Jimmy C asked:


I was just wondering what kind of tea tree oil should i buy to treat my newly pierced ear? I know there is tea tree oil shampoo but which one should i buy?

ELVIS

MidnightOilVideos asked:

MIDNIGHT OIL - Blue Sky Mine (Live) Toronto ONT, Canada - July 27,1993

BRENDAN

jejune jane- asked:


im making zucchini bread, and dont need to take a trip to the store unless the canola oil will really ***** up the taste or texture or whatever of the bread. will it?

GRANT

ariesto asked:


Oil prices have hit record highs above $145 a barrel and have more than doubled in less than a year.

There have been calls for oil producers to increase supply.

However, they blame the high prices on speculators and the weakening US dollar, which makes oil a more attractive investment.

No one seems to

Why are oil prices so high?

Economists will tell you that prices are set by supply and demand and, indeed, at the heart of the rise in oil prices are what are known as the fundamentals.

Demand for oil has been growing as Asia’s power-house economies such as China and India fuel their rapid economic expansion.

At the same time, there are all sorts of worries about the supply of oil.

A lot of the world’s oil comes from somewhat unstable countries, so every time oil workers are attacked in Nigeria or Iraqi oil facilities are damaged, people get concerned about the supply of oil.

So fundamentally, people are worried that demand may be growing faster than supply, and oil is such an important commodity that they are prepared to pay more and more for it if they are worried.

That all sounds pretty simple then

Well it would be if everybody had exact figures for the fundamentals that influence oil prices.

The problem is that nobody knows exactly how much oil there is in the ground, many producers are a bit cagey about admitting how much they have taken out and we do not know how much oil is in tankers being shipped around the world.

On top of that, we do not have reliable figures for how much oil most countries have squirreled away in case of emergencies or indeed exactly how much oil is being consumed.

So what determines prices is not the fundamentals but everybody’s perceptions of the fundamentals.

That means that when proper figures, such as the weekly US inventories figures, are released, undue weight is placed on them because few countries are so transparent.

But other than that it’s just like any other commodity?

Unfortunately not.

First of all there is the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), which controls 55% of the world’s oil exports.

The idea is that its members only raise or lower their production when all the other members do.

It does not always work, but it certainly means that oil is not a free market.

Also, there is a finite amount of oil in the world.

The oil that has been taken out of the ground first is the easiest, and therefore cheapest, to access.

As oil prices rise, it becomes financial viable to spend more to extract oil that is in trickier places to mine.

But as the available oil is depleted, the price will naturally rise because it is harder to find and more expensive to mine.

In addition, when there is talk about supply being threatened by unrest in the Middle East or storms in the Gulf of Mexico, how much of a problem these factors will actually be is generally a guess.

So is it unfair to blame the speculators?

The speculators certainly have a part to play in all this.

To an increasing extent, financial institutions are trading in oil as an investment like shares or currencies.

They buy oil contracts in the hope that their value will go up before they sell them.

Alternatively, if they think the price will fall, they may sell oil contracts they do not have and buy them later, in time to settle the deal.

Even those who believe that the market is based on fundamentals accept that the participation of speculators has created greater volatility in the market.

Factors that in the past might have moved the price by a few cents could now move it by more than a dollar.

It has also given sudden relevance to factors that in the past would not have moved oil prices at all.

What sort of factors?

Events such as rocket testing in North Korea have been cited as reasons for the rising price of oil.

But it is hard to imagine how it could have any direct effect on its supply or demand.

In a market with such a serious shortage of reliable information, as long as enough people believe that a factor will affect the oil price, it will.

And in some cases the effect of factors have been reversed.

How can that happen?

Up until less than a year ago, a weakening US dollar would have been seen as a sign of weakness in the US economy, which would have meant that demand for oil was likely to fall and so the oil price would fall.

But recently, many traders have believed that some people are treating oil and the dollar as alternative investments.

So, if they think the dollar is falling they will buy oil instead and if they think oil is falling they will buy dollars instead.

Because people believe this to be the case, a negative relationship has built up between the oil price and the dollar.

Whether people are actually treating the two as alternative investments is no longer important - what matters is that people believe that they do.

But a market based on so little concrete information and so much belief is vulnerable to people changing their minds.

source: www.forexoptical.com



BENJAMIN

Willie Jones asked:


Many people have been led to believe that fat is bad for you, and that may be the case for some cooking oils. The purpose of this article is to get you up to speed on the good oils and what their health benefits are, because the truth is, your body needs it.

Good fats, what they are and how they affect our health:

Good oils are some of the natural plant based oils, such as olive oil from olives, sunflower oil from sunflowers, peanut or grapeseed oil. These are all natural oils found in nature that have a proven health benefit. They are expeller pressed, not heated so as to maintain the integrity of the oil and their anti-oxidant level.

Grape seed oil;

This oil has a mild nutty flavor and is fantastic for cooking because it does not burn as fast as regular oils and does not smoke. It would have to be almost 400 degrees before it will start to burn. Be careful though, when you heat oils it can cause them to lose some of their anti-oxidant properties.

Grape seed oil unheated is a very potent in terms of its anti-oxidant properties. Specifically, OPC which stands for “oligomeric proanthocyanidins”. These are polyphenols, a compound very high in anti-oxidants, much more powerful an OPC than Vitamins A, C and E. These vitamins are utilized and or excreted soon after digestion. Grape seed oil on the other hand can stay in the body for as long as 3 days where the body can utilize its health benefits.

Grape seed oil keeps the arteries flexible and smooth and is good for your heart. It also lowers the bad cholesterol and raises the good cholesterol. This has been proven time and time again in clinical studies. This oil is also good for your skin, hair and eyes.

Olive oil;

Olive oil is a cold pressed (not heated or treated with chemicals) directly from the olive fruit. You will see different types of olive oil namely, extra virgin, virgin, pure and extra light. Extra virgin olive oil is the best because this is from the first pressing and retains the highest level of anti-oxidants. Virgin is the second pressing, pure the third pressing and extra light the last pressing. The more pressing it goes through the less level of anti-oxidants properties it has.

Olive oil is also good for your heart and like grape-seed oil, lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol because it is a monounsaturated fat. Olive oil is excellent for the stomach and digestion. It can protect the stomach from ulcers and gastritis. In Mediterranean countries like Greece, they eat large amounts of olive oil but have a lower incidence of heart disease and stroke.

No matter what oil you use there is a risk of the oil going rancid. Don’t expose your oil to light as this will cause it to lose some of the anti-oxidant properties. Keep it closed tightly (so the air doesn’t oxidize it) and keep in a cool dark place. Note: It’s best not to buy it in a clear glass bottle. Another thing you can do to prevent oil from going rancid is open a vitamin E capsule and poor it in the oil.

The health risk of bad fat:

A bad fat is a saturated or trans fat. These fats are associated with disease. This is because they are hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. When you see these words on a label, DON’T EAT IT OR GIVE IT TO YOUR FAMILY! Oils that are hydrogenated are put through an extensive process that uses, believe it or not, soap, clay, nickel, bleach and hydrogen gas to process it. These oils inhibit the body’s ability to metabolize food and prohibit proper enzyme function. The saturated or trans fat that you eat today may not be fully metabolized for 6 weeks! Think of that for a minute. It means that for up to 6 weeks these oils are prohibiting metabolism and enzyme function for all that time. If you eat it every day, think of the future health risk.

References:

Willett WC: Diet and coronary heart disease. Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 1990

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition April 2002



ELLIOT

PBS asked:

http://www.pbs.org/billmoyers A Bill Moyers essay on big oil. Airs Friday, June 27, at 9p.m. on PBS (check local listings). For more: http://www.pbs.org/billmoyers

FABIAN

Nancy X asked:


What’s the difference between engine oil and lubricating oil?

BRANDON

jordancraig asked:

This is a time lapse video of artist Philip Craig preparing then painting a very large oil painting.

CHESTER

Jason W asked:


I am in Malaysia which produce palm oil. I would like to start palm oil trading business. What is the steps? and what do i start?

EMILE

Ted Hebert asked:


In America today the average price of gasoline has skyrocketed past $4.00 per gallon with no end in sight. Oil prices have doubled since the end of 2007 with $200 per barrel conceivable within months. Still, no one seems to have a solution. The government is inept, and only seems willing to add to the problem rather than solve it.

If the Congress had any concern for you or me they would lift all Federal gas taxes to help us out. That would cut out about 15% of the price per gallon of gas. If they had any concern for us they would allow us to drill for oil within the United States. They would allow more refineries to be built. They would approve clean, cheap, nuclear power.

Instead, politicians have done nothing except talk about idiotic proposals to tax oil company profits. That will only raise gas prices further because the oil companies sure aren’t going to give away their profits and make less money. They will pass on the cost of tax increases to US, and probably 3-4 times the amount they lose from increased taxes.

The bottom line is we cannot trust useless politicians to change anything. We have to do it ourselves, and force idiot politicians to go along with it. Like it or not. That would be change we can believe in.

It would be great if we could all plug in our electric cars tomorrow, and never use a drop of gas again. However, we can’t. We need to build a bridge to energy independence that will not bankrupt us. In the short-term we need cheap oil to keep our cars and trucks on the road. As new technologies develop over the next ten years we can shift to electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. We could then realistically no longer need oil for any transportation by 2020.

How do we build the bridge, and how do we force oil prices down by 50-60% in a matter of weeks?

