Scorecard -- Top Ten Predictions For 2016 (Last Year) -- RBN Energy -- January 2, 2017

Natural gas: Arctic blast, huge draw, and prices falling. What gives? Richard Zeits over at SeekingAlpha. 

RBN Energy:  RBN Energy takes a look at its 2016 "prognostications" and evaluates how well they did.

Active rigs:

	1/2/2017	01/02/2016	01/02/2015	01/02/2014	01/02/2013
Active Rigs	39	60	171	183	183

For those interested in the Bakken, nothing that follows has anything to do with the Bakken. 

I think it's time for waffles. And another pajama day here in north Texas. Cold, wet, dark, loud.

By the way, speaking of waffles, we were introduced to the Waffle House phenomenon when we returned to the United States following a 13-year tour of Europe and Asia, courtesy of the United States Air Force.

We thought moving back to the states after being gone for thirteen years was going to be a shock. We had lost a decade of US "culture." I am still catching up to all the music that hit the charts from 1984 to 1997. But our return was less than a shock than it could have been. Our first stateside assignment after two years in Turkey was Alabama. Our teenage daughters (and my wife, for that matter) noted a lot of similarities between Turkey (the country) and Alabama (one of the 57 states).

Our biggest shock, and I think that's the correct word, was Waffle House. If you northerners have not had the chance to experience the Waffle House experience you are in for quite a treat. Even the Coen brothers were taken aback by the experience (video clip not shown due to language).

Waffle House is ubiquitous in the Deep South, but not as many here in north Texas. I am aware of two (and I assume there are many, many more). One is north of Ft Worth, near the Texas Motor Speedway (which seems fitting). The other, I keep forgetting, except I noted it yesterday when bicycling, is just down the hill from our nearby Wal-Mart.

Speaking of Wal-Mart. A lot of folks, me included, have problems with some  refugees coming to America wearing their native dress, suggesting there is little interest by some to become part of the American culture (which might be understandable). After seeing some of the body shapes and "un-dress" in Wal-Mart, I'm beginning to think the US would be well served if a certain segment of the population would start wearing the abaya. Just saying.

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Too Big To Merge

Although the Washington Post slanted the story a different way, the fact is the merger between Blockbuster video and Hollywood Video was nixed by acknowledgement that the US government would probably not allow it based on anti-competition (monopoly) grounds.

I was always quite surprised that Cabela's thought it could buy Bass Pro Shops. Can anyone name any other national hunting and fishing mega-retail that can possibly come close to what Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops offer?

It turns out the FTC is taking a "second look."

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Last "Man" Standing

I sent this in an e-mail to a reader, with some slight editing. It's not ready for prime time, but I want to post it before I forget it:

It looks like the GOP House is serious about ObamaCare being first thing on their agenda.

It will be fascinating to watch. If they can kill it, regardless of what health insurance looks like in is place, the ONLY thing that Obama has for a legacy is gone. The textbooks will NOT have one PROGRAM that they can point to that Obama accomplished in his administration (that lasted).

I still think the GOP runs huge risks on this, but if they get this behind them within the first six months, the public might forget, but if this drags on and whatever replaces it is even worse, the media will have a field day. As it is, the media is going to be all over this.

The good news: I don't think anyone with any money or power supports ObamaCare. The health care industry does not support it; neither Trump nor 50%-plus of Congress supports it, and I doubt Schumer wants to stake his career on an Obama program. Pelosi may be the last "man" standing.