That pesky $4 gal. diesel has crept into my neighborhood!

[HighTechRedneck]

There was a list of oil companies that ARE NOT ARAB.  CITGO, Dutch Shell, ARCO and SINCLARE are the only ones I remember.  But if you care you will boycott the Arabs.  None of the 9/11 hijackers was Vz. or Dutch or Indonesian or African nor did they come from democracy's.  Saudis mostly.

Keep in mind that although Hugo Chavez has not launched any physical attacks on our country, he is very anti American (yes he gave some heating oil to poor Americans, I hope nobody believes it was out of friendship or concern).  Within OPEC he actively lobbies to cut production to further raise prices for the U.S.  Like Iran, he has directly referred to his oil as a weapon against the U.S. and our allies.  In many ways, now that we have tightened security to the point of choking our own freedoms, the economic threats of Iran and Venezuela are more viably dangerous to the U.S. than the terrorists.

[JohnEd]

High Tech,

Your point about profit distribution resulting from retail sale is what I was trying to get across to Belfert and all.  You said it much better than I.  Thanks for clearing that up.

Hugo was the duly elected Pres of Vz. in a LANDSLIDE election.  Down there, and in the rest of Latin America, it is an accepted fact that the CIA engineered his being taken captive and held prisoner in is own home with his family during a coup.  He was taken by some of the Vz. Army generals that work closely with anti crime, drug and terrorism task forces that have the CIA as principles.  Every country in North and South America immediately voiced strident and threatening objections to that criminal act against the legitimate and sovereign Gummint of Vz.  Every Gummint save one holdout.....The U S of America, the supposed bastion of freedom in the known world and champion of democracy's everywhere.  Sounds good on paper.  I think it took all of 24 hours for every nation in Europe to add their unanimous protesting voice to the outrage.  The generals backed down and released Hugo but the question of where did they get the funds and the "green light" for their treason was never answered only in our nation.  After Hugo release all those supportive breathed a collective sigh of relief in the world press quotes.  Our President, when told of Hugo release and return to his national office said only "well, I hope he has learned his lesson".  Can anyone truly be befuddled as to why Hugo despises this administration and why our stock has taken another serious down turn in the Americas?  Our President was quoted once as saying "he tried to kill my Daddy" about Saddam and a reported assassination attempt during our former President's visit to Arabia.  Some say that he wanted to cancell the trip and Saddam just made good hyperboil as a reason.  If you were Hugo or any of the others, would you be actively trying to get others to join you in anti US activity?  Heck, we nearly killed the man because we didn't like his "domestic" oil policy.  I am not a fan of Hugo's, but I simply despise this PROPAGANDA that people try to feed me and those that spread it make me sad.    The cost a oil is a result of our missmanagement of our foreign affairs.  These Gummint blunders do affect the price you and I pay at the pump.  It is time for a new and sweeping change in our national policy that will bring more stability and lower fuel prices.  We truly cannot afford what is currently going on.

I have traveled all over this planet while working for the Gummint and also as an American service man.  I have NEVER encountered people that didn't admire Americans.  None has ever impressed me as liking our Gummint no matter who was in power, on the other hand.  I think the unscrupulous and criminal behaviors last a long long time in the minds of people.  Never set foot in Arabia or Africa, though.

This rant, such as it is, is about oil prices and why they are out of control.  This is only a very small part of the full deck of reasons but I think it is typical of the depth of the problem and how many things that happen outside our Great Nation affect all of us.  $4.39/gallon...I am livid!


Thanks for not calling me a COMMIE, 

John

[BusCrazyTom]

COMMIE?!? John, I think you're attitude on the issue is correctly AMERICAN and proper! I support our military, but not a lot of things our Gov. is into. I have been taught that if you want people to leave you alone, you must leave them alone as well, and we're bad about messing in other nations business. Its come back to haunt us.

BCT

[belfert]

I find it hard to believe that government employees don't have better things to do than to look for folks using WVO as fuel.  There just aren't enough people using WVO that the government is missing much tax revenue.  The fines are probably so big because that is the only way the government can pay for the employees and their equipment.  Don't some states exempt homemade fuel from fuel taxes for hundreds of gallons?  I don't think this helps for the federal fuel tax.

Now, I do agree with them checking for off road diesel as that is a far bigger issue.  If you drive on the road you need to pay for it.  We have enough potholes already.

Edited to fix spellling

[BusCrazyTom]

Gone to $4.28 here at Osamas' Exxon for dino diesel. And they no longer have biodiesel because thier supplier has decided to export it all at $6.00 per gallon. Nasty!

BCT

[JohnEd]

BCT,

Thank you.  I do consider myself a Patriot.  Irks me that people say any with a descending opinion "doesn't support the troops".  I cannot see where they have not succeeded in everything they have been asked to do.  The "mission Accomplished" statement was fact.  At that time we had a strong following in Iraq.  Could'a  left hero's in the eyes of the world. They have won every day since then but the price in blood and National Treasure is repulsive.  I think they are just dragging this out so they can fictionalize defeat as being caused by the next administration.  Sound familiar?  "We could won that was if we had just stuck it out".  It is just a political tool to say that our military has lost anything.  Our oil prices will be hiked because of the fairy tale of a lost war.

Someone said that the "truckers" will get their fuel costs back by simply raising the cost of shipping.  The truth in that statement is that the "TRUCKING INDUSTRY" will recoup.  The independent truckers, those brave American spirited entrepreneurs, are getting crushed by fuel costs.  The rate of pay always LAGS their costs by many weeks.  Those boys and girls are tying up freeways and plugging up towns with their rigs as a protest.  Truckers are not a radical group.....they have a serious problem and we should be paying attention to their problem as we are all having it.

