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Comments
Did anyone else see it and, if so, what did you think of it?
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I do hope that you are feeling some better. It's really difficult to feel badly for long periods of time. Fezo can certainly attest to that.
As for your Social Security check, I can so identify. I have to allow them to deduct taxes every month plus the Medicare. That doesn't leave much of a balance. Shameful, isn't it?
Fezo: I forgot to congratulate you on the new ride. If you keep going, you'll have a car lot right at your house.
Richard
Thanks for the kind words, Richard. When one is ailing for long period of time, one tends to lose perspective more easily - which I can attest to. They released me from the hospital this morning after building up my electrolytes with IV fluids. Potassium levels were dangerously low along with some others. I had to go shopping later after learning my Dad was living on next to nothing. But, I am feeling a little better.
I had counted on my neighbors to watch over him but that sure didn't work out. Not even my brother lifted a finger to watch out for him. Dad said he called and knew I was in the hospital, but did he take a 40 minute flight down to watch over him until I got out - of course not! I think I have too much of a load on my shoulders and I don't seem to get a break. I was in the hospital the week before last for 5 days, and now another 2 days. All that stress just piles up on a person.
As I said, this too shall pass.
Earlier this evening, about 10:00 PM, I heard my Dad moaning and crying in his bedroom. So I jumped out of bed and ran in there. He was shaking so I covered him up and took his temp. 101.5 degree temp. Looks like he got what I had. Luckily I had some kaeopectate for him to take to relieve his intestinal distress. I'll check on him throughout the night - sleepless in south Florida, I guess. His fever is down to 99.2 now, so the aspirin is obviously working.
Again, thanks my friend - I appreciate you words and thoughts.
Michael
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Exactly what I meant. You know that I would never slight my bike riding university professor. I even mentioned you in one of my recent posts.
As for cable, I can't believe that we have 500 channels and nothing to watch. We have enjoyed seeing the series NORTH-SOUTH (Books I & II) on the Encore network. We also like old movies, the news, PBS, and Jeopardy. Other than those, it's a tough call. We don't cut the TV on until late afternoon as a general rule. There's always too much to do it seems.
Richard
I recorded it to watch later...it looked very good in the previews they showed at the movie theatre. Might take awhile, I am a little backed up right now though (tennis, Downton Abbey, Good Wives).
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That may be so, but I feel a little more optimistic about the entire U.S. economy. Yes, there are regions and sectors of the economy that are aren't doing well but overall the economy is doing fine.
We live in an impatient society, where we expect quick fixes. But those quick fixes bring unintended consequences. For example, if the economy is overheated, the result is high inflation, high interest rates, and high monetary wages. That would depress the bond and equity markets and our 401(k) pension plans would take a big hit, not to mention the housing market.
Slow and steady growth is the prudent course and the vexing sequester problem is as an opportunity for the politicians to address the cost drivers of deficit spending.
By the way, my favorite president is Teddy Roosevelt.
Those of us who have been driving for awhile can chart how this has gone.
While not driving yet, I remember my late Father stating that the oil lines and shortages of the '70s were a hoax to artificially prop up prices. I remember him saying that the statements by the oil companies regarding running out of oil in 25 years was "hogwash" (his terms). He was right.
In the '80s (when I learned to drive), Reagan taxed what they were calling "obscene profits", demand finally dropped (prices dropped nearly in half from $22-$25/bbl to $13-$15/bbl) and I remember hearing the oil companies crying the blues that they couldn't make it. In short, they did not invest those huge profits they made in the '70s. That drop in oil prices, in no small part, pulled the country out of the recession of the '80s.
'90s, prices stabilized, and actually dropped, despite the Gulf War (where everyone predicted oil would rise to $5/gal. Again, that was part of the largest economic expansion this country has ever experienced. Budget was balanced, again, partially because oil was treated for what it was, a commodity.
2000s, with money flowing to junk bonds and MBS, artificially propping up financial vehicles, (like oil) prompted $4+/gal. No real reason for it.
Junk bonds, MBS, derivatives, etc nearly cause a world economic depression, and yet we don't learn our lesson and curb oil speculation as part of economic reform.
