Just oil not all commodities. I don't think we would need any force at all to get oil producers to sell on the current exchanges. They've always sold there. That's why the exchanges were set up in the first place. To the producers and users locking in a price is insurance not gambling. There have always been suppliers, users and speculators. The difference is that in the past the speculators were mostly individuals and a small minority. Lacking financial resources it didn't take much of an adverse move against their position to scare them out . When the price goes adverse against the hedge funds, they increase their position ten fold. The oil companies are aware of this and have been creating contracts (selling oil) at a slower rate as the speculators show no sticker shock and bid in just one direction.If they could get this bill passed quickly, we could shift the paradigm and force the hedge funds and commodity pools out of the market. I think national security would be ample justification for prohibiting very large speculators out of oil price manipulation. They could corner the market on hog bellies all they want. Eventually you are right that exchanges could be set up outside the US. They would need their goverments permission and it would take a while. Shift the paradigm and you'll pop the bubble.
In my case, $1800 was the cost for everything...inside AND outside units. So I guess that's why this $6K+ is blowing my mind.
Actually, I didn't think his $6k estimate was too outrageous.
Two years ago I decided to replace my 16 year old A/C and furnace with something more energy efficient. A contractor who deals in Trane got the bid for a little under $11k for an XL19i system. That was just for the units, A-coil, programmable thermostat, humidifier and installation. I didn't need new ducts.
I had considered geothermal and the contractor who looked over my property said the local codes probably would not allow them to drive a 60,000 lb drilling rig into my back yard. I was willing to pay the initial high cost for nearly free heating and cooling, which I figured would be around $20k.
After the new system was installed my heating bill dropped considerably. I guess the local natural gas company thought the meter was broken and they replaced it. My heating bills were still lower after that but not near as low as that first month.
I've heard that they can program the meters to read just about whatever they want. I feel that's what they did with mine. I wish I'd saved my bill stubs over the years to compare thermal units supposedly used from one year to the next.
Those 12 days are probably the ones that you will need the heat. We don't use the heat much in most years. So how does the cop that comes and knocks on your door and 10PM know that you rely on a wood burning device for heat? The law is full of flaws. Which was the point I was trying to make.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday slashed the $2.5 billion punitive damages award in the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster to $500 million.
The court ruled that victims of the worst oil spill in U.S. history may collect punitive damages from Exxon Mobil Corp., but not as much as a federal appeals court determined.
Justice David Souter wrote for the court that punitive damages may not exceed what the company already paid to compensate victims for economic losses, about $500 million compensation.
Maybe Exxon will give US a break now on gas :shades:
If you have the property to do it check on geothermal for the heat pump. I've had heat pumps all along and the efficiency is nice. I believe there are ground loops and there are well types. The local Audubon building has a well type and there was an installation error of some kind by the contractor. When my son was doing his Eagle project under the guidance of their grounds manager, he was telling about his problems.
Also don't replace just parts of the exteriior equipment; replace the whole unit for highest efficiency.
I suspect I'm still ahead of the cost of heating and AC compared to the natural gas folks for my 25 years in this home.
Btw, just found this out, shipping from China costs ten times as much as shipping to China these days ) This may help the economy in the US by keeping the jobs and industries here, especially the automotive industries I hope...
This is all relative. If you are normally a $35000 vehicle buyer spending $30000 on a Prius is a bargain twice over.
But check if these are NEW or USED vehicles. Imagine if they're USED and you paid $27500 for it new and drove it for a year then put it on eBay at a $2500 profit.
Weird as this sounds I know it to be a fact in the auto auction world.
Package 1 Prius retails, if one was available, for right at $22000. Most however end up at Enterprise/Hertz fleet vehicles at about a $20500 purchase price to the leasing company. At auction now these one year old vehicles with 10000-15000 miles on them are being sold to professional buyers at..........$24000-$25000 each.
Then these have to be shipped, cleaned up, inspected and retailed. Nice profit for the leasing companies, aye?
I would recommend a good quality US brand with a scroll compressor. A neighbor replaced his Lennox with a chinese piece of trash with a reciprocating compressor! Low efficiency. Noisy. The original didn't work right. Took his shadetree installer a month to figure out it was never going to work right he replaced it with another from the warehouse but still has a scroll compressor and low SEER.
I can hardly hear my Lennox and have an average bill of $125 for an all electric home including water heating. And it's 16 years old. I could step up in efficiency again.
We got 1.5a plus the neighbor has a hot water well (not all that hot, but maybe enough to do something with it). But we probably won't be in this house that many more years to earn the payback. Shoot, we have a great orientation for solar (panels, hot water, passive - you name it), plus we're on sort of a foothill ridge, so we get a lot of wind. We'd be selling power back to the utility if the costs of entry weren't so prohibitive.
btw, my wife used to be in the energy field and she knows all about furnaces, heat pumps, and energy conservation. Every time I complain about our electric bill, she tells me to go buy another tube of caulk. Almost an instant payback. :shades:
Good point about the noise - always had forced air and always hated the fan noise (and the dust going everywhere).
