Mobil/Exxon post record profit

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by spence

I just read an article in Scientific American which says all North American cars could be simply powered off Eben's hot air

-spence

some call it hot air, but I call it superior intellect. I can help you achieve a higher state of allertness if you desire. All you have to do is pull my finger and inhale

[MAC]

I don't like the gas prices either but......Do you really believe that it is only the republicans who own vast amounts of oil stock? I would bet that if you researched it a little you would find that a majority of the politicians ( both parties included) who have money behind them made a lot of it through oil.

The oil people are like the zoo keepers and we are the caged animals. I mean ya have to eat right? And if only given a certain amount of food you learn to accept and adjust to it. There isn't anything the common man can do about it as we don't have the means to fight it. ( oh and yes I vote) I doubt we will ever see gas prices go below 2 bux again. Why would the gas companies build more refineries to sell gas at a cheaper price? Why would they want to refine a larger quantity than current production and make less profit per unit of measure? Sounds like economics 101 to me and guess what....we are on the losing end of the stick. I really don't believe things would be any different if there were a democrat in the white house now either. We are on the road to being just like 15th or 16th century England. The HAVES and the HAVE NOTS. Middle class Americans which built this country into what it is will no longer exist. Them (HAVES): " you can't do this" "you can't do that"
Us (HAVE NOTS) " Why? We have always done it like that" . Them " Not any more" I know this may seem reduntant but you mark my words this is where we are heading.

Ok, enough ranting. I have to go to work. LOL

[Swimmer]

You guys did not mention GULF gas thats sold at all the Cumbies in New England. Two brothers control the Gulf gas name in 2600 of these stations. Thier in thier late thirties. One of the brothers has his house on the water at Manchester By The Sea and it is gorgeous. Can you imagine two people controling the total profit and loss for 2600 gas stations along the eastern seaboard. At least Mobil/Exxon are publically held corporations that the government has certain control over.

[Swimmer]

One thing that has changed dramatically is the standards used by the companies on which they use to set the price at the pumps. Before two to three years ago it was how much supply on hand dictated what was charged to us at the pump. Now it seems the price is based on unpredictable market values of oil supplies that have yet to be ordered. A whole new era of market economy has been born that no set rules have been established for. Guidleines cannot be made when the basis of pricing is unprecdictability. Unpredictibilty also covers up many gouging practices that obviously have occurred. Unpredictibilty is such an ambiguous and outrageous pricing technique it reeks of corrupt billing practices that no one could uncover a legitimate crime. It is one thing to think a crime has been committed in your heart, but your brain has to prove a crime actually happened. Only on Wall Street could a pipeline leak in Mexico, an Al Quaida operative bombing a pipeline in Iraq, or 50,000 new cars on the road in China drawing down the worlds oil supply, appear to us in the pricegouging of gas at the pumps that resembles an ajustable rate mortgage. One nevers knows if the mortgage rate is going to be the same one year to the next. Just my two cents.

[Raven]

he's lovin it.....

[Swimmer]

You have a way with words.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

One thing that has changed dramatically is the standards used by the companies on which they use to set the price at the pumps. Before two to three years ago it was how much supply on hand dictated what was charged to us at the pump. Now it seems the price is based on unpredictable market values of oil supplies that have yet to be ordered. A whole new era of market economy has been born that no set rules have been established for. Guidleines cannot be made when the basis of pricing is unprecdictability. Unpredictibilty also covers up many gouging practices that obviously have occurred. Unpredictibilty is such an ambiguous and outrageous pricing technique it reeks of corrupt billing practices that no one could uncover a legitimate crime. It is one thing to think a crime has been committed in your heart, but your brain has to prove a crime actually happened. Only on Wall Street could a pipeline leak in Mexico, an Al Quaida operative bombing a pipeline in Iraq, or 50,000 new cars on the road in China drawing down the worlds oil supply, appear to us in the pricegouging of gas at the pumps that resembles an ajustable rate mortgage. One nevers knows if the mortgage rate is going to be the same one year to the next. Just my two cents.

Exactly. Right now is when we should be experiencing any supply crunch from Katrina---not a day after the storm. Yet, the prices here have dropped by about 70 cents a gallon.

Do you think it was any accident that the prices spiked in the 4-5 days before Labor Day weekend, just before the end of the busiest driving season of the year? And have steadily dropped since?

[MAC]

I wouldn't be surprised to see it "get" down to $2.50. Then the oil companies will feel they did right by us. $1.79 a year ago..... This whole thing is a crock of chit. Now who knows where Rita will lead prices. I think I'll go oil my bicycle chain.

[NaCl H2O]

Originally Posted by MAC

I Now who knows where Rita will lead prices. I think I'll go oil my bicycle chain.

Make sure you use synthetic oil while you're at it

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by MAC

I wouldn't be surprised to see it "get" down to $2.50. Then the oil companies will feel they did right by us.

And all the dumbchits will think they're getting a deal.

There's a Gulf station in the town my ex lives in that's selling regular for $2.75 a gallon. Within a mile radius, there's 5 other stations selling for $2.89. I drove by last night on my way to pick up the kids. The Gulf station had lines at least 20 cars long, waiting to save a whopping $2.80 on a 20 gallon fillup (and most aren't filling up from empty). Figure a good 40 minutes to an hour waiting to save a lousy 14 cents a gallon, and most cars will probably burn at least a gallon idling for that time and wind up at best, breaking even on the fill-up----some might even wind up with a net loss

As long as such stupidity abounds, can you blame the oil companies for taking advantage of it