Economic Slowdown ; I'll be there, if I gotta' Hitchhike !

[Speedblastr]

Well, I'm home today again. It isn't a scheduled day off. I really don't know what is going to happen. They (work) gave a lot of us old timers the day off. Business is really slow here at the start of the second quarter. Outlook : Not sure. Food is High. ($) Diesel is $4.00 and change. Some of the truckers are parking their rigs , can't make a living. This is NOT a pessimistic or negative energy story on my part. I would like to remain optimistic ! I read in the paper the other day , I believe congress had some of the top oil executives (5) of them in for questioning. I think one senator made the remark to one of the execs. that this is the biggest April fool on the people yet. While the Execs. claim that they are not out of line from across the board in money in comparison to competition or some other bullcrap.
The only thing I know is I'm no fool not to admit that I'm a little scared about the outlook.Around this neck of the woods with mortgages foreclosing and added stress on the banks which pass it on to the consumer = Things are not what they used to be, as the country singer Tim McGraw's famous single ** " Back When ". I can deal with change , but man , I don't know what's going to happen : Economically to my household.
Is anybody else feeling the grip or is it just Indiana ? A little concerned. Speed. ** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Aum7GgGBY

[mark]

It's a concern everywhere. Sorry to hear it's hitting you so personally.

What pisses me off to no end is how the oil companies seize any opportunity to make a buck. After Katrina they claimed they had to raise prices because so much of their refining capacity was damaged... and then they went on to announce record profits at the end of that quarter.

I don't believe in communism or government regulation. But I think the oil companies' actions are downright criminal.

--mark

[LoVel]

I don't really want to call for regulation either but I do think something needs to be done. I agree with Mark the record profits seem out of line with all of the woe is me BS they have been dumping on us lately.

In this area a lot of the problems with housing foreclosure has to do with the way houses were obtained. Basically people did not have to come up with a down payment. They were given a house and told to make the payments. That is an over simplification of the process but it is what was done. Giving someone a house who can't afford to buy one leads to foreclosure. We didn't need a government study to figure that out.

Speed I hope your situation starts looking up.

[Speedblastr]

I don't really want to call for regulation either but I do think something needs to be done. I agree with Mark the record profits seem out of line with all of the woe is me BS they have been dumping on us lately.

In this area a lot of the problems with housing foreclosure has to do with the way houses were obtained. Basically people did not have to come up with a down payment. They were given a house and told to make the payments. That is an over simplification of the process but it is what was done. Giving someone a house who can't afford to buy one leads to foreclosure. We didn't need a government study to figure that out.

Speed I hope your situation starts looking up.

I definitely and wholeheartedly agree LoveL about the housing. I wasn't trying to tie that with the oil , just more added stress put on the consumer. Easy Credit + They have some realtors up on charges here because of that. They (realtors) claimed they were following trends at the time. Bumping up the price of the home more than what is projected. Adjustable rate. I guess some people were getting into their 401K just to make their SUV payment or put groceries on the table because the house payment become to ungodly to pay for anything else. { Doesn't it seem, or is it just me.... that everybody is on the get rich bandwagon these days no matter what expense is passed on to others = Us. }
All I can say , is if the good Lord give me anvthing , He gave me the wisdom to live within my means. By the way thanks ( about situation looking up) (and Mark) trying , as my Dad used to say ,rest his soul, "keep my chin up "+ I haven't shared a lot of this with Donna Because I don't want to worry her. Hopefully.......... things will turn around.

[drlapo]

and now Madam Pelosi (appropriate title) wants to apply a "windfall tax" on 401K savings and retirement investments in order to "equalize" income in the country
so if you are wise enough and frugal enough to fund your own retirement she will take it away to pay for "benefits" for illegal aliens and the "poor"
but will she forfiet her fortune for the less fortunate?

[unclecharlie]

As long as these giant oil co's are allowed to reap these huge, obscene, profits,
we will never see a viable, affordable, energy source put into place in the USA.
Wasteing money on growing corn to make ethanol that uses more energy to make
than you end up with????? I can't be the only one who thinks this way.

What is the answer? I'm not sure, but it seems like there's alot of options.

Not advocating any, just think'n out loud:

Nuclear power has come along way since TMI.
Solar power
Wind power
Water power: Hydro-electric dams, tidal current, wave action
Open more areas in US territory to drilling, offfshore and in remote areas
with proper(not corrupt) supervision

And the most important to me:
Get America's farms back to producing the food for the world!
Those rotton towel heads can't eat the oil, and they can't grow food.

We've gotten ourselves on the wrong side of this whole supply and
demand thing, and we're gonna pay dearly for it in at least the short term.

OK, rant over

[Speedblastr]

I once really had an Uncle Charlie. Great Uncle. He was a farmer. Good Man and self -sufficient. He was one of the last to get rid of his horse drawn teams ...used for the fields.I really liked him. Anyway......No rant Uncle Charlie , I believe most of us feel the same way you do , many of the reasons and I may be out on a limb here that a lot of the aforementioned list that you gave doesn't have the great push to get up and go undoubtedly lacks the sufficient kickbacks (Paper clipping of Bills)to the Federal G$O$V$E$R$N$ M$E$N$T = O I L. No interest in that , right ?

[unclecharlie]

Speed,
I'm looking forward to comiserating with you at the Bash.
And having a few laughs!
Your new favorite uncle,
Charlie

[JEnfield]

Life on the Mid Atlantic is no better fellas my wife has worked for the same printing company for 22 years and every week she has to worry will her pay check clear the bank. Times are tight and getting tighter. If you look at the only other super power they fell for the same reason they ran out of money to back the debt we are on the same course as the old USSR easy way to bring down a power loan them money wait till they get in to deep and call for the payments. China owns our asses and they will soon ask for the payment . But the dumb fuckers that run this country dont get it they are sitting fat and dont give two shits about the backs that carry this country. I hope that I am wrong and you are not alone we will survive we are Americans and I will defend that till hell freezes over then we will start a fire and thaw that fucker out to because we can.

Jimmy

[Kingmoham]

"Corrupt the young, get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial, destroy their ruggedness.Get control of all means of publicity and thereby: Get the peoples' mind off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books and plays, and other trivialities. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance. Destroy the peoples faith in their natural leaders by holding up the latter to ridicule, contempt and obloquy. Always preach true democracy but seize power as fast and as ruthlessly as possible. Encourage government extravagance, destroy its credit, produce fear with rising prices, inflation and general discontent. Foment unnecessary strikes in vital industries, encourage civil disorders and foster a soft and lenient attitude on the part of government towards such disorders. By specious argument cause the breakdown of the old moral virtues: honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with the view of confiscating them and leaving the population defenseless." ....Vladimir Ilich Lenin

[b_mason]

I read in the paper the other day , I believe congress had some of the top oil executives (5) of them in for questioning. I think one senator made the remark to one of the execs. that this is the biggest April fool on the people yet. While the Execs. claim that they are not out of line from across the board in money in comparison to competition or some other bullcrap. A little concerned. Speed. ** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Aum7GgGBY

Speed, I was listening to the Conservitive talk show on Tuesday while driving home. The host played some of the hearing audio. The execs defended the profit of 125 billion after operating cost. Then he(exec) went on to say that if the govenment takes away the billion dollar taxe break the gas prices wll go up. In the very next sentence he tells the congressmen that they(oil companies) do not control the gas prices.

I thought it was against the law to threaten the us government like that? Oh yeah I forgot the government is in on it. God help us all

In Maine we are paying 3.27 average for regular. The state has a $.35 tax on gas. We are the poorest state in the union with one of the highest taxes in the union.

[Speedblastr]

Did anybody notice ? We , on this thread all represent to a degree 6 states and share pretty much the same values. Jimmy , I can relate to your wives paycheck predicament. This year after 20 years at this Employer , If we have to order anything outside of our own resources (a supplier) like say flat stage (raw) stainless from the Laser cutters or a bank of Tri - Mix ( for the welding robot (Fanuc) and the Nelson ( stud-welder) We've been put on credit hold until the bill has been paid in full. Those are just some examples theres more. First time I've ever experienced this in this sort of Nature with this Employer.
China - Mother of God help us all.
KingMoHam - That's some scary shit right there my friend.
b_mason - I'm ready to go fishin" Fuck it !
I believe now,in this day and age , "Money talks and bullshit runs the Marathon."

[ATriumphGoddess]

"Corrupt the young, get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial, destroy their ruggedness.Get control of all means of publicity and thereby: Get the peoples' mind off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books and plays, and other trivialities. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance. Destroy the peoples faith in their natural leaders by holding up the latter to ridicule, contempt and obloquy. Always preach true democracy but seize power as fast and as ruthlessly as possible. Encourage government extravagance, destroy its credit, produce fear with rising prices, inflation and general discontent. Foment unnecessary strikes in vital industries, encourage civil disorders and foster a soft and lenient attitude on the part of government towards such disorders. By specious argument cause the breakdown of the old moral virtues: honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with the view of confiscating them and leaving the population defenseless." ....Vladimir Ilich Lenin

Yipes.
We have so truly become sheep.

My response is in Song of the Day.......

[Speedblastr]

That was a hit home song , Paula. One of the lines that struck me went something like: "If less is more and more is less then whose keeping score" Ohhhh Shit.I think I already know. Speed.

[Kingmoham]

I read in the paper the other day , I believe congress had some of the top oil executives (5) of them in for questioning. I think one senator made the remark to one of the execs. that this is the biggest April fool on the people yet. While the Execs. claim that they are not out of line from across the board in money in comparison to competition or some other bullcrap. A little concerned. Speed. ** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Aum7GgGBY

Speed, I was listening to the Conservitive talk show on Tuesday while driving home. The host played some of the hearing audio. The execs defended the profit of 125 billion after operating cost. Then he(exec) went on to say that if the govenment takes away the billion dollar taxe break the gas prices wll go up. In the very next sentence he tells the congressmen that they(oil companies) do not control the gas prices.

I thought it was against the law to threaten the us government like that? Oh yeah I forgot the government is in on it. God help us all

In Maine we are paying 3.27 average for regular. The state has a $.35 tax on gas. We are the poorest state in the union with one of the highest taxes in the union.

Yes..I think there is a lot of complicity between the government & the oil companies. But in the end, it's the mood of the electorate, and those idiots they elect.

Most recently, and in general terms, the Freeze Dried Hippy Treehugger Environmental Left Wing Communist that have placed more importance on esoteric wildlife bullshit like saving some piss ant periwinkle that prohibits exploration for oil and minerals that if found, certainly could soften the economic blow to everyone's pocket book.