Guess what

[bosco]

Anyway, even if I did
I still have the right to bitch about it (See First Amendment - US Constitution)

JG

I would never begrudge you the right to bitch about anything. Was merely trying to follow the logic (or lack thereof) of your position.

Of course you have someplace else to go for electricity...can you say "generator?" Course, then you'd have to buy fuel for it. But fuel companies aren't monopolies, so no possible price gouging or obscene profit there either

 

[Gone4Good]

Hey, I'm all for a totally free marketplace, but I am not sure I have anywhere
else to go for electricity (can you spell monopoly?).  Anyway, even if I did
I still have the right to bitch about it (See First Amendment - US Constitution) 

JG

Feel free to bitch all ya want but even monopolies need to pay to burn fosil fuels in their power plants.

 

[HFWR]

$2.65/gal, Dallas 'burb

I think, short term, we're basically over a barrel, pun intended... We need a real energy policy in the US. We need refining capacity, LNG capacity, pipeline capacity, nuclear capacity, solar capacity, etc. I'm not calling for more pork, but I think energy dependence is both an economic and a security issue.

It would also help if "merkins" were a bit more energy efficient/conscious. Of course, I drive a pickup that gets 16mpg...

 

[laurence]

No company will insure a nuclear power plant, but I think we should look into building some Pebble Bed Reactors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor

For now, I'm taking a good look at the new honda civic. $15,000 gets me a sedan with automatic that gets 40 on the highway and 140 horsepower. As far as fuel efficient cars that are fun to drive and affordable, the future is now! Now if only Americans can get over their love affair with F-950 mega-cabs....

 

[Telly]

Not only that, but I just today got my first electric bill for the condo...........
25 days, mostly unoccupied      -        $130??
What the hell is that?

JG

I'm paying 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour, plus the fixed user fee.  The KWH charge is supposed to go up again here soon.  Most electric power here is generated with gas turbines... nice and "clean", but permanently married to natural gas.  And since the NG comes from TX wells, and is consumed in TX, no interstate gas pricing rules apply.  So its more expensive.  If it was piped from a TX well all the way up to OK and then back again, it would be cheaper, see?

 

[brewer12345]

No company will insure a nuclear power plant, but I think we should look into building some Pebble Bed Reactors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor

For now, I'm taking a good look at the new honda civic.  $15,000 gets me a sedan with automatic that gets 40 on the highway and 140 horsepower.  As far as fuel efficient cars that are fun to drive and affordable, the future is now!  Now if only Americans can get over their love affair with F-950 mega-cabs....

I would be right there with you buying a small, efficient car except for one thing: what do you think happpens when a 2000 lb. car gets nailed by some moron's 4500 lb SUV or pickup? No thanks. I want over 3000 lb of car around me, minimum, unless monstrous gas guzzlers become vastly less popular.

 

[Dawg52]

I'm taking a good look at the new honda civic.  $15,000 gets me a sedan with automatic that gets 40 on the highway and 140 horsepower.  As far as fuel efficient cars that are fun to drive and affordable, the future is now!  Now if only Americans can get over their love affair with F-950 mega-cabs....

I plan to buy something next year myself. Not sure what but possibly a Camry. It will certainly be something that gets decent mileage. Anyone own a 2005 Malibu? They are kind of cute but might be a little smaller than the Camry. Unfortunately good gas mileage = small car.   

 

[LovesLife]

IAnyone own a 2005 Malibu?

Our DD drives an older Malibu. We have had it in the fleet since '98. We have had NOT one bit of trouble with it and are considering another Malibu for the youngest kid.

LL

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I'm paying 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour, plus the fixed user fee.  The KWH charge is supposed to go up again here soon.  Most electric power here is generated with gas turbines... nice and "clean", but permanently married to natural gas.  And since the NG comes from TX wells, and is consumed in TX, no interstate gas pricing rules apply.  So its more expensive.  If it was piped from a TX well all the way up to OK and then back again, it would be cheaper, see?

Thank you for clearing that up

JG

 

[brewer12345]

I plan to buy something next year myself. Not sure what but possibly a Camry. It will certainly be something that gets decent mileage. Anyone own a 2005 Malibu? They are kind of cute but might be a little smaller than the Camry. Unfortunately good gas mileage = small car.   

Hey, even my 3500 pound Subaru Legacy gets about 29 miles per gallon (mostly highway), and that is with AWD and a roof rack.  Cripes, Chevy is advertising a new Impala with a small block V8 that gets 29 miles per gallon on the highway.  I think the mid-sized cars out there with 4 cylinders and FWD get over 30 pretty routinely.  Its a matter of choosing the smaller engine and driving something designed with fuel efficiency in mind.

 

[REWahoo]

I plan to buy something next year myself. Not sure what but possibly a Camry. It will certainly be something that gets decent mileage. Anyone own a 2005 Malibu? They are kind of cute but might be a little smaller than the Camry. Unfortunately good gas mileage = small car.

Last year I replaced my 1999 Camry (4) with a 2004 Malibu Maxx (6). This is the first Chevy I've owned since the early 70's and I was a bit concerned about reliability, etc. but so far so good (22,000 mi). I do about 25/75 city/highway driving and I've been averaging 29+ mpg, virtually the same as the Camry. It does get around 33 on the highway.

The Malibu is about the same size as the Camry, but the Maxx version has much more back seat room. It also comes with a lot of nice features, not to mention a fairly reasonable price tag.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Of course you have someplace else to go for electricity...can you say "generator?"  Course, then you'd have to buy fuel for it.  But fuel companies aren't monopolies, so no possible price gouging or obscene profit there either   

I agree completely with your last statement. My position: If it ain't a
monopoly (and only essentials to keep us alive count), then everyone
should be allowed to charge whatever they want and let the marletplace
sort it out. Free market capitalism will solve all of these problems if
left unfettered. "Price gouging" is a made up indefinable thing, the kind of stuff
libs love to accuse business of engaging in because no one can really define
it. But, it must be bad and so "Big Brother" must protect the people.

