Ford Selling Cars To Themselves in Europe -- Obviously a Non-Bakken Story

Wow, this is interesting.

Auto sales are so challenging in Europe, Ford dealers are now buying Ford vehicles -- "self-registration," it's called, and then they turn around and sell them at a huge discount as used vehicles. Something like 30% of "new European vehicles sold" in Europe are apparently being "self-registered" and sold at huge discount as used cars.

I am not aware of this ("self-registration") in the US (except on a very small basis with "legitimate" sales to dealers) but it sounds like something of which I could take advantage if offered.

Another Wind Turbine Manufacturer In North Dakota Laying Off Employees

Updates

October 3, 2012: LM wind power is taking its ball and going to a new field. Data points:

• the 300 jobs lost in North Dakota will be moved to Brazil, new factory
• wind farms in South America will start getting turbine blades in about a year
• the company says there is a strong growth in wind power in South America; just the opposite in North America

Original Post
Link here to The Bismarck Tribune. Data points:

• LM Wind Power, Grand Forks, ND; company based in Denmark; a facility in GF since 1998
• layoff will affect 200 full-time, 130 temporary
• 270 people will still be employed; in 2007: 900 workers in the Grand Forks facility
• LM Wind Power says demand for new wind power development in the US will likely drop 70% in 2013

Things could change overnight if federal tax credit, which expires at end of year, is extended.

Tectonic Changes in Power Consumption in America

As mentioned earlier, I no longer watch television except NASCAR on the weekends if I can catch it somewhere. And some football. Of course, there are exceptions.

Instead, I spend an inordinate amount of time on my iPad.

Big-screen television would cost about $50 / year in electricity costs.

So, how much to charge an iPhone for a year? 41 cents. Yup, 41 cents.

The iPad: about $1.36.

Interestingly, the Android Galaxy S III is a huge energy hog in comparison to the new iPhone: the Galaxy S III would cost almost 30% more than the iPhone for annual electricity. I wonder if the faux-environmentalists will recommend the iPhone over the Galaxy based on the amount of electricity that the Galaxy uses, compared to the iPhone?

The Only Known Photo of Karl Marx and Barack Obama Together

Link here.

Making the rounds.

Random Update On Today's Spot Price for Bakken Light Sweet Oil At Clearbrook, MN -- September 27, 2012

Updates

January 7, 2018: NDIC uses price data provided by Flint Resources for the monthly Director's Cut.


May 8, 2013: After Bloomberg removed Bakken pricing, I was unable to find any source for Bakken pricing without a very expensive subscription. One can occasionally find updates at Clearbrook News.

Original Post

Pricing.

A while ago one could get the spot price of Bakken light sweet at Clearbrook, Minnesota, and then that link was taken down by Bloomberg.

Until I find another or a better source, this is about the best I can do:

• Bloomberg Clearbrook, MN, chart for Bakken differential
• Bloomberg WTI, Cushing (if you combine the previous link with this link, you should be able to get Bakken price at Clearbrook, MN)

If I am reading the links correctly, this is what I get:

• From the first link, Bakken is pricing at a $2.25 premium to WTI.
• From the second link, WTI Cushing spot is $91.22. 

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Note to the Granddaughters

I've talked about this book before; I'm still reading it: Simon Winchester's Atlantic. Have you ever wondered where the "sterling" in sterling silver came from? I never gave it a thought. But here's the answer.

In the 13th century, merchants in northern German organized their Atlantic oceanic business to protect their trade in salt fish. The merchants formed themselves into what they called a Hanse -- after the Latin term hansa for a military troop or company; the immediate precursor to the Hanseatic League was created in 1241. 

"Hansa" remains with us today: Lufthansa Airlines. 

According to Winchester, in Atlantic, pp. 277 - 278:

London was a western outpost of the League. The Britons who did business with the Hansa found them trustworthy and reliable. According to many lexical authorities, the word that Londoners used for traders from the Hanseatic eastern cities -- easterlings -- became shortened and incorporated into the English language as the word sterling, with its implied meaning of solid reliability.

So, there you have it. Something for tomorrow evening's cocktail party.