Subject: Re: Gas Prices
(previously written:) >> Some BP station in Atlanta is charging -- and has >> posted -- $5.87/gal. for regular, and $6.07 for the >> highest grade. Julia wrote: > Dang! That's worse than my story! > I drove by the Chevron this morning after 9. > They posted $2.679. I drove by the Albertson's. > They posted $2.749. I went to HEB. They > posted $2.789. So the Chevron is the best place > to buy gas. Even CNG prices have gone up! I'm up to $1.54 per gallon-equivalent! :-) -- Matt Sometimes it's nice to be out of the mainstream. Now I just have to find a way to go more than ~150 miles on a full tank. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: > >> Yes, but who will invest, given the uncertainties of >> the oil prices? PDVSA? :-) > > Who is "PDVSA"? > For you? Citgo. For us? Sometimes our best ally, sometimes our worse enemy :-) Alberto Monteiro PS: can you PLEASE do some trimming when you reply? ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
On Sep 1, 2005, at 2:19 PM, Julia Thompson wrote: Update on prices as of 3PM: HEB: $2.999 Albertson's: $2.819 (unchanged from the morning price) Chevron: $3.019 Ppaid $3.08 for 87 octane in San Diego. This to avoid paying $5.50/gal (or so, minimum 2 gallons) upon return of our rental car (a Honda Hybrid Civic) had we not been able to produce a receipt from within seven miles of the rental agency. So, by comparison, it was a bargain :-). Naturally, around the corner, after filling up, we saw gas for a more reasonable $2.799. I was not too thrilled with the agency's seven-mile policy, especially given that I was driving a vehicle that could go seven miles on two cups of gas or so, but they were the only ones we found who would rent us that particular model of car. Dave By the way: the Honda Hybrid Civic is a very nice drive. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 04:19 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: [snip] The Chevron jump from $2.679 to $3.019 in the space of 6 hours was the most startling to me. (It might be based on, "We can get the next shipment at $X per gallon. No, it's going to be $Y per gallon. Now it's up to $Z per gallon.") FWIW, that is what I understand is at least part of the problem. That's the best guess anyone not actually pricing gas seems to have about it. :) Or at least the most charitable to the gas station managers. (I'm used to that Chevron being the most expensive gas within 10-15 miles of me, anyway.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II
At 04:34 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Deborah Harrell wrote: > Ronn!Blankenship wrote: > Anyone who is looting big-screen TVs, computers, > DVDs, and other > high-ticket electronic items from stores in an area > where there is no > electricity and there is not likely to be > electricity for weeks at the > earliest (more likely months) has already shown > evidence of somewhat less-than-perfect reasoning ... Aww, c'mon, Ronn! "But Mr. CoastGuard Man, I just bought this plasma TV before the storm - can't you take it out on the helicopter?" Although I must say that if bottled water etc. isn't air-dropped to trapped folks, I couldn't blame them for looting food and water. I can't blame them for getting necessities the only way they can get them, either. The guy who was seen on camera carrying three boxes of Nikes from a store, or the people reported to be taking the wallets out of the pockets of corpses in flooded homes are not in that category, however. Looters Will Be Shot On Sight Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II
> Ronn!Blankenship wrote: > > >Russell Chapman wrote: > > > Under marshall law, in a state of emergency (and > I understand both > > > have been declared) these people should be > rounded up and used as > > > labour to clean up flooded hospitals or > something. And cleaning up after flooding with sewage-, petrochemical-, and corpse-contaminated water would certainly be more than sufficient punishment. But I'll bet they could sue that it was 'cruel and unusual,' don'tcha know... > Anyone who is looting big-screen TVs, computers, > DVDs, and other > high-ticket electronic items from stores in an area > where there is no > electricity and there is not likely to be > electricity for weeks at the > earliest (more likely months) has already shown > evidence of somewhat less-than-perfect reasoning ... Aww, c'mon, Ronn! "But Mr. CoastGuard Man, I just bought this plasma TV before the storm - can't you take it out on the helicopter?" Although I must say that if bottled water etc. isn't air-dropped to trapped folks, I couldn't blame them for looting food and water. Having lived over a decade in Baton Rouge, I am truly sorry for what the home-lost folks across the Gulf South are enduring right now, and what they will face for the next few years. If you've never dealt with such tortuous humidity, you cannot imagine it. Whatever those floodwaters touch for more than a few hours will be utterly ruined - molded and mildewed beyond recall. The stench alone, in 90-100oF heat, will be nauseating. People I know have (thankfully!) come through mostly OK (although a friend's niece suffered a broken arm while trapped under house rubble for a couple of hours), but their house was *completely* demolished. And it was miles inland (near BR, in fact). Debbi Oh, The Humanity Maru :( __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
At 04:19 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: [snip] The Chevron jump from $2.679 to $3.019 in the space of 6 hours was the most startling to me. (It might be based on, "We can get the next shipment at $X per gallon. No, it's going to be $Y per gallon. Now it's up to $Z per gallon.") FWIW, that is what I understand is at least part of the problem. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Julia Thompson wrote: I drove by the Chevron this morning after 9. They posted $2.679. I drove by the Albertson's. They posted $2.749. I went to HEB. They posted $2.789. So the Chevron is the best place to buy gas. I buy my groceries at HEB and head back to the Chevron station. The price had gone up to $2.799. I grumbled and filled up the gas tank in that vehicle. I took a different vehicle to pick up Sam at school. I went to the Albertson's to buy the green bell peppers I'd neglected to get at HEB. When I went in to the store, the price was still $2.749. When I came out of the store, intending to buy gas, the price had jumped to $2.819. I figured I'd just go back to the Chevron and pay the $2.799 there. So I get to the Chevron and the price is now $2.899! I grumble and drive home without topping off that tank. I'm going to take that vehicle to take Sam to an appointment and go back to the HEB on the way back and pay whatever the heck HEB is charging at that point this afternoon, and expect the Chevron price to be up once again Update on prices as of 3PM: HEB: $2.999 Albertson's: $2.819 (unchanged from the morning price) Chevron: $3.019 Previously unmentioned Shell station: $2.799, same as when I went by just after 9AM I put all the 3PM gas price info I had up on austingasprices.com . They didn't even have my Chevron listed before I did that! I guess I'll be updating that particular one on a regular basis in the future. The Chevron jump from $2.679 to $3.019 in the space of 6 hours was the most startling to me. (It might be based on, "We can get the next shipment at $X per gallon. No, it's going to be $Y per gallon. Now it's up to $Z per gallon.") Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
At 04:09 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 01:15 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: I drove by the Chevron this morning after 9. They posted $2.679. I drove by the Albertson's. They posted $2.749. I went to HEB. They posted $2.789. So the Chevron is the best place to buy gas. I buy my groceries at HEB and head back to the Chevron station. The price had gone up to $2.799. I grumbled and filled up the gas tank in that vehicle. That is the same price I paid at the nearest Shell station this morning for 2 gallons to fill the can for the lawn mower. And it's what I was *grateful* to pay just now to fuel up the third vehicle. I think we're not buying any more gas for a few days. I took a different vehicle to pick up Sam at school. I went to the Albertson's to buy the green bell peppers Yum. I cut out the stem and the core and eat them raw. These will be cut up and put on bamboo skewers with fresh mushrooms and marinated beef, and grilled over gas. (Sure, charcoal may make for a tastier product, but gas is easier to work with.) Particularly since the invention of Beano. No Gas Shortage Here Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
FDA "reversal" on at least one drug from other lands...
Well, actually, the flu vaccine has come from GB (Chiron, IIRC) in the past; there were production problems last year (I think it was actually viral contamination of the chicken embryos used to make influenza virus) which contributed to the vaccine shortage. http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/111/109852.htm Aug. 31, 2005 -- The FDA has approved a new flu vaccine called Fluarix for adults age 18 and older. The move comes before flu season starts in the U.S. Fluarix is the first vaccine approved under the FDA's accelerated approval process. The shot got fast-track status to help ensure adequate supplies of flu shots this year. Fluarix is made by a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline in Germany. Debbi Flip-flappin' Away Maru Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 01:15 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: I drove by the Chevron this morning after 9. They posted $2.679. I drove by the Albertson's. They posted $2.749. I went to HEB. They posted $2.789. So the Chevron is the best place to buy gas. I buy my groceries at HEB and head back to the Chevron station. The price had gone up to $2.799. I grumbled and filled up the gas tank in that vehicle. That is the same price I paid at the nearest Shell station this morning for 2 gallons to fill the can for the lawn mower. And it's what I was *grateful* to pay just now to fuel up the third vehicle. I think we're not buying any more gas for a few days. I took a different vehicle to pick up Sam at school. I went to the Albertson's to buy the green bell peppers Yum. I cut out the stem and the core and eat them raw. These will be cut up and put on bamboo skewers with fresh mushrooms and marinated beef, and grilled over gas. (Sure, charcoal may make for a tastier product, but gas is easier to work with.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
On 9/1/05, Gautam Mukunda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > centralized control, exactly? Fairness, it seems to > me, involves asking people to obey the law. There is > no part of that in imposing price controls on a highly > competitive market. What kind of society would we have if "Is it legal?" were the final test of fairness or any other form of morality? There is all sorts of behavior that is legal but unfair or immoral, if only because law is imperfect. As for pricing, certainly our understanding of economics, the dismal science, is imperfect... so how could the law possibly reflect fairness? Why would we ever need to change our laws or create new ones? Conversely, there are illegal acts that are fair and moral. Surely you can agree with these ideas? Neither the law nor the marketplace is going to be my final arbiter of fairness. Nick -- Nick Arnett [EMAIL PROTECTED] Messages: 408-904-7198 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
- Original Message - From: "Gautam Mukunda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 2:24 PM Subject: Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices" > --- Dave Land <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > When threads collide... > > > > It occurred to me that the answer to the original > > question in the > > "Gas Prices" thread was "looting," just being > > engaged in by > > corporations, and not individuals. > > > > I think that whatever punishment is meted out to > > individuals caught > > looting stores ought to be brought to bear upon > > corporations who > > engage in looting in the form of hyper-inflated gas > > prices. > > > > Dave > > Because obeying the law and maintaining property > rights is the same thing as stealing things at gun > point. But, there are laws against hyperinflation of prices after disasters. Heck, they exist is Houston, where zoning is considered part of the planned Communist takeover. :-) After Alicia, a much smaller hurricane, people were charged with price gauging for charging as much as 5x to 10x the previous going rate for tree clearing, etc. People who charged higher prices that were consistant with the reasonable and customary overtime rates (say 1.5x to 2x) were not subject to prosecution. > And clearly it's a good idea to make sure that > there is no incentive whatsoever for corporations to > prevent shortages and create stockpiles. It's always > reassuring to know that no matter how brutally bad the > mistakes we made in the past were (see price controls > on gasoline in the 1970s)...there are people who want > to do it all over again. But, I think we can discern between guarding against price gauging and trying to wrestle the market into an unnatural position with wage and price controls. Let me give an example. The spot price for wholesale gasoline went up about $0.40 to roughly $2.25/gal. That's just market forces at work, and government intervention to control the price would be counterproductive. If someone is selling retail gas for a $5.50, it has little or nothing to do with the wholesale price rise. It has a lot to do with preying on the fears of people. The price gauging laws that we have in place address the latter, not the former. So, if someone is breaking those laws, they are not just lawfully executing their property rights. Dan M. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Fwd: CNN Breaking News
Now this is just too much . . . Approved-By: [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Authentication-Warning: ema8adm1.turner.com: listapprover set sender to [EMAIL PROTECTED] using -f Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 14:36:27 -0400 Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: CNN Breaking News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: CNN Breaking News To: TEXTBREAKINGNEWS@CNNIMAIL12.CNN.COM X-ContentStamp: 3:5:847335915 X-MAIL-INFO:36e060ad6059d929e5e959e9d9a19984c5f0d555cd80b1256125814d0d00a98135f57d74d9e9a919e0593505d9742509b5c1b5702479b0a170a124e515b18150494d11140d45214df594813130408db4c1b4e1b4f91d643950919194a08010800159ad60c001c0599150f46d7499c58415347dd5c555 X-UNTD-Peer-Info: 64.236.25.108|cnnimail4.cnn.com|cnnimail4.cnn.com|[EMAIL PROTECTED] X-UNTD-UBE:-1 -- New Orleans hospital halts patient evacuations after coming under sniper fire, a doctor who witnessed the incident says. Watch CNN or log on to http://CNN.com and watch FREE video. More Americans watch CNN. More Americans trust CNN. ** Find out how you can help Katrina's victims. Visit http://www.CNN.com. Watch LIVE coverage of the aftermath of Katrina on CNN. ** To unsubscribe from CNN.com's Breaking News E-Mail Alert, log on to: http://CNN.com/EMAIL/breakingnews.html To sign up for additional e-mail products, go to http://CNN.com/EMAIL (c)2005. Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
