Apple -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48365M4.

Link here. 

This is the problem: does anyone in the US -- except perhaps one or two percent of computer users -- actually need this much power?

****************
The Stranded Astronauts

Amazing how fast this story disappeared. 

Chart Of The Day -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48364EGGS.

Link here.

Not yet reflected over at FRED. Link here.

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The Other Chart Of The Day

Link here.

*******************
The Book Page

I'm done with Shakespeare and Brenda James for awhile. I'll come back to both in a few months, but need to move on.

Tomorrow, I start the "Notes on the Text," "Note on the 50th Anniversary Edition," the "Foreword to the Second Edition," and the "Prologue: Concerning Hobbits and other matters" from the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Lord of the Rings.

At one time, J.R.R. Tolkien fascinated me (still does) but I've forgotten a lot. He was a philologist and a story teller of the old school. 

Over at Amazon, the book is currently selling for $24.49, at a 39% discount. Link here. And that's with free shipping and delivery by tomorrow.

************************
The Wrestling Match

I'm lovin' it. 

Watching President Trump enter the arena, shaking hands, and there he is, Elon Musk.

I used to really dislike Elon Musk -- that was years ago -- now I love to watch him, Not necessarily listen to him, but I love to watch him.

Trump is "out-Reagan'ing Reagan."

National Security Breach Being Reported -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48363APPRENTICES.

Updates

March 25, 2025: following the unclassified House hearing on the breach, President Trump has to do the right thing, and decide between US law and his friends. This is a Shakespearian tragedy unfolding. A slow train wreck. [Wow, I certainly misread this story.]

March 25, 2025: based on the administration's "definition" of classified material, things have certainly changed since I was on active duty.

March 25, 2025: the breach is gaining very little traction. In addition, the emphasis -- by both the GOP and most media outlets -- is on the reporting by Goldberg, not on the breach itself, which I find more troublesome. 

What little group chat text I read suggested not much was said except deciding on when and why the attack on the Houthis would be begin. If this is where the story stays, it will lost traction by the end of the week if not sooner. It is being reported that, for now, no heads will roll. From my perspective, that's the wrong emphasis.

I was not impressed with reported comments made by JD Vance.

Original Post

From The Wall Street Journal:

Senior Trump administration national-security officials held detailed discussions of highly classified U.S. plans to launch airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi militants using a nongovernment messaging service and mistakenly included a journalist in the conversation, U.S. officials said Monday. 

The chats over the encrypted Signal app spanned days and included specific information about weapons, targets and timing used in the attack, according to the Atlantic magazine, whose editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, was inadvertently included in the discussion and who disclosed the texts. 

National-security experts and former officials say that use of Signal for conducting classified discussions about imminent military action was a serious breach of security procedures governing the handling of sensitive defense information.

It also opened a window into policy differences within the administration earlier this month.

To highlight:

• highly classified chat was held over Signal, a non-government messaging service
• national-security experts and former officials say that use of Signal for conducting classified discussions about imminent military action was a serious breach of security procedures governing the handling of sensitive defense information
• upwards of two dozen high-level individuals were in on the call (and there could have been additional "strap-hangers" in the room) -- and no one notices "Goldberg's name"? -- a very, very well-known political writer covering DC politics -- in the "addressee list? 
• the name is so well known, his name and telephone number on the "rolodex" of the national security advisor / or on speed dial.
  
• at that level of discussion, no one was in charge of who was on the "addressee" list?
• and, finally, most troublesome: the chats over the encrypted Signal app spanned days.

The users: none of the government officials saw "Goldberg's name on the addressee list? 

The Signal chat group that discussed the planned strikes against the Houthis listed 18 users including Waltz, Hegseth, Vance, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, special envoy Steve Witkoff and a user identified as “MAR,” which appeared to be Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

• eighteen users: everyone but the president it seems.
• the group chat did not verify who was on the other end of the line? 

Timing: unless I missed it, TWSJ article did not specify the days on which the group chat was held, but The Atlantic (IIRC) suggested the group chat began on March 11, almost two weeks ago to the day. 

At the press conference today, President Trump clearly stated he was not aware of the Atlantic story or the broader issue. But at least some of the reporters at the press briefing were aware. Link here.

Geiger Capital is a straight shooter; credibility / insight beyond reproach. Link here.

Is this like Hunter losing his laptop computer?

Were the lapses in judgment .... Hillary ... Obama ... as charged ... as serious as this?

Sounds like 17 users in that group chat need to have another group chat and get their stories straight.

Right now, TWSJ stating that Trump is a) upset with his national security advisor, but b) still has complete faith in his team.

This sounds like something apprentices would do and someone needs  to be ... shall we say it ... fired. 

Again, this is only the first report of this and much is yet to be learned. These are simply personal thoughts on what is currently being reported.

