Enough WHINING about oil already!

[Headshot zod]

And dont forget that we have an oil man in the White House, and Vice President too. I'm SURE they are doing everything possible to bring fuel prices down. Silly me (again)

QUOTE]



I'm gonna withhold a rant, there shall be no whine before its time. .



rant/off



Brian, the toast taste much better, it's just harder to butter, I've since been contemplating the bully dog propane assist for the toaster to quicken it up and maybe mod the Snow Performance Butter Injector to spray the toast as it is ejected. I'm still having toast landing problems with the 8" stock plate I may go with the South Bend 11" dinner platter and see how it goes.



"STOP GLOBAL WHINING"

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I understand we are going to have serious supply issues throughout the country especially back east and they're asking everyone to cut back where they can and limit fuel usage as much as possible. Not sure if this is part of the hysteria or has any factual basis but at this point it doesn't sound like a bad plan to me.



Vaughn

 

[Headshot zod]

Well if it's true then we should cut back when and where we can, you know carpooling, windows up and keep the airconditioning off, sensible tires, sensible cars, God bless those enviromentalists they are so helpful in times of need... ... . For the rest of us there is vegetable oil... ... . Hammer Down Good Buddy!!!



I'm currently filtering five gallons of the good stuff from my shop steward's deep fried turkey fryer... . yummy..... Oo.



my diesel smoke taste better then your diesel smoke



.

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

I wikk say this one time because communications are limited... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . SAVE ALL THE FUEL YOU CAN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oil fields are decimated... . i know this from where i sit... ..... I KNOW OIL FIELDS ... ... ... ..... MANY ARE NOT EVEN THERE NOW... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW DO NNOT MAKE ANY UNRSESSARY TRIPS... ... ... . THIS IS NO JOKE PEOPLE... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... BELIEVE WHAT I KNOW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SAVE YOUR DIESEL FOR NESSASERY TRIPS ONLY... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... IT IS GOING TO GET MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH WORSE... ... ... I AM NOT CHICKEN LITTLE... ... ... ... YOU HEARD IT HEAR FIRST

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

it is true my friend ... ... ... . please belirve me

 

[RT66DOC]

Hohn, we need to know... MPG?

 

[98rammer]

a buddy of mine owns a gas station (small one- doesn't sell thousands of gallons a day like the big places out there). still getting my diesel at 2. 59/gal and he doesn't plan to go up until a new batch of fuel comes in which isn't often with the diesel. nice to see someone who isn't price gouging at the very second he can.

 

[mberry]

I don't know about you but put it in perspective: a gallon of milk has been between 3 and 4 bucks for how long? $. 99 for 8 ounces of bottled water. $5 for a cup of lousy coffe from Starbucks. Granted, we don't use these in the quantities we use fuel but come on! Diesel has been over $3 a gallon here for a while. I guess I'm getting used to it for the time being.

 

[RGardner]

The point is that you have the choice of getting free tap water or bottled water, coffee at home or starbucks. The price of oil is artificially high and the cost of gas & diesel are being inflated by individuals or companies for sky high profits at the expense of the public! Our economy is not as good as the honchos want us to believe. This could be the straw that broke the camels back!

 

[FFutch]

... And higher fuel prices will raise the price of everything else. Remember everything that we get is delivered by trucks,planes, and trains. The economy will also take a hit... Doug

 

[SHobbs]

Allready seeing things slowing at work. I work for Union Pacific and we have seen a reduction in inventory due to customers cutting back. Major commodities like coal, grain and intermodal are still doing well, but the little guys that get 3 or 4 cars from us a week are starting to slow a bit.



Food for thought on the oil prices. Oil companies before all the higher prices usually kept about 20mill on hand in just free money that was not needed (mad money). Now they have around 100mill plus as free money. The stock for oil companies has tripled this is an indication that they are buying low and selling high afterall they are bragging about record profits. To me if things are tight and supply is low then why the huge profit. I read that it takes just $5 for an oil company to make fuel out of one barrel of oil, could be wrong. If that is true then why are they paying $69/ barrel. There is some improper activity going on for sure but good luck stopping it.

 

[I-6DZL]

Why is it that the guys that knock down a good chunk of change per year are the ones that are telling us not so wealthy folks to "quit whining"?