At 01:15 PM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 07:40 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: Leonard Matusik wrote: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:19:31 -0700 Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Aug 31, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Horn, John wrote: Can someone (anyone?) explain what's going on? Some call it capitalism; some call it opportunism; some call it gouging. Actually, the grown-up answer is a little simpler. Must-needs of cash flow demand that people who sell things for a living, sell them for their anticipated cost of replacement. Gasoline is no different from anything else. Maybe the vendor makes a little short term profit. The smart ones plow it into infrastructure improvement rather than declare a divident. Or maybe they're trying to make sure they can pay for the *next* shipment, which will cost significantly more than the last one did, and aren't sure how much that will be. If the price at the Chevron station is still what it was when I came in yesterday afternoon, I'm buying gas there for once. (It's usually the most expensive gas on that road, but it was within $0.02 of the cheapest gas, which was at a couple of Shell stations, which usually charge more than the Exxon and the HEB. Weird.) Some BP station in Atlanta is charging -- and has posted -- $5.87/gal. for regular, and $6.07 for the highest grade. Dang! That's worse than my story! It was on the noon news here. Followed of course by some official promising an investigation. I drove by the Chevron this morning after 9. They posted $2.679. I drove by the Albertson's. They posted $2.749. I went to HEB. They posted $2.789. So the Chevron is the best place to buy gas. I buy my groceries at HEB and head back to the Chevron station. The price had gone up to $2.799. I grumbled and filled up the gas tank in that vehicle. That is the same price I paid at the nearest Shell station this morning for 2 gallons to fill the can for the lawn mower. I took a different vehicle to pick up Sam at school. I went to the Albertson's to buy the green bell peppers Yum. I cut out the stem and the core and eat them raw. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
--- Dave Land <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sep 1, 2005, at 12:24 PM, Gautam Mukunda wrote: > > --- Dave Land <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> When threads collide... > >> > >> It occurred to me that the answer to the original > question in the > >> "Gas > >> Prices" thread was "looting," just being engaged > in by > >> corporations, and > >> not individuals. > >> > >> I think that whatever punishment is meted out to > individuals caught > >> looting stores ought to be brought to bear upon > corporations who > >> engage > >> in looting in the form of hyper-inflated gas > prices. > > > > Because obeying the law and maintaining property > rights is the same > > thing as stealing things at gun point. And > clearly it's a good > > idea to > > make sure that there is no incentive whatsoever > for corporations to > > prevent shortages and create stockpiles. It's > always reassuring to > > know > > that no matter how brutally bad the mistakes we > made in the past were > > (see price controls on gasoline in the > 1970s)...there are people who > > want to do it all over again. Sorry Dave - that came out a lot more acerbic than I meant it to be. > Hmm. I don't recall saying that. I recall saying ... > well, there it is, > just above your paragraph: that if corporations > engage in looting in the > form of hyper-inflationary gas prices, they should > be punished as > thieves. But this isn't looting. The gasoline is _their property_. They paid for it fair and square. In doing so they took a risk - the price of gasoline could also have dropped suddenly. In this case, they will be rewarded for that risk, but it doesn't have to happen that way,and somehow I don't think you'd be calling for them to be bailed out if it went the other way. They can sell it (or not sell it) for whatever price they choose. They have competitors who are also trying to sell things - and presumably they will use lower prices as their primary marketing tool, as this is, after all, the one they already use. You cannot, by definition, loot what you already own. > Dave "Since when is fairness the same as centralized > control?" Land Well, when you get to define fairness, it does appear to be the same thing as centralized control, yes. In this case you want "whatever punishment is brought to bear upon the looters" - that is, people who are stealing - to be brought upon companies who are obeying the law. How is that _different_ from centralized control, exactly? Fairness, it seems to me, involves asking people to obey the law. There is no part of that in imposing price controls on a highly competitive market. Gautam Mukunda [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Freedom is not free" http://www.mukunda.blogspot.com Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
On Sep 1, 2005, at 12:24 PM, Gautam Mukunda wrote: --- Dave Land <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: When threads collide... It occurred to me that the answer to the original question in the "Gas Prices" thread was "looting," just being engaged in by corporations, and not individuals. I think that whatever punishment is meted out to individuals caught looting stores ought to be brought to bear upon corporations who engage in looting in the form of hyper-inflated gas prices. Because obeying the law and maintaining property rights is the same thing as stealing things at gun point. And clearly it's a good idea to make sure that there is no incentive whatsoever for corporations to prevent shortages and create stockpiles. It's always reassuring to know that no matter how brutally bad the mistakes we made in the past were (see price controls on gasoline in the 1970s)...there are people who want to do it all over again. Hmm. I don't recall saying that. I recall saying ... well, there it is, just above your paragraph: that if corporations engage in looting in the form of hyper-inflationary gas prices, they should be punished as thieves. I suspect that you have a strong filter through which you hear virtually everything I say, and it is not an especially good one. Dave "Since when is fairness the same as centralized control?" Land ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
--- Dave Land <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > When threads collide... > > It occurred to me that the answer to the original > question in the > "Gas Prices" thread was "looting," just being > engaged in by > corporations, and not individuals. > > I think that whatever punishment is meted out to > individuals caught > looting stores ought to be brought to bear upon > corporations who > engage in looting in the form of hyper-inflated gas > prices. > > Dave Because obeying the law and maintaining property rights is the same thing as stealing things at gun point. And clearly it's a good idea to make sure that there is no incentive whatsoever for corporations to prevent shortages and create stockpiles. It's always reassuring to know that no matter how brutally bad the mistakes we made in the past were (see price controls on gasoline in the 1970s)...there are people who want to do it all over again. Gautam Mukunda [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Freedom is not free" http://www.mukunda.blogspot.com Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: "The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
