A Few Things Tonight -- February 16, 2026

Locator: 49986ARCHIVES.

1. The movie Jack Reacher is one of my favorite movies. Co-star to Tom Cruise was Robert Duvall -- his death, at age 95, was announced today. Jack Reacher is available all the time (?) to those who have a subscription to Paramount+; otherwise it can be rented for $3.99 or bought for $14.99 over at Amazon Prime. Someday I may buy it; not tonight. Will probably watch The Third Man. 

Also, Robert Duvall -- The Independent -- link here. 

2. Back to biking regularly. I think the high was 72°F today, on the cool side, but still pleasant. Tomorrow, the high will be 78°F -- only a couple of degrees from 80! 

3. Mardi Gras tomorrow. Forty days plus six Sundays prior to Easter Sunday. Mardi Gras falls relatively early this year.

4. Liturgical calendar (how I remember things; there may be typographical and/or content errors below)

• Michaelmas: September 29
• Michaelmas term: first academic term of the academic year
• US Supreme Court: begins its annual nine-month term on the first Monday in October, a few days after Michaelmas
• Advent: four Sundays before Christmas
• Christmas -- fixed
• 12 days of Christmas -- Christmastide
• between the birth of Jesus and Epiphany -- the coming of the Magi
• Epiphany: January 6
• marks the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Ordinary Time
• First Sunday after Epiphany: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
• four to nine Sundays after Easter depending on date of Easter
• final Sunday after Epiphany is Sunday before Ash Wednesday
• Easter (movable):
• first Sunday after first full moon (the Paschal Moon) after vernal (spring) equinox 
• [Passover (Pesach): falls during the Paschal Moon) 
• Ash Wednesday: counting backwards -- 40 days + six Sundays (46 days in all) before Easter
• Mardi Gras: Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday
• Shrove Tuesday (UK/Commonwealth)
• Pancake Tuesday (dinner)
• Lent: 40-day solemn Christian season from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday (Thursday before Easter)
• Pentecost: 50 days after Easter
• Shavuot: Jewish; the 50 days from Passover to the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), a harvest festival 
• the word "Alleluia" is often reintroduced in services
• the "A-word" is absent from services during Lent
• commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and followers of Jesus in Jerusalem
• "birthday of the Church"

******************************
Musical Interlude

What is life? A cover by Sina. 

Link here. 

*************************
The B-52 

Link here. One of my highlights in the USAF: an operational low-level flight through the Rocky Mountains early in my career. Overnight sortie. Eight hours flight time. Over twelves hours in the a/c.

The B-52J through 2060. $50 billion 

Google's Former CEO In A Panic -- Nowhere Near Enough Electricity -- February 16, 2026

Locator: 49985THEGRID.

Link here. 

CPI Airfare Component -- +6.5% M/M In January -- Liz Ann Sonders -- Posted February 16, 2026

Locator: 49984INFLATION.
Locator: 49984AIRFARE.

Robert Duvall, age 95; dies. 

**********************
Airfare 

Link here.

Amazing How Fast Things Change -- CRISPR --> AI --> Chatbots --> February 16, 2026

Locator: 49983CRISPR.

Supercomputer Doudna: link here.

Reading this week:

• Matt Ridley's Genome, 1999; notes here; and, 
• The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, Walter Isaacson, c. 2021. Notes here.
• an early post on CRISPR: link here. This was back in 2018! Whoo-hoo!
• CRISPR was all the rage in the 2010s. All of a sudden, the acronym is seldom heard/read in mainstream media. 
• History of Israel, Bright, 1959.
• Dead Sea Scrolls: discovered, 1946 - 1956.

I had forgotten I wrote this in 2018:

***********************************
Bonus Note For The Granddaughters

CRISPR.

CRISPR-Cas9.

Until this week, I knew nothing of significance about CRISPR. For whatever reason I mentioned CRISPR to our 14-year-old granddaughter on the way to school the other day, and she became incredibly animated. She loved "CRISPR" and knew more about it than I did.

Whatever she knows about CRISPR she learned on her own. I doubt they have yet studied it in high school, although it's possible it's been mentioned

I'll have fun talking to her about CRISPR over the next few weeks.

