Energy Links for Wednesday And Off-Topic Items

The race is often won by the first one out of the blocks. I thought about that when I saw the headline that RadioShack announces that it will "begin" a wireless service, through an existing wireless partner. Let's see, how long has wireless been around? Lots of story lines, but the one that strikes first is the ability of a CEO to skate to where the puck will be (Wayne Gretzky/Steve Jobs). And yesterday's news that Heckmann will buy Power Fuels in the Bakken tells me that Heckmann's CEO knows where the puck will be in five years (see earlier story). I am absolutely impressed and excited. I can't wait to see how North Dakota's natural gas industry will develop over the next few years. President Obama is a huge supporter of natural gas corridors (see an earlier link) and a Mr Pickens has been shouting about natural gas for years. Wouldn't it be interesting if the Bakken natural gas story was the real sleeper in all of this?

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Wow, the WSJ is a great newspaper. I subscribe but don't read it on-line (except in passing/surfing the net). Today's edition has a full section on investment for retirees.  I remember my first year in high school; we moved over as 10th graders. Our social science teacher had us read the NY Times every Friday or thereabouts; I forget if it was weekly; probably was. Best writing I had seen. I loved it. I still love the NY Times for the writing, and once I realized it's front page was the first page of the editorial / op-ed section, it was easier to read. I just skipped the front page and read the rest first, returning to the front page when I got to the op-ed section.  [Actually, I doubt that's true. As a sophomore, I probably had no clue. Now, with the WSJ, I read the paper from back to front, starting with the fourth section and moving toward the first section, saving the best part for last, the op-ed/opinion pages.

Back to that social science teacher. He was also the assistant wrestling coach. Talked me into wrestling. They needed a 95-pounder, and loss was only 3 points vs a forfeit, 5 points. All I had to do was show up and save the team 2 points; I won about 60% of my matches. My toughest opponents: Minot Ryan and Watford City. The opponents I feared the most: anyone from Montana. I thought Montana was where the Olympic Gods/Titans resided. I think the only Montana team we wrestled was the Billings high school team. I have repressed all memories of those matches. I remember Minot Ryan and Watford City very well. Oh, that's right, we also wrestled Sidney. I can still recall my Minot/Watford City opponents, but not their names. Wow, did I respect them. The Minot Ryan 95-pounder took "State," I believe. I lost to him in regionals.

I think it's pretty impressive that the assistant wrestling coach/assistant football coach had us reading the NY Times. Something tells me that doesn't even happen in NYC.

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Saudi Arabia to be a net importer of oil by 2030? -- SeekingAlpha. I did not read the story past the first paragraph -- 2030 is past my investing lifetime. Whether the writer agrees / disagrees with Citi in that analysis, it fits my worldview, and the impact will be a lot sooner than 2030. The impact could indeed be felt within my investing lifetime. (Do I need to say [again] that this is not an investment site. It is shared with those who want to read it simply for information, education, and entertainment. Hopefully more of the former than the latter.]

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The US slips in global competitiveness ranking; fourth year in a row the US has dropped a notch or two. This year it fell from 5th to 7th place, dropping two places. Meanwhile 2Q12 US productivity jumped significantly, revised upward from 1.6 to 2.2 percent. Despite headwinds, American business keeps slogging forward. If we're seventh in competitiveness, and our productivity is jumping, this says volumes for optimists going forward. Imagine how well six other countries are doing! Global recession? What global recession?

NFL opening game tonight?

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RBN Energy: Coal -- the export market.

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A reader sent me the link to this "newsletter." My response:

That's a great "historical" document. 

This is an "advertisement" for a paid subscription; we used to get these as junk mail.
So, this newsletter at the time was trying to get subscribers by talking about the Bakken. Even with all their enthusiasm for the Bakken, they underestimated it. 

The newsletter was posted in 2011 -- this was the last line:  "However, when considering faltering production in California and Alaska, I wouldn't be surprised to see North Dakota overtake the third -- and possibly even the second -- position within the next decade."

"Possibly second.....possibly in the next decade."

Less than a year later North Dakota was in second place, ahead of both Alaska and California.

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Hopefully the NDIC daily activity report for yesterday will be up first thing this a.m. For some reason it was not linked/posted last night; that happens occasionally. I used to think it was due to an intern's mistake, but when I wrote that the first time some time ago (tongue in cheek), a reader sent me a note telling me that NDIC generally does not have interns on its staff.

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