I got a BP credit card. Got 10% off gas for first 60 days and that ended in April. Now it is 5% rebates forever. I just got $125 of BP gas cards in mail yesterday.
Sounds fair. Also see surcharge for services now using credit. I wonder what the long term affect of this will have on banking because more people will revert to cash.
Good thing in the end because the days of extending past ability to pay may have hit a brick wall. "If you can't afford it, don't buy it" will have a chilling effect on the economy.
BTW, the attendants have a huge wad of cash I haven't seen since Bonnie and Clyde days!!!
I have my BP credit card now and get my 5% back on gas and diesel... That's 20 - 25 cents a gallon off.. Just have to pay the bill each month. Apparently there are no B P gas stations in the midwest and NE... but there are in the SOUTH.
Red light cameras haven't shown to stop red light running. It may affect the accident rate at the particular intersection due to T-boning, but may increase the rear end accidents as people stop in front of someone thinking they'll go on through on the yellow.
The red light cameras have greatly reduced the number of red light running in this town to practically nothing. That is a fact.
Accidents (including rear ends) at these intersections have dropped greatly to.
Accidents are best prevented by having policemen move around and watch for unsafe actions such as running the yellow and issuing real citations.
I would have to disagree with that statement. With red light cameras that are posted are at that intersection 100% of the time and people know its there so enforcement is near 100%.
With police on patrol your enforcement at that intersection is minimal at best and people know that and act accordingly.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I got a Shell card for the 5% discount on gas. We don't have BP stations and the BP owned ARCO stations DO NOT take credit cards in CA. You can use your ATM debit card for a charge of about 45 cents. Costco has an AMEX card that gives 3% back on gas. That is the best deal around San Diego.
PS Spirit station near me has two prices posted. One for cash one for credit. They charge 10 cents per gallon to use a CC. Spirit bought some of the Chevron stations.
The red light cameras have greatly reduced the number of red light running in this town to practically nothing. That is a fact.
Accidents (including rear ends) at these intersections have dropped greatly to.
I think what's happening in many situations is that people just learn to be on the lookout for red light cameras, and they remember which intersections have them. So they'll be more cautious at those intersections, while blowing through the others.
While I don't make it a habit to run red lights, I tend to remember which intersections have the cameras, and as I approach them, I tend to slow down a bit and cover the brake, ready to stop if necessary. At least that way, I'm most likely not going to be slamming on my brakes and getting rear-ended, although I'm sure a lot of people do. Those camera setups are pretty noticeable too, so it's not like they're going to just easily ambush you with one. IMO, it just becomes something else to scan for on the road up ahead, just like I would be on the lookout for cars about to pull out in front of me, pedestrians about to jaywalk, etc.
I imagine that red light running only decreases in intersections that actually have the camera. But with intersections that don't, it's business as usual.
Here in Maryland, they have a few of those red light cameras out on US301, which is a high-speed road with a 55 mph speed limit, and has a lot of heavy truck traffic. Not exactly a good idea to try to make an 18-wheeler stop on a dime. And, not surprisingly, those cameras aren't even set up to catch a tractor trailer. They'll get a picture as it enters the intersection, but then the next picture, which would normally show the rear of a car as it clears the intersection, getting its license plate, won't get the tractor trailer because the rear of it hasn't passed that point yet.
Well, they've been placing red light cameras all along Roosevelt Blvd in Philly. It's a 8-lane traffic engineering nightmare with some of the most dangerouse intersections in the country, (i.e. Grant and Roosevelt). Anyway, I got a strange-looking letter in the mail addressed to my girlfriend and in it are color pictures of her LaCrosse running a red light at Mascher and the Boulevard at 6:15 PM. The fine is $100 and I don't believe any points are taken against you. Call it what it is - revenue collection. I wonder if they also nailed the little white Civic just behind her in the next lane and the Malibu ahead of her?
I think those cameras are put in by private companies. They give a percentage of the take to the city. It seems like every red light around here has cameras hanging off of them. I don't know if they are for ticketing or just to record what goes on. They are aimed different directions also. YOU ARE BEING WATCHED BY BIG BROTHER.
I agree with what your saying regarding people learning where the red light cameras are posted and adjusting their driving accordingly. Here's a problem that might arise. If these cameras are effective at cutting the incidence of red light runners down to almost zero, who is going to pay for them? Right now I think the cities have an arrangement with private contractors where the contractors install and maintain these cameras for a percentage of the revenue. If there's no revenue these contractors certainly aren't going to continue with this agreement. That would be a tough message for a legislator to have to tell his constituents that some tax needs to be increased because people are no longer running red lights.
It seems like every red light around here has cameras hanging off of them. I don't know if they are for ticketing or just to record what goes on. They are aimed different directions also. YOU ARE BEING WATCHED BY BIG BROTHER.
Some of those cameras are actually used to help with the changing of the traffic lights, replacing the sensor plates they used to put under the pavement. One problem with them though, is that a myth started circulating that if you pull up to a red light with one of those cameras and start flashing your high beams, the light will change quicker. It's not true, and all it does is irritate other drivers.
