Fuel Prices Weigh on Businesses

Abner, I had to wait to make sure I gave you the right answer. My sister in law is valenciana , and she just told me that every town has a different date for these celebrations, varying according to historical dates. If they kicked the Moors in summer days in that specific town, then they celebrate their parade in the summer. So there are many of these fiestas in different dates. I hope it helped.

Have you ever seen the Fallas?

Sorry everyone else for the digression.

 

Hi JLV:

I saw the Festival of Saint Dolores in Concentaina, Valencia. It was a huge affair, very intersting. There were many penitents that had costumes of various colors. They marched in accordance to color. Some penitents were all black, some all purple, and other of various colors.

They also carried a huge glass case with a very realistic looking Christ in it. This festival was especially exciting when dusk started to come around. All the candles the penitents carried casted shadows off the medieval buildings, very beautiful!!!

Anyway, next time I will catch the Christians against the Moors in Alcoi, Valencia. I believe that is in April some time, will double check.

thanks for the comments!


Abner

 

So they don't matter?

Go to work by bike? You're kiddin', right? Some people live 10 or 20 miles from work -- many, in fact... maybe even most in some places. And that's just not practical for a whole lot of other reasons, too... like, oh... maybe they'd like not to be all sweaty and worn out when they get to their desk; or maybe she'd like to (or has to) wear a nice dress, or him a suit (or at least a shirt and tie). I cannot believe you suggested this! What strange world do you live in?

Well, at least that's more reasonable. It's hard to argue with that suggestion... that is, where there even is public transportation. Obviously you live in a place that's urban and well organized and served on many levels. Some people live in Mooseballs, Montana... and other similar ruralities.

You don't really know very much about the working poor, do you? They -- not all of them, of course, but many -- have jobs at places like Burger King, where a resume is not only unneeded, it's sometimes never even been heard of.

So I was right, then: They don't matter... to you, at least.

It's always an astonishment to me -- a real makes-me-shake-my-head-in-disbelief-and-sigh moment -- when the empowered project onto the unempowered their empowered sensibilities.

With attitudes like that among the rich (or at least "rich" compared with the working poor), it's no wonder the gap between them is widening.

 

Well, to be completely honest I wonder the same everyday when I get up. Nevertheless millions of people here go every day to work by bike. 10, 15, and many 20 miles, raining and cold, mud, snow, and ice. Here it always rains, and, I mean, always, but $6 - 7 per gallon is enough to persuade many to use a bike. On top of that, in the long run, daily bicycling leads you a healthier, longer, much better quality life. This is how you can find consolation when you face the wind and the rain in the cold winter. And probably the thought of a heavier wallet at the end of the month helps many.

I live in a city-state with one of the greatest human densities of the world. There are people everywhere. Trains on rush hour are like sardine cans, a mixture of perfume, coffee smell and fart, and it is very expensive (about $10 a day for only 20 Km ride – 12 miles). That if there are not problems with the lines. They can afford cars but use public transportation for economic purposes.

Similarly if those persons you mention have problems getting to work, if they truly can’t use public transportation, and cannot afford going by car, then they should consider moving to a place closer to their workplace, or move to a bigger city where more opportunities will certainly arise. There are millions of people who have migrated for economic reasons. One can complain about the oil prices, about the lack of opportunities or about the weather. But one can also do something about it. Much more in the US of A. You know that old saying, Pray to the Lord, but row to the shore.

The article posted by Abner had NOTHING to do with Wal Mart. It dealt mainly with smaller businesses. But let me tell you what I think anyway. The increase of the price of oil is largely due (if I understood the news correctly) to a raise of the demand in countries like China and India. A majority of Wal Mart products (almost two thirds) are imported from China. So Wal Mart, a major player in the US economy, is directly stimulating the consumption of oil in China, which indirectly increases the prices in the US and elsewhere (you´re not the only ones suffering from it). The paradox is that by importing those cheap items, China helps the US in beating inflation, and by strengthening its economy providing thus more opportunities (of a different kind though) for your poor or rich or average American. That’s why that criticism and whining by Wal Mart spokespersons that you mentioned yesterday seem to be extempore.

