Isn't She Lovely?
Thursday, January 23rd, 2025
World Events—Golden Age of America
The Economists
Donald Trump has returned to the presidency with ambitious claims of ushering in a "golden age of America," bolstered by a CBS News poll showing majority optimism about his second term. His inaugural address proclaimed a transformative moment, with promises of economic revitalization, border security, and national renewal. Trump's political landscape appears advantageous - his party is unified, opponents are weakened, and global rivals are preoccupied with their own challenges.
Despite the promising rhetoric, Trump's path to creating a true "golden age" is fraught with potential pitfalls. His greatest obstacle remains himself - with tendencies towards self-pity, inconsistent focus, and a penchant for divisive rhetoric that could undermine his broader goals. Key challenges include navigating complex global megatrends like demographic shifts, technological innovation, and climate change. While Trump has bold plans for immigration reform, energy policy, and international relations, his success will depend on his ability to transcend personal grievances and build broader political consensus.
Tech — Samsung Ultrathin S25 Edge
Bloomberg
Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy S25 Edge, an ultra-thin smartphone that aims to beat Apple to the market with a revolutionary design. The device, teased at the Samsung Unpacked event, is rumored to be just 6.4mm thick - making it the slimmest Galaxy smartphone to date. While full specifications remain limited, the S25 Edge is expected to feature advanced AI capabilities, a dual-camera setup, and potentially use silicon-carbon battery technology to maintain performance despite its slim profile. Samsung plans to release the phone in the middle of 2025, positioning it as a premium lifestyle device that offers cutting-edge technology in an exceptionally thin form factor, with a price point lower than the S25 Ultra model.
Business — SK Hynix Falls Short
SK Hynix reported record financial results for 2024, with revenues surging 102% to 66.19 trillion won ($46.34 billion), driven by explosive demand for AI memory products. The company's fourth-quarter performance was particularly impressive, with operating profit skyrocketing 2,236% to 8.08 trillion won and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) accounting for over 40% of total DRAM sales. Despite these stellar results, SK Hynix's stock dropped 4.7% as investors were underwhelmed by modest capital expenditure plans, even as the company positioned itself as a critical supplier to Nvidia and a key beneficiary of the AI infrastructure boom, with plans to develop HBM3E and HBM4 chips to meet growing datacenter and AI server demands.
Health — Tired But Cant’t Sleep?
Being tired yet unable to fall asleep can stem from multiple interconnected factors affecting your body's natural sleep-wake cycle. Your circadian rhythm, which acts as an internal biological clock, might be disrupted by various elements such as daytime napping (especially long or late afternoon naps), caffeine consumption, screen time exposure to blue light, anxiety, depression, underlying sleep disorders like sleep apnea, or even recent COVID-19 infection. These factors can interfere with melatonin production, increase mental arousal, and prevent your body from transitioning smoothly into a restful state, leading to the frustrating experience of feeling exhausted during the day but wide awake at night. To address this issue, experts recommend maintaining consistent sleep schedules, limiting caffeine and screen time before bed, managing stress through relaxation techniques, and consulting a healthcare professional if sleep disturbances persist.
Food - Mochi
Mochi are traditional Japanese confections crafted from glutinous rice flour, characterized by their distinctive soft and elastic texture. These delicate treats typically feature a tender, stretchy exterior encasing a sweet filling of azuki (red bean) paste. While preparing the red bean filling, chilling it beforehand can simplify the assembly process, though it remains an optional step for home cooks.
Song Rec - Isn’t She Lovely (Stevie Lovely)
Quote of the Day
“Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps most fatal to true happiness.” - Bertrand Russell
Isn’t she lovely, wonderful…