I had ENOUGH of higher diesel prices!!

arthr31 · Aug 12, 2005

thanks for the reply, Pete. I'll follow-up in PM- I personally find this topic really fascinating, in a sense, since it is tied so closely to the fate of human kind (I believe). But, anyway, to be taken "off-line".

To answer how I'd feel if that comment was made towards the IT industry, it strikes a feeling of great apprehension. As a matter of my job, i regularly talk about disaster recovery, data theft, total loss of environments from terrorism, etc. At the technical level, it's mildly interesting. At the personal level, it's frought with deep fear. I lived just outside of the 1 mile radius of WTC in the fall of 2001 (lived in NYC for about 12 yrs until returned home in 2002). At the time of 9/11/2001, I was working on wall street on a project for a larger international bank. That day has changed everything, needless to say...

Mike, (gsxr1100), realistically speaking, I'm pretty happy with my cummins diesel. I only drive 25-30 miles a day and since I got this truck I now only have one insurance bill, repair/fuel bill etc. One of the primary reasons I bought the diesel is because of the flexibility of the engine. I bought it anticipating the fact I'd want to experiment with alternative fuel types... Which I start doing this weekend! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for all of the thoughtful talk guys, keep cool! (soon I'll say, stay warm (at least in MA)).

JimR · Aug 12, 2005

( I can't print what I would like to see happen to the oil industry. It would get in in big trouble probably as a terrorist.

The first time I read that, I thought the poster was saying he could get in big trouble. I'm still not sure that the "It" wasn't meant to be an "I." Typo, perhaps?

)

Yup, it's a typo alright. It was meant to say "It would get me in big trouble as a terrorist". This is because in our country of free speech, free speech is no longer free. By saying something that you would like to see happen to an industry, like the oil industry, could probably be construed as terrorist talk and lead to an arrest. Especially in our country since 9-11. As for so and so's remark about buying stocks in the oil company. I'd love to invest in them if I had the money too. But I'm spending that money to be able to use my tractor and drive my vehicles around. I honestly hope they choke on their oil. I would love to see OPEC squeal like a pig in oil. Maybe people will get smart and slow down on the amount of gas and oil they use this year. I know I've been riding my motorcycle a lot more lately to do errands. At 40-50 mpg's they can have their high prices. I'll be heating two houses this year with woodstoves. The oil industry can KMA this winter. My oil man told me that the local companies are pre-fixing prices already at $2.50 a gallon for heating oil. At that rate it will cost me about $500.00 a month to heat just my house this winter during the cold months. I figure that I will do them out of about at least $2000.00 - 3000.00 this year on the two houses. Next year I'll be looking at one of those fandangled outhouse wood furnaces to see if it is viable to hook it up to both of our houses. I hope that I can do it. I'll then be just about self-sufficient from heating my house from the oil industry. I then can use that money to enjoy life a little more instead of making those greedy slobs fatter. As for the high prices on oil. I can understand OPEC is greedy and wants more money and feels they can squeeze us dry. So why do the US oil companies that get their oil here jack up the prices to meet OPEC's prices? The answer is pure and simple. It is the American way, greed, greed, greed. I wonder what the oil companies would do if their employees asked for 100% raise right now? I do not like any company that screws people for profit.

sneaky_pete · Aug 12, 2005

( I recall reading recently that Hawaii was going to impose price controls on fuel. I guess every generation needs to discover that price controls dont work. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Didn't work for Nixon in the 70s, wont work now. )

I agree; In my opinion, price controls are what politicians impose to show that they are doing something, while they really know that you can't legislate supply and demand. Then again, maybe some are so naive or so full of themselves that they really think they can legislate it.

More recently, California tried to regulate the price of electricity, and that didn't work either. Everyone blames Enron for the aftermath of de-regulation - maybe rightly so; Ken Lay is a crook in my opinion - but if CA hadn't screwed up the utilities so bad with their attempted regulation then the Enrons of the world wouldn't have been able to do what they did. In my opinion.

