Daily Oil Update

Monday, October 6th
Oil at $89. Gasoline at $2.15. Retail at $3.52. Dollar at $1.35/Euro.

Again. Massive discrepancy between Retail and wholesale gasoline. Bet on retail moving to $3.00 in the next 3 or 4 months.

Friday, October 3rd
Crude closes at, Dollar, Gold,

Bloomberg survey:

Seventeen of 31 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News, or 55 percent, said prices will decrease through Oct. 10, the most bearish response since the week ended June 6. Seven respondents, or 23 percent, said oil will rise and seven said prices will be little changed. Last week 48 percent expected futures to decline.

Bailout Bill
Dow, S&P

Thursday, October 2nd
Crude closes at, Dow, S&P

Wednesday, October 1st
Crude closes at, Dow, S&P
Consumption numbers
Senate Bailout Bill

Tuesday, September 30th
Crude closed up $4 at $100.64 as the market rebounded. The Dow was up 485 points with the market up about 5%. Gold is at $877. The Dollar moved up to $1.41 against the Euro as bailouts of European banks gain momentum.

Monday, September 29th
Crude closed down over $10 at $96.37. Gasoline was as low as $2.35. The market had its worst day since 1987 as the Pelosi-Paulson bailout bill was defeated in the house. The Dow dropped 777 points and the S&P was down 8%. Gold is at $900, the Dollar is $1.43 to the Euro.

Another item to note is that getting around on foot is a terrible idea in Atlanta (aka the Dirty South, the Dirty, the Dirty Dirty).  I understand the environmental benefits but the personal risk is too high.  In the Dirty, walking someplace instead of driving increases your risk of getting hit by a car from probable to eminent.

I tried to go back to television for some inspiration.  I flipped on Wife Swap.  The title was a little misleading and the show wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be.   It should be called Awful Reality Show or Worst Hour of Your Life.  I could not watch longer than a minute.  One family was heavily tattooed and pierced while the new wife was showered and groomed.  I felt good about turning the channel.

But one of the advantages of having a refinery next to a large metropolis is that we don't, you know, run out of gas like those picturesque but gas-thirsty cities down South.

[via]

Let's just say that the last few weeks have a lot of people reconsidering how they cast their ballot in the last presidential election. Like that matters.

Anyway, the fuel crisis has raised several issues amongst our genteel folk here in the South, chief among them the need for fuel conservation, decreased dependence on foreign oil, and the ever-pressing recreational issue.

A lot of the things we do for fun down here need gas. And plenty of it. With the shortage, we've had to really cut back on our recreational time, which leads to higher aggression, increased blood pressure, quicker tempers, and bedlam in general. There were reports yesterday of a Chevron station manager having to break up a fight with a crow bar. And that was just at the Lotto station. You can imagine what it was like on the pumps.

Without gas, we can't do fun things like:

 RECREATIONAL SWAMP SPORTS - also known as snipe/gator/snake hunting. This requires an air-boat that runs on a 500-mph fan that can propel you through murky, reptile infested waters at speeds unsafe for fighter jets. Add in the difficulty of navigating dense underbrush, limited waterways and protected habitats, and you can appreciate why this takes up so much gas: there's a lot of wasted fuel when you have to backtrack because of the "protected" sanctuary of the Albino Everglade Ring Worm.

RECREATIONAL HUNTING - this is different from the type of hunting listed above. Recreational hunting takes place primarily on the ground, although some purists insist on sitting in trees. Modern techniques include the stampeding of deer through the underbrush by someone on an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) that is large and loud enough to stampede a herd of deaf elephants. These large ATVs drink gasoline the way a Congressman handles an aged whiskey - in large quantities and frequently. Without gas, hunters would have to go back to stalking, killing and hauling deer on foot - and who wants to go shoot something you'll have to carry yourself? Soon, the deer population will explode and we'll be up to our necks in Bambis, and then what will we do?

RECREATIONAL FISHING - otherwise known as drinking and boating. Other variants on this sport include drinking and lying, drinking and sleeping, and the always popular drinking and drive-by mooning. The 1,000 horsepower motors on the back of these flimsy fiberglass boats require a lot of fuel to enable the boat to achieve lift-off. So the gas shortage is keeping a number of would-be pilots grounded. Of course, so is the fact that we're in a drought and there's barely any water in the lakes, but that's a different column.

