Thursday 30 Nov 2023
"Beats an F-350 Diesel in truck pull" - Elon Musk, X. The heavy weight of the battery of electric vehicles should give the tyres more traction.
Wednesday 29 Nov 2023
From 18 Nov: Tesla Vs. BYD 2023: Cybertruck Delivery Event Looms Amid Musk's X Factor; Rival Near Buy Point - Investors. BYD sales close to Tesla's.
Tuesday 28 Nov 2023
US RV shipments have increased from 110,000 in 1980 to a peak of 600,000 in 2021: RV Industry Assocation. The share price of Patrick Industries (PATK) went from a low of $0.79 in 2011 to a high of $97.52 in 2021. LCI Industries (LCII) from a low of $6.21 in 2009 to $159.61 in 2021, Winnebago (WGO) from a low of $6.64 in 2011 to a peak of $84.54 in 2021. Results have turned weaker now.
From 28 April 2020: Historical Corn Grain Yields In The U.S. - Purdue University. After remaining the same from 1866 to 1944, yields have increase more than 6x.
Corn 2023 World Production - US Dept of Agriculture. The US produced 32% of the world's corn.
Closer look at Tesla Cybertruck – should we be concerned? - Electrek. The Tesla Cybertruck is displayed with a rope around it like a rare antique car.
Monday 27 Nov 2023
"China is using remote deserts to host green projects, allowing it to be on track to triple renewable energy capacity in a decade as nations are pushed to commit to the goal at the upcoming COP28." - Twitter. And heating up the earth by covering it with dark panels.
Sunday 26 Nov 2023
The populations of Texas (red) and Florida (grey) are still growing. California (blue) declined recently. New York (light blue) has levelled off a long time ago probably due to the lack of land.
Saturday 25 Nov 2023
Touring the MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE in the World - Youtube. According to the internet the Chateau Louis XIV in Louveciennes is the most expensive in France, or was in 2015 when it sold for more than €275M.
Disney rival unveils world's tallest, fastest theme park ride - The Street. At 200 feet it is about 20 storeys/stories high.
This solar-powered electric houseboat from China could be your home on the water - Electrek.
The movie Jurassic Park is 30 years old. How time flies. Some of it was shot in Hawaii. Hawaii was created after the dinosaurs existed, and had no dinosaurs of its own. The demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago coincide with the creation of Hawaii from 70 million years ago. The volcanic eruptions that created Hawaii, could have contributed to the dinosaurs' extinction.
It is difficult to find the historical price of goods in order to determine the inflation rate. One price that is recorded is that of oil. The Euro M3 money supply per person, with growth of 41.2x (blue) is compared to: the Brent crude oil price adjusted for the price in 1970 (red), German official energy inflation (purple), and residential property prices for Germany which increased 5.09x (green). The Brent oil price was $3 ~ €3.3 in 1970. It is now $80.44 = €73.29 per barrel. It increased 22.2x since 1970.
The World Bank has a table of commodity prices back to 1962. Natural gas in Europe increased from $0.45 per million BTU in 1970 to $40.34 in 2022, which was unusually high. In 2020 gas reached a low of $3.24. Cocoa increased from $0.68/kg in 1970 to $2.39 in 2022, a ratio of 3.5x. Copper increased 6.2x. Gold increased 51.1x.
Friday 24 Nov 2023
SAG-AFTRA releases full tentative agreement, amidst growing distrust, criticism - WSWS.
German gross domestic product relative to Euro M3 money supply peaked at 0.839 in 1979, and is now down to 0.255 (below). Exchange rates between countries eventually match the ratio of money supply growth, thus inflation equals money supply growth in the long run. The inflation might be delayed by the wealthy not spending the gains from asset appreciation immediately, but eventually it will cause inflation.
"CDC: Last Year's Flu Shot Was Less Than 50% Effective For Children And Adolescents" - Twitter.
"Vietnamese master plan calls for 30 airports by 2030, up from 23. Supporters of the plan say expansion must keep pace with the rising middle class and manufacturing sector. The country's air cargo is expected to reach 270% of the current volume by 2030." - Twitter.
The Vietnam economy is expanding in US dollars (blue). The growth rate (red) was 11.7% in 2022, and reached peaks of 40%.
The Vietnamese stock market has grown 10.44% per year since 2000 - Trading Economics. The Vietnamese Dong declined against the US dollar by 2.3% per year since 2000.
Thursday 23 Nov 2023
"Lithium prices have plunged 75% this year – and the rout isn’t over" - Twitter. No shortage of lithium. Not even gold is immune to oversupply. Everyone with a pick tries to make money from gold. Company managements don't care about profits for shareholders, as long as they earn the big bucks.
