Thank you for your opinion…I guess your opinion and mine are about the same. I was not trying to point fingers, just to see what others thought, and what they were going to do, and how it would effect other parts of our world…but I think I am more confused now than I was. I will have to do whatever I can.
Regarding “gouging” on holiday weekends.
1) what do you pay for a movie at noon vs 9pm
2) what do you pay for a cabin rental summer vs winter
3) what do you pay for drinks during happy hour vs other times
4) what do you pay for crab legs in season or off season
5) what do you pay for one beer vs a case on a price/ounce basis
Price discrimination is VERY common. If you call that gouging, then everyone does it.
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Jon pretty much hit the nail on the head…
The Bush admin needs to crack the whip on Iran and quit calling bluffs..
The Star and Trib really cracks me up. Still living in a fantasy world.
Yea whatever Jon says…. 
Please tell us how you would have King George “crack the whip”? I just have to hear this. We are all out of whips! The bush admin can’t even get enough troops in Iraq to cause more than a water bed effect. Stop the problems in one place and they pop up some place else. The troops over there are the best in the world but when you have politicians micro managing the effort it makes it hard for them to do what they do best. The only way out of this BS is to use alternitive fuels of some kind. We can not invade every country that produces oil.
The weekend came early. Prices in Rochester just jumped to $2.82 
It would not surprise me at all to wake up tomorrow to news that we have attacked Iran and took out their weapons making abilities. I doubt the current administration will sit on the sidelines while Iran develops nuclear bombs with the stated intent of destroying Israel. With that said, it would be no surprise to me if Israel beats us to it.
I’ll stick to what I wrote earlier. Political stability in the Middle East is key to lower oil prices, or at least stable oil/gas prices here in the US.
We are still bottle necked here with limited refining capability. 25% of the Gulf refineries are still off line from Kartina damage. Nigerian rebels are threatening to destroy that countries pipelines to cut off the oil that country exports. The price of oil on the world market hit a new high yesterday. Prices at the pump will go up. How much? Probably will hit the $4 a gallon mark here soon.
It’s real easy to sit back and blame “King George” and blindly ignore reality. The fact is we are at war with terrorists who want exactly what is happening here. High energy prices to destabilize the economy. Are you willing to admit defeat?
As far as “Alternative Energy” goes. Fine with me. But everyone seems to think alternative energy and cheap are going to go hand in hand. Fact is alternative energy will make $4 a gallon gas look cheap!
-J.
Dave.
1. what time is the “matinee” at the pump ?
2. when can I get “winter rates” at the pump ?
3. when is “happy hour” at the pump ?
4. when is the “out of season” to drill oil ?
5. Hell, beer ? give me the case !!!
big g 
There is a limited supply of oil and with world population explosions it is going to continue to get a lot more expensive. From what I have read, I believe it is going to happen very quickly! It would not surprise me if gas hits $5/gal in five years and continues up from there.
When driving next to the big SUVs & trucks (while they are hauling/towing nothing) I can’t help but feel they are wasting our limited supply of energy. These people may feel because they can afford the high gas price they are entitled to burn as much energy as they desire. What they may not realize is they are depleting the limited oil supply at a much higher rate than someone driving a more energy efficient vehicle. They are essentially driving the prices up for everyone and polluting our environment at a faster rate. This is the American mentality for many and I believe it is going to be changing weather we like it or not.
Wasting gas may soon be seriously frowned upon by society and extra fees imposed upon those of us who do it. I believe we will see many more households with 3 different vehicles – a small electric car for short city trips, a small gas car for between city trips, and a midsize vehicle for towing and transporting several people.
Many of us will most lightly need to downsize our current tow vehicle to a small 4-cylinder car and be pulling a small boat like a 16’ Lund SSV with a 25hp 4-stroke. We will be forced to cut back on gas usage as prices increase. But, at least we should be able to continue to go fishing for a few more years and maybe even find that getting back to the fishing basics can be rewarding.
