Sunday, May 25, 2025

How Biden Destroyed The Democratic Party -- The New York Times -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48684BIDEN.  

Amazing: most important -- most iconic -- race of the year -- the Memorial Day NASCAR race -- now the Coca-Cola 600 -- it's available only on Amazon Prime. 

This blows me away. I still maintain the best streaming mix is Hulu + Amazon Prime. Second best or perhaps even better, YouTube TV + Amazon Prime. That's the entree. Perhaps side courses: Apple TV+; Netflix. 
Everything Connor Zilisch: youngest driver in the race; his first time in this race. Jimmie Johnson, 700th Cup start series. William Bryon in the race today; won the "junior" race, same racetrack, yesterday.

Hockey: Dallas Stars are getting blown out by the Edmonton Oilers. The score is 5 - 1 near the end of the third period.

NBA: New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers tonight, 7:00 p.m. 

********************************
Politics

This may be the first year I buy a book on the status of politics in America: how Biden destroyed the Democratic Party, and almost destroyed America in the process. 

Actions have consequences -- all roads lead to Biden:
  • Obama picks Biden for his VP.
  • Obama turns out to be the most divisive president in recent history "... you didn't build that."
  • Rush Limbaugh instrumental in stopping Hillary
  • Biden beating Trump raised too many questions that remain(ed) unanswered
  • Biden from the beginning was ineffectual, but even worse, he allowed a "politburo" run the White House
    • Jill, the real power behind the throne, was but a puppet; 
      • like Pinocchio, she lacked intellectual capacity to manage the White House;
    • the puppeteer? Barack Obama.
  • the singular event that led to Biden's defeat: the Southern Surge
    • the Southern Surge remains an enigma; why did the "politburo" allow it to happen?  
    • Trump turned it around in less than 100 days
  • Biden was kicked off the ticket by his own party; and,
  • then defeated in the general election; 
    • any "reasonable" GOP candidate would have defeated Biden/Harris/Walz (a high school coach)
    • Tim Walz absolutely defined Biden's "no-nothing" cabinet -- Tim Walz was a high school coach -- assistant coach to be more accurate)
    • "Tampon Tim" encapsulated his politics -- again, this was a high school assistant coach
    • meanwhile, Trump, "make America great again"
  • following his first term, Trump had four years to plan how he would run his next campaign, and what he would do if he won (others helped: Project 2025)

Within first six months of Trump's presidency, we saw:

  • the end of the BLM movement; link to The New York Times; 
    • although BLM movement was not started because of George Floyd, the latter's death was perhaps the event most associated with the BLM movement (also in this link to The New York Times);
    • one wonders if BLM / George Floyd was the dot that connects Tim Walz to Kamala Harris' VP pick?
  • the end of DEI;
  • the last nail nailed into the coffin of EVs and renewable energy; except where the latter makes economic sense; Porsche threw in the EV towel this past week.
  • realigned global politics;
    • Russia? seems bogged down in Ukraine; has lost two, maybe three generations of men;
    • Trump did what he could; but neither party (Ukraine, Putin) wants the war to stop; and, the EU / NATO are paper tigers;
    • unlike previous world wars / regional wars, Russia did not learn anything (tactics or technology); still fighting WWI-style trench warfare;
    • Trump pretty much walled off Russia, China from the Mideast sphere -- most important global win in his presidency? This was a huge loss for China, although Russia is probably relieved.
  • the feet of  liberal university presidents being held to the fire;
  • international students being arrested for holding illegal protests on university campuses;
  • power restored to the White House which Congress had usurped;
**********************************
How Biden Destroyed The Democratic Party
The New York Times

Link to The New York Times. 

Donald J. Trump’s victory in 2024 was not an outlier.

It was the culmination of continuous gains by Republicans in much of the country each time he has run for president, a sea of red that amounts to a flashing warning sign for a Democratic Party out of power and hoping for a comeback.

The steady march to the right at the county level reveals not just the extent of the nation’s transformation in the Trump era but also the degree to which the United States now resembles two countries charging in opposite directions.



***********************
What Is Beyond The Edge of The Universe

I wish Leonard Nimoy could have narrated this video.
 
It's all about the "expansion."

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Intergenerational Wealth Transfer -- Update -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48683WEALTH. 

July 12, 2025: link here. The numbers keep increasing. 

Members of the so-called forgotten generation -- Generation X — now aged 45 to 60 — stand to receive $1.4 trillion annually over the next decade, according to a new report from Cerulli Associates, as their baby boomer parents get older and die. Mostly just a paid advertisement for financial services disguised as a financial news story.

