Can someone explain this?

[Harpo]

Fill me in on what P.I.G.S. is. Never heard of it.

 

"Portugal Ireland Greece Spain" are being reported here in the US as being broke, broke & bailed out or getting ready to go broke and bailed out.

 

From what I've read Iceland allowed itself to go broke without a bailout and is now finally recovering. Unlike here in the US where we've had stimulus, Corp Bailouts, Union Bailout QE, QE2 and soon a debt ceiling raising (print mo $) and then QE3 and finally BROKE!

 

That's why I bought my LP standard now instead of waiting until I'm eating dog food and the wifey is getting all pissed off:-)

[Harpo]

For me, the real question is, why are we driving around in vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that were invented over 100 years ago?

 

You should be more patient as the evolution of a product sometimes take way longer than 100 years:-)

 

The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying the essential features of a guitar is a 3,300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard.

[ne14t?]

For me, the real question is, why are we driving around in vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that were invented over 100 years ago? There is no other device invented at that time that has not been completely redesigned, or deemed obsolete by some new invention that can do the same job better, faster, and more economically.

 

Where we get our oil and the price for it is not near as important as why do we need it at all!

 

 

Watch this! This is the way of the future

 

http://s414.photobucket.com/albums/pp229/NAroadster/?action=view&current=WaterPower.mp4

[anrynike]

Oil companies don't set prices. The market does. When milk goes up, do you blame farmers? Is Big Cheese pure evil? Maybe we should we have some government program that limits profits for oil companies. While we're at that, maybe we should apply that same thought to all businesses. Maybe the government should tell Gibson how much they charge for guitars.

 

 

The government doesn't subsidize Gibson the way it does the oil companies.

[DanvillRob]

The government doesn't subsidize Gibson the way it does the oil companies.

 

 

sure it does.... Gibson can write off legitimate business expenses, that's all the oil companies get.

 

Some folks want certain business expenses the oil companies write off to be excluded, such as the cost to exploration.

 

I'm sure Gibson writes off it's R&D costs, therefore, using that premise, the government "subsidizes" Gibson.

 

 

[jaxson50]

For me, the real question is, why are we driving around in vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that were invented over 100 years ago? There is no other device invented at that time that has not been completely redesigned, or deemed obsolete by some new invention that can do the same job better, faster, and more economically.

 

Where we get our oil and the price for it is not near as important as why do we need it at all!

 

The internal combustion motor of today is nothing like the original one. The first were fueled by benzene, were made with very crude carburetors and timing gears, low grade metals terrible seals smoked and backfired consistently and leaked oil like a screen door..

The motors made today are light years ahead of what we used 30 years ago....lightweight alloys computer systems that make the ones used in the Apollo Lunar Program look like a typewriter!

There are several companies that build motors that burn so clean they are exempt from emissions testing....Electric cars will be recharged by coal fired plants that put more crap in our air then 100 gas powered cars....Then there is the problem of recycling batteries....and the elements in those batteries comes from mines in Africa where there is very little care taken in mining, the use of large amounts of mercury is required....

Do you think that is better than drilling for oil?

[jaxson50]

You should be more patient as the evolution of a product sometimes take way longer than 100 years:-)

 

The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying the essential features of a guitar is a 3,300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard.

I wonder if the Hittite bard had a hit?

[daveinspain]

"Portugal Ireland Greece Spain" are being reported here in the US as being broke, broke & bailed out or getting ready to go broke and bailed out.

 

From what I've read Iceland allowed itself to go broke without a bailout and is now finally recovering. Unlike here in the US where we've had stimulus, Corp Bailouts, Union Bailout QE, QE2 and soon a debt ceiling raising (print mo $) and then QE3 and finally BROKE!

 

That's why I bought my LP standard now instead of waiting until I'm eating dog food and the wifey is getting all pissed off:-)

 

 

Spain is not broke, not going broke and doesn't need to be bailed out... Believe what you want, I live in Spain and know what's going on... Spain is one of the countries that bailed out Portugal.

 

I don't know where you got the P.I.G.S. info from but it was deliberate in poor taste to spell it out that way... Next time spell it G.I.P leave Spain out...