On I-83 in Maryland, going north from Baltimore, there's a camera mounted on a small tower with some other electronic equipment. I used to think it was some kind of electronic speed trap, but someone told me it's just used to count cars.
Do you think they send tickets to people from other states?
Yeah, they do.
I do know that in many places what originally happened to meet "revenue targets" lights were adjusted to actually INCREASE the probability that a ticket be issued - yellows were made shorter, things like that. I guess that as revenues drop other creative ways will be found.
Here is a handy website that is attempting to list all red light cameras in the USA. If you know of one in your area that is not on this site you can add it for the benefit of all. I remember my aunt in Toronto complaining about these intrusions back in the 1970s. The camera tickets in San Diego all look to be $351. That is a stiff fine. They must already be losing customers. So they just up the fine. There are not as many as I thought. The cameras I am seeing pointing in different directions must be looking for drug deals of who knows?
>I do know that in many places what originally happened to meet "revenue targets" lights were adjusted to actually INCREASE the probability that a ticket be issued - yellows were made shorter, things like that. I guess that as revenues drop other creative ways will be found.
The red light companies, RedFlex for one, sell the cameras on the huge amount of revenue they will generate for the city. The RedFlex takes on the order of 75% of the revenue. When they install them they shorten the yellow time relative to previous time on that light and relative to surrounding lights. So here there were lights on Salem Avenue which is a main surface street into the downtown and they all had 4 second yellows. The one on a little-used T-street had 3 seconds. It got caught and written in a letter to the editor. I went down and timed it and it was back to 4-seconds like the others on the route within a few days (my allergist's office was nearby so it was a convenient stop to check).
The State just passed a second law that helps the company's goal of stopping red light running and making thiings safer: :P they lengthened the yellow on each light with a camera by one extra second (I'll have to read the legislation to see how that normal yellow is determined SB 95 IIRC).
However by helping the RedFlex reach their goal of safety (actually their goal is revenue), they will lower RedFlex's income.
Cincinnati is just trying a second time to get red light cameras and are meeting huge resistance again.They already budgeted the millions for the second year of their budget!!! The referendum isn't going to pass the voters.
I regularly drive through some amazingly wealthy neighborhoods with 10-15 acre plots and old Mansions.
You'd be shocked at how much they actually DO NOT consume. From personal experience and observation, some of the estate type properties have significant areas of the structure closed off and not in use 99% of the time - the only time they're opened up is for special functions and accommodating guests for a special occasion or event.
A friend with a "McMansion" one of those houses that's an "estate-type" wannabe was shocked when he found out he had a bigger utility bill then the "old Quigley place", I showed him the bills.
It's true, the gas stations may be nicer but the people that dwell in these places seldom gas up their own vehicles except if it's their pride and joy like an exotic car......
The red light cameras have greatly reduced the number of red light running in this town to practically nothing. That is a fact.
Accidents (including rear ends) at these intersections have dropped greatly to.
Here are studies that contradict your theory of red light cameras reducing crashes.
Tampa, FL (March 11, 2008) — Rather than improving motorist safety, red-light cameras significantly increase crashes and are a ticket to higher auto insurance premiums, researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conclude. The effective remedy to red-light running uses engineering solutions to improve intersection safety, which is particularly important to Florida’s elderly drivers, the researchers recommend.
The report was published this month in the Florida Public Health Review, the online journal of the college and the Florida Public Health Association.
“The rigorous studies clearly show red-light cameras don’t work,” said lead author Barbara Langland-Orban, professor and chair of health policy and management at the USF College of Public Health.
“Instead, they increase crashes and injuries as drivers attempt to abruptly stop at camera intersections. If used in Florida, cameras could potentially create even worse outcomes due to the state’s high percent of elderly who are more likely to be injured or killed when a crash occurs.”
Red-light cameras photograph violators who are then sent tickets in the mail. Hillsborough County Commissioners unanimously agreed earlier this month to install the cameras at several major intersections in the county. The devices could be adopted by more cities and counties if Florida legislators pave the way by changing a state law this spring.
The USF report highlights trends in red-light running in Florida, summarizes major studies, and analyzes the automobile insurance industry’s financial interest in cameras. Among the findings:
• Traffic fatalities caused by red-light running are not increasing in Florida and account for less than 4 percent of the state’s yearly traffic deaths. In contrast, more than 22 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities occur at intersections for reasons other than red-light running.
• The injury rate from red-light running crashes has dropped by a third in less than a decade, indicating red-light running crashes have been continually declining in Florida without the use of cameras.
• Comprehensive studies from North Carolina, Virginia, and Ontario have all reported cameras are significantly associated with increases in crashes, as well as crashes involving injuries. The study by the Virginia Transportation Research Council also found that cameras were linked to increased crash costs.
• Some studies that conclude cameras reduced crashes or injuries contained major “research design flaws,” such as incomplete data or inadequate analyses, and were conducted by researchers with links to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS, funded by automobile insurance companies, is the leading advocate for red-light cameras. Insurers can profit from red-light cameras, since their revenues will increase when higher premiums are charged due to the crash and citation increase, the researchers say.