 SOCIAL OUTINGS - with the gas shortage, we don't have enough fuel for our limousines, which means we aren't able to have fun events like the annual 7-11 ding-dong-ditch tournament and the Chester Hocker's Annual Debutante Ball and Hog Killing. Nothing kills community spirit like not being able to get together for important society outings.

SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION - in the realm of the truly serious, we don't even have enough gas for our school's to run their buses. As a result, children are having to either walk to school or skip class, and that choice isn't that hard when it comes down to it. By the way - have we mentioned that there has been a real increase in dropout rates over the last few weeks? Coincidence - we think not.

HOME MAINTENANCE -  the yards of most Southern people have grown beyond control. Who wants to cut grass when it costs $15 to fill up your stinking lawn mower? That money is much better spent in other ways, like groceries and the mortgage. So what if you haven't seen your four year-old in two weeks? She's probably somewhere in the backyard, living off the land, learning to be self-sufficient, which builds character and is good for her.

Of course, with the fuel shortage, more and more people are staying at home, which means one thing - and you can take this to the bank:

In three months, the pregnancy rate will be the highest it's been in 15 years. If you've gotta stay at home, you have to do something, right?

According to my car's computer, I can drive one mile before I run out of gas.  I'm glad that I don't have to go work.  If I remember correctly it was further away than one mile.  Hopefully I will be able to fill up while all of the panicking people are working this week.  Otherwise, I may have to park at the pump at wait for the tanker.  In order to pass the time waiting, I could open a tab at the convenience store.  They have an excellent selection of magazines, beverages and knives.  They even have tennis shoes.  I may go in tomorrow and see if the attendant will come out from behind the bullet proof glass and help fit me with a shoe.  I'll take a red bull, 5 quick picks and this shoe in a 13 narrow if you have it.

It was a crazy weekend for college football as many of the top 25 were upset.  It's a good thing that I don't bet on games.  Otherwise I would have a lot less money in my pocket which is mathematically impossible.  I went out to watch the Alabama/Georgia game.  We found a spot that was relatively empty for some reason.  It slowly filled with Kentucky fans and before we knew it we were sitting in the middle of the Kentucky Alumni Fan Club.  Of the 12 televisions within sight, I counted 9 that were showing Kentucky take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.  As my stomach acid level rose due to the wings, potato skins and awful football shown on 9 televisions, I wondered why restaurants do not serve antacids.  I would have paid $5 for one zantac or a blindfold to shade my eyes.

In celebrity news, Heather Locklear was arrested for DUI over the weekend.  The good news is that her mugshot looks better than Nick Nolte's.  That doesn't sound like much (and it isn't) but you have to have a glass is half full attitude for the tough times.  I should be a life coach.

I met with them again last week, to talk about something else - namely: "How do you help consumers imagine a future that is vastly different than today?" During that meeting the most senior person on their team brought up the meeting four years earlier and said: "I remember four years ago you pointed out that we should focus more on small cars - how did you have that foresight?" It is always nice when clients (and potential clients) commend you for past predictions that have played out as you said they would.

So after saying "thank you!" I explained that the reason small cars made sense then (and now) is that, as American's go from having 2.1 vehicles per household to closer to three, that third vehicle will be a smaller commuter, grocery, soccer practice (if you do not carpool), and/or dinner date kind of car. It is not only because of gasoline prices that small cars make sense. There is actually great utility in them when you have already covered your other needs with the two other cars in your garage.

Gasoline prices will continue to fluctuate, and probably upward more than downward, and so the small vehicles in the carpool will be used more, and the big cars are still needed... but they just will be driven a little less. Overall mileage will continue to increase. American driving habits over the long run will not change - we still need to get around.

I passed this Chevron on the way to take Ella to school today just as they received a shipment. So after dropping her off, I hightailed it back - and within that 10 minutes, this is what happened...

Mind you - this is 5 miles from any type of large highway or Interstate, so this is all local, quasi-rural traffic:

Lined up from THIS street:

And THAT street:

Yep, out on THAT street, too:

Oh, and zoom in and check the price for unleaded: $4.29.

- - - - -

AAA says it should be back to normal in 3 WEEKS.

Ummm, alrighty then....

People have no gas to travel to work (or so they say) but advertisers and sponsors continue to promote and major t.v. networks display the massive waste of petroleum products. Did I mention all the people who traveled to Kansas for the race? How much gas was wasted to get there?

