I was exploring the news wires, searching for scooter news bits, and found another article entitled “Two Wheels are better than Four”. There wasn’t a whole lot worth reading there… the standard local-paper fair about how bikes and motorcycles are selling like hotcakes because of the almost $3/gallon gas prices. THEN I read this:
“The bike will get about 44 miles per gallon in the city – nearly three times that of their Ford Explorer.
‘My whole thing is I don’t understand why gas is $3 a gallon. There is no reason for it,’ Melissa Brownell said. ‘Unless it is because of greedy individuals in Texas. I voted for Bush, but I am having second thoughts about that now.’
Stuart Ginsburg, one of Brunswick Harley-Davidson’s owners, said most of his motorcycles get between 40 and 60 mpg…”
Greedy individuals in Texas?! Why you messin’ with Texas? Any way… The article’s only mention of scooters was that not only were motorcycle sales up, but SCOOTERS too! Then a little reassurance to their reader that felt something like ‘not all scooters are wimpy little toys some cost $7000 and go 100 MPH!’… I guess it’s because James has to prove to his New York readers that some scooters are almost REAL bikes’. I say “Poop on that!” They act like scooters are just retarded motorcycles and it rubs my rhubarb… I end up sounding like this guy for the rest of the day.
15. April 2006 at 11:12 pm
“Interview with an Ostrich” Chapter 1>
My whole thing is I don’t understand why gas is $3 a gallon. There is no reason for it,’ Melissa Brownell said. ‘Unless it is because of greedy individuals in Texas. I voted for Bush, but I am having second thoughts about that now.’
Somehow, I feel that people on both sides would find that statement frightening on a few levels…
But do you think the lights @ Homeland Security dimmed briefly as another citizen began to have “second thoughts?”
MD
16. April 2006 at 4:54 am
I don’t know, the oil companies are making record profits. The wife I recently divorced worked for one of them last summer and I saw the money they throw around. There are some greedy Texans (or at least Houstonians) who are making some serious bank.
16. April 2006 at 9:16 pm
Actually, the free market system sets the price for anything in this country…NOT one individual or company or even a collective thereof. Supply and demand. Availability and storage. Anybody can set any price at anything and if someone will buy it, they score. By the same token, if the wholesale cost of something is prohibitive, so will the retail price. I’m not saying that the oil companies are not making record profits, but again, if you are willing to pay it, they will supply it at that price. If the demand dropped like a rock, like everybody began riding scooters, the prices would also follow. To blame someone for making profits in a free market is ludicrous. My tech guy charges WAY more than I think the work is worth, but as long as I need him and am willing to pay, he scores. The answer is NOT to blame everybody (or anybody)else…it is to make yourself less dependent. The ONLY one you have any control over is yourself.
16. April 2006 at 10:04 pm
If you think that gas prices in the United States of America are set by anything resembling “the free market system,” you have really drunk the Kool-Aid, my friend. In what free market is this man worth this much money?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060416/ap_on_bi_ge/exxon_pay_7
Is that the efficiency of the free market? Don’t make me laugh.
P.S. I have nothing against Texans, particularly the one who created this great blog. But when they go into politics, all bets are off. When it comes to Presidents, “Read my lips: NO NEW TEXANS!
P.P.S. Actually, there IS one Texas politician I like, and he’s on my blog’s list of “Politicians Worth Listening To.” Kinky Friedman. Why don’t you elect him governor?
17. April 2006 at 9:47 pm
… gas prices are only the first step.
Image this: An automated toll system that charges you by the mile on every highway and interstate in the USA and Canada INCLUDING pre-existing highways that you’ve already paid tax money for. You’ll just get a bill at the end of the month showing where you went and what it cost you.
Far fetched? We are expecting a pilot of this program to go into effect in Austin very soon. No one was mad enough to stop it. All I know is that when it get’s installed, I’m going to do what I can to get people to avoid those roads.
People are trying to privatize and capitolize anything not tied down. You can probably expect to see it happen on anything that is currently free (parks, paths, lakes, etc) in the next 25 – 30 years.
18. April 2006 at 1:47 am
Steve, once we are all riding “alternative fuel” scoots, they’ll have to support the families of those “manditory” smog check guys, among other things.
A careful image building campaign…
“Our Forefathers traveled on toll roads, what’s wrong with you?”
Sound bite from an airhead:”Gee, I just feel safer knowing I helped pay for this road.”
And the newest “must have” accessory is the OnStar LoJac GPS AVID debit chip.
The “sheeple” will just eat it up.
Welcome to the future.
MD
18. April 2006 at 1:41 pm
Grrrr! I’m starting to hate the future already…
4. May 2006 at 6:43 am
Tourettes Guy makes me happy.
4. May 2006 at 2:33 pm
Yeah… I want one of those Frosted Flakes (Tony the Tiger) t-shirts. I found them in one online store… but they were sold out. PISS!