A letter published about Keystone XL Pipeline was way off. There were 2 erroneous errors in that argument. 1. All that oil was going to export anyway. Response, that's not how modern gas pricing works. Gas prices are mostly determined by the overall prices of crude oil. When we had low gas prices it was because there was a glut of crude oil. The commodities market prices is determined by futures buy / sell contracts. For example, today's gas prices are based on futures contracts from last month. The Keystone XL Pipeline shortcut would have brought in a large quantity of crude oil into the global market. That would in turn have caused speculators to bid for lower prices on futures market. The ripple effect would cause petroleum prices to go down. Eventually leading lower fuel prices. 2. The other point I want to make is that the shortcut through Montana would have allowed local crude oil producers to add their higher quality product to the pipeline. The global commodities market doesn't care if refined petroleum is sold local or exported. Just supply and demand. What we need right now is, too much supply, as to make life more affordable.
Monday, July 11, 2022
Monday, March 28, 2022
It Used To Be Something Fun
As a child the two most exciting annual events I would look for ward to were Christmas and my birthday. As I grew up, those things began to change. Life itself took on a different perspective. I used to wonder why my parents didn't like to celebrate their birthdays like us kids do. I eventually concluded that they're just getting old by my standards. Being young and having fun came naturally.
Things do change. My life story is marked by events and milestones such as birthdays, of course. Sometime after turning 55, something unexpected began to happen. Despite being experienced and well qualified worker. Employers weren't interested in hiring me like they used to. I began to realize that they were wanting younger workers. This created a conundrum for me. In short, they want younger employees, yet I'm not retirement age. This became a struggle. Turning 60 didn't make it easier.
So when I accepted a job last year, it was quite lofty for me. Everything seemed so good it was almost too good to be true. A decent paying job I could do until I reach my golden years. But then something happened. It was another one of those pesky birthdays. In the eyes of someone in management, I no longer fit in anymore. I somehow became the odd man out. Without any discussion, review, or explanation of anything, I was shone the door. No warning. I was let go.
This was devastating. I took the severance pay package. It was a real struggle finding a decent job to start with. It now looked like an uphill battle. Fortunately, I do have options. A former employer is interested in hiring me for part-time work. I also acknowledge that retirement is coming up. However, I'm turning a new leaf. I'm learning some new skills that will allow me to work from home. The future looks good. Life goes on.