Mobil Oil /Record Profits

[cheri1122]

Isn't freedom of speech a great thing?! :7 Now, I'd like to respond to a couple of Greg's points.
First - you're right that I don't understand this war. (Except that I think Bush needed a distraction large enough to draw our attention away from the failure to find Osama. And I also think that given the choice between spending many of his days trying to persuade legislators to approve his social agendas, or conferring with the "top brass" in the military & national security agencies, a war was absolutely predictable. Really - faced with the need to get agreement from Congressmen & Senators, many of whom have been in office nearly as long as Mr President has been out of diapers, don't you think he'd much rather spend his time with leaders who respect him? They show him all the latest gear for spying & killing, and he promises to buy it for them - everybody's happy!)
I have to say that I don't understand any war. How the government can say that killing is wrong, then kill a lot of people, many of whom are innocent civilians, is beyond me. I don't even understand how they can execute people for killing people! When I was a child, I had no choice but to accept it when my parents said "Do as I say, not as I do", but must we accept it from our government? The truism "War doesn't determine who's right- only who's left" is the final truth for me.
Last, you are wrong about the administration being unable to act without authorization from Congress. That is the way our system is designed to work, but this President feels he doesn't need anyone's approval to do as he wishes. That is the scary part for me - does the ex-cheerleader (thanks, Cal!) think he is King George now?

 

[greg334]

Now Tallcal101, you make me laugh, yep your right Bush was a Harvard grad but as for a Rhodes scholar (i.e. a student’s doorway to Oxford), I give Clinton credit for getting there, but really that is something that needs to be taken with a grain of salt because Harvard has more sent more Rhodes scholars to Oxford than any other University in the US and it is only a two year extension of academics, s in the bigger scheme of things, big deal – both went to school. Whether or not either is more intelligent than the other, well I can’t answer that because I have not been in their shoes as president, Clinton does deliver messages a lot better. What is on the surface is not what is in the mind, beside they got their how? It ain’t because they were dumb, is it?

Read again what I said – Clinton had his chance (meaning the energy thing), he didn’t do a thing except give us more restrictions in our world (he wasn’t that smart), Carter caused a lot of the problems we have today (and got a prize for ruining our country) and all the others, both republican and democratic have had chances but failed us miserably. The blame goes both ways and with every administration from Wilson to date.

One of my guys?!? Hey I am not a Republican, wrongo bucko! I seem to be one who has no real affiliation (don’t play the party line c**p) and believe that it is the person, not the party that matter.

I whole heartily hope that the facts do come out with the supply chain of fuel in this country. I blame the states as much as I blame anyone else for the prices, outrageous taxes and no uniformed pricing structure in most states is a real big deal for me. Imaging paying $2.79 at one station (BP) and going down the street and paying $2.49 (BP again), what’s up with that?

Well Cheri1122 I also agree most of what you said, I understand some of the aspects of the war and understand the enemy well enough to see the threat and how our country is being destroyed from within but really the thing that I find hard to grasp is why not delay the action in Iraq for 6 months, maybe a year and plan out a better strategy, there were countless lessons learned with WW2.

As for the WMD stuff, many of you never worked in a lab, especially one that has a lot of this bad stuff around. Making some things, even small quantities is not as difficult as it seems to be, chemistry degree and some common equipment, bingo WMDs in your own basement. If some chemistry student at U of M (who is on a limited budget) can come up with some poisons, what makes you think that a leader of a country with truck loads of US currency at his palaces can’t make some of these nasty chemicals?

The sad thing is that War is part of human nature, something that is made necessary to protect freedoms and such. may not be the case in Iraq, we are there and our congress actually voted on it – so I think we should just support the mission and get out as soon as we can, meaning when we can be safe here. As far as intelligence, hey there are things that everyone at the top knew, both democrat and republican so they are both to blame.

OK I think you misunderstood, I said the president can’t work without them (meaning Congress) and it is they who make the laws and actually spend the money. What I mean is that Congress makes the laws (accept if you are of the opinion that the courts can make laws, which is wrong), Votes on the budget the president proposes and does the actually spending of the money through the programs he creates. They all have to work together to make the country work, remember the budget crisis in the 90’s (thanks Newt – bad Newt) and the term gridlock. This is the form of the checks and balances system in the government. Every presidential appointee has to be approved (Alito anyone?), his proposed budget has to be negotiated and voted on and before war takes place he has to actually get approval to declare war unless we are attacked. Most of what people think that he has a free hand to do what ever he wants; nope that is not how the system works and I am really glad there is no way he can become a dictator.

