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Rising Gas Prices...

Posted by dixiefilms • 6/08/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Tags: Car, country, crap, gallon, gas, Healthy, news, oil

Well, I saw on the news today that it's official now...gas nationally is now over $4.00 a gallon. I bet it's over $5.00 before the 4th of July.

What do you think?

What are your thoughts about the gas and oil?

I haven't driven a car for over 30 days...I don't need this crap. I think this might help get the country back to way it should be...bikes, walking and healthy options.

What do you think?

From THE X RATED GRANDMA

User Comments

6/08/08

markstoneman

On Thursday at one of the more expensive stations in my area I saw $4.18 for regular unleaded and $4.58 for premium. With numbers like that, your prediction isn't unrealistic.

Bus ridership is rising so quickly in the DC suburbs that new busses are necessary to pick up the slack. Fortunately no price hikes yet, maybe because more customers help cover the increased fuel costs.

Edited to add: Where's that picture Ekim posted earlier with prices of $LOL.9, $OMG.9 and $WTF.9? What I'm really worried about is heating oil this winter. I'm wondering how family members in northern New England are gonna deal with it.

[reply]
1. 6/08/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  You're in DC...my...
  
  Here in Missouri, gas isn't at 4.00 yet, but diesel is over 4.60...
  
  I see all the major cities are now over 4.00
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
2. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
3. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  That's cute Ekim...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
6/08/08

Majik

Well we are going to run out of oil eventually, the rise in costs is just expected when the supply begins to dry up.

[reply]
1. 6/08/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  If that happens, I think will happen for a reason.
  
  I think it's going to get to a point to where only rich people will be able to drive...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
6/08/08

SingleGuyMoney

I think that it's funny how the price of gas is skyrocketing are the oil companies are still making record profits.

To celebrate my one year blog anniversary, I'm giving away to free gas cards. Please visit my blog for details:
www.singleguymoney.com/2008/06/blog-anniversary-and-free-gas-giveaway.html

[reply]
1. 6/08/08
  
  richrf
  
  Sorry, wrong place.
2. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
  
  Pfft, you made me do it too
6/08/08

richrf

The gas prices are moving up now, primarily because of short-covering on the futures, when the market learned that the Feds may not be able to start hiking rates, because of the unemployment. It was a one time bump up. I don't know where it is going from here. If the stock market starts tanking, the large institutions and hedge funds will start moving more money into oil, pushing the price up. On top of this, if the European banks, go ahead, and do what they say, and hike rates, this will further devalue the dollar, pushing oil up.

However, if the Feds don't do something to stop oil from rising, the ensuing recession will be a disaster. My guess, is that the Feds will start tightening a bit, and let the country go into a prolonged recession. They cannot chance runaway inflation. Once people start losing their jobs, gas usage will go down.

As you can see, greed does not pay. Anyone want to re-write their review of "Wall Street"?

[reply]
1. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
  
  The feds are investigating the commodities market. If they don't find any signs of fraud (Which they wont), what can they do that would not violate free enterprise?
2. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  That might be one reason...but I think there's alot more...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
6/08/08

aningeniousname

All I can say to this is welcome to the real world in the UK and the rest of the world we have been subsidizing American fuel prices for years. We actually pay 57 per cent of the gas price in tax.

[reply]
1. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  I think this will force people to not drive and help save the environment.
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
6/08/08

ravenscawl

I've posted about this a couple of times in the last month.

ravenscawl.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/make-room-make-room/

[reply]
1. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  Cool...keep posting raven...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
2. 6/09/08
  
  ravenscawl
  
  ~dixiefilms
  
  Thanks I try'in ~ravenscawl
6/08/08

kdawg68

I'm telling you - that hypermiling thing helps. I just drove to NY and back for the Belmont (don't get me started about that - my thoughts are on my blog) - and check this out:

-made sure my tires were at max allowable pressure
-no radio or other electronics (I know, Ekim, I know)
-no AC
-windows rolled up (every minute or so I'd give myself a slight burst of air by cracking the window and right back up
-used effective use of cruise control on/off to allow for taking of turns and approaching stops without having to speed up or down as much as humanly possible (this seems to be the key)
-let my speed fall while going uphill
-coasted when going downhill
-net result:

In a vehicle that according to the EPA gets 25 MPG - I was able to squeeze out 34.8 MPG over a 200 mile trip. On the way home, perhaps more proficient at the art with my newfound practice - I got up to 36.7 MPG for my average!

May not seem like much - but I've got an 18 gallon tank. At 25 MPG an 18 gallon tank will get you 450 miles overall. At 36 MPG you'd get 648 miles out of the same tank.

That's almost like getting 1.5 tanks of gas for each tank of gas.

Couple that with a plan to drastically decrease your own fuel consumption, and you really can either stick it to the oil companies and/or save yourself money.

Hypermile people - if my stubborn ass can do it -anyone can. Plus it gets obsessive to try and beat your previous best efforts.

Edit: For comparison sake, after getting home I went out with my son and drove in similar conditions with the AC blasting, and without care for rapid acceleration - my MPG was 19.9. Makes you think, doesn't it?

