I remember back in the 80's. The price was around 65 cents. Can you believe it? The price has gradually increased with time. Today, the price is a whopping $1.49!
What?
Where can you get gas that cheap?
You thought I was talking about gas? Oh yeah, I said fuel. I meant that other precious liquid, Pepsi. Today, the price has increased to $1.49 for a 20 0z. Bottle. This is over $9.50 per gallon! How much do you suppose the ingredients for a bottle of pop cost, a nickel? I figure that at $75 per barrel, the raw ingredients for a gallon of gas cost $1.90. This doesn't include refining, or transporting the gasoline.
A gallon of gas supplies enough energy to move my 5000 pound vehicle 17 miles. A gallon of soft drink will just make me fat. Just a little perspective on the comparative value of gasoline.
I am not cheering gas prices higher, or saying oil companies aren't making huge profits. I just wonder at the selective outrage. If anyone is gouging, it is Pepsico and Coca Cola.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
How not to get fleas
A quick note about the Duke Lacrosse team. Vox is making it apparent that he believes no rape occurred and she is making the whole thing up. Other people are proclaiming that the players are a bunch of spoiled rich kids. As if that has any bearing on whether or not they are guilty of rape. I saw a father of a couple of the players on TV this morning claiming that his two sons are anything but privileged.
There is one thing that they are guilty of: Poor judgment I suppose a lot of kids that age don't think clearly. I know I didn't. If you go to that kind of party, those are the kind of things that can happen to you. Being falsely accused of rape is one of the milder consequences. Real rapes happen. Drunk driving happens. Kids die from overdoses and alcohol poisoning.
Joe Carter posted a few days back about the hippies that had to re-learn the rules of hygiene. As our country continues to move away from God, people will find out the hard way that morality is not designed to keep us from having any fun. Rather, it is designed to keep us from experiencing the consequences of immoral behavior.
So anyway, I'm not saying don't have any fun. But if someone tells you lets about a great party, "they even hired a stripper!", maybe that's one you should decide to avoid.
Stay away from the dogs, you won't get fleas.
There is one thing that they are guilty of: Poor judgment I suppose a lot of kids that age don't think clearly. I know I didn't. If you go to that kind of party, those are the kind of things that can happen to you. Being falsely accused of rape is one of the milder consequences. Real rapes happen. Drunk driving happens. Kids die from overdoses and alcohol poisoning.
Joe Carter posted a few days back about the hippies that had to re-learn the rules of hygiene. As our country continues to move away from God, people will find out the hard way that morality is not designed to keep us from having any fun. Rather, it is designed to keep us from experiencing the consequences of immoral behavior.
So anyway, I'm not saying don't have any fun. But if someone tells you lets about a great party, "they even hired a stripper!", maybe that's one you should decide to avoid.
Stay away from the dogs, you won't get fleas.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Take my wife, Please
RED SKELTON'S RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT MARRIAGE
1. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays, I go on Fridays.
2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in California and mine is in Texas.
3. I take my wife everywhere..... but she keeps finding her way back.
4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.
5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker. She said "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!" .. So I bought her an electric chair.
7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was; she told me "In the lake."
8. She got a mud pack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.
9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling "Am I too late for the garbage?" .... The driver said "No, jump in!"
10. Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.
11. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
12. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.
13. The last fight was my fault though. My wife asked "What's on the TV?" I said "Dust!"
1. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good food and companionship. She goes on Tuesdays, I go on Fridays.
2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in California and mine is in Texas.
3. I take my wife everywhere..... but she keeps finding her way back.
4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.
5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker. She said "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!" .. So I bought her an electric chair.
7. My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in the carburetor. I asked where the car was; she told me "In the lake."
