[Happygolucky]

Are the high gas prices effecting your restaurant nights?

We have cut back to 3 nights a month. Been grilling out on the a lot more.

How about you??

[Dave1215]

Not affected yet, but we are lucky that jobs are close to home so not highly affected yet.

[star_gazer]

Not affected yet? It's not just the gas you're paying for... it's in the price of the goods you're buying. For better or for worse, there 'American way of life' will never be the same.

The rest of my family isn't getting it yet... but I'm dragging them there.

[kdbrich]

I'm sure most folks were pretty sure the "American Way of Life" was over during the oil crisis of the 70's. It didn't stop 'em from buying 10 mpg SUV's in the 90's, though.

In time things will rebound. I can't say that there will be a huge SUV market in 10 years...but who knows?

[star_gazer]

In the 70's... we didn't have to compete with the Indians/Chinese to buy petroleum.

To anyone who has accumulated a considerable amount of debt... I suggest you stop spending... and start paying it off... because as the dollar continues to dwindle in buying power, that is going to become increasingly difficult to do.

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by star_gazer

To anyone who has accumulated a considerable amount of debt... I suggest you stop spending... and start paying it off... because as the dollar continues to dwindle in buying power, that is going to become increasingly difficult to do.

Wise counsel no matter the current economic enviornment. High debt and living beyond one's means is a problem no matter how bad or healthy the economy is.

[kdbrich]

Originally Posted by star_gazer

In the 70's... we didn't have to compete with the Indians/Chinese to buy petroleum.

To anyone who has accumulated a considerable amount of debt... I suggest you stop spending... and start paying it off... because as the dollar continues to dwindle in buying power, that is going to become increasingly difficult to do.

You are correct.

It would be nice to see us start to drill some more oil, but even if we do, it's a free market and we will end up selling what we drill to the highest bidder. That means that the Chinese will compete with us for it. The fact that it is drilled on our soil does not mean we get it cheap.

[star_gazer]

The Canadians are already creating a pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific coast in anticipation of their oil sands refining hitting full production. Gee, I wonder who's bankrolling that??

Actually, the answer is us of course. Every time we go to the retail store and buy virtually any product on the shelves ... we are... by way of all the inexpensive Chinese goods we have such an insatiable appetite for.

Feel proud America... you've almost single handedly built, from the ground up, a new powerful capitalist nation, the rival of your own... (most likely at our own expense however).

[Todd4]

This was RFK Jr. talking about non-oil based solutions on CNN. It's pretty amazing the amount of wind/solar power in the US if the gov't. would start encouraging that kind of growth.

Kennedy:

I'm involved with a company called Better Place, which made a proposal a couple years ago to Israel to get Israel completely off of gasoline cars within three years. And Israel is going to do that. Within three years, they will be off of gasoline automobiles.
We can do that in this country, too, using shifting to electricity and electricity gives us a lot more versatility, it allows us to harness wind.

We have -- the Midwest this is the Saudi Arabia of wind. We have enough harnessable wind energy in North Dakota, Kansas and Texas combined to supply all the electrical needs of our country, even if every American were driving an electric car

We have the Scientific American just published a report that shows in 19 percent of the most barren desert lands in the desert Southwest, we have enough solar energy to provide all the electrical needs of our country. ...

[dundeeluver]

Me and My faily Grill out almost every night because they love to play ay the park and be with their friends and With the gass prices i mean could it get any higher, but I do think the Economy will start to get better. Well i can only hope!!!