So, we have what we have today.
We've heard all the excuses....
-70s...the world oil supply will be exhausted in 25 years. Fact is, there is more oil supply today, that the world is swimming in oil.
-we'll experience oil supply disruptions because of some gulf state turmoil. Let's face it, there's so much money to be made, no ever has, and no one ever will, disrupt oil supplies....especially an oil rich country. The closest we came was the first gulf war. And, it never even remotely happened.
-There's a shift in power in some Arab country. Oil could be affected. See above.
-We have to look at the world oil economics....another big excuse. If that were the case, then everyone the world over would pay the same amount for gas. We don't. The U.S. is the largest customer for oil. What the U.S. dictates is what we pay for oil.
-China is overheating demand for oil. Well, that's speculation as their economy has slowed dramatically over the last couple of years, and doesn't look like it's going to pick up any time soon.
-The different blends of gasoline causes huge spikes when changing over. If that changed the price a penny or two/gal in reality I'd be surprised.
-Maintenance on this or that refinery has caused a run up in gas prices. Really. Then quite pumping completely as supply is still high and demand is still low.
Recently, they don't even make excuses any more for raising prices. They just say..."we're raising prices because we can." To hell with a fragile economy.
In this country, oil demand has plateaued and is dropping....has been for the last few years. Economic law of supply and demand is being manipulated.
There is no reason for oil prices to outpace the inflation rate (to the tune of 300% or more).
Said it before, I'll say it again, make any speculator actually take delivery of the oil they're buying and hold it for 10 days before selling it. And, oil prices would fall dramatically, and finally level off to where they need to be.
(rant over)
If you have been to Shanghai in years 2005-2007, you'd have been amazed that oil was not at $200 per barrel. Bridges, skyskrapers being build "overnight". And China is one thing, there are those other Asian countries, just starting their secular growth.
I will stipulate that some of that $145 oil price move in 2007 was made by speculators, but that was also paid with $40 oil six months later. That dramatic drop (as they were unloading contracts) is evidence of such, but because after the unloading was over, the prices basically stabilized over $80 and stayed there for next four years. The speculators are always around, but if there was such a such rampant speculation, as you say, any move down (when things don't go bull's way) would have been amplified, too as speculators are first to jump ship. It was only once, in 2008. Yes, speculators exists, yes they manipulate markets at times, it's a fact of life, but they don't set the trends, they ride them.
The secular demand for more energy is real and while new technologies come online to relieve some of it (shale gas, for example), but it often is not happening at same pace, so there are period when one outstrips another. The fact that there will be speculators playing the trend, is obvious, but it doesn't mean the increase of demand is not real. To believe that oil price above $80 for more than four years now is result of speculators may be an easier thing to do for somebody go on, but the world is much more complicated.
Yes, there were always those boogie man. First it was christians "destroying" Roman Empire, then it was Jews, then it was free masons, then it was Jews and cyclists, then Jews again. Now it is guys in black suits taking away our natinal birthright of $1 gas.
BTW, oil companies did go through terrible times. Why do you think Exxon merged with Mobil, Chevron with Texaco, etc. Not because they wanted to, they had to just to stay alive. During that time, a friend of mine delivered an equipment to an empty parking lot that an oil company refused to take, because they scrapped the project due to lack of funds. We just don't want to remember that. It is called "unsympathetic defendant" - when we don't like somebody, we pile up stuff and give no consideration.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Graphicguy, I am truly impressed with your knowledge and interpretation of the oil industry and its history over the past 4 decades. I have no argument with your comments, whatsoever. But I would like to add a bit.
The reason WASHINGTON (congress, president, agencies, etc) does nothing is because they are all bought and paid for by big oil and the speculators. We've heard recently that Congress and the Administration would like to do away with oil subsidies to the oil industry - recently being the past 2 or 3 years. When the democrats held both houses and the whitehouse, was anything done? Has anything been done in the past 2 years with republicans in the majority in the House? Like I said, bought and paid for by big oil. Has the president submitted any legislation to eliminate oil subsidies? Bought and paid for politicians in the form of campaign contributions - that is my opinion!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
I agree there is NO reason for these ridiculously high oil prices other than straight greed. Paying at the pump doesn't bother me so much, although I wish gas were between $2 & $2.50/gal. The price of home heating oil is crazy. About a month ago, I took 194 gallons of home heating oil. Total charge to my debit card was well over $700!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2. What is percentage of household ownership of car, house, AC, refrigerator, washing machine in China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia? I don't know, either, but I can imagine it is small. What do you think it is going to be in 10, 20 years from now? What are these things made of? What do these things need to run?
3. What is growth of vehicle sales in India, Indonesia and Pakistan? How much oil, steel, coal, aluminum is needed to make and run those?
4. What is rank of Exxon Mobil, second largest private company in the world, in terms of oil production? No. 1? (Wrong), No. 2? (Wrong), No. 5? (wrong again). No, it is around 10. Which means, majority of oil is produced by state own companies from Saudi Arabia, friendly Wenezuela, Iran, or really orderly Mexico, etc.
Even though I live in this country for 15 years and will take citizenship test in couple of weeks, I'm still shocked every time I realize how otherwise well educated people have NO IDEA how the world looks like outside of Cincinatti, Manhattan, or Cedar Rapids. I swear, I sometimes think 50% of the population believes wheel was invented in America and 75% of the population thinks that if it doesn't happen three blocks aways from my house, it means it doesn't happen.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Do you watch the TV show "Hard Parts: South Bronx"?
I like that show about auto parts and fixing various cars.
My guess is you're probably near where the show is filmed.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
This is actually quite interesting regarding inflation-adjusted price comparison between 1919 and today. Didn't know that. Considering much smaller percentage of population used gasoline then, it seems people are wealthier today, doesn't it?
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
3 of the top 5 in the Fortune 500 are oil companies. In the last 25 years, the industry that has reaped the most in profits has been oil. Understand, they haven't innovated. Their product hasn't needed to be upgraded. The way they refine it now, is the same way they refined it 50 years ago. So, aside from a few compounds they use as additives, the oil and gas you buy today is the same oil and gas that was bought 50 years ago. So, no innovation that makes the product better. The only thing oil has done is rise in price. Why? Because no one has stood up to stop it.
Guaranty, if the U.S. made just a minimum effort to put a stop to risky financial oil speculators, you'd be paying AT LEAST 33% less for fuel. Can you just imangine what that would do to our economy?
It would be cheaper to produce products. It would be cheaper to deliver products. It would be cheaper for us to get to and from work every day.
With the amount of alternative fuel vehicles hitting the streets (electric, hybrid, bio-diesel, etc), demand will continue to fall. That doesn't even take into account the shale oil industry which has started to explode the last 5 years. Yet, speculators and Wall Street continues to bump up prices.
We are driling for more oil on American owned land and water than ever before. And, it continues to go up.
So, once again, the supply of oil is higher than it's ever been. We will continue to be oversupplied. Demand is falling because alternate fuels are being rapidly deployed as energy sources.
Please once again give me a remotely plausible reason for gasoline prices to be rising? Why is that a good thing?
I certainly can't see it, no matter which way I see the industry twisted.
I understand - beat up the boogie men, they aren't very friendly.
Yes, we are drilling more than ever, but rate of people consuming oil is simply faster at the moment. Plus, the sources (sands, shale) are not as cheap. Again - if you "look around", you will not see where the oil goes, but you have to look a but futher. Just try to asnwer a few questions I asked regarding wolrd population, energy consumption, etc. Demand is not falling, by any stretch of imagination. That is simply false. It is physically impossible for so many more cars than 10 or 20 years ago to generate falling demand.
BTW., I am not related to oil companies in any way, other than I own a small stake in my Roth IRA. I don't like being "gouged" either - I simply do not like fooling myself by assigning blame to some boogie men, so I can feel better.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
U.S. Oil Production Hits Highest Level in 20 Years, Projected to Increase an Additional 14% in 2013
From Business Week last month..
Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Oil traded near a one-week low after gasoline stockpiles rose and consumption fell to the lowest in 10 years in the U.S., the world’s biggest crude consumer.
Again...gas is going up??? 20%-25% in a week?
I understand it takes effort to drill for oil. It takes effort to design and make cars, or refrigerators, or windmills. Oil as a product...a commodity, no less, is the same today as it was 50 years ago.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I am glad you said that bwia. It is hard to think positive when people are always grumbling. There are definitely problems, but, when you are in the middle of a recession it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When the economy is booming it is hard to see that it will falter.
Meanwhile, the stock market is doing pretty well and is close to the record high. Hang on, it could be a bumpy road, it could dip back, and it could take off. No one knows for sure, so it is fair to be cautiously optimistic.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I don't want to discuss weekly fluctuations of gas prices. That can be easily manipulated. Of course, nobody was complaining or even noticed when it was down by more than 50 cents over this winter, the larum starts when it is going up again. BTW, so far it is nowhere near 20-25%.
Know what, I'm tired. Believe what you want. :sick:
2018 430i Gran Coupe
In the meantime I have some thoughts. When gasoline prices go down, it seems to go down very slowly, one or two cents a gallon over a week or two week period. When prices go up, it is not unusual to see prices jump 10 cents or more overnight. Those increased prices are applied to product that had already been purchased at a lower price. This never happens when prices tend downward. I think this is why many of us feel we are being gouged at the pump.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
It's kind of like when you purchase something on a CC or Debit card that money is taken instantly, but if you return something it takes three or four days for the money to come back to you.
I'm with GG, the oil pricing is a scam. Use too much and we have to raise prices. Use less and we still have to raise prices. The only thing we can do is take the big stick.......
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
2018 430i Gran Coupe
The route for the proposed oil pipeline from south central Canada to our gulf coast has been approved by all the US states affected by the pipeline, yet President Obama refuses to allow its construction. WHY? It has nothing to do with the far left environmentalists! It has to do with the increase in the supplies of oil to the US over the next 10 years which would drop prices of oil and throw a monkey wrench into his plans for alternative energy uses. Pure and simple! Why would he want to undermine his policies?
So, it is not just the oil companies and the speculators - IT'S THE POLITICS OF IT ALL that is really causing the increase in prices of gasoline IMHO!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
You can say that again. Junk and more junk. These reality shows, that aren’t really reality shows at all, are an insult to even my intelligence. As new ones pop up I don’t even waste my time. As I said I’ve been overly insulted and can’t take anymore. I have FIOS, and I’m not saying that it’s better than Comcast, but I changed to them a few years ago (’09 IIRC) when Comcast dared me to do it, so I did. It was a good deal at the time. Pretty sure it’s not anymore. I don’t know exactly what we pay now because Mrs. j does the bill paying but I heard that our glorious TV/phone package topped the $200 plateau a few months back, so I guess I should be looking again.
For many months now I have been watching a cable station called “Me TV”. It has a lot of the shows us old-timers watched back in the 50’s and 60’s and into the 80’s (I think). Both of my sons have asked why I have a nice HD TV and watch OLD black/white shows like Perry Mason, 12 O’ Clock High, Twilight Zone, The Fugitive, etc. Not all the shows are black/white but none are HD. I tell them I can at least understand them and the shows are not deliberately trying to insult me.
Mrs. j watches HGTV a LOT but that in a way is also insulting to me because I never knew that doing home maintenance/moving a wall/painting/wallpaper removal etc. was the time to have a party. I never bought pizza as an enticement for a group of people to come to my house to do that kind of work. The way I look at it is if they want to learn how to do something they never did before don’t learn it by doing it the first time in my house. You’re welcome to come over and watch but I’m not about to have a paint-the-room-party or kitchen-cabinet-installation-party in my house.
