Demand goes up as
prices go down, and goes down
as prices go up.

The reason why they fell illustrates why I will never be an economics major:

«Oil prices fell more than $10 over the previous two days on growing concerns that inflation and other economic concerns could reduce demand for crude. A surprisingly large gain in oil and refined fuel inventories in the U.S. prolonged the sell-off, because it suggested more supplies were heading into storage rather than consumers' fuel tanks.»

Ok, so operating on that principle, we need to lower our demand so significantly that those a-holes overseas can stop holding our country hostage. And no, neocons, the answer IS NOT ANWR.

Full article HERE.

We refer you to the Law of Income, which states, "You will be paid in direct proportion to the value of what you deliver according to the marketplace."

It is important to know that 4 factors determine your value in the marketplace: supply, demand, quality, and quantity. In my experience, the factor that presents the biggest challenge for most people is quantity. The quantity factor simply means how much of your value do you actually deliver to the marketplace?

Another way of stating this is: how many people do you actually serve?

Small thinking and small actions lead to being broke and unfulfilled. Big thinking and big actions lead to both money and meaning. The choice is yours!

by T. Harv Eker

As you see, your thought almost always determines your outcome. You can receive big results, only when you think big and act big or different from the crowd. Join us NOW to Empower Your Life and we'll show you how to think big…

Dr.Zom : 2008-06-08 08:22:47 PM
Electing an oil man president and complaining when the price of gas goes up is like electing a pimp and complaining about the rising price of vagina.

And the truthiness flows...this particular piece of it coming from this story.

NEW YORK - The average price of regular gas crept up to $4 a gallon for the first time over the weekend, passing the once-unthinkable milestone just in time for the peak summer travel season.

Prices at the pump are expected to keep climbing, especially after last week’s furious surge in oil prices, which neared $140 a barrel in a record-shattering rally Friday.

While Americans who have to drive will feel the biggest squeeze, the increased prices also translate into higher costs for consumers and businesses, who will be forced to shoulder increased transportation costs of food and anything else that needs to be transported.

[full story]

Really folks, is there any question left as to where the blame lies for this debacle?

Der Vassermeister

2008-06-08 08:52:25 PM

Do you know the price per barrel of oil in February 200[3]? (For historical context, that would be the month before the Iraq invasion). The answer is that in February 200[3], the month before the Iraq invasion, the per barrel price of oil was [$35.87]. Thank you preznit numb nutz.

[note: had to edit for accuracy, but I liked the point. source]

QIf the Federal Reserve reduces the target interest rate at which banks borrow money from each other, as it is expected to today, will rates for fixed-rate mortgages fall too?

AProbably not. Rates might even rise. The Fed has no direct control over mortgage rates; rates for 30- and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages are essentially set by those investors who are willing to purchase bundles of these mortgages - "mortgage-backed securities" - from Wall Street. Rates have risen lately to compensate for the threat of inflation, which erodes the value of investors' returns. Also, investors are hesitant to buy some types of mortgage-backed securities because so many borrowers have defaulted in recent years, leaving them with nearly worthless investments. With low demand for these products on Wall Street, lenders want to keep mortgage rates - and therefore the yields on securities - high enough to attract investors.

So, Fed rate cuts have made it cheaper for lenders to borrow money, but so far, lenders are not passing much of that savings along to fixed-rate loan
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customers. They're using it to boost their profitability.

QWhat about rates for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs)?

AHomeowners with ARMs may benefit from a Fed rate cut, as rates on most ARMs are tied to other short-term interest-rate indexes, such as the average of one-year U.S. Treasury bills. Those tend to move in line with the Fed rate changes.

QHave any mortgage lenders come out with rates for the new "jumbo-conforming" loans - the ones of up to $729,750 that financing companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can now buy from lenders and sell to investors?

AA few, including Wells Fargo, Chase, IndyMac, Washington Mutual and Countrywide.

QWhat are the interest rates?

AThey vary. But, for example, the best rate for a new 30-year, fixed-rate "jumbo-conforming" loan was 6.25 percent Monday, said Will Clinton, a mortgage broker at AccessPlus Mortgage in San Jose. But 30-year fixed "conforming" loans of $417,000 or less were available at about 5.5 percent.

QWhy so much higher for "jumbo-conforming" than for "conforming"?

ABecause of the perceived higher risk of these larger loans, rates are higher.

QShould I expect more changes to come in mortgage rates, programs and lending criteria?

AYes.

