Oily to bed and oily to rise.

Oil Jumps Back Above $100 on a Texas Refinery Outage and Possible OPEC Production Cut

NEW YORK (AP) - Oil futures shot higher Tuesday, closing above $100 for the first time as investors bet that crude prices will keep climbing despite evidence of plentiful supplies and falling demand. At the pump, gas prices rose further above $3 a gallon.

It's a continual source of amazement to me that we, as a generally progressive thinking people continue to base our economy and life on such a fragile element as the production of oil. It's the infant child of products. Every little issue affects its production. Storms, spikes in production, limits on resources, holidays, seasons, consumer sentiment ... you name it. Did you notice the word "possible" in that headline? I didn't make it up, that was the actual story headline. They can raise prices based on something that they think might happen. If it doesn't happen, do prices decrease? What do you think? HINT: The answer is no.

Producers and price-setters use any and every excuse in the book (and some that aren't yet in the book) to make up a reason to raise prices. We, like the bent-over consumers that we are, accept the increases because we have no choice.

The people in charge of giving us a choice have given us none, because they are so deeply in the pockets of the producers that it doesn't make economic or political (emphasis on political) sense to find a (dare I say) alternative source of propulsion for these vehicles to which we are so encumbered.

Two continuing sources of energy exist. One is above our heads for about 12 hours every day and the other is so abundant that it needs oxygen to filter out its effects, lest we die. Guessed? The Sun and hydrogen.

It can't be the biggest problem in the world. It isn't even an issue to figure out how to use them because we already know. The huge half-million dollar homes that are being built could store enough solar cells to make their own electricity and the automobiles we carry our fat asses around in can be made to run on water-producing hydrogen. I realize I'm spitting into the wind here, but really ... is it the hardest thing in the world?

Those nutty bastards in Norway are building HyNor, a 400 mile road that runs the southern perimiter of the country with hydrogen fueling stations to fill up ... anyone? ... hydrogen powered ... anyone ... cars. Hydrogen powered cars. I know what you're thinking: You like the Goddamned Norwegians so much, why don't you go live there? OK. Who wants to come with? They have hydrogen filling stations in Iceland too, another bunch of crazy bastards.

That's why I scoff at the issue of "change" that is being spouted by the current crop of Democrats running for president. Neither of them are saying anything about real change. The kind of change that might make people alter their lifestyles enough to make the world a better place. God forbid. You don't know what change is, and if they told you what it was, most people wouldn't vote for them - which is why they don't tell us.

We like our giant vehicles because they're supposed to make us feel safer. Really. Do you feel safe when you're pulling out a fifty-dollar bill to partially fill your gas tank? Count the number of these bohemoths that are running around with one person inside. You're wasting your money, people. For all the use you get out of that giant piece of steel you could be running a much smaller vehicle at less than half the cost. Put a set of tires on that thing and tell me how you feel.

It's out of control. My car gets 32 mpg and emits almost zero flurocarbons - and I'm pissed. Why aren't you? Twenty dollars worth of gasoline (in less-than-average priced New Jersey) barely puts 7 gallons in my tank.

Would you like another answer? How about a car that runs on compressed air. You're Goddamned right, thrill seekers. Compressed fucking air. Take that, Arab oil bastards.

The same air you use to fill your tires. The air is compressed and used to power the pistons that drive the car. 200 kilometers (124 miles) on a tank of air. Once they figure out a way to put the compressor in the car, you'll have a perpetual motion machine. A car that runs on its own compressed air and spews out cooled ... anyone? ... cooled air.

Think I'm wacky? Sure you do. Visit the web site.

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