Miscellaneous Notes -- June 4, 2016; Shock And Awe -- ObamaCare Premiums Set To Rise 50%

From Reuters/Rigzone: Nigerian militants say their aim is "zero oil output" after three new attacks. See my post of June 3 regarding Nigeria before these most recent attacks.

I think this was posted previously; I forget. Saudi Aramco diversifying. Rigzone is reporting: GE Oil & Gas has signed an agreement with Saudi Aramco and Italy's Cividale to construct the Middle East and North Africa's first-of-its-kind, high-end forging and casting manufacturing facility to serve the region's energy and maritime industries.

Speaking of which: yesterday while driving out to see the new Buc-ee's at the intersection of Texas State Highway 114 and I-35W, we drove past "GE Manufacturing Solutions" and saw six brand new Norfolk Southern diesel locomotives (black and shiny) and one new BNSF (orange and shiny) on the tracks outside the facility. I don't recall ever seeing brand new locomotives literally off the "assembly line." I did not have my camera, unfortunately, but there was no place to park, so perhaps it was best.

No links, but there have been quite a few stories on Vaca Muerta lately (over the past 24 months).

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Shock And Awe

How bad are the ObamaCare premiums going to be? From the Chicago Tribune: Blue Cross premium hikes in Texas and Oklahoma could mean Illinois sticker shock.

llinois residents who buy Blue Cross and Blue Shield health care coverage through the state insurance exchange may be in for Obamacare sticker shock, if proposed rate hikes by the largest insurers in Texas and Oklahoma are any indication.

Texas and Oklahoma are possible harbingers of Blue Cross' prices on the Illinois exchange because all three health plans are owned by the same company, Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp. Blue Cross is the most popular insurer on the Illinois exchange.

In Texas, Blue Cross and Blue Shield is seeking increases averaging 53.7 percent across its Affordable Care Act plans, according to documents posted online by the federal government. In Oklahoma, Blue Cross and Blue Shield is seeking rate increases that average 49.2 percent. It is far from certain if the rate increases will hold up on review, or how much they might change.

The GOP needs to run, not walk, away from this debacle. Let the Dems handle this one.

Trump: "Let's make America great again."
Hillary: "Let's re-visit ObamaCare."
Gary Johnson: "Let's elect Hillary."

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Re-Balancing

This appears to be the word du jour: "re-balancing." We first saw this word associated with the price of oil, how analysts suggest that the price of oil will trend high as supply and demand "re-balances."

Yesterday, I saw a new use for the term. Apparently, Greenland's ice volume is re-balancing. Actually, I'm not quite correct. The story has to do with "the glacial mass balance of Greenland."

Apparently, the "glacial mass balance of Greenland is increasing despite the fact that reliable sources continue to report that global temperatures are on the rise. 

My hunch is that "warmists" can easily explain away this counter-intutitive observation:

In recent years, the glacial mass balance of Greenland is increasing despite announcements that global temperatures are on the rise; despite warnings that the Greenland Ice Sheet is melting; and despite announcements of a possible “blocked Gulf Stream “or catastrophic increase in sea level .”

The fact is, that snowfalls are higher than the amount of ice that melts, and the mass balance is strongly positive again this year.

The source is out of Italy and any source based in Italy certainly has to be reliable; why would they lie?