Project Kilby -- Massive New LDC -- To Be Built In West Texas -- Reeves County -- Pecos -- I Love Seeing "Massive, Texas" In Same Sentence -- June 22, 2026

Locator: 51031LDC. 

Microsoft and Chevron's proposed "Project Kilby" data center and its co-located power plant will be built on a 2,000-acre site in Reeves County, Texas. This location is near the city of Pecos, right in the heart of the Permian Basin oil and gas field. 

The massive 2.7-gigawatt project will be a "behind-the-meter" campus, meaning the power infrastructure will be built directly on-site and the data center will bypass the traditional regional grid entirely. The facility will be fueled by Chevron's local natural gas production and is slated to deliver its first power by 2028.

Project Kilby is not part of the massive 5-LDC "Stargate" initiative previously announced. I believe one of of the five Stargate projects is in Abilene, TX, not associated with Project Kilby.

 Stargate is tracked here.

Monday -- June 22, 2026

Locator: 51030B.

Politics: UK PM Starmer resigns as Britain faces its seventh leader in 10 years. This is why Starmer failed according to Gemini:

Investing / market: this market is so crazy, this is the best I can do at the moment -- futures, Monday morning -- 

Movies: Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. 

The movie will be a blockbuster or a disaster, depending on word-of-mouth / critical reviews within 72 hours of its release July 17, 2026. The definition of blockbuster / disaster will be based on financial success / failure. It will not be based "on the film itself." That will take years.

My hunch: its all-star cast will save the movie financially, but the movie won't have legs. It will be a must-see movie ... but just once. It's not a movie that will generate a following like the great movies of the past. 

There's going to be a lot of articles on this movie between now and July 20, 2026. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey will be a movie version of The Kardashians. The movie will be "famous" for being "famous." The movie will be a "must-see" because of the "must-see" hype. I have no desire to see it. My wife does. 

Matt Damon doesn't have the gravitas to play Odysseus. 

If the movie fails, it will be compared to David Lynch's Dune. 

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey cost a reported $250 million to produce. Industry estimates suggest Universal Pictures added an additional $100 million to $150 million for global marketing. Together, the film's total estimated budget, including production and marketing, is between $350 and $400 million. The first movie in the Star Wars franchise, cost $11 million with an additional $26 million spent by 20th Century Fox for prints, negatives and advertising. 

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

WTI: $75.40. Already volatile, it's going to be even more volatile this week. 

New wells reporting:

• Tuesday, June 23, 2026: 27 for the month, 183 for the quarter, 340 for the year,
• 41682, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 8H, 
• Monday, June 22, 2026: 26 for the month, 182 for the quarter, 339 for the year,
• 41610, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-LE-156-95-2234H-1, 
• Sunday, June 21, 2026: 25 for the month, 181 for the quarter, 338 for the year,
• None.
• Saturday, June 20, 2026: 25 for the month, 181 for the quarter, 338 for the year,
• None.

RBN Energy: key step can help gas pipelines boost regulatory certainty, limit court challenges. Link here. Archived.

Open seasons are a key part of marketing capacity for gas pipeline and storage projects, but they can also raise several regulatory questions. It starts with determining whether an open season is legally required or is simply an expected part of the process, and extends to the nuts and bolts of how it should all be designed and run. And the answers depend on what kind of open season it is. In today’s RBN blog, we take a deep dive into the ins and outs of a gas project open season.

This is our second blog in a three-part series on open seasons. As we covered in Part 1, an open season is essentially a competitive bidding process in which any qualified shipper can compete for firm pipeline capacity. That capacity might be on a brand-new pipeline, an expansion of an existing system, or space that’s opened up because current shippers decided to give some back or it was simply unsubscribed. The rules and customs vary depending on the situation, and there are big differences in how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates natural gas and liquids (crude oil, refined products and NGLs) pipelines. Things get even looser with intrastate pipelines and gathering systems, where there are no federal rules to worry about — just state rules and commercial norms. In this series, we're focusing on the interstate world, where open seasons are pretty formalized and can carry real consequences.

