Beer is now cheaper than gas!

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:02 pm

arth wrote:When I moved to the US about 9 years ago, gas prices in Europe were around $5 per gallon. I used to take a taxi to and from work, because that was much cheaper than owning and operating a car, and I could always rent a car for the few occasions where it really was required.
In other words, I don't really see what the problem is, except that people rely way too much on their cars (and, up here in the North, oil for heating).

What you say is true - prices in Europe now are the equivalent of about $8 per gallon, so there is a small bit of truth in the "what are you Americans complaining about" argument.......

however...

the "problem" is that the American economy and social structure has been built from day one on the assumption of cheap gas. Right, wrong or indifferent, Americans have always had access to cheap gas, and everything in our society is built around that presumption - whether it is suburbs far away from work zones, little support for mass transit, or ridiculously large vehicles. In the past 3 years, gas prices have gone from about $2 per gallon to $4 per gallon. Although that is still a lot cheper than Europe, that is a huge change in a short amount of time and the infrastructure and social fabric has not had adequate time to adjust.

Sure, it's natufal for other countries to say Americans live too far from work, drive vehicles that are too large, etc., but it doesn't matter - people live where they live and in some places have no option where mass transit has not been developed. So, right now, until the society has time to adjust and be able to work with the new price structure, it is very very difficult on a lot of families.

It's not just buying gas to put in cars either - high gas prices drive up the price of just about everything, including food, so it really has created an issue for a lot of American families that some other countries may not understand.

kgdrum · Post by **kgdrum** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:03 pm

Resonant Alien wrote: the "problem" is that the American economy and social structure has been built from day one on the assumption of cheap gas. Right, wrong or indifferent, Americans have always had access to cheap gas, and everything in our society is built around that presumption - whether it is suburbs far away from work zones, little support for mass transit, or ridiculously large vehicles. In the past 3 years, gas prices have gone from about $2 per gallon to $4 per gallon. Although that is still a lot cheper than Europe, that is a huge change in a short amount of time and the infrastructure and social fabric has not had adequate time to adjust.

Sure, it's natufal for other countries to say Americans live too far from work, drive vehicles that are too large, etc., but it doesn't matter - people live where they live and in some places have no option where mass transit has not been developed. So, right now, until the society has time to adjust and be able to work with the new price structure, it is very very difficult on a lot of families.

It's not just buying gas to put in cars either - high gas prices drive up the price of just about everything, including food, so it really has created an issue for a lot of American families that some other countries may not understand.

+1
but this is also affecting economies worldwide and it has had repercussions well beyond the price of gas or oil in the U.S. and abroad.

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:31 pm

In Australia the price is near or over now $8 a gallon

It's $1.70 a litre in melbourne today and touted to go up $1.90 with in weeks.

It does strike me as weird though that the US consumes 40% of the worlds oil.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_o ... onsumption

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:41 pm

kassonica wrote: It does strike me as weird though that the US consumes 40% of the worlds oil.

Well, since we use more, maybe we should be getting a discount for bulk?

NOT! But I did know prices outside the US have been much higher for such a long time. Then again, you can cross Europe on rail pretty easily. In the US a rail trip is so expensive now it is cheaper to fly.

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:54 pm

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:
kassonica wrote: It does strike me as weird though that the US consumes 40% of the worlds oil.
Well, since we use more, maybe we should be getting a discount for bulk?

NOT! But I did know prices outside the US have been much higher for such a long time. Then again, you can cross Europe on rail pretty easily. In the US a rail trip is so expensive now it is cheaper to fly.

Well since the population of your country is aprox 5% of the world but you consume 40% of oil should raise a few eyebrows.

In saying this though I believe that the military is consuming the large proportion of your oil use.

However oil prices in part have been going up due in part to heavy subsidies in asia and china is set to equal the US by 2020.

At least this wont effect the price of beer.

Hey there is an idea a car that runs on stale beer.

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:09 pm

kassonica wrote: Well since the population of your country is aprox 5% of the world but you consume 40% of oil should raise a few eyebrows.

Actually, it's about 25% (20.7 bbl/day out of 82.2 bbl/day worldwide), but your point is taken

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:16 pm

Resonant Alien wrote:
kassonica wrote: Well since the population of your country is aprox 5% of the world but you consume 40% of oil should raise a few eyebrows.
Actually, it's about 25% (20.7 bbl/day out of 82.2 bbl/day worldwide), but your point is taken

What's 15% amongst friends eh.

But sorry about that.

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:20 pm

Dang, let's just split a barrel of ale and call it a day! Who's going to be the designated driver? I'll be the designated drunk...

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:03 am

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Dang, let's just split a barrel of ale and call it a day! Who's going to be the designated driver? I'll be the designated drunk...

ONly one ? come on lets indulge one per person

monkey man · Post by **monkey man** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:33 am

bdr wrote:

LOL! Brilliant.

davedempsey · Post by **davedempsey** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:08 am

kassonica wrote: At least this wont effect the price of beer.
Hey there is an idea a car that runs on stale beer.

Only problem is that there's always a shortage of stale beer in Australia and I'm also sure there's a criminal charge if you're found in possession of beer that is not at 3 degrees centigrade or lower.

philbrown · Post by **philbrown** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:33 am

I had a band back in the late 80's that rehearsed at my house and I would almost always supply beer. I found beer at Osco (a large chain drug store) that had their cheapest beer called "Grain Belt" almost always on sale for $2.99 A CASE - cheap even then. We did the math at the time and figured out that Grain Belt by the can was cheaper than any bottled water you could buy.
So we'd hoist our cans and say "Grain Belt - cheaper than water!"
Ah those were the days... XTC and Grain Belt beer. XTC being the band and not the drug

Resonant Alien · Post by **Resonant Alien** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:05 pm

davedempsey wrote:
kassonica wrote: At least this wont effect the price of beer.
Hey there is an idea a car that runs on stale beer.

Only problem is that there's always a shortage of stale beer in Australia and I'm also sure there's a criminal charge if you're found in possession of beer that is not at 3 degrees centigrade or lower.

Yeah, that Foster's sure is great stuff! (Just kidding - I know that Foster's is not the "real" Aussie beer

)

Which brings a question, sort of getting back to topic - what IS the best Aussie beer?? I really enjoyed Toohey's when I was in Sydney, but what's the real scoop??

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:02 pm

philbrown wrote:I had a band back in the late 80's that rehearsed at my house and I would almost always supply beer. I found beer at Osco (a large chain drug store) that had their cheapest beer called "Grain Belt" almost always on sale for $2.99 A CASE - cheap even then. We did the math at the time and figured out that Grain Belt by the can was cheaper than any bottled water you could buy.
So we'd hoist our cans and say "Grain Belt - cheaper than water!"
Ah those were the days... XTC and Grain Belt beer. XTC being the band and not the drug

Haha... it was called "Schaeffer's" when I was doing that... cheapest beer in the store. Cheaper the the generic blue-stripe beer at Ralph's that was labeled "Beer" on the bottle!! LOL

MIDI Life Crisis · Post by **MIDI Life Crisis** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:12 pm

At the Woodstock (1969) concert they were selling Genesee at $2.50 a six (pre-pop top cans/bring your own church key!). My friend and I gladly paid it at 3:00 AM Friday morning even though we knew we were being ripped off. Nobody cared that we were 15 years old. Of course, pot and hash was free so that made up for it.

Anyway, it tasted like piss until the third can but it got us drunk enough. And damn if I didn't find a picture of it! I think our cans were a little rusted too. Probably added to the flavor - or at least improved it a bit.