Gas / Oil Prices & Discussion

[Erroneous]

With gas prices rising and said to be going north of $5 this year, I figure this is a good place to share our thoughts and pains.


Here is a good article
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46516581...il_and_energy/



Right now (Feb 25th of 2012), gas is now $3.59 a gallon.
For those those of you on the metic scale 1 gallon equals 3.785 liters. Since I am the writter, I say we keep things in gallons per dollar. Just multiply your gas price per liter by 3.785 and now we have a common measurement.



I drive a lot for a living and personal, so gas prices do impact me greatly. Not to the point that I have to start making choices between gas and food, but enough that I will have less discretionary money in my pocket. There are many that will though.


I don't buy all this bullshit about why oil is going up. Here is why. I blame Wall Street. It is them that raise the prices based on the threat that something might happen in some third world country and distrupt supply. I totally believe all those who are rich and on Wall Street are getting richer on oil spectulation. I blame the oil companies who even though their prices go up always seem to have record profit quarters when prices start spiking. How is that possible? So they get a $1 rise in oil and they charge $2 higher? It is clear they are raping everyone. Otherwise profit would stay at the same level since people are driving less than at anytime in the last 10 years. While I am a Republican, I blame them. You know GOD damned well you are going to hear more "Drill, baby drill" every second of every day until the election once gas pricing gets over $4 for the whole country. You know for sure, you are going to here it all over about the pipeline Obama is declining to let go through the US from Canada. I blame all the oil producing nations. They are very stupid people. They are putting Russia in the drivers seat and that is dangerous. They are going to make prices so high people start getting serious about getting off the oil/ gas and invent shit. Then these countries are fucked and I can't wait, because I would love to see these countries go down.

So how are high prices effecting you? What are you going to do to about it?

[jackson13]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

So how are high prices effecting you? What are you going to do to about it?

I got confused the other day when filling up and accidentally de-pantsed then bent over and shoved the nozzle right up my own asshole. As I was bent over, hands around my ankles, there were a lot of stares and finger pointing until I realized what I was doing. I removed the nozzle, stood up, put my pants back on and tried to act like everything was fine but then I heard murmuring from everyone around me that what I had done was what everyone feels like anyway and they were glad to see what an actual demonstration of big oil fucking the American consumer in the ass looked like.

[AspectRatio1986]

I couldn't imagine gas prices under $2 a gallon, we'd all be living the good life.

[shoe1985]

Some simple facts on oil:

Iran is developing a nuclear weapon, or trying to do something with nuclear material. They are the third largest oil producer, and with this news, we all lose in paying higher prices.

Mild winter, less heating oil being purchased. To make up the money, they have to raise the price of something else.

We actually use less oil in the United States, but China and other countries are now consuming more.

We actually drill more oil in this country than ever before, but that oil does not necessarily stay here, it gets put on the open market for the highest bidder.

People have to remember that we are now part of a global economy, something that happens in a small place like Greece has a huge effect on us here.

[Exophrine]

I don't really have much to say: I just wish it weren't so high. *sigh* My wallet's gonna feel it this summer.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Exophrine

I don't really have much to say: I just wish it weren't so high. *sigh* My wallet's gonna feel it this summer.

That is another thing, it is not even driving season yet. The discussion is not even $4 a gallon, but $5 a gallon.

Imagine how much food is going to cost. Nobody is going to be able to afford to do much of anything.

[Zeus9]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

We actually drill more oil in this country than ever before ... .

Really? Please cite a source for that erroneous statement.

[creekin111]

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by Tommy Knocker

Really? Please cite a source for that erroneous statement.

hey hey hey hey hey....hey. I hate to pull rank, but you can't use my name like that in my thread. And he is right.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

Some simple facts on oil:

Iran is developing a nuclear weapon, or trying to do something with nuclear material. They are the third largest oil producer, and with this news, we all lose in paying higher prices.

Mild winter, less heating oil being purchased. To make up the money, they have to raise the price of something else.

We actually use less oil in the United States, but China and other countries are now consuming more.

We actually drill more oil in this country than ever before, but that oil does not necessarily stay here, it gets put on the open market for the highest bidder.

People have to remember that we are now part of a global economy, something that happens in a small place like Greece has a huge effect on us here.

Good points. But winter was harsh in Europe, so I figure that is a wash.

We are part of a global economy, but that is total BS about how our economy (dow jones) should take a dumb if Greece goes under. Greece has about the same GDP as Indiana. I am not worry if Indiana were to go belly up. Walmart is bigger than Greece.

