This is truly a devil’s Excrement item, stolen from Andres Rojas’ Facebook page. A gas station in Margarita offering free gas when you wash your car there.
How screwed up can you get?
The Devil's Excrement
Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
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The Devil's Excrement 
March 11, 2014 at 10:39 pm
always i used to read smaller articles or reviews which
as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this paragraph which
I am reading here.
August 7, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Snacks in Xi’an are plentiful, want to know and try out them, welcome to Xi’an, here, you will eat delicious food as well as
visit famous sites. They include chocolate chip, fruit,
or nut pancakes. Applesauce is a great no-fat low-sugar alternative panckae topping.
August 6, 2013 at 1:26 am
Pretty! This was a really wonderful article.
Thank you for providing these details.
August 9, 2012 at 9:10 pm
[…] imagen sale del blog de Miguel Octavio, Devil’s Excrement, pero también se puede ver en la cuenta Twitter de su autor, el periodista Andrés Rojas. Es de […]
July 17, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Back to the topic: How much is a car wash in Margarita?
Here in oil land Alberta, I get a discount of about $2 for a car wash with the purchase of gas, at $1.15 / liter. Not even a free car wash.
BTW, Ronaldo, thanks for the minimum font size tip. It worked beautifully. I can put away the magnifying glass.
July 17, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Here in our end of the Island a car wash is around Bs.60 which is about $14 at the official rate & half that at the street rate.
It’s all by hand – no machines other than a hand held sprayer & kids with towels to do the drying.
July 17, 2012 at 6:34 pm
That’s more or less the price for a “deluxe” in a touchless drive through here, including protector coating rinse and dry with air.
July 19, 2012 at 10:22 pm
I’ve been to Margarita twice, and one time, we went to a fort where there are always children around to recite some kind of poem about the history of the place. (They’re basically working the tourists for tips.)
Do you know where I’m talking about, or am I confusing this with a trip to the DR? My wife’s working now and not here for me to ask.
July 21, 2012 at 12:21 pm
That’s in Juan Griego
July 17, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Off Topic
The misfit had this to say –
“Ustedes tienen razón,
porque aún después de esta vida,
cuando uno se vaya físicamente,
yo sé que yo me quedaré con ustedes
¡Uh, ah, Chávez no se va!
Pero, ustedes no se refieren solo a mí.
Chávez ya no soy yo,
Chávez se hizo un pueblo.
Por eso yo digo tú también eres Chávez
joven venezolano,
tú también eres Chávez joven venezolana”.
Tom Waits had this to sing –
“Well we stick our fingers in
The ground, heave and
Turn the world around
Smoke is blacking out the sun
At night I pray and clean my gun
The cracked bell rings as
The ghost bird sings and the gods
Go beggin here
So just open fire
As you hit the shore
All is fair in love And war”
And SCREW O-7!! because I’ll
keep on SCREWING you all
even in my grave ! 😛
cheers
July 17, 2012 at 8:35 am
The Bipolar rodent summed it up nicely:
http://www.elchiguirebipolar.net/12-07-2012/eeuu-revende-a-venezuela-petroleo-procesado-a-precio-de-mercado-bueno-el-chiste-es-que-somos-unos-idiotas/
But I guess that in the ocean of Venezuelan idiocy, there is still some people smart enough and to take advantage of it in a somewhat honest manner. And be strangely and brutally honest.
What they offer really is saving you the bother of filling up.
July 16, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Comparison between USA and Venezuela? Waste of time.. You cannot walk any street of any state of venezuela without the feeling of a gun ready to take you down and steal all your stuff, even your life..
July 16, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Here’s an interesting bit of news.
I guess he was really pissed off that Chavez suggested that he be shipped off to Monagas after he was touted to be the next in line to the throne.
Globovisión @globovision
Diosdado Cabello asegura que su candidatura a la Gobernación de Monagas “no está en discusión”
July 16, 2012 at 6:22 pm
Yep, after HC keels over, DC will build his own palatial throne -)
July 16, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Miguel, how do you define trolls?
July 16, 2012 at 8:21 pm
To me a troll is someone who just comes here to provoke, inflame, talking off topic and not to engage in the discussions of the blog.
