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Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Backpacks: The Cat’s Meow — August 9, 202

Locator: 45405RETAIL. 

Link here. My choice below. At that WSJ site, fourteen backpacks are reviewed, priced from $79 to $625. That prompted me to check out Amazon. See below. Link here. The backpack, 40% off, for a total price of $23 plus Texas tax arrived today. It is a Matein with a lifetime warranty. Official website here. Matein's story here. Without question, best backpack I've ever owned and I've had many. It was $23 at Amazon, on sale, 40% off. Wow.

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From Medicare Today 

Medicare Part D now covers these vaccines and more at no cost to you: Shingles RSV Tetanus/diphtheria (Td) Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) (Tdap) Hepatitis A Hepatitis B, if you're at low risk for the virus Also, Medicare still covers flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and pneumococcal shots. I’m only missing one primary vaccine dose, and one booster. I’d say that’s pretty good. There is now an FDA-approved RSV vaccine for those over 60. 

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Margot's Got Game

The Margot Robbie Barbie has an MRSP of $50 and the waiting time is now out to May, 2024, but is widely available for $100 by resellers, with immediate availability. Someone was thinking.

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Backpacks

Back to backpacks, I just ordered a new backpack at Amazon for $23, it will arrive tomorrow. It is Amazon’s recommendation and is on sale, 40% off. Link here.
 
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!

HULU: “Only Murders In The Building Is Back”!!! 
 
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Heat

We’re lovin’ it. Dallas has hit at least 105°F on six straight days, which is tied for its third-longest such streak on record. Given forecast highs of at least 106 degrees for the next six days, it’s on track to extend the streak to at least 12, topping the previous record of 11 from 1980. — WP, August 9, 2023.


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EW!

I thought “we” were all done with this. Link here.

Dissing DIS -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45403B.

Most interesting investment story today -- DIS! This says it all:


It sounds like earnings estimates were met due to cost cuts. Bob Iger was thrilled with cost cuts.

Companies that meet earnings estimates due to cost cuts do not impress me. How about selling their product(s)?


More, from The WSJ:


Analysts think Disney could re-instate dividends as early as next year, 2024.

Devon -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45402B.

Devon dividendlink here:


Dividend history:



Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. 

All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them.  

Again, all my posts are done quickly. There will be typographical and content errors in all my posts. If any of my posts are important to you, go to the source.

I have a large position in DVN which I've had for a year or so. I have added to this position on a regular basis and will add whenever DVN trends toward $50. No recommendation. It's one of a number off oil-related stocks which interest me.


Two New Permits; Eleven Permits Renewed; Three DUCs Reported As Completed -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45401B.

Devon dividend, link here:

ERCOT: 106°F today in north Texas. The grid -- ERCOT -- did not even come close to failing.

Before I get started, let's just say things are moving so fast -- everywhere -- it is awesome, wonderful -- I notice it but I don't think our granddaughter, a junior in college, knows how fast things are moving.

Almost everything in this video, I "experienced." My granddaughter experienced almost none of this. Maybe more on this later. I couldn't be in a better mood. Each day just gets more and more interesting.

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Now, Back to the Bakken

WTI: 40.

Two new permits, #40115 - #40116, inclusive:

  • Operator: Liberty Resources
  • Field: East Tioga (Mountrrail)
  • Comments: 
    • Liberty Resources has permits for a Morgen Federal well and a Storsul well, NENW 17-158-93; 
      • to be sited 345 FNL and 2136 FWL; and, 344 FNL and 2271 FWL.

Eleven permits renewed:

  • XTO (7): three Roust permits; two Lyla permits; and, two Roberta permits, all in Williams County;
  • Enerplus (4): four Fort Berthold permits, Dunn County, Eagle Nest

Three producing wells (DUCs) reported as completed:

  • 39165, 1,615, CLR, Micahlucas 14-5HSL1,
  • 39140, 1,603, CLR, Micahlucas 9-5H,
  • 39163, 1,657, CLR, Micahlucas 12-5H1,

The Proterra Bus Company Just Went Broke -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45400EVS.

The Proterra Bus Company story is tracked here. A screenshot of part of the blog:


Well, well, well --- a reader alerted me to this:


I still maintain TMDW is the best ad-free, password-free, blog that is focused on the Bakken. No other blog followed this story more closely than I did. LOL. Whoo-hoo!

And look at this:


Seems to be a bit of conflict-of-interest which the mainstream media chose to ignore.

The switch to EVs in this country is going to be an unmitigated debacle for all of us. Trust me on this. But a lot of folks are going to cash in just fine.

Other links: and, of course, as usual, there's more --
  • I wonder who got left "holding the bag"? A lot of faux-environmental widows who don't follow the market but listen to their financial advisors.


Cost To Transport Oil On The Trans Mountain Pipeline -- Canada -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45399CANADA.