Today, we’re zeroing in on natural gas, including how open seasons connect to precedent agreements and certificate proceedings. (A precedent agreement is a binding commercial contract in which a shipper commits to reserve and pay for transportation capacity, usually contingent on the pipeline project being built or expanded. The agreement outlines key terms such as volume commitments, contract length, rates, receipt and delivery points, and conditions required for the project to proceed.) In Part 3, we'll tackle services by crude oil, refined products and NGL pipelines, where the common-carrier model — with all its quirks like proration, committed versus uncommitted service, and contract terms — affects the need and terms for open seasons. It’s a dense regulatory topic, but we’ll break it down in a way that we hope can keep you awake.

[There's a huge photo at the link above, but it's not worth including. It's simply a photograph of a pipeline under construction.]

A Musical Interlude -- June 21, 2026

Locator: 51029MUSIC

Investing: link here. 

• Kinetic Holdings (KNTK)
• SLB (SLB)
• IBM (IBM)

************************************
A Musical Interlude

I've often said that 1969 was the best year ever for music. I have a blog devoted to music released in 1969. 

I was surprised to find this on YouTube recently, perhaps my favorite secondary musical theme for  the James Bond film series, for the movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Link here. 

The Enerplus (Chord) Crying Tree Wells In Little Knife, McKenzie County -- June 21, 2026

Locator: 51028ENERPLUS.

This is kind of a disjointed post -- but I think you can figure it out. 

Disclaimer: in a long note like this, there will be typographical and content errors.  

The Bakken never fails to amaze me. See disclaimer.  I count 15 wells on this pad. 

Recently fracked Enerplus (now part of Chord) wells on an existing pad, near Killdeer, McKenzie County, sent to me by a reader. Thank you very much. I noted  these wells recently but failed to post a stand-alone note. Just too much stuff to cover, but when a reader notes them, I try to make sure they get extra attention. 

From the reader:

Notice the nomenclature of 41407. It’s quite clever, as it’s literally on the edge of HELL. Ha! Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-9H-ELL.

The actual well site is breathtaking.  The pad of ~15 wells is on a tight pad on the very edge of the bluff that begins the Badlands to the west. It’s really something. 

 The Devils Canyon wells and Crying Tree wells:

The Enerplus Devils Canyon wells, completed back in 2024, on the northeast side of the pad, currently offline due to Crying Tree activity to the southeast, the wells:

The Enerplus Crying Tree wells, recently completed, on the southeast side of the pad:

• 40464, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-2H-WLL, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 227K 9/25;
• 40102, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-3H, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 202K 8/25;
• 40103, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-4H, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 199K 8/25;
• 40104, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-5H, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 209K 10/25;
• 40105, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-6H, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 217K 10/25;
• 40106, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-7H, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 200K 8/25;
• 40107, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-8H, Lone Butte, t5/24; cum 179K 9/25;
• 40108, drl/IA, Enerplus, Devils Canyon 147-97-17-20-9H-ELL, Little Knife, t5/24; cum 222K 10/25;

The Enerplus Crying Tree wells, recently completed, on the southeast side of the pad:

• 41470, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-3H, Little Knife, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	8613	14965

• 41471, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-4H, Little Knife, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	7192	9963

• 41472, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-5H, Little Knife, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	11309	15410

• 41473, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-6H, Little Knife, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	7773	11438

• 41474, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-7H, Little Knife,  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	10748	14673

• 41475, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-8H, Little Knife,  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	6040	8193

• 41407, conf/recently fracked, Enerplus, Crying Tree 147-97-8-5-9H-ELL, Little Knife,  

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	6516	8425

**************************************
The Maps

Again, the incredible Killdeer Mountains area. 

End-Of-Day Rambling -- June 21, 2026

Locator: 51027ARCHIVES.

Some days it just seems I can't keep up. Today is another one of those days. 

