Notes From All Over -- Part 2 -- October 6, 2020

First things first: Amazon Prime used to guarantee two-day, one-day, maybe same-day delivery, but ever since the pandemic, things have changed.

Delivery times have lengthened significantly -- sort of. I am amazed how Amazon is managing delivery challenges. First, on-line ordering has surged during the pandemic. Second, every company -- Amazon is not immune -- production / service is impacted by workers not being able to work due to coming down with Chinese flu. First thing Amazon did: it let its customers know that they would be prioritizing critical deliveries (like baby formula) and purposely delaying less critical items (like books). Second, they are telling their customers at the time of ordering, that delivery times are significantly delayed.

But then, get this, their deliveries in some (most?) markets are arriving almost as quickly as they were pre-pandemic. Color me impressed. Still the worse, based on anecdotal information: FedEx.

Stand-alone post? This almost deserves a stand-along post, and maybe that will happen. But for now, link at SeekingAlpha: Marathon Oil re-instates its dividend. Amazing. See "random comment" below.

LNG: Cameron LNG ships first cargo since lo-impact Hurricane Laura -- SeekingAlpha. I keep forgetting Cameron LNG is a Sempra Energy "division." Go Sempra. 

Random comment:

• MRO: consistently the best wells in the Bakken when looking at first six months of production;
• WPX: close on MRO's heels;
• Slawson: huge wells but carefully selected;
• BR with most unusual production profiles;
  
• Bakken: I think folks forget the estimates of original oil in place (OOIP) and the amount of oil being produced through primary recovery (on a percentage basis)

Tesla, from SeekingAlpha:

• In January, Tesla announced guidance for a minimum of 500,000 deliveries in 2020; this guidance was reiterated in July.
• It set a new quarterly record in Q3 with 139,300 deliveries; total deliveries in 2020 so far now stand at 318,350.
• In order to meet delivery guidance, the company will need to blow away its Q3 record with at least 181,650; that does not look realistic.

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Sophia's Page

Two weeks ago, Sophia did not know where "middle C" was. Yesterday, she was playing Beethoven's Fifth! LOL.

She's also learning Spanish off an Apple Store app. I can't say enough about these apps. She has so many apps on her school-issued iPad she has been told, by her teacher, "no more apps." Her friend Robert keeps adding apps to her iPad, telling her these apps are "essential." These are first graders. LOL.

There was something else I was going to add, but forgot what it was. If I remember, I will add it later. 

Oh, now I remember. I pick up my phone to look for something, and then I notice that Sophia has added a bunch of "snapshat" photos. Are you kidding me? When did she do that? 

I haven't been to my barber since February/March, 2020. The lock down in north Texas began sometime in March, 2020, if I recall correctly. I probably got my last haircut in February, although it could have been in March.

Whenever it was, it's been at least six months. Sophia is now giving me my haircuts. She is the only one that has cut my hair. She used to charge $20 -- which she never saw -- LOL -- but when she lowered her price to $1 she found that she was actually getting those one-dollar bills. She says her piggy bank has become overstuffed. LOL. 

So, two comments. 

Price points are important. At $20/haircut she didn't see anything, just "IOUs." At $1 she's getting paid every time, and now her piggy bank is full.

How are the haircuts turning out? Photo from yesterday: