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I thought price fixing was illegal

We have the power! We need to exercise it! This has been floated before, but I'll try it again. Let's boycott one oil company. I'll even pick one to get us going.....Shell, because I know they're multinational. OK, I'm not buying anything else from Shell Oil. If we all do it they'll be forced to lower their price just to stay alive. I don't expect this to work, but it beats just whining about it.
 
What is wing power?

Use a wing instead of a propeller.

The wing moves up and down providing a pumping action.

The reason the propeller is popular because the rotation is constant where a wing would have two directional power plus a pause at top and bottom of cycle.

It could be made constant with a flywheel or something similar.

Plus a wing will harness more energy out of the wind plus birds / wildlife are less likely to be hurt by it.

Could even use the wing technology for water and not hurt the fish.
 
Do you like birds with three eyes and one wing, or glow in the dark? Figured as long as we are not using correct information....


You must live near Hanford. The home of the unknown toxic content super cleanup site from making the first enriched transuranic isotopes.


Nuclear power is safer than fossil fuel. In upper state New York the airborne radiation was higher outside the building than in it. Why ??? The natural radiation was many times higher than the limit allowed in a controlled environment.
 
OPEC is an international cartel whose eleven member nations control most of the world's proven oil reserves conspire to set limits on the production of oil to raise, fix, and stabilize world oil prices above competitive levels, thus increasing the prices of gasoline and other oil-based products, such as lubricants, motor oil, and asphalt, throughout the United States.

The United States has allowed multiple large, vertically integrated oil companies to merge over
the last five years, placing control of the market in too few hands. The result: uncompetitive
domestic gasoline markets. Large oil companies can more easily control domestic gasoline prices
by exploiting their ever-greater market share, keeping prices artificially high long enough to rake
in easy profits but not so long that consumers reduce their dependence on oil (after all, if prices
went up too high for too long, then we’d seek alternatives to oil).
The largest five oil companies operating in the United States (ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco,
ConocoPhillips, BP and Royal Dutch Shell) now control:
· 14.2% of global oil production (nearly as much as the entire Middle East members of the
OPEC cartel).
· 48% of the domestic oil production (which is significant given the fact that the U.S. is the
3rd largest oil producer in the world).
· 50.3% of domestic refinery capacity.
· 61.8% of the retail gasoline market.
· These same five companies also control 21.3% of domestic natural gas production.

NOW>>>>you want to wonder why Exxon is doing nothing with its record profits other than buying up their own stock shares...this will give them even more power later. As big as Exxon is do you think they cant work deals with OPEC! Too much "Near" Monopoly going on...in fact some old timers may recall that the Rockefeller family used to own Standard oil....got slammed for a Monopoly and the company was broken up...I think the Spins were Exxon and Mobile...now the are back together as one again!

The only feasible way to lower prices is the introduction of alternative energy sources....fuel cell techknowledgy is close to commercial applications.

For the time being we are going to have to take it in the Azz....just bend over and remember to arch your back as you get pumped....should be you pumping Ethel but its the other way around for now.


deepdiver,

Where did you copy that article from...I'd like to see the source and read the whole thing.

thx.
modsledr
 
Use a wing instead of a propeller.

The wing moves up and down providing a pumping action.

The reason the propeller is popular because the rotation is constant where a wing would have two directional power plus a pause at top and bottom of cycle.

It could be made constant with a flywheel or something similar.

Plus a wing will harness more energy out of the wind plus birds / wildlife are less likely to be hurt by it.

Could even use the wing technology for water and not hurt the fish.

You got any pics? I have been pretty interested in wind power, but I have never heard anything about it before.

The problem with wind turbines and birds was that the first wind turbines had lattice structures to hold them up, which coincidentally make for great places to build nests. The newer wind turbines have been show to reduce the amount of avian deaths substantially. Though, birds are pretty stupid sometimes and crash into buildings and all sorts of stuff...
 
You must live near Hanford. The home of the unknown toxic content super cleanup site from making the first enriched transuranic isotopes.


Nuclear power is safer than fossil fuel. In upper state New York the airborne radiation was higher outside the building than in it. Why ??? The natural radiation was many times higher than the limit allowed in a controlled environment.

Nope, I totally agree with the safety of nuclear power. There have been many advances like automation of safety devices and having system failures result in safe shut down instead of melt down. Nuclear is great, and I don't mind it one bit.

Creating a standard nuclear facility, or rather modular nuclear facility has the ability to drastically reduce permit/engineering/construction cost associated with nuclear.
 
We have the power! We need to exercise it! This has been floated before, but I'll try it again. Let's boycott one oil company. I'll even pick one to get us going.....Shell, because I know they're multinational. OK, I'm not buying anything else from Shell Oil. If we all do it they'll be forced to lower their price just to stay alive. I don't expect this to work, but it beats just whining about it.

I think the issue here is that they all get the fuel out of the same spigot as far as I know. I have relatives that live on a hill overlooking a refinery/distribution center (or whatever they are technically called) and they watch as delivery trucks with just about every name fill up at the same location.
 
An interesting bed time read that explains a lot. Just keep in mind what nationality most of the 9/11 hi-jackers were!!!!

"It’s Story Time Dear Reader

By Max Whitmore

The story you are about to read is pure, unadulterated fiction. It is a collection of fictitious events that no one can prove ever happened. It is fantasy at its best. So, sit back, relax, and see what it is all about.

Our little story began in the deserts of the Middle East in late September of 1969. A powerful oil executive had just met with the king of the most powerful and largest of all the Middle Eastern kingdoms, and, returning to his office that day, told his colleagues that he “really had to put that guy in his place.” The executive went on to say that the king had asked to open negotiations that would give his country a larger percentage of the oil revenues. “Can you imagine the gall of that guy?” said the exec. “It will be a cold day in Hades before that ever happens,” he smirked.

When it was plain that the executive was not going to open talks, the king, having exhausted what he felt were reasonable requests, quietly called his ministers together and told them he was parting company with the high-minded westerners. He told his ministers to go to each of the other oil kingdoms and tell them to come to his capital city for a vitally important meeting.

From that fateful meeting early in 1970, a meeting lasting a full two weeks, came a group that was to eventually reshape the world’s financial landscape.


There was nothing said publicly by this Cartel then or for the next two years about that meeting. You see all the members had agreed to say nothing while they secretly put in place the plans made at their momentous meeting.

Then, in February of 1973 the king called a worldwide press conference. At the conference, he took the first step of the Cartel’s plan and announced that all the Middle East oil producers had agreed that they would take control of the oil fields in their respective countries. There would be some reimbursement paid to the western oil companies for their investments, of course, but from now on the oil fields were the property of the producers. And oh yes, the amount of oil to be produced the coming year would be restricted to 70 percent of the previous year, as they felt the price of oil had for too long been too low.

Well, you can imagine the turmoil that raised all over the world. The Americans were not able to understand what had happened. The situation in the developed western nations quickly turned chaotic, to put it mildly. Long lines for fuel formed, as oil supplies dwindled rapidly. And gasoline prices shot up to three times their old levels, to over $1.50 a gallon! It was highway robbery, said the public. But there was no going back, said the king. This was the future of the oil business — higher prices.


Well, over the next 20-25 years, the world seemed to get used to the king and his Cartel setting production levels to keep oil prices high. And it seemed the Middle East kingdoms were beginning to float in money. The king declared that everyone was eligible for a handout each year: no work, just a handout. And huge sums of money were being spent on public projects of all sorts. They built everything from skyscrapers, sprawling apartment complexes, incredible shopping malls, and even an indoor winter ski slope right in the middle of the desert! And it seemed that everyone who had an idea for a new business venture wanted to find some broker representative from the Middle Eastern powers to get a loan or better yet some investment capital for their great idea.

But, then, as with every great movement, eventually there was some inside squabbling. Some of the kingdoms felt that the king was being rather arbitrary in setting the amount that each kingdom would be allowed to produce of the total output the king declared for each year.

So, some of the Cartel members began to use the backdoor to make extra money. If the king wouldn’t let them sell it, they would black market it. They were entitled to sell as much as the market would bear, they justified to themselves. And as you might expect, it wasn’t too long before oil price levels the king wanted to hold in place started to fail, as he found himself unable to stop the backdoor selling.

