Cheaper to drive on Memorial Day???

Oil Prices Drop as Memorial Day Approaches

AP- Associated Press
05/20/2010
By CHRIS KAHN, AP Energy Writer 

NEW YORK – Memorial Day travelers should get a gift at the gas pump as they head out for the holiday weekend.

Gasoline prices dropped Thursday for the second week in a row, and they'll be pushed even lower as oil prices continue to tumble.

Futures contracts for oil and other energy commodities slumped as financial troubles in Europe and weak jobs numbers in the U.S. forced a sell-off on Wall Street. Benchmark oil, gasoline, heating oil and Brent crude all plunged more than 3 percent by midday.

Crude for June delivery dropped $1.87 to $68.00 a barrel on the contract's final trading day on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Most of the trading has moved to the July contract, which lost $1.86 at $70.62 a barrel.

Prices fell even after Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., reported that Chinese oil demand grew in April by nearly 13 percent.

"People are saying it's time to get out," said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. Earlier this year, Lynch stood out from many of his peers by predicting that oil prices would fall.

"The market has gotten way ahead of itself," Lynch said. "People kept saying that soon demand will go up and inventories will go down. But that's not happening."

Traders started getting nervous as the debt crisis unfolded in Europe. U.S. government data showing that Americans continue to have a relatively weak appetite for fuel have sunk energy prices even further.

An EIA report on Thursday added to those concerns, showing that the country's stockpile of natural gas has ballooned to nearly 17 percent more than the five-year average.

If the world doesn't start sopping up excess supplies, oil prices may fall into the $40-per-barrel range this year, Lynch said.

At the pump, retail gasoline prices dropped 1.2 cents overnight to a new national average of $2.84 a gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. A gallon of regular unleaded is 1.9 cents cheaper than it was a month ago, but it's 50.6 cents more expensive than a year ago.

Experts say gas prices have likely peaked already this year, and it should cost less to fill up this summer than in the summer of 2009. That's good news for the travel industry as Americans get ready to hit the highways over the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer driving season.

On Thursday AAA estimated that more people will take leisure trips during the holiday weekend than last year. About 32.1 million people are expected to head for the highway or the airport. The travel club's report said most people probably will watch their wallets more closely, however, spending about $809 during the weekend this year compared with over $1,000 last year.

In other Nymex trading in June contracts, heating oil fell 5.08 cents to $1.8944 a gallon, and gasoline was down 5.42 cents to $1.961 a gallon. Natural gas rose 2 cents to $4.178 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent crude July contact gave up $2.52 to $71.17 a barrel on the ICE futures exchange

Top 10 Legal Myths to avoid

Courtesy of findlaw.com, I saw this myth and saw some of the myths on there, some aren't necessarily automotive, but a good chunk of them have to do with driving.

MYTH: You have to be over the legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit in order to be charged with Driving Under the Influence.

FACT: In most states, it's illegal to drive a car while "impaired" by the effects of alcohol or drugs (including prescription drugs). This means that there must be enough alcohol or drugs in the driver's body to prevent him from thinking clearly or driving safely. Many people get to this point before they are at the BAC limit, which is now .08% in all states. That means that someone who is not at or above the legal limit can still be charged with a DUI if their ability to operate a motor vehicle has been impaired.

MYTH: A written contract can't be broken.

FACT: Actually, parties can get out of written contracts in many ways. For instance, if the contract wasn't created adequately, courts will declare it not to be binding. Also, a contract is unenforceable when the terms are unconscionable - in other words, when the contract is patently unfair to one of the parties. The actual terms of a contract might also contain conditions under which the contract will be dissolved.

MYTH: If someone breaks into your house, you have the right to use lethal force against them.

FACT: While most jurisdictions protect a homeowner's right to defend their family and their property, not all that do allow the homeowner to use lethal force. Moreover, even jurisdictions that do allow for the use of lethal force require that the homeowner reasonable believed that the intruder meant to inflict death or serious bodily injury on them or their family.

MYTH: An error on a traffic ticket voids the ticket.

