I have two strong concerns:
1. There are NO refineries being built or
coming on line. Refer to Bloomberg.com
and the Washington Post. That's like
having a very popular car model and not
building any more Assembly Plants to meet
the demand.
2. The automakers are not planning or
building any "plug-in hybrid cars'.
By "plug-in", I mean having an extra
bank of batteries in your hybrid car
that you can plug-in your garage at
night to recharge them. This design
allows you to run half your commute on
electric, and use the hybrid engine for
the remaining portion of your commute.
This type of design will DOUBLE the
mileage of your hybrid car. One EE
added 18 electric bicycle batteries to
his Toyota Prius and doubled his mileage.
See the Environmental News Network for
the article about Ron Gremban.

As for doing something about these concerns,
write or email your Congressman or lady about
the refineries, and write Toyota, Honda,GMC,
Ford or DC about the "plug-in hybrids"

Yours for shaking up the Establishment,
Jake Jacobson

Tim I think the government has little effect on oil prices by their own choice.

It has been proven many, many times in the past that the free market is the only way to go over the long term. When we went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq we not only freed 50,000,000 men, women and children from tyranny but we also provided 50,000,000 people who want TVs, cell phones, xbox's, and every other conceivable product worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Even with the horrific damage caused by a few foreign insurgents and suicide bombers, one would have to dig deep to find any one who wishes things were the way they were.

Why does America do this? Because most understand that the reason America is the oldest most successful culture in the world is because of the blessing derived from our benevolence.

Not only will you find graves on every continent as proof of America's sacrifice for others but you will find that virtually every major hospital, university, water treatment facility, food program, Aids program, has the finger prints of America on it. I strongly feel that when we quit this direction we give up the right to be the greatest nation on earth.

It gets my goat when people point out that America is in such a terrible situation with gas prices rising, housing going through the roof. That fact is that more people own homes now than anytime in the America's history and even here in upscale Eden Prairie, MN apartment rental rates are being reduced because the renters are buying houses with low interest rate.

Unemployment is 5% in the US and 4% here with pages full of ads for jobs.

GDP is up 3.4% second quarter 05 and will exceed 50 trillion dollars this year.

National debt is only 16% of GDP. so that would be like you making $100K per year and your total debt is $16K... THIS IS WHY THE NATIONAL DEFICIT IS A NUMBER BROUGHT UP FOR POLITICAL REASONS ONLY....IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER A WHIT UNLESS YOU ARE LIKE BRAZIL WHERE YOUR GDP IS 50% OF YOUR DEBT AND your BANKRUPT, WE HAVE NEVER BEEN CLOSE TO THAT AND COULDN'T

No more killing fields in Iraq.

No more women beaten in Afghanistan and they are going to school.

Gaddafi's an ally.

Pakistan's an ally

More chance for peace in the middle east than in the last 50years.

IRA puts down violence in Ireland.

I have been pretty much unemployed for three years because my industry has moved to China. Not to many people want to give a high paying sales job to a 58 year old guy who had been self employed for 25+ years. So I have a lot of reason to feel screwed and bitter, and I did for awhile, but you know what? If IBM can get a 12 layer multilayer circuit board from China for $28 and it would cost $72 here they would be dumb to not do it and I can watch my IBM stock rise.

When the US promotes freedom we are talking real freedom. Freedom of speech, movement, make it rich, go broke, freedome of markets, opportunities etc.

There will always be the naysayers out there, but these are the good times folks. And, I know that when Reagan was pres he was the brunt of some very cruel jokes but as time has passed it has become clear that he was not only perhaps one of the top three greatest presidents but as a model will prove to put George W. Bush into history as not only one of the greatest presidents but one of the worlds great men.



------------------

You couldn't have said it better, Dave!