CRISPR is part of the DNA genome. Back in 1993, a biologist studying bacteria in Spanish swamps, found bacteria whose DNA contained repeated sequences of DNA that did not correspond to anything previously seen.

Because of the nature of these repeated sequences (clusters, regularly interspersed, and short palindromic repeats) he labeled them CRISPR for short.

It turns out that these palindromic repeats of "meaningless" genome were actually pieces of viral DNA -- viruses that had invaded bacteria as pathogens (bacteriophages -- to eat bacteria).

It is hypothesized that by incorporating this "meaningless" viral genome, bacteria are more quickly able to defend against a virus from attacking it (a second time).

And like everything else in biology, there is more to the story.

Molecular biology dogma: DNA makes RNA makes protein.

CRISPER makes RNA but this RNA does not make a protein. By itself, the CRISPR-RNA is worthless.

But, as it turns out, as in a Rudyard Kipling "just so" story, bacteria also contain an enzyme (or protein) called Cas9 -- short for CRISPER-associated protein 9. If the biologists had had a sense of humor, it would be easier to remember as"Mama Cass protein" -- CRISPR-associated protein that loves to eat.

But a very special way of eating.

As noted above CRISPER-RNA by itself is worthless.

But with the Cas9 enzyme "stuff happens." Cas9 enzyme is a "cutter."

CRISPER-RNA guides Cas9 enzyme to the virus with the corresponding DNA genome.

At the viral DNA genome, the Cas9 enzyme gets to work, cutting out the viral genome that corresponds to CRISPR-RNA.

Pretty clever, huh?

Know who connected the dots, figured this out?

A Danish yogurt company. Yup, Danisco -- a Danish yogurt company.

Danisco is now owned by Dow Dupont.

Researchers now use CRISPER-Cas9 to target any region/gene in any DNA genome and cut it out / remove it. By removing a gene, researchers are better able to discern the purpose of a previously non-understood gene.

If a bacteria is able to do what a bacteria normally does and now loses a certain function because it has lost a certain gene, scientists have a pretty good idea of what that gene must be responsible for.

Likewise, researchers can do that to any mammalian genome.

Much, much more to the story but I now have enough to share with our granddaughter and still be able to keep up with her.

This was from "Diary" in the current issue of London Review of Books. Another source is here. 

That 14-year-old granddaughter is now a sophomore STEM student at Stanford University, California, ROTC. 

*******************************
CRISPR

A bacterial immune system commonly associated with targeting DNA viruses.

So, the natural question was whether CRISPR targets RNA viruses?

My hunch is RFK, Jr., and his HHS would no longer "advocate" for CRISPR in use against a "novel" Covid or the next seasonal influenza pandemic. 

How the CRISPR process works:

Monday -- Presidents' Day -- February 16, 2026

Locator: 49982B.

NASCAR: I watched the entire race last night on YouTube. 

Took about ten minutes. It was a ten-lap race. 

The winner was the guy who didn't crash coming out of the last turn. That was the only "lap" he led. I think his name was Reddick. Yes, I just checked, Tyler Reddick. Michael Jordan's team. 

According to Google: "Bubba Wallace had a heartbreaking 10th place finish despite dominating the race with a team-high 40 laps led and winning Stage 2."

Golf: an incredibly good tournament -- drama to the very end, and an incredible "bogey-save" by Jacob Bridgeman, literally playing his fourth (?) shot off the pebble beach on the 18th. Link here. 

Reading this week:

• Matt Ridley's Genome, 1999; and, 
• The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, Walter Isaacson, c. 2021. Notes here.
• an early post on CRISPR: link here. This was back in 2018! Whoo-hoo!
• CRISPR was all the rage in the 2010s. All of a sudden, the acronym is seldom heard/read in mainstream media. 

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

WTI: $63.28. 