Langland-Orban said the findings have been known for some time. She cites a 2001 paper by the Office of the Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives, reporting that red-light cameras are “a hidden tax levied on motorists.” The report concluded cameras are associated with increased crashes, the timings at yellow lights are often set too short to increase tickets for red-light running, and most research concluding cameras are effective was conducted by one researcher from the IIHS. Since then, studies independent of the automobile insurance industry continue to find cameras are associated with large increases in crashes.
>The cameras I am seeing pointing in different directions
The video cameras our fair city has installed and is installing are all networked. Also there appear to be sensor cameras in tubes that are directed toward the pads where cars wait for the light and I believe they sense the cars presence to adjust the timing of the lights when traffic is waiting.
A couple years back our city showed how the cameras helped solve an accident by showing which car actually was at fault.
Apparently you can use any AMEX card at Costco and there's no way for Costco to tell whether you are a member or not (unless the attendants start checking for Costco cards in the gas lanes).
I'd try it but I don't have an AMEX card and Costco is ~8 miles away.
Our Costco you have to swipe your Costco card then your debit or AMEX card. I am now 15 miles from Costco. So it is maybe once every couple weeks and I drive the vehicle with the least gas to fill it.
I got intrigued with the Red Light camera thing. Now they are trying to push one for speeding. That ought to be a money maker.
Getting rear-ended is far less lethal than getting t-boned. If red light cameras reduce t-bonings and increase rear-enders, then that's a GOOD thing, not a bad thing.
If they want to get serious about making red light cameras effective, increase the fine to $500 per incident.
It's a bad idea when a government starts becoming dependent on revenue from a behavior they want to discourage. What would happen if everyone quit smoking? The typical smoker probably pays more in cigarette taxes than he does in fuel taxes.
The few serious accidents of T-boning due to red light running got replaced by more accidents by rear-ending because people stop for the yellows earlier than the tailgaters expect. So the red light sellers and municipalitiees can claim serious accidents went down. Property damage probably increased.
The red light sellers have really worked on the PR and have convinced some people it's really a good thing. It's good for them. I believe Red Flex is Australian.
BTW, would a redlight camera have prevented this accident?
The previous intersection the truck driver passed has a city of Dayton red light camera, very profitable. It's in a location on a curve after an underpass on a divided 6 lane highway at a stoplight... out-of-towners don't realize the camera is there until it's too late. It's route 35 and route 49 into Dayton.
No unbiased evidence that it helps with decreasing accidents at all. Phoenix charges $175 per ticket. You need to talk to the city and get that fine upped to $500. You could be the highest in the Nation.
I don't shop in El Cajon because they charge 8.25% sales tax. Now I have another good reason to stay out of El Cajon. They have all the red light cameras in the East county where I live.
For those that like big brother watching your every move. Why don't we just implant a GPS in everyone's head and then we will know where they are and if they are going faster than the speed limit or through an intersection during the red cycle. Illegal U turns, etc etc.... That would include riding a moped in the bike lanes. That is against AZ traffic laws. If your motorized bike will go over 20 MPH it is considered a Moped. So be careful where you ride that thing.
Your posted study did indicate that cameras did reduce serious accidents because it said more accidents were caused by people slowing down to stop at the light. That means a rear-ending. In almost every case, a city street rear-ending is less severe than a T-Bone.
Red light cameras are not "big brother watching your every move" anyway. They only snap at law breakers. Don't break the law, don't get snapped. Very simple.
My e-bike is rated max speed of 18 mph. No worries. Sidewalks mostly for me anyway - about 98% of the time.
Maybe we can get back to, ahem, gas prices in here.
From a FatWallet.com thread, it seems that buying gas at Costco without a membership works in some stores. Some people have to scan their AMEX card twice to get it to work. Now that the cat is out of the bag, the rest of the stores will do like yours I suppose.
There used to be a code trick to use at pumps where you don't have an affinity card to get the discount, but I keep forgetting to try it to see if it still works around here:
Just reading about a guy in Scottsdale that was stopped twice for riding a motorized bike in the bike lanes. He was clocked on radar at 28 MPH. Just to let you know they are watching you. There seems to be a question about the legality of riding on the sidewalks in AZ. Never found any legit source.
Oh the guy riding motorized in the bike lane had lost his drivers license for DUI so he was relegated to a bike.
"stopped twice for riding a motorized bike in the bike lanes. He was clocked on radar at 28 MPH."
Many years ago, I had a little 50 cc Honda moped. It was small, but looked almost cool -- like a mini-Vespa, and had a seat that lifted up and would contain a helmet, groceries, or whatever. Very convenient, and very fuel efficient. It got around 80 mpg.
Anyway, that little scooter would go 45 mph on a level road! I couldn't accelerate as fast as traffic, but I could certainly keep up with it.
So one evening I was scooting along and a cop pulled me over. Said he clocked me going 47 mph, then quickly added that even though I was in a 45 mph zone, it was still too fast, because mopeds weren't supposed to go that fast.
He told me if he caught me again, he'd write me up for some DMV violation, and I'd have to register my moped as a motorcycle. That meant that I'd have to get a license plate, pay taxes, etc.
Of course, I never slowed down. But he never caught me again, either.
I ended up selling the thing a year later to some guy who just got busted for drunk driving. He lost his license, and needed a mode of transportation that didn't require one.
Yes, I know about that story. It's really a sticky legal point - because although most electric bikes CAN EXCEED the max 20 miles per hour, most inexpensive e-bikes CANNOT do it on electric power ONLY.
On my bike, for example, the electric motor, with no human assistance, can only go 18 mph. If I pedal very hard and fast, I can exceed 18 MPH and even with the throttle at full peg, the electric motor SHUTS OFF.
At that point, I am operating on HUMAN power ONLY. At that moment, if I were to be clocked on radar, I would probably be near or exceeding 20 mph on an electric bike. Technically, illegal. But since I was on HUMAN POWER at the time, I have a case.
If that happens to me, I could prove my way out of a ticket. I think. I would hope.
At that point, I am operating on HUMAN power ONLY. At that moment, if I were to be clocked on radar, I would probably be near or exceeding 20 mph on an electric bike. Technically, illegal. But since I was on HUMAN POWER at the time, I have a case.
If your motorized bike will go over 20 MPH it is considered a Moped.
An article in the paper the other day saying more people are buying scooters to combat the higher price of gas. Scooters and mopeds don't generally go very fast that I know of. It seems like a motorcycle would be a much better choice.
The GPS planted deep within everyone's brain would be a good idea. If any of us are around in a hundred years or so, that's probably what big brother will be doing. :sick:
If any of us are around in a hundred years or so, that's probably what big brother will be doing.
The unsettling thing is that a lot of people welcome this "Big Brother" intrusion into our lives. Their rational is that if you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about. A couple more 9/11's and we could be walking around with implanted GPS's sooner than you think.
The unsettling thing is that a lot of people welcome this "Big Brother" intrusion into our lives. Their rational is that if you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about.
Exactly... and no one seems to wonder about who defines "wrong." We've had periods in our history (anyone remember McCarthyism?) when things got way out of whack, and these should caution us. A nation where there is no forum for dissent, for counter-cultural argument, is not a stronger place - our strength truly comes from diversity of opinion. Look at any other system for confirmation. This is why the "it might not be right, but it is the law" mindset often sets my teeth on edge.
Little AVeO, fuel prices are a crime 1.6 litres and a four-speed 'cause gas costs $4.29 The pump is racking up to $51.49 C'mon and turn it off, wind it down, blow it up AVeO!
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa Wa-wa ("Ahhh, screw it, AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
You oughta see me on the Boulevard driving this crappy pile This little Korean Chevy has got no kind of style I'm among the masses going to their McJobs, the fuel costs are drivin' us wi-i-ild! C'mon and turn it off, wind it down, blow it up AVeO!
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa Wa-wa ("Ahhh, screw it, AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Can't save any money! Had to buy an AVeO! Got a toxic mortgage and credit card debt! I just ain't got no dough! Take it to the Sunoco, my debit account drops to zero. I'm the dorkiest thing around In massive debt I'm gonna drown C'mon and turn it off, wind it down, blow it up AVeO!
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa Wa-wa ("Ahhh, screw it, AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Comments
Actually, I didn't think his $6k estimate was too outrageous.
Two years ago I decided to replace my 16 year old A/C and furnace with something more energy efficient. A contractor who deals in Trane got the bid for a little under $11k for an XL19i system. That was just for the units, A-coil, programmable thermostat, humidifier and installation. I didn't need new ducts.
I had considered geothermal and the contractor who looked over my property said the local codes probably would not allow them to drive a 60,000 lb drilling rig into my back yard. I was willing to pay the initial high cost for nearly free heating and cooling, which I figured would be around $20k.
After the new system was installed my heating bill dropped considerably. I guess the local natural gas company thought the meter was broken and they replaced it. My heating bills were still lower after that but not near as low as that first month.
I've heard that they can program the meters to read just about whatever they want. I feel that's what they did with mine. I wish I'd saved my bill stubs over the years to compare thermal units supposedly used from one year to the next.
The court ruled that victims of the worst oil spill in U.S. history may collect punitive damages from Exxon Mobil Corp., but not as much as a federal appeals court determined.
Justice David Souter wrote for the court that punitive damages may not exceed what the company already paid to compensate victims for economic losses, about $500 million compensation.
Maybe Exxon will give US a break now on gas :shades:
Also don't replace just parts of the exteriior equipment; replace the whole unit for highest efficiency.
I suspect I'm still ahead of the cost of heating and AC compared to the natural gas folks for my 25 years in this home.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
This may help the economy in the US by keeping the jobs and industries here, especially the automotive industries I hope...
But check if these are NEW or USED vehicles. Imagine if they're USED and you paid $27500 for it new and drove it for a year then put it on eBay at a $2500 profit.
Weird as this sounds I know it to be a fact in the auto auction world.