We'll see how social media handles this story. Know what's weird? It's not even trending over at x. [Later: now it is: link here.]

ON THE OTHER HAND

This story is so incredulous, one wonders if "we're" not being set up.

I would like to say I'm agnostic on this one, but I'm not.

****************************
Much Later

I'm watching Gutfeld and Jesse Watters on Fox News tonight. The best way to weather the Signal debacle:

• a) ignore it; and,
• b) start making jokes about it.

The story will die. 

98% of Americans will never pay attention to the story. Classified war plans against the Houthis? Oh give me a break.

Eight New Permits -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48361B.

WTI: $69.17.

Active rigs: 31.

Eight new permits, #41727 - #41734, inclusive:

• Operator: BR (5); Hess (3).
• Fields: Haystack Butte (McKenzie); Big Butte (Mountrail)
• Comments:
• BR has permits for five HBU Hazel wells, NWSW 13-148-98; 
• to be sited 1230 / 1337 FSL and 609 / 842 FWL.
• Hess has permits for two EN-Binger wells and one EN-Hillernen well, SESW 12-157-94, 
• to be 731 / 830 FSL and 2283 FWL.

The Money Pouring Into The Country -- Investments -- Simply Staggering -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48361HYUNDAI.

Hyundai

• Trump press conference, March 24, 2025 -- 2:30 p.m. ET
• $20 billion investment
  
• to include a new steel plant in Louisiana
• first ever steel plant in the plant by Hyundai
• no tariffs if the product is made in the US

Previously announced:

• Apple: $500 billion
• UAE: $1.4 trillion over ten years
  

*********************
The Shakespeare Page

Since the mid-1600s, scholars have been perplexed by the "Shakespeare Sonnets." 

Finally, finally, finally, the dots begin to connect.

This hits very, very close to home. 

At the turn of the 15th/16th century, in London, there was a trio of really, really close teen-age friends: Henry Neville, Robert Cecil, and Henry Wriothesley. 

Robert Cecil's father, William, was the Secretary of State of England.

Henry Wriothesley was the 3rd Earl of Southampton.

And, of course, we all know who (Sir) Henry Neville was.

From Brenda James, 2008:

The Cecils were always trying to ally themselves with the British aristocracy through advantageous marriage arrangements, and the young Earl of Southampton [royalty] seemed a perfect match for old [William] Cecil's granddaughter. 

When Wriothesley became a teenager, his relatives, in collusion with Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, were in correspondence about the idea. The trouble was they couldn't persaude young Wriothesley to take much interest in the girl.

However, it's always seemed that the first 17 of the Shakespeare Sonnets were written in order to try and persuade a young man to marry.

Wriothesley's name (usually pronounced "Risely" or "Risley") was often also pronounced "Rosely" at the time, so "beauty's rose in Sonnet Number One seems straight away to be a reference to him. Not too much left to the imagination when it comes to persuading him to marry and produce an heir, either! 

My contention is that old Cecil probably asked young Henry Neville to write those sonnets. Old Cecil knew the Nevilles. He knew how clever and learned young Henry was. The Nevilles were family too -- they could be trusted not to give old Cecil's scheme away.

It is, however, unthinkable that Cecil would have asked an unknown Stratford boy to have pried into his affairs and written all those very pointed words. 

Besides, the division  of the classes in those days was as strong as any caste system. Cecil would simply have had to have chosen a writer whom he knew personally, who was related -- and probably one who was in some manner under his power. All these circumstances applied to Neville. This would  explain, too, why the sonnets were published only after theold Cecil had died, and only after the Earl of Southampton was married and had an hear.

The Earl didn't marry Cecil's granddaughter, in the end. He ran away to fight for Henri of Navarre in France, together with the Earl of Essex. And once again, coincidence piles up on top of coincidence, since Neville was already in this circle, and was later to serve as Ambassador to France, under that very Henri, after he became King of France. 

But because the sonnets weren't published for years, Sir Henry Neville was able to keep adding to them. The later sonnets apply to Sir Henry's subsequent life in a way that both meaningful and poignant. It would take a whole book to explain all these overlapping circumstances, but as this present book proceeds I shall briefly demonstrate how the sonnets tie in graphically with Henry's life.

From The Bat Cave -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48360ARCHIVES.

Last night I met with Judah and Levi over FaceTime from the Bat Cave here in Euless, Texas.

Levi was absolutely mesmerized by the Bat Cave. He wanted to know everything about it. 

 Photos from the Bat Cave from last night:Photos from the Bat Cave from last night:

The Lego Ferrari set:

#75913.

Dates:

• released March, 2015.
• retired November, 2016.

Obviously retired. 

See this post for current value.

Lego Speed Champions at this wiki entry. 

