Too Much News To Post -- April 9, 2015

Wow, I'm in a good mood, I don't even know where to begin.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site. Do not make any investment or financial decisions based on anything you read here or think you may have read here.

The stories are coming so fast and furious, one cannot keep up. Some data points, off the cuff, possibly some factual errors, probably some typographical errors, and most certainly inappropriate exuberance, and way too much schadenfreude.

1. North Dakota's state taxable sales and purchases surged in 4Q14 despite slump in oil prices. Williams County trounced Cass County; Williston stomped on Fargo; Watford City -- despite years of growth, in the middle of the Bakken sweet spot -- saw a 62% increase in taxable sales and purchases (forgot if that was sequential, or year-over-year; doesn't matter -- it tells me where the action is).

2. The natural gas midstream business, and perhaps the oil midstream business -- pipelines, gathering facilities, processing plants -- is surging. It can't be stopped. The reporters in the mainstream media reporting on solar, wind, and the demise of coal are missing the biggest story of the century -- the North American energy revolution. RBN Energy has another huge story on the Marcellus. A reader sent a 30-second soundbite last week telling us just how big the Marcellus was. Plains All American (PAA) announced that they will increase their dividend. Williams Partners doubles down in the Utica.

3. Early earnings: surprise -- some are beating expectations -- including Alcoa -- 11th month in  a row they beat expectations. One of my favorite stores -- the only place I have my photographs printed -- Walgreens beat expectations; will close 200 stores.

4. Jobs report: first time claims surge by 14,000 today and mainstream media finds way to spin a "good news" story out of that. However, the increase in new claims is nowhere near the number expected due to the slump in oil prices.

5. The stock market continues to climb a wall of worry.

6. US and Iran are on opposite sides in Yemen. President Obama will spin this after he gets off the golf course; Sec State John Kerry making a speech on global warming; the Kennedys taking their grandchildren out to Kenmare, ND, to see the snow (14 inches in one day); and out to California where a whopper of a snow storm hit Sierra Nevada mountains just after Governor Jerry Brown had photo op of no snow pack in that exact area.

7. The lakes have been rising in north Texas; we are in for at least a week of rain, here in DFW area.

8. Oil companies have a $26 billion lifeline. See also this post in case that link breaks.

9. It looked iffy for awhile, but Bakken operators are still on track to get that 2-year tax break.

10. Unreported story: all the crude oil storage facilities going up around Williston.

11. Filloon's article on Whiting's potential for re-fracking. If you haven't read that article, you are missing a great article.

12. The COP transcript that came out yesterday was incredible. You think spacing at 320-acre was incredible; you haven't seen anything yet.

13. Auto sales this year projected to hit records. EV sales sinking.

14. I still predict US will set gasoline demand / consumption record over this year's 3-day Memorial Day weekend.

15. Apple Watch demand is expected to exceed supply at launch. LA Times: "early Apple Watch reviews are mixed." Yup: some say "incredible." Some say "awesome." Everyone says they need one. LOL.

16. It's a fool's errand to predict oil prices, but if I had the time I would post some thoughts on the current price of oil, but the hyperbole would cause some folks to spew coffee out their nose.

17. Drudge headline: Hillary stumbles in Iowa. But what does it matter. The Dems will crown her -- after all, it's her turn; and the GOP will nominate a John McCain-Sarah Palin redux. In Iowa, not-a-snowball's chance-in-hell Rand Paul beats Hillary, 43 - 42. Or is it Rand Paul. Speaking of names, by the way, best name for a race horse: Hoof Hearted.

18. Saudi is in bigger trouble than folks realize.

19. Oil and gas investors should see a huge 2017, possibly a huge 2016.

20. Chicago credit may be cut to junk.

21. Boston Globe: are we going to kill Tsarnaev or not? What a great country. I'm waiting to see how Pocahontas weighs in. [I did not think Pocahontas would touch this one. I was very, very wrong. On April 9, 2015, the Boston Globe is reporting that Pocahontas is against the death penalty for Tsarnaev. Okay. She's right but probably for the wrong reasons.]

22. Yemen rebels advance near key gas terminal; Iran want truce. Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels seized partial control of a provincial capital that is the gateway to Yemen’s main natural gas export terminal, residents and officials reported Thursday, as the Saudi-led air war entered its third week. Sec State says US "won't stand by"; warns Iran.

23. This is April, isn't it. Freeze warnings for southern California issued.

24.  And there it is, the market just turned green.

25. Apple will announce a significant dividend increase.

26. Now, to go mail my federal tax return. No state income taxes in Texas. By the way, I think I found the "funniest" line in the instructions for one of the IRS forms: "this form is very complicated to fill out; you don't have to complete it; the IRS will do it for you." LOL. My hunch: a lot of North Dakotans know which form I'm talking about.