B.S.!!!!!!!!!

JG

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I would be right there with you buying a small, efficient car except for one thing: what do you think happpens when a 2000 lb. car gets nailed by some moron's 4500 lb SUV or pickup?  No thanks.  I want over 3000 lb of car around me, minimum, unless monstrous gas guzzlers become vastly less popular.

Just curious. Are they a "moron" because they hit you, or are they a
"moron" because they drive a "4500 lb. SUV or pickup"??

JG

 

[moghopper]

I'm paying 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour, plus the fixed user fee. The KWH charge is supposed to go up again here soon.

I guess this would be a bad time to mention that I pay 6.62 cents

 

[HFWR]

You must be using nucular power...

 

[brewer12345]

Just curious.  Are they a "moron" because they hit you, or are they a
"moron" because they drive a "4500 lb. SUV or pickup"??

JG

Both.

 

[Dawg52]

Last year I replaced my 1999 Camry (4) with a 2004 Malibu Maxx (6).  This is the first Chevy I've owned since the early 70's and I was a bit concerned about reliability, etc. but so far so good (22,000 mi).  I do about 25/75 city/highway driving and I've been averaging 29+ mpg, virtually the same as the Camry.  It does get around 33 on the highway.

The Malibu is about the same size as the Camry, but the Maxx version has much more back seat room.  It also comes with a lot of nice features, not to mention a fairly reasonable price tag.

Thanks for the info. I also have close to 2,500 points/credit built up on my GM credit card.
It is the old GM card which allows full usage towards any GM vehicle. 

 

[REWahoo]

Thanks for the info. I also have close to 2,500 points/credit built up on my GM credit card.
It is the old GM card which allows full usage towards any GM vehicle.

Yep. That's one of the main reasons I bought the car...I had 3,200 points with the old GM card. After all the discounts, rebates, card credits and negotiations, I got more than $10k off the sticker price. Think it may be the best deal I've ever gotten on a new car.

 

[JPatrick]

Yep.  That's one of the main reasons I bought the car...I had 3,200 points with the old GM card.  After all the discounts, rebates, card credits and negotiations, I got more than $10k off the sticker price.  Think it may be the best deal I've ever gotten on a new car.

Sounds like we got the same deal.  Bought a MAX in December for $13999. Got it for my son, but took a 4000 mile breakin trip first and got  a steady 32MPG highway. On one stretch, actually got 37MPG.  Only problem so far (10,000 miles) is a fussy cruise control switch.  I  used GM points, Citi Bank points and even tried to trade the dalmation in.
Like you, it was the best deal I've ever swung.

 

[laurence]

I would be right there with you buying a small, efficient car except for one thing: what do you think happpens when a 2000 lb. car gets nailed by some moron's 4500 lb SUV or pickup? No thanks. I want over 3000 lb of car around me, minimum, unless monstrous gas guzzlers become vastly less popular.

There are general trends of heavier=safer, but you can pick winners. For example, the civic's fatality rate is 47 per million, where the Chevy Blazer is over 200! In fact, a lot of SUV's have higher death rates than people think. This is due to their high rollover rate. Now that doesn't directly address your point of a head on collision, but if you are worm food, the path you took to that state is kind of moot. Civic has 5 star crash ratings, and there are other small, safe cars as well.

 

[brewer12345]

There are general trends of heavier=safer, but you can pick winners.  For example, the civic's fatality rate is 47 per million, where the Chevy Blazer is over 200!  In fact, a lot of SUV's have higher death rates than people think.  This is due to their high rollover rate.  Now that doesn't directly address your point of a head on collision, but if you are worm food, the path you took to that state is kind of moot.  Civic has 5 star crash ratings, and there are other small, safe cars as well.

Yes, but you cannot beat the laws of physics. Look at the IIHS side impact tests of small cars. The tests simulated a truck or SUV t-boning a compact sedan. Not pretty.

 

[laurence]

Yes, but you cannot beat the laws of physics. Look at the IIHS side impact tests of small cars. The tests simulated a truck or SUV t-boning a compact sedan. Not pretty.

Point ceded, but death is death, and if I decrease my chance of death from side impact by say, 10 per one million, but increase my chance of death by rollover by 20 per one million, what have I gained?

But your universal truth holds here as well: you pays your money and takes your chances...

 

[MasterBlaster]

The choice of transportation is not limited to either a Civic or a Blazer.

In general, The safest vehicles are very large cars that very rarely (if ever) roll over. A Lincoln Town car / Cadillac Deville fits that bill well.

 

[laurence]

The choice of transportation is not limited to either a Civic or a Blazer.

In general, The safest vehicles are very large cars that very rarely (if ever) roll over. A Lincoln Town car / Cadillac Deville fits that bill well.

Yes, but Brewer and I have some taste!

Your statement is backed up by the studies, Mercedes E-class is the safest vehicle.

 

[brewer12345]

Point ceded, but death is death, and if I decrease my chance of death from side impact by say, 10 per one million, but increase my chance of death by rollover by 20 per one million, what have I gained? 

But your universal truth holds here as well: you pays your money and takes your chances... 

You won't catch me buying an SUV for exactly that reason. I own a midsized wagon and a minivan, neither of which tends to roll over and both of which are pretty heavy and got good crash test ratings. I suspect that in a moderate accident the van would get totalled simply because it would cost so much to replace the dozen airbags, though.