BP Still Sucks

Because I'm a BP gas cardholder (prior to the infamous Gulf of Mexico oil spill), I received an offer in the mail at the beginning of January labeled "Exclusive Offer for BP Cardmembers." The offer is for a $10 rebate when you fill up your gas tank five times in the next two months. And, because I'm a BP cardmember, they gave me my first code free, so I only have to fill up my gas tank four times to get the rebate.

I don't normally fill up my gas tank at BP, even though it is on my drive home. For one thing, because of my anger over the Gulf oil spill, but I've gotten over that for the most part. Primarily, though, it's a few cents more per gallon than the Shell or Marathon (formerly Texaco) stations on my drive home from work. When BP was hurting for customers, you'd think they would have lowered their prices to compete with neighboring rivals, but no.

Even though the pricing is a bit higher per gallon, I stopped by a BP to fill up my tank because with the $10 rebate check I was promised I'd be getting, I'd make out better in the long run. I filled up my tank, using my BP card at the "pay at the pump" option. I can't recall the last time I actually went INTO a gas station store. I prefer to do everything at the pump so I don't have to leave my car and/or stand in line inside behind people buying their cigarettes, tonight's dinner, lottery cards, etc.

I didn't see any "code" on my receipt so I contacted BP via email to see what I had to do. In their response, they told me that after purchasing my gas at the pump, I had to take my receipt INSIDE, hand it to the cashier, and, in return, I would get a code. Now, I ask you: what sort of cardmember benefit is that? I get to pay at the pump AND go inside, doubling my time spent at the gas station? Where's the logic?

For the extra time and aggravation it would take for me to do all that, BP can keep the $10. You can find me pumping my gas at Shell. (I'd go to Marathon, too, but their pumps don't accept the Marathon gas card; I'd have to go inside there, too, to use my Marathon card. Go figure.)

Friday Morning Headlines

Two headlines on Friday morning:

(1) Economy shrinks at 3.8 percent pace in 4Q (AP) - The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending.

(2) Exxon Mobil sets record with $45.2 billion profit (AP)


ISF: Huh. Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with this picture?

Automobile Industry Bailout

Democratic aides say Speaker Nancy Pelosi intends to seek legislation to provide relief to the battered auto industry, and wants it done in a post-election session of Congress likely to convene in the next few days. Pelosi is not expected to specify how large a bailout she wants. The aides who described her views Tuesday did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. The speaker's decision comes a few days after General Motors warned it is rapidly running out of cash, and Ford announced its situation was only slightly better.

ISF: I'm sorry, but I CANNOT feel sorry for the automobile industry. They've been screwing over the American people for years and now they want protection from the government? For what? They haven't made any improvements to their automobiles' mileage. The Ford Model T got 25 miles per gallon in 1908. My 1993 GEO Metro got 40-45. My 2007 Chevrolet Aveo gets 27. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture? They have the capability to produce more efficient cars...yet they don't. If they're looking for a bailout, why not stick their hands out to the Oil Companies who are obviously already paying them to be fuel inefficient?

Obama Widens Lead

Fifty-three percent of likely voters questioned in the poll say they are backing Obama for president, with 45 percent supporting McCain. President George Bush may be part of the reason why Obama's making gains. Only 24 percent of those polled approve of Bush's job as president, an all-time low for a CNN survey.

ISF: What I want to know is...who are those 24 percent who think everything's just peachy in the U.S. right now!? Can I get a prescription for whatever they're on?

You say DOWN, I say UP yours.

Consumer prices in August posted the first monthly decline in nearly two years as Americans finally get a break from surging energy prices. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that consumer prices edged down 0.1 percent last month, a significant improvement from a 1.1 percent price spike in June and a 0.8 percent rise in July. The cost of gasoline and other fuels have plunged, reflecting big drops in crude oil prices.

I SUFFER FOOLS: Really? Then someone please explain to me why I'm paying 30 CENTS MORE per gallon of gas than I was a week ago.