The king watched dejectedly as oil prices fell from nearly $20 barrel to under $10 per barrel. It was about 2001 by now, and the situation was just getting worse and worse. Money was getting in short supply all throughout the kingdom. Unrest was building. But, it seemed no one was willing to follow the king’s dictates.

Then, one day the king had an idea. He called in his ministers and they talked it over at great length. The following week, the king invited all the other producers to a major Cartel meeting. And what he had to say astounded the listeners.



Basically he said, “Fellow Cartel members, we have proven that when we go off on our own track, all of us suffer. Our oil costs us $5 a barrel to produce and the best we can get for it is $9 a barrel. We were getting nearly $20 a barrel just a year ago. But, all of you wanted to sell as much as you could. Now, none of us make very much. However, I want to make a proposal to all of you. Hear me out. What I have to say will require four years of close cooperation, but I am of the belief that if we invest the time and really cooperate, we can sell our oil for $100 a barrel. But, again, only if all of you will promise to cooperate.

The members of the Cartel were dumbfounded. How in the world could they ever get $100 a barrel!! One hundred dollars a barrel? IMPOSSIBLE!

Then, the king quietly laid out his plan. Step one, he said, was to clearly act as one to cut oil production and get prices back up to the $20 a barrel mark, as quickly as possible. There were no objections, so far. They wanted to hear more. Then, said the king, I want each of you to put 25 percent of your oil revenues into a fund I will operate.

What? "Never," they all shouted, "Never!" Wait, said the king. You all will get your money back. You see, I will need a huge cash fund to carry out my plan. I plan to set up three huge oil futures investment funds. No one will know who owns the funds, as I have made arrangements with the Swiss to totally shield our identity. I will instruct the fund managers to buy oil futures at a rate I set from time to time. The idea will be to keep the buying pressure on the futures markets. Don’t you see? If we can control that market, the rest of the plan will automatically go into effect. As the price of the futures rise, we will just increase what we charge per barrel. We will claim our costs are going up, just like everyone’s. We will claim loudly that it is just beyond our control.

I am promising you $100 a barrel for your oil, and I firmly believe that within four years I can deliver just that. And there is no one who can stop us. The power for us is in the futures markets. As we make huge profits from the higher prices we will get for our oil, we will also reap gigantic profits from the futures markets investments. It is the perfect plan!

And if any one decides to cause us problems, we will just put on more buying pressure at the futures pits and buy, buy, buy until the markets capitulate. Don’t you see? We will be able to control the markets for years to come. And the huge amounts of money we gather will give us power to buy banks, factories, and retail businesses all over the world. They will come to us with their hats in their hands. I promise it! We will be the only source of big money in all the world.

The members of the Cartel sank back into their chairs stunned by the immensity of the plan. But, slowly it began to dawn on them that the king was serious and that this plan might just work. It took two weeks to work out all the details, but by the end of that meeting in November 2004, the plan was finished and all the members had signed.

From that day to this, no one leaked the plan. In fact, the plan worked even beyond the king’s wildest dreams. All the Cartel members could see now was that the huge caches of money they had acquired kept growing bigger and bigger! And they all saw that the king had been right. They would soon become the most powerful financial group in all walks of life all over the world. Buying banks, buying factories, buying other oil companies, buying, buying, buying, buying, buying. . .


OK folks, our little fantasy story is over. Wasn’t that fun! Why, I could almost hear the king speak as the story unfolded. By the way, before I leave you today, here are some real life facts that you ought to know, now that you have read my little fantasy story.

These numbers are real.

In 2000-2001, there was only $9 billion being invested in the oil futures of the world. The dollar was at its zenith. Since that time, the dollar price has dropped by about 30 percent.

But, listen to this number carefully. The price of a barrel of oil has increased by 500 percent. Plus, today it is reported that over $240 billion is being invested in the oil futures markets all over the world.

And oh yes, least I forget, several huge world banks, hat in hand, just sold part of their business to investors from the Middle East. These investors used their “sovereign funds” (what a quaint name), to invest over $50 billion in these banks, making them powers whom the banks must now reckon with every time an important bank decision must be made.

And here is the strangest twist of all. Again, these are real numbers: World demand for oil has declined in January and February of this year by 3-4 percent each month. World oil production, however, has risen in the first quarter of this year by 3.5 percent and is expected to continue at that pace for some time."

Couldn't quite get it all in on here.
 