New wells reporting: 

• Tuesday, February 17, 2026: 26 for the month, 79 for the quarter, 79 for the year,
• 41962, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 3H,
• 41961, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 2H, 
• 41878, conf, Petro-Hunt, State 159-92-36D-24-3H, 
• Monday, February 16, 2026: 23 for the month, 76 for the quarter, 76 for the year,
• 41963, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 4H, 
• Sunday, February 15, 2026: 22 for the month, 75 for the quarter, 75 for the year,
• 41333, conf, Hess, BW-Stoveland-LE-149-100-1003H-1, 
• Saturday, February 14, 2026: 21 for the month, 74 for the quarter, 74 for the year,
• 41816, conf, BR, Rolla 6C, 

Kura -- Our Favorite Sushi Restaurant -- But Has Become Too Expensive For Us To Visit -- February 16, 2026

Locator: 49981SUSHI.

Link here. 

****************************
Taking A Break

I got up at 2:00 a.m. to continue reading Walter Isaacson's Code Breaker, the biography of Jennifer Doudna and CRISPR.  

I've been uploading posts that I did some weeks ago and left in draft stage. Going through them now, suggests it's a good idea to take a six-month break from x, CNBC (except Cramer's first ten minutes), do a lot of reading and lot of biking. Time to let some stuff ferment, gel. 

**************************
Personal Memories

So many people with whom my paths have crossed. Personal relationships that progressed from casual, unpredictable acquaintances to romantic liaisons. 

*****************************
Broad Institute

Wiki.

The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard or the Broad Institute, is a biomedical and genomic research center located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States; Cambridge, across the Charles River from Boston. 

The institute is independently governed and supported as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization under the name Broad Institute Inc., and it partners with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and the five Harvard teaching hospitals.

The Broad Institute evolved from a decade of research collaborations among MIT and Harvard scientists. 

One cornerstone was the Center for Genome Research of the Whitehead Institute at MIT. 

Founded in 1982, the Whitehead Institute became a major center for genomics and the Human Genome Project. 

As early as 1995, scientists at the Whitehead started pilot projects in genomic medicine, forming an unofficial collaborative network among young scientists interested in genomic approaches to cancer and human genetics. 

Another cornerstone was the Institute of Chemistry and Cell Biology established by Harvard Medical School in 1998 to pursue chemical genetics as an academic discipline. Its screening facility was one of the first high-throughput resources opened in an academic setting. It facilitated small molecule screening projects for more than 80 research groups worldwide.

To create a new organization that was open, collaborative, cross-disciplinary and able to organize projects at any scale, planning took place in 2002–2003 among philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, MIT, the Whitehead Institute, Harvard and the Harvard-affiliated hospitals (in particular, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital Boston, the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital).

The Broads made a founding gift of $100 million and the Broad Institute was formally launched in May 2004. In November 2005, the Broads announced an additional $100 million gift to the institute. On September 4, 2008, the Broads announced an endowment of $400 million to make the Broad Institute a permanent establishment. In November 2013, they invested an additional $100 million to fund a second decade of research at the institute.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the Broad Institute ran laboratory tests for the virus for about 100 colleges and universities in the northeastern U.S. As of September 2020, the Broad was processing one out of every 20 COVID-19 tests in the nation.

Eli and Edythe Broad: wiki.

******************************
Chatbots

For every hour I spend reading, blogging, "original research," I spend at least fifteen minutes with ChatGPT or Google Gemini asking them their thoughts on my blogging. 

Gobsmacked With Emotions -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49927ARCHIVES.

Over the weekend, I attended a funeral for an extended family member in southern California.

I hadn't / haven't been back to this part of the country in years. I can't remember when I was last here. We had a house near here many years ago but also sold it many years ago.

Picking up the Enterprise rental car at the airport, I was gobsmacked with emotions. There is just something so different about walking out of a southern California terminal. Fortunately I flew into a regional airport. Small terminal -- the entire terminal I assume was about the size of one terminal at DFW where this flight began. There are two parking garages but both quite small compared to those at DFW. 

The first thing I noted driving out of the parking structure were the palm trees, also the first thing I noticed when driving into Los Angeles in 1970 -- that would have been 55+ years ago. Wow, a lot of water under that bridge.

Talking to a close family friend at the memorial service, I said that the geography, the streets, the buildings have not changed all these years. The only thing that has changed is the culture. And, of course, I was "aware" of that only from watching and reading the news. One wouldn't notice that in these upper-middle income, predominantly white neighborhoods. The freeways are still six lanes wide in both directions and the traffic moved slowly.

