What can tow a 4500 lb boat and get better than 18 mpg not towing

I believe that market speculation is 66% of the run up. Even the Saudis have said 40% is speculation. All the capital markets are in decline the only place to make money is in commodities. Remember the sugar run-up? the siliver run-up? Oil is no different other than we all use it.

Speculation,obviously is a huge part of it,but why?What do they know,that we don't?I saw a documentary on the Sundance channel,While I don't normally buy into everything I see on tv,this was a pretty convincing show(I believe it's called Crude Awakening)Anyway,according to them,we (as a planet)have "peaked",meaning we will pump less oil tomorrow,than we did today,forever.I don't claim to be an expert,or that this is fact,just what I saw.The show went on to explain how it takes 60 bbls of oil,to produce 20 bbls of Ethanol.Not exact numbers,but you get my meaning.Same thing with Bio-diesel,solar,and most of the "alternatives".The fact is,we ARE screwed.All of us.
They're telling us we have 75 years,maybe it's only ten.As the most powerful country in the world,we'll have to decide whether or not we want to invade countries to take their oil.I mean really to take it.Not like this Iraq thing.If that really were our goal,I personally think we'd OWN it now.However,in the next few years,We'll have to decide it.
As far as libs vs cons,I don't think it's an issue.How many refineries did Clinton build?The smart money out there right now,is in oil.I would bet big $,that both Obama and McCain have money in it,as well as Bush,the Clintons,Kerry,Gore,Et,al....
In my own opinion,this has the potential to topple our economy,and if we fall,who stands?
Once you can't afford to go to work,what then?
Sorry for the rant,but,I seriously think we are in for hard times.You can invest in whatever you'd like,but me,I'm buying bullets.

Oh,yeah,China!
 

China has upped it's oil demand by 20% percent in 4 yrs.You and I have caused this.Why?We shop at Walmart,and the dollar stores.There are almost NO,US built products there.You save 60 cents on a toothbrush,built by a 6 yr old chinese kid,and the oil co's send more oil there,to those factories.We aren't even trying to help ourselves.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edBoa6IYFEs

Frig the tools....I'll just get me a big bag of drugs and hit some street corner....the sign will read" drugs are cheaper then gas" why ride when you can fly to your next job site.Then I'll get hauled in for not having a permit to sell.:cool:

Got me a box in the mail.....HOT DAM.... :thanks::bgi:

[QUOTE]
Yeah, I tend to agree but consider this.... I have a Chevy 1500 pickup that is 9 years old. It's paid for. It has just over 100K on it. Everything in that truck is either broken, or on it's way out, A/C is dead, dash lights are half gone, the rear view mirrors have stopped working, etc, etc, IMHO, it's a POS....[QUOTE]

Hey, Hooper - I hear ya. I've got a Jeep that's 14 years old with over 100K and that's my only vehicle. And it needs a bunch of repairs too - I'll keep my fingers crossed and do 'em when I can, that's all you can do.

A friend recently got a lightly used 2007 Toyota Matrix and the nut on a car like that is probably $275 a month or so. It gets 33 MPG. I'll probably look for something like that for the Mrs.when the time comes, she'd love it. I'll keep the Jeep as my fish wagon but it takes me literally about 5 minutes from my front door to having my feet on the rocks so the 20 MPG won't kill me.

As in all things, YMMV - this is what works for me in my situation, everyone needs to find their own solution bit by bit and it's not easy for anyone unless you're a trust fund kid..

It all depends on how much you drive your vehicle each year and how much fiscal pain you can afford. Everyone has a different threshold I guess... I paid 4.85 to fill up an 02 Yukon XL the other day (that has 50K on it, runs perfect, everything works and cost me nothing other than gas and insurance). It was over a $100 to fill it up. But I drive less than 6500 miles per year .Which is about 2K in annual fuel costs, now this vehicle can hold 9 people and take them all over sand to a nice day on a remote beach, can tow a boat up to 10000#, run in deep snow on a mid winter skis trip and provide me and my family more safety than ANY car on the road no question and gets 20 mpg on the highway and 15 local. A econ-o-box only gets 30 mpg and does NONE of the above and is a death trap if you get in an accident. So I am going to risk my life and change my lifestyle for 10 mpg? yeah right.
Now the boat....is another story. I could spend 2K/month in fuel very easily. I went to the gas dock yesterday (4.79...it is cheaper at the dock here!)and stopped at $500 and it still wasn't full. I hope to get two weeks on that if I stretch it and do go anyplace too far. I am cutting back on boat travel this year.

:crying:

Takes a lot of the fun out of it doesn't it?!

I haven't even taken the shrink wrap off my boat this year. Anyone interested in a 2150 Hydrasports?

IMHO oil has gone up because of 1) increase in world demand and 2) decrease in the dollar. Speculation has had little affect.

This country has been living the good life for too long and on credit no less. Things are on track to change. Big bank failures are next on the horizon with John Q Taxpayer footing the bill. The government needs to let the investors take the fall there (Fannie and Freddie in particular). That includes individual home owners (investors?) that bought homes they coulnd't afford and didn't read the fine print on the rediculous mortgage contracts they were signing.

Make sure your savings is safe. I just got a call that one of my CD's was going to be paid by the FDIC with the Indymac failure. That is just the beginning.

Good luck to us all.

Remember the S and L bailout? Didn't like 1000+ banks go under in the 1980's?

Granted the banks are bigger this time, but we've been through this before.

-spence

Nisaan Pathfinder 18-22 highway
tows 6000lb max

CNN.COM

Crude falls $6.45 a barrel - 2nd largest price drop in dollar terms - as Fed chief indicates inflation and high fuel prices will cut into U.S. demand for oil.

This is an interesting read. I almost planted a garden this year. In spite of my travel schedule I think I'll give it a try next year.

It's not just cars that are eating up our oil....

Talk about fat, dumb and happy....we ship alaskan salmon to China to be filleted and shipped back to the US. We can't even cut our own fish and fertilize US soil with the remains....

http://www.alternet.org/story/90785/

I all saw T Bones Pickens plan it is a step in the right direction can wind power help it sure can last time I looked some of those windmill are capable of gen 5 mega watts of power so ten and a half windmills would replace the Coal fired plant just across the river from where I live which is on of the dirty dozen that you read about in mass. ON the Nat gas part I know in my neck of the woods the gas line is tapped out untill they either add another line or build another compresser station. Wind, solar, nukes, conservation, coal and here in New England wood fired plants all will help cut are depence on oil.
ONe good thing about T plan is we can put up the wind mills pretty quickly and start our depence right now. THomT