Dutch election results (2021 to 2023): VVD (conservative liberalism) from 21.87% to 15.1%, D66 (social liberalism) from 15.02% to 6.2%, GL/PvdA (social democracy green politics) from 10.88% to 15.5%, PVV (nationalism right-wing populism) from 10.79% to 23.5%, NSC (Christian democracy) from 0% to 12.8% (Wikipedia).
Toys R Us is back in business! Full walk-thru Mall of America - Youtube.
It is worth repeating the ultimate chart for the US stock market, by comparing the Wilshire 5000 with total debt as nominal inflation rate. To make real money (above inflation) requires buying at a low level on the chart, and selling at a high level. There are times when no asset class protects against inflation. It is more about limiting losses by staying in cash. The periods of above average growth in the stock market or real estate must make up for the periods when cash loses value against inflation.
Real estate (blue) is more stable, but since 1990 returns were low compared to the stock market (red). You need to leverage inflation by buying real estate with a loan.
Wednesday 22 Nov 2023
These Are The World's Largest Semiconductor Foundry Companies By Revenue - Zero Hedge. A semiconductor foundry is a contract manufacturing of semiconductors on behalf of customers.
From 30 April 2023: 10 Biggest Semiconductor Companies - Investopedia. Intel (INTC) has revenue of $69.54B, as much as the $71.77B of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
From 28 April 2023: Intel foundry business continues to fall, to make Arm SoC on Intel 18A : "Intel's foundry business witnessed a 58.3% annual drop, the largest fall among its businesses". Intel Foundry Services was $118M, compared total revenue of $69,540M.
The US government wants to block semiconductor sales to countries like China, but the US's semiconductor manufacturing is insignificant.
"Tesla's idle fees will charge drivers who keep their cars plugged in after they've topped up" - Twitter. Can the cars not unplug and drive themselves out of a charging bay into public parking?
Tuesday 21 Nov 2023
"Motional and Hyundai to jointly build IONIQ 5 robotaxi in Singapore" - Twitter.
Nvidia (NVDA) reported third quarter revenue of $18.12B, up 3.3x over a year. Diluted EPS was $3.71, or $4.02 non-GAAP. Revenue per share was $7.265, and non-GAAP profit margin 55%. If it continues the price/sales would be $499/~4x$7.265 = 17, and the price/earnings $499/~$4x4 = 31. In Sep 2020 it acquired Softbank’s Arm for $40B.
Sam Altman was probably fired as CEO of OpenAl by artificial intelligence pretending to be the board of directors, after he tried to push the off button.
"Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart are still JustFriends" - Twitter. Well, he has seen how angry she gets when a boyfriend cheats on her.
Monday 20 Nov 2023
'F1 disaster': Las Vegas locals say elite race was no economic boost - Youtube.
Argentine libertarian Milei pledges new political era after election win - Reuters.
Battery electric vehicles lose significant capacity below 0°C: BU-502: Discharging at High and Low Temperatures - Battery University. "A battery that provides 100 percent capacity at 27°C (80°F) will typically deliver only 50 percent at –18°C (0°F)". EVs are popular in Norway, despite the climate. The reduction in range at 0°C to -10°C was measured at -11% to -32%: So much range was lost in the winter cold - Motor.no.
Sunday 19 Nov 2023
Local Traffic FAQs - Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: "Sidewalks along Las Vegas Boulevard will still be open to the public during race weekend; however, they will not have views of the track/race from the public walkways". It doesn't make sense to hold a Formula 1 race in Las Vegas, when it is just television viewers, and a small number of paid spectators who can see it. All the television viewers saw was a lit track with fences on both sides. The track could have been anywhere. The view from the pavilions was limited, except for those across from the pits.
Why is London Disappearing? - Youtube. Local governments milk businesses, to offer cheap services to voters.
Saturday 18 Nov 2023
SpaceX Starship launches on 2nd integrated test flight, booster explodes after separation - Youtube.
'The Federal Trade Commission this month said Amazon, $AMZN, deliberately raised prices by more than $1 billion through secret algorithms known as "Project Nessie." ' - Twitter.
Every Roller Coaster at Nagashima Spaland Amusement Park, Japan! - Youtube.
"Are we about to repeat the 1970's Lost Decade? Will it be worse this time? Today’s stagflationary economy -- high inflation and slow growth -- will look familiar to anybody who lived through the 1970’s. Not only the stagflation, but the social unrest, decaying cities and…" -Twitter.