It’s already begun. American Solutions, a group started by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, has begun an online petition asking Congress to allow us to “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less.” More than a million people have already signed the petition. Poll after poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly support domestic drilling for oil to lower prices.

Those opposed to domestic drilling argue that even if Congress approved domestic drilling tomorrow, it would be 2-3 years before that oil would get to market. They argue domestic drilling will do nothing to lower oil prices because the global market sets the price of oil.

Wrong. In the last few weeks since gas went over $4.00 per gallon in the U.S. the people of America started making their voices heard. They want something done about the high price of gas, and they want to see action now. We have also started driving less, which has decreased demand. Just the notion that Americans are angry, and want something done has already prompted the Saudis to announce they will increase production. They also held a summit of oil producing nations to discuss the “crisis” of high oil prices.

Just the threat of possible Congressional action to allow domestic oil production already has the Saudis spooked. If Congress actually took action the real source of high oil prices, the speculators who make money trading oil futures, would begin to dump their oil future holdings. They would know that domestic oil production in the United States would reduce the future price of oil significantly. That would drop the price of oil on the international market by 50-60% almost immediately.

To insure that oil prices stay low for Americans Congress should demand that all oil produced in the United States only be available to the American market. It is conceivable that we could produce enough oil domestically to supply 80% of our consumption needs within 3 years. Some believe there may be enough oil in shale in the Rocky Mountains to supply all domestic oil needs, and even have a surplus. If American oil was only sold in America the price would likely be in the $30-$40 per barrel range. That would bring gas prices down to a reasonable $1.50 per gallon range.

Now, that is the bridge. This is not a permanent solution. No matter how much oil we can produce in the U.S. it will only last for a finite amount of time. It would be foolish to think that even if we had 40-50 years worth of oil that we should just wait until it runs out to replace it as an energy source. Not to mention the environmental impact of continuing to burn fossil fuels. We need to develop clean, renewable sources of energy.

Another provision Congress should include in allowing domestic drilling is that oil companies invest 15% of their profits in new energy sources. Rather than tax oil profits, which does nothing except put money in the government coffers to be wasted on nothing, Congress should demand those profit dollars be spent on developing new, clean forms of energy. The oil companies can then transform themselves over the next decade from oil companies to energy companies. We will need the oil companies’ massive infrastructure to deliver these new sources of energy, and the government cannot demand the oil companies spend money to put themselves out of business.

The most important investment would be to begin replacing one or two gas pumps with hydrogen refueling pumps. The hydrogen fuel cell car is already a reality. They are being sold in Japan, and tested in Southern California right now. The hurdle is that no one wants to buy a car they can’t refuel at the station down the street. If hydrogen pumps began to appear at local gas stations all over the country, the demand for hydrogen fuel cell cars would grow exponentially. This would drive down the price of hydrogen fuel cell cars, and of hydrogen fuel.

Automobile manufacturers would make more hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and more hydrogen pumps would be added. Over the next 10-15 years there would be no gasoline powered vehicles made anymore, and the term “hydro station” would replace “gas station.” The massive investment in hydrogen and other forms of energy would not just be for automobiles, but for jet engines as well. Air travel would be transformed with clean fuel sources, and air planes would be built with lighter, more fuel efficient materials. We would be free of fossil fuels for transportation.

What about energy to power our homes and businesses?

Congress also needs to approve new nuclear power plants to supply electricity for our homes and businesses. Nuclear power is cheap, clean, and now more than ever safe. The country needs 50-60 such facilities to handle the power needs of today, and to prepare for the power needs of the next 50 years.

Another solution to power needs is solar and wind power. It is unlikely that massive solar or wind power facilities will ever be effective sources of power for millions of customers. However, solar and wind power can be effective power sources for individual homes and small businesses. The major hurdle today is cost. A single wind tower costs up to $50,000 to install. Solar panels are not as expensive as in the past, but are still expensive enough that many homeowners are not able to easily afford them.

The solution is for Congress to approve tax incentives for homeowners and small businesses to install solar or wind power. By allowing a tax incentive of up to 75% of the cost of a wind tower or solar system homeowners and small businesses would be far more likely to install such systems. Such incentives would create a massive reduction in demand on the major power grids. This would then make these grids more capable of handling spikes in demand during summer months, and make the grids easier to maintain and upgrade.

These rather simple steps, if enacted now would make the United States completely energy independent by the mid 20’s. We would also be green and clean, which would benefit the environment immensely. Further, we would be the leader in clean energy development, and the rest of the world would follow, as they always do.

Demand that Congress take action now. YOU have the power. Let your Senators and Representatives know that if they don’t support building a bridge to energy independence you’re going to fire them. Forget which political party they belong to. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, this is an issue that affects our very future. Stand up, take action, and forcefully demand that Congress and the President take action NOW.



ERNIE