(no subject)
I know I said I wouldn't update, but I've got ONE thing to say, and it's going to piss a lot of you off, and it isn't going to be pretty, and I'm not going to apologise for it, because a number of you have said your pieces, and while I'm quiet most of the time, I'm not shutting up this time. I'm going to crosspost it to myspace, so if you see a bulletin from me on there, don't bother to read it.
Before you go off and get frightened that this is drama though, it isn't =) We all know how much I hate drama, and I wouldn't bother to rant about that.
This is about that tired old subject, the fuel pump hikes. Am I about to say things that will directly insult (although not intentionally, for this is just my opinion and isn't aimed at anyone) some of you, and know that I'm doing it, and not really care? It's likely. Am I going to still love you to death despite your opinion conflicting with mine? You bet your ass I will. That's one thing that makes discussions/friendships/human interaction interesting. I won't hate you for your thoughts, you shouldn't hate me for mine. Am I about to make a complete and total ass of myself? Of course.
Now then.
First off, I'd like to say that this country (and hell let's face it, probably every other country, I just happen to be a citizen of this one, residing in this one, and therefore have a personal opinion of this one) is full of a bunch of little babies. Seriously. Babies. If I followed Freud (which I don't) I'd say that the way our government tends to coddle us and amuse the majority of most of our whims and plays into our "Me! Me! Me!" demands never allows us to develop past the Id stage. We're a bunch of lazy fucktards that don't know how to survive without vehicles, cell phones, and McDonald's. It's sick, it's wrong, and it's not natural. We also don't seem to be able to see more than 10 feet x 10 minutes in front of us, so we really don't care how our current actions are affecting the rest of the world, or the rest of the generations that would be here after us.
Oil and gas are finite resources.
The less of it there is, the more it is worth. We happen to pay something's worth in cash.
Therefore the less of something there is, the more it is worth, the more it is going to cost.
The more in demand something is, the more it is worth, the more it is going to cost.
We use so much more fuel than we need to, because we are lazy, we are catered to, and we've forgetten how to get around without driving, because we're so used to immediate gratification. Everything has to be faster, bigger, better, NOW!
It wasn't that long ago that we DIDN'T have cars. And people still lived out in the boonies. And people still survived.
They probably had more piece of mind as well because they weren't subjected to constant sensory overload.
Now, I understand this is a different time/place/whatever you want to call it, and I can't compare the fact that I didn't drive until I was twenty because public transportation was awesome, to how life is in Idaho, because I lived in a different place, and I REALISE the public transportation in Idaho is a joke.
--- but you know what, maybe if more people inconvienced themselves (and yes, I mean to get around as much as possible, and if it's not practical for that, try hopping on the bus on a day off, for fun, and just riding around and seeing what's out there. You look at things from a whole different point of view when you AREN'T the one driving. It's fun.) for a little while and made use of the public transport here as much as possible, there WOULD be more of it. Supply and demand go hand and hand you guys, something we should all know by age five in such a consumer culture.
A few examples
- the obvious public transport as much as possible
- if you need to drive to get to another city/town/village/whathaveyou, park when you get there, and walk to your destination
- if you need to get to downtown from a neighbourhood, park in town, or a few blocks from town, and walk
- park a few blocks from home or work and walk (seriously, think how many miles of driving and therefore fuel you will be saving, if you parked two blocks from work and two blocks from home everytime you went somewhere, and therefore didn't need to drive those few extra blocks every day. It seems like so little, but it does a lot over a month, or a year, or five years, you get my drift)
- During seasons such as fall or spring, turn off your house/apartment heating or cooling, when you aren't at home. If it's not too cold out, open the windows during the evening a little, and turn off the thermostat.
Etc etc, there are some tips here http://frugalliving.about.com/od/savinggas/a/13gassavings.htm
There are people on the other side of the country, and I know how removed from the disaster there most of us feel, because we aren't there, but there ARE people there, and they're going to go months without shelter, electricity, school, they're going to go the rest of their lives without sentimental and personal belongings that have been lost, and over here, we're sitting high and dry, crying about the fucking price of gas?
We ARE NOT entitled to gas. We ARE NOT entitled to drive our fat lazy asses everywhere we wish at our slightest whim. We ARE NOT entitled to anything we do not pay for/earn/whatever.
Think about that for a while.
For those of you that don't feel like reading that entire post, I have a proposal (and I don't expect you all to do it, but some of you would be nice)
Next week, do not buy any gas. Not because I think some big "we're not buying gas" thing will get them to lower prices, because honestly, I think the prices SHOULD be high, but because I think you shouldn't NEED to. If possible, do not get behind the wheel of your car, do not drive yourself down the street, do not drive yourself anywhere, unless you have NO other way to get there except for the drive there. If you need to drive Boise to your family's house in Sun Valley, by all means, go for it. If you need to drive from Caldwell to Boise on a weekend and the bus doesn't run on the weekend, do it. If you need to drive 10 blocks from your front door to McDonald's? DON'T do it. Walk there. If you feel like going for a cozy afternoon drive? Don't do it. Go for a walk. It's better for your nerves anyway.
