Fuel panic!

[Boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, DBIZO said:

It has probably been discussed earlier, so apologies if redundant: I'm about to fuel up, which made me look at where petrol's coming from in the UK. Apparently, none of it is from Russia. Full tank it is then.

If it had been from Russia what’s the alternative…….have you a pushbike? 😄

 

Thankfully we are not very dependent at all on energy from that despicable regime (nothing wrong with the country or the normal people, apart from most being brainwashed). 

[Las Palmas]

Price up again 10 cent today. Still cheap compared to mainland EU and UK as well, so will not tell that it is still below ?

Where does it come from?

Do not know.

[DBIZO]

16 hours ago, Boxbrownie said:

If it had been from Russia what’s the alternative…….have you a pushbike? 😄

 

Thankfully we are not very dependent at all on energy from that despicable regime (nothing wrong with the country or the normal people, apart from most being brainwashed). 

I wouldn't know what I'd have done, it depends. I'd have looked into fuel sourcing for individual oil companies, their latest Russia policy etc. Also, there is a UK phase out in motion on Russian oil (which doesn't affect petrol, because it's already 0% Russian), which could have meant I'm not taking a full tank, but wait it out if I can help. And yes, ultimately we don't have to drive around for most of the time, I could use the bike too to nearby shops, we don't actually have to go to retail parks etc. However, it's moot with a petrol car.

[DBIZO]

35 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

Price up again 10 cent today. Still cheap compared to mainland EU and UK as well, so will not tell that it is still below ?

Where does it come from?

Do not know.

A lot depends on taxation.

[Las Palmas]

51 minutes ago, DBIZO said:

I wouldn't know what I'd have done, it depends. I'd have looked into fuel sourcing for individual oil companies, their latest Russia policy etc. Also, there is a UK phase out in motion on Russian oil (which doesn't affect petrol, because it's already 0% Russian), which could have meant I'm not taking a full tank, but wait it out if I can help. And yes, ultimately we don't have to drive around for most of the time, I could use the bike too to nearby shops, we don't actually have to go to retail parks etc. However, it's moot with a petrol car.

If you want to do shopping on bike maybe you need one like this

[Malc]

I remember the days when the Walls Ice Cream man rode around our locale with one of those 

Malc

[LenT]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

I remember the days when the Walls Ice Cream man rode around our locale with one of those 

Malc

And on the front it had the memorable injunction to “Stop me and Buy one.”

I believe that a similar venture by a peddler of prophylactics with the line  “Buy me and Stop one” was less successful.

[toffee_pie]

Planned Obsolescence... something people are not really considering

Never has it been easier for automotive manufacturers to have control, not unlike apple throttling the Battery of iphones with OTA updates.  BTW, Scotty is still waiting for a EV manufacturer to give him one of their vehicles to 'try out'

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/18/cost-of-living-crisis-big-business-economy-prices-wages

High energy costs may have millions wondering how they will heat their homes, but BP’s chief executive boasted unashamedly that they turn his company into a “cash machine”. BP’s and Shell’s profits soared to a combined $32bn last year, with BP shareholders standing to benefit from a $1.5bn share buyback. Demands for a windfall tax have proved popular because people intuitively understand that these enormous rewards are unearned and unfair.

[Las Palmas]

Don't worry - be happy.

Today I saw that fuel is 1 cent cheaper than yesterday. No it is not cheap - but cheaper. 1.56€/L Shell super V 98 oct. etc. Will fill it this evening when getting out again.

 

[toffee_pie]

5 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

Don't worry - be happy.

Today I saw that fuel is 1 cent cheaper than yesterday. No it is not cheap - but cheaper. 1.56€/L Shell super V 98 oct. etc. Will fill it this evening when getting out again.

 

fill your boots and crack open the bubbly!

[LenT]

On 3/18/2022 at 6:37 PM, toffee_pie said:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/18/cost-of-living-crisis-big-business-economy-prices-wages

High energy costs may have millions wondering how they will heat their homes, but BP’s chief executive boasted unashamedly that they turn his company into a “cash machine”. BP’s and Shell’s profits soared to a combined $32bn last year, with BP shareholders standing to benefit from a $1.5bn share buyback. Demands for a windfall tax have proved popular because people intuitively understand that these enormous rewards are unearned and unfair.

