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Posted By: Ryan Christoff

Ted drives a foreign car?

-Ryan

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Ted,

A high percentage of the price in the U.S. goes to taxes as well--both state and local.

Maybe Barack will throw a tax on gasoline to pay for his social welfare programs.

Here is an example of the markets working beautifully.

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Posted By: Pennsylvania Ted

I also have a 1957 Ford Thunderbird and a 1960 T-Bird.....two great American Heavy Metal machines.....
is that "Patriotic" enough for you ?

Next time you travel EAST, stop by in Pennsylvania, and I will be happy to take you for a ride in my
classic cars. Then we can drive each other crazy talking politics, baseball, baseball cards, etc.

TED Z

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Posted By: sagard

A Pigovian tax on gas would be the absolute best thing either McCain or Obama could do as president. Gas is subsidized to the tune of $5-$10 per gallon when the direct military costs of it's acquisition is factored in.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Drill baby Drill.

In the great wasteland called the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge and offshore our coastline.
Every other country in the world does it. The industry has shown it can do it in an environmentally safe way.


I got a kick out of whoever stated Obama now favoring drilling off our coasts was a great example of his "flexibility". When the vast majority of the country favors something, he will change his position to be more electable. Rest assured, that when the election is finished the Obama, Biden, Pelosi wing of the Democratic party will stop any move to increase drilling.

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Posted By: sagard

Of course they will Jim. Gas is back down under $3 per gallon and no leaders in this country look out past the next two weeks.

To me the only reason not to drill is that our oil would be the single greatest asset we can pass (along with our mountain of debt) to the next generation. Funny how not a single politician is willing to make that statement.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

"I got a kick out of whoever stated Obama now favoring drilling off our coasts was a great example of his "flexibility". When the vast majority of the country favors something, he will change his position to be more electable. Rest assured, that when the election is finished the Obama, Biden, Pelosi wing of the Democratic party will stop any move to increase drilling."

Well, just look at Obama's statement to AIPAC (a pro-Israeli lobbying group) this year in which he stated he supported an undivided Jerusalem. He was cheered for this position -- until the next day when he caught hell from the opposition. Of course, he immediately changed his position. As I've said before, Obama is basically a marketing plan who will say anything, do anything to get elected. Anything.

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Posted By: ROBERT ADAMS JR

Ted Z . So , the citizens should suffer ?

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Posted By: Anonymous

With GAS as low as $2.89 at some pumps, are we that bad off ?

Yes, if we have no 401K left to retire on and have to have our taxes bail out multimillion and multibillionares! It's like being offered a mandatory two for one special at the proctologist's office.

As far as cards, no. I keep merrily purchasing cards just like I have in the past.

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Posted By: Chuck Ross

I find it amusing that just like the frog who will be oblivious to his impending death in a pot of slowly heated water, we find that gas at $2.90 a gallon is encouraging. A little over three years ago, most people were shocked when gas crossed the $2/gallon barrier. Have your salaries and retirement plans kept up with that 50% increase?

I also find the "Drill Baby Drill" sentiments quite lame. Yes, the oil in the ANWR would help a little, but both the Energy Dept. and USGS estimate that peak flow would be for only about five years and would mainly help the west coast. I'm not speaking here as a Republican or Democrat but as an engineer (and card collector since 1968). With the rise of India and China, we have got to stop being so short sighted. If we want our kids and grandkids to enjoy anything like the lifestyles we have enjoyed, we need a national initiative to seek out alternatives to fossil fuels. I have normally voted Republican, but I have to think that if we had focused our military efforts these last 7 years on Afghanistan (where the perpetrators of 9/11 originated) and put all the money we have blown in Iraq into fundamental energy research, then we might be getting somewhere.

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Posted By: Pennsylvania Ted

1st.....Did we not expend our military efforts on Afghanistan immediately after 9/11 ?

2nd.....We did and we defeated the Taliban and the Afghan people held their first democratic election.
As we sent the Al Queda terrorists on the run......

So, Al quedat ran to Iraq.....our next battle front.

Do you not recall the evil Al Queda savages that be-headed Danny Pearl in Iraq. Or, their hanging of
civilian Americans under bridges in Iraq ? I could go on with many more atrocities; but, why waste my
energy trying to inform the un-informed who refuse to objectively recall the events of the past 7 years.