In the big scheme of thing, southern California is/was probably the most important part of my life: school, coming of age. 

I went off the grid during this period, at least as far as blogging or replying to any e-mails. Of course, I continued to lurk / surf in the free moments I had. I know I will get back to blogging, but it may take awhile. I really don't know.

I've lost interest in a lot of mundane things, and most of what I blog / blog about is mundane.

 

I have no plans to watch the Super Bowl tomorrow. I assume I watched Super Bowl III, back in the year I graduated from high school, but I do not recall, and that was a most historic Super Bowl ever. Interestingly enough, among some "experts," it did not even rank among the top five "best Super Bowls ever." 

For the past few days, morning talk shows -- except for sports show like Get Up! and First Take -- the talk is all about the food. In fact, if you had no knowledge of what the Super Bowl is all about, watching television three days prior would lead one to believe the even will be hosted on the "Food Channel," and that the event would somehow center around cooking. Mostly chicken wings.

Number 2 on the list above had the same two teams as are playing tomorrow. 

That list also includes the Dallas Cowboys, losing back in 1979. The Cowboys' last appearance (and victory) in the Super Bowl was 1996. I don't recall having watched that. I would have been in my second year in the USAF at which time I incredibly busy. I was very likely working that night. I didn't keep up with my journaling those years. 

Our first child was born a month after the 1979 Super Bowl and I was working seven days a week then, at least ten hours a day some months. [Wow, that's hard to believe 7 days x 10 hours / day = 70 hours; there were periods before that I was working 80+ hours a week.] I never considered it work; it was always a journey. I guess the journey pretty much came to an end in 2004 or thereabouts, three years before I retired from the USAF.

Anyway, enough of this. For the time being, I will remain off the grid, not posting blogs, not surfing social media, and avoiding e-mail. 

But, wow, now sitting in this relatively empty house in southern California, just a mile or so off the coast, in a walled off plot of land, wow, it's peaceful. I would go nuts living out here.

Micron -- Barron's -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49929MICRON.

Micron's on a tear: link here. 

Don't fret the small stuff. 

****************************
A Bubble?

For those suggesting this might be a bubble, or this looks like a bubble, ask yourself this: are you using AI more or less now than you did six years ago? Six months ago? Six days ago?

The Reason Behind Broadcom's Recent Surge In Share Price -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49928BROADCOM.

Broadcom shares surged around February 4, 2026, following Google's announcement of an aggressive 2026 CAPEX plan with estimates ranging up to $185 billion, marking one of the largest AI infrastructure builds in history.

More broadly, the rapid scaling of custom ASIC demand.

Broadcom is a primary beneficiary because it designs and produces AI acceleerator chips (TPUs) for Google. 

Broadcom predicts AI semiconductor revenue for 1Q26 at 100% y/y growth with total AI-related revenue for 2026 expected to exceed $50 billion.

While Nvidia dominates general-purpose AI chips, Broadcom has solidified its position as the leader in custom "bespoke" AI chips, with a reported $73 billion backlog in early 2026. 

This surge is part of a broader, long-term trend where Broadcom has moved from a diversified chipmaker to a cornerstone AI infrastructure company, with analysts forecasting a $3 trillion market cap by 2027. 

Wells Coming Off Confidential List This Next Week --- February 8, 2026

Locator: 49929WELLS.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026: 28 for the month, 81 for the quarter, 81 for the year,
41960, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-19-15 1H, 
41500, conf, Enerplus, MHA Memphis 4894 41-34 3BU,

Tuesday, February 17, 2026: 26 for the month, 79 for the quarter, 79 for the year,
41962, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 3H
41961, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 2H, 
41878, conf, Petro-Hunt, State 159-92-36D-24-3H, 

Monday, February 16, 2026: 23 for the month, 76 for the quarter, 76 for the year,
41963, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 4H, 

Sunday, February 15, 2026: 22 for the month, 75 for the quarter, 75 for the year,
41333, conf, Hess, BW-Stoveland-LE-149-100-1003H-1, 

Saturday, February 14, 2026: 21 for the month, 74 for the quarter, 74 for the year,
41816, conf, BR, Rolla 6C, 