I was intrigued by the illustration and quote you selected from a Guardian article. I may be mistaken, but it seems to be portraying a rather jaundiced view of a BP Shareholder. Are they really – as might be inferred - bloated, cigar-chomping capitalists? And it’s surely hardly surprising that ‘demands for a windfall tax have proved popular’ Don’t they always?

I wondered if this rather lazy stereotyping is borne out by fact. Well, it seems that 71.4% of BP’s Shareholders (LSE:BP – Ownership Breakdown 29.12.21) are Institutions; such as Pension Funds, Local Authorities, Asset Managers in charge of Pension Funds and such like.

This suggests that – far from it being the exclusive province of the Guardian’s archetypal capitalist - in fact, one way or another, almost every UK citizen is going to have some connection with BP Shares. It certainly applies to my Pensions – and my cigar-chomping days are long over!

I note that the article you quote fails to mention that the previous year, BP Shareholders had also ’benefited’ from what was the biggest loss in British Corporate history. Or that around 10,000 people lost their jobs.

It fails to mention that the UK Government can only levy taxes on income generated in the UK and much of BP’s most profitable activities have been elsewhere.

Or that BP and Shell are investing their ‘Windfalls’ in transiting to lower carbon alternatives and in developing technologies such as offshore wind, solar, hydrogen, carbon capture and electric vehicle charging.

Of course, Guardian writers have no obligation to be even-handed in their articles. But I suggest that the reality of the ‘Windfall’ situation is rather more nuanced than many would have it portrayed.

 

[LenT]

On 3/18/2022 at 6:37 PM, toffee_pie said:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/18/cost-of-living-crisis-big-business-economy-prices-wages

High energy costs may have millions wondering how they will heat their homes, but BP’s chief executive boasted unashamedly that they turn his company into a “cash machine”. BP’s and Shell’s profits soared to a combined $32bn last year, with BP shareholders standing to benefit from a $1.5bn share buyback. Demands for a windfall tax have proved popular because people intuitively understand that these enormous rewards are unearned and unfair.

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">This characterisation of the BP Shareholder by the Guardian did remind me that you earlier claimed that ‘The mere fact Bill Gates funds the british Government should set alarm bells going off anyway - no matter what his 'noble' cause is.’ An accusation you unfortunately failed to support, but was apparently based on a small donation to an independent charitable organisation (BBC Media Action).

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">From later posts, it’s clear that you hold a poor view of Bill Gates, to say the least. Impugning his motives and slandering his character. However, I think it’s fair to say that you have no such qualms about the Guardian, which you source freely.

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">Now, I’m sure you have noticed that one cannot leave the Guardian website without an exhortation to donate money to this perpetually cash-strapped organisation. You may have even donated something yourself.

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">Have you ever wondered, Eric, who might donate to such an organisation?

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">Well, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is very transparent in this respect.

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants?q=The%20guardian%20#committed_grants

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">It seems that Gates has been a significant supporter of the Guardian organisation over the last ten years, to the tune of over $13M. If, in your view, Bill Gates can exert a malign influence on the British Government for a rather modest donation to a charitable offshoot of the BBC, what do you think he might be getting from the Guardian for his $13M?

apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol">Whatever your reasons for disliking Gates, I’m sure you will conceded that he is not stupid. So whatever influence his money’s ‘buying’, it’s obviously worked for him for the last decade. I can’t help wondering what it is that you’ve been 'buying' from the Guardian for the last ten years that might have been influenced by Bill Gates?

 

[toffee_pie]

Oil companies are not exactly struggling for cash flow, this goes back to what I've said a few times. Question everything.

There is no climate change crisis other that the one government's are spoon feeding you. Using Ukraine as an excuse to hike up fuel is a lame excuse. 

I see more and more utterly useless cycle lanes getting made in and around Bristol, pointless but the idiots rolling these out across the nation aren't thinking this will increase traffic congestion thus making pollution worse. Oh no, it's the odd cyclists they are thinking about. These stupid lanes plus more and more low emission zones popping up is what's going to cull  perfectly good combustion cars is all that they are doing, turning people to sheep.

[toffee_pie]

6 minutes ago, LenT said:

This characterisation of the BP Shareholder by the Guardian did remind me that you earlier claimed that ‘The mere fact Bill Gates funds the british Government should set alarm bells going off anyway - no matter what his 'noble' cause is.’ An accusation you unfortunately failed to support, but was apparently based on a small donation to an independent charitable organisation (BBC Media Action).

