State of the Union address

[sts9fan]

Isn't Biodiesel veggie oil mixed with Methanol? I heard you can make some nice body soap with the left over nitroglycerin.

You almost got it. It is veggie oil mixed with lye(NaOH) and Methanol. You can then use Methanol mixes with the NaOh to form Sodium Methoxide with strips the glycerin off the chain. Also you can make soap from the glycerin but it is not Nitroglycerin.

 

[jake51s]

I have a truck that will run on E85, and even have a filling station in town for it. Do I ever use it, no. I have run E85 a few times and while it costs as much or more than premium gas, your mileage drops by 30-40%.

I normally get ~300 miles to a tank, with E85 it's just over 200. By my calculations I spend ~$2500 a year for gas, if I switched to E85 I would spend ~$3550.

I believe biodiesel is similarly more expensive than regular diesel. I don't have an extra $1000 a year to spend on fuel, until I am incentivised to do so, I will stick to gasoline and help with those record profits.

 

[sts9fan]

I have a truck that will run on E85, and even have a filling station in town for it. Do I ever use it, no. I have run E85 a few times and while it costs as much or more than premium gas, your mileage drops by 30-40%.

Now we are getting to the root of things. People are not willing to sacrifice to make the worl a better place. End of story...

 

[shokhead]

Over at the cycling forum they have a thread about being car free. For the most part they say there is no reason you cant be car free. They say you have to let your fat kids walk instead of caring them andthis and that.
Anything that includes gas/oil is not helping us at all. The US car makers need to get on with it for elect,hy or whatever as long as it doesnt need gas/oil.

 

[jake51s]

Now we are getting to the root of things. People are not will to sacrifice to make the worl a better place. End of story...

Like I said, I don't have an extra $1000 laying around, even if I did saving the environment would not be on the short list.

You may be independently wealthy and able to flush money down the toilet buying expensive commodities, but you would be in the vast minority of this country.

 

[jake51s]

Over at the cycling forum they have a thread about being car free. For the most part they say there is no reason you cant be car free. They say you have to let your fat kids walk instead of caring them andthis and that.
Anything that includes gas/oil is not helping us at all. The US car makers need to get on with it for elect,hy or whatever as long as it doesnt need gas/oil.

I can't ride a bike 32 miles to work every day.

 

[sts9fan]

Like I said, I don't have an extra $1000 laying around, even if I did saving the environment would not be on the short list.

You may be independently wealthy and able to flush money down the toilet buying expensive commodities, but you would be in the vast minority of this country.

What is on your short list if the enviorment is not? Also it is not flushing money down the drain it is called doing your part. It is a very hard concept I know..

 

[jake51s]

What is on your short list if the enviorment is not? Also it is not flushing money down the drain it is called doing your part. It is a very hard concept I know..

I do need a new receiver

I can do my part in other ways, my point is that E85 and biodiesel are not credible alternative fuels. My truck is classified as an LEV, even when not on E85. It has 5(!) catalytic converters. My wife and I have a new, energy efficient home, and keep my thermostat at 67 in the winter. We bring our own bags to the grocery store, and support organic agriculture. Just because I do not pay a premium for fuel does not mean that we don't all do our part.

 

[sts9fan]

You do more then most and i applaud you. ever think how much fuel can be saved if you buy locally grown produce?? Check out this website.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/

I join a CSA here in boston and it was one of the best things I have ever done. The produce is amazing and it is CHEAP. I payed 18 bucks a week up front and you pick up a huge load of goods each week all summer through the second week of October. You get whatever is fresh. You will never buy store tomatos again. The kicker is you can feel good about supporting local farmers.
Thats what patriotism is imo

 

[jake51s]

We do go to the farmer's market here. It saves about 60% on the produce bill, my wife's a vegetarian so it can be pretty high, and it just tastes better.

 

[rr2465]

Doing our part...