July 16, 2012 at 10:51 pm
Thank you for that. I think it’s important to define the term. Because lately, I’ve been wondering if trolls don’t apply to the non-confrontational who repeatedly squeeze in their rose-dusted views, through cracks in the discussions. Uno se cansa.
Have you considered what Daniel does — Issuing a caveat on first view, after hitting the “Reply” link? Here’s his version, as a reminder:
To have your comments stay published follow these rules:
1) Do not be repetitive: The worth of a discussion is not based on the number of comments but in their value!
2) Do not bring grudges and fights from other blogs here.
3) Trolls will simply be erased. Clever and appropriate put downs may be occasionally accepted.
4) This is an anti Chavez blog, with mostly anti Chavez readers that have made up their minds over twelve years. Trying to convince us of our errors will likely be considered as a mere troll.
July 16, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Certain aspects of Venezuela culture are decidedly Potlach-like. Giving away gasoline for instance.
July 16, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Please keep the replies and
the alternative thinkers…
especially the mislabeled tee ar oh el els.
They disapeared back in the bbs days.
Anyone smart to be one,
has turned to bullying.
What we are reading
are from posters worried
about the status quo,
and wildly lashing out,
for lack of direction.
cheers
July 16, 2012 at 2:38 pm
don’t ban any comments. if “troll” start to look at this site and even more, if htey start commenting, LET’s turm them to our side, let’s HELP them open their eyes! they are and will be our best allies!
July 16, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Oh, my friend, trolls are ‘atornillados’ to their cult. It’s like saying, let’s turn Chávez to our side, let’s help him open his eyes. Tú crees que es posible?
July 16, 2012 at 11:40 am
I used to do the calculations to compare the price of gasoline, until about a couple years ago, when I realized that it had become priced so low, that it was virtually free.
July 16, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Roy PDVSA no longer charges the gas stations for gasoline.
July 16, 2012 at 5:06 pm
So, the gasolinera keeps ALL the operating profits?
What about fixed costs?
July 16, 2012 at 11:20 am
maria gonzalez,
In no way was your comment offensive.I was not referring to your comment all per se, I understood the context in which you expressed your defense.
No problem, cheers!
July 16, 2012 at 11:04 am
Ok folks it’s really easy to fix.
Just go to your browser options & enlarge the print.
In Chrome it’s “Settings” + “Show Advanced Setting” (bottom of page) + “Web Content” + “Font Size”
I have mine set at medium & the nesting replies show up fine.
For FF & IE there are similar settings.
July 16, 2012 at 10:58 am
slightly OT:
The worse part of there are people who will believe:
http://www.elmundo.com.ve/noticias/tuvoto/datanalisis–chavez-con-15,3-puntos-de-ventaja-sob.aspx
July 16, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Ignore the polls – none of them have any basis in fact.
Was talking to some people this weekend who assured me that they had received calls from pollsters & told them “Chavez” when they will definitely vote for Capriles.
No phone poll in Venezuela is accurate to within 20%.to 30%.
July 16, 2012 at 10:51 am
I don’t see why we need to have a reply option, people can indicate a reply by addressing a comment to a specific person.
My reply option is often malfunctioning anyway.I often get a black phrase pop up saying ” cancel reply”, and the reply will not post.
July 16, 2012 at 10:19 am
Thanks for trying. I will in general use Reply instead of nesting replies. I guess you’re a victim of the comment software.
July 16, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Just zoom in on the page to enlarge the text. In Firefox, hold down the CTRL key then turn the wheel on the mouse or use the +/- keys. No problem. Move along.
July 16, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Wow. You remind me of the typical Venezuelan attitude that instead of solving the problem, tells you to live with it and work around the issue. The point is: I shouldn’t have to zoom in and out screwing with my browser configuration. There are tons of other blogs and forums where that BS is not required to read information effectively, why should I have to in this instance?
July 16, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Some browsers allow setting fixed font settings, or minimum sizes for fonts used.
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July 17, 2012 at 9:24 am
Firefox allows minimum fonts. TOOLS, OPTIONS, CONTENT, ADVANCED, MINIMUM FONT SIZE.
Thanks extorres.
