I Can't Afford My Gasoline

www.atomfilms.com/contentPlay/shockwave.jsp?id=cant_afford_gas&preplay

It's got a beat you can dance to.

Nice.....that reminds me of CavVet who laughed at me because I told him I was buying a hybrid!  I'm not doing it for the environment...I'm doing it because I don't see myself giving any more money to Saudi Arabians to build Islamic Fundamentalist terrorism centers education centers.

Quoted: Nice.....that reminds me of CavVet who laughed at me because I told him I was buying a hybrid!  I'm not doing it for the environment...I'm doing it because I don't see myself giving any more money to Saudi Arabians to build Islamic Fundamentalist terrorism centers education centers.

We import <50% of our oil. Out of that <half is from the persian gulf. Canada & Mexico are are biggest suppliers.

When you cut their profits, you cause more Cannucks and Mexicans to immigrate here.


BTW, its not financing them that is our problem. Its limited refining abilities and increased demand in the limited world oil supply, Special thanks to all those who send US dollars overseas increasing their standard of living.



P.S.- I didnt laugh at you for buying a hybrid, I laughed because hybrids are teh ghey.

Quoted: hybrids are teh ghey.

+1

When someone screws up and you end up under another vehicle, 50MPG will have little value.

I want the law of superrior mass on my side when someone screws up. For that, I'm still willing to pay.

Quoted: Quoted: Nice.....that reminds me of CavVet who laughed at me because I told him I was buying a hybrid!  I'm not doing it for the environment...I'm doing it because I don't see myself giving any more money to Saudi Arabians to build Islamic Fundamentalist terrorism centers education centers. We import <50% of our oil. Out of that <half is from the persian gulf. Canada & Mexico are are biggest suppliers. For how long?  Its not like we produce all that much.  In addition, we buy our oil from OPEC which is a cartel.  I hate feeling like I'm be manipulated by the likes of the Saudis or Chavez down in Venezuela. We produce 9% of the world's oil yet consume 25%.  Ouch!  So much for self sufficiency. www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2005/fcvt_fotw380.shtml www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2005/fcvt_fotw375.shtml Those figures are supposed to jump to 68% within the next 20 years.  I can only imagine how much gas will cost when 3rd world countries continue towards their goals of becoming a 1st world country.  Even if we drill in Anwar and every refuge on the North Amercian Continent to piss off all the greenies, the gas crunch is going to happen. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501707.html When you cut their profits, you cause more Cannucks and Mexicans to immigrate here. BTW, its not financing them that is our problem. Its limited refining abilities and increased demand in the limited world oil supply, Special thanks to all those who send US dollars overseas increasing their standard of living. P.S.- I didnt laugh at you for buying a hybrid, I laughed because hybrids are teh ghey.

I was getting 22mpg average in my Volvo S80 and averaging 20k miles per year.  If I get 50..which is do-able with my shitty commute (50 hwy, 61 city)  I'll shave 1500 a year.  That's alot of ammo.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Nice.....that reminds me of CavVet who laughed at me because I told him I was buying a hybrid!  I'm not doing it for the environment...I'm doing it because I don't see myself giving any more money to Saudi Arabians to build Islamic Fundamentalist terrorism centers education centers. We import <50% of our oil. Out of that <half is from the persian gulf. Canada & Mexico are are biggest suppliers. For how long?  Its not like we produce all that much.  In addition, we buy our oil from OPEC which is a cartel.  I hate feeling like I'm be manipulated by the likes of the Saudis or Chavez down in Venezuela. We produce 9% of the world's oil yet consume 25%.  Ouch!  So much for self sufficiency. www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2005/fcvt_fotw380.shtml www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2005/fcvt_fotw375.shtml Those figures are supposed to jump to 68% within the next 20 years.  I can only imagine how much gas will cost when 3rd world countries continue towards their goals of becoming a 1st world country.  Even if we drill in Anwar and every refuge on the North Amercian Continent to piss off all the greenies, the gas crunch is going to happen. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501707.html When you cut their profits, you cause more Cannucks and Mexicans to immigrate here. BTW, its not financing them that is our problem. Its limited refining abilities and increased demand in the limited world oil supply, Special thanks to all those who send US dollars overseas increasing their standard of living. P.S.- I didnt laugh at you for buying a hybrid, I laughed because hybrids are teh ghey. I was getting 22mpg average in my Volvo S80 and averaging 20k miles per year.  If I get 50..which is do-able with my shitty commute (50 hwy, 61 city)  I'll shave 1500 a year. That's alot of ammo.

Uness you are disfigured from a heinous encounter with a suburban and cannot shoot anymore.