Practicality aside, I attended the Blackout last night, although unfortunately I was fully conscious of the events. 90,000 people attended and many of those people live in Athens, like me. How many traveled from Atlanta, South Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina? As a friend noted on facebook, they stole our gas upon leaving town today and last night. And they did. Is the local economic boost provided by these travelers worth the sacrifice of the black gold for those who live here?

How long will we as citizens, car owners, employees and consumers continue to have skewed priorities? When will understand that we must plan ahead and be practical about necessities? Seems like, not right now.

Town Center Chevron, 12301 Middle Brook Road

Germantown Chevron, 20510 Frederick Road

Only certain vehicles can use it. Every car sold in the United States can operate on a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent regular gasoline. But not all cars can run on E-85. E-85 fuel is now approximately 40 to 60 cents cheaper than regular gas, or an approximate difference of 15 percent.

Vehicles that can run on E85 usually say so on their gas caps.

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have all said they half their new vehicles will be flexfuel vehicles by 2012.

There are only 19 E85 stations within 200 miles of D.C., according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

Ethanol is produced from corn.

When gas started moving towards $2.00, we were a little more jaded and could even find a bit of humor in it - I'm sure you all got some variation of this photo in an e-mail:

Ah, those were the days.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I live in the Southeastern U.S.  More specifically, I live in one of the three states that are currently experiencing extreme gas shortages in certain metropolitan areas.  And, joy of joys, I live in one of those metro areas.  My cup runneth over - but not with gasoline.

I guess I have lived a remarkably stress-free life, because I am having a hard time dealing with the uncertainty of where I will find my next tank of gas.  I mean tightness-in-the-chest, near-panic-attack levels of concern.

I'm a security freak - I know it.  And I think that's why this is getting to me so very much.  I can generally deal with crises that I can work or think my way out of, but this is completely random.  I may pass a station with its pump nozzles bagged (the universal symbol of EMPTY), only to have a tanker show up minutes later at that self same station.  Tantalizing rumors of full tanks and short lines are everywhere - and always when one can do absolutely nothing towards checking them out.  And the worst: friends and co-workers who live outside the dry zone and are pumping whatever they want virtually whenever they want and cannot relate to one's frustrations and fears in any shape, form or fashion.

If I was the shooting sort, I'd shoot them first, the spoiled, selfish bastards.

I'm kidding.  Sort of.

Anyway, if you should happen to see an open gas station, please drop me a line.  I have two arms and two legs - and I can always steal a first-born, if need be.

The circuit is 3.1 miles long. A car averages about 108 miles per hour on this course vs. 100 at Monaco and 120 at the Valencia, Spain street circuit.

Thanks for the video, Bif. This is I believe a full lap at 1:46. Filippe Massa for Ferrari gained pole with a fast lap of 1:44 in Q3 with a race fuel load. The cars are about 1500 lbs. They burn about a gallon per lap or 6 lbs. The full fuel load must be around 120-140 lbs. They typically pit twice in races of about 200 miles and 70 laps.

I've done the math and these cars get 3.5 mph, which rates them quite favorably to a Hummer or Escalade. Engines are made by Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda, BMW, and Renault. No Chryslers, Chevies, or Fords.

 This track is lit by 1500 lights (500 per mile, or 1 every 3 yards) powered by 12 diesel generators housed in soundproofed boxes. I wonder how big those suckers are and how much they burn.

Singapore has witnessed some of the highest increases in per capita oil consumption of any region on the face of the planet in recent years. I wonder why.

I was never a very graceful person

Paul Newman wanted to be a great athlete - he just never found a sport in which he could excel. Then, while filming the movie "Winning" in 1969 at age 43, he discovered auto racing.

"I was never a very graceful person. The only time I ever really feel coordinated is when I dance with Joanne," he once told The Associated Press, referring to his wife, Joanne Woodward. "And that's not my doing. But when I'm behind the wheel of race car, I feel competent and in charge. It's something I really enjoy."

Newman, an Oscar-winning actor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, activist and race car driver, died of cancer Friday at his farmhouse near Westport, Conn., publicist Jeff Sanderson said.

"Paul Newman, a real American hero," NASCAR team owner Jack Roush said.

Newman spoke of his passion for racing during a 1995 interview with the AP shortly after he was part of the winning team in the Daytona 24-Hours sports car endurance race. He was 70 years old at the time. No one remotely close to that age had ever won in that event.