Package 1 Prius retails, if one was available, for right at $22000. Most however end up at Enterprise/Hertz fleet vehicles at about a $20500 purchase price to the leasing company. At auction now these one year old vehicles with 10000-15000 miles on them are being sold to professional buyers at..........$24000-$25000 each.
Then these have to be shipped, cleaned up, inspected and retailed. Nice profit for the leasing companies, aye?
I would recommend a good quality US brand with a scroll compressor. A neighbor replaced his Lennox with a chinese piece of trash with a reciprocating compressor! Low efficiency. Noisy. The original didn't work right. Took his shadetree installer a month to figure out it was never going to work right he replaced it with another from the warehouse but still has a scroll compressor and low SEER.
I can hardly hear my Lennox and have an average bill of $125 for an all electric home including water heating. And it's 16 years old. I could step up in efficiency again.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
We got 1.5a plus the neighbor has a hot water well (not all that hot, but maybe enough to do something with it). But we probably won't be in this house that many more years to earn the payback. Shoot, we have a great orientation for solar (panels, hot water, passive - you name it), plus we're on sort of a foothill ridge, so we get a lot of wind. We'd be selling power back to the utility if the costs of entry weren't so prohibitive.
btw, my wife used to be in the energy field and she knows all about furnaces, heat pumps, and energy conservation. Every time I complain about our electric bill, she tells me to go buy another tube of caulk. Almost an instant payback. :shades:
Good point about the noise - always had forced air and always hated the fan noise (and the dust going everywhere).
Next up - car prices.
Steel yourselves for car price increases, warns Nissan chief (Business Report)
Ghosn also said "Our priority is to bring an electric car as fast as possible to the market."
Good thing in the end because the days of extending past ability to pay may have hit a brick wall. "If you can't afford it, don't buy it" will have a chilling effect on the economy.
BTW, the attendants have a huge wad of cash I haven't seen since Bonnie and Clyde days!!!
Regards,
OW
Thanks!
Regards,
OW
I don't think its against the law, just against the merchant agreement.
Technically, they can offer a "cash discount", though the effect is the same.
That is what they did 15 years or so ago.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The red light cameras have greatly reduced the number of red light running in this town to practically nothing. That is a fact.
Accidents (including rear ends) at these intersections have dropped greatly to.
Accidents are best prevented by having policemen move around and watch for unsafe actions such as running the yellow and issuing real citations.
I would have to disagree with that statement. With red light cameras that are posted are at that intersection 100% of the time and people know its there so enforcement is near 100%.
With police on patrol your enforcement at that intersection is minimal at best and people know that and act accordingly.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
PS
Spirit station near me has two prices posted. One for cash one for credit. They charge 10 cents per gallon to use a CC. Spirit bought some of the Chevron stations.
Accidents (including rear ends) at these intersections have dropped greatly to.
I think what's happening in many situations is that people just learn to be on the lookout for red light cameras, and they remember which intersections have them. So they'll be more cautious at those intersections, while blowing through the others.
While I don't make it a habit to run red lights, I tend to remember which intersections have the cameras, and as I approach them, I tend to slow down a bit and cover the brake, ready to stop if necessary. At least that way, I'm most likely not going to be slamming on my brakes and getting rear-ended, although I'm sure a lot of people do. Those camera setups are pretty noticeable too, so it's not like they're going to just easily ambush you with one. IMO, it just becomes something else to scan for on the road up ahead, just like I would be on the lookout for cars about to pull out in front of me, pedestrians about to jaywalk, etc.
I imagine that red light running only decreases in intersections that actually have the camera. But with intersections that don't, it's business as usual.
Here in Maryland, they have a few of those red light cameras out on US301, which is a high-speed road with a 55 mph speed limit, and has a lot of heavy truck traffic. Not exactly a good idea to try to make an 18-wheeler stop on a dime. And, not surprisingly, those cameras aren't even set up to catch a tractor trailer. They'll get a picture as it enters the intersection, but then the next picture, which would normally show the rear of a car as it clears the intersection, getting its license plate, won't get the tractor trailer because the rear of it hasn't passed that point yet.
Some of those cameras are actually used to help with the changing of the traffic lights, replacing the sensor plates they used to put under the pavement. One problem with them though, is that a myth started circulating that if you pull up to a red light with one of those cameras and start flashing your high beams, the light will change quicker. It's not true, and all it does is irritate other drivers.
On I-83 in Maryland, going north from Baltimore, there's a camera mounted on a small tower with some other electronic equipment. I used to think it was some kind of electronic speed trap, but someone told me it's just used to count cars.
Yeah, they do.
I do know that in many places what originally happened to meet "revenue targets" lights were adjusted to actually INCREASE the probability that a ticket be issued - yellows were made shorter, things like that. I guess that as revenues drop other creative ways will be found.
http://www.photoenforced.com/us.html
The red light companies, RedFlex for one, sell the cameras on the huge amount of revenue they will generate for the city. The RedFlex takes on the order of 75% of the revenue. When they install them they shorten the yellow time relative to previous time on that light and relative to surrounding lights. So here there were lights on Salem Avenue which is a main surface street into the downtown and they all had 4 second yellows. The one on a little-used T-street had 3 seconds. It got caught and written in a letter to the editor. I went down and timed it and it was back to 4-seconds like the others on the route within a few days (my allergist's office was nearby so it was a convenient stop to check).
