Well with the price of fuel these days and what I remember being told that Ben was charging. He would probably be going in the hole now when you figure expenses such as food, motels and upkeep on truck and trailer.
Good thing we could afford to fuel our ships,planes and tanks in 1944! Ben, enjoy the time at home with the family.
Its not that the cost of oil is going up its our Dollar is not worth as much vs Euro and Yen on the open market so it takes more dollars to buy the same amount. I believe our dollar has dropped 20% in the last 6 months so the oil at $100 a barrel is now $120, our dollar is now worth less than a canadian dollar. that hasn't happened in 50 years
Looks to me like we should ramp up the HAMB relay communications network for parts. Hope BenD finds a way to see thru this !!!!
what i don't get is, where is all the oil we pump up everyday here? are we selling it for more money to other countries or what? why do we depend on foreign oil?
maybe gas prices will be helped (at least for a bit) once the folks that are manipulating supply of oil, by limiting flow from Iraq so that oil companies can make more money than ever, get the out? not a slam on the troops, just the gold chainers that give the generals their orders... yeah yeah-- i know... no politics. sorry, my bad-- i couldnt help it. -scott noteboom
Except that the US dollar is weak as shit, and some stores in Hollywood, accept Euros now, someone at the top is fucking up, and we all know who that is.
Wow guys lighten up on our European friends, why is this board getting so aggro lately?????? All the Best to you Ben.
Take it easy and have some fun Ben, you deserve it... Blah blah blah... STFU already... But not like it is associated to the dollar... . Most of the problem seems to be related to oil trading in the dollar and the exchange rate. That's why you see so many countries switching from the dollar for trade, and that isn't helping us either...
I'm not trying to justify the gas prices, just add a little perspective. My father used to get upset when gas was 75 cents a gallon. "It was 10 cents when I was a kid," he'd say. That was the 1920's. But, an average days pay was $1.00. Usually a 10 hour day. That means you could put 10 gallons in your model T for a days pay. How many people today would be willing to put a days pay into 10 gallons of gas? I know that doesn't help, but it is something to think about.
I friggen hate it when big, kills small! hang in there BenD..hope you can find a niche where you can survive.
I don't give a crap what it was in the 1920's, or what it costs in Finland (and I'm 1/2 Finlander ) It's only what it costs at the corner that affects me.
There is lot of money to be made in oil trading, but high gas prices have a lot more to do with other aspects of the commodity than the lower dollar. Keep in mind that there are plenty of people (yes, here in the U.S, and no, I'm not talking about the turds in Washington) who are making quite a lot of money because of these high gas prices. Yes trading in dollars as well. Also keep in mind that most of the oil consumed by the U.S is via Canada, not the Middle East. So it isn't quite so surprising their currency is worth more now. All this aside, it's sad that a lot of folks don't realize how deeply this affects people who depend on this stuff. The general attitude towards gas is, "I don't give a crap what it was in the 1920's, or what it costs in Finland (and I'm 1/2 Finlander ) It's only what it costs at the corner that affects me." as the poster before me mentioned. When quite frankly we should all care. Oil is in just about everything. Plastics, fuel, lubricants, paints, etc etc etc. If you leave this entirely to the brain trust in D.C we're pretty much fucked. Starts with people like BenD who have to drastically alter they way they make a living because the talking heads are too busy arguing with each other to come up with solutions. Take this laptop I'm typing in for example and assume it was built in the U.S (funny, I know). Lot of plastic and therefore oil. Oil goes up. Parts to build the thing go up. Shipping to get the parts goes up. Shipping the completed product goes up. Retail prices go up. Some enterprising person has it made in China for virtually the same price EXCEPT, they pay their workers pennies to the dollar and the factory is in a patch of dirt that is comparably worthless as far as rent etc is concerned. Retail price is cheaper. People buy the cheap crap and the U.S company gets a solid ass kicking in the retail market. Stuff only sells if it's sold at cost or lower. Company margins break the threshold where they are no longer profitable or worth staying in business. Pay cuts, reduction in benefits, and all that fun stuff ensue. People quit their jobs or worse, get laid off with little to no severance. Jobless or with big pay cuts, people stay home and don't spend. And when they do they buy the cheapest thing, perpetuating the cycle. So yeah, the dollar's weakness in relation to oil prices is more cut and dry than the proverbial chicken/egg. Again, oil prices are rising in relation to all currencies. We just happen to be getting hit hardest because our oil consumption dwarfs any other country's. We are not "green", our recycling to consumption ratio is laughable at best, our renewable energy generation is close to if not more pathetic in relation to any other country even remotely as big as ours. Recycling education in this country is quite sad too. Recycling paper reduces fuel cost? Yes. Plastics? Yes. Glass? Yes. Now I'm no tree hugger, as a matter of fact I think just about anyone who likes cars is pretty much by definition not . But I do separate my trash and try to buy stuff that is made in the U.S even at a much higher premium (obviously there are exceptions). And I don't bitch and moan (not that anyone here has) my freighters/shippers when they tack on a big fat fuel surcharge. Is there more I can do? Sure, but one thing at a time. Installing solar panels on the roof is next and so on. Have never dealt with BenD but he sounds like a good guy caught in a shitty situation. For what it's worth I'd offer to pay whatever he charges, his fuel surcharge, and however more he see's fit to get back on the positive and make a buck for a job. Sorry for such a long rant coming from a FNG. I deal with oil A LOT in my daily life. It also seems kind of unfair that people who've positioned themselves well are now reaping the profit while other folks are getting reamed.
damn Ben......take a few days off and you've started a geo-political/economic debate..... Thanks for dinner Saturday nite ALWAYS good to have you here, bro Lemme know if you need anything for your projects
Well, at least I got to see you in Detroit. That is the main reason that I am not going to the Roundup. I will be staying close to home this summer.
The Jalopy Journal
