This is going to be about, ho hum again, gasoline prices. I don't know what the deal is with people when they complain about gas prices. People won't unite on the subject no matter what.

The fact of the matter is, whether we like it or not, and you can throw it all around in any direction you want, it is the people's fault for the situation we are in. I have curtailed my driving to pretty much back and forth to work. But do I see a let up when I am on the 101 or 202? NOT! It is a mystery how this works with people. The Middle East has the oil, the investors can manipluate it all they want for prices, supply is tight(depends on your definition of tight and when), and here we have these people that still insist on driving the hummers and the 9 foot tall trucks  and still do 75 and 80 on the freeways(which consumes lots more energy).

 Both my vehicles I have went to higher mileage cars and I would love to trade mine in and go even further if I could afford. I am trying to work out something.  In 1973, doesn't matter how you feel about that scenario, the fact of the matter is the people turned in their Cadillacs, didn't buy them, but when the 55 MPH highway speed limit was over and the gas situation mellowed out, the people went right back to buying the gas guzzlers. Just like in 1986 also. When does the security and well being of our Country take a front seat to people's using gas guzzlers? People are fickle. No one can predict what they will do.

 Again, the Middle East has the oil, and instead of saying "It will all work out", why don't people drive less, why don't people curtail their expensive vacations, why don't people voluntarily do things that will help with this? The "only" thing that will ever get us out of the "Arabs having us over a barrel" is a new renewable source of energy. I have heard people say "well there is enough oil for 150 years". At what price will it be as time goes by? China and India want more and more and more. New technology may be on the horizon but you have to have people partake of it. You have to have people truly want to get over this energy crisis and us become energy efficient on our own.

 Just like Brazil did in a relatively short period of time. I think, not to be an alarmist, but we are running out of time and I don't think people realize it.  Some people are talking about the gazillion layers and layers of shale we have to extract oil from. I wouldn't count on it. The technology sucks and is costly to derive oil from it. The only thing I want to count on is people coming together and, instead of lambasting the whole situation, curtail their driving, trade in their gas guzzlers, respond to energy saving measures.

 Not act like evrything is a conspiracy. As I said about the oil companies, oil prices are set by big investors in these bidding schemes to keep the prices high. Throw in the Middle East, Iran's President, Hugo Chavez(of which care nothing about the US) and things are not in our favor. This is not 1967 where the Beatles appeared for the first time on Ed Sullivan, a new GTO was 3750 dollars, and gas was 33 cents a gallon.

Everything has changed and it is not in our favor. There could be a abrupt cessation in oil supplies in the right circumstance. I don't take anything for granted. If I could I would buy a hybrid cause it is going that way anyway. By the time people decide we all really need to do something it may be too late.

I've heard all this about the refineries, lack of capacity, blah, blah, blah. If you owned an oil company would you increase your refining capacity in a market that you knew over time would be dwindling and you can get the high prices without that? I think not. Business is business. The oil companies could care less about renewable sources of energy taking their market away unless there is a guarantee and big incentives they will have a stake in it. Get the picture? That's any attitude in business anywhere about anything.

So to those driving their hummers I ask in this day and age, why do you even drive one? Why do lots of people feel they have to have 9 foot tall trucks which get so little mileage? Part of this stuff is the macho, ego, look at what I got nonsense. Needs to stop. What part of efficiency and helping the cause do so many people not understand? Ho hum! The unlimited rights thing about they can deplete the oil resources even though it is against the best judgments America should have. Ok. United in America? On what? When? Certainly not the gas and energy problem.