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Like most Americans I have no idea what controls the prices of gasoline.  There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to why the prices fluctuate.  The local state government lifts taxes on gas for a short period to reduce the prices (Something Illinois did a few years back).  Though for some reason the price per gallon doesn’t go down by the amount of the tax removed.  Okay, perhaps the price of gasoline kept rising and offset this a bit.  What is really disturbing is when the tax was put back on the gasoline the price rose more than the tax!

What I have been trying to understand is what happened in September of 2008.  Starting in September 2008 until mid December 2008 the price of gasoline dropped by $2.70 (from $4.30 -> $1.65 ref.)  No government “stimulus”, no action by other groups.  Basically the economy was officially in the shit and gas prices plummeted, but why?  I wish I have an answer, but I don’t.

Now, sixteen months later gasoline has been on a steady increase, rising as the “economy improves” (so they are saying).  No reasoning, no rationalization, it just is.  The true control of gasoline prices is so controlled.  I believe it is used as a way to control our economy.  If you think about it there is currency more important to the global economy than oil.  NONE.  If you come up with one, I would love to here it.  Everything relies on oil and its prices have a heavy affect on the lucrativeness of all operations.

We saw this prior to September 2008 when gas was expensive and everyone was crying about it.  I am not saying it wasn’t a real issue because it was.  Nobody enjoyed paying $80+ to fill up their vehicles.  But of course it hit everywhere.  Carriers increased costs and added “surcharges” to offset the increased fuel costs. Airlines did the same.  They needed to show their customers that their price is low, but there is an extra charge for gas.  To me their price is high as I always conciser the bottom line, its irrelevant how they got to it.

So keep an eye on the general gasoline prices in your area and listen to the Markets reports. As the markets improve you will surely see the prices rise and rise.  The will keep rising until  the masses start crying again and everyone ends up paying for their ‘relief’ (the money has to come from some place, right?).

Maybe there is something to using gasoline prices as an economic measuring stick.


I have this really, really bad habit; I spend a lot of time searching and trying out new tools for my tool box.  Some times to such extent I never get around to actually using the tools to build something, and that is just silly.

On the positive side is have given me a lot of exposure to the many, many options available to us, but on the negative side I think I use it as a form of procrastination.  If I am looking for for something, than I don’t actually have to ‘work’ on something.  How convenient.

The toughest part, is that I really enjoy checking out different applications.  Experiencing what so many are putting their hard work into.

So I have started a list, it is by no means complete, nor do I really plan on making it complete.  Though it will give you a pretty good idea on all the different things I have checked out and played around with.

I back at it and nothing is safe this year.  I can’t take the clutter, it’s just too much for one person to bear.  If my wife gets in my way she may be surprised when ‘stuff’ just starts vanishing.  Hey, you don’t want to clean, than I am making a decision on that ‘thing’ that has been on the dining room floor for two years.

In boxes, empty; receipt stacks,  gone; toys, age appropriate only otherwise, GONE.  We could open our own toy store, I swear.  Actually we will be, in the form of a garage sale this Summer.  Come one by and buy our stuff, we don’t want it anymore.


I feel better already.

For the record, I started the humongo pile in the corner of the office tonight.  Already have my first bag of trash for the landfill.

If you actually read this far you are probably thinking I am crazy, and you are half right, but you really need to try this, it is such great therapy.  Try this for size; you open your most used email client and there are zero emails in the inbox.  Everything you need is in a folder, everything else is GONE.  Honestly, how many times do you look at those 2312 emails in your inbox now, really?  Probably only the first time you read it.

I will let you in on a little secret for all those emails that you can’t get rid of.  You can’t leave them in your inbox, that’s just clutter and stressful.  Create one folder named archive and stick all that clutter email that you just can’t do without in there.  That simple move can clear up any email you ‘just not sure about deleting.’

Everything else DELETE!

If you are more anal, like I am , create a few folders and organize your emails more.  Google nailed on the head when they went with the search model of Gmail.  Absolute brilliance.

Another little tip.  If you are replying to an email with a question and the original doesn’t really matter, then DELETE it.  Why keep it, you will get it back with your next round of emails.


Can’t wait to start in the freak’n garage.  I want my garage back!

Yeah the tax season is almost done for 2010.  What excites me about this the most is that our house will go back to some normalcy.  My wife is a tax professional (or something like that) for one of those big named tax houses (A meat market for tax personnel).  Its seasonal work and she is done on April 15th.

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