Here We Go! -- Road Restrictions In The Bakken -- April 19, 2016

Active rigs:

	4/19/2016	04/19/2015	04/19/2014	04/19/2013	04/19/2012
Active Rigs	28	93	188	185	213

From The Williston Herald:

A factor in North Dakota’s favor is the cost to drill a well in the Bakken has decreased substantially. Helms, who met with several oil company CEOs in Houston in February, said industry leaders say the Bakken is the No. 1 place they want to invest when the price of West Texas Intermediate oil is at least $60 a barrel.

“I think we need to have in our minds that we’re going to use this slow time to catch up on everything because it’s coming back and it’s going to come back with a rush,” Helms said.

Former Williston Mayor Ward Koeser, among those in the audience, said a population of 80,000 was suggested by some developers several years ago as oil development began to ramp up.

It looks like Sinclair is not waiting for $60 oil. In the past two business days Sinclair, relatively inactive during the boom, has eight more permits.

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LA Times Editorial Board Split/Confused?

Op-ed: $15 minimum wage well-intentioned but a bad idea. Wow! Really? From The Los Angeles Times.

With the exception of some very cynical labor unions that support a higher minimum wage because it amounts to an indirect subsidy of their members' earnings and some politicians who know it is bad economics, the Fight for 15 movement is entirely well-intentioned.

But good intentions do not automatically translate into good policy.

Last week, this newspaper reported that California's recent decision to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2022 is already having nasty consequences.

“I used to pay $5 to get this sewn, and now it costs $6.50,” Felix Seo, the owner of L.A.-based Joompy told the Times, holding up a patterned dress. “But my customer doesn't want to pay that, so I can't sell it anymore.”

To stay in business, Joompy will probably have to start importing its clothes. “It will be impossible to make clothes in Los Angeles,” Seo said.

Don't blame the GOP for this. I'm amazed the editors at the Los Angeles Times let this be published. Sounds like something from Fox News.

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Brit Lit

Notes to the Granddaughters

I'm re-reading Dan Jones' The War of the Roses. The more I read the more I realize that Shakespeare scholars may "know" "Shakespeare," but they certainly don't appear to "know" British history. That is not surprising; everyone has blind spots. Lord knows, I have many. There is one exception to the observation that Shakespeare scholars don't appear to know British history (or are unable to connect dots): Brenda James.

At one time I cared not one bit for Brit Lit or Shakespeare although I have to admit, I really enjoyed the enthusiasm my college professor, Professor Art Huseboe, had for teaching freshman literature and Shakespeare. But for decades that was about it.

Then everything changed in 2002 or thereabouts when the USAF sent me to northern England multiple times over the next several years. Among the many, many things that came from those temporary assignments was a love for Arvo Pärt, and especially Te Deum.

Throughout the Dan Jones' book mention is made of Te Deum being performed for coronation events. I was fortunate enough to attend a live performance of Te Deum at Ripon Cathedral during one of those temporary assignments.

In the video below, I particularly enjoy the part that begins at about 4:20 but to experience begin at least a half-minute earlier. Arvo Pärt, himself, has a colorful history.

Te Deum, Arvo Pärt
There's at least a half dozen negative things I can say about the performance at the link (embedding not allowed) but without question one of the most incredible performances nonetheless, and one I can watch over and over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M7gKZqgHn4.