trublue

Yesterday in ATL......3.85; today 3.65. Heard Mr. Obama mention in the debate last night that it was 3.80 in Nashville during one of his talking points about energy.....I mean answers ha-ha. However, that wasn't accurate b/c I drove through Nashville last Friday and I paid 3.29....(the station across the street was 3.34).

Also, the great Ronald Reagan. "Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them." R Reagan "The taxpayer- that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination." R Reagan "Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them." R Reagan "Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets." R Reagan "The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few shorts phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." R Reagan " The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." R Reagan "There are no easy answers but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what is morally right." R Reagan "Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure." R Reagan

......or Phil MIGHT be out on the street in front of that massive stadium giving 'em away....trying to fill it up after their recent "stink 'em up" games. Before you go there, I've been a fan of TN for years and seen them play in different stadiums....but, if they don't "right the ship" SOON .....they will not be getting the "top" recruits in the future that they've recruited with ease in the past.

(AP) Regulators on Friday shut down Silver State Bank, saying the Nevada bank failed because of losses on soured loans, mainly in commercial real estate and land development. It was the 11th failure this year of a federally insured bank. Nevada regulators closed Silver State and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver of the bank, based in Henderson, Nev. It had $2 billion in assets and $1.7 billion in deposits as of June 30. Andrew K. McCain, a son of Republican presidential nominee John McCain, sat on the boards of Silver State Bank and of its parent, Silver State Bancorp, starting in February but resigned in July citing "personal reasons," corporate filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show. Andrew McCain also was a member of the bank's audit committee, responsible for oversight of the company's accounting. The younger McCain, who is the chief financial officer of Hensley & Co., the beer distributorship of which Cindy McCain is chairwoman, is the Arizona senator's adopted son from his first marriage.

A great read......IMO this young man will accomplish much in life. http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=7&ArticleID=50665

"No Coal Plants in America"..... http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Biden_No_coal_plants_here_in_America.html?showall

Call me crazy....but I've got a feeling this game could be close.....maybe not what ppl are expecting. If I'm wrong......won't be the first time.....if I'm right .....pls. post "my" accolades asap.

Sometimes coaches get blamed for something they didn't call.....some players on teams are given the leeway of calling a fake.....IF.....they think that play is there. Maybe that was the case earlier in the season.

Way to go Spartans.....glad to hear another W for Coach Williams and Giles.

I was listening to the Richlands station (wgth) ....but the impression I got from the announcers.... it could have been a called play or possibly could have been a broken play. Considering the field position, I didn't think Coach Marrs called it.

I do NOT think Coach Marrs called that....could be wrong....but I think that decision was made on the playing field.

I know I'm breaking a cardinal rule by commenting on the score update....but just got to say ... WAY TO SHOW YOURSELF Grundy.....keep it up....Kelly is no slouch.

The implementation of NAFTA was signed by Mr. William Jefferson Clinton. The mess in the housing market today is due in large part to the total "good ole boys" network at Fannie and Freddie's network. NEW YORK – Campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made to Barack Obama may backfire if the Democratic presidential hopeful wages an aggressive campaign to cast blame on rival John McCain and the Republicans in Congress for the mortgage-related losses that forced the U.S. Treasury to take over the quasi-governmental mortgage giants. A review of Federal Election Commission records back to 1989 reveals Obama in his three complete years in the Senate is the second largest recipient of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae campaign contributions, behind only Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the powerful chairman of the Senate banking committee. Dodd was first elected to the Senate in 1980. According to OpenSecrets.com, from 1989 to 2008, Dodd received $165,400 in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions, including contributions from PACs and individuals, followed by Obama, who received $126,349 in such contributions since being elected to the Senate in 2004. In contrast, McCain warned of the coming mortgage crisis as he pressed in 2005 for regulatory reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. You can read the rest of the article at following link: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75586

Couldn't resist.

Meanwhile, McCain senior aide Matt McDonald said that the senator "laughed" when he heard the comment. "He would not claim to be the inventor of anything, much less the BlackBerry. This was obviously a boneheaded joke by a staffer," McDonald said ===================================================================== Heard a network explaining why McCain doesn't/can't use a keyboard. He received very extensive debilitating injuries to his fingers while being held as a POW. He dictates to his wife at night and she does most of his emails for him.

Went to Costco (ATL) couple hours ago to fill up.....no fuel....they were posting signs about it. Went to Sam's....they had reg. for 3.99 and premium for 4.19 ....but some of their tanks were out. However, did see a tanker setting over at the side....don't know if it was to replenish or had just done so.