Sports today: both the NASCAR race on Naval Base Coronado (San Diego) and PGA's US Open tournament on Long Island were absolutely incredible. 

The Wyndham Clark story is / was amazing. The Jay Busbee analysis is must-read. Link here. The article was posted at 6:49 a.m. CDT before the fourth and final round had begun. I'm reading the article now, after the tournament is over. Wow, incredible writing and an incredible golf tournament. It will be interesting if Mr Busbee follows this up with an article on some of the vocal and boorish spectators.

Most disappointing: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth. Probably others but I'm not following the PGA very closely any more. Speaking of which, Rolex needs to move on; quit with the stills of Tiger Woods. Speaking of which, Brandel Chamblee has a new piece out regarding Tiger Woods this weekend, link here. I haven't read more than the headline and part of the first paragraph; not sure if I will read any more of it.

The NASCAR race -- one of the best ever. I've said that before, but this was a great race on so many levels. Michael Jordan came close to seeing his team take the 1-2-3 top spots. 

Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing team had a dominant, historic 1-2 finish at the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series street race at Naval Base Coronado. 

Part-time driver Corey Heim won the race in the No. 67 Toyota, and his 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace finished second. 

The race was highly dramatic in its closing laps. Heim seized the lead from his other 23XI teammate, Tyler Reddick, with just two laps remaining. Reddick subsequently suffered a flat tire and finished 25th, leaving the top two spots for Heim and Wallace. 

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

Earlier today I posted a note regarding some great Enerplus wells coming off the confidential list in the next week or so. A reader sent me a note on another set of Enerplus wells. I will post his note later after I get a chance to spend some time looking at the wells.

***************************
The Mideast

The Mideast kerfuffel may not be over. That's not surprising. Conflicts have pretty much gone on non-stop for 2,000 years.  

The Arab nations with interests in the Persian Gulf (i.e, OPEC for the most part) may want to get out an old classic by the Brothers Grimm. The Arab nations are about to lose their "Golden Goose" if they're not careful.  

 *************************
Taxes

The story making the rounds right now: North Dakota may join Florida and Texas as being the most tax-friendly states among Obama's 57 states (links everywhere).  

Enerplus WIl Be Reporting Some Very Next Wells In The Next Week Or So -- June 21, 2026

Locator: 51026ENERPLUS.

The wells:

• 41522, conf, Enerplus, MHA Thorn 4894 43-16 6B, Eagle Nest

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	30334	26647
3-2026	28608	23915
2-2026	17823	15582
1-2026	27750	20148
12-2025	3137	683

• 41516, conf, Enerplus, MHA Holly 4894 43-16 5B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	44775	30306
3-2026	35895	28550
2-2026	35249	31208
1-2026	42912	30132
12-2025	3016	680

• 41515, conf, Enerplus, MHA Nettle 4894 43-16 4B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	33828	30445
3-2026	37616	30348
2-2026	34876	30029
1-2026	41316	33549
12-2025	5159	4594

• 41514, conf, Enerplus, MHA Lilac 4894 43-16 3B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	31566	29079
3-2026	32314	28372
2-2026	19955	19144
1-2026	29497	35683
12-2025	2735	6030

• 41513, conf, Enerplus, MHA Hibiscus 4894 43-16 2B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	31966	32929
3-2026	28762	26874
2-2026	28692	26620
1-2026	24779	18638
12-2025	3072	701

 **********************************
Maps

Initial Production Of Wells Coming Of Confidential List This Next Week -- June 21, 2028

Locator: 51025WELLS.