But Dave, I’m stuck in Bangor Maine, standing on the side of the highway with an empty 5 gallon gas container, and a sign around my neck saying “ I’ll leave for gas’

Just kidding of course, but this summer I’ve been doing the Bluegrass Festival circuit, and with the price of gas for me at $.50 per mile, these are a bargain, reduced price camping, lots of great music, and many people to tell me how much they like my Barth. Even better, I can sit still for a full week at a time, and so far have only put in about $500.00 in gas this year. Last year I did about $4000.00 in gas in my travels to the west and back. (Canada gas price is almost a dollar per gallon more than here in the USA). “Enjoy Live, this is not a dress rehearsal”



------------------
89 Barth Regal 32
Runs like a Deere
New Hampshire

While I disagree with much of what Dave stated, I'll limit my reply to one line.
Pakistan is an ally.
Every single school ager in Pakistan is tought from a state sponsored textbook that promotes and instills Jihad [Holy War] to the students, while also teaching them that dying in the name of Islam while killing the infidels is a glorious and much desired end.
Did I just make this up or read it off some left wing website? NO!! I got it from todays broadcast of PAUL HARVEY NEWS. When it comes to Pakistan, "with friends like these..."

Dave is a salesman, I'm an accountant,.

For an accountant, history demonstrates that, if your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.

The difference between "debt" and "deficit" is this: The deficit is the amount by which our outgo exceeds our income. The official deficit for 2004 was $413 billion. That's how much the government had to borrow to pay last year's bills.

The debt is the accumulated total of all past deficits, now about $7.9 trillion. That's how much our government now owes.

Gross Domestic Product in 2004, according to at least 2 websites was around $11.7 trillion. On that basis, our national debt is about 67% of our GDP, not 16%.

In 1969, the last year before the train started to leave the tracks, GDP was $989,6 billion, debt - $368.2 billion, about 37% . When you increase your debt from 37% of your income, to 67%, it is not a favorable trend

Dave, can you tell us where you got the 16%, & the $50 trillion GDP figure? I'd like to be able to check my facts against yours.

I'm fat today, as are most of us on this website, but I have 9 grandchildren (a tenth was killed last June) and 7 greats. I worry about their future, and how they'll repay the debt we are leaving them.

There are indeed some apparent positives in what we have done in the middle east. Time will tell if they are permanent or transitory.

But 1800 Americans, and uncounted innocent Iraquis have died for them. I'm retired military, so those dead Americans are my spiritual brothers, sons & daughters, and grandchildren. I question how much value is being received for their sacrifice.

GDP for Q1 2005 was 12 trillion 198 billion for Q2 12 trillion 376 billion. I just assumed Q3-4 will be better so we should beat 50 trillion. The last time the GDP was 11.7 trillion it was for the 2nd "quarter" of 2004 . Big country Olroy as you know. Walmart sells a billion a day.

http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/dn/gdplev.xls

Don't worry about your grand kids Olroy. They live in the greatest country in the world. Someone before during or after their working life will bring about a revolutionary idea like the internet and our free market economy with jump on it and they deficit will be washed away in no time. That's what happened during the time that Clinton was having elicit affairs with women (barely out of their teens) in the Oval Office. He gets no credit and if he were anywhere else he would be in prison and should be, what a total slimeball..

I am a vet, my dad was a Marine in WWII. The sad but true fact is that there has never been a positive world development which was accomplished with out war. I know some of you will say, "you are crazy"... That's fine but think about it first before you write it. All freedom from tyranny was realized because of war. Never was there a time when a benevolent dictator just one day decided to free his people...never..

Everything that Americans have benefited from has come about because of someones great sacrifice. Either years of hard work, giving up of position in life or even giving ones life. My dad, my mom, and his brother Ted worked on the Imperial Dam and canals in Yuma, AZ for 4 years in the mid 1930s so that our nation could have fresh produce year around. That's 4 years in a canvas hootch with no AC working 6, 10's in 120 degrees. And, then when they finished that they went overseas and saved the world. My 13 months in a quonset hut on the DMZ in Korea doesn't even count when compared.

Sure gas prices suck, but the last thing we want is for some screwball like Carter to put a big tax on someone buying a yacht or an SUV. What about the poor guy who makes his living building yachts. No not the zillionaire who owns the company, but the guy who works his butt off spreading epoxy on fiberglass or the upholsterer. Free market, free countries, free people, that's what it's all about...

quote:

Originally posted by davebowers:
The sad but true fact is that there has never been a positive world development which was accomplished with out war. I know some of you will say, "you are crazy"... That's fine but think about it first before you write it. All freedom from tyranny was realized because of war.