8. She got a mud pack and looked great for two days. Then the mud fell off.
9. She ran after the garbage truck, yelling "Am I too late for the garbage?" .... The driver said "No, jump in!"
10. Remember: Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.
11. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
12. I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.
13. The last fight was my fault though. My wife asked "What's on the TV?" I said "Dust!"
Saturday, April 08, 2006
On the intenseness of gazelles
My wife and I decided we are going to get out of debt. We have been working on it for quite a while, but we are going to get serious. We already paid off our credit card debt, not that we really had much. Now we are working on the home equity line of credit. Then her car loan, and last my student loan. With the cash flow diverted from servicing this debt, we can pay off our mortgage in a few years.
Now there are a couple of problems in the way. One, the house needs an exterior remodel. New soffits, siding, windows, shingles, etc. I figure this could cost about $15k. And it needs to be done this summer. And another one is our children. Or rather the lack of them. We aint got any, and she wants some. I don't know if we can wait long enough to pay off everything. She will be quitting her job when we have kids. I say don't have 'em if you won't raise 'em. Plus she doesn't make enough justify being a working mom. Another problem is health insurance. We get it now from her job, and my employer doesn't offer it.
So I am considering paying off all our debts except the mortgage, and paying that down as much as we can till baby one arrives. Then maybe refinance the house to a ten year loan or something that I can handle on my income. I doubt the interest rates will be that favorable in a couple years though. It would be so much better not to have any house payment at all.
So one of the things we are going to do is a written budget. I learned about this from Dave Ramsey. We have been planning on this for a few months but we never actually did it. So I made up a excel spreadsheet. Every dollar is supposed to be accounted for.
I know this will be hard. I am going to try to quit buying worthless things like junk food and junk drinks. I don't drink alcohol (much) so I am ahead there. Mountain Dew will be hard to quit. I need to lose 30 pounds anyway. I drive a 10 year old pickup. I will have to keep driving it till it quits. Even though I hate the rusty pile of crap. I am considering ditching our cell phones. They are no longer under contract and we don't use them much. Cut out the fat everywhere we can. If we can do it, we will retire very comfortably barring any catastrophes.
But, it is hard knowing I won't be able to buy any toys. Or buy a new truck. There are quite a few things I want that I know I won't be able buy once we have kids. I guess I will have to grow up some. Thus far in our marriage we have just split up the bills and each kept our money separate. We can't do that any more. I have to face the fact that some day I will have to support a family and that it is no longer just my money anymore. Time to be a man.
Dave Ramsey's book talks about getting "Gazelle intense". You "live like no one else so later you can live like no one else." That is our goal. I am going to have to learn self discipline. Work more overtime. (I should be doing that right now). While the rest of America averages over $8,000 in credit card debt, and is one lost job from being homeless, we want be debt free. We will not be slaves to our payments.
I hope we have the stones to get it done.
Now there are a couple of problems in the way. One, the house needs an exterior remodel. New soffits, siding, windows, shingles, etc. I figure this could cost about $15k. And it needs to be done this summer. And another one is our children. Or rather the lack of them. We aint got any, and she wants some. I don't know if we can wait long enough to pay off everything. She will be quitting her job when we have kids. I say don't have 'em if you won't raise 'em. Plus she doesn't make enough justify being a working mom. Another problem is health insurance. We get it now from her job, and my employer doesn't offer it.
So I am considering paying off all our debts except the mortgage, and paying that down as much as we can till baby one arrives. Then maybe refinance the house to a ten year loan or something that I can handle on my income. I doubt the interest rates will be that favorable in a couple years though. It would be so much better not to have any house payment at all.
So one of the things we are going to do is a written budget. I learned about this from Dave Ramsey. We have been planning on this for a few months but we never actually did it. So I made up a excel spreadsheet. Every dollar is supposed to be accounted for.
I know this will be hard. I am going to try to quit buying worthless things like junk food and junk drinks. I don't drink alcohol (much) so I am ahead there. Mountain Dew will be hard to quit. I need to lose 30 pounds anyway. I drive a 10 year old pickup. I will have to keep driving it till it quits. Even though I hate the rusty pile of crap. I am considering ditching our cell phones. They are no longer under contract and we don't use them much. Cut out the fat everywhere we can. If we can do it, we will retire very comfortably barring any catastrophes.
