Off Topic - Had to plug my car in last night

[DanR]

They're not trying to drive the market, but they are forcing it to evolve, for the benefit of all.  

(No different from asbestos, DDT, lead paint, mercury thermometers...)

I'm still trying to figure out why mercury in our light bulbs is good for the environment. Just how many people dispose of them the right way? And I don't have a haz-mat suit handy for when one breaks!

[Jerry]

I thought the water at this years meet was pretty 'natural' looking even in Red Wing...

I think you found a color match for the bow cover.

[Jerry]

I'm still trying to figure out why mercury in our light bulbs is good for the environment. Just how many people dispose of them the right way? And I don't have a haz-mat suit handy for when one breaks!

We use to play with it when we were kids. Last year a thermometer broke in a school. They evacuated the whole school and called in the State haz-mat team to clean it up. Hell I could have done it and had fun doing it.

[David CVX-16]

Pictures of the Mississippi River merging with the St. Croix River at Prescott, MN.

[76bayflite]

That picture is a little misleading, the reason for the different color water is mostly because of the make up of the bottom of the river.  St. croix is mostly sand so the water is clearer, mississippi has more clay and mud.  The minnesota river has a grey look because of all of the clay.  The harbor in duluth is brown/orange because of all of the iron. etc....

[Jason]

yea, you can see the same transition in St. Paul where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet but not to that extent. I have seen Lake superior look blood red in the harbor near duluth and lake superior has some of the cleanest fresh water in the world.

[V153]

I'm still trying to figure out why mercury in our light bulbs is good for the environment. Just how many people dispose of them the right way? And I don't have a haz-mat suit handy for when one breaks!

We use to play with it when we were kids. Last year a thermometer broke in a school. They evacuated the whole school and called in the State haz-mat team to clean it up. Hell I could have done it and had fun doing it.

Yup! When I was a kid a broken thermometer was grounds for celebration. Mercury is really cool to play with. (See Terminator 2)

'Member one year we cut open 'lightsticks' and smeared the goo all over each other. Now that was a heckuva party ...!

[Rosscoe]

Here's for all the die hard Ford fans.

now Thats putttin a touch of Class in a Ford ..    if ya can't beat-em  Join-em
love it

What do you mean? Must have a chevy engine?

[OleRed]

Here's for all the die hard Ford fans.

now Thats putttin a touch of Class in a Ford ..    if ya can't beat-em  Join-em
love it

What do you mean? Must have a chevy engine?

Thats right Ross,  that little Mustang has a 434 cid small block Chevy motor in it, running over 130mph in a quarter mile in ten seconds, not bad for a street car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8abRqcMp1Bc

[Rosscoe]

To me it makes a lot of sense to have a truck/suv for pulling boats and snowmobiles and carrying lumber and firewood but is silly to commute in. I prefer to have multiple vehicles to suit the task at hand. There isnt ONE that can do all, period. It drives me nuts seeing people "commuting" in giant vehicles from further away then me (40 miles to the city) all by themselves but thats their choice. Lets not forget that sucking up all that gas costs us all. It drives up demand and price. I'd go broke driving my truck back and forth to work. Newer ones are more effcient however. Even if it wasnt about money, I wouldnt do it. I have better things to spend money on they burning it through the tail pipe...like burning it in boats.
The only thing that seems to slow use down is a higher cost. Not many SUV's being sold when gas was 4 bucks a gallon but as soon as it went down, we went right back to it. There is a need for trucks and SUV's...I know and have one but its for towing.

As far as the "drill baby drill" folks that think that is going to help...
First, Oil is sold on the open market no matter where it comes from. So drilling for it here doesnt keep it here. If it can be sold for 110/barrel to the Chinese and 80 here, guess where its going? Thats the "free market" All greed and profit driven.
Personally I wish American oil did stay here but that would be "government intrusion" Like it or not, the Gov is the only entity big enough to do some things.
We already have more oil wells in this country then the middle east and its not enough for our consumption. We are gluttons for oil and thats what the oil companys love and you can bet they try to squash any new inovation leading us away from oil.

[V153]

Not to stray off topic ...  But did anybody else see the story 'bout the Volt batteries catching on fire following a side impact crash test?

[wiliermdb]

Rosscoe is right on target with the "All greed and profit drive."  I have friends and family that work for the Exxon refinery here in Louisiana and some have been there for 20 - 30 years and know the workings to the "T".

Oil prices go up and gas prices go up. The greed comes in when the price of fuel rises so quickly yet drops very slowly and even with the rise of oil prices the refineries are making record profits. Shouldn't their profits stay the same if oil rises $5 - $10 a barrel and the refinery adjusts to the increase in cost? Wrong. They end up making billions more in profits when the oil price rises. Most in the industry say that fuel should be about .25 - .35 cents less than what it currently is. Not a huge savings but it adds up.

Lowest fuel price around me is $3.09 for 87 grade. Station closet to my home is $3.14 and the branded stations right next to that one are listed at $3.32. Guess which stations don't have any cars at them? Then they put up the guilt trip signs that "We're locally owned, support local." These are the same "local businesses" that when oil rises $5 per barrel on Monday, their gas prices are up .10 - .12 cents within a few hours. Let the oil prices drop $10 on Tuesday and their price will take two to three weeks to drop to where it was, or less, than it was when oil went up $5 on Monday.

When the price of oil fell several weeks back to around $79 per barrel it took over three weeks for prices to adjust. I asked the question to a station owner why it took so long for prices to drop and this is when he put his foot in his mouth. "I paid X for the fuel so I just can't lower it and take a loss when oil prices drop. That's when I blasted him with the "you're busted" reply that if he paid X on a Monday delivery of fuel and oil rises in cost on Tuesday then your price should stay the same until the next delivery. He had no answer for that one. Greed is what it has come to.

I can still get non-ethanol fuel for $3.22 - $3.29 at three stations near me. One is 1200 feet from the house. That's what goes in the Glastron.

[Rosscoe]

I find it really interesting how prices can jump 5-10 15 cents in one day and it takes weeks for it to creep back down. Bend over and grab your ankles...what are you going to do. Maybe buy an electric car?