You see the Richlands football managers out on the field w/the mustard bottle when kids are cramping....been doing the "mustard thing" for sometime. Dawgs looking good....Tazewell County had a good showing last night.

Updated: 3:46 p.m. September 12, 2008 AJC Gas prices surge as Ike moves in Staff and wire reports Friday, September 12, 2008 Gas prices jumped by about 8 cents in metro Atlanta on Friday as the threat of refinery damage from Hurricane Ike sent the recent price decline into reverse. Metro Atlanta’s average price for unleaded was $3.69 early Friday afternoon, up from $3.61 on Thursday, according to atlantagasprices.com, which compiles motorist reports. That’s up 12 cents from one week ago but still lower than the $3.71 average one month ago. Customers of a Shell gas station at Sugarloaf Parkway and Old Norcross Road in Lawrenceville, where regular was $3.69 per gallon, said they were unhappy about the sudden change. Larry Ruiz of Duluth said it cost him $45 Tuesday to fill up his small pickup. Friday, it cost him $60. “It really is just too expensive,†he said. “The government has lost control of the gas.†“Well, I’m not surprised with the hurricane coming, but it sure does put a damper on road trips,†said Catina Davis of Grayson, referring to camping and beach trips she takes with her husband and two children. “I think it’s outrageous that prices keep going up,†Jackie Hilton of Lawrenceville said. Area gas prices peaked at close to $4.10 a gallon in mid-July. Prices had stabilized at the start of this month after falling steadily during August. Wholesale gasoline in the Gulf Coast region rose to $4.91 a gallon, the highest since 1971 in inflation-adjusted dollars, as refiners such as Valero Energy Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp. ceased production in Texas in anticipation of Ike, according to Bloomberg News. Gasoline for sale in Gulf Coast spot markets rose 17 cents, or 3.6 percent, as of 11:57 a.m., the third straight day of increases as residents of Houston, Corpus Christi and other Gulf Coast cities evacuated, depleting gasoline supplies. On Thursday, the wholesale price for gasoline produced on the Gulf Coast jumped about 30 percent on the spot market as Ike churned toward Texas and its massive petroleum refining infrastructure. The wholesale price for a gallon of gasoline rose about $1, to $4.25, Thursday morning, topping the high price five years ago when hurricanes Katrina and Rita raked the Gulf Coast, said Tom Kloza, publisher of the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, N.J. It was uncertain whether that price spike will filter down to the retail level. “It’s pure panic,†Kloza said. “It’s related to the fact that there are worries about whether there’s going to be enough (gasoline) in the distribution system to satisfy some of the September pumping needs on the Gulf Coast.†The spike will almost certainly push pump prices higher in coming days, as the gasoline makes it way from the wholesale market to retailers. “This is about refineries in the target of the storm,†Kloza said. “This is about refineries having to shut down for probably five, six, seven days even if the storm misses them.†Filling up around the South Drivers around the South rushed to fill their gas tanks Friday. One regional chain urged patrons to limit themselves to 10 gallons and officials in some states tried to head off a run on gas by threatening to prosecute stations that gouge consumers. “We are encouraging motorists to exercise some restraint this weekend,†said AAA Carolinas spokeswoman Carol Gifford. “The run on gas is creating a crisis before there is a crisis.†Some stations said gas could cost $5 a gallon by the end of the day. “Every time there’s a hurricane this happens. They’re just doing this to rip people off,†said 19-year-old Megan Cohen, a South Carolina college student who settled for paying $4.11 a gallon after going to three stations. As refineries closed, governors in North Carolina, Kentucky and Arkansas signed orders or made declarations allowing their attorneys general to enforce anti-gouging laws. In South Carolina  where gas prices increased about 20 cents a gallon on average Friday  Attorney General Henry McMaster said gas stations that price gouge would face criminal prosecution. He did not set a threshold, saying each case must be investigated separately to see whether prices were raised to an “unconscionable†level. The Pantry convenience store chain, which has about 1,600 stations in 11 southern states, asked customers at about half of them to buy only 10 gallons of gas at a time. Similar requests were made during hurricanes Rita and Katrina to slow panic buying, CEO Pete Sodini said. The chain’s stores include Kangaroo and Petro Express. Consumer confidence On Friday, the September survey from the University of Michigan showed a healthy improvement in consumer confidence — a gain that was pegged to the summer’s decline in gas prices. Not so fast. Ike seems certain to mean at least a temporary jacking up of gas prices. By pounding the core of the nation’s oil zone, Ike shuts down a large part of the energy business. Roughly 30 percent of American refining capacity is in the path of the monster storm. In 2005, Katrina and Rita destroyed 115 platforms and damaged 52, according to the Minerals Management Service. The good news is that since 2005, oil companies have tried to improve their infrastructure in the Gulf. Much of the equipment is capable of withstanding 100 mile-an-hour-plus winds. But even the toughest of the rigs and refineries will be closed as they ride out the storm and most of the personnel will be safely onshore. The MMS said Thursday that personnel had been evacuated from 562 production platforms, 79 percent of the platforms staffed in the Gulf. Workers had also been moved from 93 rigs — 77 percent of the total. After a shutdown, it generally takes a few days to crank up operations again. In the interim, the region could see higher prices and possibly even some shortages. The hurricane hits just days after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries voted to trim back production. That vote was a response to what had been a dramatic drop in oil prices, which had peaked at about $145 a barrel in late spring. Since then, the U.S. and some other key economies have weakened, eroding demand for gasoline. That slack helped bring the oil price down. So OPEC was hoping to head off still more declines.