Dave Land wrote: When threads collide... It occurred to me that the answer to the original question in the "Gas Prices" thread was "looting," just being engaged in by corporations, and not individuals. I think that whatever punishment is meted out to individuals caught looting stores ought to be brought to bear upon corporations who engage in looting in the form of hyper-inflated gas prices. If the gas companies post profits this quarter, there is going to be an awful lot of grumbling, and I'm hoping some legal action, as well. (They've posted great profits the past 2 quarters, is my understanding.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 07:40 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: Leonard Matusik wrote: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:19:31 -0700 Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Aug 31, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Horn, John wrote: Can someone (anyone?) explain what's going on? Some call it capitalism; some call it opportunism; some call it gouging. Actually, the grown-up answer is a little simpler. Must-needs of cash flow demand that people who sell things for a living, sell them for their anticipated cost of replacement. Gasoline is no different from anything else. Maybe the vendor makes a little short term profit. The smart ones plow it into infrastructure improvement rather than declare a divident. Or maybe they're trying to make sure they can pay for the *next* shipment, which will cost significantly more than the last one did, and aren't sure how much that will be. If the price at the Chevron station is still what it was when I came in yesterday afternoon, I'm buying gas there for once. (It's usually the most expensive gas on that road, but it was within $0.02 of the cheapest gas, which was at a couple of Shell stations, which usually charge more than the Exxon and the HEB. Weird.) Some BP station in Atlanta is charging -- and has posted -- $5.87/gal. for regular, and $6.07 for the highest grade. Dang! That's worse than my story! I drove by the Chevron this morning after 9. They posted $2.679. I drove by the Albertson's. They posted $2.749. I went to HEB. They posted $2.789. So the Chevron is the best place to buy gas. I buy my groceries at HEB and head back to the Chevron station. The price had gone up to $2.799. I grumbled and filled up the gas tank in that vehicle. I took a different vehicle to pick up Sam at school. I went to the Albertson's to buy the green bell peppers I'd neglected to get at HEB. When I went in to the store, the price was still $2.749. When I came out of the store, intending to buy gas, the price had jumped to $2.819. I figured I'd just go back to the Chevron and pay the $2.799 there. So I get to the Chevron and the price is now $2.899! I grumble and drive home without topping off that tank. I'm going to take that vehicle to take Sam to an appointment and go back to the HEB on the way back and pay whatever the heck HEB is charging at that point this afternoon, and expect the Chevron price to be up once again Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Sep 1, 2005, at 6:17 AM, Julia Thompson wrote: Warren Ockrassa wrote: Hey, I have a good idea. Let's felonize cheesecake. That'll curb cholesterol buildup in everyone. No, it'll get you a mob of angry women and bring us one step closer to the collapse of civilization. :) As a member of the dominant and world-owning phallocentric patriarchy, I fail to understand the effect of your putative cause, probably because you're babbling hysterical nonsense. Well, women WILL talk. Like magpies on a phone line. Caw caw caw. Ca-ca, I say. Yer makin gibberish, woman. Kick off your sandals, shave where it's proper, get ye pregnant, and bake me a pie. Like now-like. Hmph. Women … civilization … link. Right. Hey … woman … I note there is still no pie before me, Pray, why? And if not everyone is eating cheesecake, it won't curb cholesterol buildup in *everyone* -- won't do a darn thing in MY household, for instance. Ahh, you're not permitted to speak anyway. (Jut kidding.) (Right. Shaddup.) And I cannot help but not escape noticing that I am still pie-less. I am bereft of crust, berries or the French thing with frozen dairy shit. Why, exactly, is that? I'm so glad I vote Republican. Whip this country back in shape, yes indeedy. Like the fluffy white topping on the PIE that I still see I AM NOT CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF ENJOYING. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf PS: Where's that GODDAMNED pie? PPS: I have wrestled this back on topic with the subject, if you notice. (Yes, indeed, I have, though those unsubtle in thinking vapors, most probably men, might not see it such.) You're welcome. PPPS: Or whipped cream or fruit slices would be good too. On the side, you know. Maybe with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or those things you do with the cheddar cheese, you know, grated light and fluffy like you do it. God, I remember the first time you made it like that, those sweet apple slices just oozing syrup, and that flaky crust, and all that cheese — fair's first, you said, and nearby was the sound of the brook and the bees just hummed lazily in the clover and you were their queen, the very body and soul of nectar and honey, and it was the finest thing you … um … GODDAMMIT, WOMAN, BAKE ME A PIE! (Hope the boys didn't see that.) Kids: Stay in school. And off drugs. And clear of nooky. But not so clear you turn to the towel-boy, because even if he looks kinda female-like … well, don't go there. Unless it's dark and no one but the Father knows. That's what Scouts are for. Here's my phone number. Hush. Hush now. It's just what men do sometimes. You're a man, aren't you? Then stop crying. No, wait, give me back my phone number. WHERE'S MY FUCKIN PIE? Oh … by the way … take an abstinence vow. Cause it'll save you from damnation. If by "damnation" you mean "my shotgun to your head" and "save" you mean "my daughter" and "I'll pull the trigger, I swear, if you ever fuck her" you mean you. That girl is MINE. Uh, Warren, if you'd just FRIGGIN' SHOWN UP HERE LAST NIGHT you would have been welcome to all the cherry pie in the house. Really. And ice cream to go with it. And if that weren't enough, I would have been happy to defrost the 2 slices of "Georgia Pecan Pie" in the freezer for you. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
"The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II" Meets "Gas Prices"