July 19, 2012 at 10:17 pm
Yeah–I don’t know what he/she/everyone is talking about.
In my Firefox, the font stays the same. Only the column width narrows with each further nested reply.
Everything Microsoft is evil, and once people realize this, we will all live happier lives.
July 16, 2012 at 10:15 am
Back to the small print 🙂
July 16, 2012 at 1:13 pm
I keep a magnifying glass by my desk. Kind like the joke about blondes and whiteout.
Just kidding. The best way to read the comments are in the ipad. 🙂
July 16, 2012 at 10:14 am
If I say no nested comments, the “reply” option dissapears
July 16, 2012 at 10:13 am
No, the options are either allow them to be nested or not. Let me try to see what happens if I say no.
July 16, 2012 at 9:53 am
Am I the only one who thinks the Reply mechanism here is atrocious? Each reply gets smaller and smaller font until it’s rendered unreadable. It’s made me visit the comment section less often because I don’t want to strain my eyes.
July 16, 2012 at 9:58 am
I agree, the option is not to have it.
July 16, 2012 at 10:05 am
It didn’t used to be this way, and doesn’t have to be this way, however it all depends on how much work it is to fix it and whether you have the time for it.
July 16, 2012 at 10:11 am
I am not an expert, it may even have changed since I last did it, let me look
July 16, 2012 at 12:46 pm
I like threaded comments but I agree with you that it’s shitty they start getting smaller and smaller once threaded.
July 16, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Ctrl+ to zoom in, Ctrl- to zoom out in IE.
—
July 16, 2012 at 9:45 am
Make sure trolls like that exfiltrator do no get airtime here as their intentions are only to seed chaos. Do you really think he/she is here to learn or debate reasonably? Just take a look at Noticiero Digital and you’ll see what I mean. C’mon people, let’s keep the devil professional. And yes! I still have no idea what exfiltrator tried to say. For that to happen people need enough oxygen at birth.
July 16, 2012 at 10:20 am
I agree with Alex.I wish blog owners would ban the trolls.Caracas Chronicles has lately turned into a useless sea of trolls with their corresponding groupies.Maybe it’s troll season but do we have to converse with them?
July 16, 2012 at 10:59 am
I’m not going to say I come to the devil’s site every day. I’d say at least once/week but more commonly twice. I admit I never gave it a thought how professional it is because as far as I can remember, I haven’t seen trolls here, especially the one above with such quality grammar. Probably is the poised, dignified way Mr. Octavio writes that invites respect . That being said, I’m concerned, only a bit but still concerned.
July 16, 2012 at 11:07 am
I definitely think Miguel’s character invites respect, but sometimes if a troll appears and gets attention from someone in the audience, they continue because they are ” fed”.
July 16, 2012 at 12:09 pm
I also agree that CC has fallen into a septic tank. I get irritated having to scan through the garbage to read intelligent & informed responses & ideas.
Don’t visit there as much anymore which, I guess, is exactly what they want.
July 16, 2012 at 1:10 pm
I do. I just don’t engage in an argument with someone that won’t vote.
July 16, 2012 at 3:43 pm
QUOTE OF THE DAY: I just don’t engage in an argument with someone that won’t vote (in the Venezuelan elections).
July 17, 2012 at 9:59 am
Syd, thanks for finishing my sentence. When I’m rushing through 1/2 lunch break sometimes my fingers don’t go as fast as my brain. Or viceserversa! Good thing you got what I meant. 🙂
July 16, 2012 at 1:04 pm
Miguel,
I agree with Alex. I don’t think that trolls have a right to disrupt a blog at will.
I don’t condone censorship, but any group of people have a right to choose who they associate with in private. If I were to crash a meeting of a pro-choice political group on private property and disrupt their meeting by yelling at them and calling them “baby-killers”, they would be within their rights to have me ejected.
Is a blog private property? I would say yes, in that, while it is open to the public, it is moderated by its owner. It is not public in the sense that a public plaza is public. It is public in the sense that a supermarket is public. Yes, it is open to the public, but it is private property, and they reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
Does that mean you should exclude anyone who disagrees with you? Of course not. That would make for a pretty dull debate. But, you do have a right to ensure the quality of discourse is up to your standards.