The wells: 

• 41537, conf, Devon Energy, Stallion 33-28 5H, Ragged Butte, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	9919	15841
3-2026	24127	40286
2-2026	30093	32408
1-2026	15300	10190

• 42447, conf, Petro-Hunt, Hoiby 158-94-10B-15-1HS, East Tioga, npd, 
• 41191, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-3, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	24015	41363
3-2026	25261	37540
2-2026	28682	41995
1-2026	38798	52817
12-2025	1523	1550

• 41051, conf, Devon Energy, Wagenman 32-29 3H, Todd, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	16252	19958
3-2026	30265	34741
2-2026	30466	28631
1-2026	22262	18782
12-2025	6524	5952

• 41609, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-2, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	23058	39284
3-2026	23241	34685
2-2026	29291	44240
1-2026	49774	77368
12-2025	3504	6270

• 41522, conf, Enerplus, MHA Thorn 4894 43-16 6B, Eagle Nest

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	30334	26647
3-2026	28608	23915
2-2026	17823	15582
1-2026	27750	20148
12-2025	3137	683

• 41516, conf, Enerplus, MHA Holly 4894 43-16 5B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	44775	30306
3-2026	35895	28550
2-2026	35249	31208
1-2026	42912	30132
12-2025	3016	680

• 41515, conf, Enerplus, MHA Nettle 4894 43-16 4B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	33828	30445
3-2026	37616	30348
2-2026	34876	30029
1-2026	41316	33549
12-2025	5159	4594

• 41514, conf, Enerplus, MHA Lilac 4894 43-16 3B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	31566	29079
3-2026	32314	28372
2-2026	19955	19144
1-2026	29497	35683
12-2025	2735	6030

• 41513, conf, Enerplus, MHA Hibiscus 4894 43-16 2B, Eagle Nest, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	31966	32929
3-2026	28762	26874
2-2026	28692	26620
1-2026	24779	18638
12-2025	3072	701

• 41681, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 7H, South Tobacco Garden, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	21411	56050
3-2026	15249	33131
2-2026	24423	48338
1-2026	42553	70767
12-2025	12750	20418

• 41680, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 6H, South Tobacco Garden, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	16508	52675
3-2026	13890	32702
2-2026	25977	50794
1-2026	32268	54168

• 41608, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-4, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	20399	37927
3-2026	23691	38828
2-2026	20670	30092
1-2026	38061	51906
12-2025	5848	8265

• 41607, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-5, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	17825	34700
3-2026	20248	30533
2-2026	15806	21660
1-2026	30648	47455
12-2025	10805	14129

• 41682, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 8H, South Tobacco Garden, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	22520	55381
3-2026	18251	40160
2-2026	24486	42676
1-2026	22780	38638
12-2025	18086	29783

• 41610, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-LE-156-95-2234H-1, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
4-2026	19800	27067
3-2026	24575	39076
2-2026	22266	35080
1-2026	30989	51721
12-2025	9610	17070

• 42419, conf, Kraken, Emerson 33-28-21 2H, Blue Ridge, npd, 

Wells Coming Off Confidential List This Next Week -- June 21, 2026

Locator: 51024WELLS.

Wednesday, July 1, 2026: 1 for the month, 1 for the quarter, 354 for the year, 
41537, conf, Devon Energy, Stallion 33-28 5H, 

Tuesday, June 30, 2026: 40 for the month, 196 for the quarter, 353 for the year, 
42447, conf, Petro-Hunt, Hoiby 158-94-10B-15-1HS, 
41191, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-3, 

Monday, June 29, 2026: 38 for the month, 194 for the quarter, 351 for the year, 
41051, conf, Devon Energy, Wagenman 32-29 3H, 

Sunday, June 28, 2026: 37 for the month, 193 for the quarter, 350 for the year, 
41609, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-2, 

Saturday, June 27, 2026: 36 for the month, 192 for the quarter, 349 for the year, 
41522, conf, Enerplus, MHA Thorn 4894 43-16 6B, 
41516, conf, Enerplus, MHA Holly 4894 43-16 5B, 
41515, conf, Enerplus, MHA Nettle 4894 43-16 4B, 
41514, conf, Enerplus, MHA Lilac 4894 43-16 3B, 
41513, conf, Enerplus, MHA Hibiscus 4894 43-16 2B, 

