I don't get this at all

I thought it odd that, through all this economic turmoil, that the price of gas kept dropping. Odder yet that no one mentioned it. I figured I was just missing that conversation as I don't read that much business news and I don't watch any tv news on purpose. Yesterday, in a small tucked away article in the local rag, they noted that the price was dropping because demand for gas was down.

Huh?

I am anything but an economic expert. I enjoy math but consider accounting to be some sort of weird magic that allows you to spend your money while still keeping it. I wrote a term paper about the stock market in the 8th grade in an effort to understand it better and came away with the impression that it was some weird game because the value of a stock was what someone would pay for it.

In that, if nothing else, I was right. What I'm trying to build up to is my general lack of knowledge on the subject so, if I say something incredibly stupid next, you'll know why.

How is the demand for gas down? It must be on some grandiose level, like for long haul truckers or something because I don't see that people have stopped driving in large numbers. Is it some airplane related thing where more crude is available to make regular gas because airlines are cutting out flights? Most people still have to go to and from work everyday and are still fueling up regularly to do so. Yet, in the last month or so, the price of a gallon of gas has dropped about a dollar. I saw stations in Milwaukee listing $2.99 yesterday, which did fill me with a certain glee.

In my innocence, I'd think that lowered gas prices would help stimulate things a bit. You know, paid less for gas this month and can afford something else I wouldn't otherwise have bought. More items are shipped because gas prices are down and things are selling. Production increases because things are selling, etc.

As noted, I know nothing. When you see the price of gas climb for 12 hours at a gas station because a hurricane 'might' impact production and then returns to lower than the previous price because the damage wasn't as bad as expected, it becomes tricky to trust any reasonings provided.

Sooner DTV the better

I'll be happy once the digital TV conversion is over and done with mostly because I'm tired of the ads for it. I'm even more tired of the scrawls they use during the programmes, knowing that no one watches commercials if they can help it.

It's messing up my recordings of 'Batman'. Annoying.

Now that's done, what's next?

It feels good to call something complete and I did that yesterday with the story I previewed on the blog last year as 'Fresh Fiction for Friday'. It turned out being called 'Time for a Change'.

Which is funny, because I came up with that name before my position at work was eliminated and I got a change of my own. Odd how that worked out.

Still, the feeling of accomplishment is good. Now I just need to roll that momentum into some of my other projects. It's been working with finishing reading books, watching DVDs I've been buying, and now one story.

Hurray!

The Man Who No Longer Exists

I saw the Man Who No Longer Exists yesterday. I was watching a DVD with wrestling footage from the early 90's and there he was, working away. It was in front of a small crowd. His opponent played the face and remained almost silent through-out. He Who No Longer Exists was a heel, occasionally noisy, and worked at the crowd, showing signs of a personality he supposedly never had in the ring.

As I watched I was happy then sad then happy again. It could have been different. The disk was filled with other sadness with other performers lost to us for various reasons. One of the chief amongst them was Eddy Guerrero. He is saluted, commonly mourned amongst wrestling fans. While he had fought back his demons by the end of his life, what killed him was the long-term abuse to his body, not so much in the ring, but the substances he abused outside of it.

Those are easier to excuse somehow, the slow suicides from poisons and shortcuts. Had the Man Who No Longer Exists held himself to that, he would be chief amongst the mourned but something else happened there, others were in the mix as well and, now, He No Longer Exists.

In time, things might change. The situation may be considered a wake up call. Perhaps someday we'll understand the situations better, understand the reasons better. Until then, it's better this way, not speaking his name, as if he never existed.

Whoa, what? Cool!

Digging in the archive I just found four mini-statues from the 'Godzilla Origins' set that I never opened. No clue why and I'm going to try to find room to display them with the others that have been out for years now.

It's my stuff and I don't even know what I going to find. Fascinating...

Burgers and Baseball

Speaking of burgers, we had some really good ones before the playoff game we attended Saturday night. I purchased some quality items from a butcher shop we've had lots of success with over the years. They've got the bacon and cheddar cheese already mixed in with the meat. We combined seasonings in a slightly different quantity, cooked them on the grill and it was happy tummy time.

The Brewers won that night. They lost today and were eliminated from the playoffs. At least we had one night in the 'sun' of the playoffs and success and tailgating.

Til there's more baseball in Milwaukee. This year was awesome fun.

Thanks team! Even the guys I've booed this year deserve a thanks!