A couple of days ago I watched the principle CEO's of our oil industries testify before congress.   The execs said that they "still need the $40 billion/year tax break" enacted a while ago cause their might be a "down turn in the industry in the future" that would depress profits.  How do you spell GAUL?  Is their any confusion remaining as to how these people can continue to rape us at the pump and at the same time walk off with our tax dollars as if they have an entitlement.  The only thing I saw on their faces was arrogant indifference.  I don't see the price we pay for diesel going down anytime soon.

Fuel cost conversation, right?

Love ya all,

John ever the optimist

[gyrocrasher]

Well,only cuz you ask, Mr. Webster spells it 'gall'. Sorry, I just couldn't help it!

[belfert]

I'm of mixed opinion on the oil company tax breaks.  On the one hand, no industry should as big as oil should get any tax breaks.  On the other hand, the oil companies will figure out a way to raise prices if they pay more taxes.  The oil companies would never reduce their profits to pay for anything.  This would just end up as a hidden tax increase for consumers.

[Charles in SC]

I am just thankful that aluminum prices are holding up. The old bus may not be a total loss yet.

[JohnEd]

Charles,

Now that is what I call perspective.

John

Gyro,

Thats cool.   Don't pass up any others, also.   I used to feel a little sheepish about my absolutely abismal ability to spell.  Especially considering I invariably placed in the highest 1 to 5 percentile and am a Suma Cum Laude grad.  Turns out it is somthing you learn in about the fourth grade.....or you never learn it.  At least according to educators I have spoken with.  Even knowing that there is an "E" after the "M" in somthing matters not as it is invariably left out.   And the chance that i might turn this around?  At my age, absolutely ZERO.  It's cool though.   Really, get me every chance you get.

John ( or is that Jon?)

[BusCrazyTom]

God, if this keeps up, I'm going to have to make like an oil exec (or member of Congress) and raise my own salary! That is if I can get my clients to pay it....

BCT

[buddydawg]

Not to get swept up in endless political debate but less taxes are always a GOOD thing.  It matters not if it is for you, the small business owner or the large corporation.  The problem with oil is purely political in my eyes, from government inefficiencies to anti-capitalist countries we have to deal with. As far as Exxon and their 40B profit, remember they are a global company the US downstream earnings which covers the refining and sale of petroleum products was 4.1B down 130 million from 2006.  Also take into consideration the taxes paid by Exxon 30B, more than the taxes paid by the bottom half of taxpayers 27.4B.  Who is making out like a bandit here?  You friendly Government.  Who really pays for corporate taxes?  You do. 

[belfert]

I am just thankful that aluminum prices are holding up. The old bus may not be a total loss yet.

Curious what your local scrap dealer is paying for aluminum?  I only got 65 cents a pound last weekend for some nice clean scrap aluminum.  I know I have seen the price thay pay for aluminum cans as high as 96 cents a pound.  I don't know if aluminum cans and aluminum scrap pay differently and didn't see the cans price last week.

[HighTechRedneck]

I am just thankful that aluminum prices are holding up. The old bus may not be a total loss yet.

Curious what your local scrap dealer is paying for aluminum?  I only got 65 cents a pound last weekend for some nice clean scrap aluminum.  I know I have seen the price thay pay for aluminum cans as high as 96 cents a pound.  I don't know if aluminum cans and aluminum scrap pay differently and didn't see the cans price last week.

I know the owner of the shop we're using to do some work on my bus got over $1/pound on aluminum scrap about 2 weeks ago.  First he strips it of all other metals, rubber, etc.  As I understand it, if it isn't "cleaned" of other materials, it gets less.  Also the price fluctuates constantly.

[Sojourner]

All this about whatever who you blame the cause of fuel costs gone up and will be going up just because we think our only fuel source is from nonindependent suppliers. Then before we say negative things about our president or whoever....do yourself a favor...read this actual energy consumption and cost report from around the world.

International Energy Price Information
PS...Look for "Graphs of Current International Crude Oil and Petroleum Product Prices" and click on your choice of fuel graphs......you will notice USA customers are paying only half of what world users pay. And yet we are crying for lower prices. Well, keep on crying, because it is not going to happen until USA uses noncrude oil products and farm produce crops.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/prices.html#Fuels

Greenhouse Gases
http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/greenhouse/Chapter1.htm
Ethanol
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/ethanol.html
Biodiesel
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biodiesel.html
Biomass
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html

There is a whole new way to be nearly totally independent from outside of our home for transportation fuel. That is using Yull Brown's invention called Brown Gas (hydrogen/oxygen). That is MIND boggling but it is true.

Believe it or not...your wet cell battery in any of your vehicles are already producing hydrogen gases but with concentration of sulfuric acid content. In other words replace all the plates with SS 316 metal plates and replace sulfuric acid with clean water, now you have a hydrogen generator when DC voltage is applied to it, instead of a battery that produces DC power.

1)   It is the only fuel that can be made from water
2)   It is the only fuel that is lowest cost
3)   It is the only fuel that can be made while being used....On Demand system
4)   It is the only fuel that processes gases like our wet cell battery does
5)   It is the only fuel that is nongreenhouse gases
6)   It is the only fuel that puts back most of the water into the atmosphere
7)   It is the only fuel that requires the least of the overall energy to produce it
   It is the only fuel that is most overall healthy to the air that we breathe

Keep checking the update about alternative fuels in Green Topic.

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry