Why diesel fuel is higher priced than gasoline...

[ronniejoe]

Well, let's see. It seems that you've classified or labled me several times in the recent past. (Jackass comes to mind, although I still don't know if my horses resemble you or not.)

You also made the comment that you never thought that you "had to have all the answers". Yet, to those of us who are curious and do want to know things about the world around us, you whine and say that I "think I'm smarter than everyone else". That may very well be, I don't know, but I can certainly say that I have studied many subjects in very great detail...much greater detail than you by your own admission. You seem to be willing to let someone else tell you what to think. I don't trust other people to tell me what to think. Plus, I have always, since I was a very little kid, wanted to know why things are the way they are. What makes that work? Why did you do that in that way? Since God has blessed me with the intellect to understand things, I use it to further my knowledge in many ways.

When I suggest that you should educate yourself -- this is nothing more than a suggestion for you to read and use the intelligence that God gave you -- you accuse me of calling you dumb or that I think I'm smarter than you. I have never, ever, said anything like that. Maybe you're too lazy to do it, but I've never said you were dumb or that I was smarter than you. In fact, that's the most frustrating part of dealing with you. You seem like a smart guy. I cannot understand why you don't have a thirst for discovery and willingness to learn.

From what I can see, you are a rather insecure individual who has some kind of a burr under your saddle regarding me. That's your problem, not mine. I do my best to live at peace with everyone. Your response is what determines the outcome.

When I challenge your beliefs or ask you to defend your statements, you resort with personal attacks. You can't seem to debate ideas on the merits. That seems to be pretty typical within a certain group of people...oops, I did it again.

[Mark Rinker]

You are right again, Ron. I think I have you figured out, and I have labeled you.

As for intelligence and such - I always tested pretty high. For the longest time I saw my world as black and white, good and bad, right and wrong.

Then I came to the conclusion that life wasn't that simple, or easily defined. That it was all shades of grey. That is why I think extreme right wing, left wing, ANY kind of extremist viewpoint is usually going to be dead wrong. Todays politics seem like two wrong extremes, pulling on each other - with the only hope being the middle.

So, Ron - if you want one end of that rope - I'll be glad to take the other end, simply to make sure we find center - where the answer most likely is.

Labels usually don't fit.

[JohnC]

I think I'm gonna barf. And it's not because I'm below deck...

[ronniejoe]

You don't know how many times that I've been told that I'm too black and white and that everything is shades of grey. You can get in line behind all those others.

Here's an example: I used to work for Allison Gas Turbine Division of GMC (now Rolls-Royce Corporation). Through my poking around and generally curious approach to things, I uncovered four separate issues that were in direct violation of FAA rules and company policy over a two year period. Parts, for machines that fly straight up, were being sold out the door that did not meet drawing requirements and did not have appropriate Material Review Board disposition to see if they were useable. My analysis showed that they were flight safety risks. All four resulted in multimillion dollar field campaigns to purge the bad stock from the field. On two of the issues, my analyses were initially ignored and parts were sold, both as spares and in full engine assemblies.

Those later came back to bite the company badly. In one case, a weekend call came in during late summer or early fall 1997. A brand new Bell 407 with newly developed and released Allison Model 250-C47B engine was sitting on an oil rig (those dirty things that we need to keep our modern economy floorishing) in the Gulf of Mexico with a chip detector light. The debris on the detector when it was inspected was beyond the Operation and Maintenance Manual limits for serviceability. This meant that the ship couldn't leave the pad on the drill rig until the engine was replaced. Consequently, no supplies or personnel could be flown to or from the rig, because its only pad was occupied by a grounded helicopter. To remain in service, the oil rig crew had to ferry supplies by boat from a nearby rig with open pad. This went on for more than a week.

Allison had to ship a new, replacement engine down to the gulf. However, since the pad was small, there was no room for a hoist to lift the engine from the bay. To facilitate the exchange, the old engine had to be disassembled into modules while in the airframe and removed one module at a time. The new engine had to be disassembled into modules and installed in the airframe one module at a time. Needless to say, the company that owned the helicopter was not pleased with Allison.

I arrived at work one morning to find a box full of parts on my desk that included the three main power train gears from the engine gearbox. I immediately checked my files and cross referenced the serial numbers of the returned parts with those that I had on file from my earlier investiagation (dating back to February - March of 1997). Guess what... The parts on my desk from the AOG (aircraft on ground) incident matched with ones that I said shouldn't be sold in the first place. It's funny, they told me in March that I was looking too close and being too black and white. I needed to see things in shades of grey.

You know, Mark, there is absolute right and wrong based on an immutable standard. Most things are black or white, right or wrong. Those of us with the clarity of vision to see this are threatening to those who don't or won't see it. We cause too much introspection and examination of beliefs and most don't like what they see. Instead of fixing the belief system, most folks lash out at us. In most cases, seeing things in shades of grey stems from an unwillingness to take a stand for what's right resulting in a compromise of principles. The anger and personal attacks then flow from the latent guilt associated with that compromise.

In the world of politics, the tenets of liberalism and conservatism are mutually exclusive. They cannot both be right. I happen to know that conservatism is right as displayed by decades of failed liberal policies.

I can't wait to see what kind of names you call me over this. OBTW, you don't have me figured out. You have no idea. (Again, more personal attacks.)

[Mark Rinker]

Ron, you're just too damn smart for me. I cry 'uncle'.

Lets do everyone on the board a huge favor, and agree to never post in response to each other, okay?

No more names. You are right. You were always right.

[ronniejoe]

It's funny... You're always trying to impose limits on what I can say or when I can say it. That's also typcial of that group. Oops! I've agreed to some of your nonesense before (wait at least thirty minutes before responding, etc.), but didn't get any reciprocity. Besides, you've made these kinds of statements before then they only last a week or less, so why bother?

