Saturday, August 3, 2019

Notes From All Over, Part 1 -- August 3, 2019

ND: fourth best state for business start-ups -- from Wallethub, notables:
#1: Texas
#2: Utah
#3: Georgia
#4: North Dakota
#5: Oklahoma
#8: California
#9: Montana
#17: Minnesota
#22: South Dakota
#23: Iowa
$42: New York
#46: Connecticut
#47: Hawaii
#48: New Hampshire
#49: New Jersey
#50: Rhode Island
Really poor planning:  no transmission lines -- from Sweden -- from Bloomberg via Yahoo!Finance:
Sweden’s introduction on Thursday of a tax aimed at phasing out the nation’s last remaining coal and gas plants to curb global warming comes with an unintended consequence for some of its biggest cities.
Hiking threefold a levy on fossil fuels used at local power plants will make such facilities unprofitable and utilities from Stockholm Exergi AB to EON SE have said they will halt or cut power production.
The move means that grids in the capital and Malmo won’t be able to hook up new facilities including homes, transport links and factories. While Sweden doesn’t have a shortage of power, there’s not enough cables to ship it to the biggest cities.
EVs in the US: perhaps we can call this the idea of EVs the "Swedish problem." Moving to 100% EVs in the US: no one has thought this through. I would simply be impossible. Even if the US could generate that much electricity, the infrastructure to get it where it was needed, and associated re-charging infrastructure would simply not exist. If nothing else, imagine the footprint of service stations where EVs would re-charge. 

Four Corners Power Plant: Native Americans -1; Faux Environmentalist - 0. Link here.

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Celebrating Corky's Sixth Birthday

I can't recall for sure --- I think Sophia said it was Corky's sixth birthday.

It seems we celebrate Corky's birthday several times each year. Usually about the time Sophia gets another hankering for chocolate cake.

4 comments:

  1. Bring some of that Texas money to Oregon and perhaps the next birthday party will be wild! Case in point...


    August 2, 2019 - Salem, Ore. – After a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force, 94-year-old William Bowker, a former pilot, knows a thing or two about double-checking himself. In this case, double checking saved him from throwing away a $6.5 million Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket.
    When Bowker’s granddaughter visited, she checked his Lottery tickets; he is a regular player of the draw games with high payouts.

    “She thought it was a Mega Million ticket, and started circling matching numbers on the ticket,” Bowker said. “But they were for the wrong game. I had an Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket. She got done, and later, I thought I should double-check it before throwing it away. I am glad I did. I immediately thought — BOOM! I won!”

    Turns out one line of numbers on the ticket, without a single number circled, included the winning numbers. His winning numbers were 14-32-41-43-44-47.

    “You can still see where she circled the wrong numbers!” he said.

    The first thing the 94 -year-old Bowker did was call a family meeting to discuss the prize and how to use it. In fact, his daughter is a tax attorney, and Bowker plans to share his prize among his family members. He opted to take the bulk sum payment of $3.25 million. After taxes he took home $2.2 million.

    “I have what I need, and I’m 94,” he said. “This is a wonderful way to help my family.”

    Bowker purchased the ticket at the Jackson’s Food Store on SE 82nd Ave. in Happy Valley and used quick pick numbers. His $5 ticket had 10 numbers and, in addition to the $6.5 million jackpot, he also won a free Megabucks ticket. Jackson’s officials said they were very excited about selling the winning ticket and that it’s the largest ticket they have sold in Oregon so far. The company will receive a 1-percent selling bonus totaling $65,000 for selling the winning ticket.

    “Jacksons is thrilled for our customer to have won the lottery, and we are happy to be the retailer to sell the winning Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket,” said Katrina Lemmon, advertising and promotions manager for Jacksons Food Stores. “We are especially happy to find out the winner is a retired Air Force Pilot.”

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    1. I hope he pays attention to the numbers on that "free Megabucks ticket" that he also won.

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  2. I'd probably dock the grand-daughter 10% and spiff the tax attorney daughter 10%. but then, it's not my money.....
    Good on him!
    When I'm 90 maybe, just maybe, I'll buy a ticket. Until then, not so much.

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    1. Wow, you are getting as snarky as me. LOL. I don't buy lottery tickets either; and won't get them even when I'm in my 90s.

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