Gas prices.

The general tenor of this thread is amazing. You're miserable when oil prices go up and miserable when they go down. I think you just enjoy finding misery in all things.

[Otterhound]

Misery is not something that I am finding in lower gas prices .
It is exactly the opposite for me .

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by StivMacRae

The general tenor of this thread is amazing. You're miserable when oil prices go up and miserable when they go down. I think you just enjoy finding misery in all things.

Got a better plan, have you?

[seannx]

I'm really enjoying filling up my Sienna van for under $50 instead of over $70.

Along with being a classic example of how supply and demand work in the market, I think a big factor this time is the number of oil producing companies that need to sell oil for the success of their economies.

In the past, the OPEC nations could reduce production to keep prices higher. Now there are too many players in the game that need the revenue. And lower prices help the Saudis drive away competition from additional oil on the market from more expensive production methods.

Personally, I don't have much confidence or belief in the safety of fracking, and am concerned about short and long term environmental damage. So if lower prices make that process too expensive, it's fine with me.

Alternatively, if the prorated cost in $$, lives, and military action was added as a surcharge, for example to oil produced by US based companies in Iraq (or other countries in the region that depend on the US for protection), that could level the playing field. Sure, the Saudis can pump oil cheaply now, but what if they had to take full responsibility for defending their country, and maintaining stability? Or had to pay for paramilitary forces to do the job?

Politics aside, companies operating in the US face environmental costs and technological challenges, but there are no armed insurgents or civil conflicts that require military intervention.

IMO, a much better use of tax dollars - and this is from an economic rather than a political perspective - would be to put them to use at home by investing in the safest and cleanest technology, as well as developing sustainable, alternative energy sources.

I'm not a fan of conspiracy thinking, not that I don't think that they exist. But I don't see much evidence for anything more than simple, human greed for money, regardless of the true cost, being exercised by powerful corporations operating in inherently dangerous and unstable countries. That, combined with nations like Russia, that need higher oil prices to sustain their economies, takes a lot of mystery away from low gas prices at the pump.

[amyFB]

$2.97/gal for 93 octane today - wow. thought I had time-warped to the past!

[Teleman52]

Originally Posted by amyFB

$2.97/gal for 93 octane today - wow. thought I had time-warped to the past!

geez 2.97. I just paid 2.07 to fill up my truck in San Antonio

I have mixed feelings about low gas prices though. Good for me personally but not good for my business

[Tahitijack]

Newport Beach, CA $2.99

Driving past a major brand station in Newport Beach last night and noticed regular was at $2.99.

But we all know this will be short lived as the California cap and trade tax will hit the pumps January 1st with hefty increases ahead. I'll enjoy this for now.

[Dirk Hofman]

$2.85 for regular here. I remember starting my new job in April 2011 and it was $4.19 at the discount gas stations on my new route. Those stations are at $2.65 here now. That's a nice difference. I guess all the election year paranoia about it going up to $5 never quite panned out.

For my part I'm glad to have cheaper gas.

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by harmonics101

Gas prices - the stock market - there's only one other thing that is as irrational and unpredictable ,

H

Women?

Originally Posted by StivMacRae

The general tenor of this thread is amazing. You're miserable when oil prices go up and miserable when they go down. I think you just enjoy finding misery in all things.

A letter responder in the Boston Globe to an article that talked about the lowering gas prices said 'it doesn't make any real difference', then goes on to explain she drives a Toyota with an 11 gallon fuel tank that she fills twice a month. So the extra $20 in her pocket doesn't matter to her. On the other hand there are many families living paycheck to paycheck for who a $20 savings in a fuel fillup IS a big deal. I'm happy to be paying $40 instead of $60 to fill up my truck's tank - that savings a month is about equal to the meager % raise my company grudgingly passes out each year.
And if natural gas prices are cheaper, too, I won't complain because my house uses it for heat and hot water.
Now explain why the electric company is allowed (state legislature authorized) to raise their 'base rate' (not kWH) by 75%.

[Psalad]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

I'm always confused on threads like this. I was never told anything, didn't realize I "instinctively knew" anything, wasn't lied to, etc. Why does the ubiquitous "they" that are clearly part of some massive conspiracy always choose to leave me out? Why does the "we" and "us" leave me out, too? How do I know if I belong to the "they" or the "we"? Are there secret meetings and updates that I'm not getting? Did I not fill out my change of address card correctly?

Pure confirmation bias. When those things we think are "obvious" come true, we say "see? Told ya so." But then when those things don't happen, we shrug it off.

Humans are hilarious! We are just incredibly silly... all of us.

The conspiracy stuff is exactly like that too. I used to listen to this conspiracy guy on the radio on some small public radio station and he had all these really out there ideas. All it took was for ONE of them to come true and he was a genius... never mind the dozens and dozens that didn't pan out.

[flaggerphil]

I, for one, am not going to complain about gas prices coming down. If Cheney didn't want to take a winter vacation this year that's fine with me.