Must-See Graphs Over At Carpe Diem

Link here. Thank you, Don. In case the link breaks, it has to do with the phenomenal US crude oil production and US crude oil export over the past several decades in graphic form. Striking.

The comments are as entertaining as the graphs are educational. One comment:

Hell_Is_Like_Newark March 19, 2014 at 11:54 am

In NJ we went through a 50% increase in retail electrical costs in order to pay for a massive increase in solar, wind, and other green projects. Result after years of build out (per EIA): Less than 1% of all the electricity generated comes from these green sources. It’s supposed to be 20% at some point.

Green energy is an unmitigated disaster and deserves to be thrown into the ash pit of history.

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Spin

Financial Times is reporting:

Porsche is set to completely manufacture a car outside Germany for the first time, marking a departure from its proud brand claim that all its vehicles are “Made in Germany.”

Matthias Müller, Porsche chief executive, said on Tuesday that after 2016 the next generation of the Cayenne SUV – a vehicle that currently accounts for roughly half of Porsche sales – will be manufactured entirely in Bratislava, Slovakia.

I love the "stated" reason: to be closer to their fast-growing markets. I can't make that up.

According to google maps, Stuttgart (Porsche HQ/Factory) and Bratislava are less than 500 miles apart. That would be like Mall of America moving to Williston to be closer to a fast-growing market. I doubt the Slovakians are a fast-growing market for Porsche. This is all about cheap labor. No unions in Slovakia.

Northern Italy is a bigger Porsche market than eastern Europe. It is almost twice as far from Bratislava to Milan as from Stuttgart to Milan. Just saying. If they wanted to be closer to their markets, Porsche would have moved to Austria or northern Italy. Or North Dakota. 

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Sad

And I always thought Toyota was better than this. 

The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

In the agreement with the Department of Justice, the Japanese automaker admitted that it misled U.S. consumers by concealing and making deceptive statements about two safety issues affecting its vehicles, each of which caused a type of unintended acceleration. The case focused on reports of floor mats jamming gas pedals and sticking gas pedals.

Misleading regulators. No excuse. Incredible. Sad. No better than GM in my book.