I'd like to think that we're doing our part but it's not easy. I've looked into the solar panels here in So. Cal (sun about 95% of the year) and for my 1000 sq ft house it would cost about $10K. Without some kind of tax break that's just too expensive.

As for the motorcycle and bicycle comments I wish it were possible. How safe is it on a bike with the 3 ton H2's flying down the road? Its scary I tell you! As long as the cars/trucks get larger I don't see the public getting anything smaller.

In So. Cal people like their cars. There are more and more freeways and they're getting larger and larger. And there is still traffic. Public transportation is a joke. I see a time where everybody will have to work at home because the freeways don't move at all!

 

[masak_aer]

We do go to the farmer's market here. It saves about 60% on the produce bill, my wife's a vegetarian so it can be pretty high, and it just tastes better.

I agree. I go to farmer's market around here. Usually they're up only on weekends. Sure, we save like $30/week...that's $1560/year. Funny when i think about savings fuel and savings your money...we always think of ways to save this little change of ours, while the government spends millions if not billions on wars? Taxes are also one hell of a problem for people who doesn't earn the 6-digit income. Shouldn't there be a better way to tax more on those who earns more and put the extra money to help credit those who earns less? I'm an accountant and i still flip when i see my paycheck. When they say you got pay $60K/year..that's a "dreamy" number you'll never actually pocket...sigh. Somebody please tell me that I'm ignorant, cheap, not patriotic, or whatever...this is life as i see it.

One more thing: if you ask me to save the world by using other form of fuel (biodiesel, solar, whatever)..I'll do it if it is affordable! But what's the reality? It cost more than 1.5. I even find it hard to make my ends meet each month, now you ask me to spend more? The rich can always say what they want..save this save that...but for God sake...how many of u are out there? It is so ridiculous to accuse somebody ignorant because of this.

 

[shokhead]

I agree. I go to farmer's market around here. Usually they're up only on weekends. Sure, we save like $30/week...that's $1560/year. Funny when i think about savings fuel and savings your money...we always think of ways to save this little change of ours, while the government spends millions if not billions on wars? Taxes are also one hell of a problem for people who doesn't earn the 6-digit income. Shouldn't there be a better way to tax more on those who earns more and put the extra money to help credit those who earns less? I'm an accountant and i still flip when i see my paycheck. When they say you got pay $60K/year..that's a "dreamy" number you'll never actually pocket...sigh. Somebody please tell me that I'm ignorant, cheap, not patriotic, or whatever...this is life as i see it.

One more thing: if you ask me to save the world by using other form of fuel (biodiesel, solar, whatever)..I'll do it if it is affordable! But what's the reality? It cost more than 1.5. I even find it hard to make my ends meet each month, now you ask me to spend more? The rich can always say what they want..save this save that...but for God sake...how many of u are out there? It is so ridiculous to accuse somebody ignorant because of this.

So if you make to much by somebodys standard,you should help the poor. Robinhood like? Damit,you went to college and worked your a$$ off to make it so now you need to overpay in taxes to support the poor.

 

[masak_aer]

So if you make to much by somebodys standard,you should help the poor. Robinhood like? Damit,you went to college and worked your a$$ off to make it so now you need to overpay in taxes to support the poor.

That's why I mentioned earlier, there should be a better way to tax people in a given salary brackets. How many of the Americans are fortunate enough to sit in and enjoy college education? I never said in my post that you need to overpay, it's a whole different meaning. Consider this: if you make $100,000 and you are taxed 30% you still have your 70K. If you make 30K and taxed 30% you are left with your 21K. IF that's is fair for you...please tell that to people who are less fortunate than you. This is one of the reasons why the richer is getting richer and the poorer are getting poorer.
If i follow your thoughts, I'd be damned as well not to give any donations at all..not even my damn blood to red cross. You're dying because you can afford to buy food? Sorry but that's your damn fault...cuz you don't go to college and work your a$$ off.

 

[sdy284]

As for the motorcycle and bicycle comments I wish it were possible. How safe is it on a bike with the 3 ton H2's flying down the road? Its scary I tell you! As long as the cars/trucks get larger I don't see the public getting anything smaller.

