Updates
May 31, 2022: NASDAQ: ELMS
Original Post
Disruptive:
Add Electric Last Mile Solutions, Inc., to the scorecard.
Yikes, 6-month chart:
Out of cash? And a SEC investigation? And a full moon around the corner?
Saudi Arabia spokespeople, and most agree, I suppose, suggest "supply and demand is currently balanced."
"High" and "higher" prices will help put a damper on demand, helping to maintain that "supply and demand" balance.
However, more and more jurisdictions, worldwide, are offering "subsidies" of some sort to offset the "high" and "higher" prices of gasoline. In the US, the most common "subsidy" being considered is a "tax" holiday on gasoline.
"Subsidies," all things being equal should encourage demand.
So, with "subsidies," all things being equal, put the supply / demand balance in favor of increased demand.
What happens when demand exceeds supply by one bbl?
Subsidies are "feel-good" reactions to high prices but it only makes things worse, least of which is less income for governments to maintain highways and/or meet other budget considerations.
At least that's one argument.
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Texas
Mustang Island? I don't think so. The individual taking the photo is in the Houston area. From twitter.
Also, Texas. How do we know? Buc-ee's.
Sticker price, started at $90,874.
We weren't told final price but one can guess it came in at slightly over $100,000 when all was said and done.
If financed, it will cost significantly more.
A standard F-150? "From $30,495."
This guy did not buy the F-150 Lightning to save money on gasoline. My hunch he bought it to power his house when the grid goes down.
The price of a stand-alone home generator runs $6,000 to $12,000.
The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" continue to widen.
Most interesting: for business use, if these can be "written off" / depreciated over one year, these will fly out of Ford's virtual show rooms. Right now this site suggests "sunset" is December 31, 2022. I don't know whether that's accurate or now, and perhaps EVs have an even longer window. Regardless, it's likely this is one "rule" that might be extended by the US Congress. And who buys a $100,000-F-150 if it's not for business use?
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Phrase for the Day
The phrase that describes the Biden administration when it comes to energy.
"Sixes and sevens."
My note to our oldest granddaughter:
For writers, collecting phrases.Have you ever heard the phrase "sixes and sevens"?I first heard in the song, "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" but never paid attention to it.Then I came across it in a book I was reading."Sixes and Sevens" at wiki.
Everything I do, I do for you.
For background, see the blog at this link.
From MacRumors today: Apple chips plans suggest "A16" will stick with 5nm, but the "M2" will make the jump to 3nm instead.
The "A16" chip for the iPhone will reportedly be manufactured with the same process as the iPhone 13's A15 Bionic, with Apple saving a bigger performance leap for the "M2" chip designed for its next-generation Macs. Meanwhile, the company is working on a "final" M1 chip variant that uses more powerful cores from the A15, according to the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro."
The A16 will reportedly be based on TSMC's 5nm process, just like the A14, A15, and M1 chips. Previous reports have been unclear about whether the A16 will be fabricated with TSMC's more advanced 4nm process, with an ambiguous report from DigiTimes claiming that Apple plans to use TSMC's 4nm N4P process – but N4P is in fact an enhanced, third-generation version of the 5nm process. On the other hand, ShrimpApplePro said that the A16 will use TSMC's N5P process. This suggests that the A16 may be less of a substantial upgrade than previously thought.
The M2 chip will apparently be the first Apple chip to make the jump to TSMC's 3nm process, skipping 4nm entirely. The M2 is believed to be Apple's first custom ARMv9 processor.
Apple is also said to be working on the "final SoC of M1 series," featuring updated cores. The M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra chips use energy-efficient "Icestorm" cores and high-performance "Firestorm" cores – just like the A14 Bionic chip. Apple's final M1 variant will instead allegedly be based on the A15 Bionic, featuring "Blizzard" energy-efficient cores and "Avalanche" high-performance cores.
INTC: no clue.
By the way, the comments at the linked MacRumors article are as snarky as usual, and offer nothing to the serious reader.
We bought our first minivan when we returned from overseas back in 1994, or thereabouts. Since then, the minivan has been our primary source of transportation. We've had three, all from the same manufacturer. If still available, I would buy the same make / model, but alas, no longer being made.
From The WSJ this weekend: the "hot ride."
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The Book Page
I read the review in The WSJ at 6:45 a.m. this morning.
I ordered it with one-click on Amazon -- forgetting to use my points and getting the book for free. I could go in and request the change, but I'll get more points (5% cash-back) and will use the points in the future. It's all good.
I ordered the book early this a.m. It will arrive in time for me to read it poolside this evening about 9:00 p.m. Yes, the lighting is fine and there are no mosquitoes.
Great country or what?
No delivery charge.
This is from my journal back in 2013, on a trip from Grapevine, TX, to Williston, ND.
I was driving my 2012 Honda Civic.
It appears I was paying about $3.49 / gallon for gasoline.
That was back in 2013.
In north Texas, today, we are paying about $4.39 / gallon.
Adjusted for inflation, I doubt gasoline is costing a whole lot more now than it did in 2013. In addition, like me, many are spending less on gasoline overall simply because they are now driving less, and/or are getting better mileage.