By the way, notice that I haven’t made any assumption about you, neither I have tried to discredit your comments or dismissed them as jokes. Not even rhetorically. It doesn´t bother me too much when you do it really, but I´d prefer similar treatment.


Regards

 

I would love to be able to ride to work in a bike. I would even like to ride to work in an electric scooter... I only live about 10 miles away from my job. A very few people in Atlanta do this, but they have nerves of steel. I'm too afraid of dying to not drive! One of the main corridors on my way to work is called Buford Highway.... a lot of recent Mexican immigrants live, work and shop along in the neighborhood along the highway. Many of them do not own cars, and they tend to have the odd and un-American habit of walking. As a result they are constantly being run over and dying. Buford Highway, despite being densely populated both residentially and commercially, doesn't even have sidewalks!

JLV, I think on the whole it is much easier for Europeans to use car alternatives because public policy is very in favor of them. In my own city the Republicans from the exurbs are always bashing public transportation and trying to limit it as much as possible. Every time a location for a new public transportation center or station is proposed, someone complains that they don't want poor people coming into their neighborhood and so it never happens. Yet there is never any problem subsidizing highway repair/development with public funds.

The one good thing that may come from a prolonged gas price crunch is that it will force cities like Atlanta to reconsider their car-centricity. We also have health problems with smog and asthma which could be alleviated by having less cars. Everyone -- Democrat and Republican -- says they want to do something about traffic, but we all need to start putting our money down and actually doing it.

 

Qvatlanta,

I think it has more to do with the price of gas, that as you know is much higher than in the States than with public policy. We all liketo go to work with an air conditioned car, but when that is VERY expensive we try to find other alternatives.

I think we should be prepared because oil prices will only go up. Perhaps car pooling, smaller cars, bikes (as much as it bothers DesElms), etc,... are solutions for transportation.


Regards

 

Steve, I think you’ll find that most American agree with Gregg and you at $3 a gallon. When prices go up to $6-$9 per gallon, like here, you’ll see how many begin to find alternatives.

When I first came here to Holland after spending a lot of years in the US, and completely Americanized in every possible sense, I also found it ridiculous to go everywhere bicycling. Now I am accustomed to it, and I love it. I truly enjoy getting on the bike. Here a great number of people, from company executives to HS students use bikes to move around. I’ll try to find pictures on the net, or I’ll take one myself so you all can see hundreds of bikes up and down the streets, or the paths parallel to the roads. Of course, driver irresponsibility is a reality, and I understand your concern, but I am sure that if the oil prices continue on escalating, many people will seek different options.

Regards

 

I think you are right on this one. Whether one uses a bicycle or not, though, depends a lot on local climate and terrain conditions. Can't imagine biking anywhere (unless into "iron man" kind of athletics) here in WV. But back in WI, where there was snow almost 6 months of the year, lots of die-hard bikers rode continuously through the streets of the state capital, sometimes encountering problems with drivers and buses, but generally OK.

One of my friends when I lived there was originally from NYC, and he was outraged at the prevalence of "biking" in WI. He claimed that back in NYC only "kids rode bikes" and "in parks". All the others, so he said, were long dead and buried from being run down by angry cab drivers.....

 

Not sure if it matters too much now, but the US economy was improving big time before the natural catastrophe which shows once again how ressiliant the economy was to the increasing price of oil.

Furthermore, the good news is that

A I said, Olé tus Cojones.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168279,00.html

 

Now you did it JLV, you are going to start another discussion about cojones. Or is it cojines? He, he he!



Abner

 

Not at all, Abner. I was merely pointing out that the US economy was doing cojonudamente well before the N.O. tragedy. You see, one only needs to know the word cojones and all its possible declinations and forms (as an adverb, as an adjective, as a verb) and you already know a complete language good enough to make it at least in Madrid. If you know that word and its derivations and know how to pronounce it, no one would ever know where you come from.

 

You bust me up JLV! It seems we have made use of the word "cojones" very popular around here. He, he, he!


Have a good day brother!



Abner