Friday, June 26, 2026: 31 for the month, 187 for the quarter, 344 for the year, 
41681, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 7H, 
41680, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 6H, 
41608, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-4, 

Thursday, June 25, 2026: 28 for the month, 184 for the quarter, 341 for the year,
None.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026: 28 for the month, 184 for the quarter, 341 for the year,
41607, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-156-95-2234H-5, 

Tuesday, June 23, 2026: 27 for the month, 183 for the quarter, 340 for the year,
41682, conf, Devon Energy, Johnson 27-34 8H, 

Monday, June 22, 2026: 26 for the month, 182 for the quarter, 339 for the year,
41610, conf, Hess, BL-Mortenson-LE-156-95-2234H-1, 

Sunday, June 21, 2026: 25 for the month, 181 for the quarter, 338 for the year,
None.

Saturday, June 20, 2026: 25 for the month, 181 for the quarter, 338 for the year,
None.

Friday, June 19, 2026: 25 for the month, 181 for the quarter, 338 for the year,
42419, conf, Kraken, Emerson 33-28-21 

Sports Today -- PGA -- US Open - Observations -- June 20, 2026

Locator: 51023SPORTS.

Updates 

6:50 p.m. CT: another huge crash.  Lap 35/60. Another red flag; took about an hour. Exciting finish.

First caution: lap one. Car hits manhole cover that had supposedly been welded down ... a manhole cover ends up in the radiator of car #17. Race is over for Corey Day. 150 manhole covers, or thereabouts. How fast can they weld the manhole cover back over the manhole? 

4:15 p.m. CT: NASCAR race starting momentarily out at San Diego. Naval Base Coronado. Street racing. A very irregular track; not the typical oval. Many of the curves single file; spotters / crew chiefs can't see every spot on the track. 

****************************
Original Post 

1:00 p.m. CT: Scottie about ready to tee off.  We don't see the leader until 2:45 p.m. CT -- almost two hours from now. 

• this Long Island golf course not as nice-looking as the Masters at Augusta, George; 
• Rolex needs to move on; still using "stills" of Tiger Woods to sell watches;
• the first wave of players: USA Network (NBC) and NBC only interested in Jordan Spieth it seems, and he continues to disappoint; his last win was in 2022 -- there are upwards of 45 PGA tournaments each year; so he's had some 150 opportunities to win; none to date; 
• crowds huge in some areas, but sparse in other areas;
• Scottie has just teed of from the first tee; in the rough just off the fairway; bogey first hole, Rory, par; not impressive in either case;
• I'm still not seeing any "real" champion; no "must-see" golfer.
• finally the first wave is completed and now we see the top of the leaderboard. 

NASCAR is making history this weekend (June 20-21) at Naval Base Coronado for the Anduril 250, marking the first time the Cup Series has ever competed on an active military base. It will be located at airfield operations, north island, I believe.

• today's race: late afternoon
• tomorrow's race: mid-afternoon

Naval Base Coronado (NBC) is a massive, 57,000-acre consortium of eight military installations in Southern California. Stretching from San Clemente Island to Imperial Beach, it serves as the West Coast hub for naval aviation, amphibious operations, and special warfare, employing over 36,000 military and civilian personnel.

FIFA Soccer: based on countries, none that interest me. The USA plays Turkey later. this week, Thursday. Not exactly must-watch television. 

Bakken -- Staggering -- A Reminder -- June 20, 2026

Locator: 51022B.  

A reminder. This link to see staggering wells from over the years. 

When you get there, this post will show up at the top, so scroll down through all the "staggering" wells.

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

Arrived today: The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film, Michael Ondaatje, c. 2002. Dustcover price: $35. Thriftbooks, $6.75. 

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

Re-reading. Trying to sort this book out.

Suddenly Something Clicked: The Languages of Film Editing and Sound Design, Walter Murch, c. March, 2025. 

Link here for the notes. 

This is the first of three volumes. The author says he has already completed volumes 2 and 3, but they won't be released "until the right time." 