FACT: This isn't usually the case. For minor errors, there are administrative procedures that courts can use to modify information entered on a traffic ticket.

MYTH: If the police don't read a person their Miranda rights when arresting them, they can't be convicted of the crime.

FACT: We all know that police are supposed to advise an arrestee of their right to remain silent and their right to an attorney, but the failure to do so won't result in the case against the arrestee being dismissed. Instead, a judge might not allow any statements the arrestee made while in police custody to come in as evidence against them. This might make it harder to convict the person, but they could still be found guilty if there is sufficient alternative evidence.

MYTH: If a person is driving a car without a license and is injured in an accident, they can't recover damages if the accident isn't their fault.

FACT: Whether or not a person is driving with a license won't affect their recovery if the other driver was at fault.

MYTH: Couples who live together for six years are considered married.

FACT: Not all states recognize "common law" marriages, and even the ones that do have additional requirements. The amount of time that a couple has cohabitated is not the sole determinant of whether or not the couple has entered into a common law marriage.

MYTH: Car insurance won't cover you if someone other than your spouse or a family member is driving your car.

FACT: Many policies actually will cover you in these circumstances. Check with your insurance provider to see if your policy includes this provision, or, if it doesn't, whether or not you can add it on.

MYTH: An undercover police officer always has to admit that they're a cop.

FACT: Police officers are allowed to use deception to fight crime, as long as they don't intimidate or harass someone into committing a crime that they otherwise would not commit. If police officers had to reveal that they were cops it would put their lives in jeopardy, so there is no requirement that undercover officers reveal themselves when asked.

MYTH: Every nonprofit (and every donation to a non-profit) is tax-exempt.

FACT: In order for a nonprofit to gain tax exempt status, it must fit the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. Donors who make a qualifying donation to a 501(c)(3) organization are entitled to list the donation as a deduction, but donations to groups that haven't been granted tax-exempt status under 501(c)(3) are not tax deductible.

This list comes courtesy of Kevin Fayle.

It's Car, It's an Android, It A Cardroid or is it an AndCar?

Android Devices May Control Some GM Car Functions

Adam Dickter
Newfactor.com
05/13/2010

There's never a dull minute at Google headquarters, it seems. In between developing and improving its search engine, a budding online cell-phone business, planning a tablet computer, a pending e-book store, and ongoing computer cloud operations, the Mountain View, Calif.-based corporation appears to be working with General Motors to add more computer functions to cars.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Google and GM hope to pair OnStar, GM's onboard communication, security and navigation system, with Google's increasingly popular Android operating system to make smartphones into remote controls for some car functions (but not driving).

'Significant News'
The report was not confirmed by Google, but OnStar President J. Christopher Preuss announced on his Facebook page that the company will have significant news next week, the Journal reported.

It's unclear from the reports whether the OnStar-Android collaboration would mean more online operations inside the car, as Ford and Microsoft announced they would do with Ford Sync. That announcement was in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Safe-driving advocates like the American Automobile Association have raised alarms about the integration of cars and computers at a time when driver distraction, including cell-phone use and texting, is already being blamed for more than one million accidents per year.

"If done right, there's little or no distraction issue," said Michel Gartenberg, a partner at the technology consulting firm Altimeter Group. He said cars are one of the last frontiers of unconnected time in the lives of increasingly wired Americans.

"Car screens are among the last of those that are disconnected. In a world of 33 screens and a cloud, that won't stay the case for long," Gartenberg said. "Vendors are going to find ways to make the auto a connected device and a key part of their strategy going forward."

But Avi Greengart of Current Analysis sees the Android-OnStar marriage as potentially rocky. "The problem with automotive and consumer electronics is that they are on radically different development cycles," he said. "Cars are designed over a three- to five-year period while CE is developed in 12- to 36-month time frames. That said, Ford has done a nice job turning electronics-feature content into a competitive advantage, so it is no surprise that GM would want to compete here as well."
 