Has anyone ever met anyone who didn’t know how to paint? I have and the people who owned my house before me are on my list. They painted it prior to putting it on the market, shouldn’t have bothered. The realtor played that up until I said I was deducting for that pitiful paint job that I was going to have to do again myself. Same thing for the NEW floor that was put in the kitchen, that was another deduction.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Re: painting - when we first looked at the house we're currently buying, I suggested to the realtor that the poor owners must have been vandalized. Not only are the paint colors just BAD, they used gloss all over the walls and did a bad job of painting. Thankfully, they mixed GLITTER in with the paint they used for the bedroom. I don't think I've ever seen a worse job done by adults, particularly adults who wanted to sell their property.
(And yes, we are having a "paint party," complete with food, but it's just family - us & our college kids - who we'd feed regardless.)
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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My sales consultant Brandon (yeah, they're called consultants) was a young guy, very respectful, very knowledgeable (knew exact torque figures on the 3.5L). No pressure and no hint that he considered me a stroke.
The IS was a nice car with an attractive two-tone interior. Faster than my Eclipse by maybe a half second (6.0 0-60) but the cornering was pretty much on par with the Mitsu. Didn't get that "feel of the road" that you BMW owners talk about which jibes with some of the road test reviews I've read. It was loaded with electronics like NAV and touch screen environmental controls which I ignored. Also had paddle shifters which I might use but didn't since a short test drive wasn't the time to get the hang of them. Ride was comfortably firm without being jarring.
Brandon also allowed me to get a little frisky on some twisties which weren't on the regular test drive route. I thought that was I nice gesture since the chance of closing a deal today was pretty distant.
All and all the car was nice but not $50k nice. I would like to try it again with the F sport option package which gives it the suspension tuning off the IS F sedan. Maybe without some of the gimmicky cost boosters and better handling it might be a winner at $40,000.">
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
What are you using for internet? DSL is far too slow, and I believe Fios and Cable wants you to at least have a basic TV plan.
My Comcast bill has creeped up to a little over $200. It's crazy, but I can honestly say that for the amount of TV we watch we can always find something on (either live or something the DVR has snagged for us). I have 50mbps internet all the movie networks, three HD boxes, DVR, and home phone.
We also have a Western Digital Live TV box (very similar to Apple TV) which we can stream files from our computers, etc. Love it!
@Mike, yes politics certainly has a major impact on oil prices and policies. I try not to get upset about it, because there isn't a damn thing we can do about it.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
As my Dad would say, "...don't forget Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie!" Yes, my Dad watches that channel - or at least listens (his sight is almost a blur now). You mentioned Twelve O'clock High. If you have seen that show with PAUL BURKE (also starred in the Naked City). I have a short story about him.
When I was running a private school on Rancho Mirage, CA (Palm Springs area of the desert), we were having a welcoming cocktail party at the home of a parent of one of our students to welcome our new families for a specific school year. Don and Annie Meyers Drysdale I believe we're the hosts. As I walked around the beautiful home and grounds, I see this white-haired man who looked so familiar but I couldn't put a name to his face (this was in 1993 or 1994). As I mingled with the new families, the president of our school board asks me to follow her as she wanted me to meet a new family. I followed her and met the folks and as we began talking, this same white haired man walks over to us. He said hello and the wife of this new family says to me, "...and I would like you to meet my father and the children's grandfather, Paul. I said glad to meet you. I also said to him that I noticed him when I entered the home and asked if we had ever met before. He said no, but I probably look familiar to you because I am Paul Burke, the actor. I was so embarrassed for not recognizing him.
The same thing happened when I met Buddy Rogers and Dennis James of old TV. I had a lot of movie and other stars' kids at my school (John McVey of Fleetwood Mac, John Laughnane of the group Chicago, Dorothy Hamel the Olympic star, Don Drysdale of the Dodgers) to name a few.
But when you mentioned Twelve O'clock High, it brought back memories.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Honestly, with the Tivo, we still get the DVR, and pretty much all of mainstream TV is available on Hulu+ now. Just a few shows that aren't. The big downside would be if we were very into sports - no real alternative for ESPN. Not a major issue for us. If there's something we really want to watch, we just go out to watch it somewhere and spend the money we've saved on cable. It just got to the point where it felt wrong to shell out that kind of $$ every month on television. Plus, during the summer and throughout several months, it's all re-runs, so we were paying for almost nothing.
