| Author | Message | ||
     Electraglider_1997 |
And the darned oil companies are raking in record profits. Doesn't seem right to me. One thing though, electric vehicles are being developed at a break neck speed because of it. Seems like the oil companies are shooting themselves in the foot by raping the public. That Iraq war is sure spiraling our economy down the drain in a hurry. Oil was around $30 bucks a barrel before Bush invaded Iraq. What has gotten better in the past 7 years???? | ||
| Dynasport |
Well, we haven't had any more successful terrorist attacks on our soil. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
That one shouldn't have been successful and it was within the past 7 years. (Message edited by electraglider_1997 on March 29, 2008) | ||
| Adrian_8 |
The Chinese and the Indians are buying up all the oil and the raw material...lead, copper etc....they are driving cars now, not bicycles..Simple...supply and demand...When the libs will let us drill oil and builds more refineries( we have not built an new refinery in 25 years)the price will fall. In the 60's the liberal greenies said the Alaska pipeine would kill all the Carabou...they have greatly expanded as they stand near the pipe and stay warm and not freeze to death....so the beat goes on.. The oil companies profits are big because their gross intake is huge but their percentage of profit is somewhere around 7-10%. See what the bio-fuel has done to the price of food? Just be glad we live in the "Land of the Free"...Americans are becoming soft and being just a bunch of whiners... | ||
| Johnboy777 |
I stopped at a truck stop locally, and Diesel was $4.13 per gal. Oil is a finite resource - when gas prices hit $5 per gallon, and they will here, sooner than later, it will drive down sales of the less fuel efficient vehicles and drive more fuel efficient vehicles into the marketplace, which, IMHO, is a good thing. Folks need to realize we are heading toward a day when oil is scarce, and plan accordingly. Where are the visionaries when you need them. Looking at the big picture, I think nuclear plants need to be built again, and the electricity generated used to power vehicles. Coal or oil-fired plants don't make sense any longer. Safety and nuclear waste are problems which clearly need to be addressed, and solved. Look, if we can build a muffler with a valve operated by a servo that receives its instruction from a ECM's EEPROM - why not this problem? . | ||
| Bosh |
$3.23....  Let me at it! Haven't bought gas for under $3.55 for quite awhile. I think Chevron and Shell are more in the $3.80+ range right now around here. Parking the truck and driving the CRX(HF) and 12X, haven't been to the station for awhile now. | ||
| Paul56 |
When oil was under $30/bbl a few years ago thousands of wells were capped because it wasn't economically feasible for marginal wells to remain active. $100/bbl oil will uncap those and many more sources. The increased price will produce more supply. That situation would be greatly helped if our government of the people, by the people and FOR the people would remove the limits they have placed on energy exploration and production by realizing it is a fundamental issue of national security. Conservation- thats great ( a big part of the reason I ride). Green- great (we all have to breathe). But those goals shouldn't pre-empt the crucial need to fuel the country. Obscene oil profits? Stockholders will get larger than average dividends, a few execs will get larger than average bonuses, but most of the money will go toward producing more energy. We've enjoyed a long stretch of cheap oil. The free ride is over. | ||
| Ratbuell |
We've enjoyed a long stretch of cheap oil. The free ride is over. +1 It also won't hurt to get the Oil Guy out of the White House. | ||
| 08uly |
I want one... 100 MPH / 100 MPG Fly the road  . | ||
| Harleywern |
Come to Germany. We pay @ $9,- per gallon. The government collects 50% of it as tax. But I have to agree that gas prices getting out off hand these days. Ride safe Werner | ||
| Court |
I stick by my $5.00 per gallon by the end of summer. It has nothing to do with the occupant(s) of The White House. Simple economics. | ||
| Az_m2 |
High oil/gas prices are the only thing that will cause us to take a serious look at alternative energy sources. | ||
| Court |
High oil/gas prices are the only thing that will cause us to take a serious look at alternative energy sources. I used to buy into that. I'm getting skeptical and thinking about the number of folks I knew who's never pay more than $2.00 for a pack of cigarettes and are now smoking just as much at $8.00/pk. Americans have a very flat curve in terms of elasticity of demand. We don't change habits easily. In addition there are a group of folks who could care less what fuel costs. I turn all my fuel costs in with my expenses monthly. I got to feeling "green" last week and was the invited guest of Mercedes-Benz North America to drive the Smart Car. When we got done, I took out my check book, told the young fox of sales person "I'll take one". "ohhhhhhhhh no. . you can't buy it. . . you can only place a $99 deposit and wait6 months" Although I am seeing them on the streets I also note that the new 2008 Porsche gets lots better mileage than a Ford pickup and IS READILY AVAILABLE.  Enviromentally yours, Court | ||
