Faster Way to Mine Lithium – Ad

Lisa Su went from an awkward 2018 Formula One interview to leading AMD through a nearly 4,000% surge into a $665 billion tech giant. Continue Reading ➔May 15: The Next Boom in Mining Stocks? – Ad

China’s DeepSeek launched its V4 model powered by Huawei chips, signaling a shift away from Nvidia as it pushes AI self-reliance. Continue Reading ➔

2967 Dundas St. W. #990, Toronto, ON M6P 1Z2 | Phone Number: 917.672.7040

Delivering sophisticated analysis and curated insights to keep you ahead of market shifts.There’s a 500X Faster Way to Mine Lithium – Ad

Lisa Su went from an awkward 2018 Formula One interview to leading AMD through a nearly 4,000% surge into a $665 billion tech giant. Continue Reading ➔May 15: The Next Boom in Mining Stocks? – Ad

China’s DeepSeek launched its V4 model powered by Huawei chips, signaling a shift away from Nvidia as it pushes AI self-reliance. Continue Reading ➔

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Americans’ Wealth Is Under Attack

AN OXFORD CLUB PUBLICATION

Loyal reader since August 2025

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FINANCIAL LITERACY

Americans’ Wealth Is Under Attack

Dr. Mark Skousen, Macroeconomic Strategist, The Oxford Club

Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
‘Cause I’m the taxman
Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all
‘Cause I’m the taxman
– The Beatles (“Taxman,” 1966)

Sixty years ago, the Beatles released the song “Taxman,” written by George Harrison to protest the punishing 90% to 95% supertax imposed on high earners by the U.K.’s Labour government.

Frustrated that most of their earnings were going to the Treasury, Harrison – aided by John Lennon – mocked tax laws and name-dropped politicians Harold Wilson and Edward Heath.

It’s one of my favorite Beatles songs. It highlights the remarkable creativity of governments everywhere to find sneaky new ways to exact more taxes out of their citizens’ pockets.

Now it’s happened in America, the land of the free, as we approach the 250th anniversary of our independence.

The Politics of Envy Is Back

Here are the latest examples of government’s attempts to reduce state deficits and fund new social programs:

New York’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, have imposed a new annual real estate tax on luxury second homes (pieds-à-terre) in New York City that are valued at $5 million or more.
Washington state has imposed a 9.9% income tax on residents making $1 million or more and a 7% capital gains tax.
In November, voters in California will vote on a referendum imposing a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires. Most analysts expect it to pass, even though Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes it.

Art Laffer Takes on the Billionaire Tax Proposal

Last week, Art Laffer, the father of supply-side economics and creator of the Laffer curve, debated Berkeley professor Emmanuel Saez, a French economist who favors the billionaire tax in California.

Laffer rightly pointed out that the wealth tax is a bad idea because it’s forcing productive entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and their employees to leave the state and it won’t raise the revenue legislators expect.

Indeed, Laffer was a longtime resident of California but left after the once-Golden State raised the state income tax to 14.4%, the highest of any state.

However, I was dumbfounded to see Laffer join forces with Saez in advocating taxing unrealized capital gains every year at a 17% rate! In essence, that’s the same as a wealth tax – and just as bad as the billionaire tax idea. It will also discourage the efficient use of capital, the lifeblood of the economy.

Lord Acton was right when he said, “There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men” (The Maxims of Wall Street, Page 140, available at Skousen Books at Discount).

Why Raising Taxes Backfires

The bad news is raising taxes on the rich is a failed policy for two reasons.

First, it does not address the real problem: wasteful and misguided spending.

New York, Washington, and California don’t have a tax problem – their taxes are already too high. They have a spending problem. They refuse to live within their budget on public education, Medicaid, homelessness, and other social projects that are only getting worse.

Then there are infrastructure boondoggles like the California High-Speed Rail project, with cost overruns of $135 billion and counting.

Ben Franklin identified the problem when he said, “No revenue is sufficient without economy” (Maxims, Page 20).

Raising more revenue to fund wasteful and inefficient projects only allows politicians to expand their budgets, which fuels more deficits until a financial crisis hits the state.