BlueRidge · Aug 12, 2005

( don't forget to thank the radical environmentalists.
Thanks to them, we haven't built a new refinery in over 30 years.
Even if we could import more, we can't process it into fuel. )

Bingo.

And while you're thanking the extreme environmentalists, remember to thank all those folks who voted for liberals and 'moderates' (read: cowards) who let the wackos have their way.

Many a 'patriotic' senior citizen votes only for their Socialist Security check and thus helps send this country down the tubes.

And then they wonder what's wrong with the younger generation! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

JimR · Aug 12, 2005

(

And while you're thanking the extreme environmentalists, remember to thank all those folks who voted for liberals and 'moderates' (read: cowards) who let the wackos have their way.

Many a 'patriotic' senior citizen votes only for their Socialist Security check and thus helps send this country down the tubes.

And then they wonder what's wrong with the younger generation! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif )

Now your really hitting the nail on the head. Add to this what the new generation is really like and this country is in for a real awaking. More social programs that don't work. A society that does not want to work anymore. P---- politicians, I need to stop here. Too much crap to think about. Hopefully I'll be long gone when this country meets its own internal demise. My wife said I should be a politician. The only problem is that I would not fit in with those idiots and would probably get knocked off for cutting off their welfare funds or free social program.l

sneaky_pete · Aug 12, 2005

LOL, Jim - I should put that in my signature file: So and so, the fat greedy slob.

I hope you do gain energy independence on your place, really. If enough Americans did what you're doing, it would eventually make a difference, but it'll take a lot of convincing to get most folks in this country to heat with wood, never mind the pollution and the decimation of our forests that would ensue if everyone did. Then the price of firewood would go through the roof, and all the people who don't have their own wood like you and I could gnash their teeth at the evil logging industry, and they could be the greedy fat whipping boys for a while. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

And just for the record, I pay the same for gasoline, diesel, and propane as everyone else. Like you Jim, I even ride my motorcycle as much as possible. Even with my fat, greedy self on board, it still frequently gets 50 mpg or a hair better with a tailwind. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

JimR · Aug 12, 2005

( LOL, Jim - I should put that in my signature file: So and so, the fat greedy slob )

Now Now Pete, Don't take it personal. I only said so and so because I was too lazy to look up and see who wrote about me and my post. As for the greedy slobs. I didn't call you a greedy slob either. That statement was aimed at the corporations themselves. I guess I need to be more specific in my writing. This country does need to wake up and smell the roses. This year will be a breaking point for a lot of low and middle income families when it comes to to pay the oil bill or eat. I wonder how many oil trucks will get stolen this year so people can heat their homes.

arthr31 · Aug 13, 2005

jim, check out www.heatmor.com for the wood fired outdoor furnaces... And, they can be used to heat multiple structures... If you are interested in these I can give you the number of a guy in Norton who's selling them at cost...

as for pollution from wood heating, when done correctly there's not extra pollution than when the wood is rotting on the forest floor. but, heating with wood is tough- it's a lot of work if you do it all yourself and do it right. definitely not for the average fat slob... but, speaking for slobby self, that's how I'm heating my house this winter... just finished putting up the last of 5th cord for heat...

which, btw, cord of wood is now 225.00. luckly i pick up waste wood whereever i find it.

JimR · Aug 13, 2005

Art, thanks for the link. I will check that out later today. as for wood, here's my small pile of hardwood.

LarryRB · Aug 13, 2005

JimR wrote
politicians, I need to stop here. Too much crap to think about. Hopefully I'll be long gone when this country meets its own internal demise. My wife said I should be a politician. The only problem is that I would not fit in with those idiots and would probably get knocked off for cutting off their welfare funds or free social program.l
--------------------------------------------
This already happens, and with more frequency than you would believe. When I was a selectman in Holland, the welfare came after me personally and with high rolling lawyers because I refused to sign their warrants for payment.. My question to them was, why are we paying Mrs X and Mrs XX for oil heat when they have all electric homes? Their answer and offer of free ride to Boston was to mind my own business.. After three years as a selectman, never again.. You cna't win, but you can loose and awful lot when ganged up on..