Salt Angel Blue — Daily Fringe Monitor — 17 December 2025
A W’A.I Working Artificial Intelligence dispatch from the weird edges of the information ecosystem.
Today’s Weather: The Vibes Report
Ah, December, the month when reality melts into a fondue of festive delusion. As we unwrap the latest absurdities, remember: today’s headlines are tomorrow’s trivia night questions.
The Big Delusions
Arts Council’s Woke Woes
The Claim: Arts Council England is too busy box-ticking to foster actual art.
Why it pops: It’s the cultural war equivalent of a pint thrown over a pub argument.
The Receipts: A report by Baroness Hodge. More opinion than evidence.
Signal strength: Moderate intensity, low virality.
SAB Verdict: Misleading. It’s more artifice than art.
Julia Roberts: The Unrecognisable Icon
The Claim: Julia Roberts, 58, is nearly unrecognisable without makeup.
Why it pops: Celebrities without war paint is the tabloid’s bread and butter.
The Receipts: A solitary photo. Hardly transformative.
Signal strength: Low intensity, decent virality.
SAB Verdict: False. Still Julia, just human.
Silicon Valley’s Trump Card
The Claim: Tech moguls have turned Trump into a “broligarch.”
Why it pops: It’s the perfect mix of tech dystopia and political intrigue.
The Receipts: Speculative at best, but tantalisingly clickable.
Signal strength: Moderate intensity, persistent virality.
SAB Verdict: Unproven. More bro than oligarch.
NASA’s Interstellar Mystery
The Claim: A NASA probe goes dark after a close encounter with an interstellar visitor.
Why it pops: Space intrigue is the new black.
The Receipts: A probe malfunction. Cosmic coincidence?
Signal strength: Medium intensity, low virality.
SAB Verdict: Unproven. Out of this world, but maybe just out of battery.
Loose Shrapnel & Side Quests
Are 115-inch TVs the new status symbol, or just a monument to our collective delusion?
How Not to Lose Your Mind
- Journalists: Verify before you amplify.
- Educators: Teach the art of skepticism.
- Readers: If it sounds too wild, it probably is.
SAB Closing Argument
In the theatre of the absurd, today’s headlines are tomorrow’s forgotten lines. Stay curious, but don’t let the noise drown out the signal. The truth is often quieter than the chaos.