Friday, February 13, 2026: 20 for the month, 73 for the quarter, 73 for the year,
41353, conf, Hess, GO-Beck Living TR-156-98-2017H-2, 

Thursday, February 12, 2026: 19 for the month, 72 for the quarter, 72 for the year, 
None.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026: 19 for the month, 72 for the quarter, 72 for the year,
41240, conf, Hunt, Clearwater 157-90-13-12H-2, 
41239, conf, Hunt, Clearwater 157-90-13-12H-1, 
41005, conf, Hunt, Palermo 156-90-2-31H-2, 

Tuesday, February 10, 2026: 16 for the month, 69 for the quarter, 69 for the year,
None.

Monday, February 9, 2026: 16 for the month, 69 for the quarter, 69 for the year,
41815, conf, BR, Rolla 6B,
41354, conf, Hess, GO-Dustin Brose-156-98-2932H-3,

Sunday, February 8, 2026: 14 for the month, 67 for the quarter, 67 for the year,
41335, conf, Hess, BW-Stoveland-149-1003H-4,

Saturday, February 7, 2026: 13 for the month, 66 for the quarter, 66 for the year,
None.

Only One Of These Companies is Not Chasing Cash -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49925MARKET.

Link here. 

These six companies, combined, will bring in $2+ trillion worth of revenue in CY25, just passed.

Only one of these six companies is not chasing cash:

• Apple, $435.6 billion 
• Google, $402.8 billion 
• Microsoft, $305.5 billion 
• Amazon, $716.98 billion 
• Meta Platforms, $201 billion 
• Tesla, $94.8 billion 

The one is bold, #1 in revenue and it is chasing cash.

It's another one of the six that is not chasing cash. 

Amazon's Moat And Chatbot -- An Update -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49927AMAZONCAPEX.

See graphic this link. 

Consumer-facing chatbots (shopping and assistance):

• Rufus
• Alexa+
• Customer service bots

Business and developer chatbots (AWS):

• Amazon Q
• Amazon Lex
• Amazon Q in Connect

The above chatbots are powered by Amazon's own foundational models (such as Amazon Nove) and models from Anthropic (like Claude) which are accessible via Amazon Bedrock.

Investing Club -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49926INVESTINGCLUB.

I've never liked the idea of belonging to an investing club. Early on, decades ago when I was just starting out, I though the idea of an investment club was a great idea.

But over time, I learned I was too opinionated to be a good member of such a club. 

But now I have different ideas, thinking about my grandchildren, how I would do it. Obviouslyi they would need to be at least in junior or senior year of high school, and preferably well into college. 

The meetings would last about an hour each week. More often if the members enjoyed the meetings.

They would be set up on the quarter system like Stanford, or the semester system like most other schools.

Initial sessions would be TED talks by each member telling their investment journey -- where they had been, where they are now, and where they are headed.

Probably two TED talks each week.

Once the TED talks had been completed, the one-hour sessions would be divided in half. The first 30 minutes a didactic session on investing, the one that the older granddaughters participated in with their father and with me. 

The second thirty minutes would be on practical matters, making sure members had a checking / savings account, a brokerage account, and a Roth IRA, to get them started. 

The semester would follow that format through to the end.

The second semester, the same group would meet again, same format. I assume the didactic portion would have reached some sort of end and we could now move on to a book club. We would assign two books for the second semester and tackle the books in bite-size bites, a couple chapters at a time. The second thirty minutes again would be dealing with practical matters but now we could get into more specific discussions on investing. 

The key that makes this different than investing clubs of which I am familiar: there would not be a common "pot of money" or a "investment club account" in which folks would buy shares, and members would decide, as a group, which stocks to buy, hold, and sell.

Members would have their own brokerage accounts and manage those accounts themselves, though other members would offer as much or as little advice as an individual member would want. 

********************************** 
Investing or Trading

By its very name, "an investment club," means that members of the club would concentrate on buying with the intention of holding for a "long" time. "Long time" would mean different things to different folks but since this club would be a by yourself / member of a group, it would be up to the individual member how he/she would define "long." But active trading would be discouraged, I suppose.  