Out earlier this morning in "traffic land" (ATL) .....it was 3.68 going to my destination.....couple hours later it was 3.89. However, didn't see any signs of shortage....there's a gas station on every corner.

The death of OPEC Posted Sep 11 2008, 07:01 AM by Douglas McIntyre Rating: Saudi Arabia walked out on OPEC yesterday, saying it would not honor the cartel's production cut. It was tired of rants from Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and the well-dressed oil minister from Iran. As the world's largest crude exporter, the kingdom in the desert took its ball and went home. As the Saudis left the building, the message was shockingly clear. “Saudi Arabia will meet the market’s demand,†a senior OPEC delegate told the New York Times. “We will see what the market requires and we will not leave a customer without oil." OPEC will still have lavish meetings and a nifty headquarters in Vienna, Austria, but the Saudis have made certain the the organization has lost its teeth. Even though the cartel argued that the sudden drop in crude was due to "oversupply", OPEC's most powerful member knows that the drop may only be temporary. Cold weather later this year could put pressure on prices. So could a decision by Russia that it wants to "punish" the U.S. and European Union for a time. That political battle is only at its beginning. The downward pressure on oil got a second hand. Brazil has confirmed another huge oil deposit to add to one it discovered off-shore earlier this year. The first field uncovered by Petrobras has the promise of being one of the largest in the world. The breadth of that deposit has now expanded. OPEC needs the Saudis to have any credibility in terms of pricing, supply, and the ongoing success of its bully pulpit. By failing to keep its most critical member, it forfeits its leverage. OPEC has made no announcement about any possibility of dissolving, but the process is already over. Top Stocks blogger Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

HW.....I think they were just trying to make some "funnies".....really, don't think any "harm" was intended at least from my read. Of course, if you've been "shot" at before on earlier threads....you're maybe a little "gun shy". Hang in there and be like a duck ....let "the water/rain roll off your back".....(I couldn't help it.) Keep on posting.......enjoy hearing about the Marion program.

Opey, I'm getting the gut feeling here.....that you're not really a Richlands' fan. Could be wrong.....but, why would you be posting fodder as that. Not in the same league....they're in the SWD. You can usually toss any records from the PAST out when district rivals play each other. This is a new year, new season, new game.....the past doesn't win games for ya....what counts is the next game to be played. The comment about alot of changes and a possible player transferring has already been posted on this board. Most Richlands' followers already know what's happening w/the team and not via the message boards.....so, again, your post raises a red flag. IF, you are are a Richlands' fan....respect your opponent ....the only thing that counts is when the game is over and which team has scored the most points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFtszXrC0R0

.......Matthews (aka/made my leg tingle) and Olbermann (MSNBC)....removed by their own parent network, NBC, (from anchoring future political events) for their "in your face -no holds barred "support of the Democrats/Obama.

Let's remember that Elswick is the qb for the first team.....Vance is, usually, only seeing qb duty against the opponent's second team. Elswick is a smart young man, no questioning that....but IMO ....he believes he's gotta be the playmaker on every snap b/c there's not been anyone to really step into the role of a "true" RB yet. If, they get a running game going (I'm not talking Reggie Bush here) then I think that will take some of the pressure off of Elswick. Also, you can't just pick one area to say there's the problem.....many times Elswick is scrambling b/c someone missed their assignment. Does that happen in HS football....sure it does w/every team out there. Many ppl that saw Richlands in the pre-season thought they were a good team....that team is still intact.....they just need to find the right combination....and hopefully, that will occur soon.