Newman could be terse and distant in his rare interviews, but he would light up when he talked about his favorite sport.

"I don't like talking about acting because that's business and pretty boring," Newman told the AP another time. "And politics can get you in trouble. But I'll always talk about racing because the people are interesting and fun, the sport is a lot more exciting than anything else I do, and nobody cares that I'm an actor. I wish I could spend all my time at the racetrack."

When Newman decided to get into racing, it was more than just being in the cockpit that interested him. He became a car owner in the Can-Am Series, campaigning cars for a number of top drivers, including Indianapolis 500 winners Al Unser, Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal, as well as Formula One champion Keke Rosberg.

After competing against team owner Carl Haas in Can-Am, Newman formed a partnership with the Chicago businessman, starting Newman/Haas Racing in 1983 and joining the CART series.

With Mario Andretti hired as its first driver, the team was an instant success. Throughout the last 26 years, the team - now known as Newman/Haas/Lanigan and part of the IndyCar Series - has won 107 races and eight series championships with drivers like Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Cristiano da Matta, Paul Tracy and Sebastien Bourdais.

"He was just a great guy and truly loved everything about racing," Michael Andretti said.

Despite a heavy schedule, Newman came to the track as often as possible. He tried without much success to keep a low profile as he roamed pit lane on his motor scooter or sat at the team's pit box, his baseball cap pulled low over those famous blue eyes, a pair of reading glasses - used for reading the timing and scoring monitor - dangling from a string around his neck.

"Paul and I have been partners for 26 years and I have come to know his passion, humor and, above all, his generosity," Haas said. "Not just economic generosity, but generosity of spirit. His support of the team's drivers, crew and the racing industry is legendary. His pure joy at winning a pole position or winning a race exemplified the spirit he brought to his life and to all those that knew him."

Newman's many charitable works extended to racing. Kyle Petty and his wife founded a camp for chronically ill children in North Carolina, modeled on Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang camps.

"He was dedicated to giving back to those less fortunate and with each child we see, we honor his spirit and vision," Petty said.

Two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart competed against Newman in several sports car races.

"He set the bar, not only with his giving, but in how he gave. ... Paul did it right, and he did it with class," Stewart said.

After playing the role of an Indy 500 driver in "Winning," Newman found he couldn't get the driving bug out of his system. And he found he had a real talent for the sport.

Newman began racing sports cars in amateur divisions and won his first race in 1972 at Thompson, Conn., in a Lotus Elan. He earned the first of four SCCA National title in 1976 in the D-Production class and also won championships in the 1979 C-Production category, as well as taking the GT-1 championship in 1985 and 1986.

His first professional victory came in the rain at an SCCA trans-Am race at Brainerd, Minn., in 1982.

When Newman arrived in the media center at Brainerd for the winner's interview, a bottle of champagne in hand and a huge smile on his face, he found just two writers waiting for him.

"Where is everybody? I guess I'll have to win something a little bigger than this to get any attention," he said.

Newman added another Trans-Am win at his home track in Lime Rock, Conn., in 1986.

He often said one of the things that attracted him most to racing was the camaraderie in the pits and paddock. And Newman loved a good practical joke, even when it was played on him.

During a race in Elkhart Lake, Wis., several drivers conspired to pull a fast one on him. They hired a bus and sent it to a home for the aged, telling the residents that actor Paul Newman had invited them for lunch and a day at the track. About 40 women jumped at the offer.

Newman was at the track when a crewman came in and said, "Paul, there's a bunch of people out here who say they're supposed to have lunch with you." Newman came out of his motor coach smiling and played the role of gracious host at a hastily arranged lunch for the adoring ladies.

When the Indy Racing League was formed, Newman/Haas stuck with CART and Newman tried numerous times during the 12-year split to broker a deal to get the rival organizations back under one banner.

Once, when a deal appeared close in the late 1990s, Newman summoned a writer to his motor coach at Portland, Ore., and demanded: "Write about this now and we'll put some pressure on these people to get this done," he said, with a profanity tossed in to underline his point.

It finally did get done, but not until this past February.

Newman was thrilled by the unification, even though it was the IRL's IndyCar Series that wound up the winner of the internecine warfare.

"It's about time," Newman said. "Now, we can tell potential sponsors we have a future and mean it, and we can develop great, young drivers that will attract new fans to the sport. The future looks much brighter now."