Quoted: I was getting 22mpg average in my Volvo S80 and averaging 20k miles per year.  If I get 50..which is do-able with my shitty commute (50 hwy, 61 city)  I'll shave 1500 a year.  That's alot of ammo.

So you are going to spend $20,000(or whatever the hybrid costs) to save $1500 a year? It will take you over 10 years to break even for what you would have spent on gas with your current vehicle. Unless you were already looking for a new vehicle, which would make my point moot.

Quoted: Quoted: I was getting 22mpg average in my Volvo S80 and averaging 20k miles per year.  If I get 50..which is do-able with my shitty commute (50 hwy, 61 city)  I'll shave 1500 a year.  That's alot of ammo. So you are going to spend $20,000(or whatever the hybrid costs) to save $1500 a year? It will take you over 10 years to break even for what you would have spent on gas with your current vehicle. Unless you were already looking for a new vehicle, which would make my point moot.

The way things go (fuel prices) the payback may be shorter.  Moreover, he will go farther with the same gas.    After I saw the complete mess in New Orleans because of total "authorities" incompetence I'm starting to rethink the hybrids...  

My next car will be a hybrid.

Before that I hope to wring another 100,000 miles out of my old Volvo 240.

It takes a significant energy input to make a new car such as a hybrid so holding on to something that works fine isn't too bad. My mileage ain't the best, but it'll do for now. And there's something about not having car payments that helps me sleep a little better, too.

As far as safety goes: it's called "driving skills" people!  My Volvo is one of the safer cars on the road, but I still drive it like I'm riding my SV650. Mainly because if I got hit by some uninsured low life (or maybe even a fully insured sally soccer mom) I wouldn't be able to replace it with a like vehicle for what I would get in a total loss.

As for gas prices: get used to it!

Supply is already outstripping demand and the basic laws of economics will dictate higher prices as far as you can imagine. Under $3 / gallon gas may very soon be but a fond memory. Living in the sterile  'burbs and commuting an hour to work is going to pinch a lot of folks around here.

What is going to really hurt is that fuel costs are imbedded in nearly every commodity and those increased costs will be reflected in retail prices sooner or later.

When I was on Lopez this past weekend I saw a great poster in a small food market: It had a picture of bins of nice-looking produce and the caption read "Homeland Security - support your local farmers". It won't be too long before we can't afford to have food shipped in from South America (or all that Chinese crap in Walmart).

Fred

Quoted: Its not like we produce all that much.

We are #3 in the world.

In thousand barrels, Saudi produces 10K a day, Russia 9K a day and we produce 7.5K per day.

Out of the 80K per day, OPEC is only 40%

The Americas produce 20K per day while the persian gulf is 24K per day.

Dont believe the myths, find the facts for yourself.


Right now we are in the game, what needs to be watched is proven reserves, with the parameter of proven carefully noted.

I was reading an article (cant remember for the life of me where now) that stated that the cost of owning the hybrid cars was actually about 3k per year more then a standard gas powered car over its lifetime. This was due to the fact they are more expensive intially and repair costs and maintence are so expensive for them.

Quoted: We import <50% of our automobiles.

If you count Daimler as domestic, and you count Canadian and Mexican built as domestic, then we are close.

If no to either of the above, no we dont.

Quoted: You count Toyota, Honda and all the rest built on American soil as foreign

When Toyota of Japan send 11 Billion US dollars to Japan as record profits, yes.

Quoted: Quoted: I was getting 22mpg average in my Volvo S80 and averaging 20k miles per year.  If I get 50..which is do-able with my shitty commute (50 hwy, 61 city)  I'll shave 1500 a year.  That's alot of ammo. So you are going to spend $20,000(or whatever the hybrid costs) to save $1500 a year? It will take you over 10 years to break even for what you would have spent on gas with your current vehicle. Unless you were already looking for a new vehicle, which would make my point moot.

I'm not doing it based upon some bogus ROI figures and cost benefit analysis.  I'm doing it because I hate funding Saudi fundamentalism and Oil Cartels.  Fuck em.  If I went based upon cost alone...I would continue to drive my beater into the ground or go buy a 6k dollar Korean Gas Saver.  I'm also a gadget and technology geek...which the prius has plenty of (Nav, Bluetooth, Keyless FOB, Ability to run silently under electric power and pull 60mpg), etc.

Also....the hybrids don't depreciate at the same rate as some of the other cars I've seen.  Nothing worse than buying an SUV or luxury car (which I've done in the past) and watching it depreciate 40-50 percent in 2-3 years.  Not alot of quality cars to choose from in the 20-25k range.  I've been looking.  Most domestic cars (except vettes, mustang gts or chargers) look like total ass.  Its no wonder Detroit is getting done without vaseline.  Reminds me of the 70s when they screwed themselves in the same fashion.  Gas guzzlers, gas crunch, detroit tanks...tries to recover by producing beauties like the chevette, pinto, mustang II and chevy citation.

