Gas Prices, Burn Attendance!?!

Thecatman · Post by **Thecatman** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:07 pm

In 1999, we were still living in Pennsylvania. Prices at the pump were going down. Regular bottomed out at .86 cents per gallon for several weeks.
The sad thing is, for teenagers of today, these are their "good ole days" that they'll long for.

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:20 am

theCryptofishist wrote:I have mixed feelings about the rise in gas prices. We've had very cheap gas indeed, compared to the Europeans for decades. It's fueled hugely stupid and wasteful choices in our culture.

Yep, exactly. Sad thing is that we have tethered our food prices to oil prices, so, any rise in fuel cost is a double whammy for the economically insecure.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 7:38 am

MyDearFriend wrote:
theCryptofishist wrote:I have mixed feelings about the rise in gas prices. We've had very cheap gas indeed, compared to the Europeans for decades. It's fueled hugely stupid and wasteful choices in our culture.
Yep, exactly. Sad thing is that we have tethered our food prices to oil prices, so, any rise in fuel cost is a double whammy for the economically insecure.

I keep ajusting the food budget almost weekly.. The garden is helping this family.. Not that many know how to grow food anymore.. I'll be giving away any over grow that produces.."Stores will hunt me down and kill me"

Donna Matrix · Post by **Donna Matrix** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:13 am

Okay,,, this is getting ridiculous.

SOMEONE IS STEALING MY EGGS OUT OF MY HEN HOUSE.

Fuck this economy!

Minxy · Post by **Minxy** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:19 am

OH, ya, Unjonharley, I'm planning on saving a lot of money gardening this year, too!!

I'm growing tons of stuff this year (our new place has a fantastic huge raised bed area with TONS of son huzzah). I'll have so much I won't know what to do with.

I'm super excited about the fruit trees as I've never lived anywhere I could grow em before!

I'll be bringing lemonade and limeade to the playa this year...hopefully!

Ya'll can add whatever liquor ya like!

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:25 am

Minxy wrote:OH, ya, Unjonharley, I'm planning on saving a lot of money gardening this year, too!!

I'm growing tons of stuff this year (our new place has a fantastic huge raised bed area with TONS of son huzzah). I'll have so much I won't know what to do with.

I'm super excited about the fruit trees as I've never lived anywhere I could grow em before!

I'll be bringing lemonade and limeade to the playa this year...hopefully! Ya'll can add whatever liquor ya like!

Gift your extra garden food.. Your returns will be fruitful..

Minxy · Post by **Minxy** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:33 am

Oh, I will, Unjon.

The "I don't know what to do with" is just a catch phrase. I have lots of people who would welcome the free food. It's definitely not going to be wasted!

wraith · Post by **wraith** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:13 pm

Reminds me, I should start my tomatoes this weekend. It has been hovering in the 40's for the last two weeks, so I didn't want to put them out yet, but we're on to spring weather now.

Playa+Tom · Post by **Playa+Tom** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 9:47 pm

I get there and back on one tank of gas. If I syphon one gallon from each of my neighbors I'll be able to make it easily.

Minxy · Post by **Minxy** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 6:49 am

^ Hahahahaha.

Radical self-reliance via THEFT!

melodiousdirge · Post by **melodiousdirge** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:52 pm

jkisha wrote:I've never counted the money and have no clue how much might be in those bottles.

Interesting math nerd discussion on estimating the value of your change, making some assumptions about the distribution of various coins:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/sho ... p?t=388574

Playa+Tom · Post by **Playa+Tom** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:36 pm

Our friends at Exxon posted a profit of $10.7 Billion for the first quarter of this year.

jella · Post by **jella** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:47 pm

I dearly hope the prices come down a little but agree it might scare off a few of the weekend frat boys....what ever would we do

without them
but speaking for myself and figment
our newly playafied gas guzzeling personal porta pottie has it's own savings account hehe
and she can't wait to get back to the playa if we have to eat hamburger helper lol

Just kidding figment

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:17 pm

nawp.....frat boys get money from momma for school and fun.

jella · Post by **jella** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 9:23 pm

ygmir wrote:nawp.....frat boys get money from momma for school and fun.

* kicks dirt* should have saw that coming

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Mon May 02, 2011 11:46 am

ygmir wrote:nawp.....frat boys get money from momma for school and fun.