As he passed his 80th birthday, he remained in demand. He managed to combine acting with racing by providing the voice of a crusty 1951 car in the 2006 Disney-Pixar hit, "Cars."

Newman drove his last race as a professional in the 2005 Daytona 24-Hours and even ran some hot laps around his beloved Lime Rock Park in August.

As the years went on, people kept asking him when he was going to quit racing. His reply was standard.

"That's what Joanne keeps asking me," he said.

Posted by Robert Rapier on September 26, 2008 - 10:10am
to winter gasoline, such as the following (originally in the Bradenton Herald, but the link is long dead):

The interesting twist to their technology is that method doesn't use a plant that people typically use for food (like corn, sugarcane or sugar beats).  So not only doesn't this solution use food products, it doesn't require actual farm land (i.e. land used to grow food) to produce the fuel. 

Sapphire claims that they can set up a production facility in the desert.  The steady sunlight is an important factor in their production, and the salt water can be shipped in.

Their stated goal is to product 10,000 barrels a day, which in the national economy isn't that much.  It is however, 10,000 barrels a day that isn't pumped out of the ground, and will be produced domestically.

My car was a tad on the dirty side and I wanted to get a car wash. Naturally, I prefer to go through the car wash rather than having to wash my car by hand. It costs a few bucks more, but it saves me about 10 minutes.

I went to Petro-Canada as they have a Soft Cloth car wash. Personally, I feel a touchless car wash doesn’t clean the car nearly as well as one that rubs strips of cloth against it. It’s like taking a shower without actually scrubbing yourself. Basically, you’re getting a rinse. Perhaps it’s high pressure rinse, and maybe it has more intense soap combinations (is that good for my car?), but it’s still a rinse, not a scrub.

So Petro Canada was more than happy to offer me a works wash for $12.83. Yes, I know it says $9.99 on the little advert and with taxes it should come to $10.69. So why did it come to $12.83? Because I didn’t buy gas, and that tacked on an extra two dollar surcharge to my purchase.

Okay, back up a minute. I didn’t need gas. I needed a car wash. If I wanted gas I would have got gas. Instead, I wanted to wash my car, not fill my gas tank.

Petro Canada felt they can throw an extra two bucks onto my bill because I couldn’t throw a profit their way through the purchase of gasoline.

Well, Petro Canada, I went to a manual car wash, spent eight bucks and got my car clean just as well. I washed my hood, windows, mirrors, side panels, and even tires. And guess what? They had a wax option, so I even sprayed some wax on my car. Did I mention it only cost me eight dollars?

So instead of paying almost $13 for a car wash I paid $8 and the five bucks I saved was worth more in elbow grease than me sitting on my ass while rolling through a Super Wash.

That’s a shame. I was willing to give Petro Canada eleven of my hard earned dollars.

Eleven, not thirteen.

A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks of blogging absence.

The bad stuff so far (not limited to this small list):

• worldwide economic meltdown

Like the vast majority of the world I don't have any direct financial interests in the fallen Wall Street financial institutions that have shaken the stability of money markets worldwide. That's just the problem; the mindless risk-taking of a few people still affects the entire planet.

• melamine, "protein substitute", anyone?
  

Being someone who loves to drink milk and has nothing against China or the Chinese, the news of melamine finding itself into food it was not invented to mix with is bothersome. Retailers have been ordered to pull out all dairy products which have originated from China. Some consumers have gone as far as to refrain from purchasing any China-made food products. The DOH has named Green Food Yili Pure Milk and Mengniu Original Drink Milk positive for melamine contamination. An independent laboratory found 8 pruducts containing melamine, including a brand of corned beef, luncheon meat, and get this, an iced coffee shake premix served in a popular (unspecified) coffee chain. Got to warn The Accomplice. I take my brewed coffee without frills.

• fewer doctors

Fewer NMAT takers (NMAT is National Medical Admission Test, a prerequisite for acceptance in most medical schools, cut-off marks vary). Fewer medical school enrollees. Fewer graduates. Fewer doctors. Increased patient load (as if the present load weren't unbearable to begin with).

Statistics peg the fall in medical school enrollment to 40%.

Add to that the licensed physicians who have chosen to practice abroad, either as doctors or as allied medical personnel.

A Horror Story Continues.

