Coal Is Dead! Long Live Coal -- Inflation Loss -- January 26, 204

Locator: 46654COAL.

As a huge investor in BRK (think BNSF) and UNP, this is incredibly good news. I'm also a big holder of SRE and I still see this as great, great news.

Link here.

Much could be said. But just not worth the effort. It's no longer an investment story, it's a "religious" or "cult" or "belief" story. 

Link here.

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Inflation Watch

Toilet paper: two comments --

• evidence of deflation; and,
• much of those inflation numbers over the past two years were due to supply chain issues; those supply chain issues have resolved. Prices across the board are going to fall significantly this year all things being equal

The price savings at Walgreen's today is evidence of great marketing, customer loyalty deals, and resolving supply chain issues. 

I've never given much credence to government inflation numbers when folks try to extrapolate those numbers to the individual buyer. American women (who do the majority of retail shopping for the home (?) are experts at looking for best deals.

Exact same product at three different sites during the month of January, 2024.

Prices, January, 2024:

• Kroger: $10.99 (considered by us to be low cost of the six grocery stores in our immediate area)
• Amazon: $7.99 (free delivery)
• Walgreen's: $5 (special; weekly sale; one week sale; two for $10, otherwise, $6.99)
  

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The Blue House 

Link here.

Cheong Wa Dae lit. 'Cyan-tile Pavilion'), also known as the Blue House in English, is a public park that formerly served as the presidential residence and the diplomatic reception halls of South Korea from 1948 to 2022.

It is located in the Jongno district of the South Korean capital Seoul.

Cheong Wa Dae is a complex of multiple buildings built largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern architectural elements and facilities. Cheong Wa Dae now consists of the Main Office Hall Bon-gwan,[a] the Presidential Residence, the State Reception House Yeongbin-gwan,[b] the Chunchu-gwan,[c] Press Hall, and the Secretariat Buildings. The entire complex covers approximately 62 acres. 

The South Korean presidential complex was protected by members of the South Korean special forces.

Sophia, our youngest granddaughter, is now taking jiu-jitsu instruction from a world martial arts competitor who was once a soldier in the South Korean "special forces” assigned to protect the Blue House.

Whoo-hoo! Think "Jedi." [Star Wars.] Or a "visible" Ninja.