We might spend about the same, though - it's just more targeted. For example, we hadn't seen any of Mad Men til last summer, so we bought all seasons on iTunes and watched them. Much more enjoyable for us than channel surfing.
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Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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2018 430i Gran Coupe
That's good, I'm pretty sure at one point they didn't do that. Your plan certainly isn't a bad idea. I think in the future all we may need is an internet connection to see any programming we want.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
it beats being thought of as "cheap."
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
Name dropper.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
You sure this wasn’t the Land Rover guy (british rover) that used to hang out here? His name was Brandon and he was young and knowledgeable. I’m sure the regulars remember him. IIRC he moved on from selling Rovers to Saabs or was it Volvos. Either way that poor guy just couldn’t get a break.
All and all the car was nice but not $50k nice.
My nephew went to the Pittsburgh Auto Show yesterday and sent Son #1 a text while he was standing in front of a tricked out Kia Optima that cost a couple hundred more than the entry level MB. He was kinda aghast with that but that’s the car biz today.
Be sure to get that gift card or it was all for not.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Understand, we're at a low in demand that hasn't been seen in over 10 years.
Turning back the clock (quote via) Reuters about 10 years ago)...
"OPEC's secretary general, Ali Rodríguez Araque, said in Malaysia that OPEC is happy at the $24-$28 per barrel range as that allows them room to add to production if needed"
Well, that prodution was not needed, yet supply is expected to rise 13% this year alone.
So, where is the $100/bbl prices we see now (and the $150/bbl price point 5 years ago) coming from? We're at 5X the price that OPEC set.
It's not just this administration, it's PAC money being thrown around in addition to Wall Street price fixing.
Yep! Here's some more:
Tom, Dick, Harry, Susan, Adele, Harriet, Mark, John, Luke, Matthew, Peter, Mary, Paul, Caesar Augustus, Jean Claude, Winston....
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Although politics, and to a lesser extent the futures market, play a role the major determinant of oil prices is simply supply and demand. Take a look at the number of vehicles world-wide that were on the road five years ago compared to today. The U.S's share is about 250 million units.
Historical trend of worldwide vehicle registrations 1960 -2010
1960-- 127 million
1970-- 246 million
1980-- 411 million
1990-- 583 million
2000-- 752 million
2005-- 864 million
2009-- 980 million
2010-- 1.02 billion
---------
Source: U.S. Dept of Energy
At that pace we should reach about 2 billion vehicles on the road by 2020. Then what?
Darn right he did. Mama farmer didn't raise no fools!
Actually he gave me a code number that I had to plug in on a Lexus web site. I'll know in 4-6 weeks if he was shining me on.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I remember British rover and unless he was 6 when he was posting here it's not the same Brandon. My guy looked to be in his early 20s but then again anyone under 40 looks like a teenager to me these days.
The prices on cars is absolutely looney these days. When you are use to lusting after sub $5k cars like I am to see the MSRP on a new luxury car is quite a shock.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
China today is to me like US in 1910-1920 (with all proportions), or perhaps a bit later. There will be setbacks and slowdowns (like Great Depression was for the US), but they are clearly aspiring to reach comparable level of development. Won't happen overnight, but I see no reason why they couldn't.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
My solution is to take 1 billion dollars of taxpayers' money, build a US Government Refinery on the West Coast, then the East Coast when profits allow, and finally in the Gulf Coast, as profits allow. Buy the crude from Canada and Mexico and the Montana/Dakota oil shale rich areas and compete with the large oil companies. I'll bet you gas prices drop 20% just by the mention of the public refineries.
That would be ROYAL, wouldn't it?
But the shutdowns are caused by the oil refiners - and who are they? BIG OIL COMPANIES!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
From what I've read that could never happen because of....wait for it....government regulations. The figure I've heard is that a new refinery hasn't been built in the US since 1979. That results in the situation you see occurring now when existing refineries have to shut down for periodic maintenance.
If that's even partially true it's criminal.
Oh, and the pipelines? I understand there's a guy who lives in DC who likes to block those. So how would you get the oil to the refinery?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Details, details, details - Bah Humbug!
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive