THE LARGER P-PATCH -- We MUST get off our reliance on oil NOW. PERIOD!

Well, not really the end of the story, as I continue here past the title.

I've long been in the camp of not scoffing at the raising gas prices, because I believe that the only way for the system to change is to let it implode; to shock it.

Kinda like that Peter Gabriel song "Shock the Monkey?" Yeah, sure, whatever. Go back to your 80s porridge pie, papa bear. SOOOOORY POOOOOORIDGE! (that's for you, M.H. - love to ya, brother! Meet me in Peru, okay? Hopefully.)

Unfortunately, it will be a tough transition period, and many will suffer in the process. Many who aren't prepared for the change or can't afford the rise in all the things rising gas prices will affect.

As gas prices go up, so do many other things... such as the food we eat, and the products that we buy. The costs of the shipping will carry over to the costs of the retailer, which will then carry over to the costs of the consumer.

THAT MEANS YOU AND ME.

I'm hoping that wiser minds see what's coming and come up with solutions to spearhead the transition away from fossil fuels... the acceleration of hybrid and plug-in vehicles, also to that of large shipping trucks and other types of transportation such as aircraft and watercraft. We need the post-Prius version of those! Perhaps rail could make a larger comeback...but without the coal burning engines, please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So anyway, those are the thoughts for the night. Maybe wishful thinking, but the American people are inventive. When faced with a dire situation, they learn to improvise.

I know we will learn to improvise with this transition away from oil. We have no choice. We have to! S