I got an email from a friend with tips about buying gas. It looks like the article is based on gas in the states. I also think some of these aren't really true, maybe someone can shed some light?
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Tips about Buying Gas
I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline, but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon: but, my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.
Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day it is diesel, the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground is, the more dense the gasoline. When it gets warmer, gasoline expands, so when buying in the afternoon or in the evening, your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business, but the service station s do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up, do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look, you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode, you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up, back into the underground storage tank, so that you are actually getting less worth for your money.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Here is an important tip. If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up. Most likely, the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.
Hope this will help you get the most value for your money. DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!
WHERE TO BUY USA GAS: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON
Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis. Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill my fa mily, my friends, and me.
I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.
These companies import Middle Eastern oil:
Shell........................... 205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco.......... 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon /Mobil............... 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway…… 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco........................ 62,231,000 barrels
Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel)
Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:
Sunoco..................... 0 barrels
Conoco..................... 0 barrels
Sinclair..................... 0 barrels
BP/Phillips................ 0 barrels
Hess........................ 0 barrels
ARCO....................0 barrels
If you go to www.Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you.
All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing. However, to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to do. Now, don't wimp out at this point.... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!
I'm sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) .... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!
If it goes one level further, you guessed it - THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE! Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How long would all that take?
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Saturday, March 15, 2008
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Canucks Re-sign Linden!
After four long months, the Canucks and Trevor Linden have finally come to a deal for the 2007/2008 season. After hearing about all the returning and prospect players signing deals with the Canucks over the summer months, everyone wondered when Trevor Linden was going to do the same. I had no doubt that he was going to return as a Canuck, he really stepped up his game and showed his experience during the 2006/2007 playoffs. Hopefully this coming season we'll see a little more of Trevor Linden on the ice during the regular season as opposed to being on the bench or in the box as a healthy scratch.
Source
Source
Monday, August 20, 2007
Top 10 Money Drains
It's easy to fritter away money on daily expenses. If you fall into these money traps, learn to avoid them and pocket the savings.
1. Coffee
2. Cigarettes
3. Alcohol
4. Bottled water
5. Manicures
6. Car washes
7. Weekday lunches out
8. Vending machines snacks
9. Interest charges on credit cards
10. Unused memberships
1. Coffee -- According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.
2. Cigarettes -- The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,660 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.
3. Alcohol -- Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change.
4. Bottled water from convenience stores -- A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.
5. Manicures -- The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.
6. Car washes -- The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
7. Weekday lunches out -- $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,350 a year.
8. Vending machines snacks -- The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.
9. Interest charges on credit card bills -- According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!
10. Unused memberships -- Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.
Source
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I don't know if I agree with everything on the list, but for the most part I can see how those little things can really add up. Some other considerations are:
11. A girlfriend - Eating out, entertainment, gifts and other miscellaneous expenses can really add up.
12. A car - For some, it's a necessity, but maybe not for all. Insurance, gas, maintenance, parking can be quite hefty.
Anything else to add to that list?
1. Coffee
2. Cigarettes
3. Alcohol
4. Bottled water
5. Manicures
6. Car washes
7. Weekday lunches out
8. Vending machines snacks
9. Interest charges on credit cards
10. Unused memberships
1. Coffee -- According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.
2. Cigarettes -- The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,660 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.
3. Alcohol -- Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change.
4. Bottled water from convenience stores -- A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.
5. Manicures -- The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.
6. Car washes -- The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.
7. Weekday lunches out -- $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most work days. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,350 a year.
8. Vending machines snacks -- The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.
9. Interest charges on credit card bills -- According to a survey released at the end of May 2007, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. Rate tables on Bankrate.com indicate that fixed interest rates on a standard card average 13.44 percent. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!
10. Unused memberships -- Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.
Source
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I don't know if I agree with everything on the list, but for the most part I can see how those little things can really add up. Some other considerations are:
11. A girlfriend - Eating out, entertainment, gifts and other miscellaneous expenses can really add up.
12. A car - For some, it's a necessity, but maybe not for all. Insurance, gas, maintenance, parking can be quite hefty.
Anything else to add to that list?
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Superbad
The movie Superbad is exactly like the commercials you see on TV; lots of crude jokes and slapstick humour. Some of the jokes were pretty good and reminded me of the good'ol days of high school, but some of them were just bad. I guess you just can't have it all right? There were definitely more bad ones than good ones though, so I didn't think it was that good of a movie. Slapstick humour just isn't my kind of thing. The commercials for the movie already gave away some of the jokes and a lot of them weren't really funny the second time around. If you are looking for a movie with that kind of humour, this is it.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Calgary Traffic Court
About two months ago, I received a violation ticket for not having proof of payment on the C-Train in Calgary. I had the ticket but forgot to use the machine to validate it. Anyways, i was ticketed for $150! Being a starving student, I decided to go to court to try and get it reduced or tossed out. The date the officer wrote down was for today, so I showed up with my case prepared. Here is my first experience with the Calgary Traffic Court system.