Call Your Engine
An OnStar mobile app unveiled at CES will let owners of the Chevrolet Volt, a state-of-the-art hybrid car that hits the market in November, to start the car, open the trunk, keep track of the car's battery, and check mileage and maintenance statistics. An enhanced Android-OnStar system may soon allow such interaction with gas-powered vehicles.

Ford has announced plans to let consumers integrate their digital lives with their driving experience "by modeling ourselves after the consumer electronics industry." Some cars will allow USB broadband modems to create mobile Wi-Fi hot spots for devices used by passengers. Others will have dashboards with enhanced navigation and satellite radio, as well as web surfing and downloading -- enabled only when the car is in park.
Ford is working with Microsoft and Sony on its Ford Sync entertainment and communication system. Its MyTouch control system, which will be available in the 2011 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX, and the 2012 Ford Focus, is intended to greet the driver by name and remember settings and preferences.

Why does Hawaii get all the neat stuff?

Hydrogen fueling stations to be tested in Hawaii

AP - Associated Press
05/11/2010

HONOLULU – The Gas Co. and General Motors Co. have teamed up on a pilot project to test hydrogen refueling technology for fuel cell vehicles in Hawaii.

The companies said Tuesday that the project will take advantage of The Gas Co.'s 1,000 miles of pipeline on Oahu and its ability to produce hydrogen at its plant at Campbell Industrial Park, which makes synthetic natural gas from byproducts of imported petroleum.

The gasses would be separated at fueling stations located along the pipeline so fuel cell vehicles could use the hydrogen.

"This is the type of enabler that a hydrogen transportation infrastructure needs because it addresses both the source of the hydrogen and a feasible way to deliver it for fuel cell vehicle use," said Charles Freese, executive director of GM Global Fuel Cell Activities. "The Hawaii infrastructure could eventually support tens of thousands of fuel cell vehicles.

"Hawaii is uniquely positioned and motivated to make hydrogen-powered fuel cell transportation a reality because it depends on imported petroleum for 90 percent of its energy," he said.

The companies said the project goes along with the state's goal of obtaining 70 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2030.

"We have been delivering as much as 12 percent hydrogen made from renewable sources to our gas customers over the last two to three years and expect we can deliver even greater quantities of hydrogen as demand increases," said Jeffrey Kissel, president and CEO of The Gas Co. "By delivering hydrogen through our existing infrastructure as vehicle fuel wherever we have gas, The Gas Co. expands its key role of supporting Hawaii's clean energy future."

Depending on how the pricing for the hydrogen is set, it could be available at the equivalent price of gasoline or less, the companies said.

Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawaii, said he supports the project.
"It is an important step forward in the establishment of a hydrogen transportation infrastructure upon which new fleets, both military and civilian, can be tested and utilized," Inouye said in the companies' announcement.

"Every step to reduce our dependency on foreign oil is a move forward," he said.
Detroit-based GM said it has invested more than $1.5 billion in fuel cell transportation in the last 15 years, and is developing a production-intent fuel cell system that could be ready for commercialization in 2015.

The Gas Co. is a subsidiary of Macquarie Infrastructure Co.

Stopping Brake Myths in Their Tracks

1. All Brake Pads are Created Equal.

One of the greatest myths out there is that you won't use the full potential of your brakes because of your driving style. As we all know, life happens, and the one time you need to use the full potential of your brake system, the performance isn't going to be measured in dollars and cents, but in inches and feet.

2. The more lube, the less noise.

Blasting a set of pads with lubricant or caliper slides with lubricant, no matter how expensive they are will not solve a noise issue for an extended period of time. Because lubricant can melt or flash off; worse yet can find its way over the pads making your car "judder" when you brake and increase stopping distance.

When your brakes are over-lubricated, they have a nasty habit of attracting dirt and debris, so as it hardens it becomes as soft as concrete, and if that build up happens to find its way onto the caliper body, you will have to get the caliper replaced because the rubber boot on the caliper is going to be damaged.

3. Rotors Warp.

Rotors do not warp, it was a theory that came out in the 70s to try to wrap a couple different phenomenom in clothing that the layman can understand. These are Brake Torque Variation (BTV) and Disc Thickness Variation (DTV).

