Wyoming Whiskey -- December 23, 2025

Locator: 49743WHISKEY. 

Home page. I had not seen this whiskey before in our local package store. I didn't buy any; I'm not in the market for spirits right now, but I thought it interesting. 

Kirby, Wyoming.

About six years ago, I accidentally took the Wind River Canyon route -- Shoshoni to Thermopolis -- one of the most beautiful canyons I had ever seen -- I knew nothing about it until I just happened to stumble upon it. This past Sunday, I was talking to our church's music director and he mentioned he was originally from Wyoming and we talked of the canyon! Then, today, while visiting friends at Total Wines I came across this little treasure. What a story. 

First legal distillery in Wyoming since Prohibition.

 Local:

Nicely Priced Beer In North Texas -- December 23, 2025

Locator: 49742BEER. 

I mentioned earlier how inexpensive our beer was here in north Texas. My favorite, not pictured below, is $10.99 / 6-pack. 

These are in the $8 - $9 range. Two brewed in Dallas, the third brewed in a suburb of Ft Worth, Grapevine, where we live. 

What An Incredible Day -- 80°F Was The High -- Forecast, 82° On Day After Christmas -- North Texas -- December 23, 2025

Locator: 49741B. 

Beer: Went for a bike ride, the day was so incredibly beautiful. I stopped at Total Wines to say "hi" to the manager and a checker whom I have grown to know well over the past ten (?) years. I'm no longer drinking (alcohol) so I just stopped in to say "hi," see what was new. I still have an occasional beer but significantly less often than, let's say, six months ago. 

Beer remains incredibly inexpensive here in north Texas. I'll post some photos later with prices. See also, Wyoming, Whiskey.

So, today, the high was 80°F and on Friday the high is forecast for 82°F -- I will be at the pool -- probably tomorrow because on Friday, I may be on the road. We'll see.

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Back to the Bakken

WTI: $58.47.

Active rigs: 30. 

Five new permits, #42593 - #42598, inclusive:

• Operators: KODA Resources (3); Silver Hill Energy (2)
• Fields: East Goose Lake (Divide County; Big Meadow (Williams); and, Temple (Williams)
• Comments:
• KODA Resources has permits for three Ale permits, NWNE 23-161-103, 
• to be sited 689 / 663 FNL and 1901 / 1836 FEL;
• Silver Hill has permits for two permits, an Iverson E permit, and a Ron Burgundy permit, both NWNE 15-158-96, 
• to be sited 374 FNL and 671 / 1740 FEL.

Ten permits renewed:

• BR (4): two Renegade permits and two Chuckwagon permits, all in Sand Creek (McKenzie County)
• Foundation Energy (3): Mosser Federal, and two Audrey permits, Elkhorn Ranch (Billings County) and Beaver Creek (Golden Valley County);
• Formentera Operations (2): two FLX2 permits, Flaxton (Burke County);
• Hess: an EN-MOMM permit Big Butte (Mountrail County)

One permit canceled:

• 40918, PNC, Zavanna, Rennerfeldt, Williams County;

Two producing wells (DUCs) reported as completed: 

• 38680, 2,041, Petro-Hunt, USA 153-95-5A-31-1H,
• 40825, 1,792, CLR, Bjarne 5-29H, 

Dry holes:

• 23159, Neptune, State, Williams County;
• 23161, Neptune, State, Williams County;
• 35357, XTO, Lonnie Federal, Williams County;
• 36832, XTO, HBU Muller, Williams County; 

PSA -- Next Year's IRS Standard Deduction -- December 23, 2025

Locator: 49740TAXES. 

AI prompt: this is all over the net -- e-mail with this notice is being sent to me -- is this true -- the "Standard Deduction" is projected to be cut in roughly half.  Here's what Google says:

All good news. Thank you, Mr Trump. I doubt Joe Biden would have done this. 

Passwords -- December 23, 2025

Locator: 49739PASSWORDS. 

From Facebook. Needs to be fact-checked but seems reasonable. Link here.

Some observations:

• the first real breakpoint: 8 characters, upper and lower case letters -- from four months to 15 years;
• by adding numbers, extends 15 years to 62 years, but
• simply adding one more character (9 characters), takes us from 62 years to 3,000 years
• the next breakpoint: 10 characters; 238,000 years
• finally, twelve characters, add a symbol and we go to 3 billion years

I'm sure there's a lot more to this but it certainly explains why common advice for a password:

• at least 8 characters
• upper and lower case letters
• simply add a symbol,
• but going to 12 character (including a symbol) appears to be the holy grail. 

To what extent small repeating units affect this, I don't know but changing the repeating units by one number or one letter or one symbol should be the key. 

Two-step verification is most important.