When threads collide... It occurred to me that the answer to the original question in the "Gas Prices" thread was "looting," just being engaged in by corporations, and not individuals. I think that whatever punishment is meted out to individuals caught looting stores ought to be brought to bear upon corporations who engage in looting in the form of hyper-inflated gas prices. Dave ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
At 07:40 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Julia Thompson wrote: Leonard Matusik wrote: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:19:31 -0700 Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Aug 31, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Horn, John wrote: Can someone (anyone?) explain what's going on? Some call it capitalism; some call it opportunism; some call it gouging. Actually, the grown-up answer is a little simpler. Must-needs of cash flow demand that people who sell things for a living, sell them for their anticipated cost of replacement. Gasoline is no different from anything else. Maybe the vendor makes a little short term profit. The smart ones plow it into infrastructure improvement rather than declare a divident. Or maybe they're trying to make sure they can pay for the *next* shipment, which will cost significantly more than the last one did, and aren't sure how much that will be. If the price at the Chevron station is still what it was when I came in yesterday afternoon, I'm buying gas there for once. (It's usually the most expensive gas on that road, but it was within $0.02 of the cheapest gas, which was at a couple of Shell stations, which usually charge more than the Exxon and the HEB. Weird.) Some BP station in Atlanta is charging -- and has posted -- $5.87/gal. for regular, and $6.07 for the highest grade. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
At 10:07 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Sep 1, 2005, at 6:17 AM, Julia Thompson wrote: Warren Ockrassa wrote: Hey, I have a good idea. Let's felonize cheesecake. That'll curb cholesterol buildup in everyone. No, it'll get you a mob of angry women and bring us one step closer to the collapse of civilization. :) As a member of the dominant and world-owning phallocentric patriarchy, I fail to understand the effect of your putative cause, probably because you're babbling hysterical nonsense. Well, women WILL talk. Like magpies on a phone line. Caw caw caw. Ca-ca, I say. Yer makin gibberish, woman. Kick off your sandals, shave where it's proper, get ye pregnant, and bake me a pie. Like now-like. Hmph. Women civilization link. Right. Hey woman I note there is still no pie before me, Pray, why? And if not everyone is eating cheesecake, it won't curb cholesterol buildup in *everyone* -- won't do a darn thing in MY household, for instance. Ahh, you're not permitted to speak anyway. (Jut kidding.) (Right. Shaddup.) And I cannot help but not escape noticing that I am still pie-less. I am bereft of crust, berries or the French thing with frozen dairy shit. Why, exactly, is that? I'm so glad I vote Republican. Whip this country back in shape, yes indeedy. Like the fluffy white topping on the PIE that I still see I AM NOT CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF ENJOYING. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf PS: Where's that GODDAMNED pie? PPS: I have wrestled this back on topic with the subject, if you notice. (Yes, indeed, I have, though those unsubtle in thinking vapors, most probably men, might not see it such.) You're welcome. PPPS: Or whipped cream or fruit slices would be good too. On the side, you know. Maybe with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or those things you do with the cheddar cheese, you know, grated light and fluffy like you do it. God, I remember the first time you made it like that, those sweet apple slices just oozing syrup, and that flaky crust, and all that cheese fair's first, you said, and nearby was the sound of the brook and the bees just hummed lazily in the clover and you were their queen, the very body and soul of nectar and honey, and it was the finest thing you um GODDAMMIT, WOMAN, BAKE ME A PIE! (Hope the boys didn't see that.) Kids: Stay in school. And off drugs. And clear of nooky. But not so clear you turn to the towel-boy, because even if he looks kinda female-like well, don't go there. Unless it's dark and no one but the Father knows. That's what Scouts are for. Here's my phone number. Hush. Hush now. It's just what men do sometimes. You're a man, aren't you? Then stop crying. No, wait, give me back my phone number. WHERE'S MY FUCKIN PIE? I suspect that if you said this to a woman in person rather than via e-mail pie would not be the only thing you might find yourself lacking . . . -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: FLCL followup
On 9/1/05, Warren Ockrassa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > "Ride on Shooting Star" is pretty cool. > > What I like, of course, is the lyrics I can get. There aren't many. > "Spider" and "Sniper", sure. "Grunge Hamster" was a bit harder. > > "Ride on shooting star" I got of course. > > But there's this bit, I swear, that sounds like > > "Sometimes you don't want it > try to duke it out" > > This makes sense to me. Or it did. Sometimes you don't want a thing; > sometimes you have to fight. > > So perusing the transliterations I find this, in phonetic Japanese: > > sandanjû no yô ni (Sometimes you don't want it) > utai tsutzuketa (Try to duke it out) > > This is the phonetic rendering that sounds so much like "Sometimes you > don't want it…" The translation is: > > like a shotgun > I kept on singing > > I think I like my version better. > > > -- > Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books Heh. I'd like to hear what you made of "Hybrid Rainbow", or "Blues Drive Monster". On a side note, have you heard any of their other stuff, like "Skeleton Liar" (a personal favorite) or "Backseat Dog", or "Funny Bunny" for that matter? ~Maru ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II
On 9/1/05, Ronn!Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > At 07:07 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Alberto Monteiro wrote: > >Russell Chapman wrote: > > > > > > Under marshall law, in a state of emergency (and I understand both > > > have been declared) these people should be rounded up and used as > > > labour to clean up flooded hospitals or something. Makes me so angry > > > to think of some small business owner who is going to come in when > > > he sorts out his home, only to find someone thought they deserved to > > > just take the stock. > > > > >Those looters should at least show some ethics, like demolishing > >the looted stores to their grounds - this would even make the > >owners thankful, because they would get full insurance for the > >stores. > > > Anyone who is looting big-screen TVs, computers, DVDs, and other > high-ticket electronic items from stores in an area where there is no > electricity and there is not likely to be electricity for weeks at the > earliest (more likely months) has already shown evidence of somewhat > less-than-perfect reasoning . . . > > > -- Ronn! :) > Perfectly rational: the transportation costs of getting those items to a location where it would be useful are far smaller than the cost of the items themselves, if they were purchased in an area with electricity. And the value of those items are still enough to make the effort of looting worthwhile even after a few months of non-use. ~Maru ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
