I've said this before, but

Okay, so, we're looking at what is likely to be a very bad time to be carbound in 2008. (Move. Seriously. Have a car, sure, but don't be dependent upon it. BTW, diesel? Not a particularly bad idea.) The US Department of Energy's Guy Caruso is projecting barrel shortages in the first quarter of 2008 without an OPEC production hike, which is bad by itself, but former Saudi Aramco exploration and production VP Sadad Al-Husseini says that while the Saudis will be able to boost output over the next few years, it won't be enough to boost world production significantly past current levels due to declines in production at other large fields. So while from a short-term technical standpoint, oil is currently overpriced, in the medium-term and long-term view, it's still quite cheap even at $95.

I expect true barrel shortages will not actually be allowed to happen that soon; both the Saudis and the Americans have strategic reserves and will release oil from them if it's thought this patch could be covered over until the Saudis can do something, if necessary, for the Saudis, under the guise of a quota hike. But this is still an illustration of how tight things are now. A recession would delay the obviousness of the deeper problem, but not by a whole hell of a lot, so if you're in the Sound Transit / Proposition 1 voting area, I restate my recommendation that you vote for Proposition 1. Inadequate though it is, we do not have time to fuck around.

Also, Can$1 now buys US$1.07. Two and a half years ago, it bought US81¢. Canadian oil and Canadian gas are now 32% more expensive for Americans on exchange deltas alone in the last couple of years; plus the tar sands in Alberta chew natural gas in processing. With the US dollar continuing to create new 35-year lows almost every day - seriously, check the daily charts, it's ugly - the energy buying power of Americans is taking it in the teeth. The US is not going to be first customer for very much longer at this rate; in fact, if the Persian Gulf states decide to drop their dollar pegs - something that isn't going to happen in the next few months, mind you, but could - the US won't even be in the top 10.

So. Fun things to think about over the weekend. Enjoy!

this does not count towards quota

From the murkmush:

annathepiper zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
annathepiper thinks about trying to write but her brain is full of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
ysabels hate when their brains are full of bees. Particularly the stinging.
annathepiper giggles. :)
Solarbird BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES
annathepiper says "Brain bees! The worst kind!"
Solarbird sends openly ** BUSY BUSY BRAIN BEES **
Solarbird sends openly ** BURROWING YOUR BRAIN **
Solarbird sends openly ** MAKING LITTLE TUNNELS **
Solarbird sends openly ** TO LET THE HONEY DRAIN **
Solarbird sends openly ** BUSY BUSY BRAIN BEES **
Solarbird sends openly ** CHEWING BRAIN FOR FOOD **
Solarbird sends openly ** LIVING ON YOUR SYNAPSES **
Solarbird sends openly ** ALTERING YOUR MOOD **

To the tune of "Itsy Bitsy Spider," roughly speaking.

In other news, now we know where Professor Venture got his first speedsuit.