July 1, 2025: the important thing to note here: the amount of money to be passed to the next generations in the US has long been stated to be $84 trillion. Somewhere along the way that was updated to $124 trillion.

  • Merrill Lynch impact: linked July 1, 2025; undated; will probably disappear over time.
  • MarketPulse: linked July 1, 2025; dated June 28, 2025; will probably disappear over time.
  • MarketPulse, Bezos: linked July 1, 2025; ; dated June 28, 2025; will probably disappear over time.
  • Gloom and doom always around the corner: PowerLine, June 30, 2025; link here.

Updates

May 25, 2025: the data below has been posted before. But -- and this is much more important -- we are just entering the sixth industrial revolution. 

And with that, here's the update as of today, ChatGPT: $124 trillion will be passed down by 2048, primarily from Baby Boomers (99%) and the Silent Generation (1%) to their heirs. 

This unprecedented shift is reshaping financial planning. Most of this $148 trillion will go to women: wives and daughters and granddaughter and great-granddaughters. 

And folks are worried about the national debt? LOL. Democratic administrations will tax the heck out of this. First to be taxed: Roth IRAs. Next? For top earners, the end of social security as "they" know it. And finally,

Original Post

Inter-generational wealth transfer. Liz Ann Sonders. A recurrent theme on the blog.  Link here. Demographics. Wealth transfer.

  • $84 trillion
  • over next twenty years
  • largest share, $30 trillion to Gen X

OFR MMFs (my favorite chart): link here.

From OpenGPT:

The United States is currently undergoing the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history, with an estimated $84 trillion expected to pass from Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation to their heirs by 2045. Notably, women are poised to inherit a significant portion of this wealth, marking a substantial shift in financial dynamics.

Several factors contribute to this trend:

  • Longer Life Expectancy: Women tend to outlive men, resulting in many inheriting assets from spouses before passing them on to the next generation. 

  • Changing Family Dynamics: Increased divorce rates and evolving family structures have led to more women independently managing and inheriting wealth.

  • Educational and Professional Advances: Younger generations of women are attaining higher education levels and entering the workforce in greater numbers, enhancing their financial literacy and earning potential.

From Google:

Updates 

December 8, 2024: within hours after posting the orinal note, Carl posted this note on Bluesky:

Social media comments (aka nattering nabobs of negativity) suggest some / many folks don't realize this is already occurring and will continue to snowball. Less important: a single curve. More important: the sum of the three (four?) curves). A fifth curve will start by 2048.

Simple arithmetic: 46 + 15 + 39 = $100 trillion.

Note: most folks will fixate on the yellow line after 2040. But importantly, right now, the yellow line is around $750 billion, or rounding to $1 trillion. To put that in perspective, MMFs are holding about $7 trillion. MMFs become a "holding tank" while heirs decide what to do with their cash inheritance.

The yellow line in 2048, will consist of only six people (mostly Democrats):

  • Keith Richards
  • Nancy Pelosi
  • Warren Buffett
  • Cher
  • George Soros
  • Joe Biden

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

Three books from Half-Price Books today; 20% off for Memorial Day.

From the jacket, God Save Texas:

GodSave Texas is a journey through the most controversial state in America. It is a red state, but the cities are blue and among the most diverse in the nation. Oil is still king, but Texas now leads California in technology exports. Low taxes and minimal regulation have produced extraordinary growth, but also striking income disparities. Texas looks a lot like the America that Donald Trump wants to create.

******************************
The Lego Page 

Link here.

More Lego:
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The Grayson Mill Marilyn Wells -- An Update -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48419B.
Locator: 48682B.  

Note: NBA tonight -- it looked like the Indiana Pacers would go up 3 - 0 in the series over the New York Knicks but with a strong (surprising) finish, the Knicks pulled out a win, 106 - 100.

Coca-Cola 600: a good race, but not particularly noteworthy. Over the two-day weekend, two races, #24 Byron won almost every stage (if not every stage) except the most important one -- the last stage of the Coca-Cola 600. Ross Chastain passed the #24 with about eight laps to go to win the race. Was their lap traffic involved? I think so. Chastain started last in the race and went on to win. First one to do that since Bobby Alison in 1961.

Updates

May 25, 2025:

The three "wells of interest" (see below: Wing, Mortenson, and Jack Erickson) have been off-line for several months. Their coming off-line coincides with the Marilyn wells being drilled and fracked (completed) and that's why the "wells of interest" were taken off-line.

The question is whether the "wells of interest" will go back into production.

It's possible the wells will remain off-line and the operator will eventually drill additional (new) wells (perhaps four) to the south that parallel the Marilyn wells to the north.

