Thursday, May 1, 2008

Theme Day: Numbers

The City Daily Photo blog family has a theme day the first of each month. May's theme is numbers.

The man in the background of this photo stands at the top of the freeway offramp at Lake Avenue. He's holding a handmade sign that says "Homeless Vet. Hungry. Please help." If I had a sign it might say, "Our dependency on fossil fuels is choking our economy." But that's not very original. I stole it from this article.

Click here to view thumbnails for all 181 blogs participating in this month's theme day. Go on, click on one you've never visited before! Have an adventure! I'm going to click on a bunch of them, and after that I'm going to go buy a bike.

22 comments:

Chuck Pefley said...

And your price is about 10¢ more than ours in Seattle for premium. Glad my scooter gets 70+ mpg! Thanks for the report and an appropriate choice for theme day.

Jim Klenke said...

Looks like another week you guys will be over $4.

Gerald (SK14) said...

sorry - no sympathy - check the prices in Europe

Pont Girl said...

What a clever use of the theme! Yes, these prices are a bit of an "ouch" but Hyde is right, I'm afraid!

Profile Not Available said...

Boy, I thought our gas prices were high...

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Makes me wish they would hurry up that Goldline extension. In the meantime, I'd like to own a Vespa like Chuck.

marley said...

Great topical post. The cost just keeps on going up and up!

Happy Theme Day :)

Petrea Burchard said...

...And I shot this a week ago. Yesterday it was $3.99 for regular. So Jim, it'll be less than a week. And Chuck's got the right idea.

Hyde, I know I'll only get sympathy from others in the US! What are you paying at the pump these days? (At today's rate, the dollar is worth about half a pound.)

True, pont girl. I'd complain less if I saw fewer homeless people on the streets, and if I hadn't heard a report this morning about record profits in the oil industry. Due to demand, by the way. Bikes, feet, Vespas and yes, the Gold Line! Palm Axis has it right.

Hi Kelly, I like your theme photo, too, from one of the prettiest towns in my former home state.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Marley. You were a little softer on me than Hyde. Still, my sympathies to you.

Jane Hards Photography said...

This has been a running theme through American posts today for numbers, petrol prices. Yes, the prices are higher in Europe, but I totally agree with you on this Petrea, we are missing the bigger picture. The profits made by these companies and not ploughed back into the community is disgusting, that is the real issue. Now i will shut up and no be so rude to rant on your blog. Basically i am in agreement with you, and it's proven to be a topicla and good numbers choice.

Anonymous said...

It's choking more then the economy - it's killing us. All of us.

Gerald (SK14) said...

sorry if I sounded harder than I meant to be -- I don't drive so am not directly affected except that fuel prices drive the cost of everything up so I'm still affected indirectly.

Kim said...

Petrea, Okay, seeing the SoCal price and Hawaii's today via our theme day, I will stop bellyaching about $3.75 here. I predict $4 or more to be the new standard price next fall and winter. . .might come down a bit in the summer depending on rabbits the government might try to pull out of a hat.
Nice composition to your photo. I loved hearing you mention Lake Avenue. I'd forgotten my familiarity with it and it jarred memories of friends parents who grew up in Pasadena.
Happy May Day!
-Kim
Seattle Daily Photo

Keith said...

With summer coming, I'm afraid $4 a gallon is pretty much a given. The scooter would be great if I wasn't afraid of getting squashed by a SUV!

Patrizzi Intergarlictica said...

That's why I prefer to fill up my tank with cheap wine.

John Sandel said...

I don't give a bloody damn about gas prices. The fact that anybody has to beg for work, food or shelter is unacceptable in the twenty-first century. This photo bites into the big, lard-ass American zeitgeist and makes me angry!

Petrea Burchard said...

Babooshka, it's not rude to be right.

Yorokobi, I agree. But we're not powerless.

You weren't overly harsh, Hyde. I'd say you're directly affected. As Yorokobi says, it's killing all of us, whether we drive or not.

Thanks, Kim.

Keith, don't get me started on SUVs. They are a scourge. Woops. I started.

Ah, I see Miss H. has come up with the ideal alternative fuel!

Petrea Burchard said...

You and I must have been posting at the same time, Bernie. Bless you. I'm glad it makes you angry. That's why I took the photo.

ptowngirl said...

Ouch! And I thought it was bad when I was paying $3.31 at the pump in Virginia Beach the other day. At a grocery store in Williamsburg they were selling gas for $2.99/gallon. You know it's bad when you say WOW $2.99, that's CHEAP!

ptowngirl
HamptonRoadsDailyPhoto.com

Petrea Burchard said...

ptowngirl: Yep. I believe I've pretty much had it. When I hear the oil companies are bagging record profits and I see our war veterans begging on the streets, there's a major disconnect going on. That's un-American.

ben wideman said...

great photo, I'm checking a little late but it's wonderful.

I'd support a bicycle purchase! Economic stimulus checks should all be spent at your local bike shop.

Petrea Burchard said...

Either that, or donated to the veterans!