Walter Murch is 82 years old. Volume 1 was published when he was 81 years old. Wiki. 

Never quit reading. This is truly amazing. On the very first page of this book: "uncanny valley." See wiki. So incredibly relevant at this moment in time.

Murch started compiling notes for this book in 2013 or thereabouts. And now AI.

As related to robotics engineering, robotics professor Masahiro Mori first introduced the concept in 1970 from his book titled Bukimi No Tani, lit. 'uncanny valley phenomenon').

Bukimi no tani was translated literally as uncanny valley in the 1978 book Robots: Fact, Fiction, and Prediction written by Jasia Reichardt.

Over time, this translation created an unintended association of the concept to Ernst Jentsch's psychoanalytic concept of the uncanny established in his 1906 essay "On the Psychology of the Uncanny" which was then critiqued and extended in Sigmund Freud's 1919 essay "The Uncanny." 

Mori's original hypothesis states that as the appearance of a robot is made more human, some observers' emotional response to the robot becomes increasingly positive and empathetic, until it becomes almost human, at which point the response quickly becomes strong revulsion. 

However, as the robot's appearance continues to become less distinguishable from that of a human being, the emotional response becomes positive once again and approaches human-to-human empathy levels.

When plotted on a graph (see above), the reactions are indicated by a steep decrease followed by a steep increase (hence the "valley" part of the name) in the areas where anthropomorphism is closest to reality.

Presidential Libraries, Museums, Shrines, Centers -- June 20, 2026

Locator: 51021OBAMA.  

The President Barack Obama Center (is that the correct name?) came up in passing this morning in a one- or two-line conversation with my wife when she mentioned a friend of a friend of a friend attended the opening of said library, Chicago, IL.

I mentioned that as far I knew, I have only visited one presidential library, the George W. Bush library here in Texas, and I think I only went there because of its proximity to where we live. I thought it was a great museum / library.

Then my wife reminded me that we had been to John F Kennedy library in Boston. Now, I remember. Without question that was my favorite. Very small, mostly a library in the true sense of the word, except not a "lending" library. The site, the location, the view, second to none. What I liked most about it: small, intimate, quite, restful.

The Bush libary here in Texas is beautiful, but it was a museum, not a library. It's "way over the top." Wonderful to visit, but I liked the JFK library so much more.  

So, now I'm starting to get it. Library. Museum. Shrine. Center. Campus.  

Factoid:

• the Obama Center in Chicago, the one we're talking about, is 8 stories high;
• the proposed Trump Center, to be built in Florida, is expected to be 50 stories high.

The centerpiece and major visual "wow factor" inside the museum at the Obama Presidential Center is a soaring, three-story atrium containing a monumental artwork called "City of the Big Shoulders" by artist Mark Bradford, alongside an expansive 88-foot digital wall celebrating the "Power of Words." See photograph of the painting here.

President George W. Bush library: a replica of his Oval Office.

President Donald J. Trump center: a decommissioned Air Force One on the bottom floor.  

*************************************
Going Forward

 

What Makes An Investor, An Investor -- A Repost From Three Years Ago -- June 20, 2026

Locator: 51020INVESTING.  

Re-posting, from November 23, 2023. Link here.

Locator: 46146INV.

I don't know how this contributor ended up on my twitter feed, but I consider myself lucky he did. I've learned a bit about investing from him.

From today:

Two things Giuliano taught me today, as an investor, not a trader:

• investors don't understand P/Es; and,
• investors wait too long to pivot.

I live and breathe mom-and-pop retail investing, in which I mean I know nothing about bonds, nothing about inverted curves, nothing about short-selling, nothing about options, nothing about puts and calls. At the end of the day, all I know from the financial pages is the basic stuff -- market caps, P/Es, highs and lows. But I live and breathe mom-and-pop retail investing. I think about it 24/7. 

I think about -- and live and breathe -- only a handful of things, and pretty much in this order:

• the love of my life;
• music;
• reading;
• retail investing;
• my extended family.