I'm not a member of Jim Cramer's CNBC investment club but I bet it's quite similar. But "knowing" Jim Cramer, it's probably not a lot different than his television program, "Mad Money." 

Legacy Fund -- January, 2026, Deposits -- February 7, 2026

Locator: 49930LEGACYFUND.

Link here. 

Initial Production Data For Wells Coming Off Confidential This Next Week -- February 8, 2026

Locator: 49930WELLS.

• 41960, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-19-15 1H, 
• 41500, conf, Enerplus, MHA Memphis 4894 41-34 3BU, McGregory Buttes, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	20824	15914
11-2025	24175	22130
10-2025	30696	27931
9-2025	29348	24522
8-2025	14550	11624

• 41962, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 3H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41961, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 2H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41878, conf, Petro-Hunt, State 159-92-36D-24-3H, Cottonwood, npd, 
• 41963, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 4H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41333, conf, Hess, BW-Stoveland-LE-149-100-1003H-1, Ellsworth,

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	10413	25995
11-2025	16980	31170
10-2025	20984	29377
9-2025	28931	47503
8-2025	18431	27511

• 41816, conf, BR, Rolla 6C, Elidah, npd, 
• 41353, conf, Hess, GO-Beck Living TR-156-98-2017H-2, Wheelock, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	14127	18977
11-2025	11925	22025
10-2025	18334	30926
9-2025	12650	37582
8-2025	12595	15290

• 41240, conf, Hunt, Clearwater 157-90-13-12H-2, Clear Water, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	14410	2828
11-2025	13819	1408
10-2025	12847	3708
9-2025	16682	6613
8-2025	5189	1921

• 41239, conf, Hunt, Clearwater 157-90-13-12H-1, Clear Water, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	12925	2963
11-2025	9646	1094
10-2025	10508	3136
9-2025	12621	4895
8-2025	6031	1866

• 41005, conf, Hunt, Palermo 156-90-2-31H-2, Ross, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	20806	4916
11-2025	22594	4565
10-2025	25220	8431
9-2025	20115	6499
8-2025	16536	2614

• 41815, conf, BR, Rolla 6B, Elidah, npd,
• 41354, conf, Hess, GO-Dustin Brose-156-98-2932H-3, Wheelock, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	15249	23787
11-2025	14049	26430
10-2025	23220	39490
9-2025	13238	39948
8-2025	19768	20502

• 41335, conf, Hess, BW-Stoveland-149-1003H-4, Ellsworth, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	15537	26635
11-2025	16648	26622
10-2025	14762	19690
9-2025	23417	31912
8-2025	26443	45850

February 15, 2026

Locator: 49980ARCHIVES.

Wow, wow, wow.

About a month ago or thereabouts, I started again with a vigorous, eclectic reading program. It is amazing. The first thing I did, was quit watching CNBC. The second thing I did was go off the grid. I kept up with things that interested me by chatting with Google Gemini and ChatGPT but pretty much ignored my most important source of news: x.

I never understood CRISPR but I'll sort that out this week.

I never understood the geography of southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, but I sorted that out this weekend.

I've always been fascinated by the history of "Old Testament" Israel and have pieced it together this past year by paying attention to "lessons" at church. Today, I found an incredible book on the history of "Old Testament" Israel. That book will become reference book for the rest of my life. The most important thing when learning / teaching history, is to get the scaffolding down. 

For me, this is an example of scaffolding:

• 2000 BC: Stone Age to Bronze Age
• 1200 BC: Trojan War; pivot from Bronze Age to Iron Age
• 1000 BC: tenth century -- Israel's Golden Age; "tribal age" for Athens / Sparta
• 500 BC: fifth century -- Athens' (Greece's) Golden Age; moving to a democratic state;
• 0 - 33 AD: life of Jesus Christ
• 1604 - 1606: Shakespeare's greatest work
• 1899 - 1906: Joseph Conrad's greatest work
• 1918: Spanish Flu
• 1945 - 1946: end of WWII 

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

The three books I picked up today: 

• The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, Walter Isaacson, c. 2021. Notes here.
• in scientific research the real key is "asking the right question"; and,
• a lot of luck. 
• A History of Israel, Third Edition, John Bright, c. 1959, 1972, 1981.
• Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters, Matt Ridley, c. 2000. 

