Early Bords, June 8, 2023

Dan Kenelly - Business is steady, not too crazy. A few shops they deal with are very busy. For example, one shop is sending work out to Houston and vice versa. 

US - continuing to grow exponentially compared to canada.

Another example of this is a new  Gulf of Mexico off loading facility. For the super tankers that can't come all the way in to regular offloading ports.

Power grid issues - and I can't remember if this was local story or a nationwide story. Utilities  are warning users not to plug their EV’s in at peak times to avoid the grid going down, and rotating blackouts. Enmax is doing a refit on one of their biggest units, which is a part of the issue.

Matt Dart - Johnson Controls is humming along and there's work on the horizon. Reed Deer Hospital has selected engineers so that large project is coming.

The LRT Green Line engineering in place, so that’s coming.

Matt's been attending workshops/seminars/meetings with decarbonization for buildings as a topic. Biofuels are a thing but apparently only make sense in certain jurisdictions, like Kitchener and Lethbridge.

As a result, wood pellets and wood byproducts are being considered. But they need huge reservoirs and huge bins for waste.

Johnson Controls was actually considering a biomass boiler line, until they realized they might sell.....one.

Steve Price - who's invented more ways to convert energy than you can shake a stick at was chomping at the bit as Matt was talking.

Steve's first point is that at this point, at scale, NOTHING is as efficient from a conversion to energy standpoint than fossil fuels. Period. The end. Hydrogen is terribly inefficient and one and on he could have gone on but summed up with these three points:

1. Biofuels - wood can be made into synthetic diesel fuel or methanol. Conversion of the biomass into those fields makes the energy or fuels easier to transport.
   
2. Jurisdictions in Europe are thinking of banning wood pellet burning because burning pellets releases terrible pollution in the form of particulates. The combustion is incomplete so not as efficient.
   
3. There is a Carseland plant that will turn wood products into synthetic diesel.

Steve went on to tel us about another deeeeeeeep web site that will be very interesting for al critical-thinkers among the Birds, i.e., all of us on a good day. It's called the Visual Capitalist and it is truly a rabbit hole for the ages. They convert reliable data into easy to digest visual forms. The one visual data piece that caught Steve's eye was the Generational Power Index. Which generation wields the most power? There are some surprises, and much good information here: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/gpi/.

Tony Fisher - Quick, funny and dirty this week. Tony's drawing a line between politics and sports since the city seems to be adopting a best out of three format on voting for important issues. Canada fireworks, city administration's housing affordability report, the residential parking permits. One can only wonder what they can waffle on next!

Jim Bladon - On the power grid recounting how his son spent a few days in Vancouver. Vancouver has the most of the E-Semi trucks out. BUT - the grid was taken down on Sunday when FOUR of these things plugged in to charge. FOUR charging E-semis took the grid down. Go Greens!

The Canadian Central bank's rate hike was not a surprise. Another increase likely. Canadian banks may hike again in September.

Jim was out in Hannah playing golf. He (and the farmers out there he spoke with) have NEVER seen Eastern Alberta that dry. Rotating Water bans in place.

Crops will suffer. So that means prices will rise on food and cattle grain. Agriculture will suffer with other rising price inputs.

Brad Pachal - is booking work into June 2024!!

Joel Shapiro - was having a great week. he's also got lots to look forward to: A half day workshop in June and another September for 45 people. What Joel especially loves about this is that each workshop is followed by individual coaching sessions to support, follow up and help build some new habits and solidify new perspectives acquired in the workshop. 

He recounted also a McKinsey discussion about talent management. Pulled from a book called The War For Talent written in 1997 which helped to reshape how people sought, and fought for the best talent for their companies. Field by that

Don - wishes he was 20 years younger to take advantage of all this great information.

Middle grandson - what he wants to do. Movie director. Don says - I mean a JOB! Sister as an artist hasn’t had a job in two months living in Vancouver.

Son of the owner of Ben’s Deli - wanted to run a Théâtre. So did and wanted to cover the seats with velvet. First advice - cover the seats with assholes. Eventually forced to sell

Dwayne - grid issues, systems designed to work around peak times and fluctuating prices. Some collusion around scheduled shutdowns to maximize and take advantage and manipulate the price cycle.

Balancing pool is not much more than an administrator managing tax repayment to Alberta tax payers.

Should act as a commercial force in the market. The NDP neutered the pool.

No one understood or studied what the effects of changes to the pool.

Ross - inflation piece - understand labor and real estate still rising, but retail is dropping prices, sometimes aggressively.

It could take a few merchants down, including Webber. Chinese price pressure is downward trying to feed that manufacturing beast.

Kai - applies for a job in Portland. Gets it.

Thinking cool. Turns out it’s Portland, Maine. 

JD - fairly steady. Reached a balance where things are breathing easier. Phone quieter the last week or so.

Their costs on hot water tanks are up up to 8%.

They’re running into consumers doing parts of Job rather than the whole thing required.

Andy - increase cycle at the us and Canadian central banks will go longer than anyone thinks. Forecast that the interest rate rises will continue.

People are victims of hapless governments that simply don’t get it.

Liked the delegation piece. Challenge is getting executives to delegate at ALL.

The challenge is to know when to grow. 

Keep our small and keep it all is one approach.