July 16, 2012 at 1:24 pm
well said Roy.If it were my blog I would ban anyone who falls into insults as well, with a prior warning first of course.
Then again I was one of those kinds of teachers who had 0 tolerance for school bullies and their associates.
July 16, 2012 at 2:18 pm
I hate banning people, only two people banned in nine years. I have been deleting some comments recently, I haven announced it, nobody has complained.
July 16, 2012 at 2:37 pm
Miguel, Well that’s another alternative.
July 16, 2012 at 6:14 am
Is the USA doing better?
July 16, 2012 at 6:44 am
Aj, er imperio…majunches, majunches! Socialismo y Bolívar! Viviremos y venceremos! Er impeeeeerio! CIA! Patria, patria, socialismo o muerte! Y Haier, neveras socialistas, pantaletas socialistas, salmón socialista!
Que se cae la casa? Mira ar Imperiooooooo!
July 16, 2012 at 7:50 am
Exfiltrator, do you live in USA or Germany? the quality of life in Venezuela is very low and Venezuelans do not know this. Yes there are poor people in USA or other developed country, they are natural disaster and the economy is not has good as everybody is expected…but you do not have to worry about light or water services going out for not reason. The problem I have in supermarkets is too many choices of cereals, toilet paper,milk and everything else. However you know what is the best the low crime rate…the fact that as a woman I can walk home past 8:00 pm and feel safe is the best feeling of the world…so do not blame the capitalism…the problem in Venezuela is that corruption is ingrated in our genes and the “viveza criolla” and the bull shit of “we are a rich country” is killing the country…in the IV and in the V…
Venezuelans are guilty of want happen in Venezuela so stop blaming others!
BTW…I do not live in el Doral or any other place in USA full of Venezuelans and I lived in Libertador when I lived in Venezuela…so I never was a sifrina
July 16, 2012 at 7:59 am
What’s a sifrina?
July 16, 2012 at 9:14 am
Ira, that’s a word that doesn’t have an exact translation in English.It might mean a spoiled and snooty girl, but it is used against most middle or upper class and who have a certain East -Caracas accent.
There are people on this blog who have called me a sifrina because I lived in Caurimare.Just imagine.I am a bohemian type, who often went to CADA in alpargatas, and feel quite comfortable with relative poverty because I can turn any home into something beautiful, I don’t need much money for that.I love simple people, and an authentic life style.
Personally I think the term is just a catch all to denigrate others, and make the accuser feel good about his or herself.
July 16, 2012 at 11:01 am
Firepigette, I did not mean to be offensive. Sorry if I offended in any way. My point was that you can disagree with the Patria, socialismo bull shit and know what quality of living is even if you grow up at few kilometers of Caracas’ downtown area.
July 16, 2012 at 11:25 am
“Is the USA doing better?”
I suppose it is always a matter of opinion, but at least they have milk in the supermarkets… every day… every kind… several brands.
Again, a matter of opinion, but they have electrical power that is so dependable, that if it does go out, it is only because of a major storm or disaster, and they consider it major news, not an every day occurrence.
Again, a matter of opinion, but they have a currency that doesn’t have one of the highest inflation rates in the world.
Again, a matter of opinion, but they have a homicide rate an eighth of Venezuela’s.
But, it is only an opinion…
July 16, 2012 at 11:58 am
I just returned from a trip to Florida & the comparisons between our life here in Venezuela & there are so huge that to try & say that there is a comparison between the two would indicate that the person making the comment has not been to one or the other.
Massive choices of products there – here shortages of everything.
I haven’t seen 100% orange juice in Margarita in months – there you have choices of dozens of brands & textures, ha, ha.
Why does Corpolec need to turn off the electricity to do normal maintenance? Doesn’t happen there.
Was able to sit at outdoor bars at night & watch the people strolling along the boulevard. Doesn’t happen here.
Why are prices here higher than there even at black market rates when minimum wages here are US$1.17 per hour while US minimum rates average around US$8 per hour? eg. Why does a locally produced package of bacon cost $9.92 a lb. in Sigo when it’s only US$6 in Miami?