But, it is hard knowing I won't be able to buy any toys. Or buy a new truck. There are quite a few things I want that I know I won't be able buy once we have kids. I guess I will have to grow up some. Thus far in our marriage we have just split up the bills and each kept our money separate. We can't do that any more. I have to face the fact that some day I will have to support a family and that it is no longer just my money anymore. Time to be a man.
Dave Ramsey's book talks about getting "Gazelle intense". You "live like no one else so later you can live like no one else." That is our goal. I am going to have to learn self discipline. Work more overtime. (I should be doing that right now). While the rest of America averages over $8,000 in credit card debt, and is one lost job from being homeless, we want be debt free. We will not be slaves to our payments.
I hope we have the stones to get it done.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
I am morose
Well, being the go getter that I am, I just completed our taxes. No refund. I am paying in again this year. About 500 bucks. Somehow, the withholding gets screwed up. Or we just make too much money. Ha!
I put all the information into H&R Blocks website, and when I got done the charge was 30 bucks. The reason I did this is because I used them last year. What a joke. I really didn't feel like punching all that crap in again, even though I could have done it for free somewhere else. So I paid it. I am making a note not to use them again next year.
It is somewhat depressing. Everyone I know got a refund and blew it long ago. Well, at least I know our government is putting it to good use.
Somebody cheer me up.
I put all the information into H&R Blocks website, and when I got done the charge was 30 bucks. The reason I did this is because I used them last year. What a joke. I really didn't feel like punching all that crap in again, even though I could have done it for free somewhere else. So I paid it. I am making a note not to use them again next year.
It is somewhat depressing. Everyone I know got a refund and blew it long ago. Well, at least I know our government is putting it to good use.
Somebody cheer me up.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
April 1st, 2006
I woke up early this morning to go hunt some geese. I pulled a good on on my wife, telling her that overnight a tree had fallen and was draped across both our vehicles. Of course she bought it. Today, when I should have been working, I was over at Res Ispa's and read his April Fools post. Then I went directly to Bane's.
That is what is somewhat embarrassing. I was just commenting on April Fools and then I almost fell for one. So anyway if you haven't heard the new, Bane died. Is it hot down there Bane?
Mysteriously, he was posting in the comments on the nude chick post a half hour before LL posted the news. It must have been awful sudden.
I was too slow to get any geese this morning, they were about done flying before I got there. My hunting crew was there only 10 minutes before me and they had 7 when I got there. Got quite a bit of shooting a little later on, but no hitting. I haven't been able to hit a thing all spring. Anyway, I have not been able to force myself to accomplish any work, so I think I might just go back out huntin'.
UPDATE
ITS A MIRACLE! HE'S ALIVE!
And he's posting in the comments on Hog On Ice!!! (The time stamps are a little different, but one of the posts came about an hour and a half after he 'died'.)
Or is he? Maybe its a ghost.
That is what is somewhat embarrassing. I was just commenting on April Fools and then I almost fell for one. So anyway if you haven't heard the new, Bane died. Is it hot down there Bane?
Mysteriously, he was posting in the comments on the nude chick post a half hour before LL posted the news. It must have been awful sudden.
I was too slow to get any geese this morning, they were about done flying before I got there. My hunting crew was there only 10 minutes before me and they had 7 when I got there. Got quite a bit of shooting a little later on, but no hitting. I haven't been able to hit a thing all spring. Anyway, I have not been able to force myself to accomplish any work, so I think I might just go back out huntin'.
UPDATE
ITS A MIRACLE! HE'S ALIVE!
And he's posting in the comments on Hog On Ice!!! (The time stamps are a little different, but one of the posts came about an hour and a half after he 'died'.)
Or is he? Maybe its a ghost.
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