Second, wealthy taxpayers can escape the new tax increases by leaving the state.

The American Revolution started with a tax rebellion. Thomas Jefferson and the founders included taxes among their list of grievances of King George III in the Declaration of Independence: “He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out of their substance.”

The wealthy are rebelling by moving out of the high-tax states such as New York and California and moving their residency and businesses to Texas, Florida, and other low-tax states.

According to Steve Moore, from 2012 to 2023, some $2.2 trillion in cumulative income migrated out of high-tax states and into low-tax states! (See the chart below.)View larger image

Action to Take: If you live in a state that is raising taxes, you can create your own tax cut by moving to a low-tax state like Texas, Florida, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Arizona, or Utah (among others). Make your plans now before it’s too late.

Going to Bat for Oxford Club Members!

I can’t think of anyone in the country who wants to see everyday investors get richer more than the strategists of The Oxford Club: Marc Lichtenfeld, Alex Green, and Mark Skousen.

You came to the right place to learn how to make money and keep the lion’s share of your profits through legal tax-cutting strategies.View larger image

Good investing, AEIOU,

Dr. Mark SkousenLeave a Comment

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ACT NOW: Protect Crucial Bird Nesting Habitat

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| ACTION ALERT

A Blackpoll Warbler, a black and white songbird, perches in a deciduous tree.

Support a Pinnacle of ConservationTake action by June 2!Take ActionBlackpoll Warblers are one of hundreds of species that rely on the Seal River Watershed.

RJ, the Blackpoll Warblers that fly across continents might not be able to complete their journey without the Seal River Watershed. Join the 5,510 other Audubon supporters who’ve already taken action to protect it.

In Canada, the Seal River Watershed encompasses a vast 12-million-acre landscape of pristine forests, wetlands, lakes, streams, and rivers. It’s one of the largest intact watersheds on Earth, providing clean water and healthy lands to local communities, while also acting as an important Natural Climate Solution, storing an immense amount of carbon in its forest floors and peatlands. It is home to iconic species like polar bears, belugas, and wolverines. Millions of migratory birds rely on the Seal River Watershed—which lies in the heart of the Boreal Forest in the province of Manitoba—including Tennessee and Blackpoll Warblers, Common Loons, Hudsonian Whimbrels, Harris’s Sparrows, and other birds you may see in your own neighborhood.

We have laid out three simple steps so you can easily take action to protect the place these birds need to complete their migration. Get the instructions and take action in 5 minutes—the deadline to comment is June 2.

The Seal River Watershed Alliance, an Indigenous collaboration of four First Nations; the Manitoba Government; and the Government of Canada have proposed to conserve the Seal River Watershed through multiple layers of protection and stewardship. The entire watershed will be an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area that will include a new national park and a new provincial park.

This layered approach offers a variety of tools and resources to conserve the land, sustain Dene and Cree traditions, generate economic opportunity, and promote recreational access for all. The Government of Canada is now requesting public comment on the shared proposal, so you have a chance to speak out.

This proposal offers an opportunity to save a huge, intact landscape for people, birds, and other wildlife—now and into the future. Learn how to take action today to help make it happen.

Thank you for taking action,

Jeff Wells, PhD

Vice President, Canada Program

National Audubon SocietyTake action

Blackpoll Warbler. Photo: Michael Riccio/Audubon Photography Awards

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30 DAYS OUT TO FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 — MAY 9

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How Anthropic’s AI learned to blackmail users

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But seriously, how nervous should we be about hantavirus? The Bulwark · Jonathan Cohn What I’m hearing from experts about the outbreak — and the state of our biothreat readiness under Donald Trump.

The shoppers redefining how to save money on groceries NPR · Joe Hernandez It’s not shameful, it’s savvy.

We asked a church group to weigh in on Trump. Here’s what they said. The Wall Street Journal. · Terell Wright Politically diverse members discuss their relationship with politics, war and faith.

What will happen to Iran’s nuclear material? DW English · Erfan Kasraie, Darko Janjevic Iran is believed to have over 440 kilograms of enriched uranium, which could be turned into weapons-grade nuclear material.