| Jwnsc |
Court said: >It has nothing to do with the occupant(s) of The White House. Au contraire, it you accept the premise that the occupant of the White House is supposed to be a leader that sets national priorities and not just a shill for the corporations maintaining his campaign and re-election fund. You may remember in the fall of 1973 the oil- producing Arabs cut the oil supply to the West in retaliation for their support of Israel in the Yom-Kippur War. This resulted in an almost instant quadrupling in the price of oil, long lines at the pumps for rationed fuel, and a national 55 mph speed limit. That is what in my former profession we use to call a “clue.” A responsible leader, more concerned with national security and the welfare of all American citizens, than with shot term stock dividends of the corporations contributing to his campaign, would have started us on the road to energy self-sufficiency right then. Instead, 34 years later, we are in worse shape economically, militarily and environmentally, due to successive occupants of the White House being unable to see farther than the next election. | ||
| Maximum |
EG: You really opened up a can of worms here! Jwnsc said: "Instead, 34 years later, we are in worse shape economically, militarily and environmentally, due to successive occupants of the White House being unable to see farther than the next election." Sounds like non-factual scare tactic propaganda to me. I spent 2006 in Iraq...and even though the military is not perfect...we are doing far more, with less man power than 20-30 years ago. After seeing things first hand...I for one am proud of our military! I flew everyone from your basic street pounding soldier, to special ops personal, to Senators, to Generals (including the top General of that time...John Abizaid). I saw the professionalism of our fighting soldiers and I was able to hear conversations of our top Generals (from the back of my Blackhawk) that were way above my pay grade! And again I admit that the military is not perfect (who or what is?), but we have the best military in all the world and I respect everyone from the youngest soldier all the way up to our Commander in Chief! Now, let's enjoy our freedom and go ride!  | ||
| Luftkoph |
you ought to see my fuel bill when I put 130 gal. of diesel at 4.19 do that 4 to 5 times a week | ||
| Msparks |
Maximum---Rock On! Man I'd love to fly one of those. Darned eyes are too bad, oh and now I'm too old. I'll stick to to XB's for now. | ||
| Jwnsc |
Maximum, my comment about the military was a strategic one, not a an indictment on the American soldier. Our security situation is worse today that it was in 1974, i.e., more people are killing Americans today than in 1974 because of our addiction to oil. As a former Ranger (Co. C, 2nd Bn, 75th Inf) I've paid my dues. | ||
| Court |
Hey Steve . . that's YOU! Too cool. We, as a country, are in the best times we have ever been. We've never known more, done more, been kinder or a better member of the world community. Like a motorcycle as speed on a twisty track the pundits can always point to a slow and tenuous moment. Our policies are the best we can do at a given moment. Imagine, in the spirit of badweb, that U.S Trade Policy is a motorcycle. You can only build ONE and you have to suit the divergent needs of the tourers and racers . . . tough call. It's more about attitude. Do you love more or less in the last 30 years? I love and value my family and friends more. I wish things were better on a day to day basis but am thankful that my education, hobbies, occupation and passion provides me a a chance to be part of that constant change for the better. There are a group who believe that since their 1125R didn't start on a given day that Buell should be lynched, the bike discontinued and HD shareholders notified immediately. Some of those folks will eventually become politicians. The United States, with all it's faults, flaws and ••••••••• is a world beacon. I live here in a city that gets 44,000,000 (think of that . . something like the population of Milwaukee DAILY) tourists a year. They come here to the city of $300/night Holiday Inns because we are a screwed up nation? . . . tough sell be that. I attend the second toughest Ivy League school to get into in the nation. Guess who makes up a huge portion of the student body? That's right non-American's who flock here to study in the same room where Nuclear Fusion was first drawn on a chalkboard. . . . non Nation in the world is even in the same strata as American higher education. Sure . . lots of manufacturing jobs have moved overseas and there are always a group, having seen their cheese moved, willing to point to that as prima facie evidence we've lost it. Find me one of those countries that is running any part of their IT on software that wasn't made in the state of Washington in the United States of America. Lest you think me an isolationist . . . I'm not. I get to talk to Buell owners in South Africa, Australia, Italy, Russia, France, England and Oklahoma on