Link here, screenshot taken March 24, 2025, currently available at this price:

With 884 pieces, the original price would have been less than $89.

Apple Account -- Simply Seamless -- Lego -- Taiwan -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48359APPLE.

**************************
Apple

Over the years, I've loaded a number of apps -- I pay for two of those apps. 

It is absolutely incredible how easy it is to manage one's Apple account which includes these apps. 

One thing has changed but it was done seamlessly. I didn't have to do a thing. 

Apple ID changed to Apple Account. 

I don't think I've signed into Apple in two or three years and yet I use it in the background, on an-almost daily basis. 

Today, I went to check something and was amazed how easy Apple made it for me to manage my Apple account. 

*******************************
Lego

This is why Lego is so compelling.

Link here.

I have no idea how this ended up in one of my social media accounts today but it did. 

I saw this item on Amazon, and really, really, really wished I had bought it before it was retired by Lego. 

A Lego search revealed this set was retired in 2000 and was selling for $99 at the time. And as noted, I really wished I had bought it. 

Looking more closely at the Amazon screenshot --

It turns out, I did buy it back in 2000 and that was before I was tracking / logging my Lego purchases. So, somewhere in my storage locker I have this Lego set. Whoo-hoo!

*******************************
Taiwan

With news that China has now pretty much surrounded Taiwan under the guise of "military exercises," one may want to watch this edition of the Independent Institute with Victor Davis Hanson which aired six months ago, about October, 2024. 

Link here.

***************************
Walmart vs Amazon

Link here.

**********************************
Disclaimer
Brief Reminder 

 Briefly:

• I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken and I am often well out front of my headlights. I am often appropriately accused of hyperbole when it comes to the Bakken.
  
• I am inappropriately exuberant about the US economy and the US market.
• I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 
• See disclaimer. This is not an investment site. 
• 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 something appears wrong, it probably is. Feel free to fact check everything.
  
• 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. 
• Reminder: I am inappropriately exuberant about the Bakken, US economy, and the US market.
• I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Apple. 
• And now, Nvidia, also. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Nvidia. Nvidia is a metonym for AI and/or the sixth industrial revolution.
• I've now added Broadcom to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Broadcom.
• I've now added Oracle to the disclaimer. I am also inappropriately exuberant about all things Oracle.
  
• Longer version here.      
  

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My Dad Would Love The Market Right Now

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The Book Page

Henry Neville and the Shakespeare Code, Brenda James, 2008.

*********************
Eggs

Walmart, north Texas. 

No shortage. 

$3.98.

Neighborhood high-end grocer: $7.98.

Manic Monday -- March 24, 2025

Locator: 48358B.

March Madness: "Sweet 16" set. Begins later this week.

*************************************
Back to the Bakken

WTI: $68.84.

New wells:

• Tuesday, March 25, 2025: 66 for the month, 181 for the quarter, 181 for the year,
• 41091, conf, Ragnar Exploration, Halley 1-36H, 
• 41021, conf, CLR, Bud FIU 7-30H, 
• 40483, conf, Silver Hill Energy Operating, Tucson W 158-94-26-35-2MBH, 
• 40475, conf, Hess, GO-John-LW-156-98-0507H-1,
• 40404, conf, Phoenix Operating, Nate 27-34-3 4H
• 40329, conf, Phoenix Operating, Nate 27-34-3 3H
• Monday, March 24, 2025: 60 for the month, 175 for the quarter, 175 for the year,
• 40469, conf, Phoenix Operating, Nate 27-43-3 1H- LL, 
• 40403, conf, Phoenix Operating, Nate 27-34-3 2H, 
• 39695, conf, Hess, TI-Beauty Valley-LE-158-95-15423H-1,
• 39042, conf, Grayson Mill, Dave Arnson 5-8 4H, 
• 39041, conf, Grayson Mill, Dave Arnson 5-8 5H,
• Sunday, March 23, 2025: 55 for the month, 170 for the quarter, 170 for the year,
• 41018, conf, WGO Resources, Koon Harkins 1-26,
• 40943, conf, Murex, LA-Lily Anne 25-36H MB, 
• 39318, conf, Grayson Mill, Marilyn 31-33 2H,
• Saturday, March 22, 2025: 52 for the month, 167 for the quarter, 167 for the year,
• None.

RBN Energy: propane wholesalers tasked with balancing seasonal demand, steady production. 

More than 9 billion gallons of propane were delivered to U.S. consumer markets in 2024, primarily for residential heating and cooking. Demand is highly seasonal, which brings a unique set of challenges for buyers, especially on the wholesale side of the market, but production tends to be steadier over the course of the year. In today’s RBN blog, we show how wholesalers balance supply and demand and the critical role of the winter-to-summer ratio.