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Anthropic says Claude learned to blackmail by reading stories about evil AI TNW · Ana-Maria Stanciuc The company has traced its model’s most uncomfortable behavior to the corpus of science fiction it was trained on.

How the Oklahoma City Thunder became the NBA’s newest villains ESPN · Tim MacMahon, Anthony Slater As a potential dynasty rises in Oklahoma City, there are frequent complaints by competitors about the Thunder getting a friendly whistle.

Lisa Kudrow’s farewell to ‘The Comeback’ felt ‘absolutely true’ to her Deadline · Glenn Garner More than 20 years after bringing Valerie Cherish into our living rooms, the actress said goodbye to the leading lady in a touching finale.

‘Jeopardy’ host Ken Jennings reveals surprising trivia category he knows best Entertainment Weekly · Ryan Coleman The trivia master still holds the record for highest winnings after accumulating over $2.5 million during his legendary 2004 run on the show.

The right way to load your washing machine for truly clean clothes Good Housekeeping · Brigitt Earley The way you load your washer matters more than you think. Here’s how to get it right every time.

Why did Tyrannosaurus rex have such short arms? theconversation.com · Sarah Sheffield Why would it have arms so short that it couldn’t even reach its own mouth? How did it use them?

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SMX targets material-level verification across global supply chains

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SMX Is Suddenly Turning Heads as Energy Volatility, Recycling Economics, and Digital Verification Collide Across Global Markets!

With energy shocks and regulatory pressure reshaping global markets, SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited is emerging as a company investors may want to watch closely.

As the global economy becomes more compliance-driven and supply chains face growing pressure from inflation, geopolitical instability, and sustainability mandates, companies everywhere are searching for systems capable of delivering trusted verification at the material level.

SMX is working to solve that problem by embedding invisible molecular markers directly into materials, allowing products and commodities to carry secure digital identities throughout their lifecycle.

SMX’s technology has applications across plastics, recycling, industrial manufacturing, energy-linked commodities, and circular supply chains where traceability, authenticity, and compliance are becoming increasingly valuable.

In a world where trust and verification are becoming critical, SMX could play an important role in helping authenticate valuable materials like gold across global supply chains. With the launch of its Digital Material Passport Platform, SMX is expanding its push into what many believe could become the next generation of proof-based industrial infrastructure.

As governments tighten transparency rules and recycled materials become more economically competitive, SMX is positioning itself in the middle of several major global trends at once!

Learn why inflation, commodity volatility, and global uncertainty are putting a stronger spotlight on trusted physical assets—and on SMX’s technology that is capable of verifying them!

Today’s Featured Content

AMD’s Poker Face: Reading the Tell in a Panic-Driven Market

Reported by Jeffrey Neal Johnson. Article Posted: 4/29/2026.

Key Points

AMD’s partnership with a major hyperscaler validates its technology and de-risks the company’s future revenue growth expectations.
Management is using a forward-dated product event to anchor market expectations on its next-generation hardware cycle, countering short-term sentiment.
Sophisticated options traders and institutional investors appear to be accumulating shares, positioning for a significant rally into the late summer.
Special Report: Nobody Understands Why Trump Is Invading Iran (here’s the answer) (From Banyan Hill Publishing)

A severe, macro-driven correction is sweeping through the semiconductor complex, creating a technical dislocation in shares of Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD).

The current selloff, sparked by systemic concerns about the pace of AI infrastructure spending, may be creating an attractive entry point for investors who can separate short-term sentiment from medium-term fundamental catalysts.

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While the tape shows a stock gapping down nearly 5%, a deeper analysis reveals a company planting a strategic flag for its next-generation hardware cycle, reinforced by a massive new hyperscaler commitment and smart positioning from the options market.

Calling the Bluff: Why AI CapEx Panic Is Overblown

The immediate downside pressure is a direct reaction to late-April reports of missed internal growth targets at OpenAI, a development that sent a shockwave through the AI supply chain. The narrative has pivoted almost overnight to fears of a slowdown in data center capital expenditures. This sentiment-driven rotation is providing cover for profit-taking after a strong 59% 30-day rally in AMD’s stock price.

