Lip service about fuel economy (vent)

Kind of like the fox blaming the farmer for the shortage in the henhouse.

My parents divorced when I was 8. We moved from our home in Kansas to Indianapolis. My mother took over $9,000 in debt, (in 1972 dollars) and received no help from my father. We had a VW bug and few belongings. We moved into a trailer that my great Grandfather had just died in.

My mother found a less than stellar job and started back to school 2-3 nights a week. Her sister came and stayed with us for a while to help out.

Mom got her degree, eventually a Masters, and found a better job at a bank. She paid off all the debt my father had acquired.

She ended up sitting on the board of directors and is now a millionaire. She retired from the bank and now works 3 days a week for the local PBS television station, and works two days a week as a teacher's assistant for 1st graders, because she wants to.

Who held her back? Was some rich person behind her success? The answer is no, and no one held her back nor helped her, she did it all on her own. And there are many others like her.

She didn't take anything from anyone to get where she is. How is that possible in the world you described? Hard work and dedication still work and pay off in the long run. Your misunderstanding is that the economy is a zero sum game. That for someone to get ahead someone else must lose. That's wrong. My mother is irrefutable proof of that.

You are a conspiracy theorist and a fool and I won't listen to your crap anymore. Go spew your filth somewhere else, no one wants to here it.

Think what you want. You are obviously angry at the world, and whatever the reason for that, I don't care. Go on being negative, tell you're grandchildren there is no hope. That no matter what they do they will never get ahead.

Or work harder, help them through college, and see them do better than you and take pleasure in that.

I did not go to college. I joined the Navy and served my country, proudly.

I drive for a living, just like you. But unlike you I don't feel anyone's boot heel on my back. No one is keeping me down. You have an inferiority complex, go get some help.

I don't think I'm better than anyone. You're rantings are incoherent and rediculous. I don't believe in conspiracies as you do, so no, I won't be watching your "secret rulers" trash.

"An attitiude like mine" you said. You mean because I love this country and believe in traditional values? Or because I don't believe that the Tri-lateral commission is running everything?

Then you bring "Millions of people starving to death" into the conversation, something competely unrelated to anything we've been discussing. Your arguments are all over the place and make no sense. Just stop.

People like trucker 40 will never understand they are poor because of what they have them selves done and haven"t done. It seems everybody else is to blame for their woes. Your Mother is a fine example of what is possible in North America. I wonder how trucker40 figures your Mom must be another rich person. "Who has to have gotten that way by being an immoral thief, like every other rich person". Trucker40 hasn"t figured out why somebody can work hard their entire life and have zero to show for it. #1 you can dig and sift as long and as hard as you want but you will never find gold in a horse stable. #2 when you make some money, even a little. You have to invest it wisely. Alas, most of the time you can"t fix stinking thinking because it"s easier for people like trucker40 to complain, look for sympathy and blame others. Than to take responsibility, work, think and change themselves.

b&d

As you can imagine, when it comes to Mom it's hard not to take offense at statements like that.

I guess if you follow his logic anyone that makes some money is evil. Pitiful. I always thought that was the American, (or North American) dream.

I take it you are up north of the border?

And as the Bartles and James fellas used to say, Thanks for your support.

Bri

Yep, fuel is just brutal. I saw diesel in southern Indiana yesterday ay $4.95. Glad I'm in a gasser now.

Sitting here watching the 500, (Don't tell me who won!). A Molson sounds good about now.

I drive all older stuff - and most get better fuel mileage than new cars/trucks. 91 Volks diesel Jetta gets 45-50 MPG. 81 Chevy Chevette diesel gets 42-46 MPG. 85 Isuzu diesel 4WD truck gets 28-35 MPG. 92 Dodge W250 diesel gets 18-22 MPG. 98 Dodge Caravan AWD gets 19-24 MPG. 95 Geo 4WD Tracker gets 28-33 MPG.

Haven't heard your details yet in regard to "saving fuel isn't difficult."

As far as I can tell - it certainly is difficult unless you walk to work and don't care about going anywhere else.