Dave Gulczinski’s 2 cents
look all…….
We’ve been through a gas crisis before and survived…..Do we all remember back in the 70s.
Eventually the urban sprawl died and people quit buying big cadilacs and lincolns………People lived within their means by driving economy cars instead of gas guzzlers and they decided to live in the city they worked instead of communiting……….
Circle of life man……….circle of life…….
All will be just fine IF YOU LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS!!!!!!!!!!
I understand the law of supply and demand and i have a hard time believing that in the last year or 2 the demand has gotten that out of hand all of a sudden too make these prices do what they are doing. The demand didnt go that nuts that quickly, no way.
China is the main cluprit. They now have a society that have come off the farms into the working class roles in factories. Do a Google search on China and Oil Consumption, or the like.
All I hope is that this pushes us to do some SERIOUS research on alternative energy sources. Using hydrogen, developing better hybrid technology or something.
I agree, we need to cut the unbilicOIL cord! At risk is our independence and therein our national strength, cost per unit of altenative energy a distant secondary consideration! If you do not subscribe to that, my suggestion is to learn Arabic! It may help you plead for mercy! 
China and India, both are countries developing an insatiable thirst for oil! The USA, represents 2-4% of the worlds population and we now consume 25% of the world’s oil supply. That is going to change radically! The world is at Peak Oil now, according to some experts or soon to be, that means we have consumed 50% of the world’s non renewable oil resources. The time it has taken to consume the first half of the oil supply, I contend, will be greater by a factor of 10 (or more) than the time it will take to consume the last half!
This, to our oil driven economy, should be a warning of cataclysmic proportions! If you listen, even now with a critical ear, you can hear the wail of the distant warning sirens! But then, in our afluent, lethargic society, who is listening? 
Combining the Boy Scout Moto of “Be Prepared” with an old Indian strategy, Geronimo say, steal plenty horses now (and hay) and you will always remain range rover; Also, as a by product, horses are a known supply of plenty cheap gas!
Jon i seen your entries about the post that there aren’t any 100 mile a gallon carburators and i want to say i agree with you on most subjects and the others i just don’t know enough to make my mind up yet. Popular mechanics had an article of just a carb years ago that my auto mechanics teacher told me about and this is how it works. I read the second entry on the amount of btu’s needed to attain a certain amount of horse power to overcome inertia and this is true but the diffrence is how the fuel is put into place so they can be burned to achieve these btu’s. The way this carburator worked was it had a revolving screen that half ran in reserviour of gasoile and the other top half of the revolving screen ran in an opening where the intake or air going to the cylinders was drawn through the revolving screen. When the air went through the screen it picked up the vapors and was delivered to each cylinder on the intake stroke. The revolving screen with the amount of air flow going through it picked up this vaporized gasoiline. The math they put into laymens terms was that liquid gasoline or atomized gasoline does not burn which it dosen’t just the vapors coming from it. The other example to explain to everybody how this worked so people could see it was that they gave the example of have you ever seen stock cars or dragsters run on the drag strip. The fire coming out of the exhaust pipes is unburned fule burning after the it exits the cylinder and thus the power that could be gotten from this unburnt fuel was wasted. This is unused power. The way this carburator worked is it delivers only gasoline vapors to the cylinders like natural gas and then its burned. Another example he gave is that if you could vaporize gasoline, not atomize it like its done now and in all the old carburators you’d get far better milage. A gallon of atomized gasoline gets only a certain amount of milage with unburnt fuel leaving the cylinders in the form of fire. If this same gallon of gasoline was vaporized to total vapor the fuel would be burned completely befor leaving the cylinders just like natural gas is in a natural gas powered vehicle, the only diffrence in the two types is one is atomized which gives far less milage and the other is vaporized which gives better milage. A gallon of gasoilne in atomized form attains only a certain volume while that same gallon of gas vaporized attain alot more volume and goes further. If you have an engine burning the gasoline with fire, unburnt fuel coming out of the cylinders imiagine if it burnt only the vapors with no unburnt fuel coming from the cylinders, this is the way this carb worked. The vaporizing of gasloine could be done several diffrent ways befor it left the carburator to go to the cylinders. You could run the intake air across a sponge or a bed of fibreglass of certain size which would let go of the vapors only to go to the cylinders. It could be done with air pressure too but pressurized gas vapors are dangerous. I know everbody knows only what they know and have heard and i agree with you and others on almost everything you’ve said now and in the past on other topics, you like others are pretty versed on alot of subjects. Its this melting pot of everybodys deas that inform others about other possible ideas until the solution is found. I don’t disagree with anyone if everbodys searching for the right answer, im saying this because i don’t want anyone to think that because im thinking it its the right answer. I think we all think like this and are only searching for the right answers with our opinions and our found ideas. Heres why i think they have these carburators. If a motor can be run on natural gas with no fire coming from the cylinders out the exhaust then why can’t they vaporize gasoline and achieve the same thing, i think they can and get the same amount of btu’s to acheive the same horsepower needed to run and engine. To me it says that it can be done.