almost a daily basis. Frankly, the world is a smart place. It's also a kind. Find me a bitter heart than Olga in Moscow or Angelo in Italy? . . can't be done. We didn't ask to be cast as the world's policemen. . . we earned the dubious right. If you want the technology to direct fire based on the acoustic signature of the last shot fired at you (yeah, we got a rifle that aims itself and shoots back) or you need really good aircraft . . we're your folks. Other have tried, many are now my classmates in the Engineering School at Columbia University. Pointing a finger at The White House and trying to convince me (my first bachelor's degree was in Economics) that they control (I'd buy that policy influences) world supply and demand is going to be tough. The increase in gas prices is far less than say cigarettes or apartment rents. What part of that did Bush do? We are living (it'd be fun for some of you to hear the speech I do on "Change and the Paradigm of the New Millennium") some of the most exciting times in history. Buy a guitar and enjoy it. Music is like wiping the mud off your visor. Court P.S. - Steve . . I need to qualify my compliment by being honest. Although I am a licenses pilot and former Marine I was NEVER DEPLOYED and am therefore patently unqualified to know what you have gone through. | ||
| Jwnsc |
Court, I'm working on "Classical Gas" now. those bar fast chords are a bitch. | ||
| Jwnsc |
Hooahh! (Sorry, it took me a bit to figure out how to re-size and attacha a photo)  | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Neither political party is worth a hoot in my opinion but running the federal deficit out of site is a lousy way to run a country. Obama, Hillary, and McCain are all peas from the same megalomaniac pod. Can't we all just get along.  Hey Maximum, cool photo. I got my private pilots license back in the late 80's and it was a hoot but the cost was too much and I felt way safer on my motorcycles. 08Uly, I want one of those too. I'd rather the 2 wheels be out front though like the CanAm Spyder. Enclose the Spyder so I could ride it year round. Or even some kind of shell you could put on or take off in a couple of minutes. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Former 2nd Force Recon, USMC, 75-79' Semper Fi. | ||
| Uly1080 |
EG, long shot here, but did you know a Kerry Smith or guy named Peshnie? | ||
| Jwnsc |
Hey Craig, in the interest of peace among us former comrades in arms, I want you to know that when the Marine Gunny Force Recon Instructor told us after we completed the Recon Swimmer course in Coronado that the the Marines are looking for a few good men, but the Rangers found them, I'm sure he was just speaking for himself! | ||
| Court |
Coronado . . . what great memories. As a "non-deployed" Hollywood Marine the fine folks at HQMC were instrumental in my living in the Coronado Shores Condominiums (101 Aviedno del Mundo) just to the south of the Hotel Del Coronado and across from the origiinal Chart House. I used to watch, being "non-deployed" as the General's Spec/Congint Liasion as the folks trained 10 floors below my balcony. Orange Avenue was a hopping place then and I used to, even though they were likely to be deployed and I was immune therefrom, hang out with a bunch of the guys from the school and from North Island. In fact the closest I ever came to being "deployed" was when I had to wear my cute little flak vest and hold off "hippies" from messing with the U.S.S. Enterprise. Great place! | ||
| Jwnsc |
Yes, Court, I have three enduring memories of that great place. How warm and dry the air was when the door of the C-141 opened over the drop zone (we had loaded in the Great Pacific Northwet that is Ft. Lewis), how hard the Pacific Ocean was when you jump out the ass end of a chopper doing 40 knots at 40 ft., and how embarrassed I was at the border begging 50 cents bus fare back to the base after the senoritas in Tijuana had "liberated" all my money. | ||
| Court |
I jumped off the 2nd floor balcony at the Glorietta Bay Yacht Club (next door to the Chart House) at a party one night and I must have hit the same ocean you did . . . it was harder than I thought it would be. Hey .. .getting drunk is a lot like being deployed, eh? | ||
| Royintulsa |
The 55 mph was thanks to Jimmy Carter and came in 1977, 4 years after the Arab Oil embargo. The price of oil did not quadruple but has increased at less than the annual rate of inflation. The cost of a college education has increased at double the rate of inflation but none of you liberals are screaming about that. Oil is still cheap, complaining about the high cost of gas only shows how out of touch with reality the average consumer is. | ||
| Jwnsc |
Hey Roy, Didn't think I needed to cite references, but I did check them before posting. I'll send you a PM that contains my sources. I'd be happy to review any you send me. I never stated the year of the National Speed Limit or the President who implemented it, (my point being the oil crisis caused it) I do know my first speeding ticket in Nov 1975 was for violating the new 55 mph limit on I-385 outside Greenville, SC. Things might have been different in oil-rich Oklahoma. Ride safe |