[TommyK]

For me, the real question is, why are we driving around in vehicles powered by internal combustion engines that were invented over 100 years ago?

 

 

Because internal combustion is the cheapest, most efficient way to mechanically move from point A. to point B..... even at $5.00/gallon, and then some. Lord knows, I've tried to justify an electric or hybrid car, but it just isn't worth the added expense of initial acquisition and cost to replace batteries at around 7 years.

 

If other forms of motive power were more cost efficient, we would see semi trucks operating on something other than a I/C diesel engines.

 

There is no other device invented at that time that has not been completely redesigned, or deemed obsolete by some new invention that can do the same job better, faster, and more economically.

 

Where we get our oil and the price for it is not near as important as why do we need it at all!

 

I agree that most everything invented at that time has been re-designed. The automobile included. Even though the reciprocating, I/C engine is at the heart of it, everything else has changed. That and the wheels are still round. I doubt a gallon of gasoline, in 1887, would have gotten you as far as it does today.

 

 

CFL light bulbs are the greatest sham of late. "They are the most energy efficient" That statement is mostly true, but cost of operation and the environmental costs are not factored into that statement. The CFL bulb costs 1000% more than an incandescent bulb. CFLs, in my experience, last less than twice as long as the old ones. An incandescent bulb takes up much less space in a land fill once it is no longer functioning.The CFLS, actually take up less space in a land fill as they are considered a hazardous waste.

 

I just learned my daughter cannot stomach CFL bulbs. In their attempt to be environmentally conscious, my daughter and SIL outfitted their entire home with CFLs. She shortly thereafter became constantly queasy, especially at night, until she left the house. They tried a lot of different things. On a hunch, they changed the bulbs in the house back to incandescents. Queasiness abated. I don't know what they will do when incandescents are finally off the market next year. I suppose they will have to go to kerosene. Hopefully, though, LEDs will be readily available then.

[DanvillRob]

Because internal combustion is the cheapest, most efficient way to mechanically move from point A. to point B..... even at $5.00/gallon, and then some. Lord knows, I've tried to justify an electric or hybrid car, but it just isn't worth the added expense of initial acquisition and cost to replace batteries at around 7 years.

 

If other forms of motive power were more cost efficient, we would see semi trucks operating on something other than a I/C diesel engines.

 

 

 

I agree that most everything invented at that time has been re-designed. The automobile included. Even though the reciprocating, I/C engine is at the heart of it, everything else has changed. That and the wheels are still round. I doubt a gallon of gasoline, in 1887, would have gotten you as far as it does today.

 

 

CFL light bulbs are the greatest sham of late. "They are the most energy efficient" That statement is mostly true, but cost of operation and the environmental costs are not factored into that statement. The CFL bulb costs 1000% more than an incandescent bulb. CFLs, in my experience, last less than twice as long as the old ones. An incandescent bulb takes up much less space in a land fill once it is no longer functioning.The CFLS, actually take up less space in a land fill as they are considered a hazardous waste.

 

I just learned my daughter cannot stomach CFL bulbs. In their attempt to be environmentally conscious, my daughter and SIL outfitted their entire home with CFLs. She shortly thereafter became constantly queasy, especially at night, until she left the house. They tried a lot of different things. On a hunch, they changed the bulbs in the house back to incandescents. Queasiness abated. I don't know what they will do when incandescents are finally off the market next year. I suppose they will have to go to kerosene. Hopefully, though, LEDs will be readily available then.

 

+1

[Silenced Fred]

That's pretty much where I draw the line... When an avocado is 2 dollars... Come on.

 

This is ridiculous.

 

I just got avocados at my smaller grocery store, 5 for 2 bucks.

 

They were delicious, y'all are getting raped out there.

 

Gas prices are at $4.45 though...

[TommyK]

Spain is not broke, not going broke and doesn't need to be bailed out... Believe what you want, I live in Spain and know what's going on... Spain is one of the countries that bailed out Portugal.

 

I don't know where you got the P.I.G.S. info from but it was deliberate in poor taste to spell it out that way... Next time spell it G.I.P leave Spain out...

