I’m Back, A Little Worse for Wear

Just to let everyone know, aspirative bronchitis is no fun. But I’m back and finally ready to roll.

It seems OPEC has made the amazing observation that the laws of supply and demand have broken down. This is because oil is a true oligopoly. A WHA? An oligopoly is where a service or commodity is controlled by a small number of entities. Like, say, the BIG SIX. The laws of supply and demand do NOT operate in an oligopoly any more than they do in a monopoly and there is what is known as market failure. Demand goes up, prices go up. Demand goes down…prices go UP. The market is caught by the short hairs because greed sets the prices and because there are only a small number of companies, they can fix prices how they please. Yes, there are some smaller companies outside the BIG SIX, but they have to play ball or risk being forced out of the game. THIS IS WHY THE GOV’T USED TO REGULATE OIL. But because of the Reagan Revolution, Government has gradually left the regulation business. Our dear president Bush doesn’t give a s*** about the consumer, because his oil buddies iz happy. Result–Five bucks a gallon by August?
Further Update

I’m still not 100% after my recent illness and because we’re starting the summer doldrums, I’ll only be updating twice per week on Tuesdays and Fridays through the rest of June and July. I’ll be taking a SCHEDULED break in August during the governmental recess. Update on Tuesday guys!

What Happens at the Gas Station, Stays at the Gas Station

Common glitch at pump adds to gas costs, also cheats station
(AP) BP and Shell post big profits in era of record oil prices
(ShareCast) Exxon Mobil “disappoints” with $10.9bn profit
Yes, folks, remember the Iraq war? The one that was supposed to pay for itself with oil revenues and guarantee the American people cheap oil for the next generation? Well, we’re going to hit $4 per gallon this summer–despite the fact that gasoline demand is DOWN–and the oil companies are still making obscene profits while housing, industry and banking are tanking. And to add insult to injury, they’ve got their fingers on the pump because of defective valves and people are being charged extra per fill-up. And is anybody doing anything about that? Hell, no, it’s illegal but there’s no regulation! Welcome to the country of the corporations, by the corporations and FOR the corporations. As long as they’re petroleum. Which shall not perish from this earth–until the oil runs out.

You Can’t Get There From Here

Well, according to General Petraeus, we can’t leave because we’re doing too well–of course, before we couldn’t leave because we weren’t doing well enough. There are no meaningful benchmarks for when we CAN leave–actually there are, but if I told you what they were, I’d have to kill you. In the meantime, our wannabe tin soldier has decided to be easy on the troops and ordered that TDYs would only last 12 months instead of 15. HEY DINGLEBERRY! Consecutive 12 month shifts hurts just as bad as consecutive 15 month ones.