The State just passed a second law that helps the company's goal of stopping red light running and making thiings safer: :P
However by helping the RedFlex reach their goal of safety (actually their goal is revenue), they will lower RedFlex's income.
Cincinnati is just trying a second time to get red light cameras and are meeting huge resistance again.They already budgeted the millions for the second year of their budget!!! The referendum isn't going to pass the voters.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You'd be shocked at how much they actually DO NOT consume. From personal experience and observation, some of the estate type properties have significant areas of the structure closed off and not in use 99% of the time - the only time they're opened up is for special functions and accommodating guests for a special occasion or event.
A friend with a "McMansion" one of those houses that's an "estate-type" wannabe was shocked when he found out he had a bigger utility bill then the "old Quigley place", I showed him the bills.
It's true, the gas stations may be nicer but the people that dwell in these places seldom gas up their own vehicles except if it's their pride and joy like an exotic car......
Accidents (including rear ends) at these intersections have dropped greatly to.
Here are studies that contradict your theory of red light cameras reducing crashes.
Tampa, FL (March 11, 2008) — Rather than improving motorist safety, red-light cameras significantly increase crashes and are a ticket to higher auto insurance premiums, researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conclude. The effective remedy to red-light running uses engineering solutions to improve intersection safety, which is particularly important to Florida’s elderly drivers, the researchers recommend.
The report was published this month in the Florida Public Health Review, the online journal of the college and the Florida Public Health Association.
“The rigorous studies clearly show red-light cameras don’t work,” said lead author Barbara Langland-Orban, professor and chair of health policy and management at the USF College of Public Health.
“Instead, they increase crashes and injuries as drivers attempt to abruptly stop at camera intersections. If used in Florida, cameras could potentially create even worse outcomes due to the state’s high percent of elderly who are more likely to be injured or killed when a crash occurs.”
Red-light cameras photograph violators who are then sent tickets in the mail. Hillsborough County Commissioners unanimously agreed earlier this month to install the cameras at several major intersections in the county. The devices could be adopted by more cities and counties if Florida legislators pave the way by changing a state law this spring.
The USF report highlights trends in red-light running in Florida, summarizes major studies, and analyzes the automobile insurance industry’s financial interest in cameras. Among the findings:
• Traffic fatalities caused by red-light running are not increasing in Florida and account for less than 4 percent of the state’s yearly traffic deaths. In contrast, more than 22 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities occur at intersections for reasons other than red-light running.
• The injury rate from red-light running crashes has dropped by a third in less than a decade, indicating red-light running crashes have been continually declining in Florida without the use of cameras.
• Comprehensive studies from North Carolina, Virginia, and Ontario have all reported cameras are significantly associated with increases in crashes, as well as crashes involving injuries. The study by the Virginia Transportation Research Council also found that cameras were linked to increased crash costs.
• Some studies that conclude cameras reduced crashes or injuries contained major “research design flaws,” such as incomplete data or inadequate analyses, and were conducted by researchers with links to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The IIHS, funded by automobile insurance companies, is the leading advocate for red-light cameras. Insurers can profit from red-light cameras, since their revenues will increase when higher premiums are charged due to the crash and citation increase, the researchers say.
Langland-Orban said the findings have been known for some time. She cites a 2001 paper by the Office of the Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives, reporting that red-light cameras are “a hidden tax levied on motorists.” The report concluded cameras are associated with increased crashes, the timings at yellow lights are often set too short to increase tickets for red-light running, and most research concluding cameras are effective was conducted by one researcher from the IIHS. Since then, studies independent of the automobile insurance industry continue to find cameras are associated with large increases in crashes.
http://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/health/now/?p=404
The video cameras our fair city has installed and is installing are all networked. Also there appear to be sensor cameras in tubes that are directed toward the pads where cars wait for the light and I believe they sense the cars presence to adjust the timing of the lights when traffic is waiting.
A couple years back our city showed how the cameras helped solve an accident by showing which car actually was at fault.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I'd try it but I don't have an AMEX card and Costco is ~8 miles away.
There's a long red light camera thread from a year ago over in the Traffic Laws & Enforcement Tactics discussion btw.
I got intrigued with the Red Light camera thing. Now they are trying to push one for speeding. That ought to be a money maker.
If they want to get serious about making red light cameras effective, increase the fine to $500 per incident.
THAT will slow people down. No DOUBT.
The red light sellers have really worked on the PR and have convinced some people it's really a good thing. It's good for them. I believe Red Flex is Australian.
BTW, would a redlight camera have prevented this accident?
The previous intersection the truck driver passed has a city of Dayton red light camera, very profitable. It's in a location on a curve after an underpass on a divided 6 lane highway at a stoplight... out-of-towners don't realize the camera is there until it's too late. It's route 35 and route 49 into Dayton.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I don't shop in El Cajon because they charge 8.25% sales tax. Now I have another good reason to stay out of El Cajon. They have all the red light cameras in the East county where I live.