Back on the table: do you remember that Canadian pipeline to the west coast that the Canadian indigenous folks were protesting, doing what they could to stop it? I think it was called the Trudeau XL -- oh, no, that's wrong -- it is called the Trans Mountain Pipeline ... the "trans" not be be confused with human anatomy.

Well, now, the indigenous folks want in on this boondoggle and Canada is looking at letting the indigenous folks buy a piece of the pipeline. Especially now that COP has shown considerable interest in Athabasca bitumen.  [This whole thing reminds me of the "Little Red Hen" looking for friends to help make bread. I don't think that story was true; without hands, I doubt any hen could knead bread.]

Back-of-the-envelope:

  • $25 billion / 10 years = $2.5 billion / year
  • $2.5 billion / year / 365 days = $6,849,315 / day.
  • $6,849,315 / 600,000 bbls / day = $11 / bbl to ship the crude oil

This $11-per-bbl-to-transport does not include maintenance or operating costs; does not include interest payments on the $25 billion; does not include opportunity cost.

Compare:


Odds And Ends -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45398OIL.

The weekly EIA petroleum report, link here. For now, I will keep posting it, but the report has become a joke and is clearly suspect. Last week, the EIA reported a draw of 17million bbls of crude oil from commercial stocks without comment. There's no way that was possible. That was a "re-set" -- pure and simple. Today's report:

  • US crude oil is reported to have increased by a fairly large amount, 5.9 million bbls after reporting a 17-million-bbl draw last week. This volatility is so off-base ... supposedly, our commercial crude oil in storage, at 445.6 million bbls, is slightly below the five-year average, which, of course, includes the two plague years, making the five-year metric as meaningless as everything else in this report.
  • US crude oil imports: yawn.
  • refiners are operating pretty much "pedal to the metal," at 93.8%. My hunch: SecEnergy Granholm is unaware.
  • distillate fuel inventories decreased by 1.7 million bbls last week as farmers start returning to their field to begin harvesting; distillates are now 17% below the five-year average.
  • and, finally, jet fuel supplied was up a modest 4.3% compared with same four-week period last year.
Last week, with a reported 17-million-bbl draw, the price of oil fell; this week, with a fairly substantial increase, the price of oil rose significantly, confirming that the EIA data is not only suspect, but does not impact daily WTI price changes.

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Odds And Ends

Germany: in a recession, and it appears to be getting worse. The Bundesbank is looking to use gold in its "gold account" to offset losses. Sources.

Texas grid: it will hit 106°F today here in north Texas. It's bright, sunny, and windy. ERCOT will have no trouble meeting demand, but it will be close between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. tonight.

WTI: at $83.59. 

OPEC+: production slumps to two-year low. Platts Survey.

Back on the table: do you remember that Canadian pipeline to the west coast that the Canadian indigenous folks were protesting, doing what they could to stop it? 

Well, now, they want in and Canada is looking at letting the indigenous folks buy a piece of the pipeline. Especially now that COP has shown considerable interest in Athabasca bitumen. 

Back-of-the-envelope:

  • $25 billion / 10 years = $2.5 billion / year
  • $2.5 billion / year / 365 days = $6,849,315 / day.
  • $6,849,315 / 600,000 bbls / day = $11 / bbl to ship the crude oil

This $11-per-bbl-to-transport does not include maintenance or operating costs; does not include interest payments on the $25 billion; does not include opportunity cost.

Compare:

GM: still struggling to make EVs. Link here.

Apple Vs Berkshire -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45397INV.

One-year comparison chart: AAPL (6%) vs BRK-B (23%) -- 


More on this later.

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The Bubble, The Hype
 
Tag: Forbes, AMD.


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The Book Club

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, Neal Gabler, c. 2006.

Rambling Before Going Out For A Swim -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45396B.

WTI: $84.05.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. 

All my posts are done quickly: there will be content and typographical errors. If anything on any of my posts is important to you, go to the source. If/when I find typographical / content errors, I will correct them.  

Again, all my posts are done quickly. There will be typographical and content errors in all my posts. If any of my posts are important to you, go to the source.

I have a large position in COP which I've held for decades. I have added nothing to this position in at least the last ten years. I have no plans to add to this position and no plans to sell. It's a "hold" and will go to the grandchildren.

Facts, factoids, opinions interspersed below. It's impossible to tell what is fantasy and what is fact below. If it's important to you, go to the source, or better yet, avoid this blog.

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Autos

Honda
: 78% jump in profit. The new Honda Civics and Accords are breath-taking. I still love my 2012 model, bought in late 2011. Honda "missed" on the Civic in the 2012 - 2013 model years, some say, but has since recovered.


Future: Honda's ICE sales will continue to climb in the US and will surge in the 2030 - 2035 time-frame. In 2034, California will still allow new ICE Hondass to be registered in the state. ICE Honda Civics and Accords will be the most sought-after southern California car. The after-market supply for replacement parts will soar. 

Ford: meanwhile, Ford? Not so good. Except for the Tesla Cybertruck which may or may not be released this year, the Ford story may be the biggest auto story of 2023. And not for a good reason.