On the other hand, the operator may bring the "wells of interest" back on-line. If the operator brings "the wells of interest" back on-line it will be interesting to see if they benefit from the "halo effect," that is whether they will show increased production when return to production. Remember four horizontal wells "crossed perpendicularly) near these "wells of interest," so one would expect evidence of a halo effect. 

I'm hoping for the latter so we can see if there will be a halo effect. I assume we will know within six months.

Now, back to the numbers, starting with the new Marilyn wells.

The Grayson Mill Marilyn wells:

  • 39317, drl/A, Grayson Mill, Marilyn 31-33 1H, Painted Woods, t10/24; cum 148K 3/25;
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN3-20252010211101252168694439268175
BAKKEN2-20252714782148122940116534149381596
BAKKEN1-20253019661197433879118472171091363
BAKKEN12-20243128438285055680627970203707600
BAKKEN11-20242938731385827522434800304044396
BAKKEN10-20242428592293806622223618381119807
BAKKEN9-20249791168749966973109731
  • 39318, drl/A, Grayson Mill, Marilyn 31-33 2H, Painted Woods, t10/24; cum 128K 3/25;
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN3-2025219730970026543100109772238
BAKKEN2-20252517616176493502820212181262086
BAKKEN1-20253122925229065013923923221581765
BAKKEN12-20243123474234945843424864181056759
BAKKEN11-20242628700286267646326796234113385
BAKKEN10-20242125000247906401722089356418525
BAKKEN9-202428170153715015
  • 39319, drl/A, Grayson Mill, Marilyn 31-33 3H, Painted Woods, t10/24; cum 139K 3/25;
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN3-202525726273222488479397736203
BAKKEN2-20252718735188343992724804224412363
BAKKEN1-20253129012290375681532053296592394
BAKKEN12-202431339833384578006375702735710213
BAKKEN11-20242725507254566884022276194692807
BAKKEN10-20242524101239787136520298327517023
BAKKEN9-2024367258430911280128
  • 39320, drl/A, Grayson Mill, Marilyn 31-33 4H, Painted Woods, t10/24; cum 131K 3/25;
PoolDateDaysBBLS OilRunsBBLS WaterMCF ProdMCF SoldVent/Flare
BAKKEN3-20252089819000253451163811426212
BAKKEN2-20252819340194234475727003244802523
BAKKEN1-20253128550285406597830517282652252
BAKKEN12-20243130633305308455430436221628274
BAKKEN11-20242524720246307165621441187262715
BAKKEN10-20242318863187056519215311247012841
BAKKEN9-202434539158613013

Wells of interest:

  • 21660, IA/2,344, Grayson Mill, Wing 4-33 1H, Painted Woods, t4/10; cum 261K 4/24; offline since 5/24;,
  • 18534, IA/1,924, Grayson Mill, Mortenson 5-32 1H, Painted Woods, t4/10; cum 222K 4/24; offline since 5/24;
  • 18439, IA/2,323, Grayson Mill, Jack Erickson 6-31 1H, Painted Woods, t3/10; cum 267K 4/24; offline since 5/24;

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Honda Mileage -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48682HONDA.  

It's so much fun to "fill up" this car. I run the tank to almost empty and yet, at less than 10 gallons to fill it up, takes almost no time.

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Apple -- For Hikers -- Hansel And Gretel Could Have Used This App -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48681B. 

Link here.



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EVs -- Porsche Throws In The Towel On EVs -- This Tells Me All I Need To Know About EVs -- Even The Rich Don't Want These Expensive Toys -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48680B. 

Updates

May 28, 2025: NY Times. It's crazy that a company can't make it without federal incentives after twenty-five years of trying to get Americans to buy EVs. Of course, this story is about Trump's tariffs, but it does mention the headwinds facing Porsche even before the tariffs. The Porsche story tells me that even the rich have tired of this fad. I think the young journalists reporting this story are simply amazed -- they can't wrap their heads around this. LOL.

This year was already shaping up to be a tough one for Porsche. 
Chinese customers were losing interest in the luxury sports car, its bet on electric vehicles was failing with drivers long enamored by the rumble of its combustion engines and its stock price hovered near record lows. 
Then President Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all cars imported to the United States starting in April. Last week, he doubled down on that, threatening a 50 percent tariff for all products from the European Union, sending Porsche’s shares tumbling further and E.U. leaders and auto executives scrambling to make a deal. 
All of Europe’s leading carmakers have been hit by the tariff turbulence, at a time when they are already facing increasing competition from Chinese automakers. But unlike BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, Porsche manufactures its vehicles exclusively in Germany, leaving it more vulnerable to the combined threat of advancements from China’s rivals and tariff increases in the United States.