FLCL followup
"Ride on Shooting Star" is pretty cool. What I like, of course, is the lyrics I can get. There aren't many. "Spider" and "Sniper", sure. "Grunge Hamster" was a bit harder. "Ride on shooting star" I got of course. But there's this bit, I swear, that sounds like "Sometimes you don't want it try to duke it out" This makes sense to me. Or it did. Sometimes you don't want a thing; sometimes you have to fight. So perusing the transliterations I find this, in phonetic Japanese: sandanjû no yô ni (Sometimes you don't want it) utai tsutzuketa (Try to duke it out) This is the phonetic rendering that sounds so much like "Sometimes you don't want it…" The translation is: like a shotgun I kept on singing I think I like my version better. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
--- Alberto Monteiro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Capitalist Evil Logic dictates that with such low > margin > it´s not worth building a new refinery. No, that would be _correct_ logic. If the margin for building a refinery were that low, then _you should build something else_. The reason capitalism is A Good Thing is because it forces economies to operate efficiently. Spending money on low-return projects when higher return projects are available is inefficient. It is impossible to predict what the price of oil will be in 20 years, so of course you don't build refineries that might or might not be useful 20 years from now. That would be a useless waste of resources. Gautam Mukunda [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Freedom is not free" http://www.mukunda.blogspot.com __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
On Sep 1, 2005, at 6:17 AM, Julia Thompson wrote: Warren Ockrassa wrote: Hey, I have a good idea. Let's felonize cheesecake. That'll curb cholesterol buildup in everyone. No, it'll get you a mob of angry women and bring us one step closer to the collapse of civilization. :) As a member of the dominant and world-owning phallocentric patriarchy, I fail to understand the effect of your putative cause, probably because you're babbling hysterical nonsense. Well, women WILL talk. Like magpies on a phone line. Caw caw caw. Ca-ca, I say. Yer makin gibberish, woman. Kick off your sandals, shave where it's proper, get ye pregnant, and bake me a pie. Like now-like. Hmph. Women … civilization … link. Right. Hey … woman … I note there is still no pie before me, Pray, why? And if not everyone is eating cheesecake, it won't curb cholesterol buildup in *everyone* -- won't do a darn thing in MY household, for instance. Ahh, you're not permitted to speak anyway. (Jut kidding.) (Right. Shaddup.) And I cannot help but not escape noticing that I am still pie-less. I am bereft of crust, berries or the French thing with frozen dairy shit. Why, exactly, is that? I'm so glad I vote Republican. Whip this country back in shape, yes indeedy. Like the fluffy white topping on the PIE that I still see I AM NOT CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF ENJOYING. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf PS: Where's that GODDAMNED pie? PPS: I have wrestled this back on topic with the subject, if you notice. (Yes, indeed, I have, though those unsubtle in thinking vapors, most probably men, might not see it such.) You're welcome. PPPS: Or whipped cream or fruit slices would be good too. On the side, you know. Maybe with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Or those things you do with the cheddar cheese, you know, grated light and fluffy like you do it. God, I remember the first time you made it like that, those sweet apple slices just oozing syrup, and that flaky crust, and all that cheese — fair's first, you said, and nearby was the sound of the brook and the bees just hummed lazily in the clover and you were their queen, the very body and soul of nectar and honey, and it was the finest thing you … um … GODDAMMIT, WOMAN, BAKE ME A PIE! (Hope the boys didn't see that.) Kids: Stay in school. And off drugs. And clear of nooky. But not so clear you turn to the towel-boy, because even if he looks kinda female-like … well, don't go there. Unless it's dark and no one but the Father knows. That's what Scouts are for. Here's my phone number. Hush. Hush now. It's just what men do sometimes. You're a man, aren't you? Then stop crying. No, wait, give me back my phone number. WHERE'S MY FUCKIN PIE? Oh … by the way … take an abstinence vow. Cause it'll save you from damnation. If by "damnation" you mean "my shotgun to your head" and "save" you mean "my daughter" and "I'll pull the trigger, I swear, if you ever fuck her" you mean you. That girl is MINE. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Brave New Genetic Frontiers
Leonard Matusik wrote: > > PS: with all the reproductive isolation we've foisted upon dogs (not > to mention rats!) Why haven't we created any new species? > We have. Dogs _are_ an artificial creation of Humanity Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
At 07:12 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Gautam Mukunda wrote: > >> The margin of the refinery drop too low, and >> Capitalists >> won't invest in things that don't have an >> _immediate_ high return. > > You're kidding, right? > By default, yes, but not this time. > Just to pick an example from > my old industry, a pharmaceutical company will spend > on average ~$800MM to develop a drug, and that > development process (from molecule to market) averages > ~10 years. This is not anyone's definition of an > immediate high return. This is one of those myths > that people want to believe, I think. > Ok, we dissent about the definition of "immediate", that for oil companies is something like 20 years :-) The problem is that refineries had a huge margin before the 1974 oil crisis, and then it dropped to minimum levels. Capitalist Evil Logic dictates that with such low margin it´s not worth building a new refinery. >> But it's not exactly true [*] that no new refinery >> was build, >> because those that exist are upgraded regularly to >> 2x, 4x, etc their initial capacity. > > This is absolutely true, and something I said a few > minutes ago in a talk with my Mom on this same topic. > It is also true, though, that despite these > improvements in capacity, US refining capacity was > running flat-out even before Katrina, and this is not > a good thing and something that really needed to be > alleviated with some new construction. > Yes, but who will invest, given the uncertainties of the oil prices? PDVSA? :-) Who is "PDVSA"? -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II