Humour me here. Try it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Before you go off and get frightened that this is drama though, it isn't =) We all know how much I hate drama, and I wouldn't bother to rant about that.
This is about that tired old subject, the fuel pump hikes. Am I about to say things that will directly insult (although not intentionally, for this is just my opinion and isn't aimed at anyone) some of you, and know that I'm doing it, and not really care? It's likely. Am I going to still love you to death despite your opinion conflicting with mine? You bet your ass I will. That's one thing that makes discussions/friendships/human interaction interesting. I won't hate you for your thoughts, you shouldn't hate me for mine. Am I about to make a complete and total ass of myself? Of course.
Now then.
First off, I'd like to say that this country (and hell let's face it, probably every other country, I just happen to be a citizen of this one, residing in this one, and therefore have a personal opinion of this one) is full of a bunch of little babies. Seriously. Babies. If I followed Freud (which I don't) I'd say that the way our government tends to coddle us and amuse the majority of most of our whims and plays into our "Me! Me! Me!" demands never allows us to develop past the Id stage. We're a bunch of lazy fucktards that don't know how to survive without vehicles, cell phones, and McDonald's. It's sick, it's wrong, and it's not natural. We also don't seem to be able to see more than 10 feet x 10 minutes in front of us, so we really don't care how our current actions are affecting the rest of the world, or the rest of the generations that would be here after us.
Oil and gas are finite resources.
The less of it there is, the more it is worth. We happen to pay something's worth in cash.
Therefore the less of something there is, the more it is worth, the more it is going to cost.
The more in demand something is, the more it is worth, the more it is going to cost.
We use so much more fuel than we need to, because we are lazy, we are catered to, and we've forgetten how to get around without driving, because we're so used to immediate gratification. Everything has to be faster, bigger, better, NOW!
It wasn't that long ago that we DIDN'T have cars. And people still lived out in the boonies. And people still survived.
They probably had more piece of mind as well because they weren't subjected to constant sensory overload.
Now, I understand this is a different time/place/whatever you want to call it, and I can't compare the fact that I didn't drive until I was twenty because public transportation was awesome, to how life is in Idaho, because I lived in a different place, and I REALISE the public transportation in Idaho is a joke.
--- but you know what, maybe if more people inconvienced themselves (and yes, I mean to get around as much as possible, and if it's not practical for that, try hopping on the bus on a day off, for fun, and just riding around and seeing what's out there. You look at things from a whole different point of view when you AREN'T the one driving. It's fun.) for a little while and made use of the public transport here as much as possible, there WOULD be more of it. Supply and demand go hand and hand you guys, something we should all know by age five in such a consumer culture.
A few examples
- the obvious public transport as much as possible
- if you need to drive to get to another city/town/village/whathaveyou, park when you get there, and walk to your destination
- if you need to get to downtown from a neighbourhood, park in town, or a few blocks from town, and walk
- park a few blocks from home or work and walk (seriously, think how many miles of driving and therefore fuel you will be saving, if you parked two blocks from work and two blocks from home everytime you went somewhere, and therefore didn't need to drive those few extra blocks every day. It seems like so little, but it does a lot over a month, or a year, or five years, you get my drift)
- During seasons such as fall or spring, turn off your house/apartment heating or cooling, when you aren't at home. If it's not too cold out, open the windows during the evening a little, and turn off the thermostat.
Etc etc, there are some tips here http://frugalliving.about.com/od/savinggas/a/13gassavings.htm
There are people on the other side of the country, and I know how removed from the disaster there most of us feel, because we aren't there, but there ARE people there, and they're going to go months without shelter, electricity, school, they're going to go the rest of their lives without sentimental and personal belongings that have been lost, and over here, we're sitting high and dry, crying about the fucking price of gas?
We ARE NOT entitled to gas. We ARE NOT entitled to drive our fat lazy asses everywhere we wish at our slightest whim. We ARE NOT entitled to anything we do not pay for/earn/whatever.
Think about that for a while.
For those of you that don't feel like reading that entire post, I have a proposal (and I don't expect you all to do it, but some of you would be nice)
Next week, do not buy any gas. Not because I think some big "we're not buying gas" thing will get them to lower prices, because honestly, I think the prices SHOULD be high, but because I think you shouldn't NEED to. If possible, do not get behind the wheel of your car, do not drive yourself down the street, do not drive yourself anywhere, unless you have NO other way to get there except for the drive there. If you need to drive Boise to your family's house in Sun Valley, by all means, go for it. If you need to drive from Caldwell to Boise on a weekend and the bus doesn't run on the weekend, do it. If you need to drive 10 blocks from your front door to McDonald's? DON'T do it. Walk there. If you feel like going for a cozy afternoon drive? Don't do it. Go for a walk. It's better for your nerves anyway.
Humour me here. Try it out. You'll be pleasantly surprised.