Gary, I don’t remember the fuel crisis in the 70’s. I was born in 77′. How long did it last? As far as the guy saying that fuel will be $5 a gallon in the next five years………. 
Ya right. It’ll be $5 in the next year easily. I am too young to know enough historic facts on oil, etc. but I figure it took 75 years for a gallon of gas to get to $1.70 or so. In the last year and a half or less it has darn near doubled. I still don’t buy supply and demand to this extreme folks. Extreme being the key word. Beacause I do understand supply and demand to a certain point. So is it the hurricanes fault? Thats what you’ll say next. Wiped out all the oil rigs and so on. How long have hurricanes been around guys? So its the un easiness in the middle east right? Has it ever been really calm and cool there? Or is it all these combined? I doubt it. All of you make great points. This is an interesting thread. I have no facts or time to jump all over the internet all day copying and pasting things for you all to read. My point is that I believe we are being ripped off some. Is it breaking our pocket books? Probably not most of us. But what gives. I wish it was as simple as blaming Bush. But wouldn’t everyone be all over him and his clan? I don’t know who has the real answer here. I think some guys on here would argue anything whether they believed it or not. Just like to take stands.
I am annoyed to no end with the fuel costs. I am pinched though. My equipment has to go to the jobs everyday and I can’t get it there with a Ford Metro. If I could I would. So there is not much conserving I can do. To all you folks that can adjust, do so.
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But wouldn’t everyone be all over him and his clan?
Sounds like a good start to me 
BUSH
YUCK 
Im going to burn as much as I can afford .urine on the future ,I plan to let them deal with it .It’s my time to enjoy life
When is happy hour at the pump? I thought it was obvious, if they jack up the prices during before high demand weekends, fill up before the weekend.
Gary, remember the 70’s….ah I really can’t. I was like 5 years old. The only thing I drove was my hotwheels…. 
Back in the 70s, you were rationed for 10 gallons of gas at a fillup…….I don’t remember the year, but I remember Mom and Dad taking the road trip out to the Dakota’s to visit relatives and Dad drove around the block to put in another 10 gals of gas at the same station.
When I fill up the truck via “pay at pump”, the pump shuts me off at $75…….I can’t get a fill…….
We also had the crisis where I beleive Ford or Carter tried to implement government control over gas prices. It blew everything apart and broke it……
If I recall correctly, gas prices in the very late 70s jumped to $1.35 a gal for premium………This was when the average Joe made $8/hr on a construction labor union job…….Dollar to dollar comparison is that same constuction labor union job is paying $30 to $40/hr…..
most happy hours, are 2 for 1. does that mean I get 2 gallons for the price of one normal gallon ? we could go on and on, about this. your 5 scenarios do not compare apples to apples, its more like apples to atom bombs.
big g
They relate perfectly. I dont understand what you are missing.
Movies charge more in the evenings so more people will come in during the day. If they didnt, they would have empty theaters during the day and would have to turn away people at night.