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Here is the rest of it:

"In other words, production is outstripping usage and inventories are rising. But, oil futures hit $112 a barrel within the last 10 days. That folks is no fantasy. That is real life. Does something in this picture look funny? Yeah, me, too.

Well, all that gives you a lot to think about this coming week. Drowning in oil, but shelling out more bucks than ever for it. Hmmm.


Hey, want my latest, buy/sell recommendations on the best high yield income investments from around the world? Then I recommend you sign up for my brand new newsletter called High Yield Income Investing. For a special offer exclusively for readers of this column, Go here now.

Now, do keep your thinking cap on for awhile about our little fairy tale. Who knows what you might discover. And I do hope your coming investment week is a good one. In the meantime, you keep in touch. I do! See you next week."

Good Luck
 
Reasons why gas is so expensive.

11% tax
6% marketing
10 to 20% refining
71% crude

Gasoline additives, summer blend, winter blend.
(see oxygenate additive methyl tertiary butyl ether MTBE )
EPA roadblocks to building refineries.
Greedy oil companies.
No competition. Break up the big oil companies and let new ones startup.
Limited refinery capacity.
Developing third world countries with $2500 cars.
Greedy Cartels.
Third world manufacturing, running on diesel powered generators.
Government policies stopping drilling.
Middle East Countries punishing us.
You have to Bribe the Dictator, to get access to the oil.
Oil has to be shipped further on average.
Oil seems to originate in unstable countries.
Middle Eastern countries fear the oil may run out soon.
Oil supply has probably peaked.
World over population.
Rise in world standard of living.
EPA now requires ultra-low sulfur diesel for automobiles.
Falling US dollar.
Futures Speculators. (can you say stock bubble?)
Supply disruptions. Terrorist or groups just fighting for control.
Lack of fuel economy in US vehicles.
Environmentalist want higher gas prices, it's the easiest way to cut pollution.
Gloom and doom talk, is self full-filling.

Well, that's a pretty good list of excuses.
 
We have the power! We need to exercise it! This has been floated before, but I'll try it again. Let's boycott one oil company. I'll even pick one to get us going.....Shell, because I know they're multinational. OK, I'm not buying anything else from Shell Oil. If we all do it they'll be forced to lower their price just to stay alive. I don't expect this to work, but it beats just whining about it.

I think that's probably our only option as consumers. The idea has been around for some time but the problem is getting everyone onboard. It's been a long time since we've since any kind of gas "price war". Almost like the gas companies agreed to co-operate. As a one time gas station operator I know for fact that the gas companies expect the operators to notify them when the price changes at another station so they can avoid price wars.
 
When gas and diesel reaches 6.00 a gallon or so maybe the people will force congress to let us drill in our own country. I mean Anwar, the gulf of Mexico and off shore, east and west. Private enterprise built this country not the government. We ought to know by now, government doesn't do any thing very well.
 
anyone from Wy might ask there Reps why they voted to not allow any drilling in there state in the last few days, it was a closed door vote in a smoke filled room!!!!!!!. it seems that there will be no new drilling in any new US held field, but its ok to in other countries just as long as it doesnt keep them from being voted out of office!!!!! and as for LRD's little story, its still happening, does anyone know Venezuelan President Hugo] Chavez
 
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all of you guys need to step away from the koolaide and think of two things:

The weak US Dollar.
The Iranian Oil Bourse.

In 1971, as it became clearer and clearer that the U.S Government would not be able to buy back its dollars in gold, it made in 1972-73 an iron-clad arrangement with Saudi Arabia to support the power of the House of Saud in exchange for accepting only U.S. dollars for its oil. The rest of OPEC was to follow suit and also accept only dollars. Because the world had to buy oil from the Arab oil countries, it had the reason to hold dollars as payment for oil. Because the world needed ever increasing quantities of oil at ever increasing oil prices, the world’s demand for dollars could only increase. Even though dollars could no longer be exchanged for gold, they were now exchangeable for oil.