HARI Jumat tanggal 25 Januari lalu, adik ipar saya terkena deman berdarah. Hasil pemeriksaan laboratorium, trombositnya sudah turun ke angka 54. Terpaksa harus segera dirawat. Dengan alasan dekat dari rumah dan tak jauh dari laboratorium tersebut, maka kami pun segera membawa adik saya ke RSUD Ujung Berung, Kota Bandung.

Setelah masuk UGD, adik saya terpaksa menunggu perawatan karena harus menyelesaikan dulu administrasinya. Beruntung setelah menyelesaikan administrasi, ada kamar kosong untuk adik saya yang suhu badannya semakin meninggi. Kami memilih kelas II saja, karena harus diakui anggaran terbatas. Yang penting segera tertangani dan bisa dirawat dengan baik.

Kami pun menuju ke Ruang Kelas II di Bagian Dalam Laki-laki. Ketika masuk, kami sempat kaget dengan kondisi ruangannya. Di ruang itu ada tiga tempat tidur pasien. Tapi hanya satu yang terisi dekat jendela. Adik saya lalu ditidurkan di ranjang yang di tengah. Saya sempat mengeryitkan dahi, ini rumah sakit atau apa?

Kamar itu catnya sudah lamur. Di beberapa bagian dinding banyak noda bekas tetesan air hujan. Gordynnya, pun banyak noda. Kayanya bekas darah. Lemari untuk menyimpan barang yang berada di sebelah temat tidur, sudah rusak dan berdebu. Masuk ke kamar mandi, he..he.., bau tak sedap pun langsung tercium hidung. Jangan tanya kalau lihat bak mandinya. Sepertinya sudah satu bulan lebih tak pernah dibersihkan. Beruntung airnya banyak.

Yang lebih parah lagi, tempat tidur di sebelah yang kosong, spreinya terlihat basah, kayaknya bekas air kencing, dan ada sedikit bekas darah. Kata ibu yang nunggu pasien yang di sebelah, pasien di tempat tidur itu barus saja meninggal dunia tadi pagi. Adik saya yang sakit pun tampaknya agak gusar juga mendengar kabar itu.

Malam itu, saya menginap di rumah sakit ditemani saudara. Tempat tidur di sebelah masih belum juga dibersihkan atau diganti spreinya. Sekitar pukul sembilan malam, ada dua orang perawat masuk, dan ketika melihat tempat tidur yang kosong itu, yang seorangnya berkata, "Eey, geuning baseuh....." Dan, lalu keluar ruangan lagi. Sampai pagi tempat tidur yang kosong itu tetap begitu. Ketika saya pulang, pukul 11-an, tetap tidak ada yang mengganti.

Saya baru bisa ke rumah sakit lagi, hari Minggunya. Tempat tidur itu sudah ada yang mengisi. Mungkinkah, bekas pasien yang meninggal, atau sudah sembuh baru dibersihkan kalau ada pasien baru lagi? Kalau tidak ada mungkin, akan tetap dibiarkan seperti itu. Padahal, kalau melihat kondisinya, sangat menjijikan. Kadang pasien kencing dan berak di tempat tidur. Apalagi kalau meninggal dunia, tentu ada kotoran yang keluar, dan harus segera dibersihkan agar tidak mengganggu kenyamanan pasien yang lain maupun yang menungguinya.

Adik saya pun, kurang mendapat perawatan yang semestinya. Pagi tidak ada perawat yang memandikan atau sekedar melap tubuhnya. Tampaknya, soal itu harus dilakukan oleh yang menunggui pasien. Ibu yang menunggu pasien yang di sebelah jendela pun, suatu waktu pernah terlihat khawatir karena ketika mencari perawat, tak ada seorang pun perawat yang terlihat. Padahal waktu itu, hari masih sore. "Mungkin, di ruangan istirahat perawat, Bu," kata saya.

"Tidak ada, nggak tahu pada kemana," jawab Ibu itu dengan wajah khawatir. Ia mau mengganti infusan suaminya yang sakit, dan bingung karena takut salah.

Inilah mungkin, gambaran sebagian Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah yang ada di negara kita ini. Atau mungkin hanya di Ujung Berung saja. Atau apa karena biayanya murah, sehingga tak bisa menjaga fasilitas yang ada. Padahal, hampir di setiap ruangan terpampang tulisan, "Jagalah Kebersihan", dan kampanye bahaya demam berdarah. Ironisnya, pengelola atau SDM di Rumah Sakit itu, kurang memperhatikan kebersihan. Jadi jangan heran, kalau nyamuk-nyamuk pun berterbangan.***