""Hot Air" from all the world's politicians are NOT doing the climate any good either....." Thanks for the laugh this morning, Great Post!

Nobody sheds a tear when speculators lose - do they? The speculators are all around. I bought gas this week, at a particular station, because the operators did not change their prices upward for the holiday weekend. I saved 36-cents a gallon! You might say I made a profit of $4.97 - was I speculating that the price at that station would go up? You're damn right I was! It did and I won.

CptnCanada is correct. The speculators buy oil futures. The futures are contracts to deliver a set quantity of oil at a time set in the future for a spcific price. If an investor thinks the price in the future will be higher, he buys a contract thinking to get more for it - in the future - than he paid - when it is to be delivered delivered in the future. Because you can buy on the margin (buy partially on credit) if the price declines, you can be wiped out rapidly. If you are right you win, if you are wrong, you lose. So do you think oil prices will be up or down in a year say?

Speculators make their money on the spread. They buy oil at say 125 and sell it for 225.. but if the market crashes they loose it all just like FlyingJ did.

Hi monty, cross pollination? The new Sugar Enhanced 2 sweet corn varieties (called SH2) state you must be 2 miles from other corn to avoid cross-pollination. So you make a good point.

Check out the Prius Owners Group for information on what it costs to replace the battery pack on a Prius. http://www.priusownersgroup.com/?p=3692

Big Time Congrats on the 500 CD's :)

LET'S BE BUDDIES