One thing I do not understand is that the world is still in a recession and demand is still rather low when compared to before the recession, esp in the USA who is still the biggest user of oil. All the rises are based on................ things that might happen. Just like when Libya was having issues and gas went up 50 cents in a month. Nothing happened to production and gas went down 25 cents and it took much longer for it to go down. They raise the pricing, because we have no choice.

[jaw2929]

Originally Posted by jackson13

I got confused the other day when filling up and accidentally de-pantsed then bent over and shoved the nozzle right up my own asshole. As I was bent over, hands around my ankles, there were a lot of stares and finger pointing until I realized what I was doing. I removed the nozzle, stood up, put my pants back on and tried to act like everything was fine but then I heard murmuring from everyone around me that what I had done was what everyone feels like anyway and they were glad to see what an actual demonstration of big oil fucking the American consumer in the ass looked like.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

Good points. But winter was harsh in Europe, so I figure that is a wash.

We are part of a global economy, but that is total BS about how our economy (dow jones) should take a dumb if Greece goes under. Greece has about the same GDP as Indiana. I am not worry if Indiana were to go belly up. Walmart is bigger than Greece.

One thing I do not understand is that the world is still in a recession and demand is still rather low when compared to before the recession, esp in the USA who is still the biggest user of oil. All the rises are based on................ things that might happen. Just like when Libya was having issues and gas went up 50 cents in a month. Nothing happened to production and gas went down 25 cents and it took much longer for it to go down. They raise the pricing, because we have no choice.

If Walmart was to close their doors today, the economy would be done. Amazing how we have laws that are supposed to prevent that, but they are never enforced.

When the discussion of Greece defaulting in March was talked about before the bailout, everyone should have been worried because of who had already loaned them money before. Many countries could have taken a big hit causing a huge backlash.

You have to remember that when gas is put on the market it is for contracts that are months down the road, not today. Oil companies expect to get their money either way.

Speculation is how things work for oil. Any disruption could cause a shortage, and with demand still expected to be the same, you need to find a ways to counter the demand from exceeding the current supply.

It is a great economics topic and one people could discuss for many classes. The people will complain because they feel cheated, the oil producers will complain that they are doing as much as they can, and politicians will blame each other.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

If Walmart was to close their doors today, the economy would be done. Amazing how we have laws that are supposed to prevent that, but they are never enforced.
.

That is 100% not true. In reality, Sears / Kmart is the largest retail chain in the country and they are having serious issues and closing stores, re structuring, ect. The economy barely notices.

I am surprised more people are not bitching about gas prices. I guess they are waiting til it hits $4. A bunch of crabs.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

That is 100% not true. In reality, Sears / Kmart is the largest retail chain in the country and they are having serious issues and closing stores, re structuring, ect. The economy barely notices.

I am surprised more people are not bitching about gas prices. I guess they are waiting til it hits $4. A bunch of crabs.

Sears and Kmart are below Walmart. Sears and Kmart have been doing poorly for years, they assumed merging would save them, but it did not do anything help. The Sears near my house is actually quite nice, and I do shop there. I have heard horror stories of Sears' locations in other areas though.

I do not think people care anymore about much. The job market just sucks. People are still losing their jobs and homes. Prices keep going up on everything. Gas is just another issue that people cannot do much to fix.

As for $4, the way the media talks, we are already past that, and people are waiting for $5. But then, the price would drop to somewhere around $4, people will consider it a bargain. We adapt to things too easily.

[Bondgirl]

Well in Australia our petrol prices are around $1 55

I know in America it is much higher to buy petorl
We complain how much aussies pay at the pump but what can you do about it
I know there is a push that it is going to be higher very soon

Sometimes you wonder if it is better to ride a bike than have a car or maybe we could go back to the horse and cararige

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Bondgirl

Well in Australia our petrol prices are around $1 55

I know in America it is much higher to buy petorl
We complain how much aussies pay at the pump but what can you do about it
I know there is a push that it is going to be higher very soon

Sometimes you wonder if it is better to ride a bike than have a car or maybe we could go back to the horse and cararige

Sadly, many people live a good distance from their job because it is cheaper tax wise. I know people who travel a good 30-100 miles one way because of cost of living near their job. With gas prices going up, the gap has closed up.

[The Gunslinger]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

If Walmart was to close their doors today, the economy would be done.

I can't wait for the Internet to be shut down. Shut it down just for a day and see what happens.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by The Gunslinger

I can't wait for the Internet to be shut down. Shut it down just for a day and see what happens.

It would be complete chaos. Although, if I have lost my internet do to a storm in the past, and I just went and did other things. But for many, it would be chaos.