The economic essence of this arrangement was that the dollar was now backed by oil. As long as that was the case, the world had to accumulate increasing amounts of dollars, because they needed those dollars to buy oil. As long as the dollar was the only acceptable payment for oil, its dominance in the world was assured, and the American Empire could continue to tax the rest of the world. If, for any reason, the dollar lost its oil backing, the American Empire would cease to exist. Thus, Imperial survival dictated that oil be sold only for dollars. It also dictated that oil reserves were spread around various sovereign states that weren’t strong enough, politically or militarily, to demand payment for oil in something else. If someone demanded a different payment, he had to be convinced, either by political pressure or military means, to change his mind.

The man that actually did demand Euro for his oil was Saddam Hussein in 2000. At first, his demand was met with ridicule, later with neglect, but as it became clearer that he meant business, political pressure was exerted to change his mind. When other countries, like Iran, wanted payment in other currencies, most notably Euro and Yen, the danger to the dollar was clear and present, and a punitive action was in order. Bush’s Shock-and-Awe in Iraq was not about Saddam’s nuclear capabilities, about defending human rights, about spreading democracy, or even about seizing oil fields; it was about defending the dollar, ergo the American Empire. It was about setting an example that anyone who demanded payment in currencies other than U.S. Dollars would be likewise punished.

Many have criticized Bush for staging the war in Iraq in order to seize Iraqi oil fields. However, those critics can’t explain why Bush would want to seize those fields—he could simply print dollars for nothing and use them to get all the oil in the world that he needs. He must have had some other reason to invade Iraq.
 
all of you guys need to step away from the koolaide and think of two things:

The weak US Dollar.
The Iranian Oil Bourse.

The USA went off the gold standard because of commodity manipulation of gold between France and the USSR in the early 1970's.

As far as the price of oil. Regular unleaded is over $4.00 a gallon here and diesel is around $5.00

Can I complain ... we have lots of oil off the coast of California but the enviro people say no way.
 
The oil companies maybe make 10% profit but all the powers that be in Washington get upset because it has the "b" word in it - billions. Well what about Wallmart or Microsoft that make 40% profit - so who is the bad one. I am not saying that 40% is a bad number because that the target for profit that we shoot for in the business I am in. We have so much oil and coal in this country that we cannot tap into because of the environmentalists. I heard the other day here that where I live (MN) that there is a law that we cannot put up any more nuclear power plants or coal burning plants - so what are we supposed to do. The world as a whole is using more oil than is being produced so of course the price will go up - supply & demand. Also heard on the radio (not sure if it true) that China has set up with some oil producing countries to get oil directly from them before it even goes to the market. Lets stop helping all the other countries is the world with money that hate the USA and concentrate on us the USA. Something bad happens in the world and who does the world call to first for help - us. Lets drill for oil here, lets mine for coal here and lets get our country under control first. Less government spending, tighter boarders, a good military, and less government telling me what to do. I am not as stupid as they think I am.
 
Call your congress and senate Rep

How do oil companies get away with it? Continually raise prices while posting record profits and get away with it. Fuel prices affect everything we buy and yet these companies blatantly price fix and there's nothing we can do. This just chokes me. If all the grocery stores got together and decided to double the price of food I wonder what would happen. Oil companies are going to control everything, unbelievable. :eek:

If we could drill off our coast, SD and Anwar, we would have enough oil to stop importing. All the greenies Biatch about the oil profits, yet we don't drill in our own backyard! I guess it is better to have plans fly into buildings with oil revenue funded terrosists, than to kill a couple caribou or polar bears..
We could be like france and have nearly 100% Nuke power elecrical grid, but Nooo.. everything is evil
 
[Also heard on the radio (not sure if it true) that China has set up with some oil producing countries to get oil directly from them before it even goes to the market. Lets stop helping all the other countries is the world with money that hate the USA and concentrate on us the USA. Something bad happens in the world and who does the world call to first for help - us. Lets drill for oil here, lets mine for coal here and lets get our country under control first. Less government spending, tighter boarders, a good military, and less government telling me what to do. I am not as stupid as they think I am.[/QUOTE]

Yep yep and more Yep!!

Obama - "We need to drive our SUVs less, eat less food, run our heat and air conditioners less"

Mayor Greg (douchebag) Nickels - "I propose a car free summer, and will close down severeal downtown streets this summer for Ped use only"

WTF???

The Constitution - "Inalienable rights... Pursuit of happiness"

Thing is the F*cks want to tell us what is "happiness"

We need to vote the guys far far away!!!!!!
 
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