Bars have happy hours to lure in customers during non peak times when they can use the extra business.
Gas stations charge more on busy holiday weekends so that they dont run out of gas. Would you rather pay more or not have any available?
Dave, your missing my point. I can rent that movie for $3.00 or actually go without seeing it, I can choose to not drink. I can choose to eat hotdogs instead of crab. I CANNOT choose to put something other than gasoline in my vehicle. They got you by the short hairs, and they know it.
big g
You need to eat. You choose what you eat. You CHOOSE what you drive. You CHOOSE where you live in relation to things in your life. You CHOOSE to drive 1-2 miles to the store instead of biking. You CHOOSE a motor boat over a canoe or shore fishing.
Just because a product’s price is inelastic does not mean that a company should not be able set its price to maximize profits.
If you want similar examples, look at healthcare, college, housing. Should the Govt set prices on these items too? Does everyone play the same for healthcare or college? Heck no. They have more prices than a gas station does.
Many people in the world live fine without using gas. I am not some tree hugging hippie that thinks we need to stop using, I am just a free market economist that feels that businesses have the right to set their prices. We choose to use their products or go with an alternative.
I’m done now. I guess you told me….
big g 
I have never understood why a car manufacturer would sit on technology that gives better gas milleage when they get nothing from how much gas is used or not used? these companines are even going bankrupt because they cant compete.. if they suddenly introduced a line of vehicles that got 100 miles to the gallon.. I think they just might get some business…. so even though I WISH they were sitting on this (and therefore could suddenly reveal it!)… I cant imagine why they would rather go bankrupt than keep it secret?….
geeeee Im not sure what a euphorian is.. sounds kind of alien from the planet euphor?…
if we were to conserve gas would it drop the price? Im kind of a cynic (ok.. drop kind of and insert EXTREME)… I think that someone would rather continue to make immense profits.. why cut us in? but I spose if the savings were BIG enough for LONG enough it might drop the price some… I mean seriously if we started using MORE you can BET the price would go UP quick!!… so why doesnt it work in reverse? that dog just dont hunt for me… theres a bad small somewhere.. and I dont think its denmark….
its bizarre that any HINT of possible disruption yields immediate increase in price… few things cause it to go down and surely not quickly… oil companies are making record profits.. hmmmmm how strange…. wonder why? cuz they are selling so much more? nope.. thats not it… guess they are gouging the heck out of us.. wow…. am I suprised…
oh well.. time to go out and catch the sunset… photography is so much more fun than this….. this stuff sure is a worrysome…. and I hope we will all come through it ok somehow…. but I think its going to be a very tough ride…. we will all be there for each other right? we should all be friends… we might all have to sit in the same boat (in more ways than one!)
Carter was the president during the gas crisis of the 70’s. But some would have you believe that party affiliation has everything to do with prices. I happen to think otherwise. 
Oil companies will charge and price according to what the market will bear. When we show that we as a society will pay $2.75 per gallon, it will stay there.
Chris,
You and others keep saying that point, but it doesn’t add up. Tell me why in the last year the oil companies decide to start testing us to the extreme. Thats what you are saying. The will raise and raise as long as we bear. Will why do they raise in leaps and bounds now and little baby steps the last 80 years?
I keep wondering what percentage of the population can control and limit their fuel costs. Probably quite a high number. There is also a fair amount that can’t limit their fuel consumption.
Have you guys watched those super tanker shows on TLC? I think they load fuel in those tankers by the millions of gallons. And that is for their engines to burn.
I can’t answer that question. I don’t know. I sit back here and gather facts and speculate like everyone else here. Ask yourself this. One year ago to this date, oil was selling for $35 per barrel. Gas sold for $2.00 per gallon. Today oil is over $70 per barrel, and gas is $2.70+. The increase (To me) is not apples to apples. Why? I don’t pretend to have the answers. That is an 11% difference between the cost of oil vs. the gas produced from that same barrel. 
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