[reply]
1. 6/08/08
  
  richrf
  
  I agree. All bubbles eventually break. And this one will, when the Feds have to start raising rates, sending the economy into a recession, but finally defending the dollar. At some point they will just have to stop printing it by the ocean-loads.
2. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  It's going to keep getting worse....and the idiot Bush is licking his chops right now...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
6/08/08

richrf

@ekim941

Everything the Fed does violates the free market - including exchanging Treasuries (the safest investment on the planet) for crummy, junky, mortgage bonds that Bears Stearns was holding and that Morgan Stanley wouldn't take, and no one else would take, when they took over Bears Stearns.

So now they can do one of two things:

1) Raise interest rates, to stop the oil/gas inflation, and send the U.S. into a deeper recession, which would ensure Obama's election or

2) Leave rates alone, and watch oil skyrocket to the point that the Republicans are thrown out of office until the end of this century and possibly the next.

Which would you choose?

@kdawg68

I'm with you. I've been conserving as much as I can for a while now. I just got tired of wasting stuff. If everyone just saved a little, this whole thing would unwind very fast. The U.S. uses over 25% if the world's oil and is only 5% of the population. C'mon. Can you live without a trip or do you HAVE to have it?

[reply]
1. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
  
  Oh, I see, you're one of those
  
  The bottom line is that many investors are making a killing with the oil commodities right now. That's great for them and sucks for us. Face it, if we were making money on the deal we wouldn't be looking for the fed to step in. I don't think we have the right to "cry to mommy" because of the end of the stick we got.
  IMO, things are going to remain bad until a new president is in office. Just because the rumor of change is enough to make it happen. It doesn't matter if it's Obama, McCain or Bozo the clown, everyone will be singing praises in a years time for all the wonderful changes that they had nothing to do with.
  Hey, it happened with Clinton
2. 6/08/08
  
  offendedblogger
  
  Let's overthrow the Fed and print our own damn money.
3. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
  
  I actually have the new "Chelle B" five design already made up
4. 6/08/08
  
  kdawg68
  
  Let's overthrow the Fed and drill our own oil.
5. 6/08/08
  
  richrf
  
  The investors who are making a killing, are making it in a reasonably clever way. The Feds are loaning hundreds of billions of dollars to oil speculators (big banks, hedge funds, brokerages, etc.) at 2% interest. The Feds give them as much money as they need to keep interest rates at 2% (the Feds can print money). The Feds, naively thought they would loan the money to business and consumers, but why do that - there is no one left with any worthwhile credit. So they buy up commodities. It is my money, your money, everyone's money that the oil speculators are using, at a measly 2% to make their killing. Do you have access to the Fed's Window? I sure don't. I can't borrow money at 2%. If I could, I too could be a smart, rich, investor. I guess some (rich) people get all of the breaks.
6. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
  
  I wanna go solar. FL has plenty of sun.
7. 6/08/08
  
  ekim941
  
  I'm getting a bit out of my field here but the oil market is just the new sub prime lending market and is a bubble that will eventually burst. At least that's the way I see it.
8. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  Things would really change if Americans would boycott gasoline, stay home and not buy gas for 30 days....you'd see a change then...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
6/08/08

richrf

@kdawg68

The Fed is a special bank, set up so that rich bankers and brokers don't have to lose their jobs, like the rest of us. All they have to do, is threaten to go bankrupt (because of their stupid loans), and the Feds give them $200 billion at 2%. Now, let me think. What could I do with that kind of money. I bet at 2% I could make tons of money, and act really smart also.

[reply]
6/08/08

richrf

@offendedblogger

The Fed is a bunch of political hacks, who act like they are doing great work for the economy. And you can bet everything you have that Fox News and CNBC will never say otherwise.

[reply]
1. 6/09/08
  
  offendedblogger
  
  Yes, I know. This is why I enjoy making fun of Alan Greenspan so much on my blog. In fact, he features prominently in my newest post.
6/09/08

riverstyxxx

'The X Rated Grandma'? Ehhh im not getting near this one..

[reply]
1. 6/09/08
  
  offendedblogger
  
  Not even with a 10 foot stripper pole?
2. 6/09/08
  
  dixiefilms
  
  Your choice River....
  
  If the name scares you, you haven't seen nothing yet...
  
  From THE X RATED GRANDMA
  
  P.S. And I remember those poles...
6/09/08

richrf

Greenspan for a while was so worshiped. It made me sick. But now, the guy is seen for what he was. A Republican political hack, who made it easy for the wealthy to get even wealthier, while at the same time laying the seeds for the worst bubbles and crashes that we have seen since the great depression.

[reply]
6/09/08

wehireu

I kind of see it as an opportunity to invest in hybrid electric buses... No, I think it has gotten out of hand. But, my car is in the shop being fixed right now.

I probably won't be using it much with the high gas prices. Not, that I used it that much in the first place.

[reply]
6/14/08

dixiefilms

I blew the transmission on my van a month ago...and haven't been able to drive for over 5 weeks....I'm saving 150 bucks a week in gas by being stuck out here in my shack and not being able to drive....

From THE X RATED GRANDMA

[reply]