3rd.....Did we not fight three fronts in WWII ? ?

The Japanese attacked us, but you do recall that we not only fought in the South Pacific, but also....
in Europe....and, in Africa.

So, now we have just two fronts.....I don't understand what the problem is with you "nay-sayers" ?

Other than your ideology "blinds" you to the reality of the past 7 years. There is evil in this world......
it has not only struck us, but also....Africa....Britain....France....Indonesia.. ..Italy....Spain. Do you not
realize that we must confront it....if we are to survive as a FREE Nation.

From 1993-2000 we were struck at least 6 times and the Clinton administration failed to effectively
confront the terrorism directed at us. So, this failure emboldened the enemy and they hit us on 9/11.

This is not my opinion....it was Bin Laden words after our military embarrassment in Somalia in 1993.

Finally......DRILL NOW....DRILL in the USA.....so, we can be FREE of foreign OIL......

As an Engineer, I am realistically cognizant that our use of OIL, and its numerous by-products, are
not going to go away in the near future.

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Posted By: Chuck Ross

Ted, with all due respects to your baseball card posts (which are excellent) I have to take exception to your grasp of world events. You say we defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan...what kind of Kool-Aid are you drinking up there in PA? Did you not read the words of Admiral Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, just two days ago where he stated the situation in Afghanistan was in a "downward spiral" with the Taliban in increasing control?

Sure, we had three fronts in WWII (really two as we took Northern African and then Europe). Japan attacked us and then their Axis partners Germany and Italy declared war on us also. In the current case, terrorists harbored in Afghanistan and Pakistan attacked us and we inexplicably sent our main military assault on Iraq. Again, Ted, I am not a Democrat, not a fervent Obama supporter, just a rational human being looking at the evidence.

Yes, there is evil in this world and those who espouse that evil are laughing hysterically as they look at the morass we have made for ourselves in Iraq. And you say we should "free ourselves from foreign oil"? Again, as I said in an earlier post, this is a ridiculous short sighted strategy. We need to free ourselves from oil, period. Even if the Alaskan refuge has 10 billion barrels, that is not a long term strategy...that is just a very short term fix. Sometime in this century we are going to have to find some other way to move vehicles around other than oil and internal combustion engines. One hundred years from now people are going to look at these screams for drilling for oil in Alaska as a pathetic tempest in a teapot.

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Posted By: LetsGoBucs

Just in the interest of being factually correct:

Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and executed by extremist in Pakistan. At the time of his kidnapping he was investigating the case of the attempted shoebomber in Pakistan.

Don't want to get involved with this discussion also.

Regards,

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Posted By: Bob

Great post Chuck and those others who recognize that off-shore drilling and devestating the last frontier, the Alaskan wilderness is not a solution but only a quick (and short) fix. If we would elect Representatives, Senators and Presidents who weren't beholden to the all mighty oil industry and truly worked hard at alternatives to fossil fuel, maybe, just maybe, we could help cure not only the economy but help the environment. Throw a hundred billion toward research and development of fossil-less fuel vehicles and we could all tell the Middle East and the oil tycoons to sit on it and spin. Much of the research is already there, instead of untold billions in stimulus checks, let's do some real good and work toward a real solution instead of these quick fixes which never work anyway. You can't even find a hybrid vehicle for sale in this part of America which should be an indication to someone that Americans are hungering for vehicles with better gas mileage which are cheaper to run. Hybrids aren't the answer but they are a damn sight better than what we have now. Will we ever wake up.
As far as the gas prices going down right before the election, the same as it did before the last election, do you really think it is just a coincidence?

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Yeah, lets get the Government involved--we know how well that works.

Noone is saying ANWR is the cureall but between that and the outer continental shelf it would make a meaningful dent. Then if we lift some of the ridiculous restrictions on the oil industry to drill out west and start to develop our enormous natural gas resources it starts to look better still.

You just gotta laugh at these people who think that the Government and not the free market is the solution.

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Posted By: Anonymous

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Posted By: Chuck Ross

Ted: I'm not oil-phobic, I just believe we are in a very serious situation. At the turn of this century, worldwide oil reserves were about 1.3 trillion barrels and current consumption is about 30 billion barrels a year.
I'll let you do the math, but it doesn't work out to all that many years of oil (and this ignores the accelerated rate of demand in India, China, Brazil, etc that we will see in the coming years). Geologists estimate the Alaskan reserve as having about 10.4 billion barrels tops. High estimates for the continental shelf reserves range up to about 115 billion barrels. Ted, you're a smart guy, do the math here...are these viable long term solutions? I am sure as we get desperate to keep the machines moving that we will tap into these and every other possible place we can find oil but by the time this century ends it seems certain that the levels of transportation we see now will be a long forgotten memory unless we can find some other way to provide the energy to propel vehicles around. No, I don't know the answer to what that solution will be, but I have faith that if we have a "send a man to the moon" type national agenda devoted to finding the answer that we will find the answer if it's there. If not, then I suspect that the US and the world will revert to some sort of Mad Max/Road Warrior type environment where gasoline is fought over ferociously. Ted, my dad fought in the Pacific in WWII and in Korea, I have the utmost respect for the men fighting in Iraq...I just think it is a pointless waste of our time and resources.

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Posted By: boxingcardman

The biggest damned ships in the world are electrical vehicles:

The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a line of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy, are the largest capital ships in the world, and are considered to be a hallmark in the United States' superpower status. By tonnage, Nimitz class are the largest class of carriers built so far, holding the world record for displacement of any naval war vessel. When Bush is completed, the ten ships of the class will total just under a million tons combined displacement. Although the Nimitz class ships are the heaviest ships in the US fleet they are not the longest ships in the fleet, as that distinction belongs to the nuclear carrier Enterprise.



Sic Gorgiamus Allos Subjectatos Nunc

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Posted By: Jason

As far as gas where I am at is $2.69 per gallon norht of KC. As far as my opinion....Reagan is one of the best presidents that we have ever has up there with Lincoln and a few others. We are seeing ripple effects of Clinton administration come out into our economy now. While I will agree G. W. has not made the best choices, most of the finger pointing can be done to the person and congress he succeeded. As far as this election goes....it is the one I really have no overwhelming likeness to any candidate. I suppose me decision would have to be based on experience and the moral aptitude that our country was founded on. Liberal ideals and corruption have cost us dearly as a nation founded on values. I sincerely hope that some changes come real soon no matter who gets elected. I also predict that we are close to a bottom on fuel prices. One more reason to find alternative energy so when the Arabs run out of oil in the future maybe we can jack wheat and corn up to $100/lb., or maybe they can feast upon camel dung for awhile instead.

Jason

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

Gas here in Atanta $3.29..

I have advised all my co-workers who are screaming for change to vote 3rd party.  Now that's change (Dems or Repubs are NOT for change, I don't BELIEVE anything they say).

 

martyOgelvie

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

So far....KEN WIRT and you have reported the lowest....$2.69/gallon.... in Missouri and Kansas City.

JASON.....I appreciate your comments.....and, I agree that GW Bush has made some questionable choices in Fed. Chairman
Bernanke & Secretary Paulson. They should have reigned in the Democrats in Congress (Dodd, Frank, Pelosi, Reid, Schumer,
etc.), who are the prime "culprits" that led to this Sub-Prime lending crises that has "mushroomed" worldwide.

Where are the Congressional Hearings....there only exists a "deafening silence"....where is the outrage from the MEDIA ?

You know when a (this) crises is the fault of the Democrats....the MEDIA is deathly silent.

If Republicans were responsible for this crises....the MEDIA "drum beat" would be incessant ! !

T-Rex TED

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Posted By: Jason

Ted-

This happens because the media is extremely liberal and blood, negative propaganda, world crisis is what drives and sells airtime. People are flocked to disaster and thrive taking the garbage the media has to throw at us to heart. Very sad, but very true. I had a feeling this day was coming. Too many people living way beyond their means. You knew it wouldn't/couldn't last forever. Everyone wants to blame Bush because he is the figurehead. The bottom line are there are many at fault including us who took the hook line and sinker that the realtors and banks threw out. GREED and GREED alone is why we are in this mess. The only hope we have now is to get back to the values our forefathers found us on as well as the Biblical principals that our government was founded on. Take the God out of country and this is what you get.....and brother we are turning our backs on him more and more every day. There you have it..... now they can say I brought politics and religion to the thread.

Jason

edited for typos

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I will reiterate what Mickey Mantle said to Congress during the BB hearings in the 1950's...."I agree with everything "KC Stengel"
just said".

And, here....I agree with everything "KC Jason" just said.

For many years we have financed the various homes we have lived in (1st Mortgages and Home Equity loans) thru WELLS FARGO.
Even though we were repeat customers for the past 20 years, they were tough every time on checking our financial responsibility.
The same goes for our Bank here in Pennsylvania (PNC). Thank GOD that there still are some responsible institutions in this country.
And, I'm sure there are many more such institutions throughout this country.
However, it is mind-boggling that a handful of irresponsible institutions can create such chaos ?

TED Z

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Posted By: barrysloate

Our mortgage is also with Wells Fargo, and they are a great company. They will survive this whole mess.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

<<However, it is mind-boggling that a handful of irresponsible institutions can create such chaos ?

TED Z>>

I thought it was Carter and Clinton, Ted.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Hey all, I'll be hosting a two hour radio show this week on WABC radio in New York and I'll be reading some of the more bizarre posts made on Net 54 about the presidential race, economy, etc. If anyone has any suggestions feel free to email me.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Could you give us the exact time and day you will be on?

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Posted By: Anonymous

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Posted By: Tony Galovich

Our current economic times will affect cards to some degree

The better stuff will hold up the best as the the well heeled buyers will always have cash to buy
but the average collector will cut back or even stop buying altogether as paying the mortgage/car payment comes 1st, not buying the latest & greatest issue

I'm hearing from sellers on Ebay who have items with A Buy it Now are getting offers for their items of 20% - 50% lower than their asking price, bet this trend will get worse as sellers will continue to hold fast on their asking prices as card prices slow descend.
Sellers will have to lower their prices to reflect the new lower market values or starve

But of course the new lower prices will be good for collectors who are still adding to their collections

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Posted By: Jim VB

Ted,

You may not want to hear this but you are the mirror image of David. He calls people names. You call people names. He's convinced that all the ills of society are brought to bear by the current GOP party and wealthy people. You are convinced you can tie any problems back to the Carter and Clinton administrations, Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank. You both are more than willing to look past the mistakes of your favored party.

I have news for you both. You are both wrong. We don't have any capable and competent politicians right now. Neither side. If these guys were good at what they did, they wouldn't be politicians. Before Clinton got elected he made $34,000 a year as Governor of Arkansas. Bush made more in Texas ($116,000 I think) but he had driven two different companies into bankruptcy. None of these guys understand finance or economics.

Most importantly, neither you, David, nor anyone else, will have their minds changed by postings on a baseball card message board. The election will happen. We will have a new President. And 50% of the people will not like him on day 1. Life will go on.

We face huge problems as a nation. Dividing the populace more won't help us.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I agree with Jim and will say this is an American problem, not a Democratic or Republican one. If we don't all start seeing more eye to eye with each other these problems will become intractable.

I no longer want to discuss politics on this board, but I very much want to see this country come together.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Jim, I agree with your sentiments. However, I'd give Ted a break: he's not gloating over anyone's misery nor wishing for people to suffer in order to get his fringe ideology advanced. Big difference between the two.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

Ted is not only blaming Clinton and Carter, he is still blaming Woodward and Bernstein for their heroic stories about Watergate. His quote in the other thread, I believe, was that Woodward and Bernstein brought down Nixon and could not get away with that now. Woodward and Bernstein only reported FACTS, they did not bring down Nixon.
Nixon brought down Nixon without any help at all.
A paranoid, delusional, anti Semite, racist and law breaking president brought himself down and disgraced his office.
=

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

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Posted By: Jim VB

Jeff,

<<Big difference between the two.>>

Agreed.

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Posted By: Jim VB

Richard,

<<Ted is not only blaming Clinton and Carter, he is still blaming Woodward and Bernstein >>


Consider all of my lists and examples to be edited for brevity.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Jeff,

I would like to listen as well-could you give us the time you will be on?



Wow--imagine a full-time lineup of Rush, Hannity, Laura Ingram, Jeff and The Great One--I would never listen to another station!

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Jeff, when will your show air and will there be an internet feed?

I'm also calling it right now - you can't call yourself fair and balanced if you don't include Ted's post about Nixon on your show.

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Dan, I agree with Richard (and you) regarding Ted's Nixon comment. Nixon got what he deserved and Woodward and Bernstein were heroes in my eyes.