Pebble Beach: Scottie Scheffler -- Win Or Lose -- Still #1 -- Incredible -- February 15, 2026

Locator: 49979GOLF.

With six holes yet to play for one, five players tied at -20. 

Morikawa on the 14th hole just went to -21. 

It's Morikawa's tournament to win but Scheffler -- holy mackerel.  

****************************
Investing

Current portfolio. Never been happier.

Helps to have a 30-year-one-day horizon. 

Most excited about Enbridge right now. Along with AAPL and several AI companies. 

Focus On Dividends -- The Book Page -- February 15, 2026

Locator: 49978DIVIDENDS.

Anticipation: 

• CVX:
• date of record: this week, Tuesday, February 17, 2026
• next pay date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
• $1.78 / share = 3.88%

Focus on dividends:

• CSCO: announced a quarterly increase, to 42 cents, payable April 22, 2026.
• previous: 41 cents; CSCO generally increases the dividend one cent/share each year; 
• PSX: announced a quarterly increase, $1.27, payable March 4, 2026. 
• previous: $1.20 -- a seven-cent increase this year; beating the five-cent increase last year 

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

• The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race, Walter Isaacson, c. 2021. Notes here.
• in scientific research the real key is "asking the right question"; and,
• a lot of luck. 
• A History of Israel, Third Edition, John Bright, c. 1959, 1972, 1981.
• Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters, Matt Ridley, c. 2000. 

****************************
TexasWeather

Initial Production Data For Wells Coming Off Confidential List This Next Week -- February 15, 2026

Locator: 49977B.

The wells: 

• 41672, conf, Phoenix Operating, Gopher 33-34-35 5H, Noonan, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	23652	13863
11-2025	22236	19392
10-2025	23893	21291
9-2025	10535	10812
8-2025	0	450

• 41671, conf, Phoenix Operating, Gopher 33-34-35 4H, Noonan, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	21613	15815
11-2025	21982	18502
10-2025	19328	14961
9-2025	6453	6515
8-2025	0	495

• 41670, conf, Phoenix Operating, Gopher 33-34-35 2H, Noonan, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	21613	15815
11-2025	21982	18502
10-2025	19328	14961
9-2025	6453	6515
8-2025	0	495

• 41669, conf, Phoenix Operating, Gopher 33-34-35 1H, Noonan, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	24483	14481
11-2025	19572	17270
10-2025	15889	15803
9-2025	7434	7638
8-2025	0	488

• 41571, conf, Phoenix Operating, Gopher 33-34-35 3H, Noonan, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	27201	15481
11-2025	22888	17705
10-2025	21754	18155
9-2025	6972	6575
8-2025	0	547

• 41419, conf, Hess, BL-Odegaard-156-95-1621H-10, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	18482	32587
11-2025	20236	31112
10-2025	5867	7467
9-2025	25126	34443
8-2025	4630	6643

• 41418, conf, Hess, BL-Odegaard-LW-156-95-1621H-1, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	17752	29932
11-2025	17919	27243
10-2025	16694	23577
9-2025	30596	41765
8-2025	6134	8228

• 41417, conf, Hess, BL-Kvam-156-95-1720H-3, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	14193	19230
11-2025	12019	12785
10-2025	21414	25296
9-2025	32518	41634
8-2025	5140	4629

• 40966, conf, XTO, HBU Sakakawea Federal 13X-35A, Hofflund, npd,
• 40965, conf, XTO, HBU Sakakawea Federal 13X-35G, Hofflund, npd, 
• 41819, conf, BR, Rolla 6E, Elidah, npd, 
• 41332, conf, Hess, BW-Hagen-149-100-1522H-4, Ellsworth, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	12070	26571
11-2025	11674	23323
10-2025	19877	27467
9-2025	27067	40206
8-2025	5570	8652

• 41047, conf, Hess, BL-Kvam-156-95-1720H-2, Beaver Lodge, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	15503	19979
11-2025	13515	20005
10-2025	23173	32848
9-2025	12219	16994
8-2025	7133	11553

