Smoke and Mirrors

great summary Guffman...

only thing i can add to this thread is in the 18,000 miles i driven my Prius, i have averaged less than four cents per mile. $728 accounts for every penny of gas ever purchased for the car.

when GM builds something like that, then maybe they will have a product to sell. build one that will last a few hundred thousand miles then they may have stock worth buying.

continue to pretend that we dont need to conserve on gas and they can die for all i care. they dont care about me, why should i care about them?

 

So?

This is yet another example of "robbing Peter to pay Paul." They offered Loss Leader pricing and discounts - which actually reflect the HUGE margins on SUV's and pickups that nobody really needs - so any inventory they planned on moving has been moved.

Unless consumers are even MORE dumber and gullible than I had ever feared, nobody in their right mind is going to buy a gas guzzling SUV or pickup now. Even with gasoline prices slowly on the decline. Though I bet if you had your way, every vehicle in North America would be a Suburban at 12 MPG.

I’ve noticed at GMC/Chevy lots the pickups and SUV’s are just sitting there. At least in Winnipeg folks appear to have gotten the message. OTOH small cars have all but disappeared from Honda and Toyota lots.

Kind of sad how Honda strayed from their efficient and desirable small car line with a few SUV’s and that Ridgeline, but recent fuel prices may encourage them to drop those lines.

Unlike the domestics, Honda and Toyota will take some losses on their unnecessary large pickups and SUV’s, but have plenty of desirable and efficient small cars to fall back on. Ford has the Focus, but only with what is in Europe the largest “performance†motor. Too bad they don’t offer the 3 cylinder here.

BTW have you noticed how the priority is now on gasoline fractionation and NOT on diesel fractionation at refineries? How very ironic we as a society have now made it a bit cheaper for the idiot Hummer or Suburban driver to fill up, at the expense of higher produce prices at the grocery store.

Since you claim to be a smart fellow, I guess you already know that most of the food at your local grocery store depends on diesel fuel for transportation, right? Either a diesel locomotive pulls a long freight train, or a Class 8 highway tractor with a diesel motor pulls a trailer behind. Diesel prices have dramatically increased.

Grocery prices have actually gone up a lot more here in Canada, owing to the average 5,000 mile transport of food. A lot of us in the office this morning are wondering how many Seniors on fixed incomes will have to slowly starve to generously give a break to all those “patriotic†pickup and SUV drivers.

 

Ah, but that is the American way. The Canadian way too. To hell with the future, our kids and grandkids, as long as we can squeal at the feed trough and wallow around in our own excrement.

 

It's my understanding that Merck, Eli Lily, and Pfizer offer very effective modalities for this problem.

 

I sure hope that doesn't happen. When gas prices were a bit over $3 a gallon, folks actually slowed down and drove more defensively and in a more courteous manner. Folks also realized their Suburban Dream was more of a Myth and were starting to re-evaluate their finances and goals.

If deficit spending and backroom deals are used to artificially lower the price of gasoline to $2 or – God Help Us - $1, we’ll be setting ourselves up for an even bigger problem. We’ll have even more far-flung Bedroom Communities, even more gas guzzling useless vehicles, and be even deeper in debt.

Say the next time we piss off OPEC. You are aware that our domestic oil production peaked a long time ago, right? All the “real†economists and oil company engineers admit this:

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net

The Peak Oil theory was actually started by Royal Dutch Shell geophysicist Dr. M. King Hubbert in the late 1950’s. Of course, our current crop of politicians and the Big Three executives really poo-poo this idea, as it might frighten the Sheeple.

Or how about a giant Tsunami that should wash away every oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico or the Grand Banks off Newfoundland?

Denial isn’t just a nightclub in McMaynerberry (Source: King of the Hill, the episode where Dale’s father comes out)

 

:lol:

 

I second that! We haven't had this many laughs in the office since we found out Sid in Accounts actually had a rug on. You'll never guess where his rug decided to part with his head, I still giggle thinking about it ...

 

I'm not really sure whose postings are more crackpot-ish.

 

Well, DUH, really?

We all know that, but it's just TOO fun. At least it is for me. Sadly he reminds me of those drooling fans of various MLB or NFL teams who would cheerfully wash their jockstraps by hand.

BTW I LOVE your signature. Anybody know where I can find an actual bumper sticker?

 

What do you mean?...I firmly agree with what Jayman is saying here.

 

Is that his picture in the upper left at
http://www.xmfan.com/album_personal.php?user_id=12766

 

Me too. In fact, I think it's too bad gas prices don't continue to rise. But I'd rather see a gas tax hike than Exxon/Mobile or others make the profit.

What would happen if gas prices started to go up to $5, $6 or even $7 a gallon? How would that affect people's view on things and driving? I think we really need an eye opener similiar to that to get people to change.

 

Indeed. The natural disasters of this summer really showed people that the end to cheap gas is near. Even if gas prices fall, I'm willing to bet that people will still remember the time after Katrina and the problems those caused.

Fuel economy is going to be on everyone's mind.

 

Malorn:
Did you take your meds today?

[Broken External Image]:http://members.cox.net/aye-aye/fuki.jpg

 

I think that all depends on how far it falls. If prices drop under $2/gal, I think people will forget all about this past September.

 

actually they're going to be ramping up their Kentucky Camry plant for the 07s (including hybrid) very soon...

Have you mentioned that most of the highest selling Toyota vehicle (the Camry) for the American market is built right here?

Your isolationist rantings are getting old.