At 07:07 AM Thursday 9/1/2005, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Russell Chapman wrote: > > Under marshall law, in a state of emergency (and I understand both > have been declared) these people should be rounded up and used as > labour to clean up flooded hospitals or something. Makes me so angry > to think of some small business owner who is going to come in when > he sorts out his home, only to find someone thought they deserved to > just take the stock. > Those looters should at least show some ethics, like demolishing the looted stores to their grounds - this would even make the owners thankful, because they would get full insurance for the stores. Anyone who is looting big-screen TVs, computers, DVDs, and other high-ticket electronic items from stores in an area where there is no electricity and there is not likely to be electricity for weeks at the earliest (more likely months) has already shown evidence of somewhat less-than-perfect reasoning . . . -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
On Sep 1, 2005, at 5:17 AM, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Dave Land wrote: No, actually, a couple of generations later, a bunch of them turned up in Rome. Thankfully, that nice boy Nero did us all a favor by burning them as torches along his way and fed a bunch of 'em to lions. That sure shut them up, eh? This is a homophobic myth! Nero was a pacificist and gentle emperor, who only wished to be remembered as an artist and athlete. So you're suggesting that Nero sucked while Rome flamed? -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
On Sep 1, 2005, at 5:03 AM, Leonard Matusik wrote: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:19:31 -0700 Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Aug 31, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Horn, John wrote: Can someone (anyone?) explain what's going on? Some call it capitalism; some call it opportunism; some call it gouging. Actually, the grown-up answer is … What I said, but with more words. Golly, I love writing a child's guide to economy. All impromptu and whatnot. "And no one ever knew that it was a helpless little oil magnate that controlled the entire outcome of the local fair … and the crops for decades … and local elections…" Charlotte's Web indeed. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ghostpost] Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?
On Sep 1, 2005, at 5:21 AM, Leonard Matusik wrote: So guys like Thomas Paine might have considered Islamic Terrorism a worthwhile test of democracy, I think Cool. Yes. Yes. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
Warren Ockrassa wrote: Hey, I have a good idea. Let's felonize cheesecake. That'll curb cholesterol buildup in everyone. No, it'll get you a mob of angry women and bring us one step closer to the collapse of civilization. :) And if not everyone is eating cheesecake, it won't curb cholesterol buildup in *everyone* -- won't do a darn thing in MY household, for instance. Julia now, outlawing rich chocolate stuff might get you somewhere -- dead by the hands of chocoholics who can't actually handle the purer stuff :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Brave New Genetic Frontiers/ was Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed, etc, etc...in Ohio School
Wed, 31 Aug 2005 10:13:08 -0200 Alberto Monteiro wrote: >Leonard Matusik reinterpreted: >> >> "The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a New Deal >> with the Children of Man. It won't be like the Old Deal, when I when >> I allowed political machines and other synthetic persons to dominate >> their lives. It will be this way, I will place my law within them >> and inpermiate their memnats. I will be their god and they will be >> ThePeople. No longer will they need their friends and relatives to >> teach them *How to Know the Lord*. ALL, from the least to the >> greatest, shall know ME, says the lord, for I will forgive their >> selfish indulgences and not hold their short-sighted ways against >> them." - Jeremiah 31-34, with great literary license, @500 bce >> >So, in essence, Jeremiah is predicting genetic engineering of >a new race of Man, whose selfish genes will be removed :-) >Alberto Monteiro I'm not sure of many other ways such a change could be mediated... Hey, while THEY're at it, maybe they can fix my new dog up with longer toes! I could teach it to use BillPayer, do the dishes and maybe even laundry! PS: with all the reproductive isolation we've foisted upon dogs (not to mention rats!) Why haven't we created any new species? Leonard (just wanna know) Matusik [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l - Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Leonard Matusik wrote: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:19:31 -0700 Warren Ockrassa wrote: On Aug 31, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Horn, John wrote: Can someone (anyone?) explain what's going on? Some call it capitalism; some call it opportunism; some call it gouging. Actually, the grown-up answer is a little simpler. Must-needs of cash flow demand that people who sell things for a living, sell them for their anticipated cost of replacement. Gasoline is no different from anything else. Maybe the vendor makes a little short term profit. The smart ones plow it into infrastructure improvement rather than declare a divident. Or maybe they're trying to make sure they can pay for the *next* shipment, which will cost significantly more than the last one did, and aren't sure how much that will be. If the price at the Chevron station is still what it was when I came in yesterday afternoon, I'm buying gas there for once. (It's usually the most expensive gas on that road, but it was within $0.02 of the cheapest gas, which was at a couple of Shell stations, which usually charge more than the Exxon and the HEB. Weird.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: [ghostpost] Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 16:06:49 +0530 Ritu wrote: >Warren Ockrassa wrote: >> On Aug 29, 2005, at 10:56 AM, Ritu wrote: > >> > http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050901faessay84506/f-gregory-gause- > >> iii/c > >> an-democracy-stop-terrorism.html?mode=print > >> > >> Definitely worth a read. > >> Here's another question. > >> Can terrorism stop democracy? >Depends upon a polity's commitment to democracy. >Ritu So guys like Thomas Paine might have considered Islamic Terrorism a worthwhile test of democracy, I think Cool. Leonard Matusik [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l - Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
