Office Emails

Thought I'd post an email that one of the guys on my project sent out. Pure gold...

Subject: RE: Bad news
Sent: 17 April 2007 17:30

Had a bit of time on my hands to study my conversion tables:
At today's price of $68 per barrel, Brent Crude is trading at $2.00 per US gallon. At today's exchange rate of $2.00 per £ that is £1.00 per US gallon. That is £1.21 per UK gallon, that is £0.26 per litre, that is £0.15 per pint.

When I was 16 my dad bought me a motorbike.
Petrol retailed at the pumps cost £0.5s.0d per UK gallon, that is 7.1/2d per pint or 3p per pint.
Beer retailed in some of the less salubrious bars in Barrow cost £0.1s.4d per pint or 6.5p per pint My fist week's wage packet was £2.18s.2d which would allow me to buy 6 gallons of petrol or 43 pints of beer.

Now I purchase petrol at £0.90 per litre, that equates to 51p per pint or £4.08 per gallon, an inflation of 1700%. On a good day I can purchase a beer in Aberdeen for £2.50 per pint, an inflation of 4000%

The conclusions I draw from this are:-
1/ Petrol is very cheap compared to beer
2/ Assuming the retail price of beer to be a better indicator of overall inflation than the retail price of petrol, the cost of petrol has actually reduced over the last 40 years despite anxieties about peak oil.
3/ The retail cost of both commodities in the UK is mostly comprised of Tax. Ever wondered why we used to buy our fuel in pints and gallons for £/s/d and we now purchase them in litres for £/p?
4/ All governments are lying theiving bast'rds but ours is the most accomplished.