I feel old saying this, but I remember when I was little and being outside all the time. Then around 7th grade the internet started becoming big, and it was all about being online and talking with friends. Even now, I will play games online with my friends instead of driving to their house to do it.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

It would be complete chaos. Although, if I have lost my internet do to a storm in the past, and I just went and did other things. But for many, it would be chaos..

In the short term, it would mean very little. Not chaos.

[Bondgirl]

If it got to the point where you couldnt get around in your car there are other means like taking public transport
Even if you live a good distance away if you leave early enough you could there

These days poeople are so lazy to find a solution to the way of travel
years and year s go people had to travel and half of these poeple didt have cars

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

In the short term, it would mean very little. Not chaos.

I think you would be shocked. You have to remember our lives revolve around what happens online. Pretty much all businesses use the internet. If it shut down for a day, it would be fun to see.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

I think you would be shocked. You have to remember our lives revolve around what happens online. Pretty much all businesses use the internet. If it shut down for a day, it would be fun to see.

The same thing can be said over the years in a number of dif ways and events. Starting from 9-11 US air space was shut down for 3 days. What happened? Nothing. People figured out a way and it is not even remembered. Things that seem really important really are not in the scheme of things. In one county in north NJ, they have what are referred to as the Blue Laws and all retail stores are closed on Sundays. People who want this rule overturned talk a bunch of bullshit about this and that. At the end of the day, that county's businesses are strong even though they can't open on Sunday. I like to think better of people and we figure out a way to overcome or live without.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

The same thing can be said over the years in a number of dif ways and events. Starting from 9-11 US air space was shut down for 3 days. What happened? Nothing. People figured out a way and it is not even remembered. Things that seem really important really are not in the scheme of things. In one county in north NJ, they have what are referred to as the Blue Laws and all retail stores are closed on Sundays. People who want this rule overturned talk a bunch of bullshit about this and that. At the end of the day, that county's businesses are strong even though they can't open on Sunday. I like to think better of people and we figure out a way to overcome or live without.

People always adapt. Look at gas prices, they adapted to higher prices. If gas prices go to $5, then drop down to $4.50, it will be considered a bargain.

With airspace, not everyone travels. Many businesses now do business online. Meetings are done on programs like Skype, not in person. Many schools are now running internet programs to teach. Many jobs use the internet for most of their business.

The internet has become vital to the way we do things today.

Gas prices going up is a hardship, but in the future will it be as bad as it was say today? More and more people are going to be able to stay home and do their job on their computers, Ipads, or cell phones. Oil will be used for other things one day.

[bigred760]

I'm encouraged by talk from Obama about newer technologies to reduce our dependency on oil, but right now it just seems like talk . . . unfortunately. This world is running out of oil - it is a finite resource. We will need to find alternative resources if we want to continue living the lives we currently do. This talk of new technologies is encouraging but it has to stop being talked about and start getting the ball rolling.

I did laugh out loud when Gingrich said if he were elected President that he would have gas at $2.50 a gallon. Just goes to show how in touch with reality he is.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by bigred760

I did laugh out loud when Gingrich said if he were elected President that he would have gas at $2.50 a gallon. Just goes to show how in touch with reality he is.

Kinda like the same way I laughed when Obama said he would be different and bring all this Change and Hope.

[Erroneous]

Reuters


"As Republicans call for a domestic drilling surge to curb rising gas prices, Sen. Chuck Schumer writes letter to Secretary of State Clinton urging her department to convince Saudi Arabia to increase production"


It starts already. Did not take long.

[bigred760]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

Kinda like the same way I laughed when Obama said he would be different and bring all this Change and Hope.

Pretty much, yeah. But at least he's talking change to alternative fuels and not bullshitting his way to (trying to) make Americans think that gas can be $2.50 again.

[adamjohnson]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

Kinda like the same way I laughed when Obama said he would be different and bring all this Change and Hope.

The President has major opposition from Congress nowadays.

In my opinion, what I see happening, is the left is going farther left, and the right going farther right, so now you have a two party system where each party is only interested in being diametrically opposed to the other party, so that every issue is forced into more and more extremes. Until you have someone like Santorum, who would probably try to outlaw sex itself, given a chance.

Compromiseis a thing of the past, meeting in the middle is no longer an option, because only the most extreme candidate - the MOST conservative vs the MOST Liberal - will do for this nation.

If the pattern continues, we'll have some kind of religious extremist on the right and there will be a huge class war, because the right tends to be very narrow-minded on its issues.

I really, really don't like it. When anyone/everyone running for the Republican party actually FRIGHTENS you at the thought of it all, something needs to be done.