• global warming
• the government

The good stuff (also a short list, but hey there are still many things to be happy about!):

• free movies

Cine Europa 11 at the Rodelsa Hall of Liceo University started yesterday, and runs till tomorrow. Free movie passes are available at the Office of Cultural and Public Affairs.

A scan of the schedule is here. (Thanks to Els (a.k.a. mommy dharlz; darn the h and the z!).)

• no price increase

In petroleum products, that is. In spite the global financial crisis the price of crude oil has remained stable. No rollback this weekend, though.

• Velez St

Finally the partial rehabilitation of the once pothole-ridden thoroughfare is complete (the Yacapin to Provincial Capitol stretch). The segments that were unfinished during the fiesta period in August have been opened to traffic.

• Charice Pempengco

Comments of her youtube videos are riddled with racial slurs. Inggit lang kayo/Suya lang 'mo. Filipinos are talented.

Enough said.

And today, I discovered a few more facts.

The top number the instantaneous mpg reading can hit is 99.9 (it only has room for those digits).  And I've found that I can hit that number pretty often!  Basically, if I'm coasting (taking my foot off the gas), I can pretty much max out, since I'm using so little gas.  Let this act as a reminder that you should try to coast as much as possible (when it's safe!) because your momentum can take you pretty far!

I also browsed around GasBuddy some more after my post.  One thing to note is that it sends you to the local site (for me it was BostonGasPrices).  One feature I'm a fan of is the Fuel LogBook.  It lets you keep track of what you're spending on gas.  And it also tracks your gas mileage, so if you don't have that fancy feature on your car (like I do), you can still see how you're doing on gas mileage.  And it's easier to just enter the information there than set up a spreadsheet to do it.

I also wanted to note that this is in no way a sponsored post.  I realized I've now posted twice about GasBuddy...I just wanted to share some things I've found!  You can also use MSN's Gas Prices page to look at local gas prices.  They get their numbers from OPIS, rather than from local price-spotters.  Do you have a favorite place to go to find gas prices?

So far, it looks like my average mileage is 35.8 mpg.  I'm going to keep trying to drive as efficiently as possible!

Yesterday, CityBusiness’ Web site featured a story about falling sales of SUVs at North Shore auto dealers.

“SUV sales have become practically nonexistent for us,” said Ed Greenwald, sales manager with Baldwin Motors in Covington.

He’s not alone. Other SUV dealers throughout the country are watching demand for gas-guzzling vehicles drop as the country goes through an economic slowdown and deals with high gasoline prices.

But high gas prices could cost the North Shore more than SUV sales. It could cost St. Tammany Parish and surrounding parishes some of their population as residents grow sick of paying more than $3 a gallon to drive the 24-mile-long Causeway or other routes across Lake Pontchartrain.

In a July 23 CityBusiness story, reporter Emilie Bahr wrote that gas prices increasingly are prompting some North Shore residents to re-evaluate the expensive need to drive across the lake to get to their South Shore jobs.

"Real estate market figures suggest there has yet to be a large-scale migration away from the North Shore back to the city. While housing sales are on the decline across much of the metro region, they remain relatively stable in western St. Tammany Parish, which experienced the smallest decrease in the New Orleans area in the number of homes sold from April 2007 to the same month this year, according to the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors," the story says.

Four days later, The Times-Picayune wrote basically the same story.

"Local real estate experts say people will not make such a fundamental lifestyle change until stratospheric gas prices prove to be the new reality, not just a temporary spike. There is nonetheless a vanguard that has grown weary of commuting across the Causeway, the twin spans or congested stretches of Interstate 10 and has resolved to trade in their house for a place closer to the city," the T-P wrote.

According to the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation, St. Tammany Parish is the fifth largest parish in the state and has been the fastest growing parish since the 1970s. Will high gas prices reverse that trend?

The Great USA Networking Tour count-down continues!  This week the car was cleaned, thoroughly examined and declared road-ready.  We're even doing our part to minimize our driving carbon footprint by placing a Nikken Magna-Charger on the gasline to improve mileage.  I never imagined that a device normally placed on an incoming water line (used to magnetize the water in the line) could be used to improve gas mileage and promote fuel burning efficiency.