From later posts, it’s clear that you hold a poor view of Bill Gates, to say the least. Impugning his motives and slandering his character. However, I think it’s fair to say that you have no such qualms about the Guardian, which you source freely.

Now, I’m sure you have noticed that one cannot leave the Guardian website without an exhortation to donate money to this perpetually cash-strapped organisation. You may have even donated something yourself.

Have you ever wondered, Eric, who might donate to such an organisation?

Well, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is very transparent in this respect.

https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants?q=The%20guardian%20#committed_grants

It seems that Gates has been a significant supporter of the Guardian organisation over the last ten years, to the tune of over $13M. If, in your view, Bill Gates can exert a malign influence on the British Government for a rather modest donation to a charitable offshoot of the BBC, what do you think he might be getting from the Guardian for his $13M?

Whatever your reasons for disliking Gates, I’m sure you will conceded that he is not stupid. So whatever influence his money’s ‘buying’, it’s obviously worked for him for the last decade. I can’t help wondering what it is that you’ve been 'buying' from the Guardian for the last ten years that might have been influenced by Bill Gates?

 

Anyone who thinks favourable on Bill Gates needs a head examination,  in case you haven't figured out he is shoving his nose in pretty much every news agency and bio medical company in the world. An easier way to put it is find me something his dodge money has not touched. 

[Bluemarlin]

2 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

Anyone who thinks favourable on Bill Gates needs a head examination,  in case you haven't figured out he is shoving his nose in pretty much every news agency and bio medical company in the world. An easier way to put it is find me something his dodge money has not touched. 

I'm not deeply informed on the subject of Bill Gates so, in the spirit of questioning everything, I'll accept your claim that he has his financial nose in many things. That would hardly be a surprising revelation regarding a billionaire though. My question therefore is: do you have an objective analysis of the relative good or harm that his financial contributions cause?

Ball park will do. 50/50 good vs harm?  70/30? 20/80?

[toffee_pie]

Do you think the covid vaccines are good? for Bill Gates and his many shares in bio medicine companies - his 'charitable help' to CNN, BBC and other large media outlets - most certainly beneficial – financially – you only need to look at the 50Billion revenue figures from Pfizer, AstraZeneca and the wealth of Bill himself doubling over the last two years and figure it out.

For curing covid? come on, pull my other one. Everyone I know who has been vaccinated, multiple times at that has got covid, my wife three jabs, sick as a small hospital. me, no jabs but also have got it, no worse than the last cold I had years ago.

 So for a ID scheme its certainly worked out but for endless jabs flattening the curve, curing covid – really.
And why would Pfizer (and Gates) try so hard to unsuccessfully backlist all clinical data relating to vaccines if they are so goodie goodie guys.?

Simply put - you always get people who take as face value everything they read - other people prefer to probe and question things, covid data was nonsensical to me years ago – ditto to climate change – you only need to look at the raw materials needed to make Electric Cars and the fossil fuels needed to charge them up to see it doesn’t quite add up. There is a very good reason no EV manufacturer has given their amazing cars to Scotty Kilmer – he would destroy them. I often wondered how they would fare from getting driven hard as I tend to not hang around in my Subaru and I doubt a Battery would last me long, overtaking and so forth.

I read a report, for once which was useful (ish) in that is was a Jaguar I-Pace driven at 70mph constant until it ran out of juice, less than 200 miles of a range and this Jaguar can cost almost 80K fully kitted out. My 14-year Subaru can drive from Southampton to Edinburgh doing 70-80mph non-stop, very safely also since it has permanaent 50/50 AWD – so this falls short of my expectations. I would be in a hotel drinking a nice single malt – the EV on the other hand probably looking for a working charge point hundreds of miles away.

So, climate change is more codswallop, the planet has always experienced droughts and natural disasters – it’s certainly nothing new.  Combustion cars are getting wiped off the planet without even consultation - the people who think Electric cars are good for the planet are probably the same ones who think Bill Gates is donating all his money to worthwhile causes.
 

[Las Palmas]

23 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

fill your boots and crack open the bubbly!

Absolutely. Bought a bottle of Schweppes. Absolutely bubbling.

[Bluemarlin]

I think questioning things is good Eric. However, replacing something you choose not to believe, with an equally questionable narrative, doesn't seem to achieve much in my opinion.

I'll skip going down the rabbit hole of climate change, as it would just go on forever, but will comment on your Bill Gates and vaccination points.

In a global pandemic I suspect that many people invested in bio med companies. Does that make them evil genuises, or simply savvy investors? In the abssence of evidence to the contrary, I suspect the latter.