It's all about the Benjamins...and McCains and Obamas...

In a forum last week with the Rev. Rick Warren, McCain was asked to define the word "rich" and to give a figure. After promoting his tax policies, McCain said: "I think if you are just talking about income, how about $5 million?" The audience laughed, and he added: "But seriously, I don't think you can — I don't think seriously that — the point is that I'm trying to make here, seriously — and I'm sure that comment will be distorted — but the point is that we want to keep people's taxes low and increase revenues."

WP: Seriously?

Obama, asked the same question at the forum, said those making $250,000 and higher are in the top 3 to 4 percent and "doing well." Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported making $4.2 million in 2007.

WP: So...making over $4 million is what? And making under $50K is "sucking it?"

Why buy Japanese when Americans don't know what the fuck they're doing?

General Motors Corp on Tuesday announced a series of steps to cut jobs, costs and its exposure to slow-selling trucks and SUVs in response to a rise in gasoline prices that the automaker now sees as permanent. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner, speaking to reporters after a restructuring plan was approved by the automaker's board, said GM would close four North American truck plants and add shifts at two plants making more popular car models.
In addition, Wagoner said GM was reviewing the Hummer brand and could sell the military-derived SUV brand, which has become synonymous for gas-guzzling excess. "U.S. economic and market conditions have become significantly more difficult," Wagoner said, adding higher gasoline prices have caused consumers to swap out of trucks and SUVs faster than the automaker had expected.

In a related shift, Wagoner also said GM's board had approved funding for a next-generation compact model for the Chevrolet brand as well as a new subcompact Chevy Aveo, expected to go on sale in the U.S. market in 2010. GM's board also allocated production funding to the Chevy Volt, a heavily touted, all-electric vehicle that GM expects to have in showrooms by 2010, Wagoner said. Wagoner said GM, which has lost a combined $51 billion over the past three years, was not ready to detail a timeline for returning to profitability. Unfortunately, it's just a sign that once again they're behind the curve," said Peter Jankovskis, a chief investment officer with OakBrook Investments, which owns GM shares in some of its portfolios.

WP: Really? Ya think? So when gas prices started to dramatically rise THREE YEARS AGO, nobody thought to look ahead? How about with the 1970s oil shortage? 30-40 years not enough lead time either?

Pretty, please? With millions of dollars on top?

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew into Myanmar's disaster zone Thursday as he pressed the country's leaders to open the doors to critical international aid for some 2.5 million cyclone survivors. In a meeting with Prime Minister Thein Sein, Ban stressed that foreign aid experts needed to be rushed in because the crisis had exceeded Myanmar's national capacity, according to a U.N. official at the talks.

WP: Please, oh please, won't you take our millions of dollars in aid while our own country struggles with the rising cost of gas, airline prices, food prices, a recession, a falling stock market, rising unemployment, Katrina victims who still don't have a place to live, etc.? C'mon? Please?

The Iraq War vs. The U.S. Economy

More than 7 out of 10 Americans think government spending on the war in Iraq is partly responsible for the economic troubles in the United States, according to results of a recent poll.

WP: Who are the other 3? Oil barons and presidents?

A White House spokesman said the war had cost the U.S. $406.2 billion through December 2007. The spokesman said the economists "throw everything in the kitchen sink" into the study, including costs like interest on the national debt, and called the projection "exaggerated."

WP: Oh, sorry. It's only $400 billion.

And President Bush, speaking on NBC's "Today" last month, disputed the notion that the war was negatively affecting the economy. "I think actually the spending in the war might help with jobs ... because we're buying equipment and people are working," he said. "I think this economy is down because we built too many houses and the economy's adjusting."

WP: That's right...it's too many houses. Houses. Not the exorbitant cost of gas, inflation surpassing salary increases, unemployment on the rise, lay-offs, dramatic increase in stock prices, billions of dollars spent on the war in Iraq, etc. It's TOO MANY HOUSES. Perhaps Bush's next plan of action should be to suggest everyone "double up."