 

This is where it comes from:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIIGS

 

Whether deserved or not, maybe it is best not to use this term in polite company.

[daveinspain]

This is where it comes from:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIIGS

 

Whether deserved or not, maybe it is best not to use this term in polite company.

 

Hey Tommy, thanks for clearing that up... And we all know that what ever they say in Wikipedia is 100% correct, I mean after all, it was uploaded there anonymously from the general public....

[TommyK]

Hey Tommy, thanks for clearing that up... And we all know that what ever they say in Wikipedia is 100% correct, I mean after all, it was uploaded there anonymously from the general public....

 

This article sums up what we hear over here, and elsewhere in Europe.

 

Again, whether deserved or not, it is a term best not uttered in polite company.

[daveinspain]

This article sums up what we hear over here, and elsewhere in Europe.

 

Again, whether deserved or not, it is a term best not uttered in polite company.

 

Agreed...

[jaxson50]

I wish someone would find a way to turn the sludge from waste treatment plants into fuel!! We will never run out of that stuff..

[daveinspain]

I wish someone would find a way to turn the sludge from waste treatment plants into fuel!! We will never run out of that stuff..

 

 

Yeah!! That's some powerful sh¡t....

[stein]

I wish someone would find a way to turn the sludge from waste treatment plants into fuel!! We will never run out of that stuff..

While I appreciate your effort to be GREEN, that is not the kind of ENVIRONMENT I would want to live in.

[TommyK]

I wish someone would find a way to turn the sludge from waste treatment plants into fuel!! We will never run out of that stuff..

 

They have. It's not cost effective.

[vourot]

If you really want to know about high gas prices. Read this link ! It will anger you. Not much we can do about it. But people should know. It's long but very informative. Take the time to read it all. Read it twice.

 

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3396041

[ne14t?]

Hmmmmmm I knew the banks were buying up all the oil, I didnt know it had gotten to the point where they needed to store it in supertankers off the coast of Spain though, thats a little retarded. There should be some kind of like anti-trust crap against this, if we can limit the monopoly Bill Gates has in the computer industry by forcing him to break up Microsoft, we should technically be able to do the same to the banks. They are a bank not a freaking oil reserve company, this kind of stuff should be extremely illegal its unjust and unfair to the people who really make this world run and thats us poor saps stuck as the ball busting middle class citizens.

[TommyK]

Hmmmmmm I knew the banks were buying up all the oil, I didnt know it had gotten to the point where they needed to store it in supertankers off the coast of Spain though, thats a little retarded. There should be some kind of like anti-trust crap against this, if we can limit the monopoly Bill Gates has in the computer industry by forcing him to break up Microsoft, we should technically be able to do the same to the banks. They are a bank not a freaking oil reserve company, this kind of stuff should be extremely illegal its unjust and unfair to the people who really make this world run and thats us poor saps stuck as the ball busting middle class citizens.

 

It's called cornering the market. It is quite illegal. Not sure if it applies to tankers parked in international waters.

 

Seems to me they'd be sitting ducks for , oh I don't know. :unsure: ............ Pirates?

[DanvillRob]

It's called cornering the market. It is quite illegal. Not sure if it applies to tankers parked in international waters.

 

Seems to me they'd be sitting ducks for , oh I don't know. :unsure: ............ Pirates?

 

 

If the world usage of oil is in the hundreds of millions gallons per day, in order to 'corner the market' they'd need tens of thousands of ships

[ne14t?]

Not around there they should be fine its mostly near Somalia and in the Strait of Malacca, the Mediterranean sea has very limited points of entry and exit making it a real bad place to practice piracy. Author of The Scents of Eden: A Narrative of the Spice Trade, Chris Corn, said "Spice drove the world economies in those days the way oil does today." this was in direct relation to the piracy in the Strait of Malacca. And I would not put it past them to try I have heard of them trying to get onto a couple Emma Maersk ships and causing some trouble but never really getting anywhere, those supertankers are daunting ships, I see them in the port of Vancouver all the time and its like a floating town pretty much.

[fl00dsm0k3]

speculaters and the stock market