Frat boys will naturally fork over 5 bucks for a red plastic cup. IF we were to try and charge said Frat boy, and they quickly paid up with out second thought, we would benefit in two ways.
First, we would recover gifted beer costs from people that shouldn't have gifted beer.
Second, with cheap lame plastic red cub in hand we would be able recognize frat boys from further away.
As most burner will show up with a their own cup it would allow quick and easy determination. Not all discrimination is bad discrimination.

Me and my camp are still trying to figure out our gas plan. Last year 4 of us split the 2400 mile round trip evenly and each spent about $200 bucks in fuel get the Bounder from Denver to Black Rock and back.
This year, there are 13 of us in the Bounder, a box truck, and a passenger car. We still aren't sure how to divide the spending between everyone. Since, everyone will have gear in the box truck we all have to pitch on the cost of that. And since everyone is going to be rotating cars to keep the conversations fresh and interesting, who pays what amount of gas for what vehicle. This is probably thread drift, but any tips in the matter would be greatly appreciated.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Mon May 02, 2011 12:40 pm

illy dilly wrote:Me and my camp are still trying to figure out our gas plan. Last year 4 of us split the 2400 mile round trip evenly and each spent about $200 bucks in fuel get the Bounder from Denver to Black Rock and back.
This year, there are 13 of us in the Bounder, a box truck, and a passenger car. We still aren't sure how to divide the spending between everyone. Since, everyone will have gear in the box truck we all have to pitch on the cost of that. And since everyone is going to be rotating cars to keep the conversations fresh and interesting, who pays what amount of gas for what vehicle. This is probably thread drift, but any tips in the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Math...

Calculate the MPG of each vehicle and figure outhow many gallons will be used times the average price of gas (estimate a little high) and divide by 13. Everyone desposits into the account of whichever gas card will be used. Refund money back if there is anything left over after you all get back home.

-Badger

ConnieH · Post by **ConnieH** » Mon May 02, 2011 1:06 pm

illy dilly wrote:
ygmir wrote:nawp.....frat boys get money from momma for school and fun.
Frat boys will naturally fork over 5 bucks for a red plastic cup. IF we were to try and charge said Frat boy, and they quickly paid up with out second thought, we would benefit in two ways.
First, we would recover gifted beer costs from people that shouldn't have gifted beer.
Second, with cheap lame plastic red cub in hand we would be able recognize frat boys from further away.
As most burner will show up with a their own cup it would allow quick and easy determination. Not all discrimination is bad discrimination.

LOVE this idea

I may try it and see who bites...I will ask, but won't actually take their money, but I can hand out a good dose of education and possibly a cup if I feel they've learned their lesson. I also think duct taping the cup to their palm so they don't drop it somewhere would be a fabulous idea

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Mon May 02, 2011 1:49 pm

capjbadger wrote:
illy dilly wrote:And since everyone is going to be rotating cars to keep the conversations fresh and interesting, who pays what amount of gas for what vehicle. This is probably thread drift, but any tips in the matter would be greatly appreciated.
Math...
Calculate the MPG of each vehicle and figure outhow many gallons will be used times the average price of gas (estimate a little high) and divide by 13. Everyone desposits into the account of whichever gas card will be used. Refund money back if there is anything left over after you all get back home.

-Badger

That is a good idea! Just get all the loot up front.
My only thought is that if there turns out to be too little money, which would happen on the way home, and some one was bratty and not willing to pay it could cause problems. And there might be a person in the group that would chim in 'well you said we'd only have to pay this much'. But I think you are right on just accounting for risk, and likely increases in gas cost. Then, when everyone gets home we all get a nice little "Burning Man Bonus check"

ConnieH wrote: LOVE this idea Wink I may try it and see who bites...I will ask, but won't actually take their money, but I can hand out a good dose of education and possibly a cup if I feel they've learned their lesson. I also think duct taping the cup to their palm so they don't drop it somewhere would be a fabulous idea Twisted Evil

Tell them the duct tape is for a drinking game! Then all their frat buddies will want their cup duct taped to their hand too!

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Mon May 02, 2011 6:00 pm

If I may add. You know you'll need ice out there as well. When you collect for the gas money, let everyone know that any overage (figure about the same amount of money spent coming as going) will go to help defer the cost of ice. Since people are going to buy ice anyway, you can make a persuasive argument that they really are just funding themselves. When you get to BRC and should you find you've used more than half of your funds, take up another collection (keep it simple, like $20 per person) and have a fund set aside still for ice. If people think they are actually getting something back for their money, they will be more willing to contribute.

