Yes, I couldn't be in a better mood.
Texas
is well beyond all of this. Masking is 100% optional except for federal
agencies, airports, airlines, etc. It appears indoors it's about 50-50
for those wearing masks, those not.
The summer of 2022 is going to be a blow-out summer for everyone, especially the investor class.
I
went to REI yesterday to look at a new bike. They said they had one of
their best years ever -- folks loved the out-of-doors during the year of
the plague.
Apparently
the airlines have sold out of seats for Christmas holidays. They
furloughed way too many pilots and the airlines never expected travel to
open up so fast. Flight attendants are eager to get back to work; more
can be trained fairly quickly. Older fight attendants don't retire.
Pilots
cannot be trained overnight. They retire at the drop of a hat when given
huge payouts, which they were a year ago to keep the airlines from going
under.
I
spoke to a Brazilian yesterday who runs US operations for some big
Brazilian manufacturing company in the US. He travels regularly to five
European countries: Poland, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain. He
and family arrived here March, last year, just when all travel was
locked down. He and his family have not been able to visit in person for
the past year. But, on November 18, 2021, the "embargo" ends and
Brazilians can fly to the US. His father and mother have booked their
flight and will be here for a stay of 40 days (and nights). This is just
the tip of the iceberg for international travelers. Especially from
Mexico, South America. His father, I assume, founded the company, and is
probably retired but somehow still runs things.
Spoke
with a United Airlines flight attendant yesterday: hiring back 5,000
flight attendants this month. This month. She's based in Newark, NJ; has
put in a transfer for Houston, which she will get this month or next.
Our
apartment complex held a "wine and whisky" tasting event yesterday. It
was the second tasting in less than two months. I missed the first one
because I was traveling. That's where I ran into these folks. The
Brazilian family I have known for the past year. They are in their 30's I
suppose; both are drop dead handsome/gorgeous and their two daughters
age 2 years and 6 years are incredibly precious and gorgeous. The
6-year-old knew no English when she arrived last March. She is now
fluent in English; her first language is now English; no accent; very,
very outgoing. I think she has seen it all. She spoke to me non-stop for
ten minutes about her life. And it was all about her school here in
Texas. He has to be very, very wealthy and yet very, very down-to-earth.
The
nearby elementary school: whites may be a minority, not sure. Indians
are definitely the number one non-white ethnic group. Ranked as one of
the best elementary schools nationwide ranking. Although a lot of
schools make that claim. Three huge apartment complexes feed kids into
that system, and all the folks coming from overseas who end up in this
area, seek these apartments for the schools. Housing very limited.
The
flight attendant and her mother: they came to Texas eighteen years ago
from San Diego. California priced them out. That was eighteen years ago.
African-American. Articulate, pretty. We enjoyed sharing stories about
masking on planes from her point of view; my point of view. We were on
same page, so it was a very pleasant conversation. Bottom line: get
along to get along.
It was kind of funny. Everybody recognized me because of Sophia. Everyone. And it's a huge apartment complex.
Biden
needs to "own" "Let's go Brandon." The economy has been on a tear for
the past year (except for a few sectors yet to catch up) --- he needs to
use "Let's go Brandon" as his marketing tool every time he crows about
the economy. A lot of rappers have changed their names.
The
biggest story I'm following now is trying to sort out Harold Hamm /
Continental Resources entering the Permian. All cash deal. He used his
own cash: $3.2 billion. All cash, no stock dilution. Unprecedented. I'm
following it here, but it's under construction:
I'll
probably write more later today. We got an extra hour today. As the
native Americans tell us: only Americans can cut an inch off the top of
the rug, add it to the bottom of the rug, and tell us we have a longer
rug.
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