Original Post

Link here.

Go direct to the story at this link. [Comments inserted.]

Like a lot of automakers, Porsche made an aggressive push towards EVs. Its initial plan was for 80 percent of its sales to be fully electric by 2030, but at its annual shareholder meeting Wednesday, CEO Oliver Blume said that's not going to happen, though not for lack of trying. So now, it's putting more emphasis on hybrid options, while still continuing to expand its range of EVs. [FAKE EVS.]

"Our goal was to deliver more than 80% fully electric sports cars by 2030. One of the most ambitious goals in the entire industry," Blume said in prepared remarks. "Our product strategy would still allow us to achieve this. [What product strategy? To sell cars at a loss?] In view of market developments, it is not realistic. Our BEV ramp-up will therefore adapt flexibly. To demand and market developments."

Customers haven't taken to electric Porsches like the brand once hoped. Taycan sales fell globally last year, which Porsche said was at least in part due to a heavy refresh for the model, but also because the "ramp-up of electric mobility is generally proceeding more slowly than planned."

It's probably too early to render a definitive verdict on the new all-electric Macan, because the company is still selling the internal-combustion model in some markets until next year. But, Blume said in his remarks that "[i]n the SUV segment, we are examining a new model series. It could come onto the market towards the end of the decade—also with combustion and hybrid drive."Whether that's the long mooted three-row, or something smaller to sit closer to the Macan EV is unclear. But in any case, Porsche will do a lot more hybrids. [Fake EVs.]
As previously announced, Blume said that combustion and EV versions of the Panamera and Cayenne will live alongside one another into the 2030s. And the company is full steam ahead with the electric 718.

"After a strong start-up phase, it has now become clear that we were a step ahead of market developments," Blume said. "The comprehensive and above all sustainable ramp-up has not yet materialized. The transition phase will probably be much longer than originally thought. That's why we're continuing to take a balanced approach: Combustion engines, hybrids and electric sports cars."

The company is currently in a tricky situation. In China, sales have fallen precipitously as customers there move away from Western cars, and in the US, it's particularly exposed to tariffs as one of the few companies that doesn't build anything it sells here. And in Europe, there's a lot of regulatory uncertainty on top of the slower-than-anticipated EV growth.

While Porsche sold over 300,000 cars last year, Blume said it's now restructuring the company around a target of 250,000 annual sales. Which means cutting workforce, as previously announced, and trying to emphasize "value over volume,” as Blume put it. In other words, make more money selling fewer cars. And a lot more of them will be hybrids.

Ferrari? From ChatGPT this morning:

As of May 2025, Ferrari does not currently sell a fully electric vehicle (EV). However, the company is actively developing its first all-electric model, with deliveries expected to begin in October 2026. 

Ferrari plans to unveil the technological core of its upcoming EV on October 9, 2025, during its Capital Markets Day. The full vehicle is anticipated to be revealed in spring 2026, with customer deliveries commencing later that year. 

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Ellendale AI Center -- Update -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48679B.  

A reader may have more information on this story. I can't find the update for which I'm looking but there are indications that this massive AI center, built and ready to go, has not found any customers. I could be wrong, but there's a site out that -- a very credible site -- that suggests this is accurate.

Meanwhile, other links:

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Initial Production Data For Wells Coming Off Confidential List This Next Week -- May 25, 2025

Locator: 48678B. 

The wells:

Wednesday, June 4, 2025: 20 for the month, 173 for the quarter, 387 for the year,
41312, conf, CLR, Helen 7-8H, West Capa, npd,
40795, conf, St Croix Operating, St Croix Antler 1, wildcat, npd, NESW 4-163-82;

Tuesday, June 3, 2025: 18 for the month, 171 for the quarter, 385 for the year,
41090, conf, Silver Hill Operating, Rooster W Federal 159-94-2-26-1MBHX, North Tioga, npd,

