Ramblings

So, I forgot the camera for the first cruise, at Roy's in Auburn ME. Then I forgot it for the second cruise, at TJ's in Biddeford (Maine Coastal Cruisers). So I swore I would bring it to Blast From The Past on Friday.

Lo! and Behold - I remembered the camera. Unfortunately, I did not get many pix because I had forgotten to CHARGE the damned thing. It's Hell gettin old!

I did manage to charge it and bring it to Shapleigh on Monday, and the first ever cruise for Rock'n Roll Diner (Scarborough ME) on Tuesday. You'll find some pix at HotKarz. And you will also find some new "off-the-cuff" comedy pix - hope you enjoy them (you too, Dick Fritz!)

Scuttlebut has it that:

• Two Trails Cruisers is changing the location of their show this year. Usually held in Limington, they will let HotKarz know where they will hold it once they finalize plans. Wisdom dictates that if you want spectators, it's a good idea to hold your show where people might actually go :o)
• The Windham WalMart show may not be held at WalMart this year. Not yet sure - will try to nail this down for you as soon as possible. Cheryl seems to be the Great Seer for all things such as this, so I am kinda counting on her to get us up to snuff on this one.

Ocean Garden (Gorham) does not seem to be interested in hosting cruises this year, and Aquaboggan is no longer hosting cruises, due to a change in management, from what I hear.

Hotrod Bob (Deuces Wild) is working hard trying to get Mainiacs to attend cruises in Massachusetts. While it is true that Mass. has some big cruises, with lots of wheels we have not seen, the current price of petrol is going to make it a hard hill for him to climb. But we wish him luck!

Speaking of gas prices, many folks blame the oil companies, while others blame OPEC. Of course, some even blame Bush. But not me. The way I see it, the real culprits are those damned day-traders who keep bidding up the futures. In their quest for fast profits, they bid up the future price of oil. OPEC and the oil companies are merely unwitting beneficiaries.

Oil should never have been made a "commodity", to be traded. It is far too essential. If Congress would make law that would remove oil from the commodities market, we would all be far better off, and oil prices would come down.

But I am not sure that would be the best thing for us. We Americans are a funny lot. If the price of oil were to drop, we would suddenly do two things:

1. We would increase the amount we use, thereby reducing the available resources, and
2. We would stop trying so hard to find a decent alternative

That's what happened in the '70's. When we were standing in line for gas on alternate days, we were pushing to develop alternative energy sources, such as solar. But as soon as the crunch was over, R&D into alternative energy almost came to a grinding halt.

Perhaps excessive prices will result in innovation. With innovation, we could tell the day traders, the Saudi's and the oil companies to kiss our exterior posterior. Can you imagine how fast some company would find an alternative if gas were to hit $7.00 a gallon?

Personally, I have always been a firm believer in folks being as self-sufficient as possible. Once upon a time, that was an American trait. It's called being INDEPENDENT. Not so today. Most Americans are now completely and irrevocably dependent upon government, entitlements, oil companies, drug companies, and, yes, even computers and this Internet. But we can still make some small effort to regain control of our own destiny. We can be more conscious of the resources we use. We can conserve. We can eliminate some waste from our budget. With a little thought, we may find we can save a lot of gas by combining trips and errands.

As one example, I purchased another freezer. I buy a half beef and a half pig (all natural meats) and freeze the cuts. I either grow, or buy in bulk, veggies I can freeze. This not only saves money on the food (bulk buying), but now we only go shopping one-third as often, which saves considerable gas. Just a short walk to the freezer is all the "shopping" we need to do. And the food, being all natural, is healthier.

Well, the title of this post is RAMBLINGS, and I believe I have succeeded in living up to it, so I will leave you for now. But I give fair warning - I'll be back!

BILL