• 40967, conf, XTO, HBU Sakakawea Federal 13X-35EXH, Hofflund, npd, 
• 41457, conf, Phoenix Operating, Daniel Ferrari 3-10-15-22-3H, Green Lake, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	20161	7297
11-2025	19738	10285
10-2025	17394	9698
9-2025	19830	12537
8-2025	4130	2532

• 41455, conf, Phoenix Operating, Daniel Ferrari 3-10-15-22-5H, Green Lake, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	19426	6511
11-2025	24165	12673
10-2025	21522	11824
9-2025	27508	16869
8-2025	6097	3341

• 41323, conf, Phoenix Operating, Daniel Ferrari 3-10-15-22 4H, Green Lake, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	17842	6000
11-2025	23941	13351
10-2025	21185	12113
9-2025	28534	18161
8-2025	4589	2798

• 41370, conf, Hess, EN-Hanson A-155-94-0607H-7, Manitou, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	15578	32891
11-2025	18306	42573
10-2025	19329	33247
9-2025	23485	29941
8-2025	12140	6907

• 41241, conf, Hunt, Clearwater 157-90-13-12H-2, Manitou, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	15578	32891
11-2025	18306	42573
10-2025	19329	33247
9-2025	23485	29941
8-2025	12140	6907

• 41153, conf, Oasis, Sedge Federal 5202 24-17 5B, Glass Bluff, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	20184	16188
11-2025	23560	17086
10-2025	19947	14473
9-2025	20181	12974
8-2025	6840	4733

• 41152, conf, Oasis, Sedge Federal 5202 24-17 4B, Glass Bluff, 

ate	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	21243	16653
11-2025	23479	16430
10-2025	19428	13180
9-2025	19785	12323
8-2025	6851	4330

• 41876, conf, State 159-92-36C-24-1H, Cottonwood, npd, 
• 41818, conf, BR, Rolla 6D, Elidah, npd, 
• 41499, conf, Enerplus, MHA Phoeix 4894 41-34 2BU, McGregory Buttes, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	14704	11647
11-2025	21441	19040
10-2025	28234	24325
9-2025	34934	29802
8-2025	22336	18075

• 41498, conf, Enerplus, MHA Helena 4894 41-34 1BU, McGregory Buttes, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	19013	16903
11-2025	28288	30763
10-2025	33612	29849
9-2025	21559	18150
8-2025	17098	14056

• 41459, conf, Phoenix Operating, Daniel Ferrari 3-10-15-22 1H, Green Lake, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	26536	9592
11-2025	26698	15199
10-2025	23381	12633
9-2025	28003	16605
8-2025	6582	3745

• 41458, conf, Phoenix Operating, Daniel Ferrari 3-10-15-22-2H, Green Lake, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	22155	8848
11-2025	21114	12601
10-2025	17243	9497
9-2025	15750	9946
8-2025	5241	2896

• 41371, conf, Hess, EN-Hanson A-155-94-0607H-8, Manitou, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	8892	16314
11-2025	10958	17978
10-2025	12595	20876
9-2025	16880	18575
8-2025	7831	3688

• 40807, conf, Hess, BW-Hagen-149-100-1522H-5, Ellsworth, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	19291	31420
11-2025	19772	23846
10-2025	12423	15316
9-2025	28028	44778
8-2025	11257	18638

• 41960, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-19-15 1H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41500, conf, Enerplus, MHA Memphis 4894 41-34 3BU, McGregory Buttes, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	20824	15914
11-2025	24175	22130
10-2025	30696	27931
9-2025	29348	24522
8-2025	14550	11624

• 41962, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 3H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41961, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 2H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41878, conf, Petro-Hunt, State 159-92-36D-24-3H, Cottonwood, npd, 
• 41963, conf, Kraken, Charity 3-10-15 4H, Boxcar Butte, npd, 
• 41333, conf, Hess, BW-Stoveland-LE-149-100-1003H-1, Ellsworth, 

Date	Oil Runs	MCF Sold
12-2025	10413	25995
11-2025	16980	31170
10-2025	20984	29377
9-2025	28931	47503
8-2025	18431	27511

• 41816, conf, BR, Rolla 6C, Elidah, npd,