Monday, June 2, 2025: 17 for the month, 170 for the quarter, 384 for the year,

  • 40687, conf,  Hess, GO-Jimmy W Hill-157-98--214H-3, Oliver,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251118915634
2-20252215628247
1-20252929840359
12-20243162420724
  • 41233, conf, BR, Keene 14-35 TFH, Little Knife, npd,
  • 40832, conf, Hess, EN-Horst-LE-154-93-03H-1, Robinson Lake,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-2025696211900
2-2025804616140
1-20251106314461
12-20241472110184
  • 40518, conf, BR, Franklin 14-36 TFH, Ranch Creek, npd,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-2025106740
2-2025158600
1-2025229420
12-2024238820
  • 40909, conf, Rockpoet Energy, Merritt 18-19-30 4H Little Knife,
  • 41201, conf, Silver Hill Operating, Rooster W Federal 159-94-2-26-2TFHX, North Tioga, npd,
  • 40915, conf, Rockport Energy, Annie 7-6-31 4H, Ranch Creek,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-2025696211900
2-2025804616140
1-20251106314461
12-20241472110184
  • 40823, conf, Rockport Energy, Mary Carson 8-5 1H, Ranch Creek,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-2025141150
2-202596450
1-2025156030
12-2024207750
  • 40686, conf, Hess, GO-Jimmy W Will-157-98-3526H-2, Oliver,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252314930825
2-20251045212549
1-20252112020584
12-20243166715700
  • 40531, conf, Enerplus, Deuce 149-92-19D-18H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252945720781
2-20253350826957
  • 40530, conf, Enerplus, Lumber 149-92-19D-18H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252332618560
2-20252754620524
  • 40529, conf, Enerplus, Curve 149-92-19D-18H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252499920339
2-20252908821975
  • 40528, conf, Enerplus, Dinger 149-92-19C018H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20253055124781
2-20253074722771
  • 40527, conf, Enerplus, Juiced 149-92-19C-18H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252147917008
2-20252225317207
  • 40526, conf, Enerplus, Bullpen 149-92-19C-18H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252026816791
2-20252296817305
  • 40525, conf, Enerplus, Southpaw 149-92-19C-18H, Heart Butte,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251831814937
  • 40524, conf, Enerplus, Closer 149-92-19C-18H-LL, Heart Butte, 
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-2025135019597
2-20251745813786
  • 41202, conf, Silver Hill Energy Operating, Rooster W Federal 159-94-2-26-3MBHX, North Tioga, npd,
  • 37577, conf, BR, Keene 21-2 TFH, Little Knife, npd,
  • 40792, conf, Phoenix Operating, Jacobson 19-30-31 4H, Skabo,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251953117886
2-202599078002
1-20251990717186
12-2024182200
11-20246320
  • 41203, conf, Silver Hill Operating, Ringneck W 159-94-11-23-1MBHX, North Tioga, npd,
  • 40770, conf, Phoenix Operating, Jacobson 19-30-31 3H, Skabo,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252257519632
2-2025120459722
1-20252001116976
12-2024206090
11-202412730
  • 41204, conf, Silver Hill Operating, Ringneck W 159-94-11-23-2MBHX, North Tioga, npd,
  • 41144, conf, BR, Devils Backbone 5E, Westberg, npd,
  • 40998, conf, Phoenix Operating, Jacobson 19-30-31 1H-LLR, Burg,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251967820448
2-20251193010302
1-20251769515468
12-2024193273244
11-202411570
  • 40895, conf, Phoenix Operating, Jacobson 19-30-31 6H-LL, Skabo,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252401520024
2-202573615519
1-20251939717463
12-2024165840
11-20249330
  • 40831, conf, Hess, EN-Horst-154-93-0310H-10, Robinson Lake,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252036725199
2-20251946921571
1-20252044121226
12-20241513115493
11-202432683947
  • 40791, conf, Phoenix Operating, Jacobson 19-30-31 5H, Skabo,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252145418382
2-20251421212090
1-20252158619244
12-2024173630
11-20249960
  • 40790, conf, Phoenix Operating, Jacobson 19-30-31 5H, Skabo,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251619416000
2-2025110288077
1-20252008917343
12-2024205880
11-202413270
  • 40229, conf, Hess, EN-Horst-154-93-1003H-7, Robinson Lake,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251716926912
2-20251470318162
1-20251667418532
12-20241558918616
11-202424172259

41205, conf, Silver Hill Energy, Ringneck 159-94-11-23-3MBHX, North Tioga, npd,
40501, conf, Oasis, Lee S 5201 21-8 5B, Camp,

DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252269422511
2-20251655514893
1-20251631815260
12-20242440023504
11-202420313079
  • 40500, conf, Oasis, Lee S 5201 21-8 4B, Camp,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252061421688
2-20251870417316
1-20251653615033
12-20242278819469
11-202429363874
  • 40810, conf, Hess, E-Uran A-LW-154-93-1521H-1, Robinson Lake,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20251818923454
2-20251490516077
1-20251730918584
12-20242885432964
11-202474698298
  • 40489, conf, Oasis, Lee S 5201 21-8 3B, Camp,
DateOil RunsMCF Sold
3-20252213521127
2-20251734515688
1-20251627514781
12-20242225818745
11-202433244276

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