I did a bit of quick research and learned that applying a magnet to the vehicle's carburetor's fuel line effectively fractures the hydro-carbon chains in the gasoline passing through the line, thus allowing it to burn more efficiently.  A friend of ours put the Magna Charger on the fuel line of his Ford Bronco; prior to using the Magna Charger he averaged 400 miles/tank.  After the installation, the mileage improved to 468 miles/tank.  In his case, that was a bit more than a 15% increase in mileage.  Research indicates an increase of up to 27%.

Installation is easy, is appropriate for a variety of vehicles, it works with diesel engines, is maintenance free and can reduce emissions up to 45%. It's an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint if you aren't in a position to purchase one the new hybrid vehicles.

Currently our 2003 Saturn Vue averages about 350 miles/tank depending on the type of driving we do.  I'm really curious to see how the mileage improves, and this road trip will be a great test.  With gas prices as high as they are we can use all the help we can get.  Check back for the mileage numbers!

Everything is topsy-turvy as we gather things together.  We plan to cook as many of our meals as we can (to save money), and keep our trash to a minimum by using cloth napkins and washable plates and cutlery.  I've become a master of one-pan meals, so an electric skillet is pretty much all that's necessary.  The motels we're staying in have mini-refrigerators and microwave ovens and we'll buy local and seasonal grocery items so we can cook healthy meals as well.  Some people might think it's too much trouble, but for such a lengthy road trip I'd rather throw together a 20-30 minute meal and save some money.  And a blender (very portable) is great for breakfast smoothies!  After driving/riding in a car for hours and hours a bit of cooking will be a nice break.

OK, I know, the cooking on the road sounds great in theory.  I actually have to stay with the plan, but when we first moved to San Diego we lived in a residence-motel for almost 3 months, so I know our plan can work.  Who knows, there may be a Cooking on the Road cookbook in my future!

I want to bring something else to your attention.  If you are currently doing business with a company out of Arizona be careful.  They are a MLM (Multi Level Marketing) company.  There is current litigation pending against them for a variety of things ranging from Copy Write Infringement, Theft of Intellectual Property, Failure to Perform, etc., etc..  Word on the street is that they will be shut down shortly; therefore the certificates that they have sold you and that you have distributed to your customers may not be fulfilled.  Imagine all of the complaints that you will have to deal with if and when this happens.  Do your due diligence first.  Ask the questions.  Questions like how long have they been in business?  How long does it take to have the certificates fulfilled?  Where is the redemption/ fulfillment center located?  Where are the corporate offices located?  What is the customer service number so you can call it before you buy?  Ask as many questions as you can.  Once you get your answers, call me and I can verify whether or not the answers they have given are truthful or not.

Every week we talk to businesses that have done business with them and need our assistance in buying replacement certificates because they are receiving too many complaints with the certificates they have already bought.  And it ends up costing them more than if they would have bought from us in the 1st place.  But we are glad to help.

There are hundreds of incentive premiums out there.  Most require your customers to spend money on something they normally wouldn't spend their money on.  Things like $1000 shopping certificates that require your customers to spend money shopping for things they don't really need.  Free Travel Vouchers that require your customers to spend money on a plane ticket that they normally wouldn't buy.  But everyone needs and spends money on gas.  They are not doing anything out of the ordinary.  If they drive, they are buying gas.  So why not give your customers back something they really can use...... FREE GAS?

Call me for a free, no obligation consultation on how we can help your business see amazing results from your marketing and advertising dollars.

James Owen

Regional Director of Sales

Free Gas Redemption

888.808.7820 ext. 512 - toll free direct

I shot an email to the hurricane people yesterday to make sure they are still alive.  They responded that they don't know what is going on.  This opportunity should be a gem if I get it.  Their organizational skills so far are inspiring.  At least they didn't give me a hand basket and tell me where to go.    My outside source says that some people were notified last Friday and are being deployed.  I hope to hear something soon one way or the other.  I told my source that the hurricane people asked for additional information last week.  He thought it was a good sign.  A paycheck would be the best sign. 

I have been invited to go to Talladega this weekend for the AMP Energy 500.  For you white collar folks, I will be attending a NASCAR race.  For you blue collar folks, see you there.  I've only been to two races in my lifetime and both were at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  From what I can tell, teeth are optional for all attendees.  Last year I went the morning after a Halloween party.  I wasn't fully rested to say the least.  We all threw money in a pool and picked cars/names out of a hat.  I got my money back plus $10 because one of my cars won the prize for finishing last but still running.  I wonder if the driver received a trophy with a horse's ass on it.