"If you cannot afford to fill your truck sell it" Who the hell are you to tell me when to sell my truck?? or even to cut back on driving ??



It doesn't matter one single bit how much everyone cuts back. The oil companies will continue to make record profits. Hell i'd even be willing to bet a years salary that the gouging son's of ... ... 's are still selling the fuel they bought for 1 dollar per gallon a year ago.



The last time i checked it actually done good for a person to "whine" every once in a while. It was best said "whining is free"



Instead of backing the oil companies how about you back us little people ?? After-all how did the big guys get so big ?? They started out small!!!!



While this reply may not have opened any eyes, it sure felt GREAT to "WHINE"



Curtis

 

[Texas Diesel]

Bravo I6dzl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Well said

 

[RGardner]

I second the motion!

 

[TSpecht]

They are making record profits because the demand is high and supply is low. Increased price for raw materials (crude oil) helps increase prices in general, since afterall one has a business goal of making money. If you're lucky enough to be in a business where there is no suitable alternative, you have more of a margin to be able to increase your prices than other industries. Look at the history of this. When fuel was cheap and regulations were getting stiffer, in the 90's, they started closing refineries. Now that they could profittably open more refineries, they don't because of excessive regulations. Even if they have the money to build refineries, they have the excuse (and it is somewhat valid) that it is difficult to push any new refinery through. If you don't believe that, go in and file paperwork to build a refinery, with the local government, state government, EPA, etc... Good luck muddling through that mess.

Does anybody honestly believe shareholders in a company would willingly cut profits for the common good? Name a couple of examples where you've witnessed this happening. People are greedy, and honestly if you or I was a key shareholder in these companies it probably wouldn't be much different.

Actually if we really did cut back, on a nationwide level, they would have to lower the prices, since supply would be larger than demand. Basic economics (which seems to work). For example, if there's too much stuff on the market, they don't just want the inventory to sit, so they'll cut prices to move it out and make room and free up money for other stuff. No retailer, even gas stations like having excess inventory.

Do I hate the fuel prices? I sure do. Do I understand some factors that have made them higher? I sure do. Am I looking at alternatives? Yup, at a point where I can get fresh vegetable oil, lye and methanol in suitable quantities (at less cost than fuel at the gas stations) I'll probably brew up my own fuel. Does anybody honestly believe shareholders in a company would willingly cut profits for the common good? Name a couple of examples where you've witnessed this happening. This situation is better than it would be if they fixed the price of the fuel market, because then the refineries would merely sell their product someplace else where they could get a bigger profit. That results in shortages, and at least we aren't really facing any of those "yet".

 

[98rammer]

Our economy is not as good as the honchos want us to believe.

yep, but our economy is built on consumer confidence. if people 'feel' that the economy is good, then they will spend more (you'll see it real well being self employed).



however yeah... everything's gone up. steel has gone through the roof in the past year compared to the last twenty years. housing, LAND, etc.



i just feel bad for the small trucking companies, hard enough for them to make a living as is. . (well, same for us all).

 

["Mad Max"]

... and buying a fuel efficient vehicle (read: small car) doesn't help anyone except the dealer. What has it made me do? - car pool. Great way to conserve a little gas. But when I want to go somewhere I get in my car and get on with it. No way this will curb my desire to get around, though I will find ways to get around in packs when possible. Wait, that means I need to have a little patience... ..... woah, there's a concept that most Americans (myself very divinitely included) are not accustomed to. I'm just going to chill out, adapt, reschedule, and maybe spend a little more quality time at home. Another crazy concept, eh?

Government, natural disasters, religion - there's no way any of us could possibly understand what makes this world turn and/or attach blame to a single issue or person on what is happening. Blaming anyone is useless, and blaming any of the above three reasons is as useless as well (though, agreed it does sometimes feel good ). I'm just going to get over it and get on with it.

- Max

 

[Hohn]

Why is it that the guys that knock down a good chunk of change per year are the ones that are telling us not so wealthy folks to "quit whining"?



"If you cannot afford to fill your truck sell it" Who the hell are you to tell me when to sell my truck?? or even to cut back on driving ??



It doesn't matter one single bit how much everyone cuts back. The oil companies will continue to make record profits. Hell i'd even be willing to bet a years salary that the gouging son's of ... ... 's are still selling the fuel they bought for 1 dollar per gallon a year ago.



