On 21 Feb 2004 03:45:51 GMT, brubl69@aol.com (Brubl69) wrote:

>It seeems like everyone is predicting a gasoline shortage is going to become
>the new big national security problem. I remember the issue in 1974 was the
>Cutlass got bad mileage and had a big tank. I wish I had kept it full all the
>time. I ran out of gas waiting in line at the Standard Oil station in Chicago.
>The best move has to be to fill the tank and keep it full. Give some
>flexibility when the spaghetti really hits the fan.

Actually - NO. I recall when the state imposed a minimum gas purchase of
$5. in 1978, the lines disappeared overnight.... stupidity RULEZ.

> Plus, there have never been
>fewer refineries in this country (all the little regional ones have been
>mothballed).

The old small "tea-kettle" refineries (hydro-skimmers was the correct name)
were inefficient and could not produce gasoline to current govt. required
recipes... without huge investment in equipment.

> What happens when Usama flies a Cessna 152 into the Exxon/Mobil
>refinery? That'll cut refinery production 10% or more in North America.
>Couldn't they put a big net or barrage balloons around the big refineries?
>Worked in England in WWII. Maybe Bush and his Oil Buddies aren't doing all
>they can to see that the inevitable doesn't happen. Don't have to be
>Nostradamus to see this coming........

Cutting 10% of refinery production in the U.S. does not appear to me to
much of a big deal to Osama and his cronies. Think nuclear explosion in
Bayonne harbor or a "dirty" bomb in D.C. or L.A. as a more pausible goal.
If we could just arrange to have all the lawyers, finger waggers and
head-nodders in that one place at the same time, we might actually benefit
from it in the long run.:-)

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??