I like the idea of hybrid technologies...even if arfcomers think they are "Teh Ghey".

One thing is for sure...there are as many facts on oil consumption, importation and dependancy as there are opinions.  I just know I can rationalize my own position.

Quoted:  I'm doing it because I hate funding Saudi fundamentalism and Oil Cartels.  Fuck em.

Even though I am of the position that we barely give the Saudis any business directly, (20% max), I commend you on your position and standng your ground. I find myself in the same position when shopping for certain items from time to time.

I am of the same mindset when it comes to expoting dollars period. I hate to do it, but there are some items which you simply cant find American, no matter what the cost.

We are in the same boat, I have to buy Chinese shit sometimes, you will still pay at the pump...

Quoted: Quoted: Before that I hope to wring another 100,000 miles out of my old Volvo 240. A VOLVO?! Wait...CavVet, do we like those peoples?

Didn't Carlin say the Volvo was the intelligent car for incredibly stupid people?  

Quoted: Quoted: Before that I hope to wring another 100,000 miles out of my old Volvo 240. A VOLVO?! Wait...CavVet, do we like those peoples?

A subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company.

The only people who lost were the American workers. Your neighbors. The white collar and investors got theirs.

We used to own a Hybrid. We were buying a car anyway, and wanted to save money on gas. We bought the spiffy "Premium" warranty.

After finding out what the service schedule was like, and essentially having to get them done at a dealership (Hybrid technology being new and all), we were paying $300-$400 every couple o' months so we could maintain the spiffy warranty. (Long commute)

And then a $1500 computer part went out, the car didn't run, and look, gee, it wasn't covered by our nice useless warranty. We ended up spending a lot of cash on that car so we could save money. We traded it in after a year.

Though, with the current gas prices, it is hard to remember that we're saving money, when we fill up the new car.

~Icarus

Quoted: We used to own a Hybrid. We were buying a car anyway, and wanted to save money on gas. We bought the spiffy "Premium" warranty. After finding out what the service schedule was like, and essentially having to get them done at a dealership (Hybrid technology being new and all), we were paying $300-$400 every couple o' months so we could maintain the spiffy warranty. (Long commute) And then a $1500 computer part went out, the car didn't run, and look, gee, it wasn't covered by our nice useless warranty. We ended up spending a lot of cash on that car so we could save money. We traded it in after a year. Though, with the current gas prices, it is hard to remember that we're saving money, when we fill up the new car. ~Icarus

What kind?

Prius, small... no guts... good gas mileage.

~Icarus

Quoted: Quoted: Before that I hope to wring another 100,000 miles out of my old Volvo 240. A VOLVO?! Wait...CavVet, do we like those peoples?

Hey it was free, okay?

My folks apparently felt guilty for buying my younger sister a car and offered me the 240 if I would split shipping from the East coast. Previously I had gotten by without a car for 10 years as a hardcore bicycle commuter. I didn't turn down a free car though. It has hauled steel, gravel, dirt, crushed rock, lumber, and all manner of other things the swedes probably weren't counting on.

I much prefer to ride my SV650, but I carpool with my GF 4 days a week. She's a good lass so on sunny days we "carpool" on the bike.

I know Volvos have a bad rep especially among motorcyclists, but like I said, I drive it like I'm riding the SV. If you see a Volvo where the turn signals get used always, it may be me.

Fred

CavVet, I read your posts here and I don't get it, are you actually encouraging more consumption of a non-renewable finite resource, over consumer support of new technologies that are inevitably the way of the future? Seriously, I don't think I understand your position on this.

Quoted: CavVet, I read your posts here and I don't get it, are you actually encouraging more consumption of a non-renewable finite resource, over consumer support of new technologies that are inevitably the way of the future? Seriously, I don't think I understand your position on this.

His focus isn't on resources...its on losing manufacturing jobs to foreign competitors and trade imbalances.  

Bah, grind up dead bodies into slush and pump it back down the oil hole.
In a few years it'll be ready to be pumped back up.

Quoted: Bah, grind up dead bodies into slush and pump it back down the oil hole. In a few years it'll be ready to be pumped back up.

+1

Quoted: Quoted: Bah, grind up dead bodies into slush and pump it back down the oil hole. In a few years it'll be ready to be pumped back up. +1

+!... The more people that drive hybrids the for gasoline for mebandit