Au Contraire.....

History has several examples of positive developments without war. The acceptance of the Magna Charta by King John, the Bloodless Revolution of 1688, the Reformation, and so forth. I should mention that the Bloodless revolution and the writings of John Locke were an absolutely tremendous influence on our Founding Fathers. Universal enfranchisement (whereby Joe Blow could vote instead of just Lord Joseph) And in this country, the vote being given to all, rather that just members of a particular church, Women's voting, the abolition of slavery in most countries, The abolition of importing slaves into the US, and on and on.

Mix me a drink and I will think of more.

Anyway, all of the above were positive developments without war.

I'm a vet, and my son is a Seal officer, and part of me loves the military, but I look on war as an admission of failure, a last resort, and as much bad comes out of it as good....maybe more. War for us is negative in its conception as well as its execution. It is negative in its conception in that it occurs to stop what we consider a greater evil. Heck we were misled on this last Iraq war. The greater evil turned out to be a chimera. It is negative in its execution in that it consists of killing people and breaking things.

[This message has been edited by bill h (edited August 20, 2005).]

politics and religion ....shouldnt be discussed on barthmobile.com...why? cause i love you all as a barth brother/sister....and if this continues someones feelings will be hurt..my mother always said "the more you stir shi_ ..the more it stinks"!

Dave - re: the numbers. If you'll scroll up to the top of the table you referred to, you will find annual GDP figures for years 1929, through 2004. The figure for 2004, is $11.734 trillion. This is the whole year, not just 1 quarter.

The figures you multiplied by 4 & added a fudge factor for anticipated growth, are quarterly projections of the annual rate so, as of the end of Q2, the staristical domes were projecting a GDP of $12.376 trillion for the year.

If that projection holds, and the debt continues to grow at today's rate, we're still looking at a debt to GDP ratio of about 2/3, compared to less than 2/5 35 years ago.

If we were investing in highways and airports and parks, and bridges with this debt, it would be one thing, but we're buyiing expendables. It's like using a bank loan to buy gas & groceries, and hoping you'll get a promotion tomorrow to pay for it.

It's fine to have faith in the future, but still, when your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall. Applies to individuals, to business, & to nations. Remember Dave's example of Brazil.

Walter...I love you all too. Just think there are some places that we could have our heads chopped off for this.

But hey, my water heater in the Barth isn't working for some reason. Probably the spider web thing.

Olroy you're my hero for sure.

Fini

Yeah, I went through the water heater thing just this afternoon. Crud in the burner tube. Spider web? Didn't look like it, but I whisked it out with a little brush, & when I pushed the button it fired right up.

Watered up, & checked all systems today. I've got a full tank of gas I bought last June that has to last all summer. Plan to burn abour half of it next week.

[This message has been edited by olroy (edited August 19, 2005).]

Just saw on the news tonite where they were comparing gas prices in different parts of the world. In Caracas Venezuela, (SP?) it is going for 12 cents a gallon. Anybody got a good road map of central and south america? maybe a guide book? oh wait....i can't afford the fuel to get me there!

Well, we're off for five weeks in England in a few days, Irene is a Brit, I'll let you know the petrol situation across the pond when we get back. We may do some side trips to France, Spain, Germany, Holland and/or Norway. Whatever we do, I'll at least get a good grasp on what the rest of the World thinks of the direction our country is taking. It seems people will define the Dubya/War/Gas situation according to their own beliefs, because semantics create preception, and preception is reality.. Cheers, John

[This message has been edited by John & Irene (edited August 20, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by John & Irene (edited August 20, 2005).]

quote:

Originally posted by davebowers:

There will always be the naysayers out there, but these are the good times folks. And, I know that when Reagan was pres he was the brunt of some very cruel jokes but as time has passed it has become clear that he was not only perhaps one of the top three greatest presidents but as a model will prove to put George W. Bush into history as not only one of the greatest presidents but one of the worlds great men.

Dave: I hope you are "RIGHT" on this,& I'm wrong time will tell.I think you are "DEAD wrong".

------------------
Jay&Shelby 95 Barth Regency 34ft. 8.3 Cummins 300 hp.
Spartan K2 MM.