Rant ahead!
Posts are light this week because I’m on medication for my back pain and it makes me very loopy. But I just wanted to pop in and say that I’m thoroughly disgusted with the blabber about oil prices. It’s bad enough that oil prices are so high- it’s worse that it’s really because governments and speculators are making it so high. And then we have the self-proclaimed wise, socialist pundits who, with baited breath, watch the price that that stupid black goo bounce up and down and all around. They gleefully and sadistically report the most miniscule rise and fall as if oil is a new drunken celebrity.
High oil prices have crippled an already devastated Upstate New York economy. I don’t find it fascinating, funny, or encouraging at all. And I hate it being in my face all the time.
So I just heard that oil prices are going down (for this minute, anyway). That makes me happy to hear some good news- I mean if they are going to constantly shove news down our throats, it may as well be good, right? Then I read about some folks who are angry that oil prices are going down! They say oil prices should go up much more, because it’s the only thing motivating the evil corporations to invest in alternative energy! And it gets us lazy Americans buying hybrids instead of SUVs!
Argh, that makes me so mad. What?! We NEED the cost of living to go through the roof in order to inspire alternative energy devices?!? That’s like saying we need more wars so we can appreciate times of peace, and do more to encourage peace. Ridiculous!
I think the people who are happy that prices are going up don’t realize that it’s on the backs of the poor that you’re getting your hybrids and windmills.
Alternative energy and thrift should be the goal ALL of the time. There are other ways to force corporations and big spenders to invest in them, rather than killing the economy for those people at the bottom of the economic totem pole. Argh!
Just had to get that off my chest… lol
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:) I’m a married mom of four teenage children. We live in Upstate New York in a soon-to-be-renovated 1855 house with our dog, cockatiel, and three cats. Life is never dull, and exciting things just seem to always happen to me... why me...
September 12th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
As a fellow New Yorker and American who is SICK AND TIRED of hearing about oil prices - kudos on a great post! I Digg-ed ya.
September 13th, 2008 at 12:30 am
I’m with you on this matter … plus I want to say I hope your back feels better soon!
September 13th, 2008 at 4:21 am
And not just the bottom of the totem pole either - higher gas prices make higher food prices and higher prices on all other goods that have to be transported by truck, and that is squeezing us in the middle too!
September 13th, 2008 at 7:57 am
I sure hope you back gets better soon! Not that I don’t a rant here and there, but aren’t you in the middle of a renovation project? You need a good, sound back.
As for oil prices … at least the price of gas … don’t hold your breath. Now that Ike has blown through the refineries in the southern part of Texas, we can expect a huge jump. Another reason to hate Ike.
September 13th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Well- I kind of swing both ways, I think that if prices go higher Americans will become less selfish and materialistic… then on the other hand I think it matters not and that there are a lot of people having a real hard go of it. I really sympathize, because I have five kids and sometimes we are barely eeking by.
September 13th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Rebecca, I hope you are feeling better very soon!
I’m with you on green solutions and thrift -
September 13th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I’m with you a hundred percent!
Hope you’re feeling better quickly!
September 13th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
I am totally agreeing with you on this one! Here in West-Central Wisconsin gas is about $3.84 a gallon and everything in the stores have gone up atleast 25 - 50 cents.
And our fuel oil for winter doesn’t even allow a buy ahead feature, in case things sky-rocket. As if it’s our fault that the prices are going up!
Thank you for this post!!
September 14th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I hope you feel better soon. I think that there is a lot of consumer demand for alternative energy and when gas prices come down, it won’t deter companies from looking for them as their customers clamour for it. The one that I don’t agree with is the new green lightbulbs. They may last longer and save lots of cash that way, but because they have mercury in it, if someone drops and breaks one, it is a much larger hazard. I hear some people want to make it manadatory, and then we’ll have had to waste money on specialized cleanup people and a private or government agency to process the spill scene or the ones that are all used up and need to be dealt with.
NOT COOL!
I rather use my reveal lightbulbs and turn the lights off when I leave a room, leave the drapes off the windows to bring in more light and replace them with sheers or nothing.
Just an aside: Pain medication influenced posts would probably be pretty interesting! I know i probably said some crazy stuff when I was in your shoes before.
September 14th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
There is a big difference between rants and thoughtful frustration. This post would certainly be thoughtful frustration. You also get a thumb up, gold star and pat on the back from me. In other words, I agree. Something that mystifies me is when apprx. 40-50 million used cars are bought every year largely due to the lower price tag; how are middle class and the poor going to buy alternative energy cars? This could spell govt. subsidy and maybe even nationalizing of the auto industry. That would be bad- imo. Very bad. Some would say it’s not possible. But have Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac basically nationalized. It is possible.
September 17th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Thank you SO MUCH for your kind words of encouragement. I am sitting up to type this, so I am doing better.
It’s good to know so many other people see the “oil crisis” as it really is. We really need to speak up, I think, and force the government to listen. God know what stupid idea they’re ready to foist on us soon…