The last time i checked it actually done good for a person to "whine" every once in a while. It was best said "whining is free"



Instead of backing the oil companies how about you back us little people ?? After-all how did the big guys get so big ?? They started out small!!!!



While this reply may not have opened any eyes, it sure felt GREAT to "WHINE"



Curtis

Ha! That's great-- I must be rich because I don't like whining.





For the record, the sob story of the "working little guy" doesn't get anyone anywhere with me. There are decisions and there are consequences. Period. Sheesh. People act like the "rich" got everything given to them, for free! Sure, someone INVITED me to college, did all my homework for me, and made sure I didn't have to lift a finger.



College isn't for everyone. There's nothing wrong with being a welder, a truck driver, or McDonald's burger flipper. It's honest work, and should receive honest pay. I will never look down on someone who made different life decisions than I did. I will teach my kids to do the same. That janitor or Wal-Mart worker is still a human being worth respect.



But that same janitor or Wal-Mart worker will not get anywhere with me with a sob story about being poor. I'm not responsible, pro or con, for how or where they ended up in life, just as they are not for me. It's not THEIR fault that I didn't do better in college and now have to work harder to get into grad school.



No one's backing the oil companies, and campaigning against the little guys. Spare me the victimhood-- save it for the NAACP rally or the next AFL-CIO meeting.



That's the whole point of my lead post. No one's demanding that you sell your truck or cut back or whatever. Drive it all you want.



But when the bill comes, don't expect hordes of people to come and decry how horrible it is that you can't afford to use a Kenworth T2000 to grab groceries because diesel's too high.



We have choices-- always. Often they are painful-- sometimes very painful. But we STILL have the choice. To the guy who's complaining about high fuel costs because he needs the truck for his business-- who forced you into that business? Who forced you to own that truck?



It just a basic truth of life that decisions have consequences, and sometimes life re-shuffles the deck, or even deals from the bottom. Then we have to make different decisions if we want different consequences.



Part of my being in the military means I can be sent away for long periods of time to live in crappy conditions to "help" people who probably would rather see me dead. It means leaving my wife and daughter. It means missing firsts-- first words, first birthdays, and such. But no one FORCED me to do this. I CHOSE to do it. If I feel that these sacrifices are unreasonable, then i will have to make a different choice, get out of the military, and find a different job.



Yes, things were different when I came in. No lengthy deployments, lots more cushy jobs, and less moving. Uncle Sam gets to change the terms of the agreement whenever he choses. If I don't like it, all I can do is leave.



Now I'm just as human as the next guy, and just as liable to have moments of self-pity. But we have to call a spade a spade, and get over it. No one is going to magically drop out of the clouds and hand us a winning PowerBall ticket. No one's guaranteeing we won't get cancer, suffer the loss of a loved one, or even wake up tomorrow.



So make the most of what you have, each and every day. Not only will you find that you aren't whining, but the "need" to do so has somehow disappeared.



Just my opinion. I'm sure few will like it.



j

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"Why is it that the guys that knock down a good chunk of change per year are the ones that are telling us not so wealthy folks to "quit whining"?"



Yeah, I just *LOVE* it when the likes of Barbra Streisand and similar liberal millionaire personalities preach the "let them eat cake" routine. Those bozos have been preaching as to how us "spoiled Americans" *should be* paying $5 a gallon for fuel "like the Europeans do" for the last few years - totally oblivious and IGNORANT of the fact that Europeans pay more for nearly EVERYTHING they buy due to government controls amd abusive taxes - and WE should want to be like them?



Strange that those "Europe sympathizers" - even the Bush-hating ones who THREATENED to move to Canada or Europe if Bush won the last election, are still here, raking in and sucking up those nasty AMERICAN $$$ as fast as they can...



And personally, stupid comparisons between the cost of a gallon of fuel vs a gallon of milk, mouthwash or whisky are just that, STUPID and irrelevant!



Paying high prices for ANYTHING for just cause, and where decent alternatives are available are ONE thing - but corporate MUGGING and gouging where the consumer has NO alternative, is or should be, criminal!

 

[Casey Ray]

Good post Gary! BTW, when is Barbara, Alex an ol what's his name leaving, lol.



Casey