The US stock market (blue) has risen with higher interest rates (red). The stock market has lost touch with total debt/4 (green). Since the 2009 collapse interest rates spent a lot of time at 0%, creating ernormous bubbles. The wealth creation without production (= inflation) is not sustainable.
Before the 2008 stock market collapse (blue), interest rates increased from Jun 2004 to Jul 2006 (red). The stock market peaked in Oct 2007. It fell from above total debt/4 (green) to below it.
Before the 2000-2002 collapse (blue), interest rates increased slightly until Jun 2000 (red). The stock market fell back to total debt/4 (green).
Before the 1987 collapse (blue), interest rates declined (red). The stock market fell from above total debt/4 (green) to below it.
Friday 17 Nov 2023
Burger King banned in Australia! Here's why - Youtube.
"NEW - Ørsted Germany and Hynamics Germany "pioneering" hydrogen plant canceled. Long-term operation of the plant to produce "green hydrogen" is not economically worthwhile, says the consortium." - Twitter.
The US price of natural gas in dollars per milion BTU (blue) has been far lower than gasoline per million BTU (red). Why do vehicles not run on natural gas? Distributing the gas in cylinders increases the price, but it is still cheaper than gasoline. The energy content of compressed natural gas is 139,000 BTU/gallon compared to about 120,000 BTU/gallon for gasoline. Higher energy content results in better mileage: "A regular gasoline-powered car averages 32 miles per gallon while a CNG-powered car averages 43 miles per gallon" - The Pros and Cons of Natural-Gas Vehicles.
Natural gas explained. How much natural gas is left - EIA. The US has about 92 years of natural gas left (2973 trillion cubic feet / 32.31 TCF annual usage), before going back to coal.
The cost of running a 30% efficient engine on natural gas works out to $0.0306/kWh (blue), a lot cheaper than the price of the electricity (red) used for electric vehicles, if not for the distribution costs. The average residential price of natural gas of $13.25 per thousand cubic feet for the first half of 2022 (EIA) works out to $12.62 per million BTU, compared to about $6 at the Henry Hub.
Thursday 16 Nov 2023
"JUST IN - New York appeals court lifts gag order imposed on Trump, citing constitutional free speech rights" - Twitter. If judges disagree the law was not written clearly enough, or one judge is incompetent and should be fired. Judges are only there to interpret the law, not to express an opinion.
SpaceX's 2nd Starship launch on Nov. 18: How it will work - Space.
Oil prices are falling. WTI is at $73. Average WTI price needed for U.S. oil and gas producers to stay profitable by well status in selected U.S. oilfields as of 2022* - Statista.
What sound level will spectators in the Formula One race in Las Vegas be subjected to, especially where there are buildings on both sides? Standing 5 meters from the start of a Formula One race (best V8 sound) - Youtube.
Cheetah vs Robodog - Zoo Robot Research testing world 1st - Sydney Behind the scenes - Youtube.
US natural gas (red) has been an amazingly cheap source of energy for a long time. The price has fallen back to 1981 levels. The price of gasoline (blue) remained near $1/gallon from 1980 to 2000. The price of both show the effect of the suspension of the gold standard in 1971.
The price of natural gas (red) has varied enormously, here compared to total US debt per person (green):
The coal price (grey) compared to total US debt per person (green). Coal was the major source of electricity until 2008: Animated: 70 Years of U.S. Electricity Generation by Source.
Wednesday 15 Nov 2023
Size comparison between Tesla Cybertruck and DeLorean Back to the Future car: "Design legend Giorgetto Giugiaro on the Cybertruck: "When you step outside the norms, it's almost always seen as a provocation... and the Cybertruck will surely be successful, I'm sure of it." - Twitter.
"Watch: Officials Grilled Over San Fran's 'Miraculously' Spotless Streets For Xi Visit" - Twitter.
"This is completely fake inflation data when they do stuff like this. Does anyone believe that health care costs declined by -34% between Oct 2022 and Oct 2023? Thanks to a new method by the govt Bureau of Labor Statistics ... It's not your premium they measured but health insurer PROFITS, factoring in plan differences. Company profits dip, causing the -34%." - Twitter.
"Japan's Isuzu Motors is set to launch a new business of electric trucks with replaceable batteries in a push for greater delivery efficiency" - Twitter.
From 11 Nov: Watch Live | Crew sets up Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York - Youtube. The spectators who stood so close do not appear to understand the potential danger with lifting a tree, and the weight of a tree. Everybody should plant a 30,000 pound Christmas tree in front of their house, with 50,000 lights, and a 900 pound star on top (How the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree became a holiday icon). Oh wait, I do have two Cypress trees and scaffolding.