 

[tallcal101]

One thing is for sure Greg,you are very well spoken,and a hell of alot better speller then me.I crank these replies out while I'm supposed to be talking to irrate customers I'm moving and want to know where the hell their moving van is.
So please excuse me.
Regarding "the mission",Im sorry,I thought the "mission "was accomplished when W stood on the air craft carrier and declared as much.That was 3000 souls ago.
Please explain to this pea brained Californian what the "mission"is.
Is it the same as the mission in Viet Naum?I sure hope the ****not!!Is it to make Iraq look alot like Vermont,or Oregon?Good luck.
Is it to create more terrorists everyday by pissing off the entire Muslam world?
Mission accomplished!!
Let me know when it's over,ok?I'll buy you a beer and we can celebrate.

 

[greg334]

Sorry if that was the greatest moment of the war, I thought that was a sort of a PR stunt. The mission is to get the country stable enough to stand on its own, if that is possible and get out of there. I hope that is agreeable to you. Vietnam, well I have some very strong feelings about that police action, we won't go there.

Oh by the way it takes a while for me to write something except now, I am laughing at your great replies (compliment, not insult), it is great we can discuss this without .... well put it this way this isn't China. LOL

 

[tallcal101]

I find you a very intersting fellow.I would like to converse about some other topics,such as intertnational travel(per your handle).
I have traveled extensivley for my work,and seen some very cool places,including hangin' out with headhunters in Irian Jaya(western New Guinea)much of Africa,the Arctic,the Andes,Australia 15 times,most of Europe and all of Asia,including Mongolia.
Moving people to these remote areas's of the World has required my actually going there to oversee getting operation up and running.It has certainly given me a deep appreciation of my home,and an even deeper appreciation of the World at large.
Have you traveled as well?I really think that getting out of the States is so important,it should be required,like Algebra,for everyone.
I guess it was not a real blessing to have born in San Francisco and grown up here in the 60's,it certainly formed my political views,and they have been part of my crusade ever since.But I did have many connections to all the great music that came out of here(went to school with the Dead,had a light show at the Fillmore and developed an appreciation for the need to be involved in the process of change.I won't go into detail about the war years either.But I lost many close friends,and have a deep respect for our soldiers and vets.They are the best.
How did you get into expediting?Do you drive a van?This business draws many differnt types of people,and many very bright people as well.I'm very impressed with all who post on this sight.
I drove a moving van a long time ago,then tour bus's for bands for a number of years.I toured with the Rolling Stones in Europe in 1990,did some air freight for them.
Any way,how about a little about Greg.Don't worry,even though I'm from San Fran,I'm happily married and very straight.Seems people from east of the Rockies are suspicious.
TallCal

 

[greg334]

Well Tallcal, I will send you a bio soon, I want to take that off line not to make it the tallcal, greg334 show here on EO. I get long winded, something I try not to do but it is a bad habit.

 

[apollo]

Seems like everyone is getting excited and reacting to a few headlines. Just what the media wants. Chaos..

We have to remember that oil is not in the $25 to $30 a barrel price range(when gas was $1.40 a gallon), now it is $60+ a barrel. If these oil companies had not advanced their technology, drilling and recovery methods, etc, etc... gas would be $7 a gallon.

"Millions of Americans own stock in oil companies either directly as shareholders, as owners of mutual fund shares or as participants in pension fund and other retirement accounts. Each year, dividends paid by oil companies put hundreds of millions of dollars into the hands of the public."
(Your IRA's, 401k's, other retirement investments, etc..)

Some more links for reading and learning how the industry works. Without the oil and energy business there would be no business, just like if there are no trucks, there is no business. It is not the Chevrons, Exxons, Conoco, etc sticking it to us or ripping us off, it is just the way the economy is right now. Seems eveyone has a knee jerk reaction to media headlines. Does the media ever have anything pleasant to say...NO. It is always doom and gloom and the media trying to stir things up.

The links below may help to educate everyone on exactly what is going on with oil prices and as a result the price we pay at the pump.

Good reading. Be safe.....

[link:www.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm?news_id=9685|Energy.gov]

[link:www.conocophillips.com/newsroom/other_resources/energyanswers/oil_profits.htm|Conoco - Oil Company Profits]

[link:www.wtrg.com/prices.htm|WTRG]

[link:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012600232.html|Washington Post]

 

[Panzer]

All I can say is that I do hope the oil companies put their profits into research and exploration for new resourcces. Research into alternative fuels, like bio-diesel, Alcohol types, and Hydrogen. They have the network and distrubtion for this to work. And of course, keep finding new ways to find oil and natural gas and extract it.