Now I won't feel so bad when I fill up the gas tank.

Someone explain to me again why some justify high gas prices??

supply and demand

Yeah, thats always the reason. LOL I wonder who creates the demand us or them? There has always been demand and up until recently the prices never jumped around like they have the past few years. Working in manufacturing I have seen how to drive up prices. Lower the supply so demand goes up that way you can raise prices for short supply.

I say we're addicted because I know many that complain about the price of gasoline, but few who are willing to do anything to even remotely change their lifestyle to reduce consumption.

supply and demand

And what does that have to do with the price of gas in this country, which is brought on, in part, by our refusal (myself included) to go out of our way even a little to reduce our dependence.

Id, you've proven your point that oil companies have despicable practices and are likely in cahoots with the Bush administration. I don't want to pay this much for gas. I don't want to pay as much as I do for a lot of things in life. But I have a hard time damning oil companies for making profits. That is what they are in business for, right?

Now may I ask, do you have any "big oil" in your investment/retirement/401k accounts? I sure wish I did.

Ethanol-blended fuel is being phased in because the existing additive known as MTBE has raised environmental and health concerns.

"The switch from MTBE to ethanol is also boosting prices because ethanol is more expensive," Armstrong said.

Add to the mix shipping and storage costs and state and federal taxes, and the costs keep climbing. At the end of the supply chain is the consumer.

Exxon is a company with a market capitalization (all of the company's shares X the price per share) of roughly $356 trillion bucks. If the $10 billion profit held true for 4 quarters, you're looking at a $40 billion profit. If my math is right, that's aroud 10% of the market capitalization.

The best I can tell, Exxon has a little over 6.2 billion shares out there. Spread that profit out over all the shares and you're looking at less than a couple bucks per share. That is not excessive at all.

Exxon stock info.

It's a publicly traded company. If you want to be part of evil "big oil", a share can be had today for $57.18.

Millennium - you don't know me, but I use much less gas then most people. I purposely live within 5 miles of work, drive less than 6k a year (my wife less than that), and drive a car that gets very nice mileage. I don't feel that sorry for people that chose to live so far from their jobs and get a little tired of hearing about it. I didn't want to be slaved to a commute to make a few extra bucks. I refuse to change my habits anymore until I see some others make an effort.

Go take your perceived intellectual and moral superiority and shove it in the box you believe you think outside. Better yet shove it in your ass.

And what does that have to do with the price of gas in this country, which is brought on, in part, by our refusal (myself included) to go out of our way even a little to reduce our dependence.

Now may I ask, do you have any "big oil" in your investment/retirement/401k accounts? I sure wish I did.

Alternative investments pay off for the very rich

By Deborah Brewster in New York
Published: April 19 2006 19:58 | Last updated: April 19 2006 19:58

The number of very rich people in the US grew last year at the fastest pace in at least a decade as their moves into international stockmarkets, real estate and alternative investments paid off.

The number of households with $5m (€4m) or more in investable assets – excluding the family home – rose by 26 per cent to a record 930,000, according to a study by Spectrem Group. That is the biggest jump since Spectrem began its survey in 1996. The number of millionaires rose by 11 per cent, to a record 8.3m – the second biggest jump in the decade since they were surveyed.

The overall affluent market – households with $500,000 or more – rose by 7 per cent to a record 14m. This group fared the worst in the wake of the stockmarket collapse, with their numbers falling sharply from 2000.

Last year was the first time their total passed that of their peak in 1999. Catherine McBreen, a managing director at Spectrem, said: “It’s been a great couple of years for America’s millionaires ... the stockmarket, which posted solid improvement in 2005, was one reason for the advance. However, for the wealthiest Americans it appears the increased use of international markets and alternative investments were key drivers of their improvement.”

George Walper, president of Sprectrem, said the group had questioned respondents on their investments and returns, and also examined the returns of international markets and alternative investments to ensure the veracity of the results. In a sudden reversal of their longstanding affinity for their domestic market, US investors last year put more than $130bn into international mutual funds, more than three times the amount they put into US funds.