Tuesday 14 Nov 2023
"Nikkei and research firm Fomalhaut Techno Solutions disassembled Huawei's recently released Mate 60 Pro, in which Chinese parts constitute 47% on a value basis -- up 18 percentage points from a model analyzed three years ago." - Twitter. Thanks to the US government. Politicians think they can control economies.
"Another Chicago commercial real estate nightmare... Jewelers Building, a the historic Landmark tower in Chicago is reportedly going to be sold for a shocking price of around ~$39 million, or $70 per SF" - Twitter.
Boat Sinks with Cruise Passengers in Nassau - Youtube. It is in die Bermuda Triangle.
Two years after buying my $2,000 electric truck from China, here’s how it looks now - Electrek.
Hotel Union Gears Up to Picket Major Hollywood Awards Ceremonies - The Hollywood Reporter. Not the awards ceremonies.
US Consumer Price Index (blue) compared to the inflation on medical care servies (green) and the average house price (red). Homes are bigger than in the distant past. If other items remained cheap to give such a low average inflation, then their weight in the inflation basket should be diminished.
Monday 13 Nov 2023
"Of the homeowners who bought a property in the past year, 46% indicate that they are struggling to manage their monthly mortgage payments due to high interest rates, per USA Today." - Twitter.
"China chipmaker YMTC sues Micron for alleged patent infringement" - Twitter.
The internet has good websites for testing colour mixing. The colours for light are additive, like in television and the human eye. The primary colours are red, green and blue (RGB). A good website for the additive colours is CS Field Guide.
The colours for painting and in printers is subtractive. The primary colours are cyan, magenta, and yellow. A good website for the subtractive colours is Color Designer.
Some websites claim that blue, green and yellow are the primary colours, perhaps because the cyan and magenta colours are not well known to the public. The website Science Questions with Surprising Answers gives a good explanation of primary colours.
Sunday 12 Nov 2023
"The FRED Blog looks at housing starts: The number of new multi-family projects is more than 30% lower than it was last September, while the number of new single-family projects is about 9% higher than it was last September" - Twitter.
Leonardo DiCaprio Helps Push the Luxury Watch World Toward a Sustainable Future - The Hollywood Reporter. "Indeed, ID Genève may be the most committed watch company in the sustainable arena, crafting pieces with details that include recycled steel remelted in a solar furnace, straps that are vegan and compostable, and packaging derived from mushrooms and seaweed."
Google gives strange suggestions based on popular searches. For "how common ..." it suggests "how common is herpes", "how common are negative side effects of finasteride (treats male pattern hair loss by blocking male hormone production)", "how common is herpes in sweden", "how common is salmonella in eggs", "how common is stretch marks during pregnancy", "how common is syphilis", "how common is droopy eyelid after botox". What is happening in Sweden?
Travis Kelce Is Taylor Swift's Biggest Fan at Argentina Eras Tour Concert - Eonline. Spare a thought for this poor guy. A football player who has to listen to sentimental songs for three hours.
Saturday 11 Nov 2023
Now What? The Five Crises Confronting a Post-Strike Hollywood - The Hollywood Reporter.
Joshua Jackson Attends His First Carpet Following Split from Jodie Turner-Smith — See the Photos! - People. He does look happy.
2018 Tesla Model 3: Total Cost Of Ownership After Five Years And 70,000 Miles - InsideEVs. The extra price of electric vehicles is justified if you travel a lot, otherwise the time value of money comes into play. If the price difference is $20,000 and you invest it at 7.2% per year, it would be $40,000 after 10 years. If you start with $40,000 in both cases, after ten years with a fuel car you end with $60,000 of value. With an EV you end with $40,000.
For long periods, the value of used vehicles do not increase, like the decline from 1995 to 2020. Another period of decline seems likely.
Relative to average wage (red), used vehicles (blue) were cheap in 2020, and are still relatively cheap.
Relative to average house price (red), used vehicles (blue) are poor investments:
Friday 10 Nov 2023
"World's population has passed 8 billion, U.S. estimates." - Twitter. If they stood side-by-side along the equator, they would stand 100 rows deep.
Thursday 9 Nov 2023
Ticket prices are plunging ahead of Formula 1’s next race set on the Las Vegas Strip - CNN.
"Samsung Electronics says its generative artificial intelligence model can write emails in Korean and English, summarize reports, and translate documents. It can also create images in the form of photos and paintings." - Twitter. Artificial Intelligence is spreading.
SAG-AFTRA ends strike after securing a deal that protects members 'from the threat of AI' - Engadget. How much income did they lose during the almost four months strike? Human faces are often computer generated, without needing a facial scan. Actors might spend their days looking for their "likeness" in films.