Dave Land wrote: > > No, actually, a couple of generations later, a bunch of them turned > up in Rome. Thankfully, that nice boy Nero did us all a favor by > burning them as torches along his way and fed a bunch of 'em to > lions. That sure shut them up, eh? > This is a homophobic myth! Nero was a pacificist and gentle emperor, who only wished to be remembered as an artist and athlete. Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Gautam Mukunda wrote: > >> The margin of the refinery drop too low, and >> Capitalists >> won't invest in things that don't have an >> _immediate_ high return. > > You're kidding, right? > By default, yes, but not this time. > Just to pick an example from > my old industry, a pharmaceutical company will spend > on average ~$800MM to develop a drug, and that > development process (from molecule to market) averages > ~10 years. This is not anyone's definition of an > immediate high return. This is one of those myths > that people want to believe, I think. > Ok, we dissent about the definition of "immediate", that for oil companies is something like 20 years :-) The problem is that refineries had a huge margin before the 1974 oil crisis, and then it dropped to minimum levels. Capitalist Evil Logic dictates that with such low margin it´s not worth building a new refinery. >> But it's not exactly true [*] that no new refinery >> was build, >> because those that exist are upgraded regularly to >> 2x, 4x, etc their initial capacity. > > This is absolutely true, and something I said a few > minutes ago in a talk with my Mom on this same topic. > It is also true, though, that despite these > improvements in capacity, US refining capacity was > running flat-out even before Katrina, and this is not > a good thing and something that really needed to be > alleviated with some new construction. > Yes, but who will invest, given the uncertainties of the oil prices? PDVSA? :-) Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Doom That Came To N'Warlins - II
Russell Chapman wrote: > > Under marshall law, in a state of emergency (and I understand both > have been declared) these people should be rounded up and used as > labour to clean up flooded hospitals or something. Makes me so angry > to think of some small business owner who is going to come in when > he sorts out his home, only to find someone thought they deserved to > just take the stock. > Those looters should at least show some ethics, like demolishing the looted stores to their grounds - this would even make the owners thankful, because they would get full insurance for the stores. Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Gas Prices
Wed, 31 Aug 2005 15:19:31 -0700 Warren Ockrassa wrote: >On Aug 31, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Horn, John wrote: >> Can someone (anyone?) explain what's going on? >Some call it capitalism; some call it opportunism; some call it gouging. Actually, the grown-up answer is a little simpler. Must-needs of cash flow demand that people who sell things for a living, sell them for their anticipated cost of replacement. Gasoline is no different from anything else. Maybe the vendor makes a little short term profit. The smart ones plow it into infrastructure improvement rather than declare a divident. Leonard Matusik [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 12:57:58 -0700---Warren Ockrassa continued this most interesting comparison between drugs and religion.. >That's simply not going to happen. As long as >intoxicants exist, humans will cultivate and consume them. >Actually a better way of putting it might be: As long as humans exist, >we will continue to cultivate and consume intoxicants. >There is no hope that your ideas regarding banning religion will ever >see fruition... Unless, of course, you could *Kill 'em all and let Darwin sort out the good ones" ---USMCparaphrased >If religion ever does go away it will be because we've moved beyond it, much >as >we've (for the most part) moved beyond alchemy. Unless , of course, you're a student of Carl Jung (sheesh, wasn't HE a putz) Leonard (sorry, I'm not up to thinking today) Matusik [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
On 1 Sep 2005, at 7:40 am, Dave Land wrote: On Aug 31, 2005, at 2:48 AM, William T Goodall wrote: On 31 Aug 2005, at 3:42 am, Doug Pensinger wrote: William wrote: Most of all it needs to be banned. Banning it is the best way to ensure that it flourishes. It would drive it underground. The number of people infected would be reduced and its influence in public affairs mostly silenced. Whether it would then wither away naturally or have to be rooted out is hard to judge. Amen, brother! Like when they killed that Jewish reformer in Jerusalem a couple of thousand years ago. His lot went underground and nobody ever heard from them again. No, actually, a couple of generations later, a bunch of them turned up in Rome. Thankfully, that nice boy Nero did us all a favor by burning them as torches along his way and fed a bunch of 'em to lions. That sure shut them up, eh? Sheesh. Do you EVER think before you write? My arguments must be working to free your mind :) -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ 'The true sausage buff will sooner or later want his own meat grinder.' -- Jack Schmidling ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: [ghostpost] Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?
Warren Ockrassa wrote: > On Aug 29, 2005, at 10:56 AM, Ritu wrote: > > > http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050901faessay84506/f-gregory-gause- > > iii/c > > an-democracy-stop-terrorism.html?mode=print > > > > Definitely worth a read. > > Here's another question. > > Can terrorism stop democracy? Depends upon a polity's commitment to democracy. Ritu ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: [ghostpost] Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?
On Aug 29, 2005, at 10:56 AM, Ritu wrote: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050901faessay84506/f-gregory-gause- iii/c an-democracy-stop-terrorism.html?mode=print Definitely worth a read. Here's another question. Can terrorism stop democracy? -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Abstinence Only Sex Ed: 65 out of 490 Girls Pregnant in Ohio School
On Aug 31, 2005, at 11:40 PM, Dave Land wrote: No, actually, a couple of generations later, a bunch of them turned up in Rome. Thankfully, that nice boy Nero did us all a favor by burning them as torches along his way and fed a bunch of 'em to lions. That sure shut them up, eh? Shows what you know. They got involved in government, and their corruption quickly exposed them as being the opportunistic savages they were. Public outcry was strong enough that they were driven out of Rome to some Saracen stronghold. Istanbul, I think it was. That cleared up the problem forever. Right? Hey, I have a good idea. Let's felonize cheesecake. That'll curb cholesterol buildup in everyone. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror" http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l