And who said I was fair and balanced? I try to be objective and listen to what both sides say, that's all I can offer. I have my opinions, though, and that's what I talk about. I've been on WABC and been heavily critical of Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Sean Hannity, etc. No one called me up afterwards and told me to toe the conservative line. I'm also pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. Not too many hardcore conservatives can say that, right?

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Posted By: David Atkatz

<<You may not want to hear this but you are the mirror image of David. He calls people names>>

With the single exception of calling Crandall a racist I have never called people names.

And I defy you to find one instance other than the one mentioned where I have.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

That one is bad enough! And cheering because I lost a lot of money. Whats wrong with you?--this isn't how human beings act. I can't imagine taking any joy in the misfortune of another human being and then suggesting my hands weren't clean?

Because I called him Barack Hussein Obama which is the way many conservatives refer to him and because I called Govenor Palin's child mongoloid rather than's Downs Syndrome? I thought the two terms were synonymous. I have never heard anyone say that is a racist term--if someone I respect says it is I will retract it and never say it again.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Jeff,

I know you are not a "movement conservative" but you could balance out the others--

Look forward to listening.

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Posted By: Richard Simon

Jim - Like I said in another post, if Obama's middle name was Steven would you call him Barack Steven Obama? If you would not, then let the group draw their own conclusions about what it means when you call him Barack Hussein Obama.
Now Ted has deleted the title of the thread rather than answer people about his Nixon rant. Very brave way to go.
=

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.
Unknown author
--
We made a promise. We swore we'd always remember.
No retreat baby, no surrender.
The Boss

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Posted By: Jim VB

David,

I'm not looking to start another 400 post thread full of hatred, but you asked.

<<With the single exception of calling Crandall a racist I have never called people names.

And I defy you to find one instance other than the one mentioned where I have.>>

1. It wasn't a "single" example, it was several. (For the record, I was the first to say that Jim's use of "Hussein" was pejorative. I didn't have to call him any names to do it.)

2. On 10/11 at 9:46 AM, you implied that Jim was NOT hard working or decent. I consider that name calling.

3. On 10/11 at 5:11 PM you called someone a "Turd." I believe it was aimed at Jeff, but several people were jousting with you at the same time, so I'm not 100% sure. I see "turd" as equivalent to Ted's use of "Doofus."


I will admit that your way of attacking people is more subtle than most, but you are very successful in making it more hateful. Your glee in the misfortune of others is not a "likable" quality. Your ability to revel in someone else's financial loss is very ugly.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

First, Jim, an implication is not namecalling. (And I never meant to imply that Jim was not hardworking.)

Second, look at the post directly above the one where I used the name, "Turd." That's the message I was replying to, and you'll see that it's from a TFerg, who uses the login "TurdFurgusson."

In particular, the last thing you'll see in that post is this:


This message has been edited by TurdFegusson on Oct 11, 2008 5:02 PM


I was not name-calling, but simply addressing my reply to the one to whom I was replying.

But you are absolutely correct in saying that my "glee in the misfortune of others is not a "likable" quality." It's not.

But, I, like all the rest of us, have my faults, and my unlikeable qualities. But, when considering all my faults, you won't find mendacity. I believe what goes around comes around, and that's just what I stated.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Jeff, I was just kidding with you....The "Fair and Balanced" jab was of course a Fox News joke since you sometimes appear on that network. It's easy to pigeonhole someone into a label and that gets done a lot in threads like these. How does someone classify me? I'm definitely a liberal, but I think abortion is abhorrent...I don't think it should be outlawed though because when it was illegal it didn't stop abortions from happening, and many more women died as a result of shoddy care.

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Posted By: Jim VB

OK David. I stand corrected. I guess you're just a warm, fuzzy, pleasant, kind of guy. I don't know how I got you wrong.

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Posted By: David Atkatz

You know, Jim, the funny thing is, I am.

You should see me with children and dogs.

It would bring a lump to your throat.

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Posted By: JimCrandell

Okay--on that note I am done on this thread.

Peace to all and best wishes for a Palin presidency in 2012 .

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Posted By: Tom Boblitt

I think most if not all of the people from BOTH sides of the aisle came to the same conclusion about David that you did. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then duck it be............

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Posted By: David Atkatz

Bye.