Top 10 Costco Preps: After 3-Years of INFLATION - Youtube. The official inflation rate is fraud.
ArcelorMittal Takes Legal Action Against Liberty Steel Over Unpaid Debt - OilPrice. "ArcelorMittal has obtained a court order freezing the assets of Liberty Steel, over €140 million in unpaid debt".
"The Thai media company that owns the Miss Universe pageant has filed for bankruptcy protection after loading up on debt to buy the annual event." - Twitter.
Australian Man Survives Crocodile Attack by Biting Back: Report - People.
Lions with 'Good Taste' Steal Woman's $1,800 Designer Bag on Safari and Turn it into a Toy (Exclusive) - People.
Wednesday 8 Nov 2023
"Google's AI-powered search experience expands globally to 120+ countries and territories" - Twitter.
"Hyundai plans to build a facility in the US where its air mobility division Supernal will make flying electric taxis intended to be used by commuters" - Twitter.
"Three giant pandas have left the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington and are heading back to China. Zoo officials say Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji's return has nothing to do with politics" - Twitter. The US government suspected China was using the pandas as spies.
Tuesday 7 Nov 2023
"China claims it has a plan to mass produce humanoid robots that can 'reshape the world' within two years, per BI" - Twitter.
"Grok can even do self-deprecating, as all my favorite people can. And apparently you can't get rid of it even if you try." - Twitter.
NOW - Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar: "Rashida will stand strong, and the Palestinian movement will continue for liberation." - Twitter.
Tesla owner wins ~$10k settlement over Tesla’s false self-driving claims - Electrek. This is how it begins.
Monday 6 Nov 2023
YouTube's adblock war is backfiring in the worst way possible - Youtube. Youtube stopped insisting that adblockers be disabled, presumably because many users preferred to not watch the videos.
"Eurozone debt vs growth...." - Twitter.
Berkshire Hathaway Cash on Hand 2010-2023 | BRK.B - Macrotrends. There is no cash growth trend.
Berkshire Hathaway Revenue 2010-2023 | BRK.B - Macrotrends. Revenue grew 8.6% per year since 2009.
Berkshire Hathaway EPS - Earnings per Share 2010-2023 | BRK.B - Macrotrends. Profits were inconsistent.
Sunday 5 Nov 2023
"Cost of an EV battery (Source: Visual Capitalist)" - Twitter.
Rich Little roasts James Stewart, 1978 - Youtube.
Saturday 4 Nov 2023
"Trucking employment is contracting the fastest on record this century" - Twitter.
All US truck transporation employees, up to October:
Friday 3 Nov 2023
"KFC restaurants" - Twitter.
"A Silicon Valley group backed by billionaires said it’s bought all the land it needs to build a utopian city in northern California" - Twitter. Wherever relative prosperity is created, it draws in poor people, who causes a decline in the prosperity.
The strange reason windows blew out on a passenger jet - The Street. "The windows appear to have sustained thermal damage and distortion because of elevated temperatures while illuminated for approximately four to five and a half hours during filming activity the day before the flight".
The US average wage (blue) has not kept up with medical care costs (red):
US total compensation of employees relative to Gross Domestic Product (blue) declined after 1970 from 52% to 43% now. The percentage of people working (red) increased after 1977 from 60% to 75% now. A smaller portion of the cake is spread amongst a larger workforce.
Canada's Share of Labour Compensation in GDP at Current National Prices fell after 1972:
Japan's Share of Labour Compensation in GDP at Current National Prices fell after 1983:
Thursday 2 Nov 2023
"Japan has announced the country will spend over $113 billion in a new package to help people deal with inflation" - Twitter.
Bear goes trick-or-treating in Florida neighborhood, eats candy - UPI.
Wednesday 1 Nov 2023
Google Expands YouTube Ad Blocker Detection - ExtremeTech. Most of the content on Youtube does not justify waiting for adverts. Years ago when the only entertainment were terrestrial television broadcasts, one wondered whether the programs were deliberately made boring so that adverts looked more interesting.
The Rolling Stones Become First Act With Top 10 Albums in Each Decade Since the 1960s" - Twitter.
'Maduro regime criminals have migrated to the US & are running amok in Dallas, Miami, & Chicago. Atty. Rolando Vazquez: "The same people so many migrants left Venezuela to escape from are now here." ' - Twitter. Official immigration policy keeps the law abiding people out.
EV sales still rising at 22.3% in CA, Tesla cedes lead back to Toyota - Electrek. Is the shift away from Tesla politically motivated, after the Twitter takeover?
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