I could keep going on but the point is that the USA, today, is so far advanced over Venezuela that there is not a comparison to make. It’s like comparing a brand new Cadillac with a 1950s Volkswagen Bug.
July 16, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Of course, I was being facetious with the troll.
July 16, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Well, let me give you an example: an iMac that costs 1300 dollars in the US is being sold at 5500 dollars in socialist Venezuela. Meaning that with the same money you can afford one in Hugoslavia you can buy 4 in the US.
Oh and no, wages aren’t even comparable. In the US they are miles better.
July 16, 2012 at 1:04 pm
ErneX,
What happen is that your are a “capitalista majunche”…you should be proud to get the Canaima importadas desde Portugal!
July 16, 2012 at 2:22 am
Venezuela is great for traveling by car exept ofcourse for US Mim. 4 weel drive like on the US roadmap to get de Venezualian oil and minarals like we see in Libya and Syria, Venezuela dasn(t to increase oilprices because they don’t make wars abroad !
July 16, 2012 at 4:11 am
Exfiltrator,
Stuped moranic comments from people that cannot spell and don’t open their eyes have little to contribute here. Chavez is supporting and encouraging wars across the planet. Wake up. Venezuela has more murders than most countries at war and Chavez thinks it is ok.
Did you get your free housing yet?
July 16, 2012 at 6:17 am
It is the honnesty of a comment that counts, perfect written but al lies like yours and CIA propaganda and intoxication is worse ! Btw i’m living on a boat !
July 16, 2012 at 8:38 am
Exfiltrator:
It’s not “yours and CIA propaganda”, we are the same. We are CIA agents. My name is Bourne, Jason Bourne. Ronaldo’s nom de guerre is Paz.
We were both trained for the Treadstone program.
We are worried because of your leader, Chávez,
is spending billions dollars (over 9 billion now)
to prepare Veneezuela for the asymmetric war…like the
100 Russian T-72B1V or the amphibious vehicles from Chinese for 500 million just bought now
http://lenta.ru/news/2012/07/04/buychinese/
or the different MI helicopters
http://lenta.ru/news/2012/06/09/credits/
(almost a dozen of which have gone down
because one of our agents threw iguanas against the rotors)
The US forces are totally powerless against such asymmetric weapons
as planes and tanks and amphibious vehicles…
you are really really clever.
July 16, 2012 at 2:44 pm
Kepler,
That is so cool.
All Venezuelan aircraft can be neutralized with a paint gun. Venezuelan forces will follow their leader and hide under their desks rather than take any chances of not looking good in a red beret.
Paz
July 16, 2012 at 3:17 pm
CIA? No, maybe CID or OSS, but certainly not CIA or Mi6 they are all false flags for M0$$@D. (usually).
FLAGG out.
July 16, 2012 at 7:58 am
You were able to figure out what he said?
July 16, 2012 at 3:35 pm
I’m with you, Ira. No clue. But the responses to exfiltrator were terrific!
July 21, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Ronaldo Dude you are full of shit bro just keep smokong what ever your smoke and do not talk more shit about latin america leader pendejo
July 16, 2012 at 12:51 am
Move along, folks. Nothing to see here. Gasoline in my neighborhood (Houston TX) is normally about $3.30 these days, but we can get it for under $3 with a car wash. In the overall scale of weirdness (1-10), this is barely a 1.
July 16, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Dou you get a full tank of gas free?
July 16, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Yes, I have now heard of at least four instances like this, free tank of gas with car wash or oil change. It is not that much, at most 0.5 dollars atthe black market rate, one dollar atthe official one.
July 17, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Rubbish, the first guy Marzolian is talking about a 30 cents per gallon decrease so you’re looking at a 5 to 10 dollar discount on a full tank of gas. In Venezuela a tank never gets over 2 dollars anyway and Wanley’s comment is questioning whether you get a free tank in Texas, not Venezuela.
July 17, 2012 at 3:40 pm
was replying to Wanley, who I think was asking if the free gas was a full tank of gas with a car wash. The answer to that is yes.
July 15, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Different strokes for different folks. Come to Valencia where an oil change will get you a free car wash.
July 15, 2012 at 11:50 pm
No point to have a hybrid/electric car over there. Eh!