As for whether vaccines are good, I can only go by the fact that since we have had widespread vaccinations we've seen the number of covid deaths drastically drop. Sure, people still get sick, but far fewer die. The vaccine was never touted as a total prevention, and instead something that would help minimise the effects if one was to get covid, and in that regard it appears to have worked as advertised.

Anecdotal examples of people getting very sick whilst vaccinated, or hardly feeling a thing when unvaccinated, are a long way from scientific proof of anything. There will always be exceptions and variations, and so it's the bigger picture that mattters. After all, you wouldn't do away with heart surgery because some people still die having had it, or some live on without it.

Like I said, questioning is fine, but often those who rebuke others for taking things they read at face value, do exactly that with the theories they read which happen to fit their agenda or mindset. Much like those who touted Ivermectin, without questioning it, only for it to transpire that much of the data had either been erroneously assumed or fabricated and subsequently withdrawn.

I don't believe that the powers that be always act in good faith, but from experience I've found that the claims of many conspiracy theories can be quite easily countered with a little research. Largely because many conspiracy theorists quickly latch on to something they want to believe, and then start spreading it without doing the tiniest amount of fact checking first.

[toffee_pie]

20 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

something you choose not to believe, with an equally questionable narrative, doesn't seem to achieve much in my opinion.

You mean waiting for the sixth booster (and however else are dished out) to cure covid? Serious question btw. There is nothing wrong with asking questions like why have we been shown data largely incorrect and used to maximize the scaremongering impact...or why is the data not transparent. Ask these questions however and Tin and Foil get mentioned

As for climate change, there is nothing questionable about querying the fossil fuels needed to manufacture EVs, no? Nor the fact combustion engines alone in the UK have pretty much zero impact to global greenhouse gases itself. So banning them entirely doesn't make much sense unless there are ulterior motives involved

[Bluemarlin]

Not at all Eric, I think it's perfectly sensible to question these things without being seen as a tin foil hat wearer, they're entirely valid questions. It's the subsequent assumptions of some kind of nefarious global conspiracy that sees the tin foil hat card being waved.

Equally questioning the use of fosssil fuels to manufacture EV's is perfectly valid. Personally I don't see an immediate environmental advantage. That said, I do see the reasoning behind attempting to shift from reliance on fossil fuels, but accept that any such move cant be immediate, and that the transition itself may not be the most efficient.

The reasons for doing so may be many and varied, from environmental concerns, to political and economic dependencies, or simply long term sustainability. Either way, it doesn't automatically mean that the alternative is simply to screw over the people.

[Las Palmas]

What does it matter if a computer nerd has influence?

He is no worse than the idiots ruling the countries.

The strong steal from the weak. Nothing new.

A rich can be elected president in the US.

The rich will be richer and from the poor even the little they have will be taken away from them.

We have limited time and if we do our best to take care of our families and thereby ourselves the time can be a bit better than just bearable. Some are born with more brain than others and I just hope they are not using it only for themselves. Even though mankind is greedy, some may be able to see that if we do not take care of each other - disasters happen.

Right now.

 

[Malc]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:12 PM, toffee_pie said:

is what's going to cull  perfectly good combustion cars is all that they are doing, turning people to sheep.

and giving us the opportunity to cull a few cyclists too .......... hehehehehehehe

19 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

Even though mankind is greedy, some may be able to see that if we do not take care of each other - disasters happen.

and BP for one is trying realy hard to take care of humanity by investing significantly in Green Stuff  AND at the same time providing our Pension Pots ( mine I'm sure too )  with some really useful profits to enable us to fill our boots with fuel..... .  in my case lots of delicious petrol to keep my delightful comfy 4 ltr V8 limo going and going and going 

There's nowt wrong with good profits provided they are earnt in a responsible manner and benefit society in some way .....  taxation and / or investing in Green stuff wnatever

Malc

[LenT]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:12 PM, toffee_pie said:

Oil companies are not exactly struggling for cash flow, this goes back to what I've said a few times. Question everything.

There is no climate change crisis other that the one government's are spoon feeding you. Using Ukraine as an excuse to hike up fuel is a lame excuse. 

I see more and more utterly useless cycle lanes getting made in and around Bristol, pointless but the idiots rolling these out across the nation aren't thinking this will increase traffic congestion thus making pollution worse. Oh no, it's the odd cyclists they are thinking about. These stupid lanes plus more and more low emission zones popping up is what's going to cull  perfectly good combustion cars is all that they are doing, turning people to sheep.

