Price of oil increases; so could gas

Renewed fears over a possible shortfall in Russian oil production pushed crude oil prices to a new peak of $44.41 a barrel Thursday and contributed to a retreat in U.S. stock prices.

This new hike in prices for crude oil futures contracts added to Wall Street concerns that higher oil prices would place an additional drag on the U.S. economy and that crude oil could hit $50 a barrel later this year. The Dow dropped 163.48 points, the second-largest one-day drop this year, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 fell to lows not seen since last year.

Less than 90 days before the election this spike in oil prices is bad news. Undecided voters are notorious for being both poorly informed and easily swayed by their pocketbooks -- should gas prices climb in October then they will represent a bad indicator for all incumbents in what will be a very heavy turnout election...

Non-linear solutions may be required to find equalibrium before the first Tuesday in November...

Oil hits $50 and there will be difficulties. It almost seems as if $36 has become the new short term floor. It is often speculated that when oil hits $50 there will be no immediate ceiling...

Mr Fusion:

You wrote a good deal last year about how civil unrest in Macedonia this year would actually serve to lower oil prices in the futures market. Something about a pipeline and such and the Caspian Sea. Perhaps you would be good enough to share again this insight with us...

After all, it seems a rather fourth generation style thought process is required to see this cause and effect. Unless of course you also believe that the rising oil prices are part of an Islamic entente economic attack.

If that is the case then would this type of market manipulation be phase one of a "stretch and break" style assault? As always your thoughts most appreciated...

Well.... ya. It certainly looks bad for the incumbents if the price of oil stays high. I wouldn't be to worried though. Non-linear solutions are all the rage, as you damn well know ;-)

Is there anything more beautiful than a Wilbur Wood knuckle ball in the world? Isn't it all just apples and oranges after that?

Is it "El Caballo" or is it just glue or dog food? Oh how my heart aches.

Wilbur Wood. Now there was a master of his craft. Where have all the left-handed knuckleballers gone?

Many will remember Reggie Jackson ending the season with three homeruns in the World Series against the Dodgers. But how many recall that in his first at bat the following season he took "Wilbur" (as Mr Ed would say...) deep for his fourth consecutive homer spanning two seasons?

Darn few unfortunately...

Candidate Dority caused quite a stir at the Kinston Indians (Carolina League) game a few weeks ago when he threw out the first pitch. According to the local wags a number of jaws dropped when Dority's knuckler danced like an intoxicated debutante into the mitt of the stunned young catcher. They said you could count the stitches on the ball from the cheap seats...

There would be worse people than Wilbur Wood to share a foxhole with in combat. That pickoff move he had to first base has never been beaten -- and the guy could start both ends of a doubleheader in a pinch...

Come to think of it -- in the war on terror the west could do a lot worse than going with a knuckleball approach as it can really throw off the opposition timing. And with the big game less than 90 days away in November -- that might not be such a bad idea after all...

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