In Country With Uncle Vic: 06/01/2008

Monday, June 16, 2008

Oil Speculators are LAUGHING at YOU

Did they hear me? LINK - interest rates.

Photo from Bloomberg News - June 16, 2008.

The traders for speculators are loving every minute of the oil price surge. I hope you are too!

Some solutions that need to work out soon - (some are temporary)

1. The dollar needs to strengthen (likely painful cure - edge up interest rates. A 0.125 increase right now would be a signal.)

2. OPEC et al need to firmly commit to more production and confirm that the speculation is in part a temporary bubble.

3. Firm Energy policies need early discussion and adoption - Nuclear to feed electric cars - Solar and wind to supplement -

4. CAFE standards met for fuel consumption should reward auto manufacturers with tax incentives beyond the current survival mode.

5. Everybody needs to THINK three times before getting in a car or plane to go anyhwere.

6. China and India need to reduce fuel subsidies for gasoline (they seem to be thinking this way).

7. Encourage US oil exploration and refinement by sensible policies that reward for investment - not punish for profits.

8. Look at this picture every day and understand they are laughing AT YOU !! (oil is a better investment in a weak dollar environment).

9. Understand that the MOST effective cure for high prices is ... Higher Prices (which drive decisions above)

10.Keep taxes low or risk a really really bad economy. (lower taxes generate MORE total tax revenue - not less!!)

Populism and commentary from both Obama and McCain indicate neither has a clue how to approach the economy.

Of the two my own choice is McCain - given a better philosphical base of advisors, and more centrist politics.

The prevailing winds being what they are -- Obama is the likely winner.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Genghis Kahn

http://www.amazon.com/Conqueror-John-Wayne/dp/6300183122/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&
OUT ORIGINALLY IN 1956
My interest in Temujin/Genghis Khan and Mongols as well as nomads ( no idea of Conan then ) in general goes back to this time. I turned 10 years old in Sept. of that year and saw this movie with Bobby Louf , a local boy and classmate in downtown Salem ,MA our hometown. We would have been in fifth grade that Fall of 1956. Parents just assume the movies were clean and okay for general audience.Heck John Wayne was in it. What could happen. (more of this and other reviews at the link).

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Three Oil Myths

BP CEO: Three Oil Myths - Seeking Alpha
This is a good read on oil ... and congress. A lot of thinking people see an end to the oil bubble soon - mainly because of the high prices -- which in a free economy always causes (guess what?) lower prices. The replies to this article are also instructive.

The Oil Drum | Discussions about Energy and Our Future

The Oil Drum | Discussions about Energy and Our Future

Posted using ShareThis

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Front Fell Off

The front of a tanker ship falls off at sea and the escaping crude oil burns off. This news exchange is amazingly funny and reminiscent of "whose on first". The video is a spoof of an interview with a senator. The event actually happened in the 90's.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

The Turtleman

Worried about the elections? The economy? Not the turtleman !! Thanks TR.

Crude Oil Chart

Crude Oil Chart
if you have ever wondered what is happening to the price of crude oil or the dollar.

Pages