Monetary Money

Today, Fed Chairman Jay Powell is widely expected to announce another interest rate cut. Recently, I predicted that rates won’t change this month. Am I wrong? Stay tuned.

Update: Darn, they did it. Another 0.25% cut. It was an academic question, as the change doesn’t affect me.

This graph spans my entire working life, from 1971 when I started my part-time job in high school, through my retirement in 2017.

So now Wall Street goes into full-blown panic mode. They’ve had an incredibly good year, with all-time highs, but having everything is never enough for these guys.

It’s hilarious that uncertainty is often given as the reason for market instability, because here they’ve been told what to expect in the coming year and it has the same effect. Count on Trump putting pressure on Powell.

KHAAANNNNN!!!!!

Two Sci-Fi movie favorites and a silent Max Fleischer cartoon, with its own Sci-Fi elements, have made it into the National Film Registry this year.

https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/25-films-named-to-national-film-registry-for-preservation/s/55d5285d-916f-4105-b7d4-7fc3ba8664e3

I am especially pleased with the addition of Invaders from Mars.

Original Martian Mutant Costume from Invaders From Mars

Also getting the nod this year is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the feature that put Trek on a different track from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Speaking of Trek, William Shatner is scheduled to appear once again at the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York. I’m semi-seriously considering being there. A lot this coming year will depend on my medical status.

https://startrektour.com/product-category/2025-06-shatner/

Kudos to animation historian Jerry Beck for helping to make the restoration of “Koko’s Earth Control” happen.

Debbie Needs a Day Job

Debbie Daughtry at WNYC with Mr. & Mrs. Colbert

That’s Debbie Daughtry with Stephen and Evie Colbert at WNYC, just ten days ago. WNYC recently announced another round of layoffs and today on LinkedIn, Debbie announced that she’s looking for a new job. Debbie does not live by Boss Radio 66 alone!

Debbie Daughtry / Sound Engineer at Ichiban Radio Productions

Hi everyone! I’m seeking a new role and would appreciate your support. If you hear of any opportunities or just want to catch up, please send me a message or comment below. I’d love to reconnect. hashtag#OpenToWork

About me & what I’m looking for:

Experienced Broadcast Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry. Skilled in Streaming Media, Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, Audio Engineering, and Audio Post Production. Strong operations professional graduated from The University of Georgia.

  • Radio Host, Podcaster, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer, and Music Curator roles.
  • I’m open to roles in Brooklyn.
  • I’ve previously worked at New York Public Radio.

Howard’s End

On the Roku Channel I’ve been watching Leslie Howard’s son Ronald as Sherlock Holmes, in the 1950’s TV series. The shows are good fun, and being in the public domain they’re widely available.

The old Alfred Hitchcock Presents series is also on the Roku Channel. Ronald Howard appears in an adaptation of Ambrose Bierce’s 1890 short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”.

Howard as a Southern plantation owner was a clever bit of casting, considering that his father was Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind. I can’t embed the Hitchcock episode, but this link will take you there.

https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/b19e33491d2656a3a444fce5d0281a12

Rerun Rudolph Rerun

Who’d a thunk that sixty years after it first aired, the stop-motion Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer would continue to be shown on network TV? After being on CBS for decades, this year it returned to NBC, where it premiered in 1964.

This time it ran for 75 minutes, with the extra 15 minutes used for more commercials, rather than an introduction to note the anniversary. On the plus side, Rudolph looked brand-new, even better than on my Blu-ray copy.

Fifteen years ago here, I answered the question “Hermey or Herbie?” As heard in this video clip, there’s no confusion why there’s always been some confusion about the wannabe dentist elf’s name.