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WFH Is Killing WeWork

WeWork no longer working. Links everywhere. Ticker tells the story. Folks keep looking for that "get-rich-quick" scheme and reality hits. Quick: why is WE failing? First the screenshots:



This was telegraphed a year ago when it was widely reported that upwards of 50% of commercial real estate -- where people work in offices -- remained empty. And the trend continues. I've seen reports that upwards of 65% of beehive workers have not returned to the hives. Employers are hoping they can entice workers to come back even two days a week.

REITS: ?

Chips
: meanwhile, analysts are diverting our attention away from the "WE" debacle, by calling the AI-story all hype.

Let's add more hype to that story. The ARM IPO. Savvy investors who believe in the hype have been waiting for this IPO for ... decades? This will be the most-watched IPO in history. Okay, recent history. Okay, 2023 history. First to announce it was going to invest in ARM? Apple. Cash on hand: $56 billion. AAPL will issue bonds to raise cash for the ARM investment. Second to announce: Samsung -- with $83 billion cash on hand. Now, today, Amazon says it may invest in the ARM IPO. Amazon's cash on hand? $64 billion. 

Can't get enough of NVDA? Here's more -- today in IBD. The bubble is getting bigger.

$175 billion. That seems like a big number. I don't know. But that's how much Zahra Tayeb says 
short-sellers have lost recently -- betting against Nvidia, Tesla and Meta.

Icahn: the poster-child for the 2023 short-sellers' debacle.

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Apple

My best post on chips, cores, and threads at this post. If you know nothing about chips, cores, and threads, start there. If you understand chips, cores, and threads, you will understand the significance of this story:


From the link: 
Signs of the chip were found by a third-party Mac developer in test logs, and it appears to feature a 40-core GPU and a 16-core CPU with 12 high performance cores and four efficiency cores. 
Comparatively, the current ‌M2‌ Max chip features a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. The test machine also includes 48GB memory, but there will likely be higher upgrade options available as the current MacBook Pro supports up to 96GB memory. 
Apple's ‌M3‌ Max chip is expected to be built on a new 3-nanometer process, resulting in speed and efficiency improvements compared to the ‌M2‌ Max chip. 
Apple is testing the chip in an unreleased high-end MacBook Pro that's codenamed "J514."
Look at that: not only a 3nm chip but also a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU.

Just two months ago, we were talking about the "old" M2 chip, an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU (8+10 = 18). Now, 16 + 40 = 56 cores.


Neil Armstrong went to the moon with  .... well, a whole lot less. And he was using a government-funded computer only available to NASA engineers, and now high school seniors headed to PoDunk U are buying new Apple computers which they will need to replace next year.

I'll tell you a story about a high school senior going to PoDunk U in the Southlake, TX, Apple store. But it's part of a longer story, so you will have to wait.

Even number of cores: this is why you always see an even number of cores. Link here.

Intel: was having trouble with 10-nm chips when Apple/TSM was moving to 3-nm chips. But that wasn't their only problem. The company also had problems with cores. Link here

Trivia: etiology of "cores." No idea where the word "cores" came from. But wouldn't Steve Jobs be laughing about that now. Deciding decades ago to call his company "Apple," not knowing that "cores" would be the heart of his apples. LOL. 

Okay, gotta go. It's gonna be 106°F today. Going out for the first swim of the day. I will swim this morning for one hour; one hour this afternoon; and, one hour this evening, 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. when the pool closes down by city ordinance.

Disclaimer: this page was not proofread. There will be content and typographical errors.

Some See $85-Oil As Just The Beginning; One Well Coming Off Confidential List Today -- August 9, 2023

Locator: 45395B.

WTI: $83.69.

Thursday, August 10, 2023: 17 for the month; 219 for the quarter, 474 for the year
39455, conf, CLR, Edward 4-23H1
38915, conf, Enerplus, MC-Kudrna 144-95-10-3-5H, 

Wednesday, August 9, 2023: 15 for the month; 217 for the quarter, 472 for the year
39456, conf, CLR, Edward 6-23H1

The CLR Edward wells in Little Knife oil field are tracked here. The first CLR well, drilled back in 2012, was a relatively pathetic well:

  • 20363, 668, CLR, Edward 1-23H, Little Knife, t2/12; cum 336K 9/22;

RBN Energy: permitting for energy projects proves to be a delicate act. I think COP noted that when it pounced on Surmont.
When it comes to proposals to build large-scale energy projects, whether it’s a new electric transmission line, a mining complex, or an interstate oil or gas pipeline, the permitting process can be a delicate balancing act. Nearly everyone understands that appropriate social and environmental safeguards are essential. At the same time, the permitting process can’t be so cumbersome that it takes a decade or more to build that transmission line, complete that mine, or get a pipeline into operation. There’s a general understanding that the permitting process needs to be improved but, as the title of today’s blog implies, it’s a whole lot easier said than done.