[jackson13]

Last Friday gas was $3.64 here.

Then on Tuesday they raised it to $3.85.

Now, today, it is $3.99.

I'll live in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere Indiana and we are paying $4 a gallon for gas, and it went up 36 cents in one week.

Fuck you, oil companies. Fuck you long, and fuck you hard.

[Zeus9]

Originally Posted by jackson13

Fuck you, oil companies. Fuck you long, and fuck you hard.

Testify, brother ... Testify!

[Bondgirl]

Geez l can not beleive how much petrol costs in America

At the moment petrol cost around 1.60 a litre in Australia
We complain about that but we are better off than some countrys around the world

In New Zealand it is over 2 dollars to run a car

[shoe1985]

It has been $3.79 for the last week here. No real big changes, which shocked me cause I was expecting it to rise a little more. Not complaining, just saying.

What is funny about Rick Santorum is he has a good chance of losing PA. He was not well liked as a senator here, so, to here him being discussed as a top candidate for President is amazing to us here.

Anyone that says there is a silver bullet to drop the price is wrong. If we drill here it gets put on the open market for the highest bidder. That means the gas could go to anywhere. Here in PA, we are drilling big time for natural gas, and a lot of it is being exported to other countries.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by Bondgirl

Geez l can not beleive how much petrol costs in America

At the moment petrol cost around 1.60 a litre in Australia
We complain about that but we are better off than some countrys around the world

In New Zealand it is over 2 dollars to run a car

Actually, gas costs more where you live. You are paying $6.05 a gallon.
$1.6 liter x 3.785 (liters per gallon)

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

Anyone that says there is a silver bullet to drop the price is wrong. If we drill here it gets put on the open market for the highest bidder. That means the gas could go to anywhere. Here in PA, we are drilling big time for natural gas, and a lot of it is being exported to other countries.

You are right and wrong. There is no silver buller, but they will talk this election year like there is one. Although, I am sure some people will say if Obama had lost gas prices would be cheaper, because McCain would have drilled. The wrong part is supply and demand. If there is more supply, prices go down. The only way prices go up if we drill and extract oil is if the middle east and russia decide to slow production. It does not matter where it goes.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by Erroneous

You are right and wrong. There is no silver buller, but they will talk this election year like there is one. Although, I am sure some people will say if Obama had lost gas prices would be cheaper, because McCain would have drilled. The wrong part is supply and demand. If there is more supply, prices go down. The only way prices go up if we drill and extract oil is if the middle east and russia decide to slow production. It does not matter where it goes.

Oh you are right, my point was that we drill a lot, but we also export a lot of it too.

The only way to reduce our need for oil is to find other energy sources. We need to keep investing in other sources. We will not find something overnight. It is going to take years to find.

You mention how prices would go up if we drilled only if other countries slowed their production, chances would be high for this because these places like these like the higher revenue.

[bigred760]

Originally Posted by shoe1985

Oh you are right, my point was that we drill a lot, but we also export a lot of it too.

The only way to reduce our need for oil is to find other energy sources. We need to keep investing in other sources. We will not find something overnight. It is going to take years to find.

You mention how prices would go up if we drilled only if other countries slowed their production, chances would be high for this because these places like these like the higher revenue.

Yes, the Middle East relies heavily on their oil for their economy - it sure as hell ain't the tourism. Once it runs out . . . ghost town.

[Erroneous]

Originally Posted by bigred760

Yes, the Middle East relies heavily on their oil for their economy - it sure as hell ain't the tourism. Once it runs out . . . ghost town.

Assuming we find an alternative source of energy, I can't wait for the Middle East to lose its control (grip) on energy in this world. Think of it this way list the worst places on earth and they all have lots of oil.

Middle East
Russia
Africa


I would not want to live in those 3 places. It is kinda sad that the places that should or are making all this money are shitholes. At least Dubai is trying to make a real city.

[AspectRatio1986]

I'm really feeling the prices lately due to the fact that I've never been this broke in my adult life. Haven't worked much the past 2 months due to cold weather, but yeah right now my wallet is hurting.

[MidnightAngel]

This high gas price crisis reminds me the intro told at the beginning of the movie Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior. I bet the possible attack to Iran will bring us to that post-apocalyptic scenario shown in the movie.

[shoe1985]

Originally Posted by AspectRatio1986

I'm really feeling the prices lately due to the fact that I've never been this broke in my adult life. Haven't worked much the past 2 months due to cold weather, but yeah right now my wallet is hurting.

Everyone is broke. Prices on everything are up. When gas hits $5, we are going to really feel it hard.