Compounding the macro pressure was a tactical downgrade from Northland Securities, which shifted its rating from Outperform to Market Perform, citing valuation concerns. The stock currently trades with a trailing price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 126.23, a metric that demands near-flawless execution and sustained high-growth tailwinds. For many investors, the OpenAI news was the first visible crack in the growth thesis, justifying a move to the sidelines. The resulting price action, a sharp decline to the $318 level, reflects this heightened uncertainty as investors await the company’s critical Q1 2026 earnings release on May 5.

AMD’s Pocket Aces: The Meta Partnership Counter-Signal

Just as the market began to price in a potential CapEx winter, new disclosures provided a powerful counter-narrative. A newly expanded strategic partnership with Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) will see the hyperscaler deploy 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs. This multi-gigawatt commitment is a direct and verifiable rebuttal to the thesis that AI infrastructure buildouts are stalling. It provides a foundational layer of demand from a premier customer, de-risking forward revenue streams and validating the performance of AMD’s current and future accelerator architecture.

This stands in stark contrast to competitors like Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), which are aggressively pursuing a custom ASIC strategy that can lead to margin compression and high single-customer concentration risk. The Meta deal underscores the strength of AMD’s more open, flexible hardware ecosystem, a key differentiator for hyperscalers seeking to avoid vendor lock-in and diversify their silicon supply chains.

Betting on the Turn: AMD Signals Its Next Move

AMD management is not waiting for the market narrative to dictate its trajectory. The announcement of its Advancing AI 2026 event, scheduled for July 23, serves as a strategic placeholder for its next hardware cycle. This forward-dated event is a classic maneuver by silicon companies to defend their stock price during sector corrections, signaling confidence in the product pipeline and helping bridge any gaps in sentiment.

The San Francisco showcase is expected to debut the next-generation Instinct MI400 series accelerators. These products are engineered to directly challenge NVIDIA’s (NASDAQ: NVDA)dominance in the data center. Alongside the new GPUs, the market anticipates a roadmap for the Zen 6 architecture and Zen 7 EPYC enterprise server processors, further strengthening the company’s two-pronged assault on the high-margin data center market. By anchoring expectations to a firm date, AMD is forcing analysts and institutional capital to look past the current noise and begin pricing in the next wave of product-driven growth.

Who’s Staying in the Game

Despite the jarring price action, institutional conviction remains robust. AMD is currently 71% institutionally owned, with capital flows over the last 24 months showing a decisive bullish bias, $36.96 billion in inflows versus $20.33 billion in outflows. This suggests that long-term allocators are using periods of volatility to accumulate positions.

Recent insider selling, which can often be a bearish indicator, requires deeper context. SEC Form 4 and 144 filings confirm that the widely reported April share sales by CTO Mark Papermaster were executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. This plan was established in November 2025, long before the recent rally, neutralizing any interpretation of the sales as a reaction to current market conditions.

Going All-In: Options Traders Play Their Hand

The options market is providing a clear map of investor strategy. Significant open interest in put options at the $300 and $310 strike prices for near-term expirations establishes a firm technical support floor. At the same time, traders are accumulating out-of-the-money call positions, with concentrated open interest at the $340, $350, and $370 strikes.

This bifurcated positioning confirms the broader thesis: sophisticated traders are using the current volatility to buy downside protection while simultaneously placing directional bets on a rally into the late-summer hardware event. The flow indicates that the market is beginning to front-run the hype cycle for the Advancing AI 2026 event, creating a steady baseline of support that should cushion the stock against further macro-induced panic. The current technical divergence offers an asymmetric risk/reward opportunity to scale into a high-beta technology leader ahead of its most significant catalysts of the year.

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AMD’s Poker Face: Reading the Tell in a Panic-Driven Market

Key Points

Calling the Bluff: Why AI CapEx Panic Is Overblown

AMD’s Pocket Aces: The Meta Partnership Counter-Signal

Betting on the Turn: AMD Signals Its Next Move

Who’s Staying in the Game

Going All-In: Options Traders Play Their Hand