BTV is a variation of torque across the face of the rotor. Normally this is caused by uneven deposits of friction material across the face of the rotor, which causes the brakes to slip and grab alternately.

DTV is the second part of this equation. DTV is calculated by measuring the thickness of the rotor in several different places, the subtracting the thinnest measurement from the thickest measurement.

As the thickness variations of the rotor pass through the caliper the piston will move in and out that causes the pulsation that you are feeling. Most vehicles are designed with DTV tolerances of 17 microns or less (about the width of a human hair). Normally if the difference is 15 microns or more in DTV, then you will get that pulsating feedback through your brake pedal.

3. All Rotors are the same.

How many times have I written this already? How many times will I write this in the future? Vehicles are designed from the tires up, just because the rotor from your 2008 Colorado 1WT fits on your 2010 Silverado LS does not mean that is the right rotor for your vehicle. The wrong rotor also will develop a run-out or BTV and DTV. Low price/low quality rotors may have compromises in structure or metallurgy that make sense to the wallet in the short term, but will affect performance long-term.

4. New Rotors need to be machined.

Re-read that third sentence in the section above, vehicles are designed from the tires up. When rotors come out of the box, they are supposed to be finished to specifications and ready to install.

There should be no reason to give them a clean-up cut. If they do need one, then it better be the suggestion of the vehicle manufacturer. Normally when you machine new rotors, you shorten the life of the rotors, but also may leave a rougher finish on the rotors that leads to BTV and DTV.

5. Shims are not required.

Alright, say it with me. Vehicles are designed from the tires up!!! If you get nothing else out of what I write about in this blog, you will gain an appreciation of the design work that goes into an individual model of a vehicle.

Shims are an important component of the brake system, not only to create a boundry layer to prevent vibration from being transferred to the caliper and knuckle, but also allow heat to be shunted off instead of being transferred to the piston. Because of the important role that shims play in todays vehicles they should always be replaced along with your brake pads.

6. You work on all brakes the same.

Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it is the same. You may miss something as simple as a torque specification for a caliper bracket to being as complex as disarming the ABS before pulling the brakes apart. You should always have access to current repair information if you are going to do it yourself, if not then make sure your repair shop has the most current information. That way you are not coming back to get something fixed that should have been done correctly the first time.

7. Dial indicators and calipers do not exist.

This is akin to saying the internet does not exist. There are shops out there that will make this claim or claim they are unnecessary or too costly. It really doesn't matter what the excuse is for not having the tools, if the shop doesn't have the tools to measure the rotor, then turn your car around and get it to a shop that has the proper tools to test your vehicle and repair it.

Comebacks start small

Yes, we know that GM paid off its loan, even though it still has to refinish paying off its bailout with a stock offering later this year. But here are signs that I find more encouraging to GMs health other than profit reports or repayment notices.


The first one is that they are adding jobs to their plant in southern Indiana.


And a fairly large investment to make the V-8s more fuel efficient.



Like I said, its the small steps that you need to keep an eye on.

The right tools for the job

Man sails around island

Rueters
April 28, 2010
Reporting by Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) – A man who thought he was sailing along the coast of southern England had to be rescued by emergency services after his motor boat ran out of fuel while repeatedly circling a small island in the River Thames estuary.

The man, who had no nautical guides and only had a roadmap to navigate by, had been trying to sail from Gillingham, about 35 miles east of London, to Southampton on April 19 by following the southern coast of England.

But he ended simply doing laps of the 36-square mile Isle of Sheppey a short distance away in the mouth of the Thames.

Eventually a lifeboat and coastguard were sent to rescue him after he used up all his fuel and ran aground, officials said on Wednesday. He told them he had been trying to navigate by keeping the coastline to his right.
"He was attempting to travel around the UK from Medway to Southampton and had somehow lost his bearings and ended up traveling around the Isle of Sheppey," said Robin Castle, a member of the local lifeboat station.

"It seems he didn't have the usual maritime charts or navigational equipment."

Ed. Note: That last quote is the understatement of the last 2000 years.