Thecatman · Post by **Thecatman** » Sat May 07, 2011 5:24 pm

Oil closed below $100 on Friday. There is a news article on yahoo news stating that gas, and hopfuly diesel as well, is expected to drop .50 cents by the end of June. that means I'll pay about $3.37 for regular gas and $3.55 for regular diesel. More money getting pumped into the economy. Its better then a slap in the face with a wet fish.
With the dispatching of obl along with President Obama threatening to investigate possible price gouging, both may contribute to it. The article didn't say that but its a guess.

wraith · Post by **wraith** » Sat May 07, 2011 10:19 pm

That is an investigation that needs to happen. The things the oil and financial industries have done to the economy via 'vertical integration' and rampant speculation on oil futures are damn near criminal.

Post by **Elderberry** » Sun May 08, 2011 12:02 am

wraith wrote:That is an investigation that needs to happen. The things the oil and financial industries have done to the economy via 'vertical integration' and rampant speculation on oil futures are damn near criminal.

The only reason they aren't criminal is that the Republicans keep blocking legislation to make that sort of speculation (gambling) illegal.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun May 08, 2011 7:18 am

jkisha wrote:
wraith wrote:That is an investigation that needs to happen. The things the oil and financial industries have done to the economy via 'vertical integration' and rampant speculation on oil futures are damn near criminal.
The only reason they aren't criminal is that the Republicans keep blocking legislation to make that sort of speculation (gambling) illegal.

Penny stocks were the fualt of the30s wall street fall.. They were outlawed..
Bush stomped that law.. The market fell again.. Penny stocks bet the market will fall..

wraith · Post by **wraith** » Sun May 08, 2011 10:28 am

The futures market is fucked now too. After the 30's crash, the law mandated that no corporate entity (as opposed to an individual person) could carry more than 1000 futures contracts at any given time, to prevent attempts to corner the market on commodities and price gouge.

In 1991, this was rescinded, leading to investment banks attempting to play the futures market as if it were stocks rather than physical commodities, and attempting to build a cycle of ever-higher prices for profit. This has obvious negative results.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Sun May 08, 2011 3:03 pm

unjonharley wrote:Penny stocks were the fualt of the30s wall street fall.. They were outlawed..
Bush stomped that law.. The market fell again.. Penny stocks bet the market will fall..

No.

A deregulated market that allowed banks to combine with other financial institutions with unchecked evaluation of their products is what caused the market to crash in the 30's. And the 20 some years before that, and the 20 some years before that, etc.

Glass Steagall being passed in 1933 broke up and placed merging restrictions on the various banking and financial institutions, established the FDIC to protect depositors and placed stringent regulations on how financial "vehicles" were valued and sold.

GS gave the nation a relatively stable and much more manageable financial sector for a period of 50ish years until it was dismantled under the lead of Phil Gramm in the Senate beginning in 1981 until its final official repeal in 1999 after it had been gutted like a fish and left to dry into nothingness over the previous 19 or so years. We had several precursors to the most recent collapse in the mini crash in 89 and the S&L collapse.

Penny stock trading played little, if any, role in any kind of financial crash anywhere due to the rather insignificant trading value of the entirety of the penny stock system. Penny stocks have also never been outlawed, restricted or even significantly regulated in their entire history.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Sun May 08, 2011 3:09 pm

wraith wrote:The futures market is fucked now too. After the 30's crash, the law mandated that no corporate entity (as opposed to an individual person) could carry more than 1000 futures contracts at any given time, to prevent attempts to corner the market on commodities and price gouge.

In 1991, this was rescinded, leading to investment banks attempting to play the futures market as if it were stocks rather than physical commodities, and attempting to build a cycle of ever-higher prices for profit. This has obvious negative results.

Yep, part of the dismantling of Glass Steagall.

A quick fix for this would be to require all commodity brokers to be required by law to accept physical delivery of their future's trade contracts. It would put an end to a lot of the bullshit happening in the future's market.

MyDearFriend · Post by **MyDearFriend** » Mon May 09, 2011 11:36 am

Post by **Savannah** » Mon May 09, 2011 11:57 am

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Mon May 09, 2011 1:07 pm

Thats a great Demotivational. The picture could be up dated to say

(only reason I say that was 90's is that I think thats a 96ish Ford Taurus)

*edited to add the image*