Once again, personal attacks.

[Mark Rinker]

Ron, there is no reason to belabor the fact that we don't agree on much.

I didn't sign on today to wrestle with you - again. I didn't impose anything on you. I am asking you - again - to refrain from responding to any of my posts. I will do the same.

You know you are twisting the meaning of my request for 30 minutes before responding. This is simply due to how I choose to edit my comments - most of the time in an attempt to avoid conflict. In the past, you pasted from my posts in progress, before they were even finished. That is what I characterized as 'stalking'.

Enough. This is beyond silly. Personal attacks? You have insulted my business model, my beliefs, my intelligence, etc...

You choose to not see, or appreciate any position other than your own. You may be intelligent, but that approach to people, politics, etc. is not smart.

[JohnC]

Should have just pushed the chopper off the pad and moved on...

[ronniejoe]

You know you are twisting the meaning of my request for 30 minutes before responding. This is simply due to how I choose to edit my comments - most of the time in an attempt to avoid conflict. In the past, you pasted from my posts in progress, before they were even finished. That is what I characterized as 'stalking'.

No, I'm not. You posted, I got an e-mail notification because I subscribed to the thread, then I responded. Since your little temper fit, I've made sure to wait until you're done editing...sometimes I've had to wait over an hour for you to edit all of your insults out of the post before I responded. No twisting of meaning here.

Enough. This is beyond silly. Personal attacks? You have insulted my business model, my beliefs, my intelligence, etc...

Another falsehood. I've never insulted you or your business model. I've not insulted your beliefs either. I've never insulted your intelligence. The insults come from your direction. All I've done is challenge your beliefs and ask you to defend them. You can't, so you throw a temper fit. In fact, I've often complimented your intelligence (did so in the last post) and I've said many times that I wish I had your business savy. What I have said is that you are living the American Dream, running your own business that you built out of something you love to do, then whine about difficulties in the course of running that business.

Yes, it is beyond silly. It sure appears that you think you have to have the last word. You throw insults out, say we need to move on and I shouldn't respond.

Another attempt to limit what I can say and when I can say it.

I don't know what put the burr under your saddle. I've tried numerous times to reconcile with you, but you will have none of it. I stand ready, at this moment, to reconcile. I won't be bullied into submission, though. If you are ready to grow up, I am willing to reconcile and be friends and agree to disagree. I don't really think you will be willing, however.

[Mark Rinker]

No last words necessary - but to not respond would be continuing. I'm fine with agreeing to disagree on our views. Onward.

[ronniejoe]

No last words necessary - but to not respond would be continuing.

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[ronniejoe]

Should have just pushed the chopper off the pad and moved on...

I guess Airlogistics was not ready to just throw $3,000,000.00 worth of brand new aircraft into the Gulf.

[JohnC]

(Almost) seriously, if you add up all the costs including the alternate supply route, R&R on the engine, etc, it might have come close. Then, if Allison was footing the bill, well, strip out the avionics and over she goes!

[Mark Rinker]

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>>> I am willing to reconcile and be friends and agree to disagree. I don't really think you will be willing, however. >>>

I was agreeing with you, Ron - by responding. Onward.

[More Power]

Not to change the subject here...

Has anyone noticed that the per barrel price has dropped about 20 bucks? There's a by-partisan bill in the house that a Dem/Repub coalition will try to bring to the floor immediately after the house break (don't they have a lot of those?) that's about a comprehensive energy plan to push for eventual energy independence - assuming enough constituents coax their reps to allow an up/down vote on it..... I like most of their plan.... Except the part about carbon sequestration and carbon taxes.... I still don't think the human-caused CO2 climate change "theory" is solid enough to push policy.

What's anyone think about T. Boone Pickens? Despite what his web site says, he is on the record (recent interviews) for supporting more drilling.

Has anyone seen a drop in diesel fuel prices lately?

Jim

[93GMCSierra]

Nope no drop in diesel for a very long time, though gas did go down by almost 20 cents per gallon.

[ronniejoe]

What's anyone think about T. Boone Pickens? Despite what his web site says, he is on the record (recent interviews) for supporting more drilling.

I think T. Boone's plan is full of, well, wind. He's a pretty smart business man who has invested in the technology that he's now pushing, hoping to make a "wind"fall profit. He's stuck his finger in the "wind" and thinks that public opinion is in favor of the alternative engery schemes, so he's looking to cash in. I don't think he believes for a minute that line he uses that "we can't drill our way out of this crisis". He thinks it will score with the public, so he uses it. My cynical, somewhat informed opinion.

Has anyone seen a drop in diesel fuel prices lately?

Jim

Yes! Diesel at the local Murphy USA (Wal-Mart) went from $4.859 on Friday to $4.699 today. For those of you in Rio Linda, or elsewhere, that's $0.16/gal or 3.3% decrease in six days. Regular unleaded is now down to $3.639 from a high of $4.199 last month.

I never thought I'd be happy to see $3.639 for regular or $4.699 for Diesel...

[ronniejoe]

>>> I am willing to reconcile and be friends and agree to disagree. I don't really think you will be willing, however. >>>

I was agreeing with you, Ron - by responding. Onward.

"Drover, are we involved in the same conversation?" (from Hank the Cowdog...)

Ever get the feeling that you've just entered the Twilight Zone?

[ronniejoe]

Remember all that nonesense from the Democrat Party...Drilling won't lower the price for ten years? Hmmmm... The mere mention of drilling by the president has sent oil prices into a free fall...in only a few days. Last time I checked that was significantly less than ten years.

[JohnC]

Pump up your tires, get a tune up and put on a sweater. Everything will be fine, and disco is making a comeback...