A basic question I ask when investing: if I were 20 years old would I want to work at this company for the rest of my life, for this CEO, and, if the answer is "yes," would I be willing to invest 100% of my retirement funds into this company's 401(k) or equivalent? If the answer to both questions is "yes," then I will invest in that company. If the answer to either question is "no," I won't invest. That seems pretty simple. [Obviously that question -- actually two questions -- needs to be re-asked periodically, not less than annually.]

In all my years of investing, I've only been really, really disappointed in three or four decisions and in all cases, I failed to pay attention to the answer to that question (or actually two questions).

California Archives -- Minor Notes -- June 19, 2026

Locator: 51019CALI.  

*****************************
Burrows

*****************************
The Birth Of Movies
The Book Page

Suddenly Something Clicked: The Languages of Film Editing and Sound Design, Walter Murch, c. March, 2025. Notes here. 

Dates: 

• Tech -- The projector, film, motion picture, etc: Thomas Edison, Eastman Kodak (George Eastman / Henry A, Strong), and others. Over several years, but for one specific date, perhaps, 1899. 
• Art -- Cinema: 1901.

Birth: 1889 -- 1901: twelve-year infancy and childhood of motion pictures.... motion pictures and cinema were not born simultaneously.  -- Walter Murch, 

Query: 

What happened with motion pictures in 1889 that Walter Murch said the movie pictures infance was 1889 to 1901? 

Reply: 

Query:

Difference between motion pictures and cinema. Walter Murch said that motion pictures and cinema were not born simultaneously.

Reply:

Bakken Factoids: A DAPL Update And North Dakota Taxes -- June 19, 2026

Locator: 51018B. 

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) generates a massive share of North Dakota's oil tax revenue, which funds the state's Legacy Fund. Since the pipeline became operational, the Legacy Fund has grown by more than $10 billion and recently surpassed $14 billion in total valuation. 

Fund Overview and Impact

• Inflows: By constitutional mandate, 30% of the state's oil and gas gross production and extraction taxes are deposited directly into the fund. A massive driver of this revenue has been the steady, high-volume throughput of DAPL.
• Distributions: The North Dakota Legislature frequently transfers portions of the fund's earnings to the state's General Fund to pay down state bonds, fund highway infrastructure, and support tax reductions.
• State Investment: North Dakota has set aside approximately $1.3 billion for in-state infrastructure and investment programs, making it the second-largest state-level in-state investment program in the nation.

*****************************
Taxes

How North Dakota Could Overtake Texas And Florida As The Most Tax-Friendly State 
By Amanda Macias 
Fox News 
Published June 18, 2026 7:00am EDT 

Severance taxes on oil and gas production account for 41% of total tax revenue, keeping income tax burdens low.

When Americans think of low-tax policies, states like Florida and Texas usually come to mind. But another Republican-led state has quietly joined the club: North Dakota. 

Tax cuts, strong finances and billions in oil revenue have combined to create one of the nation's most competitive tax environments in the Great Plains state while other states across the country grapple with budget shortfalls and debates over tax hikes. The issue is likely to remain front and center for governors and state lawmakers as they look to attract residents, businesses and investment in the years ahead. 

While most states do not sit atop one of the nation's largest oil formations, tax experts say the broader lesson is applicable almost anywhere. Strong revenues can be used to lower tax burdens and strengthen state finances rather than fuel spending increases. 

While North Dakota ranks second in tax collections per capita, it remains one of the country's more tax-friendly states — a welcome contradiction for the state's government and residents. 

Unlike New York and California, blue states that heavily rely on income taxes to fund government operations, North Dakota generates billions of dollars from oil and gas production. That energy wealth has given lawmakers greater flexibility to cut taxes for its residents while maintaining healthy state revenues.

*****************************
A Music Documentary

Must watch. Kathy Marshall. Huntington Beach. Dick Dale. And the Del Tones. Eddie and the Showmen. The South Bay. Palos Verdes. 

Link here.