I walked into the traffic court area when it opened at 8:15am. There was already a lineup for the court room and the Justice of Peace (JOP) windows. I initially thought that there would be a reception area where we checked in before we proceed to the court room for our hearing with a JOP, but this was not the case. There is an area with windows for up to five JOP. The line for the courtroom was separate from the line for the JOP. The JOP essentially acted as pre-screener. If there was a matter that can be negotiated easily, the JOP would do it and the person would not have to go see a judge. If the person requests to go to the court room or the issue cannot be resolved with the JOP and needed to go to a judge, they were sent to the court line.
When it was my turn, I told the JOP that I would like to have the ticket reduced and/or have alternate arrangements. She then went to look for my ticket that is on file on their end. However, she couldn't find it and dismissed my ticket. I guess the officer thought I wouldn't pay the ticket because I was from BC. She stamped my ticket and off I went with $150 saved. I am not sure if it is the same in Vancouver, so perhaps someone could shed some light in the comments section? It would be good information if I ever get a violation in Vancouver *knock on wood*.
I walked into the traffic court area when it opened at 8:15am. There was already a lineup for the court room and the Justice of Peace (JOP) windows. I initially thought that there would be a reception area where we checked in before we proceed to the court room for our hearing with a JOP, but this was not the case. There is an area with windows for up to five JOP. The line for the courtroom was separate from the line for the JOP. The JOP essentially acted as pre-screener. If there was a matter that can be negotiated easily, the JOP would do it and the person would not have to go see a judge. If the person requests to go to the court room or the issue cannot be resolved with the JOP and needed to go to a judge, they were sent to the court line.
When it was my turn, I told the JOP that I would like to have the ticket reduced and/or have alternate arrangements. She then went to look for my ticket that is on file on their end. However, she couldn't find it and dismissed my ticket. I guess the officer thought I wouldn't pay the ticket because I was from BC. She stamped my ticket and off I went with $150 saved. I am not sure if it is the same in Vancouver, so perhaps someone could shed some light in the comments section? It would be good information if I ever get a violation in Vancouver *knock on wood*.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
White Spot, Calgary, AB
You must be wondering why I am writing about White Spot. I normally wouldn't write about restaurants that are pretty common, but this White Spot was a little different. What warrants a note for this White Spot is the building itself. My roommate and I went to the White Spot on Macleod Trail just south of Southland Dr.
Ambience
I was amazed as soon as I walked in; amazed that it was a White Spot. It essentially was a large cabin inside the building. It had very high open ceilings and lots of windows. It also had a fireplace in the lounge area. Everything had a wood finish and felt like I was inside a cabin on top of a ski resort. It was a very comfortable place to have dinner.
Menu
The menu was the same as every other White Spot that I've been to. Everything was pretty cheaply priced compared to other similar restaurants (ie. Boston Pizza, Moxies, etc). I ordered my favourite Monty Mushroom burger and was not disappointed. The fries however, were very disappointing. It was soggy, a bit cold, and looked like it had been sitting out for hours. It did not look appetizing at all. Since I was hungry, I just smothered it with the gravy that came with the fries and wolfed them down. The fries were bottomless but I wouldn't get more unless it was a fresh batch. The burger with the fries and a bit of coleslaw came to $10.54 after taxes. Definitely worth it.
Final Comments
The food is the same as any other White Spot, but the place was furnished to be a cabin and it really did feel like it. The next time you decide to go to a White Spot in Calgary, consider this one.
Ambience
I was amazed as soon as I walked in; amazed that it was a White Spot. It essentially was a large cabin inside the building. It had very high open ceilings and lots of windows. It also had a fireplace in the lounge area. Everything had a wood finish and felt like I was inside a cabin on top of a ski resort. It was a very comfortable place to have dinner.
Menu
The menu was the same as every other White Spot that I've been to. Everything was pretty cheaply priced compared to other similar restaurants (ie. Boston Pizza, Moxies, etc). I ordered my favourite Monty Mushroom burger and was not disappointed. The fries however, were very disappointing. It was soggy, a bit cold, and looked like it had been sitting out for hours. It did not look appetizing at all. Since I was hungry, I just smothered it with the gravy that came with the fries and wolfed them down. The fries were bottomless but I wouldn't get more unless it was a fresh batch. The burger with the fries and a bit of coleslaw came to $10.54 after taxes. Definitely worth it.
Final Comments
The food is the same as any other White Spot, but the place was furnished to be a cabin and it really did feel like it. The next time you decide to go to a White Spot in Calgary, consider this one.
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