It’ s a shame that we rely on forein oil so much. Everyone is dependent on the middle east oil nowadays…

Yea! that tarry oil film *really* “sucks”! and doesn’t easily come off! ;(

And not only does it spoil our beautiful beaches ;(, but …

It also harms the shoreline wildlife and ecology too! ;(, you know?

IMHO, they should make those oil companies come and clean it all up! …
And pay for all the damage they have done!

What do you all think about that?

I would Love to see us develop and use more Solar Power! B) …

And what about the Energy from Ocean waves?!

Plenty of both of those available CHEAP! on all the beaches around the world B) huh?

Great Points again dpritc01!

- The Solar Powered BeachBum B)

So you think the politicians are pushing the Offshore Drilling idea because it is something that will make the price of gas go down? I guess you also believed that in the 2004 election, that this Administration was going to do something about Gay Marriage? The reality of what this Offshore drilling talk as ONLY about is a hot button issue to get people to vote a certain way. After they are in office do you think anyone is going to be so stupid as to drill for oil off the coasts of California or Florida? It is not going to happen!

You have to understand that the price of oil is all about the market. India, China, Thailand, Malaysia are coming on-line and using more and more petroleum everyday increasing market demand and decreasing available supplies. Drilling off-shore is not going to change that. Just for argument sake, let’s say we start drilling for domestic oil. OK, we get more oil. The price of oil is based on the global market pricing. Do you think that if we had a local surplus of oil, which by the way is never going to happen no matter how many holes we put in the ground, that the oil companies are not going to sell that surplus to the highest bidder no matter where that could be?! Of course they will They are a company in business to make money. Will it bring down the price of oil to do more drilling? Of course not. It just allows the oil companies to get more oil to sell and make more money. Now you have Florida and California beaches that have a nice film of escaped oil on them. So much for the tourism economies of these two states!

It is just not going to happen! These guys are just pushing people’s buttons to get them to do something that is actually against their better interests. It reminds me of when I was back in grade school. The class Smartelic would mess with the kids that were easily upset over petty little things that aren’t true or don’t’ really matter. We are supposed to be grown up now. Let’s act like it. Wouldn’t it be better if there was more talk about important issues like getting out of Iraq, taking care of Guantanamo, and getting a handle on the mortgage crisis?

What should we do with oil companies windfall profits and tax breaks? Since these companies have sweet heart deals with the U.S. Government to get their tax breaks, we need to renegotiate these deals so that if they want the tax breaks, they have to give back as well. Whenever they have windfall profits, they should be required to use that money to do research and development into alternative energy resources.

So when it comes time to vote, please remember what you read here and understand the truth of the matter. This is a “hot button” issue and that is all it is. Please vote for what is good for YOU. This issue has everything to do with Oil companies and their profits. Not your profit!

Addition comments on this subject can be found at the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/opinion/19thu1.html

You have brought up a number of Excellent Points!, Thank You, Zelleeduh!

Yes!, the “complete responses” to which probably warrant their own Posting(s)/Article(s)!, but …

Please allow me to respond “briefly” herein to some of your questions or concerns regarding shopping online, ok?

Sure, I agree with you, that making a purchase online represents some level of “trust”! …
Not only of the buyer trusting the seller, that they will deliver the purchased products as expected, but …
Also of the seller trusting the buyer, that they will tender an legitimate form of payment for their purchases, you know?

And is buying online Really any different from any other form of purchase transaction when one party has to trust the other that either the product is delivered and/or “performs” as expected and/or that the payments promised will be legitimately received?

More specifically … How is buying online really any different from ordering from any kind of mail order catalog / service?

And mail order has been around “like forever”, right?

And many people are generally pretty “comfortable” with ordering from a (reputable) mail order service/catalog, right?

So, again, how / why would you feel differently about ordering online vs. from a mail order catalog / service?

And you would have the same potential risks with the delivery of your mail order purchases being potentially stolen “once an item is left at my front door”, right? …

Unless of course it was shipped “signature required”, for which any shipment may be sent, whether it was purchased online or offline, right?

With regards to the security of your information …

The best thing I can probably do herein is to refer you to PayPal (e.g. at: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_security-center-outside ) , one of the most popular secure third party payment/e-currency systems, which is one we use here as well, for all of their information and assurances regarding all the measures they provide for the security of your information within their, and similarly in other reputable secure third party payment/e-currency, systems, ok?

RE: your questions regarding “how do I return something I’m not satisfied with, how long do I have to decide?”:

Each seller will or should have their own return policies / satisfaction guarantee(s) clearly stated for you, ok?
And if they don’t, or if it’s not “crystal clear” to you, then you can always contact them and ask right?

RE: your questions regarding “what happens if I order and pay for something and it never arrives?”

1) Again the seller should have a clearly stated policy regarding insured shipments, proof of delivery, “lost shipments” and refunds, ok?

2) Many of the secure third party payment/e-currency systems, like PayPal, have their own “Purchase Protection Programs” which may allow you to get your money back for any purchase that was not delivered and the seller did not resolve the issue to your satisfaction.

3) Finally, if you are using a credit card, either directly or indirectly through a secure third party payment/e-currency systems, like PayPal, and neither the seller or the third party payment system is able to resolve the issue to your satisfaction, then often your credit card company will also provide you with some kind of “purchase protection program” and/or you may attempt to dispute the charges through your credit card company, right?

So …

Actually , buying online most likely provides you with More and More Easily Accessible options for getting your money back in the case you don’t receive your purchase or are not satisfied with it than most other forms of offline purchasing … Wouldn’t you agree?

I hope that this has all (at least briefly) helped to answer your questions, herein, Zelleeduh.

Please feel free to respond if we may provide any further clarifications in any of these regards so you may rest assured with Saving Money and Gas, Shopping Online!

Thank you again for your Excellent Comments, herein, Zelleeduh, and Everyone Have a Great Day!