Most overseas markets performed better than the US market, so their switch paid off.

Hedge funds returned on average only slightly more than the US stockmarket last year, but investable real estate and some private equity investments returned more than this.

Affluent households, on average, held close to half their money in assets – stocks, bonds and alternative investments – and a larger than usual amount of cash, Spectrem said.

The affluent reported a greater satisfaction with their financial advisers than in recent years, but this was still short of the highest level previously reported. Those who used advisers were shifting back to use full-service brokers as their main advisers.

Funds go for ONGC; Reliance slips as top stock

ONGC moved higher to top the fund house favourites list replacing Reliance.

snip

Among the fund house favourites, ONGC moved higher to top the list replacing Reliance Industries. It is the top held stock by four MFs – ING Vysya, Standard Chartered, Tata, and PRINCIPAL, while Reliance was held by 3 MFs – DSP ML, Reliance, and Deutsche.

He got the most votes in Florida, no argument from me there. I know how sensitive you are about that particular subject.

You wrote the above which sounds like someone willing to not only take the abuse but proud to defend the abuser.

Now, you back track.

You don't use less gas than me since I don't own a car, truck or even a gas lawnmower. Yet, I still have to pay for the high cost of gas everytime I go to the grocery store.

Do you ever think about that when you shove your selfish and rude behind behind your steering wheel?

No, I don't blame folks who live in the country and have to drive to get almost anywhere. I do take exception to anyone who drives and just shrugs and say what can anyone do?

Folks who drive in a large city that has mass transit are a big part of the problem. Imagine having such a love affair with a car that you buy a deeded parking space for the price of a house down payment.

Rule #1 - Challenge SMan and be labelled a troll

Where were all you guys when alot of the oil companies were going bankrupt...

Jeez...does Idiot have all the answers written down somewhere?

So it is Bush and Cheney -- that's why gas prices are high? Not supply and demand? Nor governmental regulation, blend requirements, and gas taxes?

If I recall correctly, if Billy C had not vetoed drilling in ANWAR about 8-9 years ago about 1M barells a day would be flowing from there by now. But nooo...... gotta protect the moss I suppose.

So tell me then, in the last two weeks when the price of gas has gone up 10%, what happened?

1. Did supply suddenly go down?
2. Did demand suddenly go up?
3. Did Congress pass any regulations while they were in recess?
4. Blend requirements change?
5. Taxes go up?
6. Did someone threaten a nuclear attack on a major oil producer?

Oops, how did that get in there?

1. China & India are using more & more fuel.
2. Non-drilling in the last 10+ years.
3. No new refineries.
4. No nuclear power plants due to regulations.
5. Damaged & Destroyed Refineries.
6. This is the time of year (Mar-Apr) when they take the refineries off line which need repair before the summer heat & recreation needs.
7. Blend requirements keep being added every year by new states. You cannot make 3 types of gas anymore, you have to make 40+ different blends for different states. This is the same as making everyone a pair of bluejeans but instead of the dark, light & stonewashed varieties, you must have those three types but 1 set of each type has to be sewn with blue thread, the next ones with yellow, the next set with green, then sparkley thread--all which requires rethreading the sewing machine for each type...and then you only want 6 of each type...so instead of it taking 1 day to make the 30 pairs it takes 3 days...

You would have us believe that Bush threatened Iran to raise iol prices for his buddies???

Where were you a few months ago when prices were dropping a dime or more a week? Where were your wacky theories then?

Indeed go Ron.

Hold up the business of the American People.

Conservation and alternative fuels are long term strategies. Wouldn't accomplish much in the near term.

I haven't offered any theories, I've just asked questions. You're the one coming up with the "wacky" theories.

DON'T BE COY -- REF. YOUR SIG AND #6 IN YOUR PREVIOUS POST.

Your sig says I'm an ass.

supply and demand

Did supply suddenly go up or did demand suddenly go down?

nope its not supply and demand, hasnt been for a long time, it turned into greed from wall street , thats what oreilly said .. every thing that can hold oil is full, after november it will go back up, a lot.