Realistically, unless you are in another 2.5-3ton vehicle, how safe are you on the road these days? The woman driving her car while putting on makeup & talking on her cellphone driving through town terrifies me much more than the woman driving her kids to soccer practice in her H2. So in my opinion, the "safety" argument, is a weak one. As it all comes down to the responsibility of the driver. And another thing, if you're on a motor cycle, and if you get clipped by a honda civic doing 30mph and a H2 doing 30mph, either way, you're gonna have a hard time walking away unscathed after that

 

[sts9fan]

So if you make to much by somebodys standard,you should help the poor. Robinhood like? Damit,you went to college and worked your a$$ off to make it so now you need to overpay in taxes to support the poor.

no you help the lessfortuate because you care about people. You do it because you want OTHERS to live a better life. If you want to look at in a selfish way I love welfare because it prevents my family from being murdered by people with nothing to live for.

 

[MDS]

If you make 30K, you are not taxed at 30%. At that level, the rate is 20% or lower and don't forget the standard deduction (if you don't itemize) or itemized deductions, which makes the effective tax rate even lower.

I understand the point though. A higher income leaves more net income after taxes than when you start with a lower income. The reality though is that people tend to spend beyond their means. Drive through any poor neighborhood and you will see lots of expensive cars and SUVs - even boats - that cost more than the houses are worth.

 

[shokhead]

no you help the lessfortuate because you care about people. You do it because you want OTHERS to live a better life. If you want to look at in a selfish way I love welfare because it prevents my family from being murdered by people with nothing to live for.

Now you want a guilt trip on someone because they are doing well and making a living,now dont make to good of a living because my standard is different then yours. Everybody pays taxes{except BIG corps,they dont pay there fair share}its up to the state and gov to see its working the right way. Dont screw me because i've been poor and worked my *** off and now towards the end of my working age i'm doing pretty dam good,opps,now pay for some poor that for more then not,have choosen to be. You choose to not do good in school,have more kids then you can afford,do drugs and drink,be a bad person but wait,i will reward you by giving more of mine that i've worked,sweated and all the other things a person should do to be somewhat well of.

 

[df4801]

"Shouldn't there be a better way to tax more on those who earns more and put the extra money to help credit those who earns less?"

Yes, there is a way.
Its called socialism, or a form of communism.

I think its so unfair that some people make more than others.
Wouldnt it be nice if we could all just afford the same audio gear?

Now that my sarcasm is over, you liberal re-distributers need to get a clue.
If you really wanted a fair system, lets see you support the flat tax.
How can it not be fair if everyone pays the same RATE, with NO deductions for anyone. But you really dont want a fair system, you want to play Robin Hood.

 

[rr2465]

Realistically, unless you are in another 2.5-3ton vehicle, how safe are you on the road these days? The woman driving her car while putting on makeup & talking on her cellphone driving through town terrifies me much more than the woman driving her kids to soccer practice in her H2. So in my opinion, the "safety" argument, is a weak one. As it all comes down to the responsibility of the driver. And another thing, if you're on a motor cycle, and if you get clipped by a honda civic doing 30mph and a H2 doing 30mph, either way, you're gonna have a hard time walking away unscathed after that

In terms of safety, you're absolutely right about drivers responsibilities and their cell phones. But thats a discussion for another thread...

My point was that as the cars get larger the incentive to get a smaller car (or on a bike or motorcycle) decreases. As much fun as it would be to cruise around in a mini or a MG, I feel much safer in something more solid. About 5 years ago a woman in a Bronco (talking on the phone) ran a red light at around 50 mph and t-boned me in my clunker volvo. If I were in a small car I'm guessing that I'd be taking a permanent nap in the dirt right now.

I'm way off topic (and it may just be my mentality) but in my fantasyland if everybody was riding on motorcycles, bikes and small cars I'd be more likely to get one as well.