I may be wrong, but I was rather hoping that this response might be in reply to my observation that your choice of the Guardian article that appears to demonise BP Shareholders as cigar-chomping capitalists, may rather misrepresent the case.  If so, it seems to have been reborn into a comment on Bristol and cycle tracks.

 

On 3/25/2022 at 3:13 PM, toffee_pie said:

Anyone who thinks favourable on Bill Gates needs a head examination,  in case you haven't figured out he is shoving his nose in pretty much every news agency and bio medical company in the world. An easier way to put it is find me something his dodge money has not touched. 

I must admit I'm not sure I follow the logic here.  Having shown you that Gates has been a substantial financial supporter of the Guardian for at least the last decade, you appear to ignore its relevance as to the possible affect on the integrity of the Guardian - as you would see it.  It's just a guess on my part, but I suspect that they look 'favourable on Bill Gates' after pocketing $13M of his 'dodge money' as you describe it.

Wherever he's shoved his nose, the Guardian for one clearly enjoys it!

Which of course explains why in 2010 they actually went into partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Perhaps you should now bear his influence in mind next time you regard the Guardian as a trustworthy source?

https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/guardian-launches-global-development-site

 

[toffee_pie]

People were conned by Governments on Diesel(gate) and are getting done again now - the giveaway for me was the sudden and dramatic way petrol cars were banned across the world - by leading governments, with zero input from anyone.

Electric cars are not good for the environment but very good for an AI digital controlled society of 2030 and beyond, they have 5 x the amount of fossil fuels to manufacture over a combustion car and that’s excluding all the charging they need and mining minerals for batteries - tens of billions of batteries.
Bottom line is do you listen to the governments telling you stuff that is inherently biased, they are not telling you stuff they do not want you to know (obviously) or make your own judgement

Have a look at jobs and top salaries in 2040 – its all-digital and AI – manual labour type jobs are finished – shop assistants, taxi drivers, all that is finished and now the steps are made for this future we have ahead – even stamps are going digital. 

People might say but wait, we have black boxes now what is the problem – well black boxes will be nothing like the cars in 2030 – not even close – if you work in Electronics like me, you can see the way technology is going - my HP laptop is about 2 years old, moving to 3 and it has almost 11 Billion transistors crammed into its GPU die alone and this is pretty old tech nowadays.

Cars are heading to the way mobile phones did from the Nokia 3310 with snake to the ones we use now which can pretty much allow you to WFH if you wanted and watch 4K movies in your lunch break, they will not really be cars that we were used to and certainly not a drivers car like a Subaru.

Also I am seeing more and more people getting fined for parking EVs by nasty people like parking eye taking advantage of desperate owners looking for a charge, and the fine is £100 on tap

 

[toffee_pie]

On 3/26/2022 at 6:22 PM, LenT said:

I may be wrong, but I was rather hoping that this response might be in reply to my observation that your choice of the Guardian article that appears to demonise BP Shareholders as cigar-chomping capitalists, may rather misrepresent the case.  If so, it seems to have been reborn into a comment on Bristol and cycle tracks.

 

I must admit I'm not sure I follow the logic here.  Having shown you that Gates has been a substantial financial supporter of the Guardian for at least the last decade, you appear to ignore its relevance as to the possible affect on the integrity of the Guardian - as you would see it.  It's just a guess on my part, but I suspect that they look 'favourable on Bill Gates' after pocketing $13M of his 'dodge money' as you describe it.

Wherever he's shoved his nose, the Guardian for one clearly enjoys it!

Which of course explains why in 2010 they actually went into partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  Perhaps you should now bear his influence in mind next time you regard the Guardian as a trustworthy source?

https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/guardian-launches-global-development-site

 

People like you listen to all the biased government and news feeds from CNN, MSN and the BBC. 

You probably are waiting for the 6th booster to cure covid right? I had covid 2 weeks ago and was sick for around a week, pretty much the same as the flu when I was sick in 2019 (If I took a PCR test back then my guess it it would have 2 lines also) - my triple jabbed wife got covid and was far far worse off then me, 40 years old perfect health and she has been weird since truth be told. 

People like you never ask Boris how many are dead from vaccines - because the answer is zero right, the BBC says so.

Bill Gates is rinsing in wealth due to gullible people like you. 

Hang on, my tin foil hat is loose.