Random Observations

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    Ouch!!!!

    Soon, about the only people who will able able to afford driving, especially in the wide-open spaces of Texas and other big Western states, will be Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and their ilk.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    with many people driving to work from suburbs this is going to hit disposable income pretty hard. given that it seems likely alternate fuel/ energy technology is being bought up and shut down to protect the profit margins of the existing players it angers me that john q public is being sqeezed this way. perhaps Mr Nader and co should chase this one.

    Greetings from North of the 49th

    Quote from kilo 6

    with many people driving to work from suburbs



    Be glad you don't have to do the driving I do, Murray. I have to drive about 60 miles round-trip just to get a decent restaurant meal or do any serious shopping. Luckily, I'm retired and don't have to drive to work each day. But I have kids who do. In fact, my daughter, who earns about $12. per hour at her job, must drive about 20 miles round-trip to work each day.

    Of course, the losers in Washington, who refuse to authorize drilling in Alaska or off-shore waters, don't have to buy their own gas. They just ring it up on the backs of the taxpayers. Furthermore, they had a warning of this more than 30 years ago, during the first Arab oil embargo of the early Seventies, and didn't do zilch to encourage the development of alternative energy sources. Then they wonder why those of us out here in flyover land are so disgusted with them.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Hi Stumpy,
    What a big country Texas is!
    Influence of the American economic issue such as subprime loan,the crude oil high
    and weak dollar has reached to also Japan.
    It will probably becomes world wide depression.
    IMO As for the modernization of Japan,many Japanese have recognized the fact
    that it is promoted by the two Americans.
    The first is admiral Perry in 1853 and the second is general MacArthur in 1945.
    But,i doubt in recent American diplomatic policy.

    Regards,
    H.sanada

    Sometimes kids ask me what a pro is. I just point to the Duke.
    ~Steve McQueen~



    I'm sorry to hear that your country is having economic problems because of bad decisions made in this country, Mr. Sanada. I'm aware that the economies of both our countries are closely entwined.

    Just between you and me, I admire the "old" Nippon more than the new. Of course, I can say the same thing about my own country.

    We don't have leaders as far-sighted and wise as General MacArthur any more. I think it was very fortunate that he oversaw the rebuilding of Japan after the war.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Talk about a [url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23612885-28737,00.html] horror story. [/url]

    Hard to believe things like this go on in the 21st century.

    Yep, the mutineers should have been hunted down and hanged.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Quote from Stumpy



    We don't have leaders as far-sighted and wise as General MacArthur any more. I think it was very fortunate that he oversaw the rebuilding of Japan after the war.



    Well, Not only for America but also for whole world,I hope next president
    will be far-sighted and wise.

    H.sanada

    Sometimes kids ask me what a pro is. I just point to the Duke.
    ~Steve McQueen~

    stumpy

    we are paying up to 136.7 a lt for the 10% ethenol and up to 142.9 a lt for unleaded, that is here in the city and out further they pay much higher prices.

    as for pitcan island a lot of things happen there not only did it house the mutnieers it was also a convict settlement and it was violent in that time as well. they have a bridge there called the bloody bridge because some convicts killed the guard and built the bridge around his body.

    cheers smokey

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"

    Quote from smokey

    we are paying up to 136.7 a lt for the 10% ethenol and up to 142.9 a lt for unleaded, that is here in the city and out further they pay much higher prices.


    If my math is correct, you are paying a little over 5 USD a gallon. Our vehicles are diesel, and we are paying around $4.35 per gallon. Fortunately, most of our diesel vehicles get between thirty five and forty miles per gallon. I don't see the price going down anytime soon. If anything, I anticipate it going up another dollar or two or three.


    Regarding Pitcairn Island, a few months back I somehow linked to a history of the island, and ended up reading for several hours about it. Apparently the Seventh Day Adventists church had made repeated efforts as missionaries to the island during the 1800s and 1900s. Similar events that were reported recently have happened throughout the island's history. When missionaries would show up, efforts to civilize the island with laws and regulations would take place. Then, after a few years, things tended to revert back to "nature." Several remarkable dictators had their piece of history there, too.


    Chester :newyear:

    While posting in another thread, I used the expression "whet your appetite" and googled it to confirm that I was using "whet" correctly versus the word "wet" which I considered a possibility. In doing that search, I found this - truly fascinating to a word lover like me (I was tempted to use the word "logophile" but discovered in looking it up that it is NOT a word ).


    Mrs. C :angel1:

    I'll probably get some criticism for saying this but I'm a firm believer in [url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354424,00.html] social Darwinism [/url], i.e., "survivial of the fittest".

    Except for the very old, the very young and the disabled, I believe humans should be responsible for making their own way in life, without help from others (meaning the taxpayers, government, or whomever). I strongly support the concept of "meritocracy". In other words, the cream should rise to the top and the devil take the hindmost.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Mine used to be super sharp too but the older I get, the more it deteriorates. Dammit.

    I don't know who it was that coined the expression "Golden Years" to describe old age but they sure haven't been there. :cry2:

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Interesting post, Stumpy! I have a recollection of reading about somebody with a similar "problem" some time in the past six months or so . . . but I don't have a vivid recollection of exactly which day it was . . . or anything else about it . . . except that the guy had an exceptional memory . . . .


    Chester :newyear:

    My gosh, I thought [url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354993,00.html] this [/url] kind of stuff only happened in the U.S. and Middle East.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    I have become a little alarmed at some of our American cousins and their misconceptions about things on this side of the pond. One thing that seems quite prevalent is the idea that Scotland and Northern Ireland are independent countries outside of British territory, this is something that has been encountered over here quite a bit, the reason I mention it is due to the fact that Robbie Coltrane recently encountered this as well as can be seen via this clip.


    Its probably an unfair stereotype as people on this forum are very well informed of events etc over here (actually better informed than I usually am), I just thought it worth mentioning, however the hypocrite that I am knows very little about the USA.


    :agent:

    Regards
    Robbie

    From the age of the youngsters, I would imagine this interview took place shortly after the first Harry Potter movie.
    It's a shame it had to be on O'Donnel's program - hate that woman!
    Cheers - Jay:beer:

    Cheers - Jay:beer:
    "Not hardly!!!"