For those that like big brother watching your every move. Why don't we just implant a GPS in everyone's head and then we will know where they are and if they are going faster than the speed limit or through an intersection during the red cycle. Illegal U turns, etc etc.... That would include riding a moped in the bike lanes. That is against AZ traffic laws. If your motorized bike will go over 20 MPH it is considered a Moped. So be careful where you ride that thing.
Red light cameras are not "big brother watching your every move" anyway. They only snap at law breakers. Don't break the law, don't get snapped. Very simple.
My e-bike is rated max speed of 18 mph. No worries. Sidewalks mostly for me anyway - about 98% of the time.
Maybe we can get back to, ahem, gas prices in here.
From a FatWallet.com thread, it seems that buying gas at Costco without a membership works in some stores. Some people have to scan their AMEX card twice to get it to work. Now that the cat is out of the bag, the rest of the stores will do like yours I suppose.
There used to be a code trick to use at pumps where you don't have an affinity card to get the discount, but I keep forgetting to try it to see if it still works around here:
steve_, "Auto Parts Bargains and Coupons" #54, 28 Mar 2007 1:51 pm
Did you really need one more?
Just reading about a guy in Scottsdale that was stopped twice for riding a motorized bike in the bike lanes. He was clocked on radar at 28 MPH. Just to let you know they are watching you. There seems to be a question about the legality of riding on the sidewalks in AZ. Never found any legit source.
Oh the guy riding motorized in the bike lane had lost his drivers license for DUI so he was relegated to a bike.
Many years ago, I had a little 50 cc Honda moped. It was small, but looked almost cool -- like a mini-Vespa, and had a seat that lifted up and would contain a helmet, groceries, or whatever. Very convenient, and very fuel efficient. It got around 80 mpg.
Anyway, that little scooter would go 45 mph on a level road! I couldn't accelerate as fast as traffic, but I could certainly keep up with it.
So one evening I was scooting along and a cop pulled me over. Said he clocked me going 47 mph, then quickly added that even though I was in a 45 mph zone, it was still too fast, because mopeds weren't supposed to go that fast.
He told me if he caught me again, he'd write me up for some DMV violation, and I'd have to register my moped as a motorcycle. That meant that I'd have to get a license plate, pay taxes, etc.
Of course, I never slowed down. But he never caught me again, either.
I ended up selling the thing a year later to some guy who just got busted for drunk driving. He lost his license, and needed a mode of transportation that didn't require one.
On my bike, for example, the electric motor, with no human assistance, can only go 18 mph. If I pedal very hard and fast, I can exceed 18 MPH and even with the throttle at full peg, the electric motor SHUTS OFF.
At that point, I am operating on HUMAN power ONLY. At that moment, if I were to be clocked on radar, I would probably be near or exceeding 20 mph on an electric bike. Technically, illegal. But since I was on HUMAN POWER at the time, I have a case.
If that happens to me, I could prove my way out of a ticket. I think. I would hope.
I am sure you could :shades:
Run Forest, run!
LOLOL
An article in the paper the other day saying more people are buying scooters to combat the higher price of gas. Scooters and mopeds don't generally go very fast that I know of. It seems like a motorcycle would be a much better choice.
The GPS planted deep within everyone's brain would be a good idea. If any of us are around in a hundred years or so, that's probably what big brother will be doing. :sick:
The unsettling thing is that a lot of people welcome this "Big Brother" intrusion into our lives. Their rational is that if you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about. A couple more 9/11's and we could be walking around with implanted GPS's sooner than you think.
Exactly... and no one seems to wonder about who defines "wrong." We've had periods in our history (anyone remember McCarthyism?) when things got way out of whack, and these should caution us. A nation where there is no forum for dissent, for counter-cultural argument, is not a stronger place - our strength truly comes from diversity of opinion. Look at any other system for confirmation. This is why the "it might not be right, but it is the law" mindset often sets my teeth on edge.
We're all over the map in here - is everyone on summer vacation or what?
(oh yeah, everyone's stuck at their computers since they can't afford gas for a summer vacation).
Little AVeO, fuel prices are a crime
1.6 litres and a four-speed 'cause gas costs $4.29
The pump is racking up to $51.49
C'mon and turn it off, wind it down, blow it up AVeO!
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Wa-wa ("Ahhh, screw it, AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
You oughta see me on the Boulevard driving this crappy pile
This little Korean Chevy has got no kind of style
I'm among the masses going to their McJobs, the fuel costs are drivin' us wi-i-ild!
C'mon and turn it off, wind it down, blow it up AVeO!
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Wa-wa ("Ahhh, screw it, AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Can't save any money! Had to buy an AVeO!
Got a toxic mortgage and credit card debt! I just ain't got no dough!
Take it to the Sunoco, my debit account drops to zero.
I'm the dorkiest thing around
In massive debt I'm gonna drown
C'mon and turn it off, wind it down, blow it up AVeO!
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Waaah-waaaah, ("Boo-hoo, little AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa
Wa-wa ("Ahhh, screw it, AVeO") wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa